Virtua Striker 2 - Sega Dreamcast

With Pre-match options slashed, this game is not about what choices to make before the game, but actually just about having a kick around in the park.

But what if you're worried that the game only has one element? Then you shouldn't be with tournament and league options as well as an International cup stage; these will allow you to have cards, half time and offside rules back into the game, although it's too easy to get sent off for a tackle from behind.

Graphically, the game has the standard Dreamcast gleam with the crowd in the stadiums eagerly bobbing up and down and occasionally showing you the Mexican wave. And although the team's jerseys don't have names on them, the individual players strike a resemblance to current teams.

Virtua Striker 2 is a game that not only looks good, but also plays well. At times the lack of control options found in the likes of Fifa 2000 can get frustrating and the game boils down to a cross and shoot tactic, but what you have is a game that doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. Easy to pick up and difficult to put down, this is a player's game rather than a planner's one. --Stuart Miles