Anno 1503
Elkware, Java,
****
O2 and T-Mobile now, Vodafone soon

Fans of slightly nerdy PC strategy games should find themselves quickly addicted to this pirate-themed trading and battling title. Anno 1503 contains three games: a high-seas shooter, pitting your galleon against ruthless pirate vessels; a trading sim where you travel from port to port buying and selling goods; and a Sim City clone where you become mayor of a burgeoning harbour town. With so much gameplay packed into such a small space, you'll have to spend a lot of time figuring out the many menu screens, but the payback is a complex and involving challenge.

Metal Slug
Digital Bridges , Java,
***www.digitalbridges.com

The original Metal Slug was an oddity, a 2D scrolling shooter launched in the midst of the 3D revolution. The jump'n'shoot gameplay and dark comedy earned it an audience, though, and Digital Bridges has revived the licence with this faithful adaptation. The setup is simple - charge through each level, blasting enemy soldiers and picking up hostages. The action still gets the heart hammering, but the rhythm of the arcade and later versions is lost due to the keypad's lack of responsiveness. However, veterans prepared to wrestle with the controls will get misty-eyed pleasure.