This is without a doubt a really fun little game.

It’s really, REALLY boring.

A masterpiece of handheld gaming.

We found that the need to hammer the A, B, L and R buttons repeatedly did get quite painful after a while. Doubtless fans of the Ready 2 Rumble series will love it though.

Simply put, if you don’t like the genre previously known as an RPG then there is nothing here to shine you on, but what there is has been created with such a level of craft that there’s no denying its artfulness. It’s a beauty and as near (yet far) to a Zelda release as we’re going to see.

Totally immersing from the start, never letting up and always lashed with the sort of extreme violence that we’ve always wanted.

You might not find yourself playing Crazy Taxi constantly on the day you buy it, but you'll still be picking it up for a quick blast of arcade action this time next year.

The game is really not helped by slightly confusing controls, and it will take a few premature deaths before you really get the hang of them but once you do, the excellent nature of the audio-visuals really draws you into the game and leaves you absolutely hooked.

It's always edge-of-the-seat stuff and is guaranteed to put anyone off becoming a real ATC operator.

Ultimately, as a game Gauntlet: Dark Legacy misses the point somewhat and will disappoint both fans of the original and newcomers alike. Consequently this is best left avoided by all but the least demanding of gamers.

The best arcade racer we’ve played so far and EA certainly seems to be developing quite a respectable name for its ‘Big’ games.

It just feels like no effort has been made to make this a killer game – this is the type of game that might do well in the arcades but not at home. There isn’t even a two-player mode in the game to add any form of variety – a criminal act for scrolling shooters.

One of the biggest disappointments on the PS2 so far, simply because it promised so much and should have been so much more impressive than this lazy rushed piece of software.

By offering something that is not only new but extremely challenging PopTop have done the strategy gaming fraternity a real service and hopefully the legacy of Tropico will be that more games developers are prepared to attempt political simulations in the future.

The latest all-action game that still has lots to offer the strategy gamer so go, go go!

A well crafted game that pays respects to its franchise, drawing strength from it rather than using it as a prop. More like this please Trip.

A classic arcade action game, which should appeal to both older gamers who remember this style of game with fondness, and younger players who may have never experienced this sort of simplistic joy before.

For starters, anyone familiar with the Dreamcast version will stare in disbelief at the ropy visuals that this version has been saddled with. Everything from the characters to the levels look strangely rough-hewn and the textures look somewhat muted and lack definition and sharpness of colour.

Once the initial novelty of letting your Sims do a Petula Clarke has worn off, there isn't actually a massive amount of new stuff here.

Unhappily then, ZOE is a novel, yet overly hyped PS2 game that ranks alongside "The Bouncer" as one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

To play this is to love it - there is so much to do, so much to learn and so much enjoyment to be had from this that I cannot see anyone failing to like it.

Looks gorgeous, handles sweetly and is ‘totally bitchin’ when played against other like-minded, bloodthirsty players – there must be some price to pay amongst all this triumph.

Sadly the effects you get on all these rarely impress and like the rest of the game they’re not much to look at.

Far from what its name might suggest but as trigger happy fun goes, you won't get much better. Serious Sam? Rubbish name, great game.

The main problem with Star Trek: Away Team, however, is the enemy AI. Whichever skill setting you play on (there are only two) you will find yourself confronted by some of the most stupid opposition ever found in a video game.

The huge array of skills and the depth of character development stay true to Fallout's predecessors while the play is a devious mix of precision and inspired tactics with a healthy dose of an army motto, "Check, check and check again!"

The biggest letdown of this game is just how short it is, though to open up everything does take a couple of runs through and you will want to play it again after that for sheer fun value alone! A truly gorgeous game, Onimusha Warlords is a must-buy for fans of the genre.

If The Bouncer had been cast with a little more of the freedom associated with the RPGs it borrows its visual flair from then this would have been a defining moment for the PlayStation2.

This is just one example of the lack of realism involved in the game. A lack that runs through the entire simulation!

Overall, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 is a great addictive sports title, which is certainly way above par.

The basic thrill of playing Starfighter cancels out these minor gripes and most players should find this an engrossing and explosive experience.

The speed, responses, combination moves and array of fighting styles intertwine to present a tactical beat-’em-up with enough edge to coax even the most-hardened arcade junkies out of their smoke-caked games dens.

A very accomplished title, as you’d expect from Rowan, if only all the polish that’s gone into the three dimensional section applied across the sometimes clunky menu and map screens. That’s a small criticism when looking at the whole game that offers a fantastic flight simulator and complex battle management game in one.

Overall, Oni is in no way without merit, it is just not original or exciting enough to keep your attention for long. As a PSone game, perhaps we would be a bit kinder but for a next generation title, there is nothing more frustrating than bland mediocrity.

The only way someone would see like this is if they hung around with Timothy Leary a bit too often in the Sixties, or fought exclusively in Agent Orange blackspots during the Vietnam war. From beginning to end, a bad idea.

If you love real-time strategy but are getting a little bored of tank rushes and linear opposition then you should snap this up as soon as you can – it’s worth every penny and then some.

Taking the accepted route and reviewing the title on the quality by which it ape’s real-life however, we find a game which delivers exactly what hardcore b’ball fans would want. You know into which camp you fall.

Ultimately, while Kingdom Under Fire might be considered a Korean homage to Blizzard, there’s plenty here to enjoy in its own right.

A suitably impressive game, if not for its sparkling gameplay, then for its determination to do something different with the whole genre, in which it remains almost unique.

The multiplayer mode is where the real fun lies then, and this game can genuinely suck hours from your existence with the aid of a few bloodthirsty friends and an unhealthy obsession with scrap metal.

To get the most out of this you will need to play it for quite a while, and those of you that do will no doubt find the extra features rewarding – if you only dabble with the game this is not an essential addition.

With no difficulty options there is little extra challenge to be had once you’ve finished the game and with no multiplayer, its lifespan is limited but for a tour de force in stealth and tactics, it beats Delta Force into a cocked hat.

A pretty plain, non-radical slice of action that can’t even get close to other Extreme Sports games.

My favourite touch is that your forces have only limited ammunition, while in many RTS games your guns seem to have an infinite supply of bullets.

The sea battles are great, but they do take quite a bit of time, and it is a shame that the rest of the game does not live up to the high standards they set.

It stinks!...It’s hardly challenging stuff once you’ve worked out what to do, and before long you’ll find yourself turning the machine off in general disgust.

What the original was intended to be - but it's still no "Alpha Centauri." [Feb 2001, p.78]

The first thing that strikes you about this game is the feeling of sheer quality that runs throughout it.

Should you feed this particular 12 shiny purple centimetres of powerful, liberating gameplay to your hungry PS2, you’ll be grateful too: you won’t remove it until you’ve finished the whole thing at least twice.

Meritless in terms of taking their genre forward or, worse even, invoking the warm glow of nostalgia. Spend £15 on a NES and the original games instead.

The battles soon result in simplistic tat-for-tat assaults using the boosted special attacks whilst the tactical differences between various sections is questionable.

A lot of fun, although not particularly advanced from "Delta Force 2" in either scope or quality.

For those that have completed the game the credits are one of the funniest things I have ever seen in a game. The credits run on for quite a while and almost make having completed the game an afterthought.

As far as racing games go this is currently unrivalled and you would be more than hard pushed to find a better motorbike title.

An excellent techno break beat soundtrack featuring the likes of Mix Master Mike and Rahzel puts the ice on a very tasty snow cake. The only thing that really lets this game down is a lack of game modes.

H3O’s problem, in a nutshell, is its subject matter – the wave, whilst a stunningly beautiful natural phenomenon, provides a most monotonous forum for a videogame imaginable.

Put simply, Fantavision is a work of art. It’s beautiful.

What began as a second rate Virtua Fighter clone with dubious buster designs has evolved into a dazzling tactical fighter, littered with original and superbly implemented ideas.

The game is very long. Playing through all 18 holes, the action does drag somewhat and you will have to put aside at least an hour to battle through the one player challenge.

The depth within blows the likes of "Street Fighter EX3" and "Dead Or Alive 2" out of the picture.

Its shallow atmosphere aside, there is little wrong with Smuggler’s Run. The graphics will stun even the deepest of cynics, whilst the array of sub-games and variety of missions highlight "Driver’s" limitations.

The greatest shame about Midnight Club: Street Racing however is just how repetitive it can become.

A lack of any multi-player action just adds to the pain and is as heinous a crime that a videogame could commit.

The storyline to Majora’s Mask is far superior to that of the first game and besides the camera and the occasional annoyance created by the advance of time, the puzzles, quests, objects and characters that you meet in this game make it a more than worthy sequel.

For those with an open mind The Summoner is a very original and very entertaining game that melds PC and console gaming perfectly to create something very original indeed.

When the time came to finish playing Squad Leader, I couldn’t uninstall it quick enough. Mentally scarred from the horrific experience, the only thing that kept me going was the chance to warn others about it.

This has got to be one of the nippiest first-person shooters we have ever played. It just reacts so well that you can''t fail to feel that you''re performing a useful role in the battle and are not just there to stomp around while looking fierce.

To speak plainly the action is DULL with a pace which only ever reaches the giddy heights of ''sedate'' ensuring that you'll soon share your character''s apparent lethargy - hardly befitting of the game''s extreme-sport pretensions.

Unfortunately the Dress-up system isn’t enough to save Evergrace from being very average. The horribly bland visuals, limited exploration and short life span (around 5 hours per character) drag down what could have been a rewarding and unique adventure.

If Armored Core 2 had managed to add more of "Blaze's" carnage, we would be taking about a classic.

Eternal Ring is a decent idea executed with some style. Alas, after a while, the novelty wears off and you don’t care enough about the tale to see it through to the end.

A great arcade game that doesn''t quite hit the target.

The multiplayer levels outnumber the main game stages massively and each one has been designed specifically with action in mind - and they deliver!

Offers stunning interpretation of its subject sport and stands as one of the most enjoyable PS2 games to date. Essential stuff.

Unfortunately this battle system doesn''t help the fact that Orphen has average written all over it.

That’s not to say X-Squad is hopelessly flawed – if taken as more of a no-brainer than intended, it provides a serviceable blast, and the well-spaced restart points do dampen the almost random battle outcomes fairly well.

Fans of "Ready 2 Rumble" will find a great deal to enjoy here - even if it doesn''t quite reach the classic heights of the first game there is still plenty of variety here to keep you coming back for more.

It’s to the developer’s credit that this does not feel at all like "Pharaoh" with a Greek touch, but has its own feel and style to it.

The game is one of the better efforts in the series, with the flaws that put off hardcore gamers reduced, but still present. It’s not really one for strategy nuts, but if you like a less challenging but enjoyable dose of strategy, this will fit the bill nicely.

Get your fix of mindless killing right here, you won''t regret it - this is after all ''Unreal''.

Throwing a fireball at Ken is still as much fun as ever, and it does look better than any other Street Fighter EX game. It won’t be the best Street Fighter game you ever play, but it’ll be fun nonetheless.

A decent expansion pack that goes a long way towards redressing the failings of the original. However, that is not to say that the original should not have been a lot better than it was.

The graphics are stunning, making full use of an enhanced Rogue Spear engine and the sounds are equally impressive adding to the thrilling action. The attention to detail is incredible and the tactical knowledge and training manuals are so comprehensive it can become almost like a second job.

A no-frills tank sim that has a very solid base but not a great deal in terms of extras or window-dressing. Tank sim fans will find this a pleasing and detailed addition to their collection but anyone who is looking for the latest graphics, frantic shooting or options by the bucketload will not find them here.

There are predictable twists and a couple that may just surprise you, the voice acting is impressive and the animated cut scenes are still a breath of fresh air after the endless glossy renders of other games.

The extra elements – such as the chemistry set, the work bench, the vibrating bed, the magic lamp and so on, coupled with the great new NPCs – including the Grim Reaper, the Genie of the Lamp and Frankenstein’s monster – ensure that The Sims: Livin’ It Up will add plenty more fun to the successful original Sims formula.

There is nothing here that will convince flight sim haters to reconsider their approach, but invest time in this game and you will be rewarded with a fine gameplaying experience.

It uses the licensed Kiss characters in a very smart and dark way but lacks rocking Kiss tunes or imagery that the fan might expect.

It’s a shame, because the first game had some really innovative ideas and it would have been nice to have seen a few of them here!

My only major gripe is the over-emphasis on combat. You seem to spend most of your time repelling massive onslaughts from the enemy, then frantically rebuilding before the next one begins.

Shouts of "Who’s that bloody pink blob that keeps nicking my fruit?" rang across the office long after we should’ve all been hard at work on other things and it’s safe to say that Kirby 64 is going to be a game that will get a lot of use in the coming months.

Its claims to be a truly interactive experience are wishful thinking, it’s still a pretty linear game. Although there are different ways to accomplish things, the ultimate goal remains much the same.

The interface is simple despite the huge number of men at your disposal, Shogun is the next step in war-gaming, as accessible and fun as C&C but with vast scope and grand aspirations.

A title which has almost infinite replay value because every time you play it it’s a different game. Even if you repeatedly just play the same map over and over again the variety of things you can do and the impressive AI of the CPU opponents means that it’s never the same game twice.

Add in multi-player action over won.net and you have a truly excellent game that puts "Force Commander" well and truly to shame.

A let-down of legendary proportions. It’s a resurrected beast of the gaming world, only rather than being intact and brilliantly playable, it’s rotting and bits are falling off in large chunks.

The tracks are stunning and the physics engine manages to feel realistic, but also work perfectly as a game.

Essentially, Vanguard Bandits is a series of battles linked via a fairly tedious story line. This could have been acceptable if the battles themselves were well implemented but sadly they’re not.