Peggle

How did I get addicted to this? The graphics are utter plop; they look like a VGA DOS game circa 1994!

Because it's bloody good; fiendish yet simple to control!

Peggle Extreme, a cut down, half-life themed (e.g. the unicorn character has a headcrab covering its face) version of the game was given to people who pre-ordered Valve's Orange Box (Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal) via their Steam distribution system.

I had a lot of fun with this and as the pre-order also came with an offer of $10+tax for the full Deluxe version, I decided to take them up on this offer.

I installed it, opened it and suddenly it was 3 hours later and way past my bedtime.

I'm actually more interested in playing this, when I get home, than Portal and Half-Life 2: Episode 2! Though I'll try and resist this urge and at least give these games a chance.

There are online playable, downloadable demo and purchasable (about £15) full non-steam versions at http://www.popcap.com/peggle - highly recommended.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

A rather fun follow up game to both the freebie Return To Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and the Quake series which dropped through my letterbox on Saturday.

I'd downloaded the demo version a couple of weeks previously and even though it had the same mission over and over it looked promising enough for me to shell out a mere £18 on it.

I have a tendency to play the infiltrator classes for both the human GDF and the alien Strogg forces, with a leaning more towards the Stroggs. This class can choose as a main weapon long distance scoped weapons in addition to their spy drones with explosives in them and their ability to steal the identity of a fallen enemy which can then be used to sneak up to a unsuspecting player and stab/shoot them in the back.

People can see how awful I am at it here

I'm just glad it doesn't list the amount of times I've accidentally killed members of my own side including a medic that had just revived me!