Games: Disney's Treasure Planet; Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction

Disney's Treasure Planet, Ubi Soft (GBA) £29.99

This joy of a game gets full value out of the GBA, and should join the small but growing list of must-have titles for Nintendo's little machine. The film, released last week, is Disney's attempt to set Treasure Island in a sort of manga-based futuristic environment. Naturally, this converts brilliantly to a game format, and Ubi has made it into a 3D adventure. The limits on the processing hardware mean that the scenes are played from a half-angled top-down view: rather like the new Harry Potter game, but much better.

The characters move around and interact with surprising fluidity, and the story progresses at a pleasing pace. The sounds are nothing to shout about, but you can forgive a lot of that because the gameplay is so absorbing.

****

Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction, Ubi Soft (PS2) £39.99

There are times when you just want to put your head in your hands and weep. Three minutes into playing Monster Jam is one of them. The premise – a glorified destruction derby using monster trucks – is not a bad one. The trucks, with their big wheels and floppy suspension should make a pleasant change from sports cars and motorbikes. The controls are easy to get the hang of, but the game is pretty much downhill from there. The trouble is that the game doesn't allow you to enjoy the assets it has. The graphics and animation are very good and the 3D effects are handled smoothly. But just when you want to take a few seconds to try a new move, the computer-controlled trucks wallop you and it's game over. Music is the usual heavy metal fare and all feels like a good opportunity wasted.

*