Commanding lead
Fire Emblem GBA, £29.99, Intelligent Systems/Nintendo, *****
From the developers of the award-winning Game Boy Advance series Advance Wars, Fire Emblem has a very similar feel, although it's set in a sword-and-sorcery fantasy world, full of machiavellian plots.
Your task is that of a military tactician, who must guide a group of characters into battle. Your travelling companions comprise fighters, archers and magic-users that are land-based and airborne. Thanks to a large amount of dialogue, each character has a distinct personality, which makes you feel more protective of them on the battlefield - especially as, if they get knocked out, you lose them for that section of the game. Thankfully, all the detailed narrative can be skipped if you want to get to the top-down action.
With the magic and weapons having a rock-paper-scissors advantage system, plus the provision of pre-battle stats readouts and helpful hints, you get a good idea of how to form your turn-based tactics. The battles take place in small animations that are atmospheric and fun to watch.
Those who prefer a freer experience may not enjoy Fire Emblem, but for everyone else it's a gem.
Rhianna Pratchett
Peace and harmony
Animal Crossing Gamecube, £44.99 Nintendo, ****
A cult hit in Japan, Animal Crossing has taken more than a year to reach these shores, but Nintendo devotees and youngsters should relish the chance to lose themselves in its cute but slightly weird world. It is one of those games that at first seems almost spectral in its lack of substance, but which soon sucks you in.
Animal Crossing is a cute little Nintendo-land in which animals go about their daily business. You pitch up in a new town, find a house and a job in the local shop, and set about becoming a pillar of the local community. In gameplay terms, the experience lies somewhere between a kid's version of The Sims and Pokemon without the battles. Shake trees to acquire fruit to sell, go fishing, dig for dinosaur fossils, send letters to your pals in other towns or design outfits for yourself. You can also interact with the townsfolk, and work.
If - perish the thought - you get bored, hop on the train and visit other towns, including those in which your real-life friends live. Such towns can be introduced to your Gamecube via the memory card it comes with. You can visit tropical islands, which can be downloaded to a Game Boy Advance, and collect Animal Crossing cards, which can be scanned into the game via Nintendo's e-Reader.
Charmingly genteel and wonderfully restful to play, Animal Crossing is sure to become a playground topic next term.
Steve Boxer
Feline fiasco
Catwoman PS2, Xbox, £39.99 Electronic Arts, *
This ought to be a decent game. Take the classic Prince of Persia 3D platforming template and stir in Halle Berry in a catsuit and you should have an enjoyable film tie-in. Unfortunately, Catwoman is a feline fiasco.
Oddly enough, it starts quite well. The character looks fantastic, particularly the animation. As you start the action - essentially exploration, ledge-leaping and combat - things seem promising. This feeling lasts for approximately 30 seconds. Then the full horror of the imprecise controls sinks in. Battling with the shoulder buttons and the analogue sticks, it is incredibly difficult to get Catwoman to do even the simplest of jumps.
Worse still is the camera - one of the nastiest in recent videogaming. By fixing it to the right thumbstick - the one players use most - the camera becomes unwieldy and frustrating. This is exacerbated by restrictive viewing angles that often allow enemies to attack unseen. Good job that Catwoman is dextrous. She can leap, crawl and fall limply to the floor as you mistime yet another jump.
Yes, this is an exercise in frustration that even devoted Berry fans will give up on. Come back Lara, all is forgiven.
Greg Howson
