Sonic Rush Adventure (Sega)

Sonic is no good in 3D. It's a sad fact that many fans of the spiky one have had to come to terms with over the last few years. Now, Sega have removed that pesky extra dimension and Sonic is back doing what he does best in this great sequel.

Stranded at sea Sonic runs at breakneck speed over several themed islands in search of materials to make a boat home, corkscrewing, loop de looping and grinding rails along the way. The speed is impressive, the music, graphics and story are ace and even the 3D boating sections are a nifty little feature.

Back on form and sans extremely annoying sidekicks (although one new, not so bad character joins the cast) Sonic proves his worth once again in this fun and engaging title that, while not offering much in the way of innovation, serves up enough old-skool platforming to delight newcomers and veterans alike. (Dave Cook)