Finally the James Bond games have done what the films should've done years ago: they've gone back to the `60s. From Russia with Love doesn't seem to have all that much to do with the film of the same name (it seems an odd choice anyway since it was the least gadget heavy of all the movies and even vaguely realistic in parts) but it is highly evocative of Connery era Bond in general.

Even ignoring the `60s angle, the fact that the game is obviously trying to distance itself from the risible GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is another obvious boon. It's a third person adventure much more in keeping with Everything or Nothing, with a similar mix of on foot and vehicle combat, with particular emphasis seeming to be given to the jetpack from Thunderball.

Although Bond looks and sounds (thanks to newly recorded dialogue by the man himself) like Sean Connery the game also has a role-playing element where you can customise your character according to your preferred style of play. There's also an online and split screen multiplayer mode for you to compare these settings with friends.

Alas there doesn't yet seem to be any sign of a mini-game allowing you to ferret out bad guys according to their incorrect choice of wine at the dinner table, but in all other respects this is shaping up to be the ultimate retro Bond game. --Harrison Dent

This preview is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished game.

BEST BOND GAME EVER, 06 Feb 2008
I wanted this game for ages because it was the only title that interrested me. Thankfully I managed to find it. It is excellent,the graphics are shiny,I never find it boring and it never lets me down.

Excellent James Bond game, 21 Apr 2006
Although this new Bond game is not good enough to compete with the likes of Goldeneye on N64, its still a good shooter, with plenty of different missions, well work buying.

A huge step back from the previous Bond adventure, 20 Mar 2006
I've always brought at least one game for christmas, its like a tradition. I only own a nitendo gamecube so intially all I can buy is gamecube titles (Duh!). Its been a bad couple of years for Nintendo and they've seemed to release very few games of good quality and last year was no exception. The only game that interested me was the new James bond title 'From Russia with love' supposedly based on the film itself. Despite the numerous amount of dreadful reviews, I stayed faithful to the once almighty nintendo and to the fantastic James Bond series hoping and praying that I was going to wake up to a really great game this christmas...As I tore open the packaging and quickly threw the disc in my cube, I was struck by so much dissapointment my heart gradually began to sink. Sure, the graphics were shiny but the game was extremely unfaithful to the movie, the gameplay was boring, levels became repititve quickly and it was far too short for such a long and drawn out production time. Actually, I think the shorter the better, nobody wants a game this dissapointing to last for too long...

Still seeking GoldenEye 2, 10 Jan 2006
This is a great idea for a game, recreating one of the early Bond films as accurately as possible. However, to make it seem better for today's audience, Bond has to go from being a lone spy to an angel of death not seen in the film that shares the title. To be fair, there is depth in the rpg-type elements, where Bond can discover schematics and cases of secret dossiers that can increase his skills, but he has to expend bucket-loads of SMG ammunition to get kill the guards who protect these treasures.

Other gripes are that some of the levels are just too large with little going on. Station T, for example, has a large building as the map and a great deal of time is expended simply finding three hostages in the building.

The driving levels are the biggest let-down. The vehicle handling mechanics are just terrible, and the DB5 handles as though it is sitting on a bed of marbles. There hasn't been driving this bad since the terrible 'James Bond Racing' for the PS a few years back (where the DB5 found it hard to out-race fork-lift trucks). Playing these levels, you wonder whether the play testers even tried them.

Finally, the oddest thing is the voice acting. Connery sounds fine as Bond, but the voice is clearly forty years older than the character on the screen, which just makes it very strange indeed to listen to.

This is a good game, but I reckon I'll be dusting down the N64 at the weekend for a nostalgic GoldenEye thrash.

James Bond: From Russia With Love (GameCube)., 01 Jan 2006
i have all the bond games from n64 goldeneye upwards and this is the best yet.
anyone that likes bond will love this, a must have game

It was no surprise that the first Harry Potter games were a huge success, but what was unusual was that they were actually pretty good. Millions of fans will be pleased to hear that the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets game is even better.

Taking its visual and audio cues from the movies but sticking closer to the book than a two-hour film ever could, the PS2 game begins as Harry starts his second year at Hogwarts despite an ominous warning from Dobby the House Elf. At its heart Chamber of Secrets is a 3-D platform game, similar to Super Mario or Jak & Daxter, with the same basic controls being used for the majority of the game. However, the nature of the story means the game is peppered with various mini-games and side quests, including Quidditch and Wizard duels.

In between the major quests you get a chance to explore Hogwarts, which is impressively massive and filled with hidden secrets--the collecting of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans being of particular importance since they can then be traded with Ron's brother for everything from Famous Witches and Wizards Cards to upgrades for your Quidditch kit.

If the game has only one fault it's the extremely long and unusually frequent loading screens that keep popping up, and which you soon get very tired of seeing. It's not nearly enough to ruin the game though, which must go down as one of the best book/movie conversions of all time. --David Jenkins

BEST BOND GAME EVER, 06 Feb 2008
I wanted this game for ages because it was the only title that interrested me. Thankfully I managed to find it. It is excellent,the graphics are shiny,I never find it boring and it never lets me down.

Excellent James Bond game, 21 Apr 2006
Although this new Bond game is not good enough to compete with the likes of Goldeneye on N64, its still a good shooter, with plenty of different missions, well work buying.

A huge step back from the previous Bond adventure, 20 Mar 2006
I've always brought at least one game for christmas, its like a tradition. I only own a nitendo gamecube so intially all I can buy is gamecube titles (Duh!). Its been a bad couple of years for Nintendo and they've seemed to release very few games of good quality and last year was no exception. The only game that interested me was the new James bond title 'From Russia with love' supposedly based on the film itself. Despite the numerous amount of dreadful reviews, I stayed faithful to the once almighty nintendo and to the fantastic James Bond series hoping and praying that I was going to wake up to a really great game this christmas...As I tore open the packaging and quickly threw the disc in my cube, I was struck by so much dissapointment my heart gradually began to sink. Sure, the graphics were shiny but the game was extremely unfaithful to the movie, the gameplay was boring, levels became repititve quickly and it was far too short for such a long and drawn out production time. Actually, I think the shorter the better, nobody wants a game this dissapointing to last for too long...

Still seeking GoldenEye 2, 10 Jan 2006
This is a great idea for a game, recreating one of the early Bond films as accurately as possible. However, to make it seem better for today's audience, Bond has to go from being a lone spy to an angel of death not seen in the film that shares the title. To be fair, there is depth in the rpg-type elements, where Bond can discover schematics and cases of secret dossiers that can increase his skills, but he has to expend bucket-loads of SMG ammunition to get kill the guards who protect these treasures.

Other gripes are that some of the levels are just too large with little going on. Station T, for example, has a large building as the map and a great deal of time is expended simply finding three hostages in the building.

The driving levels are the biggest let-down. The vehicle handling mechanics are just terrible, and the DB5 handles as though it is sitting on a bed of marbles. There hasn't been driving this bad since the terrible 'James Bond Racing' for the PS a few years back (where the DB5 found it hard to out-race fork-lift trucks). Playing these levels, you wonder whether the play testers even tried them.

Finally, the oddest thing is the voice acting. Connery sounds fine as Bond, but the voice is clearly forty years older than the character on the screen, which just makes it very strange indeed to listen to.

This is a good game, but I reckon I'll be dusting down the N64 at the weekend for a nostalgic GoldenEye thrash.

James Bond: From Russia With Love (GameCube)., 01 Jan 2006
i have all the bond games from n64 goldeneye upwards and this is the best yet.
anyone that likes bond will love this, a must have game

Mixed opinions, 26 Oct 2008
My 7 year old daughter has just got into Harry Potter and thinks this game is brilliant. The graphics and game environment are well designed and look pretty good, the storyline of the game is fairly close to the book/film and it does capture the essence of Harry Potter.

On the other hand it's not one for serious gamers as it's too short, the game area is quite small and it's far too easy.

The controls are pretty awful too, which is not really a problem when exploring Hogwarts or walking between challenges/lessons however it becomes really annoying during the challenges.

There's major problems with the camera angle during these challenges especially when jumping between ledges. Often when you're near a wall it's impossible to spin the camera angle round behind Harry in order to line up your jump or it suddenly spins off to the side mid jump causing you to fall off.

When fighting enemies, pressing the R which is supposed to lock onto a traget works very badly indeed. Often when an enemy is standing right in front of you and attacking you and for some reason it simply won't lock onto it, or it targets a mushroom in the distance. Meanwhile you're getting a pummeling and can't do anything to retaliate.

The Quidditch matches are also pretty rubbish. Even my daughter found this part of the game boring. But guess that's JK Rowlings fault for devising a thouroughly pointless concept of a sport.

Would recommend this for young children who are already into Harry Potter, otherwise don't bother with it.

Great fun, but blink and you'll miss it..., 25 Aug 2008
On the upside, this is great fun, the levels aren't too challenging but require a certain element of skill, the grounds are very explorable and the side quests and items to collect will keep you very much entertained.

On the downside, the similarities to the book or film are tangeable, the graphics aren't groundbreaking (particularly now) and it is much, much too short.

Overall, if you are a Harry Potter fan, enjoy games which you can complete in a relatively short space of time without too much frustration and can pick this up cheap, then go for it. Otherwise, this game is not for you.

Great Wee Game, 07 Feb 2005
Good fun, light, a bit short but fun! I like the fact that you are able to explore the castle, you are not restricted to do the task set, you can wonder around. Not great if your up for a challenge.

Short but fun!, 09 Jan 2004
I didn't have high hopes for this game - in my experience, games based on films are usually dreadful but i actually found this quite fun! The graphics are good and the gameplay (although not hard) kept me entertained! It is however, really short and takes hardly any time at all to complete. This aside, the only thing which really annoyed me where the repeated phrases from the people you talk to....next time try getting a few more voice overs! Anyway, its a fun game for potter and non-potter fans alike!

Harry Potter lol, 11 Sep 2003
I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this game is great. It has some very nice ideas which work really well. The only downside is that the game is VERY VERY short and also quite easy. You could complete the game in a few days if u played it a lot.

From the off, it's fair to concede that the world's best-selling action football game, FIFA 2005, hasn't changed an awful lot in the past twelve months. Those who bought the last version will be entirely familiar with the game's look and feel, and could rightly argue that once more this new version is an evolution at best. But it's still quite a good one. The FIFA series has, in recent times, got into the habit of adding one big new feature each year, with middling successes. Last year's, if you remember, was the impressive-but-tricky off the ball control. This year we get a simpler addition, but a far more effective one. It's the first touch option, and it genuinely can open the game up, whether you choose to use it for a quick pass or tighter control. And it works because it's straightforward--there's no endless messing around with buttons to get it moving.

The rest of the game attracts the usual annual pros and cons. Its presentation is second-to-none, and for a more attacking-focused game, you need look no further. What's more, the single player mode is substantial, and very long lasting. The downside is the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise which is, and remains, the choice of the hardcore gamer. Yet that doesn't mean there's not fun to be had with FIFA 2005. Quite the contrary, in fact. Every year, FIFA can be relied on to provide an entertaining, engrossing and long-lasting football game. Thus, whilst it might be in second place, and this latest release doesn't change that, it remains a strong and worthwhile runner-up.--Simon Brew

BEST BOND GAME EVER, 06 Feb 2008
I wanted this game for ages because it was the only title that interrested me. Thankfully I managed to find it. It is excellent,the graphics are shiny,I never find it boring and it never lets me down.

Excellent James Bond game, 21 Apr 2006
Although this new Bond game is not good enough to compete with the likes of Goldeneye on N64, its still a good shooter, with plenty of different missions, well work buying.

A huge step back from the previous Bond adventure, 20 Mar 2006
I've always brought at least one game for christmas, its like a tradition. I only own a nitendo gamecube so intially all I can buy is gamecube titles (Duh!). Its been a bad couple of years for Nintendo and they've seemed to release very few games of good quality and last year was no exception. The only game that interested me was the new James bond title 'From Russia with love' supposedly based on the film itself. Despite the numerous amount of dreadful reviews, I stayed faithful to the once almighty nintendo and to the fantastic James Bond series hoping and praying that I was going to wake up to a really great game this christmas...As I tore open the packaging and quickly threw the disc in my cube, I was struck by so much dissapointment my heart gradually began to sink. Sure, the graphics were shiny but the game was extremely unfaithful to the movie, the gameplay was boring, levels became repititve quickly and it was far too short for such a long and drawn out production time. Actually, I think the shorter the better, nobody wants a game this dissapointing to last for too long...

Still seeking GoldenEye 2, 10 Jan 2006
This is a great idea for a game, recreating one of the early Bond films as accurately as possible. However, to make it seem better for today's audience, Bond has to go from being a lone spy to an angel of death not seen in the film that shares the title. To be fair, there is depth in the rpg-type elements, where Bond can discover schematics and cases of secret dossiers that can increase his skills, but he has to expend bucket-loads of SMG ammunition to get kill the guards who protect these treasures.

Other gripes are that some of the levels are just too large with little going on. Station T, for example, has a large building as the map and a great deal of time is expended simply finding three hostages in the building.

The driving levels are the biggest let-down. The vehicle handling mechanics are just terrible, and the DB5 handles as though it is sitting on a bed of marbles. There hasn't been driving this bad since the terrible 'James Bond Racing' for the PS a few years back (where the DB5 found it hard to out-race fork-lift trucks). Playing these levels, you wonder whether the play testers even tried them.

Finally, the oddest thing is the voice acting. Connery sounds fine as Bond, but the voice is clearly forty years older than the character on the screen, which just makes it very strange indeed to listen to.

This is a good game, but I reckon I'll be dusting down the N64 at the weekend for a nostalgic GoldenEye thrash.

James Bond: From Russia With Love (GameCube)., 01 Jan 2006
i have all the bond games from n64 goldeneye upwards and this is the best yet.
anyone that likes bond will love this, a must have game

Mixed opinions, 26 Oct 2008
My 7 year old daughter has just got into Harry Potter and thinks this game is brilliant. The graphics and game environment are well designed and look pretty good, the storyline of the game is fairly close to the book/film and it does capture the essence of Harry Potter.

On the other hand it's not one for serious gamers as it's too short, the game area is quite small and it's far too easy.

The controls are pretty awful too, which is not really a problem when exploring Hogwarts or walking between challenges/lessons however it becomes really annoying during the challenges.

There's major problems with the camera angle during these challenges especially when jumping between ledges. Often when you're near a wall it's impossible to spin the camera angle round behind Harry in order to line up your jump or it suddenly spins off to the side mid jump causing you to fall off.

When fighting enemies, pressing the R which is supposed to lock onto a traget works very badly indeed. Often when an enemy is standing right in front of you and attacking you and for some reason it simply won't lock onto it, or it targets a mushroom in the distance. Meanwhile you're getting a pummeling and can't do anything to retaliate.

The Quidditch matches are also pretty rubbish. Even my daughter found this part of the game boring. But guess that's JK Rowlings fault for devising a thouroughly pointless concept of a sport.

Would recommend this for young children who are already into Harry Potter, otherwise don't bother with it.

Great fun, but blink and you'll miss it..., 25 Aug 2008
On the upside, this is great fun, the levels aren't too challenging but require a certain element of skill, the grounds are very explorable and the side quests and items to collect will keep you very much entertained.

On the downside, the similarities to the book or film are tangeable, the graphics aren't groundbreaking (particularly now) and it is much, much too short.

Overall, if you are a Harry Potter fan, enjoy games which you can complete in a relatively short space of time without too much frustration and can pick this up cheap, then go for it. Otherwise, this game is not for you.

Great Wee Game, 07 Feb 2005
Good fun, light, a bit short but fun! I like the fact that you are able to explore the castle, you are not restricted to do the task set, you can wonder around. Not great if your up for a challenge.

Short but fun!, 09 Jan 2004
I didn't have high hopes for this game - in my experience, games based on films are usually dreadful but i actually found this quite fun! The graphics are good and the gameplay (although not hard) kept me entertained! It is however, really short and takes hardly any time at all to complete. This aside, the only thing which really annoyed me where the repeated phrases from the people you talk to....next time try getting a few more voice overs! Anyway, its a fun game for potter and non-potter fans alike!

Harry Potter lol, 11 Sep 2003
I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this game is great. It has some very nice ideas which work really well. The only downside is that the game is VERY VERY short and also quite easy. You could complete the game in a few days if u played it a lot.

it's pretty good, 08 Aug 2007
I got 2005 about 2 months after it came out (iv only ever had fifa once before... and that was 98!). I was impressed until i tried to go on career mode and it wouldn't save because my memory card was too small. So I went out and got a bigger one which cost me quite a bit. When I finally was able to go on career I found it pretty good (apart from the stupid points instead of maney). There's a good create player mode but I missed the create team mode that was in the 98 version. The controls are easy to use and I love the skills you can do using the c-stick, but I can't seem to make players run diagonaly! Oh and as usual the songs are really cheesey! But overall I think it's good and i'm still playing it in 2007!

Far Too Easy, 30 Nov 2006
This game could've been so much more, and so much better. Career mode is alright, but the money is just stupid. I went Hearts and sold a few of their better players, and was able to buy players such as Fernando Torres and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Also, the gameplay.. it's far too easy. You score too many goals so it isn't very realistic. Even on the hardest difficulty I can still score 7 or 8 goals in a 12 minute match.
The graphics aren't that great either. Most of the players look the same. Personally I only bother with the players that actually look like themselves.
The Create A Player feature is terrible. Theres not enough hairstyles to choose from, and there isn't much else to do to customise your players, apart from giving them a broken nose or a funny shaped ear.

Good, but you need a new memory card., 05 Dec 2005
I was really looking forward to fifa 2005, being a fan of the series, so as soon as it did, I immediately snatched it up. I wasn't disapointed. The first touch control with the C-stick is genius. If you get it right, you can split the defense right open. If you get it wrong, the defender takes the ball straight away from you. The only downside is this:

IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR MEMORY!!!

I had to go and buy a new memory card, as where other games take 5-10 blocks, mine has used about 200 so far.

OVERALL

A great game, but you might need a new memory card once you get started.

Good game, but frustrating., 01 Sep 2005
The other reviews are right about a lot of things. The one thing I want to add is that if you haven't been playing FIFA for years, scoring goals is very, very hard. With the aiming control, it's much easier to shoot 10 yards wide than to actually make the keeper come up with a save. The ability to subtly shift the shot to the corners of the net like you could do circa FIFA 2000 is either not there, or so much harder to do that I still can't after 30 games.

I'm about ready to trade the game in. I buy soccer games to put the ball in the back of the net, not to pray I get enough direct kicks within 20 yards to pull off a 1-0 victory or a 1-1 draw.

good but lots of room for improvement, 02 Jun 2005
This is a good game and it is better than fifa 2004 which was too slow but it does have lots of bad things about it. 1 for international games there are not enough teams and they have left out good teams like senegal and holland. 2 set pieces arn't varied enough and they are pretty predictable and it is too easy too score from free kicks. Also you can't take short corners or free kicks. 3 players in lower division clubs look the same and look nothing like they should eg Denis Wise has really short blond hair. 4 there is no world cup or european cup. 5 in tournement mode when you play a league there are no fixture lists so you don't know who you are playing next. 6 the commatry is awful, sometimes a player misses from 40 yards and the commentator says the player should have scored. also sometimes it says a player has a hatrick or someone has been sent off when they haven't. other than that it is a good game but still not as good as PES

Being huge hockey fans we were excited about playing the latest in the long line of EA's NHL series--but we must admit to being a little disappointed with this latest offering, as NHL 2003 in all truth is NHL 2002 plus a few shiny bits. The new features for 2003 are an improved franchise mode which has more of the hardcore managerial events to deal with, such as annual drafts, player waivers, more injuries and suspensions, and more Easter eggs and celebrations to unlock with the NHL cards rewards system. One major gameplay change has been added: the "Gamebreaker" is simply a power bar which slowly energizes as you play, and once full a quick button press will allow you to pull off some pretty funky moves. Also improved is the in-game physics--the puck now rebounds off defenders and sticks with more realism. Our main criticisms (and perhaps this is nit-picking) is that the overly comic commentators have really dumbed the game down, and that there are to! o many Matrix-style slow-motion effects.

NHL 2003 plays fantastically and is one of the finest sports games to grace TV screens anywhere; the presentation is top notch and most of the stats are up-to-date (although yet again many of the minor international squads still have imaginary players). But the new tweaks aren't really enough to justify shelling out full price if you already own last year's version--a lesson we hoped EA had learnt after finally getting FIFA right this time. If you're a NHL completist or a hockey fan, or have never played NHL before, then we recommend this game over any other. If you've already got NHL 2002 then make up your mind if you can do without this version's new features. --Laurent S Hall

BEST BOND GAME EVER, 06 Feb 2008
I wanted this game for ages because it was the only title that interrested me. Thankfully I managed to find it. It is excellent,the graphics are shiny,I never find it boring and it never lets me down.

Excellent James Bond game, 21 Apr 2006
Although this new Bond game is not good enough to compete with the likes of Goldeneye on N64, its still a good shooter, with plenty of different missions, well work buying.

A huge step back from the previous Bond adventure, 20 Mar 2006
I've always brought at least one game for christmas, its like a tradition. I only own a nitendo gamecube so intially all I can buy is gamecube titles (Duh!). Its been a bad couple of years for Nintendo and they've seemed to release very few games of good quality and last year was no exception. The only game that interested me was the new James bond title 'From Russia with love' supposedly based on the film itself. Despite the numerous amount of dreadful reviews, I stayed faithful to the once almighty nintendo and to the fantastic James Bond series hoping and praying that I was going to wake up to a really great game this christmas...As I tore open the packaging and quickly threw the disc in my cube, I was struck by so much dissapointment my heart gradually began to sink. Sure, the graphics were shiny but the game was extremely unfaithful to the movie, the gameplay was boring, levels became repititve quickly and it was far too short for such a long and drawn out production time. Actually, I think the shorter the better, nobody wants a game this dissapointing to last for too long...

Still seeking GoldenEye 2, 10 Jan 2006
This is a great idea for a game, recreating one of the early Bond films as accurately as possible. However, to make it seem better for today's audience, Bond has to go from being a lone spy to an angel of death not seen in the film that shares the title. To be fair, there is depth in the rpg-type elements, where Bond can discover schematics and cases of secret dossiers that can increase his skills, but he has to expend bucket-loads of SMG ammunition to get kill the guards who protect these treasures.

Other gripes are that some of the levels are just too large with little going on. Station T, for example, has a large building as the map and a great deal of time is expended simply finding three hostages in the building.

The driving levels are the biggest let-down. The vehicle handling mechanics are just terrible, and the DB5 handles as though it is sitting on a bed of marbles. There hasn't been driving this bad since the terrible 'James Bond Racing' for the PS a few years back (where the DB5 found it hard to out-race fork-lift trucks). Playing these levels, you wonder whether the play testers even tried them.

Finally, the oddest thing is the voice acting. Connery sounds fine as Bond, but the voice is clearly forty years older than the character on the screen, which just makes it very strange indeed to listen to.

This is a good game, but I reckon I'll be dusting down the N64 at the weekend for a nostalgic GoldenEye thrash.

James Bond: From Russia With Love (GameCube)., 01 Jan 2006
i have all the bond games from n64 goldeneye upwards and this is the best yet.
anyone that likes bond will love this, a must have game

Mixed opinions, 26 Oct 2008
My 7 year old daughter has just got into Harry Potter and thinks this game is brilliant. The graphics and game environment are well designed and look pretty good, the storyline of the game is fairly close to the book/film and it does capture the essence of Harry Potter.

On the other hand it's not one for serious gamers as it's too short, the game area is quite small and it's far too easy.

The controls are pretty awful too, which is not really a problem when exploring Hogwarts or walking between challenges/lessons however it becomes really annoying during the challenges.

There's major problems with the camera angle during these challenges especially when jumping between ledges. Often when you're near a wall it's impossible to spin the camera angle round behind Harry in order to line up your jump or it suddenly spins off to the side mid jump causing you to fall off.

When fighting enemies, pressing the R which is supposed to lock onto a traget works very badly indeed. Often when an enemy is standing right in front of you and attacking you and for some reason it simply won't lock onto it, or it targets a mushroom in the distance. Meanwhile you're getting a pummeling and can't do anything to retaliate.

The Quidditch matches are also pretty rubbish. Even my daughter found this part of the game boring. But guess that's JK Rowlings fault for devising a thouroughly pointless concept of a sport.

Would recommend this for young children who are already into Harry Potter, otherwise don't bother with it.

Great fun, but blink and you'll miss it..., 25 Aug 2008
On the upside, this is great fun, the levels aren't too challenging but require a certain element of skill, the grounds are very explorable and the side quests and items to collect will keep you very much entertained.

On the downside, the similarities to the book or film are tangeable, the graphics aren't groundbreaking (particularly now) and it is much, much too short.

Overall, if you are a Harry Potter fan, enjoy games which you can complete in a relatively short space of time without too much frustration and can pick this up cheap, then go for it. Otherwise, this game is not for you.

Great Wee Game, 07 Feb 2005
Good fun, light, a bit short but fun! I like the fact that you are able to explore the castle, you are not restricted to do the task set, you can wonder around. Not great if your up for a challenge.

Short but fun!, 09 Jan 2004
I didn't have high hopes for this game - in my experience, games based on films are usually dreadful but i actually found this quite fun! The graphics are good and the gameplay (although not hard) kept me entertained! It is however, really short and takes hardly any time at all to complete. This aside, the only thing which really annoyed me where the repeated phrases from the people you talk to....next time try getting a few more voice overs! Anyway, its a fun game for potter and non-potter fans alike!

Harry Potter lol, 11 Sep 2003
I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this game is great. It has some very nice ideas which work really well. The only downside is that the game is VERY VERY short and also quite easy. You could complete the game in a few days if u played it a lot.

it's pretty good, 08 Aug 2007
I got 2005 about 2 months after it came out (iv only ever had fifa once before... and that was 98!). I was impressed until i tried to go on career mode and it wouldn't save because my memory card was too small. So I went out and got a bigger one which cost me quite a bit. When I finally was able to go on career I found it pretty good (apart from the stupid points instead of maney). There's a good create player mode but I missed the create team mode that was in the 98 version. The controls are easy to use and I love the skills you can do using the c-stick, but I can't seem to make players run diagonaly! Oh and as usual the songs are really cheesey! But overall I think it's good and i'm still playing it in 2007!

Far Too Easy, 30 Nov 2006
This game could've been so much more, and so much better. Career mode is alright, but the money is just stupid. I went Hearts and sold a few of their better players, and was able to buy players such as Fernando Torres and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Also, the gameplay.. it's far too easy. You score too many goals so it isn't very realistic. Even on the hardest difficulty I can still score 7 or 8 goals in a 12 minute match.
The graphics aren't that great either. Most of the players look the same. Personally I only bother with the players that actually look like themselves.
The Create A Player feature is terrible. Theres not enough hairstyles to choose from, and there isn't much else to do to customise your players, apart from giving them a broken nose or a funny shaped ear.

Good, but you need a new memory card., 05 Dec 2005
I was really looking forward to fifa 2005, being a fan of the series, so as soon as it did, I immediately snatched it up. I wasn't disapointed. The first touch control with the C-stick is genius. If you get it right, you can split the defense right open. If you get it wrong, the defender takes the ball straight away from you. The only downside is this:

IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR MEMORY!!!

I had to go and buy a new memory card, as where other games take 5-10 blocks, mine has used about 200 so far.

OVERALL

A great game, but you might need a new memory card once you get started.

Good game, but frustrating., 01 Sep 2005
The other reviews are right about a lot of things. The one thing I want to add is that if you haven't been playing FIFA for years, scoring goals is very, very hard. With the aiming control, it's much easier to shoot 10 yards wide than to actually make the keeper come up with a save. The ability to subtly shift the shot to the corners of the net like you could do circa FIFA 2000 is either not there, or so much harder to do that I still can't after 30 games.

I'm about ready to trade the game in. I buy soccer games to put the ball in the back of the net, not to pray I get enough direct kicks within 20 yards to pull off a 1-0 victory or a 1-1 draw.

good but lots of room for improvement, 02 Jun 2005
This is a good game and it is better than fifa 2004 which was too slow but it does have lots of bad things about it. 1 for international games there are not enough teams and they have left out good teams like senegal and holland. 2 set pieces arn't varied enough and they are pretty predictable and it is too easy too score from free kicks. Also you can't take short corners or free kicks. 3 players in lower division clubs look the same and look nothing like they should eg Denis Wise has really short blond hair. 4 there is no world cup or european cup. 5 in tournement mode when you play a league there are no fixture lists so you don't know who you are playing next. 6 the commatry is awful, sometimes a player misses from 40 yards and the commentator says the player should have scored. also sometimes it says a player has a hatrick or someone has been sent off when they haven't. other than that it is a good game but still not as good as PES

Nhl 2003, 23 Dec 2003
The game is the greatest ive ever played , it has great graphics and is fun 4 all ages. I like this game because my brother and i both play the sport 4 the isle of wight wightlink thunder. I would advise anyone to buy this game!!!

NHL 2003, 20 Nov 2002
There really isn't that much extra added from NHL 2002. If you can't afford NHL 2003, then go for the cheaper NHL 2002. What you do get in this version is smoother graphics and a new feature that let's you slow down time when the crowd are happy with your team's perfomance. But it has also lost some good features, like you can't have Shootout mode any more, so if you like shootouts, you have to do a full match and deliberatly tie. Also, about half of what the commentators say have been lifted from NHL 2002. Definately worth the money if you're an Ice Hockey fan, even if you've got the last version.

ultimate hockey, 07 Nov 2002
E.A sports are known for thier great sports sims and NHL 2003 is no exeption.Watch in glory as you deke your way through the defensive line and sloting the puck through the five hole of the opposing goaltender.NHL 2003 is the most solid ice hockey sim availible at the moment.Although it does not differ too much from previous nhl instalments by E.A sports it is a hockey fans dream.Smooth and fast gameplay makes this much more enjoyable than the NHL hitz series and it has all the players on the ice aswell rather then a three on three arcade sim this is the serious option for hardcore hockey fans.Not without its faults but is a superb hockey game and i would recomend it for every one looking for an enjoyable fast paced sports game.

In spite of the lack of the competition where PC golfing games are concerned, there's little reason to feel disappointed at just having Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 to pick from. That's unless you feel let down, of course, by majestic visuals, sublime gameplay and an all-round quality gaming experience.

Catering for all levels of experience thanks to five well-pitched difficulty ratings, it's an incredibly easy game to get to grips with. Intuitive from the off, you can pick from numerous golfers and courses, each of which are realised exceptionally well. Graphically, the game is outstanding, and given the vast number of gameplay choices available, it's going to last you a very long time.

The drawback is that things really haven't come that far since the 2004 edition. Sure, there are different courses to play on, and welcome they are. Then there's a brand new Tiger-Proof mode that lets you modify those courses to squeeze every ounce of playability and difficulty from them, although it's unlikely to be a feature you'll use that often. And as for the gameplay? It really hasn't changed that much, with those fresh courses the main attraction.

Yet still, you can't go far wrong with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005. Whilst it's disappointing that the game hasn't come on too much in the last year, there is the small factor that it was, and still is, one of the finest sports games on any format. Few games offer quite as much replay value, and that should be ample compensation for the lack of a decent competitor.--Simon Brew

BEST BOND GAME EVER, 06 Feb 2008
I wanted this game for ages because it was the only title that interrested me. Thankfully I managed to find it. It is excellent,the graphics are shiny,I never find it boring and it never lets me down.

Excellent James Bond game, 21 Apr 2006
Although this new Bond game is not good enough to compete with the likes of Goldeneye on N64, its still a good shooter, with plenty of different missions, well work buying.

A huge step back from the previous Bond adventure, 20 Mar 2006
I've always brought at least one game for christmas, its like a tradition. I only own a nitendo gamecube so intially all I can buy is gamecube titles (Duh!). Its been a bad couple of years for Nintendo and they've seemed to release very few games of good quality and last year was no exception. The only game that interested me was the new James bond title 'From Russia with love' supposedly based on the film itself. Despite the numerous amount of dreadful reviews, I stayed faithful to the once almighty nintendo and to the fantastic James Bond series hoping and praying that I was going to wake up to a really great game this christmas...As I tore open the packaging and quickly threw the disc in my cube, I was struck by so much dissapointment my heart gradually began to sink. Sure, the graphics were shiny but the game was extremely unfaithful to the movie, the gameplay was boring, levels became repititve quickly and it was far too short for such a long and drawn out production time. Actually, I think the shorter the better, nobody wants a game this dissapointing to last for too long...

Still seeking GoldenEye 2, 10 Jan 2006
This is a great idea for a game, recreating one of the early Bond films as accurately as possible. However, to make it seem better for today's audience, Bond has to go from being a lone spy to an angel of death not seen in the film that shares the title. To be fair, there is depth in the rpg-type elements, where Bond can discover schematics and cases of secret dossiers that can increase his skills, but he has to expend bucket-loads of SMG ammunition to get kill the guards who protect these treasures.

Other gripes are that some of the levels are just too large with little going on. Station T, for example, has a large building as the map and a great deal of time is expended simply finding three hostages in the building.

The driving levels are the biggest let-down. The vehicle handling mechanics are just terrible, and the DB5 handles as though it is sitting on a bed of marbles. There hasn't been driving this bad since the terrible 'James Bond Racing' for the PS a few years back (where the DB5 found it hard to out-race fork-lift trucks). Playing these levels, you wonder whether the play testers even tried them.

Finally, the oddest thing is the voice acting. Connery sounds fine as Bond, but the voice is clearly forty years older than the character on the screen, which just makes it very strange indeed to listen to.

This is a good game, but I reckon I'll be dusting down the N64 at the weekend for a nostalgic GoldenEye thrash.

James Bond: From Russia With Love (GameCube)., 01 Jan 2006
i have all the bond games from n64 goldeneye upwards and this is the best yet.
anyone that likes bond will love this, a must have game

Mixed opinions, 26 Oct 2008
My 7 year old daughter has just got into Harry Potter and thinks this game is brilliant. The graphics and game environment are well designed and look pretty good, the storyline of the game is fairly close to the book/film and it does capture the essence of Harry Potter.

On the other hand it's not one for serious gamers as it's too short, the game area is quite small and it's far too easy.

The controls are pretty awful too, which is not really a problem when exploring Hogwarts or walking between challenges/lessons however it becomes really annoying during the challenges.

There's major problems with the camera angle during these challenges especially when jumping between ledges. Often when you're near a wall it's impossible to spin the camera angle round behind Harry in order to line up your jump or it suddenly spins off to the side mid jump causing you to fall off.

When fighting enemies, pressing the R which is supposed to lock onto a traget works very badly indeed. Often when an enemy is standing right in front of you and attacking you and for some reason it simply won't lock onto it, or it targets a mushroom in the distance. Meanwhile you're getting a pummeling and can't do anything to retaliate.

The Quidditch matches are also pretty rubbish. Even my daughter found this part of the game boring. But guess that's JK Rowlings fault for devising a thouroughly pointless concept of a sport.

Would recommend this for young children who are already into Harry Potter, otherwise don't bother with it.

Great fun, but blink and you'll miss it..., 25 Aug 2008
On the upside, this is great fun, the levels aren't too challenging but require a certain element of skill, the grounds are very explorable and the side quests and items to collect will keep you very much entertained.

On the downside, the similarities to the book or film are tangeable, the graphics aren't groundbreaking (particularly now) and it is much, much too short.

Overall, if you are a Harry Potter fan, enjoy games which you can complete in a relatively short space of time without too much frustration and can pick this up cheap, then go for it. Otherwise, this game is not for you.

Great Wee Game, 07 Feb 2005
Good fun, light, a bit short but fun! I like the fact that you are able to explore the castle, you are not restricted to do the task set, you can wonder around. Not great if your up for a challenge.

Short but fun!, 09 Jan 2004
I didn't have high hopes for this game - in my experience, games based on films are usually dreadful but i actually found this quite fun! The graphics are good and the gameplay (although not hard) kept me entertained! It is however, really short and takes hardly any time at all to complete. This aside, the only thing which really annoyed me where the repeated phrases from the people you talk to....next time try getting a few more voice overs! Anyway, its a fun game for potter and non-potter fans alike!

Harry Potter lol, 11 Sep 2003
I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this game is great. It has some very nice ideas which work really well. The only downside is that the game is VERY VERY short and also quite easy. You could complete the game in a few days if u played it a lot.

it's pretty good, 08 Aug 2007
I got 2005 about 2 months after it came out (iv only ever had fifa once before... and that was 98!). I was impressed until i tried to go on career mode and it wouldn't save because my memory card was too small. So I went out and got a bigger one which cost me quite a bit. When I finally was able to go on career I found it pretty good (apart from the stupid points instead of maney). There's a good create player mode but I missed the create team mode that was in the 98 version. The controls are easy to use and I love the skills you can do using the c-stick, but I can't seem to make players run diagonaly! Oh and as usual the songs are really cheesey! But overall I think it's good and i'm still playing it in 2007!

Far Too Easy, 30 Nov 2006
This game could've been so much more, and so much better. Career mode is alright, but the money is just stupid. I went Hearts and sold a few of their better players, and was able to buy players such as Fernando Torres and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Also, the gameplay.. it's far too easy. You score too many goals so it isn't very realistic. Even on the hardest difficulty I can still score 7 or 8 goals in a 12 minute match.
The graphics aren't that great either. Most of the players look the same. Personally I only bother with the players that actually look like themselves.
The Create A Player feature is terrible. Theres not enough hairstyles to choose from, and there isn't much else to do to customise your players, apart from giving them a broken nose or a funny shaped ear.

Good, but you need a new memory card., 05 Dec 2005
I was really looking forward to fifa 2005, being a fan of the series, so as soon as it did, I immediately snatched it up. I wasn't disapointed. The first touch control with the C-stick is genius. If you get it right, you can split the defense right open. If you get it wrong, the defender takes the ball straight away from you. The only downside is this:

IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR MEMORY!!!

I had to go and buy a new memory card, as where other games take 5-10 blocks, mine has used about 200 so far.

OVERALL

A great game, but you might need a new memory card once you get started.

Good game, but frustrating., 01 Sep 2005
The other reviews are right about a lot of things. The one thing I want to add is that if you haven't been playing FIFA for years, scoring goals is very, very hard. With the aiming control, it's much easier to shoot 10 yards wide than to actually make the keeper come up with a save. The ability to subtly shift the shot to the corners of the net like you could do circa FIFA 2000 is either not there, or so much harder to do that I still can't after 30 games.

I'm about ready to trade the game in. I buy soccer games to put the ball in the back of the net, not to pray I get enough direct kicks within 20 yards to pull off a 1-0 victory or a 1-1 draw.

good but lots of room for improvement, 02 Jun 2005
This is a good game and it is better than fifa 2004 which was too slow but it does have lots of bad things about it. 1 for international games there are not enough teams and they have left out good teams like senegal and holland. 2 set pieces arn't varied enough and they are pretty predictable and it is too easy too score from free kicks. Also you can't take short corners or free kicks. 3 players in lower division clubs look the same and look nothing like they should eg Denis Wise has really short blond hair. 4 there is no world cup or european cup. 5 in tournement mode when you play a league there are no fixture lists so you don't know who you are playing next. 6 the commatry is awful, sometimes a player misses from 40 yards and the commentator says the player should have scored. also sometimes it says a player has a hatrick or someone has been sent off when they haven't. other than that it is a good game but still not as good as PES

Nhl 2003, 23 Dec 2003
The game is the greatest ive ever played , it has great graphics and is fun 4 all ages. I like this game because my brother and i both play the sport 4 the isle of wight wightlink thunder. I would advise anyone to buy this game!!!

NHL 2003, 20 Nov 2002
There really isn't that much extra added from NHL 2002. If you can't afford NHL 2003, then go for the cheaper NHL 2002. What you do get in this version is smoother graphics and a new feature that let's you slow down time when the crowd are happy with your team's perfomance. But it has also lost some good features, like you can't have Shootout mode any more, so if you like shootouts, you have to do a full match and deliberatly tie. Also, about half of what the commentators say have been lifted from NHL 2002. Definately worth the money if you're an Ice Hockey fan, even if you've got the last version.

ultimate hockey, 07 Nov 2002
E.A sports are known for thier great sports sims and NHL 2003 is no exeption.Watch in glory as you deke your way through the defensive line and sloting the puck through the five hole of the opposing goaltender.NHL 2003 is the most solid ice hockey sim availible at the moment.Although it does not differ too much from previous nhl instalments by E.A sports it is a hockey fans dream.Smooth and fast gameplay makes this much more enjoyable than the NHL hitz series and it has all the players on the ice aswell rather then a three on three arcade sim this is the serious option for hardcore hockey fans.Not without its faults but is a superb hockey game and i would recomend it for every one looking for an enjoyable fast paced sports game.

good game, 15 Dec 2004
The new Tiger woods game is a good game. It has good graphics, good gameplay, good lastability, and a great range of things to buy. However, for all you keen golfers and fans of the PGA tour series will not be as impressed as the game is very similar to last years game. The only real difference is the Legends Tour, which is good, but is very similar to the World Tour of last years game.
In conclusion, this is a good game, and I would encourage anyone who likes golf to buy the game.

Graphics = 10
Lastibility = 9
Options = 9
Value for money = 9

Total = 37/40

The Best Golf game ever !!!, 08 Dec 2004
Quite simply this is the best golf game ever made. The graphics, sound and gameplay are all spot on. Another reviewer mentioned the constant swapping of discs, you do have to change discs occasionaly, but not that often !!!
This game is easy enough for novices to go under par and think they've cracked it, but just like in real golf, when the wind and rain start and your playing off the expert tees to the expert tee position, you will need to bring your "A" game !!!!
BUY THIS GAME NOW !!!

Finally, 30 Oct 2004
This is one of the greatest games ever, and I have been playing consolgames since 1979.
There is a couple of new courses to master, and the chance to play all of the game in Tourmode really puts a new challenge to this game. But after I finished the Legend Tour I was already on top of everything, thats a bit disapointing.
But never the less it's a great game that will keep you golfing for a long time.

Read Me !!!!, 15 Oct 2004
This is probably the most comprehensive golf game I have played. It has a number of game options including match play and stroke play games. It offers you the chance to play on the Legend tour, in which you have to climb the ranks of the tour to become a LEGEND!
You can also play the main game which is very similar, as you can imagine. but it does give you the chance of making loads of money on loads of different courses to buy clothes and accessories. 'Game Face II' is a part of the game where you can alter your look and equipment as well as using the money to improve your characters attributes. Face mapping lets you create a character who could look like who ever you want. I have spent many hours sat in front of the TV trying to create myself as a character, but vanity means that I will never get it exactly right.
The only problem I have with the game is that it comes on 2 discs which often need to be swapped around mid game. It's not hard, it's just a bit of a pain if you are in the swing of the game.
If you like this kind of game, Buy it NOW. If not....buy it anyway, you may be surprised just how addictive it is.

Read me!!!, 15 Oct 2004
Despite not being into Golf, I decided to purchase this game as it was recommended by a friend.
This is probably the most comprehensive golf game I have ever played. There are loads of different courses and loads of different characters and scenarios on offer.
You get the usual games, like Match play and stroke play, but if that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can play other games or become a legend under the 'My Legend' option, where you play against other characters on different courses, climbing up the ranks until you are a legend. You can also play matches in the golfing calendar and play the main game, where you progress on the PGA tour playing against other characters in different events. As you progress, you earn money which you can spend on clothes or equipment as well as improving your characters attributes.
The game play is very similar to the other Tiger woods games, as you would imagine. The controls are not the easiest in the world, but they are however easy to pick up. The difficulty level will suit anyone as if you get stuck on any of the main games, you can just practice on your own or with a friend until you are good enough to progress further.
You can edit your character under 'Game face II' where you can edit attributes, clothing or looks. I have spent many hours sitting in front of the TV trying to get my character looking like myself, but vanity always means that I'm never going to get it spot on.
This is a must for any fan of these kind of games and even if it doesn't appeal to you, give it a go! You may be surprised.

Determined to squeeze every last ounce out of the FIFA license, Electronics Arts have released yet another footie sim for every format possible--and oddly enough it concerns the World Cup. Taking the essence of FIFA 2002 and modifying it for the world's greatest tournament, EA have restricted the scope of the game, offering only two modes of play (full tournament and friendly) and the 32 teams that are taking part in the tournament. That said, it still plays the same as its older brother and the look and feel given by the inclusion of the new stadia and enhanced sound effects really bring the game to life.

Owners of the full-fat 2002 game on PS2 will want to think very seriously before shelling out for this "special" release, but for those who've not come across the franchise before, or those looking for a break from ISS 2, this game has entertainment by the sack load. Graphically it looks the business and the pre-match build-ups are eye candy to please any jaded palate. In-game, too, the player graphics are nicely detailed and there are some wonderful individual animations covering all manner of complex-looking moves, swerves and dives. Control is nice and simple and it's a breeze to pick this title up and start booting the pigskin around the park within a couple of minutes, though mastering the finer points of ball control and the elusive "lob in" will take a good deal longer.

2002 FIFA World Cup really does have a lot going for it. It's not as technical as the ISS games, and it doesn't have the scope or gameplay modes of FIFA 2002, but it does have atmosphere by the bucket load. If you're a newcomer to the world of FIFA or you've missed the last couple of major releases then it's certainly worth a look. --Chris Russell

BEST BOND GAME EVER, 06 Feb 2008
I wanted this game for ages because it was the only title that interrested me. Thankfully I managed to find it. It is excellent,the graphics are shiny,I never find it boring and it never lets me down.

Excellent James Bond game, 21 Apr 2006
Although this new Bond game is not good enough to compete with the likes of Goldeneye on N64, its still a good shooter, with plenty of different missions, well work buying.

A huge step back from the previous Bond adventure, 20 Mar 2006
I've always brought at least one game for christmas, its like a tradition. I only own a nitendo gamecube so intially all I can buy is gamecube titles (Duh!). Its been a bad couple of years for Nintendo and they've seemed to release very few games of good quality and last year was no exception. The only game that interested me was the new James bond title 'From Russia with love' supposedly based on the film itself. Despite the numerous amount of dreadful reviews, I stayed faithful to the once almighty nintendo and to the fantastic James Bond series hoping and praying that I was going to wake up to a really great game this christmas...As I tore open the packaging and quickly threw the disc in my cube, I was struck by so much dissapointment my heart gradually began to sink. Sure, the graphics were shiny but the game was extremely unfaithful to the movie, the gameplay was boring, levels became repititve quickly and it was far too short for such a long and drawn out production time. Actually, I think the shorter the better, nobody wants a game this dissapointing to last for too long...

Still seeking GoldenEye 2, 10 Jan 2006
This is a great idea for a game, recreating one of the early Bond films as accurately as possible. However, to make it seem better for today's audience, Bond has to go from being a lone spy to an angel of death not seen in the film that shares the title. To be fair, there is depth in the rpg-type elements, where Bond can discover schematics and cases of secret dossiers that can increase his skills, but he has to expend bucket-loads of SMG ammunition to get kill the guards who protect these treasures.

Other gripes are that some of the levels are just too large with little going on. Station T, for example, has a large building as the map and a great deal of time is expended simply finding three hostages in the building.

The driving levels are the biggest let-down. The vehicle handling mechanics are just terrible, and the DB5 handles as though it is sitting on a bed of marbles. There hasn't been driving this bad since the terrible 'James Bond Racing' for the PS a few years back (where the DB5 found it hard to out-race fork-lift trucks). Playing these levels, you wonder whether the play testers even tried them.

Finally, the oddest thing is the voice acting. Connery sounds fine as Bond, but the voice is clearly forty years older than the character on the screen, which just makes it very strange indeed to listen to.

This is a good game, but I reckon I'll be dusting down the N64 at the weekend for a nostalgic GoldenEye thrash.

James Bond: From Russia With Love (GameCube)., 01 Jan 2006
i have all the bond games from n64 goldeneye upwards and this is the best yet.
anyone that likes bond will love this, a must have game

Mixed opinions, 26 Oct 2008
My 7 year old daughter has just got into Harry Potter and thinks this game is brilliant. The graphics and game environment are well designed and look pretty good, the storyline of the game is fairly close to the book/film and it does capture the essence of Harry Potter.

On the other hand it's not one for serious gamers as it's too short, the game area is quite small and it's far too easy.

The controls are pretty awful too, which is not really a problem when exploring Hogwarts or walking between challenges/lessons however it becomes really annoying during the challenges.

There's major problems with the camera angle during these challenges especially when jumping between ledges. Often when you're near a wall it's impossible to spin the camera angle round behind Harry in order to line up your jump or it suddenly spins off to the side mid jump causing you to fall off.

When fighting enemies, pressing the R which is supposed to lock onto a traget works very badly indeed. Often when an enemy is standing right in front of you and attacking you and for some reason it simply won't lock onto it, or it targets a mushroom in the distance. Meanwhile you're getting a pummeling and can't do anything to retaliate.

The Quidditch matches are also pretty rubbish. Even my daughter found this part of the game boring. But guess that's JK Rowlings fault for devising a thouroughly pointless concept of a sport.

Would recommend this for young children who are already into Harry Potter, otherwise don't bother with it.

Great fun, but blink and you'll miss it..., 25 Aug 2008
On the upside, this is great fun, the levels aren't too challenging but require a certain element of skill, the grounds are very explorable and the side quests and items to collect will keep you very much entertained.

On the downside, the similarities to the book or film are tangeable, the graphics aren't groundbreaking (particularly now) and it is much, much too short.

Overall, if you are a Harry Potter fan, enjoy games which you can complete in a relatively short space of time without too much frustration and can pick this up cheap, then go for it. Otherwise, this game is not for you.

Great Wee Game, 07 Feb 2005
Good fun, light, a bit short but fun! I like the fact that you are able to explore the castle, you are not restricted to do the task set, you can wonder around. Not great if your up for a challenge.

Short but fun!, 09 Jan 2004
I didn't have high hopes for this game - in my experience, games based on films are usually dreadful but i actually found this quite fun! The graphics are good and the gameplay (although not hard) kept me entertained! It is however, really short and takes hardly any time at all to complete. This aside, the only thing which really annoyed me where the repeated phrases from the people you talk to....next time try getting a few more voice overs! Anyway, its a fun game for potter and non-potter fans alike!

Harry Potter lol, 11 Sep 2003
I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this game is great. It has some very nice ideas which work really well. The only downside is that the game is VERY VERY short and also quite easy. You could complete the game in a few days if u played it a lot.

it's pretty good, 08 Aug 2007
I got 2005 about 2 months after it came out (iv only ever had fifa once before... and that was 98!). I was impressed until i tried to go on career mode and it wouldn't save because my memory card was too small. So I went out and got a bigger one which cost me quite a bit. When I finally was able to go on career I found it pretty good (apart from the stupid points instead of maney). There's a good create player mode but I missed the create team mode that was in the 98 version. The controls are easy to use and I love the skills you can do using the c-stick, but I can't seem to make players run diagonaly! Oh and as usual the songs are really cheesey! But overall I think it's good and i'm still playing it in 2007!

Far Too Easy, 30 Nov 2006
This game could've been so much more, and so much better. Career mode is alright, but the money is just stupid. I went Hearts and sold a few of their better players, and was able to buy players such as Fernando Torres and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Also, the gameplay.. it's far too easy. You score too many goals so it isn't very realistic. Even on the hardest difficulty I can still score 7 or 8 goals in a 12 minute match.
The graphics aren't that great either. Most of the players look the same. Personally I only bother with the players that actually look like themselves.
The Create A Player feature is terrible. Theres not enough hairstyles to choose from, and there isn't much else to do to customise your players, apart from giving them a broken nose or a funny shaped ear.

Good, but you need a new memory card., 05 Dec 2005
I was really looking forward to fifa 2005, being a fan of the series, so as soon as it did, I immediately snatched it up. I wasn't disapointed. The first touch control with the C-stick is genius. If you get it right, you can split the defense right open. If you get it wrong, the defender takes the ball straight away from you. The only downside is this:

IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR MEMORY!!!

I had to go and buy a new memory card, as where other games take 5-10 blocks, mine has used about 200 so far.

OVERALL

A great game, but you might need a new memory card once you get started.

Good game, but frustrating., 01 Sep 2005
The other reviews are right about a lot of things. The one thing I want to add is that if you haven't been playing FIFA for years, scoring goals is very, very hard. With the aiming control, it's much easier to shoot 10 yards wide than to actually make the keeper come up with a save. The ability to subtly shift the shot to the corners of the net like you could do circa FIFA 2000 is either not there, or so much harder to do that I still can't after 30 games.

I'm about ready to trade the game in. I buy soccer games to put the ball in the back of the net, not to pray I get enough direct kicks within 20 yards to pull off a 1-0 victory or a 1-1 draw.

good but lots of room for improvement, 02 Jun 2005
This is a good game and it is better than fifa 2004 which was too slow but it does have lots of bad things about it. 1 for international games there are not enough teams and they have left out good teams like senegal and holland. 2 set pieces arn't varied enough and they are pretty predictable and it is too easy too score from free kicks. Also you can't take short corners or free kicks. 3 players in lower division clubs look the same and look nothing like they should eg Denis Wise has really short blond hair. 4 there is no world cup or european cup. 5 in tournement mode when you play a league there are no fixture lists so you don't know who you are playing next. 6 the commatry is awful, sometimes a player misses from 40 yards and the commentator says the player should have scored. also sometimes it says a player has a hatrick or someone has been sent off when they haven't. other than that it is a good game but still not as good as PES

Nhl 2003, 23 Dec 2003
The game is the greatest ive ever played , it has great graphics and is fun 4 all ages. I like this game because my brother and i both play the sport 4 the isle of wight wightlink thunder. I would advise anyone to buy this game!!!

NHL 2003, 20 Nov 2002
There really isn't that much extra added from NHL 2002. If you can't afford NHL 2003, then go for the cheaper NHL 2002. What you do get in this version is smoother graphics and a new feature that let's you slow down time when the crowd are happy with your team's perfomance. But it has also lost some good features, like you can't have Shootout mode any more, so if you like shootouts, you have to do a full match and deliberatly tie. Also, about half of what the commentators say have been lifted from NHL 2002. Definately worth the money if you're an Ice Hockey fan, even if you've got the last version.

ultimate hockey, 07 Nov 2002
E.A sports are known for thier great sports sims and NHL 2003 is no exeption.Watch in glory as you deke your way through the defensive line and sloting the puck through the five hole of the opposing goaltender.NHL 2003 is the most solid ice hockey sim availible at the moment.Although it does not differ too much from previous nhl instalments by E.A sports it is a hockey fans dream.Smooth and fast gameplay makes this much more enjoyable than the NHL hitz series and it has all the players on the ice aswell rather then a three on three arcade sim this is the serious option for hardcore hockey fans.Not without its faults but is a superb hockey game and i would recomend it for every one looking for an enjoyable fast paced sports game.

good game, 15 Dec 2004
The new Tiger woods game is a good game. It has good graphics, good gameplay, good lastability, and a great range of things to buy. However, for all you keen golfers and fans of the PGA tour series will not be as impressed as the game is very similar to last years game. The only real difference is the Legends Tour, which is good, but is very similar to the World Tour of last years game.
In conclusion, this is a good game, and I would encourage anyone who likes golf to buy the game.

Graphics = 10
Lastibility = 9
Options = 9
Value for money = 9

Total = 37/40

The Best Golf game ever !!!, 08 Dec 2004
Quite simply this is the best golf game ever made. The graphics, sound and gameplay are all spot on. Another reviewer mentioned the constant swapping of discs, you do have to change discs occasionaly, but not that often !!!
This game is easy enough for novices to go under par and think they've cracked it, but just like in real golf, when the wind and rain start and your playing off the expert tees to the expert tee position, you will need to bring your "A" game !!!!
BUY THIS GAME NOW !!!

Finally, 30 Oct 2004
This is one of the greatest games ever, and I have been playing consolgames since 1979.
There is a couple of new courses to master, and the chance to play all of the game in Tourmode really puts a new challenge to this game. But after I finished the Legend Tour I was already on top of everything, thats a bit disapointing.
But never the less it's a great game that will keep you golfing for a long time.

Read Me !!!!, 15 Oct 2004
This is probably the most comprehensive golf game I have played. It has a number of game options including match play and stroke play games. It offers you the chance to play on the Legend tour, in which you have to climb the ranks of the tour to become a LEGEND!
You can also play the main game which is very similar, as you can imagine. but it does give you the chance of making loads of money on loads of different courses to buy clothes and accessories. 'Game Face II' is a part of the game where you can alter your look and equipment as well as using the money to improve your characters attributes. Face mapping lets you create a character who could look like who ever you want. I have spent many hours sat in front of the TV trying to create myself as a character, but vanity means that I will never get it exactly right.
The only problem I have with the game is that it comes on 2 discs which often need to be swapped around mid game. It's not hard, it's just a bit of a pain if you are in the swing of the game.
If you like this kind of game, Buy it NOW. If not....buy it anyway, you may be surprised just how addictive it is.

Read me!!!, 15 Oct 2004
Despite not being into Golf, I decided to purchase this game as it was recommended by a friend.
This is probably the most comprehensive golf game I have ever played. There are loads of different courses and loads of different characters and scenarios on offer.
You get the usual games, like Match play and stroke play, but if that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can play other games or become a legend under the 'My Legend' option, where you play against other characters on different courses, climbing up the ranks until you are a legend. You can also play matches in the golfing calendar and play the main game, where you progress on the PGA tour playing against other characters in different events. As you progress, you earn money which you can spend on clothes or equipment as well as improving your characters attributes.
The game play is very similar to the other Tiger woods games, as you would imagine. The controls are not the easiest in the world, but they are however easy to pick up. The difficulty level will suit anyone as if you get stuck on any of the main games, you can just practice on your own or with a friend until you are good enough to progress further.
You can edit your character under 'Game face II' where you can edit attributes, clothing or looks. I have spent many hours sitting in front of the TV trying to get my character looking like myself, but vanity always means that I'm never going to get it spot on.
This is a must for any fan of these kind of games and even if it doesn't appeal to you, give it a go! You may be surprised.

I hate the commentaters, 04 May 2006
2002 FIFA World Cup is a good game for a while, the world cup is fun and there are plenty of teams that you can play as. But after winning the cup for the second time, it gets a bit boring. If you bother to unlock all the secret teams its more than likely you'll be bored of the game by then. The worst part of the game would have to be the commentaters. If you bother to unlock all the secret teams, you'll have heard every single comment about five times. Even worse, one of the commentaters talks about the history of the teams and the stadiums and the cities you're playing in and I COULDN'T CARE LESS!!!!

Rather disapointing game for the gc, 18 May 2004
I bought this game only a couple of days ago, and now, already, i'm bored sick of it.

The good things are:
-amazing graphics
-resonably good commentating

The bad things are:
-rubbish gameplay
-restricted to world cup only
-no custom controlls
-worthless camera

though if you don't compare it to other football games, you may find it quite good.

Footy Mad, 04 Oct 2002
The graphics are amazing and the play off the game is even better.The teams and comentary are so amazingly realistic that you would not believe it's actully a game.I advise you to buy this above most games.It never gets boring but can get a bit irratible sometimes.The sound does not fault at all.I think its a good game and I recomend it!

Not Worth the Price, 15 Jul 2002
If you own a PS2, buy "This Is Football", and if you own a 'cube, buy "ISS", coz thy're both much better games and you're not just limited to a World Cup. Also, the squads are nowhere near accurate and all you have to do to score is run straight at the keeper and shoot. It works every time on all difficulties. But, if you're a FIFA fan, you'll probably love it anyway.

Road to brilliance 2002, 04 May 2002
I bought this title with my game cube and i have to admit it is one of the most graphically spectacular games i have played. Many games fans see ISS pro evo as a "realistic" football sim and for game play i would agree but EA come top of the league when considering attention to detail, accuracy of players, stadium and tactics. For football fans it is a must have. It's just like being in Japan. The only downside is the ease at which it is mastered like most fifa titles.

The annual battle of the football games comes round again, and this time the competition is fiercer than it's been in some years. What a year, then, for the longest running of them all to play its trump card and put in its finest performance to date. For with new added features, and a general all-round polish, FIFA 2004 becomes a must-buy.

The big innovation this time round is the off-the-ball feature, and this really is a stroke of genius. It's fiddly to get to grips with, but basically when attacking, you can control a separate player as they run into space, ready to take receipt of a killer pass that splits the opposition defence open. It takes a little working at, but when it comes off, you'll be smug beyond belief. The feature itself genuinely adds an added tactical edge to a game that used to be wrongly dismissed as an arcade-style kickabout.

On top of that, there are the things that FIFA does better than anyone. The presentation, audio and visuals are superb from top to bottom, and the improvements to the club management side boost the game's longevity.

Most importantly of all, at the heart of all these improvements is a highly playable football game that's very easy to get into yet suitably challenging to master. And in multi-player mode, it's even better. --Simon Brew

BEST BOND GAME EVER, 06 Feb 2008
I wanted this game for ages because it was the only title that interrested me. Thankfully I managed to find it. It is excellent,the graphics are shiny,I never find it boring and it never lets me down.

Excellent James Bond game, 21 Apr 2006
Although this new Bond game is not good enough to compete with the likes of Goldeneye on N64, its still a good shooter, with plenty of different missions, well work buying.

A huge step back from the previous Bond adventure, 20 Mar 2006
I've always brought at least one game for christmas, its like a tradition. I only own a nitendo gamecube so intially all I can buy is gamecube titles (Duh!). Its been a bad couple of years for Nintendo and they've seemed to release very few games of good quality and last year was no exception. The only game that interested me was the new James bond title 'From Russia with love' supposedly based on the film itself. Despite the numerous amount of dreadful reviews, I stayed faithful to the once almighty nintendo and to the fantastic James Bond series hoping and praying that I was going to wake up to a really great game this christmas...As I tore open the packaging and quickly threw the disc in my cube, I was struck by so much dissapointment my heart gradually began to sink. Sure, the graphics were shiny but the game was extremely unfaithful to the movie, the gameplay was boring, levels became repititve quickly and it was far too short for such a long and drawn out production time. Actually, I think the shorter the better, nobody wants a game this dissapointing to last for too long...

Still seeking GoldenEye 2, 10 Jan 2006
This is a great idea for a game, recreating one of the early Bond films as accurately as possible. However, to make it seem better for today's audience, Bond has to go from being a lone spy to an angel of death not seen in the film that shares the title. To be fair, there is depth in the rpg-type elements, where Bond can discover schematics and cases of secret dossiers that can increase his skills, but he has to expend bucket-loads of SMG ammunition to get kill the guards who protect these treasures.

Other gripes are that some of the levels are just too large with little going on. Station T, for example, has a large building as the map and a great deal of time is expended simply finding three hostages in the building.

The driving levels are the biggest let-down. The vehicle handling mechanics are just terrible, and the DB5 handles as though it is sitting on a bed of marbles. There hasn't been driving this bad since the terrible 'James Bond Racing' for the PS a few years back (where the DB5 found it hard to out-race fork-lift trucks). Playing these levels, you wonder whether the play testers even tried them.

Finally, the oddest thing is the voice acting. Connery sounds fine as Bond, but the voice is clearly forty years older than the character on the screen, which just makes it very strange indeed to listen to.

This is a good game, but I reckon I'll be dusting down the N64 at the weekend for a nostalgic GoldenEye thrash.

James Bond: From Russia With Love (GameCube)., 01 Jan 2006
i have all the bond games from n64 goldeneye upwards and this is the best yet.
anyone that likes bond will love this, a must have game

Mixed opinions, 26 Oct 2008
My 7 year old daughter has just got into Harry Potter and thinks this game is brilliant. The graphics and game environment are well designed and look pretty good, the storyline of the game is fairly close to the book/film and it does capture the essence of Harry Potter.

On the other hand it's not one for serious gamers as it's too short, the game area is quite small and it's far too easy.

The controls are pretty awful too, which is not really a problem when exploring Hogwarts or walking between challenges/lessons however it becomes really annoying during the challenges.

There's major problems with the camera angle during these challenges especially when jumping between ledges. Often when you're near a wall it's impossible to spin the camera angle round behind Harry in order to line up your jump or it suddenly spins off to the side mid jump causing you to fall off.

When fighting enemies, pressing the R which is supposed to lock onto a traget works very badly indeed. Often when an enemy is standing right in front of you and attacking you and for some reason it simply won't lock onto it, or it targets a mushroom in the distance. Meanwhile you're getting a pummeling and can't do anything to retaliate.

The Quidditch matches are also pretty rubbish. Even my daughter found this part of the game boring. But guess that's JK Rowlings fault for devising a thouroughly pointless concept of a sport.

Would recommend this for young children who are already into Harry Potter, otherwise don't bother with it.

Great fun, but blink and you'll miss it..., 25 Aug 2008
On the upside, this is great fun, the levels aren't too challenging but require a certain element of skill, the grounds are very explorable and the side quests and items to collect will keep you very much entertained.

On the downside, the similarities to the book or film are tangeable, the graphics aren't groundbreaking (particularly now) and it is much, much too short.

Overall, if you are a Harry Potter fan, enjoy games which you can complete in a relatively short space of time without too much frustration and can pick this up cheap, then go for it. Otherwise, this game is not for you.

Great Wee Game, 07 Feb 2005
Good fun, light, a bit short but fun! I like the fact that you are able to explore the castle, you are not restricted to do the task set, you can wonder around. Not great if your up for a challenge.

Short but fun!, 09 Jan 2004
I didn't have high hopes for this game - in my experience, games based on films are usually dreadful but i actually found this quite fun! The graphics are good and the gameplay (although not hard) kept me entertained! It is however, really short and takes hardly any time at all to complete. This aside, the only thing which really annoyed me where the repeated phrases from the people you talk to....next time try getting a few more voice overs! Anyway, its a fun game for potter and non-potter fans alike!

Harry Potter lol, 11 Sep 2003
I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this game is great. It has some very nice ideas which work really well. The only downside is that the game is VERY VERY short and also quite easy. You could complete the game in a few days if u played it a lot.

it's pretty good, 08 Aug 2007
I got 2005 about 2 months after it came out (iv only ever had fifa once before... and that was 98!). I was impressed until i tried to go on career mode and it wouldn't save because my memory card was too small. So I went out and got a bigger one which cost me quite a bit. When I finally was able to go on career I found it pretty good (apart from the stupid points instead of maney). There's a good create player mode but I missed the create team mode that was in the 98 version. The controls are easy to use and I love the skills you can do using the c-stick, but I can't seem to make players run diagonaly! Oh and as usual the songs are really cheesey! But overall I think it's good and i'm still playing it in 2007!

Far Too Easy, 30 Nov 2006
This game could've been so much more, and so much better. Career mode is alright, but the money is just stupid. I went Hearts and sold a few of their better players, and was able to buy players such as Fernando Torres and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Also, the gameplay.. it's far too easy. You score too many goals so it isn't very realistic. Even on the hardest difficulty I can still score 7 or 8 goals in a 12 minute match.
The graphics aren't that great either. Most of the players look the same. Personally I only bother with the players that actually look like themselves.
The Create A Player feature is terrible. Theres not enough hairstyles to choose from, and there isn't much else to do to customise your players, apart from giving them a broken nose or a funny shaped ear.

Good, but you need a new memory card., 05 Dec 2005
I was really looking forward to fifa 2005, being a fan of the series, so as soon as it did, I immediately snatched it up. I wasn't disapointed. The first touch control with the C-stick is genius. If you get it right, you can split the defense right open. If you get it wrong, the defender takes the ball straight away from you. The only downside is this:

IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR MEMORY!!!

I had to go and buy a new memory card, as where other games take 5-10 blocks, mine has used about 200 so far.

OVERALL

A great game, but you might need a new memory card once you get started.

Good game, but frustrating., 01 Sep 2005
The other reviews are right about a lot of things. The one thing I want to add is that if you haven't been playing FIFA for years, scoring goals is very, very hard. With the aiming control, it's much easier to shoot 10 yards wide than to actually make the keeper come up with a save. The ability to subtly shift the shot to the corners of the net like you could do circa FIFA 2000 is either not there, or so much harder to do that I still can't after 30 games.

I'm about ready to trade the game in. I buy soccer games to put the ball in the back of the net, not to pray I get enough direct kicks within 20 yards to pull off a 1-0 victory or a 1-1 draw.

good but lots of room for improvement, 02 Jun 2005
This is a good game and it is better than fifa 2004 which was too slow but it does have lots of bad things about it. 1 for international games there are not enough teams and they have left out good teams like senegal and holland. 2 set pieces arn't varied enough and they are pretty predictable and it is too easy too score from free kicks. Also you can't take short corners or free kicks. 3 players in lower division clubs look the same and look nothing like they should eg Denis Wise has really short blond hair. 4 there is no world cup or european cup. 5 in tournement mode when you play a league there are no fixture lists so you don't know who you are playing next. 6 the commatry is awful, sometimes a player misses from 40 yards and the commentator says the player should have scored. also sometimes it says a player has a hatrick or someone has been sent off when they haven't. other than that it is a good game but still not as good as PES

Nhl 2003, 23 Dec 2003
The game is the greatest ive ever played , it has great graphics and is fun 4 all ages. I like this game because my brother and i both play the sport 4 the isle of wight wightlink thunder. I would advise anyone to buy this game!!!

NHL 2003, 20 Nov 2002
There really isn't that much extra added from NHL 2002. If you can't afford NHL 2003, then go for the cheaper NHL 2002. What you do get in this version is smoother graphics and a new feature that let's you slow down time when the crowd are happy with your team's perfomance. But it has also lost some good features, like you can't have Shootout mode any more, so if you like shootouts, you have to do a full match and deliberatly tie. Also, about half of what the commentators say have been lifted from NHL 2002. Definately worth the money if you're an Ice Hockey fan, even if you've got the last version.

ultimate hockey, 07 Nov 2002
E.A sports are known for thier great sports sims and NHL 2003 is no exeption.Watch in glory as you deke your way through the defensive line and sloting the puck through the five hole of the opposing goaltender.NHL 2003 is the most solid ice hockey sim availible at the moment.Although it does not differ too much from previous nhl instalments by E.A sports it is a hockey fans dream.Smooth and fast gameplay makes this much more enjoyable than the NHL hitz series and it has all the players on the ice aswell rather then a three on three arcade sim this is the serious option for hardcore hockey fans.Not without its faults but is a superb hockey game and i would recomend it for every one looking for an enjoyable fast paced sports game.

good game, 15 Dec 2004
The new Tiger woods game is a good game. It has good graphics, good gameplay, good lastability, and a great range of things to buy. However, for all you keen golfers and fans of the PGA tour series will not be as impressed as the game is very similar to last years game. The only real difference is the Legends Tour, which is good, but is very similar to the World Tour of last years game.
In conclusion, this is a good game, and I would encourage anyone who likes golf to buy the game.

Graphics = 10
Lastibility = 9
Options = 9
Value for money = 9

Total = 37/40

The Best Golf game ever !!!, 08 Dec 2004
Quite simply this is the best golf game ever made. The graphics, sound and gameplay are all spot on. Another reviewer mentioned the constant swapping of discs, you do have to change discs occasionaly, but not that often !!!
This game is easy enough for novices to go under par and think they've cracked it, but just like in real golf, when the wind and rain start and your playing off the expert tees to the expert tee position, you will need to bring your "A" game !!!!
BUY THIS GAME NOW !!!

Finally, 30 Oct 2004
This is one of the greatest games ever, and I have been playing consolgames since 1979.
There is a couple of new courses to master, and the chance to play all of the game in Tourmode really puts a new challenge to this game. But after I finished the Legend Tour I was already on top of everything, thats a bit