Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire
Game Boy Advance/SP, £34.99 Nintendo, ****
Worried about how to fill those long days of the summer holiday? The release of the new Pokemon games should help. Both Ruby and Sapphire are the first Pokemon games designed for the GBA.
The benefits of the improved technology are not immediately obvious, with the basic graphics only marginally improved. But the Pokemon games have always been addictive, and Ruby and Sapphire are no different. There are 200 new Pokemon, and your aim is to collect all the critters you can. This is done by winning battles, exploring the vast environment and trading with people who own different versions of the game.
There are unique Pokemon on both Ruby and Sapphire, so access to both games is necessary to complete a set. The core gameplay - collect Pokemon, train them and choose how to use them in combat - is still surprisingly engrossing. The childish exterior and playground image do much to mask the depth of the games. This time around, there are pageants and new side-quests, and a committed player could be gripped for months.
The move to the GBA has brought benefits. Players can indulge in two-on-two battles, and the audio and visuals have been polished up, but they are still underwhelming. And the dual-release marketing strategy, which encourages purchase of both games, is wearing thin. There are also signs that the craze has died down. But when it comes to entertainment, the Pokemon games are hard to beat.
Greg Howson
Formula One 2003
PlayStation 2, £39.99 Sony, ****
Sony has signed a PlayStation-exclusive deal with Formula One Administration Ltd, which makes Formula One 2003 the official game of the series. Players who want a game that reflects this year's rule changes, and who care about having the correct driver names and likenesses etc, will therefore find that it does the job. In other respects, it is not a huge departure from last year's version.
F1 games face two conflicting challenges: being authentic and being playable. Formula One 2003 compromises by offering arcade and simulation modes, but generally errs on the side of playability. It's fun. But if you want to go the distance, you can.
The graphics offer small but worthwhile improvements, though there are some minor pop-ups as small bits of scenery appear out of nowhere. However, the weather effects, car reflections and highlights are well done, and you do get a real sense of speed. The in-cockpit view is now impressively similar to what you see on TV. Well, apart from the twitchy steering and the strong tendency to bounce off barriers on both sides of the track. Maybe that's just me.
Sony claims that "new AI routines to incorporate driver personalities mean that computer-controlled drivers can act and react just as they would in real life". They certainly seem aggressive to the point of lunacy, but again, maybe that's just me.
You can set up custom races, and race against a friend in arcade or simulation mode for a race weekend. But the 11 different modes don't offer the option of online play, so Network Adaptor owners are out of luck.
Formula One 2003 faces stiff competition from Electronic Arts's F1 Career Challenge, which also runs on the PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC. But the Sony version offers more than enough to keep casual gamers happy.
Jack Schofield
Indycar Series
PlayStation 2, £34.99 Codemasters, ****
With so many racing games around, you could take one look at Indycar's ropey graphics and think "why bother". Certainly, this is no looker and probably only racing purists will get the most out of it, but for them, it is one of the finest.
The US model for high speed thrills differs significantly from Formula 1. Races are on giant oval tracks, where the key is not learning every turn, but perfecting your line through the bends and shaving fractions off your time per lap. And, because all the cars are identical, you usually find yourself in the middle of the field for up to 200 laps. So how do you make progress? In one of three ways.
The first is fine-tuning your car, with everything adjustable. The second is using the track efficiently, following the correct line to get maximum grip and knowing when to slipstream. Finally, there are high-speed crashes, where judging your line through the carnage is usually a better idea than flooring the pedal.
Play Indycar Series on "Easy" and you have an expensive game of dodgems. Crank up the difficulty, however, or delve under the bonnet, and a game of rare subtlety and longevity emerges.
Mike Anderiesz
