Video Games
Tuesday 13 December, 2005

Less than 24 hours after I posted this list, Dean quite rightly pointed out that Madden NFL 2006 does deserve a 5. I've been playing this year's Madden like crazy and having as much fun with it as ever, so I re-asked myself "What is missing?". I couldn't come up with anything significant at all. It seems I'm pretty happy to hand out 4½ ratings (particularly to my Nintendo 64 games) but a bit tighter with the 5 ratings...and Madden does stand up as one of the greats. Congratulations EA Sports, despite your NFL monopoly, you've produced a truly stellar game and transformed my interest in American football into a near-obsession (I should note that the other 5-rated games produced similar obsessions: F1, NHL and Bond films).

Rough guide:
5: Absolute classic. Undisputed longevity. Can be translated as "I Heart This Game".
4½: Outstanding game. Well made, heaps of fun to play, months of entertainment. A must-play.
4: Great game. Thoroughly enjoyable experience. I clearly had fun with it.
3½: Good game. Pretty well done, but not really a classic and might best be avoided if it doesn't sound like your thing.
3: Solid game. Decent value for money, but leaves you wanting more out of the game.
2½: Flawed game. Has its moments, but generally doesn't deliver a great experience.
2: Ordinary game. Below average standard, limited gameplay.
1½: Very dodgy game. Not fun, must be avoided.
1: Appaling game. Misses the mark in all important categories of games.
½: Shocker of a "game". What were they thinking when they made this?
0: Pure vomit. Any mention of this title ignites a fit of fury towards anyone involved with it.

X-Box (Rated out of 5)

• Amped (½)
  
• Burnout 3: Takedown (4)
  
• Colin McRae Rally 3 (4½)
  
• Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball (2½)
  
• ESPN NHL Hockey 2k4 (4½)
  
• ESPN NHL Hockey 2k5 (5)
  
• F1 Career Challenge (2½)
  
• Forza Motorsport (3)
  
• Halo: Combat Evolved (4)
  
• Halo 2 (3)
  
• IndyCar Series (3)
  
• Madden NFL 2005 (4½)
  
• Madden NFL 2006 (5)
  
• Midtown Madness 3 (3½)
  
• Rallisport Challenge 2 (4½)
  
• Richard Burns Rally (3½)
  
• Ricky Ponting Cricket (4)
  
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (4½)
  
• V8 Supercars 2 (4)
  

Nintendo 64 (Rated out of 5)

• 1080 Snowboarding (4)
  
• Banjo Kazooie (4)
  
• Diddy Kong Racing (3½)
  
• F1 World Grand Prix (5)
  
• F1 World Grand Prix II (4½)
  
• FIFA 99 (4½)
  
• GoldenEye 007 (5)
  
• Mario Golf (4½)
  
• Mario Party (4½)
  
• Mario Tennis (4½)
  
• NHL 99 (4½)
  
• Space Station: Silicon Valley (3)
  
• Super Mario 64 (4½)
  
• Track and Field Summer Games (3)