It's like being able to play "Symphony of the Night" in the back seat of your parent's car, but with all new levels and some nifty new features.

Like other arcade sports games, the single-player experience will become repetitive after playing for a week or two. For this reason, the game is best played with a group of buddies.

By failing to offer players a robust selection of characters and making the action more random chance than skill based, the developers have wasted a great license and opportunity.

Ultimately, what makes Animal Crossing stand out is its sense of personality.

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.

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

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.

The problem with speed perception is probably the most noticeable deficiency that can be easily defined, although the lack of innovation and close design of gameplay aspects to earlier releases can't be dismissed out of hand.

An all-around solid effort that does exactly what it aims to do: offer players a preview of what Sony’s online service is capable of using one of the company’s best-selling and most recognizable PS2 games.

With better cut-scenes, more realistic driving physics, and a cinematic story, Mafia holds its own. While not as revolutionary as "GTA 3," it’s solid and oozes style.

There is a sense of teamwork involved in the multiplayer competition that makes the action far more rewarding than if it were merely a straightforward deathmatch against everyone else.

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.

Hardly the groundbreaking title players have come to expect from the franchise, as it follows the blueprint of Super Mario 64 almost to the letter...Yet none of these issues take away from the fun most will have playing the game.

The title exudes a considerable amount of polish, possessing good texture work and splendid visual effects, with special mention needing to be made of the themed backgrounds in each of Story mode's worlds.

Think of it as a "Half-Life" and "Resident Evil" sandwich with some new innovations as condiments. But be forewarned: not everyone will enjoy the taste.

The tactical battle sequences have also been improved, giving players a wonderful war simulation promising months of gory action.

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.

And for a sport that cries out desperately for a highly usable text-based game, that's too bad -- unfortunately this one never really gets a handle on the ball.

Ultimately, players will want more from this title because the fighting system is so enjoyable -- far surpassing the combat found in games like "State of Emergency," "Eternal Darkness," and "The Mark of Kri."

If Urban Yeti had twice as many levels and less restricting mini-games, old-school as well as new-school gamers would be all too ready to Yeti.

One of the best fighting titles to grace the PlayStation.

Those older than six will breeze through the game within a few hours, while younger players may have difficulty trying to figure out how to make Mickey do what they want him to do.

A huge play selection, terrific graphics, extensive gameplay modes (including the online options), and a new first-person view make Madden NFL 2003 one of the best football games available.

While Madden NFL 2003 is far from perfect, it is a solid all-around effort that runs circles around the competition.

Those who have already experienced earlier versions of Duke Nukem will grow weary of this diluted version rather quickly.

It’s too simplistic and oftentimes annoying due to a hyperactive camera.

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

Tries to tie together "The X-Files" with something along the lines of "Red Dawn" but ends up being yet another boring 3D beat-'em-up that offers nothing new to the genre and everything wrong with it.