GEX 3D: Enter The Gecko
Sony PlayStation £39.99
The first encounter we had with this little lizard was on the Panasonic 3DO and the witty TV-loving star is back - albeit a little against his will and now with a distinctly British accent. Here, Gex's mission is to get rid of his old enemy Rez, who is after control of the world's TV channels again, and bury his body in the Blue Peter garden.
Gex 3D is a world away from the original - it is a 3D game, after all. This means you have complete freedom of movement and the multiple camera angles mean you can view the action from almost anywhere. While Gex is up to all his old tricks, including cracking his tail, tongue grabbing and climbing up walls while executing his famous one-liners, he now sports several different disguises. These include his tux and a spacesuit.
Gex 3D is a fun game at times and has all the usual power-ups and more than 30 levels designed as parodies of TV and film. This provides reasonable entertainment but sadly, reasonable isn't good enough when the competition is so fierce. Nonetheless, it is nice to see the little guy back. Graphics: 80% Gameplay:
Formula 1 97
PC CD-ROM minimum system requirements: P133mhz; 16MB RAM; Windows 95; dual speed CD-ROM drive; 3D-accelerator card. £34.99
Things might never be the same. The PC pit-lane now has two contenders for the Formula One title. Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 2 has had it all its own way for a long time now. But the specifications required for GP2 pale in comparison to the monstrous PC that Formula 1 97 requires.
Of course at the time GP2 required what was then the hottest machine around but, just like the sport itself, these games have to be right at the cutting edge of technology. With that in mind, the minimum spec requires a P133 but to do the game any justice at all you'll need far more horsepower.
If you do have the power required (P266 with 64MB RAM) then Formula 1 97 will harness it for you. The graphics, as one would expect, are superb and with dynamic weather effects and commentary from the mercurial Murray Walker and Martin Brundle certainly make this a Formula 1 lover's dream.
Unfortunately Formula 1 97, as the name suggests, is based on last year's season and thus Damon Hill is at the cockpit of an Arrows and Alexander Wurz is nowhere to be seen. This, however, doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. One major plus is that you don't have to look at those hideous new "wings" sported by some of the teams this season.
If you are a fan of Formula One this is an absolute must and even if you just fancy doing a few quick laps you will marvel at the attention to detail. GP2 is still a great game but Formula 1 97 has taken over at pole position.
Graphics: 94%
Sound: 90%
Gameplay:
Game cheats
Indy 500 Sony PlayStation
To get the Drag Racing course, select Indy 500 and move the cursor over Qualify. Now hold: L1, L2, R1, R2 and Start. To do this in two-player mode do the same as above at the handicap screen.
Top 10 games
This week's 10 top-selling Sony PlayStation games at Virgin Megastore are:
1 Grand Theft Auto - £44.99
2 FIFA 98: Road To The World Cup - 39.99
3 Star Wars: Masters Of Teras Kasi - 99
4 Tomb Raider 2 - £44.99
5 Time Crisis + Guncom - £59.99
6 Gex 3D - £39.99
7 TOCA Touring Car Championship - £44.99
8 Formula 1 97 - £39.99
9 Bushido Blade - £34.99
10 VR Powerboat Racing - £39.99