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

At a time when many games endorse themselves based on the power of a single gimmick, Midway has crammed all manner of ragdoll physics, realworld physics, particle and lighting effects into Psi-Ops, laid an innovation of its own over the top, and left the final product to speak for itself. In a perfect world, all games would be developed with this much attention to detail.

It’s the closest thing to a vaguely taxing "Banjo Kazooie" -style adventure we might ever get.

Damn them… why could they not have implemented the fantastic Player Editor last time? Why couldn’t they have made it easier to get into last time? Why now a better interface, sideline players, cheerleaders and cool boxes?

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.

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.

Considering we’re talking about a Game Boy title here, Doom is incredible.

Driven really takes a step forward in playability by actually injecting intelligence, plot and emotion into the traditionally faceless racing genre.

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.

It’s the style of the game that makes Spider-Man a cut above the rest. Unlike most super-hero based games, Spidey is created for the fans, who'll lap it up.

An enjoyable remix of all the best that platform adventures have to offer and, ultimately, it can only be your loss if you do decide to pass on it.

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 tracks! Wow! The first ones... well, they''re okay, and they seem fast, but they're not really anything you won't have seen before - that's for the first one or two. But from then on... hold onto your hat, or rather, hold onto your lunch! If you thought rollercoasters were bad, try this! Loops, dips and multiple junctions that make it possible to take a different route for every lap of the race.

This is helped by the huge amount of freedom that the player is granted. If you can see it, the odds are that you can get to it, which means that the whole island is Carver's plaything. The highest peaks can be scaled, rivers can be swam through and ditches can be hidden in.

For twenty pounds you get arguably the greatest arcade fighting game ever created. That’s half the price of the forthcoming (and similarly but differently remarkable) "Soul Calibur 2."

It’s fast, furious and above all, a whole lot of fun.

This is a great combination of fun, education (you never know when you might need those siege tactics in Tesco's) strategy and resource management that is a fantastic addition to the sim stable.

The lack of any kind of weather (wet roads isn't a weather condition, merely a clever effect), the frame-skipping problems (it just shouldn't exist!), and the lack of car damage (erm… this is a simulation, right?) drags the score down from the high nineties. Still, this game is without a doubt the best racer on any platform.

It might take some getting into and it’ll all but certainly fry your brain after extended play but trust us… Amplitude is well worth the mental and physical torment and you won’t play a better music game this year.

Combine all your assassination fantasies together, illuminate them with the cinematography of "The Godfather" and this is what you get. Pure class.

A massively capable game designer with almost innumerable options allowing limitless application.

Every aspect of Tekken 5's production is of the highest quality save one area - the game's Devil Within mode - the latest take in the Tekken Force series. Visually bland and repetitive in a way only the very worst scrolling beat-'em-ups can be. It's a crime then that completing it is the only way unlock Devil Jin. [JPN Import]

Easily the cleverest game to emerge in some time and making your way through it's intricate innards is one of the most rewarding experiences the PS2 can currently offer. A slice of gaming heaven.

Although not very technical, there is still a great deal of fun and the Disney sparkle just shines through.

Rallisport Challenge 2 is bigger and better than any other rally game, leaving one simple equation - play this game or miss out on what could be the finest racer of 2004. [XBM]

Capcom has produced the perfect interactive movie. RE is horribly, horribly addictive -- it tests your reflexes, satiates your bloodlust, stretches your mind (and temper) and leaves you both thrilled and drained.

The story has been used to make a highly entertaining game and once you get involved in the action you only want to blast all the aliens and save the planet.

There really is a good, solid wrestling simulation under all the brashness of the WWE. Finally the GameCube gets something to properly rival the "Smackdowns" on the PS2.