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

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

There is nothing in this game that hasn't been done better in every single way than "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance."

Accomplishes what it sets out to do: provide young players with a solid introduction to football while adding enough light touches to make it fun.

A must-have title that, if nothing else, represents the missing "link" of Nintendo classics destined to appear on the color handheld.

A short-lived romp through vibrant, sugary sweet worlds that will leave players -- much like its pink protagonist -- with an insatiable hunger for more.

The four-button (as opposed to six-button) control scheme takes some getting used to, but the game captures the spirit, the fun, the intensity, the depth, and the overall look and sound of the original remarkably well.

Offers an overabundance of boring mini-games that emphasize dumb luck over skill, and since this title is little more than a collection of mini-games, it suffers because of it.

While the enemy selection could have been more diverse, and the camera angles more intuitive, the quality of the environments, control, and music is high enough to live with some of the shortcomings.

The biggest issue players will likely have is fighting off sheer boredom instead of a pack of orcs, trolls, or scorpions.

The computer AI is cheap one moment and then brain-dead the next, but the most irritating aspect by far is the overall sluggishness of the action inside the ring.

As a homage to the original title, Altered Beast: Guardian of the Realms is merely passable, thanks to its carbon-copy design; fans expecting a revitalization of the franchise should look elsewhere.

Hopefully, future versions in the series will focus less on the trappings of the first-person genre and instead concentrate on what makes a Jedi so unique: lightsaber battles and the use of Force in more meaningful ways than pushing buttons.

The lack of two-player support, varied objectives, and its relatively short length keep it from being a must-have title, but the combat is fun and the environments are different enough to keep you interested until the final scene.

One of the best things about this compilation is that by scoring certain amounts of points in various games, players can unlock original Activision television commercials.

With its cast of cute characters, vibrant graphics, and appealing sound effects, Super Monkey Ball Jr. feels right at home on Game Boy Advance, even despite the sometimes hairy controls. It's a great title to take on the road or to enjoy with a group of friends.

Rarely rises above the level of a typical side-scrolling combat title.

Superman’s problems, however, lie in the game’s control and play mechanics. The action is tedious, the moves are sluggish, and the enemies are annoying.

EA's "NHL 2003" is a solid game, but 2K3 is a gem. The intelligent play of the computer players in 2K3 -- unparalleled by any past or present -- makes NHL 2K3 the best hockey video game to date.

With improved animation, a more robust career, and a better choice of modes, it could have easily been a knockout instead of a contender.

Far from perfect but always engaging, getting mileage from the equivalent of a wink and a smile even despite the obvious faults.

The varied styles of fighting combined with a fresh crop of interesting characters are strong enough to make you want to sample each one.

Feels too slow and disjointed. Each area is small and the game doesn't do a convincing job of making you feel you are inside one huge interconnected castle.

The arcade-style atmosphere goes a long way in creating an immediately playable game, but in light of titles like "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell," there's a strong desire for more involved missions (NightFire's attempt at stealth is almost silly in comparison).

Roughly a four- to eight-hour journey. MF offers replay value through uncovering all the hidden areas and clearing the game within a time limit, but with such an engaging character and appealing theme, players will need little convincing for a return trip.

The levels are generic in design (for the most part), and the backgrounds are uneven (some are nicely detailed while others are repetitive and/or uninspired), but the 3D-modeled characters are pleasing, the fighting action is enjoyable (despite its flaws).

With improved animation, a more robust career, and a better choice of modes, it could have easily been a knockout instead of a contender. Rocky the game certainly has the heart of a champion, just not the tools needed to go the distance.

The story line is based on real-world politics, making the missions seem even more daring. This is one of the few games to elicit a feeling of suspense without resorting to shock techniques found in survival horror titles like "Resident Evil."