Fifa 2004 was released last week (ending 25th October 2003) and the combined versions sent the title went straight to number one in the All formats chart, with its best showing on Playstation 2 (no.1 again). It only relegated Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 3 to runner-up spot, but given the mushrooming of the title since 2002 when its opening weekend saw sales of 100,000, this chart placing is as predictable as the changing of a Tory Party leader in politics. EA can sit back and wait for their next million seller to arrive without incident, and shows that press controversy over football won't dent football fandom on the terraces or the PC screen.

More interesting was Max Payne's PC version only, topping the PC Chart and selling well enough to get into the All Formats chart at number 7. No doubt this game is supported by early release of the mod tools and extra levels open to those who zipped through the rather short singleplayer campaign.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds received a high enough kick from its fans for a number 3 Debut in the Xbox chart and number 17 on all formats, while Super Mario Advance 4 on Nintendo's GBA handheld rose to the top spot in a fortnight-long climb, leapfrogging new entry Final Fantasy Tactics advance. This title made the 20th place in All Formats.

Proving that fans can give a sequel a push in spite of bugs, and helped by the free download provision of the first game, Hidden And Dangerous 2 entered the PC charts at number 3. When our review copy is delivered after postal strike action ends, we'll bring you the review. All this action meant that The Sims could only grab 10th place on PC with their newly reissued Double Deluxe pack. Price cutting helped the year-old strategy classic Medieval Total War to re-enter at number 9 after a year and ten weeks on the charts.

After three weeks of chart placings, Tomb Raider has returned to number 1 on the N-Gage, so its wireless multiplayer aspect hyped up by the ads has yet to earn itself a killer game to showcase Nokia's gaming platform yet.

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