The Video Game Enhancer (VGE) from Nuwave has been designed to help the avid gamer see the whole picture when playing on a television screen.

It enhances colours, brightness and sharpness of games and can be fitted to all console types, including new platforms, such as PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox.

The puff on the box points out "you can't defeat what you can't see" and the brighter picture does make the screen clearer.

It gives less opportunity for unexpected attack from an enemy which has appeared on the edges where the image is usually more dim than the central area of game play.

There have been many times when I have suddenly lost after an hour's play because of a monster lurking unseen in the shadows rather than a lapse in concentration.

The VGE gave me more visual information to avoid this frustrating outcome.

It is a compact black box which plugs in between the console and the television. It takes only seconds to set up but can take some time to adjust the manual control to get the best result for the game being played.

I tried the VGE with a range of games and found most pictures were greatly improved when the box was in use.

It does not suit all genres, as some games are designed to have a gloomy atmosphere which a dark background provides. If you are in the throes of waging battle in MediEvil, a colourful screen will not give the right feel.

The price of the VGE is the same as an average game and may deter all but the more serious players. But the idea is an original way to tackle an age-old gaming problem and, for those not bothered about the growing collection of techno-junk in the modern home, it is a nifty addition to games package.

Price: £39.99.

Contact: www.nuwaveinc.com
Rating: 7 out of 10.