It's Quake, what else do I have to say?

There is an expression that beauty is only skin deep, which fits Xtreme Beach Volleyball to a tee. Those who purchase this game will soon discover the beautiful graphics are hiding a shallow, pointless game underneath.

A good arcade-style racing game, with aspects that won't likely appeal too much to purists who want racing realism. But, if you're looking for instant fun without a lot of car tuning and setups, it's worth a look.

A surprisingly deep adventure with comedy, suspense, and drama wrapped into one saga about the dangers of unleashing powers humankind was never meant to harness.

While these are disappointments, there are few games that have you leaning into every jump you make, your heart in your throat each time Indy barely grabs onto a ledge with his fingertips before pulling himself up.

It is very short and should take only about ten hours to finish. As interesting as the puzzles are, they're a snap to solve and don't take an overly long time to solve.

The game offers simple controls, fast action, and inventive courses with shortcuts so long they almost qualify as completely new tracks.

Perfectly suited to the multiplayer environment of a college dorm room.

One of the few tough-as-nails games with the power to keep drawing you back to it, long after you've screamed enough words at the television screen to make a sailor blush.

Definitely a title worth looking into for newcomers to the genre, since the learning curve is fairly small, while veteran RTS gamers will find quality gameplay with an emphasis on strategy.

Compares favorably to "Tennis 2K2" in many respects but lacks its overall level of polish and spot-on controls.

Sadly, the most innovative aspect of the first title has been diminished to the point where Buffy isn’t much different than a routine 3D slugfest. An easy recommendation for loyal fans of the series, but the game's appeal would be lost on the casual player.

Yet another delightful and highly original game from DMA Design. If you're looking for a long and challenging game, or a more adult-oriented title, Body Harvest fits the bill.

An impressive package, not only in that it delivers a highly addictive and well-executed game, but also because the premise is simple, well thought out and executed flawlessly.

Clearly designed for youngsters despite it not being labeled on the packaging, Blender Bros. lacks the depth veteran players expect from a platform game on a Nintendo system.

Nintendo's censors required the removal of many of the game's more "suggestive" elements (sex shops and strippers), which is obscene in my mind. It is okay to include violence but not sex? Isn't this a double standard?

The title offers wonderful graphics and some fun levels, the majority of which involve the title character, but the disjointed story line, uneven action, and problematic camera take away from the enjoyment most will have while playing.

If you're into speed and tight combat control rather than detailed customization, GunGriffon Blaze is the game for you.

It's an interesting premise with a fine fighting scheme – squandered by sloppy design and bugs. Definitely a title destined for demo-status gone awry and certainly little more than a game for those who like their games with little substance.

Gets high marks for its animé style, engaging boss encounters, and interesting control system. But similar games like "Jet Force Gemini" or "Body Harvest" offered more in the way of story and role-playing elements to help break up the monotony of blasting bugs and jumping platforms.

And that's the real star of this game: its personality. Even if it's an easy, competent game, it won't bother you while you're playing it because everything is so darned fun.

A disappointment because it feels short. The computer opponents are ultimately not up to the competition, and there is no adjustable difficulty setting to level the playfield.

The sense of scale is commendable. Trudging through heavily populated urban areas while stomping on and picking up buildings as though they were mere toys is strangely fulfilling, as is the act of devastating these areas, though problems begin to surface here.

For a game priced in the budget range, Baseball Mogul 2003 is one of the best bargains in the annals of sports management simulations.

Chief among the problems is a camera that doesn’t react well to the sudden changes associated with jumping, with imprecise controls being a close second. The end-result is a series of ridiculously difficult stages simply because you don’t have the tools to respond to the tasks at hand.

It is not the best playing game, however, due to the unwieldy cursor system used to hit the ball, the lack of useful onscreen indicators to help make catches, and suspect fielding and baserunning AI.

The combat is fast-paced and aggressive, but balanced. The creature-combining mode is deep and involved, but accessible.

A by-the-numbers side-scrolling action game with linear levels, repetitive enemies, and boring combat.

Often frustrating due the limitations associated with a linear narrative, its lack of incentives to replay missions, and its stubborn attitude in not providing clear visual feedback on how well the player is doing at any given stage.

Those looking for an old-school arcade-style game with a significant boost in graphics and sounds will be satisfied with Silpheed: The Lost Planet. It doesn't disappoint.

The monsters are determined to destroy the characters' home world, so players will need to perfect various combos and team attacks in order to survive.

Although the game captures a warm feeling coupled with a bizarre sense of "the new," FantaVision, like its flares, burns too bright, too quickly, leaving an empty sort of feeling once you've mastered the basics.

There is enough here to use as a jumping point for a potentially exciting new series.

Cyber golfers buying the game as a realistic and challenging golf experience will be disappointed. However, if you approach the game more as entertainment and less as a simulation and attempt each of the game modes, it can be somewhat enjoyable.

An all-around disappointment for anyone expecting substantial improvements to the core engine.

Factor in the number of performance-enhancing equipment and items to earn, and it comes close to the addictiveness of titles in the "Hot Shots Golf" series, which is clearly what the developers were shooting for all along.

While each game features gameplay a step above the other, a few flaws carried themselves from title to title, never being fully resolved.

The golf engine is solid, the visuals are striking, and the play modes are impressive. A few tweaks to the interface, more courses, and less reliance on scripted cut-scenes would put this title right in the same league as "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" series, which is great company to be in.

The sheer innovation of this new direction in gameplay shows the developers at Lionhead to be very creative thinkers and is worth the acquisition of the game by itself.

The entire game can be completed within 30 minutes, roughly translating into five minutes apiece for each of the game’s five chapters and prologue.

A well-conceived concept suffering from a somewhat lackluster execution.

Provides an important alternative to fantasy MMORPGs, and is designed well enough to warrant a look from anyone interested in the genre.

Not even Mickey is available, which is perhaps the game’s biggest surprise.

While patience is a much needed virtue for enjoying the game, most people, gamers or not, will be intrigued by the mystery presented by this riddle.

It is a huge improvement over the previous three PlayStation titles, and it has the best graphics and music of any Bond game to date.

The overall vibe generated by Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge is positive, one of a software company really liking a classic game and wanting to do all they can to make it better. What more can you ask for in a remake?

Blowing away enemies and beasts on the small screen with a near perfect inventory and control system is rare for hand held systems

The many changes, both minor and major, will be a welcome addition to those who purchased the original, and for gamers who didn't, now's the time to get both.

This is one wacky world the developers have created, and it perfectly captures the original title’s sense of humor, irreverence, and addictive fun.

It is designed specifically for those who enjoy using their minds, and it will occasionally even frustrate the best of those players.

While gameplay differs in style, developer Climax Group manages to hold the line on the environment and overall fantasy feel of the original title developed by Mythos Games, Ltd.

What begins as an interesting premise quickly deteriorates into a largely annoying trip due to restrictions placed on a player's freedom and the developers artificially ramping up the difficulty by refusing to let players know what they are supposed to be doing before the film starts rolling.

This add-on blows a crisp northern breath of life into the original game and the snow-capped mountains offer tests of skill, endurance and patience.

Perhaps the best and certainly the most unique thing about the game is Hotsuma’s thirsty-for-blood sword, which keeps the action at a brisk pace by forcing gamers to keep moving and keep killing.

As a pure fighting game it doesn't hold a candle to such hits as "Dead or Alive 2" or "Tekken Tag Tournament."

The tracks have enough secrets to hold your attention for a while and the arenas, while too big for their own good, are still a blast, especially with friends.

The automatic save feature makes playing a considerable non-hassle, while the multiple difficulty settings guarantee enjoyable gaming at all skill levels.

If you’re looking for depth, look elsewhere, but those who miss the style of games made popular on the Dreamcast should welcome this with closed fists.

A delightful excursion for the young female audience for which it is intended, but there's enough action and innovation to make it interesting for boys as well.

If you're looking for a 3D version of id Software's "DOOM," look no further.

The replay value is inexplicably weak, because getting all of the treasures, statue pieces, and rubies is not as complicated as it sounds.

One level has you finding kids and returning them to their parents. Another level might just be a race to the end. Yet another level could extend vertically rather than horizontally. Another level has you participating in a festival. This sheer variety keeps the game frantic, fun, and exciting.

Each game is short on substance but long on fun.

A majority of time is spent going slowly to eliminate the threats before they close in on you. Spread this out over a few hours and your fingers won’t be the only things numb from the experience.

The fact that it falls short of recommendation is mostly due to the lack of a save function, an omission that was likely out of the developer's hands.

The most striking aspect of Sea Dogs is the 3D sailing and combat system. The feeling of being on board one of these 17th century vessels is almost perfectly captured, save for the lack of crewmembers being shown on deck.

The level of detail and control offers many ways to complete a mission and the differences between them are subtle but significant. Unfortunately, this is counterbalanced by the lack of diversity in the missions.

Easily recommended to fans, as the game looks great, is easy to control, and offers minimal frustration for those who just want to have fun traipsing around the world.

A game with potential, but the developers need to change the scope of the worlds as well as offer more varied objectives for it to be grouped in the same litter as "Super Mario Sunshine" or "Jak and Daxter."

It has loads of style, especially in the front end. If you tally up the overall features of the game -- such as the complete design, the front end, the art, graphics, and animation -- instead of just the racing elements themselves, this game comes out way ahead.

Seriously, there is a lot to like in this game. The clean graphics, the voice acting by actor Eric Bana, the intuitive control, and the stellar physics engine are highlights, but the camera, linear level design, and repetitive enemy types help bring the game down.

Will appeal more to bikers who've had hands-on experiences than casual gamers looking for a fun sport with less subjective scoring and easier controls.

Sartre once noted, "Hell is other people." The Sims Online is strictly for those who would disagree.

Rather than featuring play-by-play and color commentary, the folks at Tecmo decided that Bon Jovi-inspired rock music would be the way to go. This touch of bad medicine to an otherwise decent soccer game, gives Super Shot Soccer a bad name.

If it weren't for the sloppy grappling system, Ultimate Muscle could have been a worthy purchase, especially for fans of the quirky animated series. The bold graphics, battery backup, ability to improve special powers, hidden wrestlers, and versus play are definite pluses.

The series’ debut on Xbox is not the head-turning affair it should be. While fighting hundreds of enemies is still addictive as ever, players sadly shouldn’t expect any improvements to the presentation.

The GameCube version is, not surprisingly, the best looking of the four games, but it’s not the huge leap in visual quality it could have been given the dramatic improvement in technology.

When compared to its shooter contemporaries, "Einhander" and "G. Darius", Thunder Force V comes up lacking. Einhander has vastly superior graphics and more innovative gameplay. G.Darius has better looking bosses and backgrounds, longer levels and a killer two-player simultaneous mode.

The incredible diversity possible in putting character parties together makes the gameplay nearly unlimited.

There should be more games like this since it marries turn-based strategy and tough decisions into a seamless whole. This is good stuff and worth playing.

To progress through the game and have it all stripped from you based on one battle is simply a horrible design decision and makes this otherwise brilliant game needlessly aggravating.

The single-player experience becomes dull after a few games thanks in part to ruthlessly difficult computer opponents.

While this linear formula is an old one, it works well thanks to the polished presentation and variety of gameplay modes.

Most gamers won't be able to think straight, let alone execute the tons of mouse clicks necessary to keep from being overwhelmed.

Even with 14 missions, the gameplay is bland and repetitive, and with no multi-player options, there's really no point in "going in" at all.

From its simple gameplay, addictive replay structure and bright graphics right down to its choice of male or female characters, Columns Crown is a superb puzzle package that just about everyone can fall in love with.

While it might not be quite as feature intensive on a technical level as the "The Chessmaster" series, it's an enjoyable, well-made chess simulation that provides the essential elements of the game and even manages to break some new ground.

The hitting interface isn’t perfect, the modes of play are extremely limited, and the pace of the game is brought to a grinding halt whenever the loading sequences appear, which occurs early and often.

The deep 1000-year history of the fantasy world adds a fullness to the game and offers a basis for many sequels. If evil mysteries intrigue you, be assured that Soulbringer delivers!

Suspect physics completely ruin the experience, making the game entirely too easy and ultimately unsatisfying.

The voice acting in Septerra Core is amazing, and the mouths actually move with the voices! Unfortunately, the sound effects used in the game *REALLY* get on one's nerves after a short while.

A brilliant delight, offering gruesome pleasure in a new kind of way. Though it is rooted within the original's origins, it offers up a new dimension of gaming that can be appreciated by those looking for something different.

Perhaps Turok would have been more acceptable had it been released a few years ago, but the genre has, interestingly enough, "evolved" to the point where this game looks and plays downright primitive.

It isn't anything revolutionary, just very solid, balanced between simulation and arcade, delivering just enough technique to satisfy demanding players.

The underlying gameplay, which basically consists of herding animals, just isn't enough to prop up the game in its current form.

Those looking only to buy this title for the Glitter Oasis course will find the game little more than standard fare.

Deserves two ratings: one for players who are plane-enthusiasts and one for the casual gamer. The first rating is high due to the incredible level of accuracy and detail; the claim on the box of being the most realistic commercially available flight simulator would be difficult to argue. Conversely, the second rating would be low since the appeal for gamers who crave a bit of action or a solid story line is so small.

At its best, the game uses its themes of college-age debauchery to frame believable challenges of land development, business management, and crowd control. At other times, however, attempts at hedonistic humor leak into the methods and means of gameplay itself, with frustrating results.