The novelty of the idea soon gives way to awkward controlling and discombobulating camera angles, resulting in an experience sometimes more frustrating than fun.

It's very short and predictable, leaving the graphics to stand on their own as the best feature of the game.

Not the worst puzzle game on the market by any means, but by the same token it offers little to entice fans away from the select few gems that have dominated for years.

The main disappointment is that Mad Maestro! doesn't really simulate the feel of conducting an orchestra.

A passable diversion between more traditional sports games, but nothing more.

In spite of Master of Orion 3's countless detail-oriented improvements, connoisseurs of the series may also find themselves pining for the personality of the earlier games, wishing to trade some of the new intricacy and erudition for a better sense of interaction and consequence.

Essentially offers little more than a few extra missions that lack the appeal of the original, especially in the area of strategic options.

With a more reliable camera, some nifty voice effects and an advanced mode of play for more experienced gamers, this could have ranked as a must-own game.

With the tag combos, tag meteor combos, and dozens of special move-laden combos, there's plenty of depth here for fighting game fans.

Where "Tony Hawk 3" is fast, flowing, and intuitive, Shaun Palmer is slow, disjointed and difficult to get into.

More of the same uninspiring gameplay that makes the license unappealing to game developers. Its failure to adhere to simple precedents or develop surprising action involving interesting characters empties yet another promise of a quality title.

The overall design and presentation is the game’s strong point and helps to make up for the fact that there isn’t a whole lot of substance underneath.

Unfortunately FireBlade's visuals are a notch below most offerings for 2002, but the control is what ultimately keeps this title grounded.

Little more than a convoluted, poorly executed variation on "Tetris."

Although the idea has merit, Wide Games Limited's approach fails to provide action gamers with enough action, adventurers with enough adventure, or strategists with enough tools.

The racing environments suffer from the PlayStation 2's notorious texture limitations.

All of the problems the off-road games have experienced in the past are as visible in this version as a Hummer with its high beams on.

Lacking just about everything that makes their top-shelf titles great, namely the depth of modes and the attempt at re-creating the nuances of the sport, Triple Play 2002 is an action-heavy game that needs a complete overhaul in player models, fielding, pitching, and options.

Only enjoyable if you equate fun with frustration, but most gamers have long since outgrown that philosophy, as have most games. Yet Gradius III and IV clings to its roots like a long rotting tooth.

More attention needs to be placed on the space aspect of the game, and players should have the same sense of freedom as in titles like Halo instead of wandering through narrow halls.

As it stands, it is an average action game that is bettered by a number of original PlayStation titles, which is unacceptable.

The biggest problem with the game is its repetitiveness. Subsequent chapters revisit areas you’ve already been through, and there’s zero interactivity within the locales.

It's certainly much better than the awful Nintendo 64 Superman game, and it looks and feels like an interactive episode of the cartoon series. However, its gameplay is less than super.

For young dinosaur enthusiasts it would be an appropriate choice as it's based on a peaceful premise and contains no graphic content or gore.

Yet the action isn’t complex, and most enemies can be defeated within your first attempt by simply relying on rapid button tapping.

The translation is nearly arcade perfect. The only thing missing is a full-sized sniper rifle, which ends up making a big difference.

Rather than simply adding three new campaigns and 18 additional scenarios, new civilization powers for all 23 cultures, from Ancient Greece's flaming arrows to Rebel Forces' cloaking, bring new excitement to many epochs with some interesting changes or enhancements to gameplay.

A game that won't bowl anyone over with deep gameplay and a compelling, cohesive storyline, but it's arcade sensability is strong enough to make it a decent enough diversion for fans of air combat.