TAPWAVE ZODIAC, On sale: now. Price: £225: GAMING on the go used to be the sole preserve of Nintendo's Game Boy.

Pretenders like the Game Gear and the Atari Lynx promised great things but failed to set the world alight.

The Game Boy has some great games but in the increasingly sophisticated 21st century, its poor eight-bit graphics make it something of a laughing stock. Even the Game Boy Advance is starting to look a bit creaky.

Nintendo is, of course, seeking to address the demand for a truly sophisticated portable games machine itself but the first out of the blocks is newcomer Tapwave with its Zodiac.

To be honest, the Zodiac is more of a multi-media PDA than a hand-held games console (a fact that is reflected in the price) but Tapwave reckons it can run a host of interesting software for busy execs who need a bit of gaming relief.

The specifications are certainly impressive. It boasts an ATI Imageon graphics accelerator, a large 16-bit backlit colour screen, a 360 degree analogue controller, dedicated action buttons, shoulder triggers, stereo speakers and even a rumble function.

It also looks good. The body is a metal alloy that feels substantial in the hand - the Zodiac is no plastic toy.

I would have liked a proper holster rather than the leather flap that covers the screen, though. Over time, I'd be surprised if it stays the distance.

As well as playing games, the Zodiac can play music (MP3s) and even movies (in the Mpeg 4 format). It has two slots for memory expansion cards and one of ours came crammed with more than 100MB of top quality games.

Tapwave reckons hundreds of games are already in development for the Zodiac. The launch line-up certainly looks strong, with mini versions of classics such as SpyHunter and Doom II going head-to-head with purpose designed games such as Warfare, a terrific Command & Conquer clone that plays a blinder.

The graphics are certainly impressive. Put the Zodiac next to a Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo looks very shoddy indeed.

Some of the games titles need a bit of tinkering to get them up and running (I failed utterly to get Doom playing) but I guess that's a reminder that the Zodiac is a real pocket computer and not just dedicated gaming hardware.

When you're not tearing up the track, fragging the denizens of hell or building tanks to crush the bad guys, the Zodiac doubles up as a slick organiser.

All the usual Palm functions are present - task list, diary, contacts, clock and calculator - plus some extra software that enables users to open and edit Word, Excel and even Powerpoint presentations.

You can even link your Zodiac to a mobile phone for some online action.

The price of the Tapwave Zodiac will probably make some gamers think twice before they invest, but the point of such a device is to replace several pieces of equipment. With a Zodiac in your jacket pocket, you can bin the diary, the tape recorder, the music player, the portable DVD and, of course, the Game Boy.

And with Christmas on the way, what better occupation could there be than playing Doom as everyone else endures yet another Queen's speech?

TOCA RACE, DRIVER 2 : Publisher: Codemasters, Price: £39.99, Format: PS2, Xbox. Out now. Family friendly? For gamers who are 12 years and over.

LONG before Gran Turismo, TOCA was the most sophisticated driving simulator available to fans of the PlayStation.

Not content just to make the game more and more difficult, Codemasters gave the franchise a good shake and created TOCA Race Driver - an action adventure that tied all the racing together with a neat narrative.

Starting as a promising unknown, your character has to work his way up through the ranks to become a full-blown racing VIP, complete with PR manager and a TV crew filming your every move.

Along the way, you'll get to drive a huge range of cars including Land Rovers, Aston Martins, Formula Fords and even monster trucks! There's far more to TOCA 2 than mere touring cars, you see.

The sheer variety of vehicles on offer makes the game more exciting because you just never know what's over the horizon. The temptation to have "just one more go" is strong with this title.

The downside is the lack of depth. Sometimes I felt as though I needed more time to perfect my technique in certain classes but the game insisted I tried something else instead. The rally section, for instance, is nothing more than Colin McRae-lite (although it does rather conveniently act as the perfect trailer for Codemasters' other big driving franchise).

Unlike Gran Turismo, when you muck up a race, your car reflects your mistakes. Panels are dented, engines blow and even the wheels come off.

Even better, the online option gives you the chance to set up a race with real competitors, not just those created by the game itself.

Published: 19/11/2004