Enjoy the ride
God of War
PlayStation 2, £39.99
Sony, *****
There has been a buzz surrounding God of War ever since it was released in the US earlier this year. Now, finally, European gamers can experience one of the most enjoyable videogames in a long time. Set in Ancient Greece, you control the anti-hero Kratos in his quest to, essentially, kill everything he comes up against.
There is a plot of sorts, and the classical history setting adds some Clash of the Titans-style atmosphere, but this is all about combat. You will need nimble fingers, and the reflexes of an over-caffeinated 15 year old to pull off the best moves, but, crucially, you can still get by with relatively unskilled stabs at the joypad.
God of War is not restricted to gaming veterans - anyone can enjoy the ride. And what a ride. The game looks stunning, especially when you consider it is running on the PlayStation 2 and not the graphically superior Xbox. Ancient Athens, mythic monsters - the detail is impressive with a solidity to the game that puts most titles to shame.
The action is intense, so much so that the few puzzle elements offer a welcome respite. But you always feel in control of the fighting, even when facing numerous assailants. The ability to "chain" moves together is reminiscent of the Devil May Cry series, but God of War carries it off with greater panache. It may ultimately lack variety, but by combining visceral excitement with wonderful graphics and audio, God of War offers invigorating entertainment.
Greg Howson
Royal blessing
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
GameBoy Advance, £29.99
Nintendo/Intelligent Systems ****
Revisiting the Fire Emblem series for this sequel-cum-spin-off, it is amazing how much has been packed into what is one of the best role-playing games for the GameBoy Advance.
Once again, you control a group of typical role-playing types: fighters, thieves, rangers and mages, as they ramble through a new storyline centring on Eirika and Ephraim, the royal twins battling to save their homeland.
Graphically not a lot has changed, but the visuals were fine to begin with. There are new monsters, and it is nice to see players getting more control on the way their characters level up and change professions.
Fans of the first game may be glad to know the tent you had to drag on to the battlefield to hold surplus items has gone. Consequently, it is easier to get hold of gear when you need it.
The game also makes use of a neat "support" feature, which requires you to observe which characters interact best together and then try to move them in tandem while in battle. However, the storyline is still dialogue-heavy, and the eyes can tire as they strain to focus on the screen. But Sacred Stones has impressive amounts of gameplay for the money.
Rhianna Pratchett
The glorious game
Arcade Legends: Sensible Soccer Plus
Standalone console, £29.99
Radica, ***
Modern videogames are often accused of being over-complex, and if you adhere to that view, Radica's mini-console is an interesting proposition. Put batteries into it, plug it into your TV and you are ready to play.
While Arcade Legends: Sensible Soccer Plus contains just three games, there is no shortage of quality. The European Champions edition of Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder and Mega-Lo-Mania all rank among the finest games developed during the 16-bit era. Sensible Soccer, the focus, may be simple, but it is also one of the most addictive games ever. A top-down football game, it concentrates on gameplay ahead of rigour.
Thus, you often find yourself pulling off moves that bear little resemblance to anything that happens in real football, yet are satisfying. The European Championship edition did away with the "star player" system, which makes it harder to score from near the half-way line, but the game's responsiveness puts many modern football games to shame.
And because Sensible Software did not acquire official licences, there are hilarious deliberate mis-spellings of famous players of yesteryear (Tony Adams becomes Tony Edams).
Top 5 games
Nintendo DS
1. Another Code: Two Memories
2. Super Mario 64 DS
3. Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
4. Need For Speed: Underground 2
5. WarioWare Touched!
· Leisure software charts compiled by ChartTrack, © 2005 Elspa (UK) Ltd
Cannon Fodder, essentially the first squad-based shoot-'em-up, puts you in charge of soldiers engaged in a series of battles. Again, it is simple to get to grips with, but tricky to master. Mega-Lo-Mania is the weakest of the three. An early attempt at real-time strategy, it resembles Risk and is rather fiddly.
But if a new generation of gamers is introduced to the glories of Sensible Soccer, that can only be a good thing.
Steve Boxer
Six of the best
Anyone for tennis?
Official Wimbledon site
Wimbledon Draw
Wimbledon on Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimbledon_Championships
Guardian coverage
sport.theguardian.com/wimbledon2005/
Candystand tennis open
Lawn Tennis Association
