SSX Snowboarding, published by EA Sports for PS2

For all you that like snowboarding and all of you who don't, this is one awesome game. With it's thrilling scenery, superb characters and mind-blowing moves, it's guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours.

There are two options of gameplay. The first is a classic race where you can either play against the computer or against an opponent, as there is a multiple player option.

The second choice is called the 'Snowoff', where you play against the clock, trying out as many special moves and tricks as you can to obtain the highest score.

This game would be suitable for a wide range of PlayStation fans, and would make a good alternative to car racing games, which can tend to monotonous or too similar to so many other racing games. SSX definitely stands out in the crowd.

Both options of play are extremely exciting, with a great choice of players, upbeat soundtrack and high-quality graphics, it would be a long time before anyone gets bored with this incredibly playable game.

Graphics: 5/5

Sound: 4/5

Gameplay: 5/5

Gamespan: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

JANE SANDERS

Sudden Strike, published by CDV for PC

Requirements: Pentium 233 or higher with 32mb of ram, 4xCD rom, 150MB hard disk space

YOU won't find a better Second World War strategy game than Sudden Strike.

The graphics are outstanding and the pace of the game will have you on the edge of your seat.

You have control of snipers, machine gunners and infantrymen as well as scores of armoured vehicles and rocket launchers. You also have the choice of controlling either the Allied forces, the Germans or the Russians in more than 40 missions.

You can blow up everything from bridges to houses to ammunition dumps and trees! And if your soldiers aren't doing the business, you can call in the bombers or extra paratroopers.

The enemy does keep you on your toes especially when you're fighting the Germans! One minute your little soldiers are happily yomping towards the nearest town and the next, as if by magic, a column of tanks appears out of nowhere!

It's difficult to get to grips with at first (reading the manual is essential), but once you've "mastered" the movements it becomes extremely addictive.

Graphics 5/5

Sound 3/5

Gameplay 5/5

Gamespan 5/5

Overall 5/5

SIMON RITCHIE

The World is Not Enough, published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation

Punching a receptionist in the face brought my first mission to an abrupt end. And rather frustratingly, all manner of other minor indiscretions also meant a return to the beginning of this visually spectacular game.

James Bond is a perennial favourite of the movie-going public, but you'd have to be a real fan to want to play THIS game. Its heart is in the right place, but it is disappointingly awkward to manoeuvre your character and even harder to understand what is going on around him.

For fans of the Doom-first-person-perspective style of play then this is as good as any other game on the market - but if you are a casual player this game is more trouble than its worth. I suggest you watch the film again instead - and then you really will love James Bond.

Graphics 4/5

Sound 4/5

Gameplay 1/5

Gamespan 4/5

Overall 2/5

DAN RUTSTEIN

Bugdom, published by Take 2 Interactive for PC

SPECS: 266Mhz processor, 32MB RAM, 8MB graphics card, 200MB hard disk space, 4xCD-ROM

So well-named, this game is bugged beyond belief. After trying it out on several different computers, the best I could manage was having it running in one quarter of the screen, with the rest all blank. Even then, this cartoon action game wasn't much fun. If you must buy it, get it from somewhere with an excellent returns policy.

Overall 0/5

STEPHEN HUNT