OutRun 2 Xbox, £39.99 Sega
****

Mention of OutRun is guaranteed to elicit misty-eyed reminiscences of misspent youth from thirty-something men. OutRun's enduring popularity is such that it can still be found in the arcades, so it is surprising it has taken so long to reach a console. Sega has done a great job, though.

Naturally, a pixel-perfect facsimile of the OutRun 2 experience is included in OutRun 2 for the Xbox, but you will also find a Challenge mode, composed of a large number of diverse mini time-trials, which will keep you playing long after you have completed the arcade courses. It updates the original with new graphics and replaces the original's Ferrari Testarossa replaced with Ferrari's Dino, Daytona and F50. It also supports Xbox Live online play, which is bound to prove popular.

OutRun 2 is, of course, proudly arcade-style, which means unrealistic but fun handling: brake and turn the wheel when driving the Dino 246GT, for example, and you will launch into a sustained tail-out skid. OutRun 2 is also untainted by political correctness - you drive with your girlfriend by your side, and can play the arcade game in "heart attack" mode, in which you please her by hanging the tail out or passing cars on demand. Crash, though, and she will wave her arms and berate you.

There's also the legendary OutRun music - which could easily pass muster as the soundtrack for a porn film. The result is an utterly beguiling game worthy of its legendary name.
Steve Boxer

A Tale in the Desert II
PC (online only), Free download then $13.95 per month subscription (approximately £8.00) eGenesis
****

When A Tale in the Desert came out last year it represented a breeze of innovation in a swamp of samey hack'n'slash online adventures. The premise was to transport players back in time to Ancient Egypt, where they would work together in a creative, non-combative environment following the seven disciplines of man.

But instead of launching a simple expansion to the game, eGenesis has decided to open a new chapter in Egypt's history. Tale two comes with plenty of tweaks to the graphics and additional sound effects. This brings the already impressive landscape to life, especially when your feet are crunching on the sand as you run through the desert with cicada song in your ears.

For those who have already played Tale One, the territory is familiar but there is new emphasis on events and competitions. The new game has much more of a "city and country" feel to it, with built-up areas and chariot stops in between, which are like BC bus stops that allow you to travel instantaneously around Egypt.

Regular players might find being forced to start again frustrating, but the new events and engine tweaks mean there is plenty to see and do.
Rhianna Pratchett

Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the Force
Game Boy Advance, £29.99 Ubi Soft
**

Star Wars is everywhere. The films are out on DVD, while Battlefront is wowing online gamers. And then there is Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the Force - a side-scrolling platform game from the old school.

Leaps of faith - where the ground is hidden when jumping - and enemies who re-appear when you go back a screen, are two design elements that are - sadly - prominent, along with other travesties such as flashing blocks and locked door backtracking.

But for those who feel the force of Star Wars, there is appeal. Played from Luke Skywalker's perspective, the game takes you through the set pieces from the first trilogy. Unfortunately, each setting offers samey gameplay - leaping from platforms and blasting or scything Stormtroopers.

But what grates is the unfinished feel of the game. The plot uses still images from the film to drive things, but these are poor quality. The audio is inadequate, and the ending is too easily reached, suggesting even more that this was rushed out to coincide with the DVD release.
Greg Howson