THE BIGGEST problem for the PlayStation 2 owner at the moment is finding something decent to play on it.

Gamers looking for something beyond the usual glut of sequels to PSOne material are desperate. Even the Dreamcast had a more innovative line-up of titles at launch.

The dearth of original software has led to some creative thinking.

Datel, the UK-based company famous for its range of cheat cartridges, has launched the Game Studio which is a fully featured Game Boy emulator for the Sony machine.

Once you've booted up your Game Studio software, simply plug the specially designed GamePort into the memory card of your PS2 console.

Insert any Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge, and you can instantly play it in full colour with authentic GB bleeps and squeaks on your TV. Even better, Game Studio takes advantage of the PS2's bi-linear filtering (a fancy graphical trick not open to the GB's humble Z80 processor) to display your Game Boy games in hi-resolution, with smoother edges and graded colours.

Of course, that doesn't mean Legend of Zelda will suddenly start to look like Zone of the Enders, but it does make playing a game intended for the GB's tiny screen a lot more palatable when it is blown up to 22 inches.

If you have a GB already then that's fine. If not, Datel has included eight full commercial Game Boy Color games: Space Invasion, Karate Joe, Painter, ATV Racing, Full Time, Hang Time, Pocket Smash Out and Race Time.

They may not be the last word in the GB archives, but they would cost almost £100 to buy in the shops.

What's more, the Game Studio isn't limited to playing these titles on the PS2.

With Game Studio's "Games To Go" feature, you can download any of your free games onto a special cartridge Datel has provided, at the click of a button. Simply clip the cartridge into your Game Boy Color and play your Game Studio games wherever you go.

The "Games To Go" cartridge is fully re-programmable, so you can re-use it thousands of times.

Not surprisingly, the Game Studio also comes with its own version of the Datel Action Replay system for GB.

It's packed with thousands of the coolest codes to blast your Game Boy games wide open. Infinite lives, extra energy, super strength and more - they're all yours when you click on Game Studio's Action Replay button.

It's also a great way to keep the kids quiet. Game Studio opens up the world of Pokemon on the PS2.

Game Studio's Action Replay cheat codes work on your entire Game Boy game collection including Pokemon Red, Blue, Gold, Silver, Pinball and Trading Card Game.

Even better, Game Studio supports full Rumble Pak emulation and will make your PS2 Dual Shock 2 controller rumble for any Game Boy title that enables this feature, including the latest titles, such as Perfect Dark.

We've had GB emulators before (indeed you can download a free one for the Dreamcast) but none of them have boasted such a wide array of features. The ability to download games onto a re-programmable card is also a novelty that marks Game Studio out as a gadget to watch.

* Game Studio is out now priced £39.99.