This compilation from Atari contains eight games from the company's back catalogue. The title sort of gives you the impression that they're the best of 2006's line-up, but that isn't the case. To be fair, the majority are pretty recent releases, but a quarter of the package is vintage by nature. As to the matter of whether they're hits or not, we'll be the judge of that. Let's start with the highlights of the package.

GTR (from 2005) might have been superceded by its superb sequel, but if you don't own either of these painstakingly modelled racing simulations, this is a prime chance to take some supercars out onto the track. Graphically it's still excellent and the attention to detail is impressive. Every element of a full race weekend is incorporated and the computer drivers behave very realistically. The only downside is that the cars are genuinely demanding to drive, which won't be everybody's can of petrol.

If you missed Fahrenheit (2005) then you might consider buying this pack on the strength of this adventure alone. Its gritty and adult storyline grabs you from the very start, and this movie-style thriller has a number of inventive action-based mini-games thrown in. There are lots of other interesting touches too, such as conversation options which have to be picked against a timer so you're under pressure to think on your feet, as you would be in real life. The 3D camera can be annoying at times, but this is a highly atmospheric and innovative effort, without a doubt.

Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 (2004) is another game with more ups than downs. Designing and building your own 'coasters is both challenging and just plain fun, particularly as the third installment of the series introduces some lush 3D graphics (the parks look particularly stunning when illuminated at night). You can even ride your rollercoasters in first-person for a virtual gut-churning experience. Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 still holds up well. It's a thoroughly enjoyable management sim.

Like GTR, NeverWinter Nights (2002) has been recently eclipsed by its sequel. But even though it's now a little lengthy in the tooth, this Dungeons & Dragons RPG is still impressive. With a slick interface, an epic plot-line and a huge dollop of quests, it'll keep adventuring types from falling prey to sleep spells until the early hours. And the multiplayer community is still going today, with extra content available via downloading official and unofficial modules.

Boiling Point (2005) is a shooter set in a vast, open-ended world. It boasts an intriguing plot and a staggering range of options: the player can get a job, earn money, buy a car or even steal one (there are tons of different driveable vehicles). The large world can feel a bit empty at times, however, and the game does suffer from numerous bugs: whatever you do, don't forget to download the latest patch, as this solves at least some of them.

The remaining three games fill the compilation out. Act of War (2005) is a solid, real-time strategy affair built very much along Command & Conquer lines, which will please those who still enjoy straightforward, old-school RTS. Desperados (2001) is a reasonable Commandos clone set in the wild west. If you're not familiar with Commandos, it's a strategic small-scale combat game, and Atari's take on it is every bit as demanding - impatient gamers beware!

Finally, Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (2006) challenges you to become a graffiti artist and it includes beat-'em-up and platforming elements. It's an interesting idea, but the control scheme is rather weak.

Priced at only slightly more than your average game, Atari Hits 2006 represents excellent value for money. There are some great games here backed up with some solid efforts, but as with all compilations, if you already own the majority of the titles then obviously it's not such a tempting proposition.

This is a good example of how to put together a compilation pack. There are a couple of fillers, but the majority of these games are still well worth playing. If you've missed out on some of these gems, there's no excuse to go without any longer.