PS2 (also PSP, GC); £29.99; Sega;

www.supermonkeyballadventure.com

By George Wright

ROLL UP, roll up, it’s time for more madcap monkey mayhem as another old favourite gets the makeover treatment.

The cheeky little monkeys are back for a tale packed with enough platforming fun and games to keep all the family amused over the school holidays.

Along with updated graphics and new Monkey Ball abilities, Sega has also kept in touch with the games of old, having mixed original puzzles and mini-games into the new recipe.

The new menu works well and provides a yummy mix of quests, spells and challenges throughout five, fun-filled Monkey Ball Kingdoms — Jungle Island, Zootopia, Kongri-La, Moonhaven and Monkitropolis.

The game revolves around these troubled kingdoms, where unhappiness abounds due to the dastardly deeds of the Naysayers, a sad bunch of nasties hellbent on making monkey world a miserable place to inhabit.

However, there’s light at the end of the tunnel in the form of lovebirds Princess Deedee, from Monkitropolis, and Prince Abeabe, from Kongri-La.

These new characters are fed up of being kept apart because of the bad feeling between kingdoms and take it upon themselves to play peacemakers so they can marry and live happily ever after.

Sounds simple, but nothing is straightforward in monkey world and they have to crack all sorts of problems and puzzles as they set about bringing joy back to the islands.

They elope to Jungle Island where they call up the help of a host of characters from the original games.

Along the way you’ll use spell casting abilities and powers to morph your monkey ball into a block of wood to float and suction cups to climb walls, as well as to make you go invisible and summon up tricks aplenty to slip past any sticky spots you may encounter.

The controls are straightforward enough to pick up and play away to your heart’s content in any of the game’s three modes — Story, Challenge and Party — meeting and interacting with 60 characters throughout the adventure.

The game can be played on your own or in multi-player modes with up to three pals, battling it out turn-based style or in split-screen mode as you swing into action with your hard-earned bananas to unlock games such as Monkey Bounce, Monkey Tag and Monkey Cannon.

Adding another plus is the ability to transfer saves between PS2 and PSP.

VERDICT: Plenty of monkey business to keeps bored kids occupied.

Apple, £529, www.apple.com

By Derek Uchman

When Apple announced it was going to be using Intel processors for their new range of Macs, it marked the end of an era. For years, Apple and Microsoft had been sworn enemies, now their machines are virtually identical.

Not only that, but Apple was actually encouraging folk to put Windows XP on their machines. Weird. It even released a free piece of software, called Boot Camp, to make the process as easy as poss (although you do need to buy your own copy of XP).

But why would you want both operating systems? Well, die-hard Mac fans will now have access to thousands of pieces of software (and gadgets) that were incompatible, while keeping the stability of their beloved machines. In theory, they should have best of both worlds.

We at Activate couldn’t resist the temptation and we thought we’d give it bash on a Mac mini.

Actually, Boot Camp makes the whole process very straightforward, and there were only two hiccups (we needed to upgrade the Mac’s firmware despite it telling us it was up to date, and, whatever you do, don’t use an Apple keyboard). Aside, from that, it was a cinch. Very satisfying, and not at all techie.

So, there you have it. Now every time the Mac is switched on we have the choice of running Windows XP or Apple’s OS X.

Fancy playing a game on XP? Not a problem. Want to use the Mac for surfing without the fear of catching something nasty? Nae bother, sir.

As you’d expect from Apple, the Mac mini is certainly a stylish piece of kit. As well as its Intel Core Duo (1.67GHz) processor, it has an 80GB hard drive, a double-layer DVD burner and 512 MB of memory (although our review model had 1GB). Most striking of all, though, is it is virtually silent, making it ideal for use under the TV as a home entertainment computer (although the hard drive is a tad on the small side). Apple have also given you a helping hand here by supplying a remote control.

On the down side, however, it isn’t practical to try upgrading a Mac mini. Unlike your average PC, once you’ve bought a Mac mini, you’re more-or-less stuck with the specification.

But that shouldn’t worry you too much at this stage, as it certainly was more than capable of handling everything we threw at it — games, programs, DVDs music. All ran effortlessly on either operating system.

VERDICT: Not without its flaws. Nonetheless, if you want a smooth-running, discrete computer that is capable of running just about any piece of software in the land, then the Mac mini is for you.

PSP, Vivendi, £29.99

By Richard Bell

BASED on the big-budget feature film of the same name that opens in cinemas on August 4, Miami Vice takes players on a thrilling third-person action shooter as narcotic officers Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs.

The events of the game take place just before those of the film, with players having to generate the nefarious reputation necessary to infiltrate the seedy underbelly of South Beach — and ultimately bring down the organisation of an untouchable South American drug lord.

While most of the game is spent hunting down hoods on foot, there are some neat high-speed, boat-to-boat shootouts through Miami’s busy waterways.

The action is also interspersed with a fair number of mini-games, ranging from a spot of computer hacking, to selling contraband for arms.

A novel feature is the Interactive Cutscene Encounters that require players to delicately balance aggressive and passive behaviour in situations which could easily go bad. Hit the right balance and your reputation will soar. Mess up and get shot.

Gamers can choose to play as either Crockett or Tubbs, or team up wirelessly to play each mission co-operatively.

Character control is a breeze thanks to thoughtful use of the PSP’s analogue stick and buttons.

Shooting is also a doddle as a red laser sight helps you find your target. Although you start the game with a standard-issue pistol, other tastier weaponry, like shotguns and sniper rifles, are procured later to spice things up.

VERDICT: Bursting with action-packed missions and lavish locations, Miami Vice will have you gripped.