For the first time, real-time strategy concepts like resource building and army management feel at home on a console.

The smooth controls, incredibly fast races and fun combat are still here, and the Cube's processor seems more than able to handle the blindingly fast races even in four player split screen.

If flawed controls don't kill the experience for you -- and as a plaform jumping, blade wielding title they certainly do affect the quality of gameplay -- then the constant backtracking and key hunting will eventually drive you to the point of distraction.

The graphics, audio and multiplayer components are astonishingly good, while the highly competent yet unspectacular single-player gameplay lags a bit behind.

If you want an undersea simulation or oceanic real-time strategy, then forget it; but if what you desire is arcade action in a novel and challenging context, then it fits the bill.

If you're not a fan of wrestling, the flaws will easily overshadow the details, but if you're looking for an easy title to play, fun multiplayer, and above all, authentic WWF experience, Just Bring It will fulfill your needs.

Despite stylish graphics and fun gameplay, the lack of any revolutionary concepts coupled with the short play time means potential buyers should pass up Luigi in favor of other GameCube launch titles.

Your objectives are simple enough that you never have to flip switches, jump over pits or hunt down missing keys, but at the same time the smart enemies, brilliant level design and strategic combat will tax your brain more than any scavenger hunt ever could.

Even the most jaded fans of the series should be delighted with the enormous strides in quality Sir-Tech took with this title.

Just about everything they tried has been tried before and executed much better in "Shogun: Total War."

Despite these problems, NFL Fever 2002 is a resoundingly solid game that will hold much more appeal for novices than the infinitely more arcane "Madden 2002."

The only real stumbling blocks on its way to being the Super Star is the lack of customization options.

Using a trick based system that rewards slides, two-wheeled skids and perfect runs, the player must earn points for the above while still riding the line and achieving exceptional lap times. At first this technique seems fresh, but after a few incredibly disappointing runs down the later tracks you'll find it more frustrating than satisfying.

One of the most intuitive and entertaining of the realistic snowboarding titles available today.

The quality graphics, accessible interface, fun single-player and multiplayer action, and effective sound all combine to make this a very appealing release.

It manages to maintain a consistent level of sophistication and high complexity without sacrificing what really makes strategy games fun.

With some fine-tuning to the graphics and sound effects, and some revisions to the slightly restrictive controls, this could have been an "SSX"-killer.

The game exudes style, polish, and quality from every pixel...From gorgeous visuals to immersive gameplay, Battle Realms never ceases to amaze.

AI concerns make driving into oncoming traffic easier than it should be, while the moderate, but not extensive amount of cars and tracks mean that you'll be able to wrap up single player in less than ten hours.

With its amazing sound work, stunning musical score and easy to use control scheme, about the only thing you can complain about in this release is the length.

With some character issues from the first game still unresolved, and due to the short duration of play and unintelligent enemies, AVP2 is stopped short of being truly stellar. However, this is one of the best action titles of the year.

Splendid graphics and sound effects, with a wide set of vehicles and tuning capabilities and cleverly-designed racing settings...Yet deficiencies in gameplay, artificial intelligence, collision implementation, and even music prevents this title from being the spectacular release that it should have been.

Despite the presence of distinctive licensed racing classics, the actual driving experience is both bland and homogeneous.

If you're a fan of the series or of the genre, then I can readily recommend picking up Civilization III -- just keep in mind that it may not be all you expected, especially later in the game.

Not only are the graphics significantly improved, they whisk by at a steady pace and feature larger levels with even more interactive environments.

While lacking some of the coherence and duration of its predecessors, and possessing a bit too many backtracking sequences and technical problems, the audiovisual elements are excellent...I would solidly recommend [it].

an excellent recreation of the sport of bicycle stunt riding. The design of the racing environments is so creative that you are constantly learning new ways to master this sport.

Ballistics is by far the fastest and most beautiful arcade racing game I have ever seen -- it makes everything else seem like molasses by comparison. While there is nothing really new here, the excellence of this title lies in its truly brilliant execution.

In what could be billed as "the complete criminal experience" this game delivers in every category with jaw dropping graphics, stunning sound effects, a unique musical score that's presented with countless hilarious commercials through your car's radio, and a relentless AI that will hunt you down whenever warranted.

Due to severe problems in graphics and gameplay, this title cannot hold a candle to "RollerCoaster Tycoon," still firmly at the head of the class.

With its incredible graphics, fulfilling gameplay, and thought provoking features, World War III is bound to satisfy any RTS buff, and anyone just on the lookout for a good, solid title as well.

The game offers an incredibly rich experience with vast amounts of replayability.

An uneven experience -- above average when it comes to puzzles and level design, and below average when it comes to combat and artificial intelligence.

The adventure mode is quite intriguing, the ability to build cars from scratch and watch them disassemble is entertaining, and the split-screen competition is a blast. However, there is not enough substance in the racing options, track challenges, and audiovisual polish to set this offering apart from the pack.

The deficiencies with frame rate, multiplayer competition, collisions, and replays still keep this title from achieving its potential.

Problems such as an awkward control interface, overbalanced gameplay, and easily confounded AI sadly undermine the innovations.

The goalies are still a bit of a sore point, however, since a single defender can run the gamut from godlike to pylon within a single period with little rhyme or reason.

A strong offering for fans of mythology, samurai, or ancient Japan. However, the poor quality of the game's AI, the unbalanced multiplayer action, and the lack of customizable options, along with some gameplay issues, only slightly raise the product above an average "Diablo" clone.

The addition of mid-level transitions between land and water also makes for exciting differences in the controls while simultaneously provisioning for some simply amazing environments.

Unfortunately, the sad truth is that Pokemon manages to provide more depth and complexity than Monster Rancher 3.

Ico is one of those rare titles that you don't so much play as experience. Many adventure games boast this same interactivity and immersiveness, but with its careful blending of genres, delicate balancing act between a story of growing love and mounting horror, and a brilliant system that also incorporates tense moments of action, Ico really lives up to its claims.

If you ignore the sub-par audiovisual effects, you will find a decent and engrossing intellectual challenge underneath it all, which particularly exciting in human-to-human competition.

Fans of city building titles will truly enjoy Trade Empires, and it will even woo some dissenters of the genre with its inventive take upon historical civilizations. However, unimpressive graphics and a lack of configurable options or a storyline hold it back from being a true gem.

The action is fast-paced and well-staged, and you really become absorbed in the virtual world of the famous arachnid. But two major deficiencies -- in the control system and the camera work -- almost succeed in ruining this title.

While its short length and lack of character development leave much to be desired, the multiplayer feature more than makes up for the diminished gameplay, adding to the replay value.

Only the most desperate sled-junky should bother with Arctic Thunder. Clearly inferior to its ancestor, this jerky ride suffers from terrible frame rates, sub-par sound, twitchy controls and mindless, repetitive gameplay.

While a part of the gameplay is absorbing, and the graphics and puzzles are noteworthy, there is no lasting impression communicated, so you never really care much about the outcome.

While the multiplayer mode's forgettable, and there's not a ton of replay value, the first run through the story is surprisingly long, and filled to the brim with some of the most amazing scenery conceived outside of a Toy Story film.

What really makes this game rise above its mediocre brethren is not merely the flashy graphics or mildly dramatic storyline. Far Gate stands out amongst a host of independent titles as being one of the few that shows a dramatic effort towards entertainment rather than a quick profit.

Looks infinitely better than its ancestors, but plays pretty much the same.

Operation Flashpoint essentially has the playability that people were hoping to find in "World War II Online," with twice the excitement and challenge.

Its superb graphics, open-ended nature, and compelling storyline make it a title that many flight sim junkies will not want to miss. While I found the learning curve a bit too steep, the controls somewhat cumbersome, and the save-game system annoying.

Ultimately an entertaining title, but one with enough quirks to prevent it from attaining true RPG greatness.

While there are a few glaring problems, most notably with the poorly implemented multiplayer features, plain jane graphics, and lackluster AI, XGIII Extreme G Racing is still fun to play.

It has the eye-popping graphics of the PS2 version of "Madden 2001," but it uses a poor interface, has modest AI, and doesn't provide enough new features to differentiate it from last year's offering.

With gameplay oozing off of this disk like gravy out of Refrigerator Perry's hot beef sandwich, fans of the gridiron will lose themselves in hours of rapture and may very well forget to eat or sleep.

Despite some weakness rooted to the genre, Conquest's solid graphics, gameplay, and AI make it a title with enough reasons for RTS fans to join the fight.

The title of this game is ironically accurate, as I have not encountered a platform side-scroller this lightweight in years. There is simply nothing to recommend.

Only those who are willing to take the time to be bogged down in the minutia of running the lives and future of an entire virtual village should look seriously at this RTS title.

It is not sufficiently realistic to be a true flight simulator, and at the same time, lacks enough arcade elements to be considered merely a shooter.

As a finished title, it falls short. Basic graphics, a limited storyline, and non-existent sound and music make it seem as though the game is still in production.

One of those memorable titles that people will be talking about for years to come. Its impressive graphics, gripping storyline, and fun use of Bullet-Time action elevates the game to the current standard that most others should aspire to.

Its graphics, sound, and interface are excellent, but sadly deficiencies still exist in its artificial intelligence and its linear gameplay which is devoid of a skirmish mode or of a precise system of attack control.

It is indeed fun to control unusual units in battle, but the focus on micromanagement can become a bit more demanding than most players want for their entertainment dollars.

Its combination of global conquest and economic elements results in an entertaining experience that can keep players consistently coming back for more.

Remember to start on the outside of the turn, cut to the inside and then tromp on the accelerator when you're past the half way; that should keep your speed as high as possible on the your way to the nearest retailer. Trust me, the traffic ticket would be worth it.

None of the facets of this release are particularly outstanding, and in particular you have to cope with the rather odd camera movement and the passivity of just watching when your actual caper is carried out.

A triumph of mediocrity.

The expansion doesn't offer a sophisticated plot, extensively scripted dialogue, or complicated puzzle solving. It only promises action, and delivers it in abundance.

The release stands alone as the darkest disappointment those of us who cherish this franchise have yet encountered.

A mediocre offering. While it has its fun moments, and some of the maps are intriguing, Legends ultimately comes across as lacking ingenuity.

With superb graphics, sound, and music, as well as immersive and challenging gameplay, Rage has really done its job in making sure that this title has no real weaknesses. The plot development and cinematics are simply in a class by themselves.

This is not a bad game, but Westwood's real-time strategy titles are beginning to suffer the curse of Lara Croft -- they're getting old. There's nothing new here except for the gorgeous visuals.

Essentially a graphics enhancement pack bundled with a short single-player campaign and a title many have already played, all for around 20 dollars after rebate.

Aside from the bugginess of the release, the gameplay is too constrained and awkwardly executed for action fans, and the tactical choices are too limited for real-time strategy fans. This is a tragedy, for all the elements are here necessary for a really engrossing release.

As a multimedia computer game, it's a swing and a miss. Players will likely give this title only a few chances before putting it back on the shelf due to its static presentation, limited gameplay, and painfully annoying animated host.

There are certain novel features and innovative efforts present, but they cannot overcome an annoying patch requirement, clunky interface, multiplayer instability, and an unfriendly gaming environment.

This is as close to a bare-bones racing simulation release as I have seen these days, with minimal choices of vehicles and tracks, limited menu selections, dated graphics, sparse sound effects, and no music.

Even though the product has a complicated editor, a huge install size, and an absence of depicted passengers, its impressive graphics, sound effects, and realism make up for its shortcomings.

Graphics aside, several key issues keep it from reaching the level expected of today's sims, such as: a difficult-to-access multiplayer mode, a mediocre interface, poor sound effects, and harder-than-necessary difficulty.

The visuals are fine, but the sound and music are not. The off-road theme is great, but the redneck flavor fizzles completely.

The gameplay is often as static as its antiquated graphics, and ultimately doesn't present anything that hasn't been done before.

Despite a few small design quirks, this is one release I found I just could not stop playing from the moment it was installed on my hard drive. I heartily recommend it to all of you who want an adrenaline rush of the highest order.

Evil Islands does not present a very novel gameplay experience...But the excellent polish of the overall product, with particularly strong graphics, music, and artificial intelligence, makes it more than worth a look.

It's difficult to come up for an overall score for Tropico as it does so many things right, but at the same time, tends to become a bit repetitive after extended periods of play.

Dynamix's final release serves as a mark of excellence in action-based strategy, open-ended gameplay, good graphics, and pure fun, with only a few stability issues and level design flaws offsetting an otherwise solid effort.

Not only does it introduce a host of new objects, carpeting tiles and wallpaper schemes for you to use in your perpetual quest for the perfect theme or feel, but it also revolutionizes the entire party dynamic.

Parts are a bit problematic, such as the combat, challenges, and village management, but most of what you experience is endlessly fascinating.

Extremely immersive and one of the best espionage titles available to date on the personal computer.

The combat is awesome in short doses, the graphics are nice and the product offers the best FPS co-op gaming since Doom II. Oh, and it offers one hell of a final boss.

Isn't going to blow anybody away with its relatively uninspired, non-strategic gameplay, but its package of solid graphics, sound, and timing puzzles is a passable one that most gamers will spurn, but die-hard franchise fanatics will enjoy.

All the elements of Kohan add up to the most fun I’ve had with a real-time strategy release -- with the least amount of micromanagement.

I felt a kind of primal fear playing it through that I have not ever had before with a computer game, and it is truly a horror fan's most delectable nightmare.

You will not see better graphics, or hear better sound effects and music, or laugh more at absolutely zany jokes in a cartoon adventure on either a computer or movie screen.

Being able to go back and play through the original with an increased resolution, new spells and additional items is truly fantastic, as is the number of tweaks done to the various class abilities.

Between interface flaws, its stern focus upon drab and dull key-hunting, and a wholly frustrating inventory system, much of the game's potential magic is lost. In the end, The Messanger's pseudo-historical atmosphere is all that it's got going for it.

Unfortunately, the unbalanced squad-combat and wrap-around maps are not enough to pull this one away from the Pit of Despair.

In trying to appeal to all rally tastes, it ends up not being the very best at much of anything. While the car graphics are outstanding, the other dimensions of this release fail to live up to expectations.