Staying on that 2D note, SNK's classic Metal Slug series has recently received the update treatment. Metal Slug X is the PlayStation version of the 2D side-on shooter. If the arcade version is anything to go by, this will be yet another of those golden Japan-only SNK titles.

Most importers are beginning to take pre-orders for the March 4 release of PlayStation2, even though the price is still unconfirmed. The software available on launch is also unconfirmed, although a few excellent titles are, with Ridge Racer V, Tekken Tag Tournament and ISS 2000 being the most notable titles.

Elsewhere, the N64 has had a rather shallow month, and it looks set to continue this way, at least until Perfect Dark, Banjo-Tooie and a few other titles arrive. In fact, Rare seem to be the only ones keeping the N64 alive at the moment. Nintendo's reliance on Pokémon is continually growing too. Fortunately for them, sales remain as high as ever. Pokémon Yellow is one of the biggest selling import titles at the moment. Announcing a firm release date for Dolphin could be Nintendo's next move, as sales of DC and PlayStation2 could leave Dolphin with only a small amount of potential customers.

The fact that the NeoGeo Pocket Color, like the Game Boy Color, is universal has paid off, at least for importers, as the release of Sonic Pocket Adventure in Japan has led to good sales. Whether buying NGP titles on import will remain as popular is doubtful.

We'll have the latest import game information again for you next month, so make sure you don't miss it.