PS2, THQ, £29.99, www.carsvideogame.com

By George Wright

THE CARS are the stars in Disney and Pixar’s latest movie and they’ve made a super-smooth jump to the games scene as well.

Many a movie tie-in title has promised much then failed to deliver — but not here. Cars revs into action right from the off and picks up where the film left off.

Humble hero Lightning McQueen makes a triumphant return to Radiator Springs after he sacrificed Piston Cup glory to help legendary racer The King over the finish line for a final bow on the big stage.

Back in the desert valley, Lightning gets into gear with a training regime that’s designed to put himself in pole position for the new racing season and you follow his progress in a story-based adventure that relives key moments from the film then follows up with Lightning’s fresh bid for Piston Cup glory.

Set in a Need for Speed type gaming environment, you’re able to roam around at will, burning rubber in races or just messing about while enjoying the scenery.

It’s an open-world driving adventure that’s oozing with all the fun of the movie and packed with more than 50 races, where you have the chance to play as many as 10 characters from the film.

There’s a host of mini-games included along the way and they add zest to the action just as you’re beginning to get weary behind the wheel.

Becoming Sheriff to catch speeders, helping Mater terrify sleeping tractors or mastering tyre changes with the help of Guido soups up the humour stakes to keep your interest, especially after you’ve been doing multiple laps of the oval NASCAR tracks.

The controls are a breeze to get used to, so your L-plates won’t be needed for long and, for youngsters, there’s a chance to play the game in an easier shortened form so they can zip through the fun with fewer pit stops to ask for help.

The developers have come up trumps with a game which seems to have something in its fuel tank for all the family as Lightning spins into two-wheel action, donuts, jumps and even backward racing.

There’s also two-player split-screen action, but it’s in story mode that the game excels.

With top-notch graphics and a soundtrack to match, along with the authentic voice talents of Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton and movie legend Paul Newman, the game motors along like greased Lightning and deserves to see a chequered flag.

VERDICT: Motoring magic. Fans of the film will love it.

PS2, Codemasters, £29.99, www.codemasters.com

By Richard Bell

IF you love dance mat games, but hate the non-negotiable list of songs to get down to, then Dance Factory is the answer to your prayers.

Out exclusively on the PS2, it is the first title in the genre that lets players stomp about to music of their own choosing.

But how, you ask? Well, after the game has loaded, it runs entirely in the PS2’s memory to free up the console’s CD player so you can pop in your favourite tunes.

Whether you cue up a classic disco track, some guitar rock, R&B or a house anthem, Dance Factory analyses your track and then choreographs bespoke steps in time to the music, from verse to chorus and back.

As well as making the moves, Dance Factory also creates animated background visuals to match the beat and style of your track to help bring your routine to life.

The title’s main game has you busting custom moves to your top tunes, all the while racking up points and unlocking additional modes, features and content.

Despite this mode’s practically unlimited potential, there are other modes to shake your thing to.

Players can work up a sweat in Fitness mode, where the more you move, the more calories you see burned on screen.

Those still with energy after that can try an album-long dancing marathon in Endurance mode, which challenges players to boogie their way through the entire play list of a CD. Here groovers have to achieve a pre-set minimum level of footwork accuracy before moving onto the next track. The game also offers the chance to be the choreographer as well as the DJ thanks to Recorder mode, where players set the dance moves for a track of their choice and Dance Factory records it. Play it back, complete with your own steps, and challenge friends to try out your funky moves.

Although this game is all about your own music, there are five decent starter tracks to get you grooving, including Don’t Cha by the Pussycat Dolls and Pon de Replay by Rihanna.

VERDICT: Fresh, funky and with moves limited only by your music collection, this one’s a must for dance mat aficionados.

SanDisk, £149.29, www.sandisk.com

By Derek Uchman

OF course, any MP3 player is going to be measured up against a certain machine by Apple, but the Sansa e270 is designed more as a competitor to the iPod’s little sister, the nano.

Both have gigabytes of flash memory (although the Sansa e270 has 6GB, with an 8GB version due soon, compared to the nano’s 4GB), both have dinky colour screens, and both are really, really teeny.

There the similarities end. For the Sansa e270 has a whole tonne of extra features, is easier to set up and use, but falls short when it comes to sound quality.

The first thing to impress is build quality. An alloy casing, assembled with screws, not clips, shows it is going to last. We’re sure it’ll take much more hammering than most of its rivals (especially the scratch-tastic nano).

The same can’t be said about the jog-wheel, though, which guides you through the menus. It has a cheap, plasticky feel, and is located slap, bang next to the arrow buttons, making it awkward to use.

As mentioned earlier, the Sansa e270 is brimming with extras, including a voice recorder, an expansion slot for microSD memory cards, and the ability to play photos AND video clips.

There is no dedicated software needed for transferring tracks from your PC to the Sansa e270. Instead, you must use Windows Media Player, which is straightforward enough — simply drag and drop, then synchonise.

VERDICT: It may not boast the best sound quality around, but the Sansa e270 is chocca with great features.