Virtua Fighter 4. Platform: PS2. Publisher: SCEE. Price: £39.99.

VIRTUA Fighter 4 represented the defining moment in the demise of Sega's Dreamcast console. Although the under-rated machine had been struggling, gamers held on to the notion that Sega would continue to support the platform.

But when Virtua Fighter 4 was announced, those hopes were dashed. Sega's triple A beat 'em up wasn't Dreamcast-bound. Instead, it would be a PlayStation 2 exclusive.

More than a year later, it's finally here.

Ever since it revolutionised the genre by taking beat 'em ups into full polygonal three dimensions, the Virtua Fighter series has been a premium example of the fighting game.

Only Tekken - until now the PlayStation's premium beat 'em up - could lay claim to as big a fan base.

Virtua Fighter 4 is a brand new game. It takes nothing from the previous instalment on Dreamcast and adds some interesting new features to a somewhat formulaic genre.

The first thing that hits you between the eyes are the visuals. Sega's programmers have clearly got to grips with the PS2 hardware very well indeed.

This is the first game to equal Dead or Alive 3 on the X-Box for sheer jaw-dropping graphical splendor. All the incidental effects are present and correct, the sand that kicks up on the beach, the snow prints and the rippling water. It looks fantastic.

Of course impressive visuals can so often hobble a game by slowing the frame-rate to a crawl. Slowdown would be the kiss of death for a game like Virtua Fighter which relies on speed as well as co-ordination if you are to do well.

The balletic movements of the main characters are accomplished with impeccable smoothness.

Virtua games have always been easy to pick up and play but difficult to really master.

Sega sticks with the traditional three button - punch, kick and guard - combo for the latest instalment but don't go thinking this is a simpleton's fighting game.

Ramp up the difficulty and you'll need to spend hours in training before you can progress. Combos, reversals, throws and timing are all requisite skills for the Virtua master.

The genuine three-dimensional levels also add an extra element of skill. Knowing when to side step a kick or a punch is a crucial weapon in your armoury. The correct move can turn a defensive posture into an offensive counter to win a hard-fought encounter in a split second.

This year will go down as a vintage 12 months for fingertip fighters. We've already had DOA 3 on the X-Box, weeks later Virtua Fighter 4 arrives to uphold the PS2's honour and soon we should have the most eagerly awaited title of them all, Soul Calibur 2.

Perhaps the loss of Dreamcast wasn't such a blow after all.

Batman Vengeance. Format Nintendo GameCube. Publisher: Ubi-Soft.

PlayStation 2 owners have already experienced this game. Vengeance may come on a tiny GameCube disc but the programmers have still managed to cram in all the goodies on the Sony's DVD.

You still take on an adventure spread over 19 different levels that sees the Caped Crusader battling a roster of DC Comics' greatest villains.

There's full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound for home cinema enthusiasts and the graphics look as though they have been polished up compared with the PS2 version.

On the downside, anyone who has already played Vengeance on the PS2 won't find anything different. The game also tends to rely on too much full motion video to drive the plot.

The camera could be better but generally your control over the titular character is responsive enough to make the game fun.

Good news is that the Batmobile driving level that made this game such a hoot on PS2 has made it across intact, too.

Bat fans will certainly enjoy Vengeance on the 'Cube. Casual gamers looking for an action adventure would do well to put it on their shortlist.

* IT seems incredible but it really is 40 years since Space War, generally agreed to be the first video game, blinked into existence on a black and white screen.

The first commercial game didn't arrive for another ten years but since then the industry has made incredible strides.

Today, video games are the second most popular form of entertainment in the world. Analysts reckon they will overtake movies by the middle of this decade.

Game On at London's Barbican Gallery, is the first major UK exhibition to explore the diverse future of gaming.

The exhibition examines the people and the technology that has taken over the living room.

Even better there are more than 100 playable classics for you to enjoy. Ever wondered if you would have been any good at Mortal Kombat or Space Invaders? Now you have the chance to find out for yourself.

To coincide with Game On the Barbican is also screening a season of films influenced by gaming culture including Tron, The Matrix and Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger.

Collectors will be interested in The Game On Antique Roadshow which claims to value that oxidising pile of plastic and silicon in your loft. Anyone own an MSX or a Sega Nomad? Now is your chance to find out if it is worth money. The roadshow will be held on June 19 and July 3.

The exhibition can be found at the Barbican Gallery in Silk Street, London, and runs until September 15.

Published: 24/05/2002