What gives Cool Boarders 2001 its biggest style points, however, is something it shares with Tony Hawk: performance goals...This turns an average snowboarding game into a fun, engaging experience.

Has a few brief flashes of fun but no sustained action. Fanatics of the sport may keep it for awhile, but most gamers will recapture the hard disk space as quickly as possible.

An excellent, adrenaline pumping game that is nearly identical to its arcade and Dreamcast counterparts.

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

The competition is rough and cutthroat at times, but only by mastering the intricacies of 14th-17th century European commerce and politics will you become the richest, most powerful and evil man in Italy.

A solid title and those with the appropriate means will find it challenging until the bloodlust has worn off and repetition sets in, which, for some, will take quite a while. For the rest of the population hemmed in by slow ISPs, the game will be little more than a source of frustration.

A highly enjoyable game. The learning curve is tough without becoming impossible, and races never seem out of reach to win even if you keep coming up just short.

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 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.

Though rich with a variety of units and resources, European Wars simply doesn’t have the polish needed to put it on the frontlines in the genre.

While personality alone is not reason enough to buy any game, the humor and level of detail in Tropico certainly makes it a worthwhile investment.

Unfortunately, High Heat Baseball is not a beautiful game, despite being one of the most complete baseball titles on the market today.

Most of the pieces are in place but they are rough around the edges -- even after seven patches. If, however, you are able to overcome the technical difficulties, a great game can be found.

The only real problem is that it doesn't go too far out of its way to differentiate itself from either its predecessor or any other game in the genre.

It's nice to see a game come along that is proud of its action roots but attempts to bring more to the experience, creating a title that is fast and furious, but also clever and engaging for more than a few hours of play.

A beautiful and entertaining title that falls just short of the initial hype.

Mixing elements of empire building, resource management, life simulation, survival and brawling with complex strategies and tactics in a gorgeous fantasy setting seems too good to be true.

While the PlayStation 2 version lacks many of the options available in its PC and even Dreamcast counterparts, the same adrenaline-filled action can be found.

A must have for history buffs and a good choice for other gamers who have the time, patience and will required to master the intriguing gameplay.

The game is rated "E" for everyone, and it will likely find ways to bore and possibly annoy everyone who plays it.

The action tends to get repetitive, which is not helped by the lack of enemy variety.

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.

If you're really hungry for a brainless slasher game with a medieval theme, you might want to give this one a try. For the more discerning gamer, you should consider purchasing a 32-bit PlayStation game (such as "Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver") and wait until something better comes around.

The particle effects for the spells and treatment of the landscapes are well done, but graphics alone don't make the game.

It isn't a terrible gaming experience, especially for those with an itchy trigger finger, but there is no improvement from previous games and some regression concerning weapon and monster design.

It's the fighting that lacks the real charisma of yesterday, or today for that matter.

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.

This is a true PC gamer's game, complete with unfettered intention, esoteric style, and remarkable depth.