While 32-bit consoles have seen a drift back to the old 2-D scrolling shoot-'em-ups, Star Fox updates the format for the 21st century. It's a stunning, state-of-the-art space opera.

Faithful fans will have a good solid game in their collections with six new tracks and an unthinkable amount of extra horsepower to play with.

The most important thing to realise with Turok is that it's very much a post-Doom, total 3D game. The gameplay balance has had to shift away from mass onslaughts to a slightly more thoughtful variation. For the most part it's an enthralling, if occasionally frustrating atmosphere piece.

A riotous arcade experience structured to provide massive, total addiction. The 'just-one-more-go' syndrome is impossible to resist.

Mario Kart 64 is much more of an arcade combat game than before but its lastability, like the 16bit original, will be measured in years not months.

Represents state-of-the-art gaming and pushes the PlayStation to its limits -- short of nicking a coin-op, this is the closest thing you'll ever come to arcade perfection in the home.

The pace is always utterly frantic, usually over in under a couple of minutes, and gives players an uncontrollable urge to come back for more.

It's a high quality product that blends tactics, strategy and management into an accessible and playable game -- just watch out for the appearance of any latent megalomaniac tendencies.

With lusciously detailed graphics and some superb sound FX and music rounding the game off, Red Alert looks destined to follow "Dune II" and "Command and Conquer" straight into the Westwood hall of fame.

But be warned, this game is horribly difficult early on and it will take even the most capable gamesplayer an age to complete.

A dark horse of Grand National-winning quality. The stunning graphics, immaculate playability and entirely original handling make for a game like no other. As much as with "Mario 64," Wave Race 64 alone justifies the cost of the N64.

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.

Harvester really does combine slick packaging, with true depth of gameplay and innovation. For those with a liking for the strange, unusual and downright revolting, or just a taste for great adventure games, I can''t hesitate to recommend it.

The presentation of the game is spot-on and it's an interesting challenge for those hardened adventurers who prefer a who-dunnit puzzler to a comical romp in the park.

Psygnosis has managed to improve WipeOut to such a degree that even those that hated the original will find WO2097 accessible and rewarding to play... WipeOut 2097 is a scorcher!

Simply flying around and admiring the scenery is an enjoyable enough pass-time. When you get serious with the game, it's demanding but fair, constantly pushing you further in mastering the various craft and the environment.

The sheer scale of the achievement, in originality, variety and technological muscle earns it a 'Best Game Ever' acclamation through sheer muscle, almost regardless of its undoubted and typically Nintendo artistry.

There''s ''playing hours a plenty'' here for all strategy fans, the soundtrack and speech are great and the story is complex and intriguing. Put it this way, it's my present number one pastime apart from swivelling my microscope.

Good in the sense that it means anyone can instantly pick it up and perform miraculous feats of head-cleaving prowess. But bad because it means you can effortlessly plough straight through it without having to work very hard.

It is far from an easy game to get into, but once embroiled in the seedy world of crime, the hours tend to drift by surprisingly quickly, and its longevity is assured as it is extremely difficult, even on the easiest of the four computer levels.

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 action is as fast and frantic as ever and it is virtually impossible to play Descent II without bucking and rearing in your seat.

For me, the PC was designed to run Civilization 2. Sid Meier is a God and I'll be playing this for days, weeks, months even!

It is a genuinely disgusting game and is also extremely original and playable. Got any roach?

As for the new and imaginative innovations that we now expect from every EyeToy game, they're just not here.

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

'Is it as good as ISS?' We should say that no, it is not. On the other hand it is certainly a lot better than the majority of other footy fests that have tried to take on the big two.

The lack of combos is a real problem, making it tough to string together decent attack patterns and this is a real boo-boo for a beat ''em-up. Shame really, because if more effort had gone into polishing up the gameplay by simply making sure there was more to it, Battle Arena Toshinden would have been a blinding piece of software.