Sonic Heroes PS2,
Xbox, GameCube £34.99/£39.99 Sega, ****
In recent years, Sonic has apparently pursued a one-hedgehog crusade designed to demonstrate that the inexorable march of technology is not necessarily a good thing.

Luckily, and belatedly, Sonic Heroes goes some way towards reaffirming one's faith in the nippy rodent. It was always clear that the Sonic blueprint would need extra gameplay gimmicks to work in 3D, and in Sonic Heroes, you play a Sonic, Knuckles and Tails at the same time. (If you're feeling adventurous, you can choose from three other teams, each of which has its own storyline).

You can designate any character as team leader. Thus, if speed is required, you would plump for Sonic. If you need to fly, then Tails is your man. If power is required, it is best to put Knuckles in charge. Soon, you develop an intuitive feel for which character to control, which is where the fun starts, as each has a special move. Sonic, for example, can create mini-tornadoes, which are good at loosening shields from the grasp of baddies.

As you progress, you find other objects that can only be used by a particular character. Sonic, for example, can climb poles by whirling around them. For the first time, two people can play against each other, but Sonic Heroes is best as a single-player experience.

And at last, that experience is good again. At times, one dimension will be constrained - there are rails along which you can grind, and rocket-karts to drive around in. A bit of camera-fiddling is required but, mercifully, not too much. Out-and-out gameplay innovation may be lacking, but Sonic Heroes does not disgrace its iconic lead character and compares well with recent action-platform games.
Steve Boxer

Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
Game Boy Advance, £29.99 Nintendo, ****
Is there any genre that Mario hasn't been involved in? Karting, tennis, golf - the list is endless. For his latest title, the lardy plumber revisits the role-playing game (RPG).

This is an innovative mix of platform jumping and turn-based combat. Much of the game involves dextrous acrobatics, puzzle solving and fighting. The latter is neatly done, allowing you the chance to weigh up your attacks while also throwing in skill and coordination via button presses.

Later "boss" challenges are surprisingly tough, involving more strategy than you might expect. The sweet visuals mask a deep experience that will challenge younger players. And nimble fingers are necessary to swoop around the characters and access the menus. The puzzles are fairly straight-forward, usually involving brotherly teamwork, but there are times when it isn't immediately obvious where to go next, with backtracking common.

Also, the inability to save anywhere in-game means players could be caught out when on the move. Of course, the addictive nature of the adventure means missing your stop can become a viable option. A self-referential tone - with numerous references made to the brothers' fame - helps keep the interest of older gamers. But GBA owners of all ages will enjoy Mario's latest.
Greg Howson

Dungeon Siege: Legend of Aranna
PC, £29.99 Gas Powered Games/ Microsoft ***
Dungeon Master was released more than 18 months ago and, despite some good reviews, quickly faded from memory. Kill, run, shop, kill some more - if you knew the genre, you knew it by heart. And this glorified mission pack is much the same: another big quest, another huge party of warriors, endless battles; everything about it suggests I ought to be wasting my time on more challenging pursuits - so why can't I stop playing it?

Despite sticking to the same old formula, Aranna is cracking good fun, adding new combinations of magic weapons, new spells and a host of new creatures to the massive new kingdom you must explore.

This pack also includes and updates the original game, making it excellent value if you can cope with the repetitive gameplay. The 3D engine looks tired and confusing, the quests are hard to keep track of and there are even occasional bugs that have you running in circles.

However, older titles such as Diablo still have millions of neglected fans and for them this is the perfect fix. Aranna may not be a massive step forward, but with this many monsters on the loose, who can afford to think that far ahead?
Mike Anderiesz