Video games: Commandos 2<br/>Scooby-Doo<br/>Football Mania

Commandos 2: Men of Courage

Commandos 2: Men of Courage

PS2 (Eidos Interactive) £39.99

The delayed sequel to one of the classiest Second World War-themed games around (Behind Enemy Lines) has landed. And for once, it was worth the wait. From the scenes filched from war films over the years, the intricate graphics and impressive animation, to the stealth, tactics and tricksy espionage of the gameplay, it's a winner. Frustratingly difficult, yes, but that's a good thing: you'll be playing it for that much longer. ****

Scooby-Doo: The Motion Picture

GBA (THQ) £29.99

Jeepers! It's another tie-in. And a pretty weak one at that, despite the rich source material of the original cartoon and movie. This is a pitiful-looking game with achingly average gameplay. You start off as either Shaggy or Scooby exploring Spooky Island to uncover clues, complete missions and, finally, unmask the baddies. The controls are fiddly and the graphics nigh impossible to make out. Scarily bad.

*

Football Mania

PS2 (EA) £39.99

There shall be no respite from football-themed games. This time, in an effort to inject something new into that traditional 11-a-side format, EA have crossed football with Lego. So it's not one to be taken terribly seriously. In Legoland, there's not a mohican in sight as your teams pelt about a variety of differently themed pitches wearing the appropriate costume. It's all faintly amusing but the game itself isn't up to much; an own goal for EA.

**