It's certainly slick and professionally done, and those who find platformers to be their favourite genre will find this very enjoyable. However, if you like your gaming to be different then all you'll get from this is a distinct feeling of deja vu.

The fact that NHL Hitz is so easy to pick up and then so playable once you're hooked is the thing that makes the game a total success in our book – there are so few sports games around these days that manage to do the job so well.

The town is massive and the whole style of the game just brings a huge smile to the face.

MTX:Mototrax is everything you have come to expect from a motocross game, but not that much more. Play is fun and fast but does not deserve winning honors.

2D beat-'em-up aficionados are unlikely to be convinced by the game.

The reduced teams make this game not only easier to follow but also a lot more fun to play than the EA hockey game.

The problem is that you have no control over where the camera is pointing so 50 percent of the time you'll be aiming at something off the screen.

Surprisingly, it's this split between the game's determination to showcase new elements while reintroducing more traditional gameplay that makes Sonic Advance 3 such a success; there's something here for everyone, no matter which era of Sonic you prefer.

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.

With up to four players racing together, Downhill Domination offers plenty of adrenalin- pumping action and if you are looking for a different and rewarding racer then this is one mountain worth climbing.

A lazy PS2 port. Make no mistake this is a perfectly decent piece of software, but when you handed over your cash for the Xbox you probably weren’t expecting to be playing hand-me-downs from a machine significantly less powerful.

Mario Party reflects Nintendo's current policy in Japan of knocking out gimmicky video toys instead of those pesky expensive-to-produce games. A good laugh with a group of friends, but it's no substitute for the games that made Nintendo's name in the first place.

The perfect example of how to update a classic game without losing the spark of sheer enjoyment that made it great in the first place. This is the first must-buy game of 2003.

Burnout is the worst example to date as you can be in first place yet still run out of time, a facet which is both infuriating, common to several courses and, considering the likelihood of at least a few collisions, utterly predictable.

Once you start playing however, you’re more than likely to find yourself running about like a blue-arsed fly as the game passes you by, such is the level of AI of the computer-controlled players.

Although it's wonderful to drive around a fully realised 3D Springfield at breakneck speed in Otto's bus, we can't help but feel that things are a little formulaic.

In motion, Alien Hominid is like nothing else - there's always so much going on and the smooth characters and animations most modern 2D titles to shame.

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

The end result is, like the best blockbuster movies, a flawed but enjoyable waste of time.

Great for hardcore Forgotten Realms fans as well as a tasty prospect for those of us who would rather read real books and have never played a single game of Dungeons & Dragons, but still want a decent dabble into an agreeable world where numbers aren't as important as your ability to slay hordes of evil monsters and find keys.

No matter how many times you die in the same place, no matter how frustrated you get, it has that magical power to make you snatch that controller back and soldier on.

This is by far the most impressive extreme sports game that we have played on the GBA. It truly is a remarkable piece of handheld programming.

The main problem lies in the fact that this is really nothing more than a re-done "SSX Tricky."

Someone out there obviously thought that creating a simulation of real-life farming was a pretty good idea -- the worrying thing is that they might just be right! It may be all too much like hard work but this game can make growing cabbages seem as addictive as Hagen Das ice-cream!

Acceptable character animation and slightly angular backgrounds, decent combat and imaginative puzzles make for a warm gaming experience that's heavily undermined by a total lack of voice acting.

In wishing to both typify and exaggerate the visual style of a bygone age, Rez ultimately commits the cardinal sin of placing graphics before gameplay – a facet attributable to SEGA's desire for the title to be seen as art.

With some occasionally spooky moments, dialogue that isn’t afraid to say **** and NPCs that don’t mind the occasional vomiting session you’ve got a game that does the source film justice.

If it's not parodying some of the world's most loved (or loathed) film franchises - such as Star Wars, The Terminator and Saving Private Ryan - it's having a pop at drugs, nationality and anything else that has been hijacked by the world of political correctness.

It’s fun but, existing in the half-world between dimensions, it fails to satisfy either the lust for old fashioned action or the flexibility of the modern gamer.

The wisely balanced sim and arcade elements are combined with fantastic presentation to make for a very slick package that boxing fans will enjoy.

MechWarrior afficionados only.

Still, with superb controls, well-designed courses and a structure riddled with extra incentives, there are few better arcade racers than Shox on the PS2.

Graphically, DW4 is a giant leap ahead of the past Dynasty Warriors games. The animation is now smoother and more imaginative, the effects wild and dazzling, and slowdown is thankfully rare.

When you do finally get through to the end, you’ll be a better gamer because of it… or at least one who’s learnt a whole bunch of new swear words.

The trouble is that The Thing just doesn’t scare us and that, you’d think, is a vital part of any horror game.

That said, there is no doubt that this is a fantastic game that contains believable characters (surely a rarity in the world of RPGs) and although occasionally stuttering in a fit of lost focus, manages to both charm and delight with its fresh locales and gung-ho attitude.

It’s just too short: the game takes around ten hours to complete.

Visually the game is competent, but having seen the PS2 version, we were disappointed to discover that this Xbox port looks nigh on identical.

This is never going to compete with the likes of Pandora in the looks department, this is instead about the gameplay. It's here where Hitman Contracts excels.

Cumbersome at the best of times, it takes a lot more effort on the player’s part than it should to control the ball as they would wish. Not good for a fast-paced sports title.

We're basically being screwed from behind while simultaneously being fed the most exquisite cuisine. What a predicament. Oh well... us GameCube owners are used to being screwed, so we may as well just close our eyes and taste the honey.

It's definitely more playable than 2004, but you're still better off with "Winning Eleven 6."

Short, sweet and tough as a bastard.

It's not GoldenEye, let's get that clear; but there is plenty in the game for it to stand up and be counted as a genuinely class title.

Porsche 2000's structure, innovation and control deserve a better canvas on which to paint.

But it's not just the complicated sequence of button presses that jip you, nuh-uh - it's the levels and their trial-and-error nature. Constantly having to repeat a level until you find the correct route, or discovering the correct squads to take in with you does become frustrating.

In many ways this is the ideal stock title that you need for those occasions when people who don't really like games end up in the same room with those who really do. And you're all out of gin.

The PS2 game is gorgeous enough as it, but the extra processing power, graphical trickery and superior control mechanism have done wonders for Criterion's racer.

For every flaw Drakan delivers an equal and opposite measure of magnificence.

While there is plenty in single player to keep the gamer coming back for more, the chance to play online would have lifted this into true classic status.

This one certainly needs to be sexed up if it wants to be taken off the shelf.

The visual display of space and the ships is still badly executed but with tightened up control methods and an enjoyable plot to wage war through as the Federation develops a station that can detect cloaked vessels.

From a pure enjoyment standpoint, Jedi Starfighter is incredibly sterile and lacking any of the feeling and fantasy that the Star Wars series offers – plus it’s virtually a carbon copy of the last one.

No matter who you try and kid, this is still a PlayStation2 port. This is something that is evident from the sound quality and the unchanged water.

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 entire game is full of references to the TV series and the scripting/voice acting is perfect. It's mainly this reason that Hit And Run is so much fun to play, it's also why we're more than happy to ignore the GTA style.

So Lunar Silver Star Story may possess all the weakness of most Japanese RPGs - sub-standard graphics, linearity and a sickening level of morality, but the younger generation will love the friendly interface and unfolding story.

An impressively complete product, able to coax anyone with the slightest interest in its subject matter onto the ice – just don’t forget to bring a potential convert with you… it’s THAT kind of game!

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

It looks wonderful, plays like a dream and deserves a place in the games collection of any self-respecting strategy fan immediately.

To say that Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure has the worst soundtrack of any game EVER, is an understatement.

It still feels clunky compared to the bling slickness of "NBA Street Volume 2" but that owes more to the fact that American football is more about fat men made of burgers barging each other over than it is playing with style and finesse.

If you mature, and don't get Star Wars at all it is possible that you may consider that this is more an quality Lego Star Wars product than it is a gripping Lego Star Wars game. This is one for the younglings. Move along.

The quality single-player shoot-'em-up that the Star Wars franchise needed. It's slick, quick, and easy to play with a sharp tactical edge that slides effortlessly into some free-flowing warfare.

We've played "Starfighter" and "Ace Combat 4" and they are both excellent titles, but if you want to be engrossed in a battle that looks great and plays like you always wanted a game to play, Dropship is certainly for you.

We had hoped that Namco was going to take this chance to fix the many obvious problems with the game – sadly no, they’ve just churned out a virtually identically sequel, warts ’n’ all. Avoid!

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.

There is nothing overly wrong with All-Star Baseball 2004, it’s an improvement on last year’s addition; an ‘easy’ batting system means you will soon be smacking balls into the boundaries (do they call them that?).

If you're a social creature you need this, and even if you're a semi-hermit who refuses to let your hair down, it will make casual visitors think that you jump around when you're alone and that gives you a sexy mystique. No doubt.

So if the challenge gets too tough, you can just stare at the screen for ages and soak in the detail of Crash’s brilliantly clichéed world. We’re beginning to see what all the fuss was about.

The textures in this game may not look quite as nice as the Bungie first-person shooter, but it does make up for it with a lovely blur effect giving you a real sensation of speed and some fairly attractive lighting and shadowing.

This steep learning curve will put off some people but if you stick with it there is a sublime game to be discovered.

Some quiet and mildly distracting gaming, but also instils the feeling that you’d rather ditch your ride in favour of something sexier like, dare we say it, a skateboard.

If you're prepared to overlook, or at least work around, the faults, Castlevania is well worth considering. The only thing that old hands at Castlevania will be left wondering is why you can't swing with the whip.

The Wall Moves and 4-On-4 mini-games will be great incentives for anyone who wavered over buying the original but it isn't nearly enough reason for returning fans to reinvest.

It's just tragic that there's no Xbox Live support.

Aside from a few new gameplay aspects, this is "Rayman 2" all over again.

It's the sort of title we'd recommend to anyone who fancies something a little different and is prepared to put in several hours hard graft - but it's just too slow and doesn't twist itself far enough into the spooky or surreal.

TIF isn’t a complete loss, we just fear that its style of play will suit few – novices will be dominated and closed-down by the game, whereas seasoned vets will expect the freedom to pursue a more individualised approach.

Lords of the Realm was one of the best selling historical simulations ever but there was room for improvement. Lords 2 takes all the elements of the original and embellishes them, with added graphics, sound and gameplay.

As a game for adults who have little interest in Harry's mythology and hype, The Chamber of Secret is a nice looking game which is too linear and far too easy to follow to offer any real challenge.

It's always sad to see a good game be slowly dragged down by visuals and sound. This could have been great but a collection of small faults makes this yet another fairly average title.

Without a doubt, Pokémon Snap is a game of the highest quality and brings a new genre to the N64 … but if you hate the little creatures, we’d recommend that you give it a miss.

In a market where so many games seem based on the same set of ideas, Gun Battler Joe is a real breath of fresh air. Highly recommended.

It’s difficult to look at Kelly Slater as anything more than a cash-in.

Most people will probably be satisfied with the original Music 2000 on the PSone, but if you’re feeling flush, or really want to be the next David Morales, then this is definitely worth checkin’ out and is a must for those who missed out last time. Let''s groove!

Despite there being a massive selection of attacks at your disposal, you won't use them, and after battling through your seventeenth batch of Oni bastards, you'll soon settle for the simplest and most effective means of disposal and trade any style for progress.

Possibly the biggest disappointment of the year. What could have been this year's "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" turns out to be a shoddily executed, clumsy and unrewarding experience.

Yes, the game rewards the time you put in and trust us, this is one game you'll be coming back to again and again.

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.

The repetition and the lack of variety, of entering one room that is simply is a replica of the last, may well get the better of you. The name isn't indicative of the game, but for excitement and real horror The Suffering just lacks that killer touch. [XBM]

We love this one too, though it's more out of loyalty than out and out lust.

This sequel is everything you'd expect, and not much else. Whether that's a good thing or not is down to your own judgement.

For all its good intentions and car modifying appeal, there's a real lack of exhilaration under the bonnet that cripples the game the moment it leaves the starting line.

Although it makes some effort to disguise the fact that it's just a textured mesh over which you constantly travel from A to B for no good reason, the game never truly manages to convince.

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

Not the revolution we had expected, perhaps, but it's still got classic Revolution written all over it, and that's just about fine with us.