HARRY POTTER: QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Formats: PC, PS2. Price: £39.99 THIS Christmas, two great licences will fight for gaming supremacy.

Even the mighty FIFA 2004 will have to give way as Harry Potter goes head-to-head with Pop Idol for dominance beneath the tree on December 25.

Pop Idol the game left me pleasantly surprised by its playability and high fun factor. Can the boy wizard's latest electronic adventure do better?

Quidditch - the broomstick borne football/hockey match played by pupils at Hogwarts - seems like a natural choice for video game conversion. It's fast, simple to play and offers a decent challenge.

For the uninitiated, quidditch involves two teams of seven players who fly on broomsticks, playing four balls simultaneously.

Players can control their team, including three Chasers who try to score with the Quaffle, two Beaters who control the dangerous Bludgers, the Keeper who protects the goal, and the Seeker who chases the elusive Golden Snitch that must be caught to end the match.

Starting with any one of the four Hogwarts House teams - including Harry Potter's Gryffindor - your introduction to the game is a gentle learning curve, with five original challenges and the Hogwarts House Cup competition held in the grounds of the school of witchcraft and wizardry (aka Alnwick Castle).

Once completed, players can enter the international World Cup tournament, choosing from a range of international teams including the US, Bulgaria featuring Viktor Krum, the hard-hitting Nordics, England, Japan, Germany, France, and Australia.

Each national team sports its own quidditch gear and has a unique stadium environment and different strengths that lend depth and strategy, especially when two gamers go head to head for the first ever Harry Potter multiplayer competition.

The Hogwarts challenges are relatively easy. Potter fans already familiar with the rules of quidditch will romp through them in no time but the cup competition offers more of a test. Don't worry though, as EA has thoughtfully provided four levels of difficulty so you can tweak the software to your personal preference.

EA has also given each character special moves and combos to help shake up the gameplay. They certainly add variety to the mix and extend the life of the game for fans who want to find every possible combination.

As you'd expect of an EA game, the production values are top notch. There is an excellent opening sequence that sets the tone and the graphics standards are of a high order. The cut scenes after a special move are satisfying and guaranteed to make you sit back in admiration the first time you see them. Don't sit back too long though, as the action resumes moments later.

Potter fanatics will also see rather a lot of these cut scenes as they become more proficient but that can't be helped.

Only the commentary - the bane of so many sports games - lets the side down.

In the absence of another Potter movie this Christmas, Quidditch World Cup is the next best thing. The perfect Potter prezzie this Yuletide.

CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH. Publisher: Take 2 Interactive. Format: PS2. Price: £29.99 THE first time I stumbled across Celebrity Deathmatch, I couldn't quite believe my eyes.

Little Plasticine facsimiles of Hollywood stars like Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis knocking ten bells out of each other in a boxing ring? Who could have thought of such a bizarre show?

The trouble is, Celebrity Deathmatch is something of a one-trick pony. Once you've got over the uber-violence joke, there's not a lot more to hold your attention.

Suffice to say, the game of the show is pretty much exactly the same.

You'll have a good laugh at the famous combatants and the Mortal Kombat-style stylised deaths but there's not a lot to keep you hooked.

No beat 'em up can offer the kind of depth and playability of a Final Fantasy game but one look at a Capcom title shows what can be achieved with a bit of thought.

Parents should be aware that Celebrity Deathmatch is very firmly aimed at adults. Any doubts will soon be dispelled the first time Ron Jeremy takes to the ring - he uses a very unusual, er, "weapon" to beat his opponents senseless. As you'd expect, it's good post-pub fun for the lads but don't expect your mum/wife/girlfriend to enjoy it.

Published: 28/11/2003