STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH: Formats: PS2, Xbox, Publisher: Lucasarts, Price: £39.99. Family friendly? 12+: UNLESS you have been living on an asteroid these past few months, you cannot fail to be aware that the sixth, and final, cinematic instalment of the Star Wars saga is now on general release.

By all accounts Revenge of the Sith - which takes place before the original Star Wars: A New Hope movie - is a far better film than either The Phantom Menace or Attack of The Clones. This bodes well for the video game because previous Star Wars movie tie-ins have been a bit ropy as well.

If Revenge of the Sith has a problem, it's the strict adherence to the movie's plot that has been forced upon it. Fans wouldn't have it any other way but casual gamers will feel constrained by the slavish attention to a story that is drawn from another medium.

Early levels pit your character (Anakin or Obi-Wan) against waves of baddies (usually druids); the only pause in the light sabre action comes when you come across a particularly credulous puzzle that requires the use of the "Force" to solve.

The battles require more than random button bashing - you have to time your attacks and think them through carefully in order to maximise the damage they do. This could prove a nightmare for the rabid Star Wars fan not used to playing video games who bought this software on the basis of the subject. From the very first fight, the difficulty is ramped right up. Without some serious thought, further progress could be halted after just a handful of levels.

There are compensations for the sometimes-halting progress and many frustrations thrown in your path. For starters, it looks and sounds absolutely fabulous. The famous John Williams Star Wars theme pounds away in full multi-speaker surround, the sound effects flash around your room and the visuals are about as good as it is possible to get on today's console hardware.

As an interactive souvenir of the film, Revenge of the Sith pushes all the right buttons. It looks like the movie, follows the plot and lets you take part in some of the major set pieces.

For Star Wars fans that will be recommendation enough. For video game lovers it may make up for some of the more obvious gameplay deficiencies elsewhere.

PIPPA FUNNELL: THE STUD FARM INHERITANCE: Format: PC CD Rom, Publisher: Ubisoft. Price: £25

LITTLE girls generally have no time for video games. My seven-year-old niece Claudia thinks her older brother Thomas's interest in his PS2 is distinctly boring. She'd much rather be riding her pony instead.

Pippa Funnell is a brave attempt to change that attitude but I remain to be convinced that it has all the ingredients to really make a youngster give up on the real thing.

Part horse riding game, part management simulation, it certainly throws lots of choice into the mix - there's a whole stable-full of horses to look after and ride.

The graphics look nice and the actual sports side of the game is good fun when you actually get to compete on your favourite nag. There's also a serious educational message about looking after animals that's successfully buried just beneath the surface and of which every parent will approve.

If she could be bothered to load it up on her PC, I reckon Claudia would find Pippa Funnell a bit of a blast for half an hour, but it wouldn't prove diverting enough to make her give up on the real thing.

Of course, little girls who aren't lucky enough to own a real pony may well find this game a virtual dream come true. And for pestered parents, twenty-five quid is a whole heck of a lot less to pay for equine peace and quiet.

Published: 27/05/2005