BEYBLADES. Publisher: Atari. Format: PSOne. Price: £19.99: SOMETHING truly remarkable happened this summer.

A game released on an eight-year-old console conquered the all-format video game charts.

Despite long ago reaching the point of near obsolescence, it seems there is still a tremendously voracious market for new products compatible with the original PlayStation.

Of course, it helps if the game in question makes use of a powerful gaming licence. Beyblades utilises those Japanese battling tops that were last year's favourite toy among the under tens. Interest in the spinning tops has been kept high thanks to a modestly successful cartoon series.

Beyblades on PlayStation sees competitors doing battle in a virtual arena with their favourite toy. The character designs are based around the animated show, as are the sound effects.

Each blade is fully customisable; the player can alter up to six different attributes, a factor that makes the on-screen action more personable.

Start by pulling the ripcord on your blade then control the top as it spins into the "battle bowl". The game pad is used to change direction and special attacks can be called up at crucial moments in the fight.

There are three different ways to defeat your opponent: knock them out of the ring, beat them into submission or play cat and mouse with them until their top is exhausted and can no longer spin.

Players can enter a tournament or just boot up and have some fun in a free battle.

Go for the tournament option and you can upgrade your blade after a successful battle. Experienced bladers also accrue points that can be used to improve performance in the next round. It's hardly Gran Turismo but it adds a bit of spice to proceedings.

The graphics look a bit primitive but that's more an indicator of how much the 128-bit next generation consoles have hiked our expectations than any true reflection on Beyblades. After all, what more can you expect of a 33MHz processor and 4MB of RAM?

The in-game commentary also represents a throw-back to the days of banal drivel such as that spouted by the soundtrack to the first ISS game on the 32-bit consoles (Remember "It's off his boot," anyone?).

But let's not be too churlish about a game that will probably be one of the last big name releases on Sony's venerable little grey box. Beyblades is a fun take on the beat 'em up genre and a sure-fire hit among fans of the toys.

MIDNIGHT CLUB II. Publisher: Rockstar Games. Format:Xbox. Price: £39.99

ANOTHER game that was tremendously successful beyond these shores was the original Midnight Club. A street racing sim, that first game has sold over one million copies world-wide, a figure high enough to qualify for Sony "Greatest Hits" status.

No wonder hopes are high for the sequel, which hits the Xbox with dramatically improved graphics, higher resolution visuals and full Dolby Digital 5.1 sound effects for that authentic hot rod atmosphere.

It's all about selecting your chosen car, modding it with trick suspension, hot camshafts and nitrous oxide, then taking to the streets and doing battle with fellow racers. The aim is simple - to win. The way to do that is to learn the street circuits and make sure your car is faster than anyone else's.

This new version boasts some impressive upgrades of its own.

Rockstar Games spent two-and-a-half years working on Midnight Club II, tweaking every aspect of the original, trying to tease just a little bit more performance from each aspect.

The result is impressive eye candy for sure. Each car is meticulously modelled on the real thing and there's no slow-down, even with up to nine vehicles on screen at the same time.

There are 31 vehicles to choose from, including a trio of motorcycles.

Special moves include burnouts, slip streaming, a wheelie (bikes only), handbrake turns and nitrous oxide which dramatically boosts your top speed but only for a very short time (handy for dashes to the finish or over-taking a particularly difficult customer).

Opt for the Microsoft cut and you also get to play three mates in a split screen match-up. The game also offers Xbox online racing with voice capabilities.

For those Xbox owners who thought the Vin Diesel flick The Fast 'n The Furious was high art, this game probably represents some kind of ultimate. To the rest of us, it's a decent enough racer and among the "best in class" on Xbox, which still lacks a killer street racing application along the lines of Gran Turismo.

Published: 10/10/2003