Gizmondo: Games

All in all, there are lots of good things to be said for the Gizmondo. We like being able to play games, watch movies and listen to music on one device, and it's great that you can switch between them without even having to change SD cards. The camera works well, too, and we're excited about the prospect of augmented reality games.

The unreliability of the GPS in our unit is a big let-down, however, as is the fact that it only works outdoors (not the fault of Gizmondo, admittedly). We're promised that future titles, such as third-person gangbanger Colors, will incorporate GPS into gameplay - but we don't fancy having to go outside or hang out the window to make it work, to be honest.

There are other elements that need to be sorted out, too - Smart Adds (call the spelling cops, someone), email, and most importantly, a wide catalogue of games that includes plenty of killer apps. The deal with Microsoft to license its back catalogue could spring some surprises; imagine a handheld Halo?

If the people behind the Gizmondo can deliver all that, it'll turn into a great little machine that's well worth the money. At present, it's excellent if you want a handheld that offers all kinds of entertainment in a nicely portable package - but if it's gaming and gaming alone you're after, you might want to hold off and see what other titles pop up in the next few months.