It is a remarkable achievement and a game that many will savor and struggle with for weeks and weeks.

Long ago, the galaxy had known peace. Paradise was ruled with the hand of science, and the hand was that of the galactic governing body known as the Core. Ironically, it was the Core's ultimate victory, the victory over death itself, that brought about the downfall of its paradise and started the war that would decimate a million worlds. The immortality process, known as "patterning," involved the electronic duplication of brain matrices, allowing the transfer of consciousness into durable machines. Effectively it meant immortality, and the Core decreed the process mandatory for all citizens in order to ensure their safety. However, there were many citizens unwilling to toss aside their bodies so casually, many indeed who regarded patterning as an atrocity. They fled to the outer edges of the galaxy, forming a resistance movement that became known as the Arm. War began, though it was never officially declared by either side. The Arm developed high-powered combat suits for its armies, while the Core transferred the minds of its soldiers directly into similarly deadly machines. The Core duplicated its finest warriors thousands of times over. The Arm countered with a massive cloning program. The war raged on for more than 4,000 years, consuming the resources of an entire galaxy and leaving it a scorched wasteland. [Cavedog Entertainment]

One of the most impressive games released this year in any genre.

The operative word here is cute, on the order of Fraggles, M&M spokescandies, and the language of R2D2.

There is so much to do on LEGO ISLAND: building, racing, flying, water jetting, skateboarding, and just kickin' with your friends...unless you accidentally let the Brickster out of jail. Explore. Build. Race. Chase. - Multiple levels of play: build, explore, customize, race and ultimately capture the destructive Brickster. - Meet over 35 unique, animated LEGO characters. - Customize the entire island and save it. - Explore the island through the eyes of five very different LEGO characters. - Hours of game play including over 3 hours of 3D animations and 90 minutes of original music. - Build and drive your own custom LEGO vehicles.

Experience high speed thrills as you throw a top performance turbo charged vehicle around treacherous stages. Race against the clock, or head-to-head via a modem or network. Or use the unique Phantom Race mode to race against yourself or upload and download races via the Internet. Take the challenge.

The developers of 7th Legion forgot to include something in their game: strategy.

Selected by the fickle finger of fate, Abe™, floor-waxer first class for RuptureFarms, was catapulted into a life of adventure when he overheard plans by his boss, Molluck the Glukkon™, to turn Abe and his fellow Mudokons into Tasty Treats as part of a last-ditch effort to rescue Molluck's failing meat-packing empire. During his escape from RuptureFarms, Abe received a vision from the mysterious Big Face, showing Abe that he must not only rescue his fellow Mudokons, but also protect all of Oddworld's creatures from the predatory Magog Cartel. After completing arduous Temple trials, and journeying across a wasteland with his friend Elum, Abe was granted the awesome power of the Shrykull. Returning to RuptureFarms, Abe destroyed the foul slaughterhouse, rescued his buddies, and brought down some righteous lightning on top of Molluck's pointy head.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse lurk in the shadows before you. They are Death, Pestilence, Famine, and War. They are the root of all that is evil. They are the least of your worries. The last know Serpent Rider, Eidolon, lives. As the Necromancer, the Assassin, the Crusader, or the Paladin, you must defeat the dark generals and their Hell-spawned legions before you can face the Archfiend and attempt to end his ravenous onslaught.

PC owners will find it an inherently underwhelming experience.

Starfleet Academy looks and plays no better than space combat games from two years ago.

The first erotic CD-ROM to feature high-quality graphics and gameplay! You get to expose the crime!!! Beautiful Holly Jacobson, an L.A.P.D. Detective, must go under cover to catch a serial killer who is preying on the sexy models and cover girls of L.A. Erotica Magazine. Meet the steamy erotic dancers who reveal their innermost sexual secrets to you!

There is really nothing that sets it above some of the other, more established, PC soccer offerings.

Achtung Spitfire is a wargamer's dream.

All the components for a great game are here, but it just doesn't mesh.

A wicked good time for those willing to accept a few technical problems.

In light of its boundless problems, the scarce pluses only add insult to injury

This turn-based future sport product is not a great game, but it does have unique charms.

This limited method of play is similar to first-generation real-time strategy games.

The best-looking, most engrossing flight sim this side of Longbow.

There is much to like about Entrepreneur, if you can get by the fussy interface and nebulous economics.

Imperialism succeeds in creating an engrossing simulation of naked power-mongering.

The fantasy aspect of Legends '98 extends beyond teams and scheduling and into actual gameplay.

Lose Your Marbles isn't quite up to the challenge.

A mediocre shooter with repetitive and boring action.

The two different bikes and the tracks offer enough of a variety to make it plenty challenging.

NHL Open Ice bears about as much resemblance to real hockey as tee ball does to baseball.

There are a few flies in the ointment with Terracide, the biggest being the issue of control.

Much of War Inc.'s potential goes unfulfilled because the real-time combat doesn't measure up.

Business is War... CASH IS AMMO! Blast your way through a futuristic, cut-throat world where you compete for wealth and power. In the virtual corporate universe of the not-so-distant future, competitors are deadly, and your only safety net is the Internet. Fast-forward to the year 2006. Banks and insurance companies are extinct. Your goal is simple: capture the market for your products and drive your competitors out of business by blowing them away on a virtual trading floor rendered on-the-fly in true 3-D. Based on your resources and the strengths and weaknesses of the competition, you'll make increasingly complex split-second decisions while obliterating opponents with a multitude of weapons such as Ad Blasters and Takeover Torpedoes or force an enemy to fight on your side with an Alliance Harpoon! This futuristic business environment is brought to you by Forbes, America's most respected business magazine. Stay alive long enough and you'll master real-world business concepts and strategics but don't take your finger off the trigger! DEVASTATING WEAPONS. An arsenal of futuristic cyber-weapons knock the living daylights out of your competition. NETWORK PLAY. Head-to-head over the Internet or a LAN. LIGHTNING FAST TRUE 3-D WORLDS. A transforming futuristic business area in true 3-D. REALISTIC CUT-THROAT BUSINESS TACTICS. Compete on price or quality with Price Bombs and Marketing Missiles. SOPHISTICATED BUSINESS MODEL. Based on 15 years of empirical data from an internationally recognized business simulation firm. LIVE, REAL-TIME EVENTS. Can you withstand a stock market crash, inflation, recession, and natural disasters? DOZENS OF INTELLIGENT COMPETITORS. Enemies assault you using a variety of aggressive tactics. WINDOWS 95 NATIVE. Trouble-free installation and maximum performance. COMPETE FOR PRIZES. See how you rate nationwide by submitting your high score.

If Microsoft and Pajitnov want to make us forget about Tetris, they're going to have to do a lot better than this.

You are about to embark on a new and exciting journey. One that will fill you with a sense of wonder and discovery. Light and sound will mix like a kaleidoscope to thrill you as never before. At Interplay, we believe that creating a new experience such as this requires more than just using the latest advances. Technology simply provides us with new tools to invent a product that is bigger, better and more exiting than anything we've ever done before. And the CD-ROM provides us with a larger canvas on which to create our vision. What makes this title unique is how we have used this new medium to develop an exntertaining product. Our approach is similar to an integrated Hollywood sutdio where we combine the talents of many creative individuals. Writers who put thoughts into words. Artists who give words an image. Musicians who enhance the image with sound. And programmers who magically combine technology with art to make it all a reality.

For gamers willing to tolerate substandard graphics and linear gameplay, Betrayal in Antara succeeds in providing an enjoyable role-playing experience.

The aesthetic drawbacks don't have much of an impact on Birthright's strong point: the playability

One of the most lifeless board game conversions going.

For a freshman sim effort, iF-22 is impressive.

You're more of an observer than active participant.

Warlords III is the kind of game that drives you to play through the night to the break of dawn and leaves you feeling good about it the next day.

The game moves incredibly well, and looks fantastic in the process.

XCar is a very mixed bag.

Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds is an online role-playing game that draws upon traditional Asian mythology.

Carmageddon is visceral, violent, vehicular fun.

Don't be confused. There are a lot of "virtual pet" gadgets and screen toys that claim to be the Real Thing. But only Creatures actually creates life on your PC. The Norns you hatch in Creatures are truly alive, and should be considered as small children. They come complete with their own biochemistry, brains, and digital DNA. They're friendly, curious, social, and eager to learn. But like small children, they can also get into mischief. So in order to experience life to the fullest, they need your help. Just remember, their life is in your hands.

Martians Attack! Due to their sub-terrainian habitat, the people of earth did not know of the Martian’s existence, or their unscrupulous leader, Rupert. The Martians have decided that they are tired of making crop circles and plan to attack the Earth instead. Fight your way through wave after wave of nasty Martian enemies!

Arthur is very excited to play the computer game, "Deep Dark Sea". He is enamored with its promise of sunken ships, skeletons, ghosts, and sharks. Arthur's Mom clearly states that she needs the computer today and that Arthur is not to touch it. Unable to fight temptation, when his Mom is at work, Arthur, and his friend, Buster, decide to play the game anyway. Amidst an argument with Buster, over who gets to play, they accidentally break the computer! How will Arthur fix this mess before his mom gets home?! Since it's first release in 1998, Living Books' rendition of "Arthur's Computer Adventure" has been enjoyed by countless children. Step-by-step, the reader will find the story is full of surprising encounters with many of their favorite Arthur storybook characters, providing new ways to interact with the book again and again.

This is almost the X-COM sequel that folks have been hoping for.

688(I) Hunter/Killer, the most realistic submarine simulation ever developed for PC. Master the sonar and weapons control systems, learn to develop real target situations and outfit your boat with the latest advanced weaponry. Then use your skills to complete the tour of duty and earn your dolphins to become a true submariner.

Too much attention was paid to shelf appeal and not nearly enough to actual design.

Many games from much larger companies could take a few lessons from Baseball Mogul.

BattleSport seems like a missed opportunity.

Along with the obvious comparisons to Magic: The Gathering, Chron X also combines elements of Risk, Shadowrun, and Chaos Overlords.

Serious Blood fans should consider it de rigeur to purchase this add-on.

Interplay did its best with the lemon of a game it licensed.

Dragon Lore II is about as frustrating a gaming experience as I have encountered in recent years.

A gorgeous, high-tech, lowbrow shooter.

Formula 1 sucks you in with mesmerizing graphics, holds your attention for awhile, and then becomes tedious.

Admirably re-creates the unique dynamics of ancient warfare.

It's a well-paced, pleasantly tortuous experience.

This is a first-rate product.

Meat Puppet's execution leaves boundless room for improvement.

Pacific General is a grand strategic game with a charming simplicity.

Pandemonium! really takes off in the second half.

If the higher production values and lower IQs of recent adventure titles have got you down, then belly up to the Space Bar.

It's the actual playing you want to avoid in Tony La Russa 4.

Fans of adventure games will not want to pass this one up.

WarGods fares much better as a PC game than it did amidst its quarter crunching competition.

Strap yourself in, pile on the revs and watch for the flag. You're one of motorsport's elite, facing 28 grueling stages in the world's toughest test on wheels - the Network Q RAC Rally! Rally Championship in THE definitive motorsport simulation of the decade! It's al there, from frighteningly realistic handling of six high-performance cars, to superbly textured 3D panoramic views of nearly 300 miles of roads and tracks. Driving in rain, snow and fog through both day and night, you must cope with different vehicle behavior on a variety of surfaces. Shave off the seconds with power slides on the bends, and you're top of the high score table. Make a minute error of judgement and you're on the roof with adamaged vehicle to repair! You select your car from an impressive line-up complete with sound effects recorded from the actual vehicles and hundreds of different options ensure that you need never drive the some race twice! It's not surprising that Rally Championship is the only product of its kind to be officially endorsed by the RAC Motorsport Division. The only way you'll beat it is to jump in a car and do the real thing!

A rich strategy game that is both intuitive and challenging, both innovative and polished.

With a little improvement, future versions should produce a true contender.

Climb in and help Pajama Sam control the Sock-O-Matic Mark III, the sock-sorting dream machine the makes chores fun! Concentration is the key as Sam tries to control that crazy contraption. Chutes, pushers, slides, and swing arms are just a few of the gadgets you'll need to guide Sam's socks into the baskets. The Sock-O-Matic even has a Custom Level Builder that allows kids to create their own puzzling levels!

Putt-Putt, the lovable little purple convertible car always helps his friends. Mr. Firebird’s time machine has accidentally taken Putt-Putt’s lunch box, calculator, history report and his best pal Pep, the dog and scattered them through time. Help Putt-Putt find Pep and his school supplies and return them safely to the present and close the time portal.The best fun learning, quality screen time available for your children. A rich, colorful adventure travelling through time including the Age of the Dinosaur, Medieval Age, the Old West and even into the future.This junior adventure game plays differently each time you play and includes several mini games including: Jumble Picture Puzzle game, Watch and Copy Simon game and Shooing the Crows Away. With read-along text sub-titles. You now have the option to turn on (or off) text that matches each line of dialogue. Perfect for the hearing-impaired, early reading and learning English. •Listen – Think – Explore•Encourages teamwork and critical thinking•Fosters listening and memory skills•Reinforces good social skills•Promotes pattern recognition•Each experience for your child lets them explore different ways to play, again and again •Interactive touch screen reveals hundreds of hidden surprises! •Challenging puzzles, Fun mini games•Fantastic new friends •Encourages creativity, helps teach spatial relations and sharpens problem-solving skills •Feature-film quality animation and original music enhance the power of a child's imagination•Integrated with Apple’s GameCenter with exclusive in-game achievements

MAMMA, BOUNCA, BUTCH, and CAP'N HANDS are back and have been joined by SISTER MAQPIE and THE CONSUMER in the roll-call of shame, blasting their way through huge blood soaked worlds to inflict brutal revenge on C.H.E.B., who is hell bent on universal domination. PREPARE YOURSELF for an even heavier dose of maximum annihilation across 6 enormous 3D levels of terrifying morphing terrain which will leave you shell shocked and powered up with an array of awesome machinery and death sequences. Your bloody path is fraught with enemies to obliterate and riddles to solve in your quest to save the universe - If Loaded was twisted, then Re-Loaded is twisteder!!!

THE ASSAULT HAS BEGUN A vast armada of Alien warships unleash a deadly assault on the Earth. Taken by surprise, Earth's forces are crushed and only a small squadron of experimental fighters remain. The only chance for survival lies with you and a band of crack fighter pilots. Counterattacking from the orbital space carrier OMAHA, use all of your piloting skills to drive the Alien invaders out of Earth's cities, past the Moon, and back through the mysterious JumpGate from which they came! Intense, high-speed combat action. Fully functional cockpit with reactive audio/visual displays. 50+ minutes of Hollywood-style video captivates you in the Shockwave drama. Over 15 furious combat missions carried out over photo-realistic landscapes. Mission checkpoints allow you to continue the action mid-flight. Stunning 3D terrained based on aerial photographs; from the deserts and jungles of the Earth to the craters of the Moon.