Flipnic - PlayStation 2

Despite all the graphical finery Flipnic is at heart still a pinball game. There are four main themed worlds with two "tables" apiece, and on each table there are around half a dozen separate areas. You can switch between any of these areas by simply flicking your ball through a tunnel and, as long as you know the way back, you can return at any time. There are mountains of secrets to unlock that have you trying to feed monkeys, catch butterflies, shoot UFOs and much more besides. Succeed and you can usually unlock more areas--or at least rack up a huge score. As long as you accept the principle that it is still essentially "just" a pinball game, Flipnic is pretty much perfect at what it does: it's fast, funny, attractive and tons of fun. --David Jenkins