Black and White, published by Electronic Arts for PC

SPECS: Pentium 350, 64MB RAM, 8MB graphics card, 4xCD-ROM, 600MB hard drive space

STAND back, ladies and gentlemen, and make way for the game of the year. 2001 may not have reached the halfway mark yet, but it's difficult to see anything beating Black and White, a game of such elegance and craftmanship that it is a new benchmark for others to aim for.

So what is Black and White? Is it a strategy game? Is it a creature game, not a million miles removed from Tamagotchi? Is it a management simulation? With no mean amount of effort, Black and White manages to fuse elements from all these categories to create a whole new world of its own.

You are placed in the role of a god, and must guide your tribes of followers to prosperity. You can count on opposition, however. You are not the only god in the heavenly playpen, and other tribes are waiting to oppose yours, so be prepared for battle.

All of this would be enough content for more than a few games on the market, yet Black and White also throws in another rather weighty element.

As well as raising your tribe, you must also nurture a giant creature, which becomes your avatar in the game. This creature doesn't start out as the sharpest tool in the box. It's up to you to teach him and make sure he stops eating your people whenever he fancies a snack. Unlike many other attempts at creature simulations, this one is alive with possibilities. You really do feel like you have a hand in the growth of the beast, thanks to the superb artificial intelligence of the game.

Throw in graphics to die for, superb use of sound effects and a multiplayer game in which different creatures can interact to levels that even the creators of the game, Lionhead, have been surprised by and you have a majestic game.

Action junkies should take note that this is, however, a title which demands patience and isn't really for just jumping in for a quick ten-minute blast.

The game of the year? Remember you read it here, in black and white.

Graphics 5/5

Sound 5/5

Gameplay 5/5

Gamespan 5/5

Overall 5/5

STEPHEN HUNT

Banjo-Tooie, published by Rare for the N64

Banjo-Tooie is the sequel to the great game Banjo-Kazooie. The plot of this game is absolutely absurd, but this is one of the great things about these games - they never take themselves too seriously.

Tooie begins with all of the jumps and attacks from the first game, but there are another 40 moves that you have to learn. One of the biggest changes from Banjo-Kazooie is that Kazooie can jump out of Banjo's backpack and adventure on her own. It also includes a multiplayer mode, where each of the 14 mini-games are playable.

The level design is top-notch. I don't think I have ever seen a better-looking game on the N64 to date and for all this you don't even need the expansion pack.The richly detailed graphics, varied game play, great sound, and multiplayer mode all go to make a very fun experience. Banjo-Tooie is well on its way to becoming one of the greatest 3D platformers ever.

Graphics: 5/5

Sound: 4/5

Gameplay: 5/5

Lifespan: 5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

MIKE DAKER

Serious Sam: The First Encounter, published by Take 2 Interactive and Gathering of Developers for PC

SPECS: Pentium 266, 64MB RAM, 8MB graphics card, 4xCD-ROM

OK, Sam's the name and he's ready for action.

Serious Sam is a cracking shoot-em-up that's emerged from a Croatian programming team that is purely, 100 per cent inspired by the manic frenzy that was the classic PC title Doom.

Here, you're not worried about creeping along, trying to sneak past enemies. It's just a case of lock and load the biggest weapon you've got and get in there to face the dozens of enemies which will face you.

By the time your ammunition count clicks down and your minigun stops whirring, you'll be facing a landscape (the outdoor areas are quite huge) littered with the bodies of beasties from another dimension, and it's time for Sam to light up a "ceegar".

Purely manic, pure adrenaline, pure action. Serious Sam may not be the deepest of games, but it is serious fun.

Graphics 5/5

Sound 4/5

Gameplay 5/5

Gamespan 4/5

Overall 5/5

STEPHEN HUNT