The Xbox version is the prettiest of the bunch, sporting HDTV support with a 720p display mode, yet it also suffers from the worst default control layout... "Virtua Fighter 4" might hold the top spot among hand-to-hand fighters, but when it comes to weapons-based combat, Soul Calibur II is the undisputed champion.

A noticeable step forward in the evolution of the genre. "Virtua Fighter 4" might hold the top spot among hand-to-hand fighters, but when it comes to weapons-based combat, Soul Calibur II is the undisputed champion.

Sick Puppies' Ghost Master has turned the whole horror genre on its head, though, and come up with an ingenious anti-mix of "The Sims" and "Beetlejuice"... An original and entertaining idea that has been excellently implemented.

Stands out in the action-adventure genre by providing well devised combat and level design meshed with a great Buffy story. If you're not familiar with the TV show, you can still have a hell of a good time dusting vampires and kicking demon ass.

A seamless blending of the computer and real worlds, this is the game that we all dreamed about playing back in 1982. If you've never seen the film, Tron 2.0 still offers plenty to please, but you may miss out on some of the more subtle references.

Stands out in the action-adventure genre by providing well devised combat and level design meshed with a great Buffy story. If you're not familiar with the TV show, you can still have a hell of a good time dusting vampires and kicking demon ass.

Few games deserve the high praise we're willing to lavish on F-Zero GX. Finely tuned, tightly balanced and exceedingly fun, it is a step above and beyond any similar games that have come before.

Stands out in the action-adventure genre by providing well devised combat and level design meshed with a great Buffy story. If you're not familiar with the TV show, you can still have a hell of a good time dusting vampires and kicking demon ass.

There are innumerable superior first-person shooters and a good number of top-quality mission-based combat games - AquaNox 2: Revelation combines elements of both, but it's really not a compelling mixture.

While it might pass as a cheerfully violent diversion if your copy of "Thief" or "MGS" is on loan to a mate, its innate problems and lack of innovation are going to leave it fighting for attention.

There's some mindless fun on offer here, but in terms of depth and replay value, Alter Echo simply doesn't cut the mustard.

Suffers from a distinct lack of character. Nothing here really draws the player in, and as a result, the whole experience feels more like an exercise than the entertaining diversion a game should be.

Majestic Chess actually lives up to its name in not only theme, but quality and originality too.

The RC-racing theme has been done better by other games, the trick levels feel bolted on rather than being integral to gameplay, and they're also very limited.

The only downside to the heavy reliance on the achievements of VF4 is that the graphics engine is beginning to age.

Remember this is a die-hard, slow-paced, no-nonsense strategy title, and chances are you'd be better served with one of Koei's Dynasty games if you're not prepared to invest plenty of thought and patience into building an empire.

Just about the only bad thing about Madden NFL 2004 is the bar that it sets. EA Sports has one hell of a challenge waiting in the wings, trying to improve on a masterful title like this.

Just about the only bad thing about Madden NFL 2004 is the bar that it sets. EA Sports has one hell of a challenge waiting in the wings, trying to improve on a masterful title like this.

Just about the only bad thing about Madden NFL 2004 is the bar that it sets. EA Sports has one hell of a challenge waiting in the wings, trying to improve on a masterful title like this.

Had Freaky Flyers been a bit more focused, it could have easily been a top tier game, but as-is, the game simply spreads itself too thin.

Although its replay value leaves a bit to be desired, Chaos Legion is still a decent brawler with some clever combat and stylish visuals.

The appeal of this Island Thunder expansion, however, is limited to only those who loved the original, played it to exhaustion and are looking for some new content to rekindle their interest.

Had Freaky Flyers been a bit more focused, it could have easily been a top tier game, but as-is, the game simply spreads itself too thin.

While it's not any kind of gameplay revolution, it's the best, most polished and creepiest of the series.

A somewhat competent, but ultimately flawed game that boasts interesting ideas, yet fails to master any of them.

The game mechanics are so badly crippled that it probably doesn't even deserve to be called a strategy game.

The game mechanics are so badly crippled that it probably doesn't even deserve to be called a strategy game.

Easily the best and most important flight simulator available. FS2004 fulfils the expectations of even the most curmudgeonly sim fanatic. For 20 years, we've been waiting for hardware that can deliver a flight simulator this good. Now Microsoft has given us the software.

The new control system hurts more than it helps...While the game is competent, it lacks the depth that made the previous Mario Golf game so enthralling.

A perfect place to jump into the Age of Wonders series. It's "Age of Wonders II," only sporting a few refinements and a lot of extra content.

Mixing mountain biking with Road Rash-style violence and Tony Hawk's token trick allotment, it transcends conceptual shortcomings, officially clocking in as one of the season's best titles.

Although it's diverting, there's nothing new here - occasionally you can fire weapons (including on top of a moving train) and there's one bizarre sequence where Mac has to outrun his pursuers and try not to get shot or have his leg chewed off by a vicious dog.

The enemy AI seems to be a mixture of wunderbar and dumkopf - they frequently rumble you when you're convinced you're well concealed, yet sometimes you can swing a punch at them from one foot away and they totally ignore you.

If the whole Japanese-mech scene is yours, however, it's a good bet that the Armored Core series will appeal, and that the numerous customization options will offer you more than the typical "expansion kit" could ever hope for.

Under BioWare's guidance, Knights Of The Old Republic has become not only one of the best Star Wars games, period, but a wonderful expansion of the story and the first compelling Xbox RPG.

Its Star Wars atmosphere is minimal, and its advancement is riddled with repetitive, boring, time-consuming experience-grind busywork... As it stands, Galaxies is little more than a buggy, incomplete time sink.

A thorough, solid, funny and raunchy wild-side take on the beach-movie sport of choice that offers great graphics, lowbrow humor, funny locales/extras, and -- gasp! -- a ton of real, no-kidding volleyball.

Abysmal in every way. The only possible reason there could be for purchasing it is to give as a present to a particularly hated relative - but that might be considered a little harsh.

The icing on the whole big RTS cake is a set of new battle.net options for clan support and ladder tournaments. It's hard to imagine how anyone who plays Warcraft III online can get by without having Frozen Throne.

Once you're past the technical hurdles (and the brutal realization of just how easy it is to die in a swordfight or sea battle), Pirates of the Caribbean is an absolutely beautiful looking, freeform RPG adventure. But it is really suited for experienced, patient gamers.

Once you're past the technical hurdles (and the brutal realization of just how easy it is to die in a swordfight or sea battle), Pirates of the Caribbean is an absolutely beautiful looking, freeform RPG adventure. But it is really suited for experienced, patient gamers rather than casual ones.

It's a cracking title, which makes excellent use of its 3D premise for genuine gameplay improvement. Its rendering of battlefields is superb and strategical, and ranks up there as one of the most enjoyable RTS titles we've been fortunate enough to play this year.

Faults aside, the adventurous out there will thoroughly enjoy the level design - it's a blast!

The story and the graphics certainly make the grade, but a few tweaks are still needed in the gameplay to cement this one as a classic.

Zen-state gamers who just want to cruise around and blow stuff up will need all their hands -- or at the very least, two of them -- on deck for this peculiar mix of navy action, splinter-theory weirdness and no-nonsense ship design.

It doesn't quite match the brilliance or originality of the first game, and it is looking a bit dated thanks to the Quake3 tech, but the core game is still loads of fun and well worth playing whether you're a casual gamer or a hardcore Star Trek fan.

Advance Wars 2 doesn't take any hard turns from the formula established in the original... and this is one of those rare cases where an overall lack of innovation is probably a good thing in the end.

No lines are crossed and no boundaries are broken. Good stuff, but still stuff you've seen many times before.

While this game has some glimpses of the past greatness of the Tomb Raider franchise, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is so full of glitches and other frustrations that it's hard to enjoy.

As a purchase, its replay value is a bit dubious, but for the skilled shooter, and even the casual action/adventure enthusiast, it's a terrifyingly amusing look at the world of low-budget horror flicks.

Ultimately, the only ones likely to enjoy RTX Red Rock are the hardcore sci-fi buffs who can look past the flawed game engine and through to the core story. There is a lot of potential in RTX, sadly most of it is unrealized.

It is as rough around the edges as its main character and most players will probably be put off after an initial bout of controller frustration. Those who stay with it will find an enjoyable and somewhat satisfying single-player experience, but nothing incredibly memorable.

Offers a professional, worthy campaign and is definitely a good buy for the price even if it isn't as satisfying a single-player RPG experience as Bioware's immortal "Baldur's Gate II" series.

It is as rough around the edges as its main character and most players will probably be put off after an initial bout of controller frustration. Those who stay with it will find an enjoyable and somewhat satisfying single-player experience, but nothing incredibly memorable.

Although the single-player feels like a bit of an afterthought, the action-packed, entertaining and well-executed multiplayer is first-rate - and with the genre still so sparse, it's probably the best online racer you can buy on any console platform.

Mindlessly amusing at first, Fistful of Boomstick is ultimately a fistful of monotony and derivative gameplay, saved from gaming's abyss by the humor and life injected from its infamous lead character.

One of the oddest things about Network Transmission is the game's learning curve that bucks convention by starting out frustratingly difficult and getting progressively easier.

Wakeboarding Unleashed may have a few rough edges, but it is a franchise that is destined for greatness. Incredibly playable and lots of fun

Wakeboarding Unleashed may have a few rough edges, but it is a franchise that is destined for greatness. Incredibly playable and lots of fun.

[Its] overall gameplay is nothing new and even the "extra" modes seem pretty desperate... but the base mechanics look terrific and ultra-smooth on the tiny GBA screen, and both newcomers and old-school fans alike will have something to go ape about.

While UM doesn't have the depth to go head-to-head with classic Aki titles from the days of Nintendo 64, it has done a great job of capturing the ludicrous fun of the show, with cel-shaded graphics and faithful character designs.

If you're a fan, there's no question about it - snap this one up without delay. With its snowy forests, ice-clad lakes, Nord villages and werewolves, Bloodmoon has plenty of new and interesting things to get your teeth into.

The bungled trick feature is really a disappointment, because the action-packed moto-racer hiding in Speed Kings would have been a fine thing on its own.

There's only so many tricks one can do on a bike cruising at 120mph. Variety is absolutely required, and there's not much in Speed Kings. And the trick control is not responsive enough.

The novelty of the Hulk scenes wears off eventually if you're not a huge fan of the comic books, and the Banner sections are disappointing. Still, it doesn't anger us as much as some movie tie-in mediocrities.

If you're tired of "Halo" -- and by now, you probably are -- it'll completely sate your desire for pretty, violent multiplayer action, and the options opened up by controlling a full team of commandos give it an original, fresh feel.

The novelty of the Hulk scenes wears off eventually if you're not a huge fan of the comic books, and the Banner sections are disappointing. Still, it doesn't anger us as much as some movie tie-in mediocrities.

The novelty of the Hulk scenes wears off eventually if you're not a huge fan of the comic books, and the Banner sections are disappointing. Still, it doesn't anger us as much as some movie tie-in mediocrities.

It's just so damned hard to find any area in which Made In Wario could have done better. If you have a Game Boy Advance and you enjoy playing it, you NEED this game.

The maturation of a genre. More "Civilization" in scope, feel, and satisfaction than even the popular "Age of Empires" series, Rise of Nations is the world's first 4X RTS.

Mindlessly amusing at first, Fistful of Boomstick is ultimately a fistful of monotony and derivative gameplay, saved from gaming's abyss by the humor and life injected from its infamous lead character.

PlanetSide's exciting mix of action and strategy is a breath of fresh FPS air.

Seems to split its aim between hardcore "Matrix" fans and experienced gamers; if you find yourself with a foot in both camps, you may well find this one of the most faithful movie-to-game experiences in recent memory.

Seems to split its aim between hardcore "Matrix" fans and experienced gamers; if you find yourself with a foot in both camps, you may well find this one of the most faithful movie-to-game experiences in recent memory.

Seems to split its aim between hardcore "Matrix" fans and experienced gamers; if you find yourself with a foot in both camps, you may well find this one of the most faithful movie-to-game experiences in recent memory.

Its longevity is a wonderful thing, since a sequel is still some time away, and this is one game that you really don't want to stop playing. Even after you've gotten tired of the carnage, it's fun to load it up and just cruise around Vice City listening to the radio.

It doesn't do anything spectacularly new, but it does give you plenty of new content, new units to play with, and enough tweaks to the original title to make it worth another run through.

The Dot-hack universe's mysterious unfolding plot really leaves one with a desire to explore, to learn the increasingly strange (and perhaps sinister) truth behind the game's thick stew of metaphysics and technical mumbo-jumbo.

Hardcore opportunists and lone-wolf types have a vast cosmos to win here, but more casual gamers are advised to tread cautiously... to research, manufacture and carry a big stick.

The problem is that it cannot escape its mod roots, looking very dated and feeling rather uninspired - ironic considering many of its features were the inspiration for the successful WWII titles that followed it.

Exactly what we've come to expect of this steadily improving franchise - the same formulaic design conventions balanced with just enough new stuff to keep fans from getting bored.

While single-player is slightly lacking in innovation, its release still marks one of the best entrants in Xbox's first-person shooter line-up, and an absolute must-buy for any action gamer or Live fanatics that haven't yet experienced it on PC.

The sequel is a better game in every way, but the original was so successful at combining extreme sports stunts with real basketball that there was little room left for improvement.

The sequel is a better game in every way, but the original was so successful at combining extreme sports stunts with real basketball that there was little room left for improvement.

Although the single-player game is mixed, Xbox Live addicts will find much to enjoy with Clone Wars - enough that it'll probably justify its purchase price alone.

A simple joy to play. There's little about it that isn't excellent, polished, authentic rallying of the highest standard, with the graphics, sound, and above all handling to back up its well-respected license.

As disturbing, shocking and distrustful as it may seem, the cinematic cuts and their dramatic content are actually well written, directed and acted. There's just enough competent drama going on here that you can take your race driver's odyssey halfway seriously.

Although it seems likely most people will end up playing the traditional modes, the additions are interesting, and voice chat is worth the price of admission on its own.

This unique and head-bangingly challenging game is really not at all suited for the non-hardcore, and if you don't like games that require your entire mind and body as a sacrifice, you're likely to loathe and fear Ikaruga.

A fair third-person action beat 'em up, like countless others in the genre, but if you take away all the X-Men trappings you'd be left with something much weaker.

It just cries out for multiplayer, particularly when you can lay down a snaking path of gasoline for half a block and light it up; what a way to trap and kill your local or online friends! Alas, it's not there.

A good, solid RPG that's right in step with the classic formula, sometimes to its own detriment.

When Midnight Club II frustrates, you'll want to snap the disc in half and feed the pieces to the nearby watchers... But when Midnight Club II is fun, it takes you by the throat in such a manner it's impossible to stop playing.

There's plenty of depth to the gameplay, and there's tons of scenarios to play, plus the sandbox mode, so it ought to keep you going for ages.

So catchy that the hours will fly by as you get hooked on working your way up the ladder, visiting new fight clubs, and acquiring ever-more-attractive girlfriends.

Perhaps the best thing that Def Jam Vendetta has going for it, though, is its attitude. The developers took this idea and ran with it, a tactic that makes story mode as engaging as a B movie.

One of the best hand-held games currently going... If an action-puzzle game with old-school sensibilities sounds like your cup of grog, The Lost Vikings is definitely worth a raid on your local games shoppe.

What makes Wardell's game stand out from other recent 4X space empire games is a blend of simplicity and depth.