Bitz; in association with LIVERPOOL. COM.

Byline: Ewan Ross

Alien Syndrome (Sega, PSP, pounds 29.99)

WHAT makes a game worth its price?

Plain and simple - longevity. If a game can keep you interested for more than 30 hours, you can pretty much guarantee you've spent well.

Alien Syndrome has certainly made a valiant attempt at the time barrier. Following the old Amiga classic, the game is a sort of futuristic hack 'n' slash Diablo clone.

Your character - Aileen Hardy - is an Earth soldier sent out to deal with "syndrome" affairs on space stations. Her job is to go in and eliminate the source and be back in time fortea and medals.

Your task in this adventure? Shoot anything that moves; and, if it moves again, burn, electrify, irradiate or go to town on it with a big stick.

And this is where the niggle lies. Hack'n'slash RPGs can get repetitive, more so when the games' linear nature draws you into a misguided fools' errand, which just involves you trekking to point A, shooting alien B, running to point C where you face big boss D who plays basketball with your head.

Although Sega have, amazingly fora handheld, kept architecture and creatures different for every level, they seem to have failed in the first commandment of gaming: don't get boring.

Alien Syndrome does have its saving graces, though. An immense array of artwork, graphics and ideas work well to maintain interest. But it's a fettered classic, almost like giving Botticelli three crayons and telling him: 'Paint, man!' RATING: 6/10 - Alien dimmed roam

Stuntman Ignition (THQ, Xbox 360, pounds 49.99)

PERFECTION has its own reward and for a stunt driver it's usually the difference between a pocketful of cash or turning a car into a horseshoe around a lamppost.

Stuntman Ignition is a revamp of the PlayStation classic which involves skilful manoeuvres for movie action scenes.

Jump, skid and slide through each set as the director shouts instructions.

Stuntman is similar to Driver - huge sets, obstacles like jumps, collapsing chimneys, trucks and a game of chicken with a train lie in your path.

Ignition is a great game but similar to the first Tony Hawks skateboarding game. Perfection is asked for and the tasks are by no means easy.

But the adrenaline rush when you complete a manoeuvre is what makes this title so appealing. The game also has a replay function so you can wallow in your motorised crapulence later. RATING: 7/10 - Stunted growth

Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter's Battle (Koei, DS, pounds 29.99)

THERE are games which never lose their appeal and waging a one-man waragainst stupendous odds in ancient Japan is a born seller.

But there are also games which have a minimum requirement and for a handheld console with as many limitations as the Nintendo DS has, it can be difficult to mimic the magic of the big games.

Dynasty Warriors DS suffers from this in that you know the potential is there, but the console doesn't have the power for such a game. It's like Michael Schumacher driving a Hillman Imp.

The game follows the ethos of Dynasty Warriors' past incarnations on PS2 and XBox - placing your hero on the battlefield to turn the tide of war.

OK, it's not a graphically brilliant game and the strategy element is about as useful as a custard lighthouse. But there is a multiplayer function and an addictive trumps style card game included.

But a word of warning - if you've played DW on one of the heavyweight consoles, the words Hillman Imp and Schumacher may come to mind. RATING: 5/10 - Small appeal