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.