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 no-holds barred combat fails to provide the variety you’d want and the gore of the real event isn’t in evidence.

So you're looking at what, three nights of fun for £69. There are ladies here who don't cost much more than that, and ladies, as we know, have boobs.

The gameplay isn't as sharp though, with 'who cares?' combat scenes and the vine-swinging, platform-jumping action that is unforgiving to the slightest degree, slowing down the game even further.

The aforementioned RPG mode is where we’ve found most of our time invested in Colosseum vanish. The darker-than-usual portrayal of the Pokémon world is an interesting and commendable change in style and the gameplay itself offers the player a substantially different experience to the handheld games. [JPN Import]

Certainly not the revolution in 2D fighting games that Arc System Works describe it as, or we were hoping for. We won't bore you with any more of the Greek myth or ornithology laboured analogy crap, we're sure you get the picture.

All platform games need are a healthy dose of variety and fun. If a yellow simpleton made of sponge can do it properly, then so can you.

For all the niggles, gripes and irritations, XIII is a class act that has some supremely impressive aspects that you will thoroughly enjoy. This is a game that delights and infuriates in turn and our advice is to ration your XIII sessions so the frustration doesn't ruin what remains a standout title.

Although it may be his trademark, the emphasis on speed in Sonic Heroes is exaggerated to the point of annoyance and you just need to push up to tear through sections of some levels, leaving collecting rings is more to do with luck than judgement and it's hard to feel totally in control, but there are plenty of puzzles en route that do take a little more thought.

There's no denying that this brave attempt at combining styles has resulted in a good solid title that's entertaining and fun to play.

Some clumsy colouring on the USA courts also means the ball can often get lost on screen making returns a gamble. Add in waif-like character models and it can often become a chore to keep an eye on the action.

There are some great touches, like how you can throw a gas canister over a crowd, shoot it and let hot fuel rain over the heads of multiple enemies, but they’re simply not held together.

It’s not 'impossible' hard, just so unforgiving that it fails to be 'enjoyable' hard.

A hugely engrossing game that is varied and challenging enough to last you a fair while.

As the TV show succeeded by placing fun above logical reason or technical accomplishment, it seems fitting that the game followed this ethic to the letter.

Body Harvest is big, different enough to stand out among the clutter of Mario clones, and ambitious in a way that very few N64 games dare to be. Body Harvest had the potential to be one of the best games on the N64, but as anyone who''s seen insects like termites at work will know, little bugs can bring great structures crashing down.

The fact is, Cold Winter repeatedly enables the player to do things you just wouldn't expect to be able to do. Big guns even break crates more easily than small guns; such is the developer's level of consideration.

Nothing can disguise the simple fact that Rugby is a quality game at heart, like the real thing, but it can be difficult work to fathom and master.

It really is something worth picking up if you want something that is bristling with its own attitude whilst managing to combine a lot of familiar elements together.

Sometimes it’s the meandering framerate or lacklustre AI while at other times the relentless familiarity of it all will leave you indifferent to the ballistic assaults and on–screen fireworks.

Each crevice is likely to hold trigger-happy snipers, each road blocked off with mortar crews. Fighting is far more intense this way and navigating the streets of Baghdad can be a nerve-racking experience.

Xenosaga II is a worthy follow up with richly detailed characters and great battling, but it seems a little unfair to expect European gamers to jump onboard so late in the game.

The pace and AI can, occasionally, feel erratic and it isn't the most original game in the world, but if you can forgive the dubious politics, and simply lose yourself in the action, then Men Of Valor is the Medal Of Honor game many of us have been waiting for.

If you’re after the best PS2 football game on the market then you’ll have to look elsewhere. If however, you’re simply hankering for a game that will mimic the forthcoming World Cup then this is worth investigating.

Like "Spy Hunter" before it Defender is a remarkable update that both satisfies old and new gamers alike with its flash graphics and basic old-skool blasting.

BloodRayne's dull gameplay, soul crushingly overbearing sexual innuendo and uninspired design adds up to a very below-par package that makes it hard for us to find it in ourselves to recommend it to anyone.

It's like having a cheese sandwich when you could have had cheese and pepperoni for 10p more, or doing laps in the swimming pool of the best and biggest water park in the world, or going to visit Russia and staying in your hotel room all day.

The definitive action game for hardcore gun fetishists -- it''s second only to Goldeneye in the first-person adventure stakes, and a close second at that!