Controlling the Master Chief, on his mission to save the multiverse from the nasty Covenant aliens, has never been so enjoyable. Conversions may be a risky business, but here, the risk has paid off. Halo is a sublime piece of software.

The ever-changing gameplay really keeps you riveted.

Regardless of how you feel about graphics in The Wind Waker, one thing is a definite; adopting a cel-shaded style hasn't harmed the game. In fact it has added to it.

Simply astounding. Combining all the best things about Action/Adventure games and mastering everything it attempts, Sony’s Santa Monica studio have crafted a true work of genius.

The multiplayer is well designed, but contains flaws that will cause a lot of gamers to turn away in disgust.

You could quite literally configure a different game of Unreal Tournament 2004 for every day of your life. Each map can be played either online or with bots. Online play is, as ever, greatly preferable, but the bots seem the cleverest to date and can provide an enjoyable challenge.

The best MMORPG on the market, of that there is no argument. By taking the choicest cuts from previous titles in this genre, Blizzard has constructed a fairly unoriginal but nevertheless brilliantly assembled game world.

Unfortunately, when the game is outclassed by its rivals, it feels rather bland. The career mode may rival that of Gran Turismo 4 in the anal depths it descends to, but seems to lack the love and attention (for instance, the wrong cars competing in the wrong championships) of the Polyphony Digital classic.

A better game than "Mario 64." Super Mario Sunshine is gorgeous on practically every level, from storyline to graphics, sound to gameplay, design to concept – nothing has been left to languish in an uncared for state, and everything is polished to perfection.

Continued innovation combined with respect for the series’ heritage means Solid Snake fans have yet more hours to wile away in Kojima’s land of deception and false-truths, but many are likely to be left scratching their heads at an even more frequent rate than at the release of Sons of Liberty four years ago.

The most striking thing about the way Ninja Gaiden plays is that there isn't a cheap gimmick or the odd handy feature: it's that the animation and control are coupled perfectly to make a fluid and almost effortless game experience.

Looks gorgeous and its gameplay is intense and ambitious. There are just enough new features to justify its massive hype, giving fans of the series many reasons to be excited. But it is not yet the finished article.

Despite being a completely different genre, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga manages to do that one thing that not many others have managed: it transcends the barrier set between genres, and the result is nothing short of brilliant. Bouncy, platformy fun.

Rarely are games so well judged and lovingly crafted as this, and we defy anyone playing Metroid: Zero Mission not to lament the fact that brand new 2D gems like this could become a rare occurrence when the PSP moves hand-helds into 3D-ville.

With a subtle, yet engrossing mix of comedy, intrigue, conspiracy, betrayal, mythology, magic, sadness, rage, joy and excitement wrapped up in a wonderfully charming oriental package, there are considerably worse ways of investing the 20-25 hours it'll take you to play through first time around.

We’re now thoroughly claustrophobic, agoraphobic and generally panophobic (afraid of everything). Far Cry has left us well and truly scarred, but after the experience it’s given us, we’re not ones to complain.

There are downsides to the game, though, the biggest of which being the absence of any form of multiplayer.

Basic yet brilliant, it’s been ages since we were this obsessed with a game.

If you have gleaned even the slightest bit of enjoyment from the series down the years, youâ??ll never look back. Another awesome PSP game.

With the changes made to the gameplay, there’s no doubting Namco has turned the series around to deliver one of the strongest beat 'em up performances we’ve seen since "Dead or Alive Ultimate."

So on a positive note, if you didn't have a graphics card with enough oomph to play Doom 3 the first time around on PC, this is a suitable and acceptable way to finally scare the bejesus out of yourself.

Offering silky smooth visuals with some of the most frantic gameplay we’ve seen to date on the diminutive, yet highly capable, machine.

This is the ultimate in claustrophobic corridor blasters, and no matter what cynical hacks might say about the flashlight system, take no notice because it’s one of the most unique and cunning ideas we’ve seen in years – plus, it bloody well works!

Those who struggled to get to grips with the original game will be delighted to know the handling has been rebalanced to allow for greater accessability.

In terms of being a conversion, Pandora Tomorrow on PS2 suffers from the technological drop quite badly, but it’s not like we weren’t expecting it. After all, the PS2 will be four later this year, so a few things going awry here and there doesn’t exactly leave us weeping tears of pain.

Great for a quick game on the bus, perfect for those extended sessions on the train, Burnout Legends is right up there with Lumines and Virtua Tennis on our PSP must-have list. Truly brilliant.

It's Freedom Force, basically, but with a bit of spit and polish. It wouldn't be unfair to say this could've retailed as an expansion pack, except for the fact virtually no-one bought the first game.

The melee mechanic works well for its first outing, and with a little tweaking it could really come into its own on the next generation. Bored of Halo? Get Unreal Championship 2.