As a patch it would be near-perfect; it successfully addresses several key concerns, adds one seriously compelling new element, and generally turns a very good racing experience into an exceptional one. Certainly, this is the game EA should have released in the first place.

If you have the patience to endure the somewhat slow opening and outdated graphics, you will be rewarded with an intriguing gaming experience.

Improved graphics and new modes and characters are combined with solid gameplay that's been tweaked for the better to make for a dependable and entertaining sequel.

On paper, the idea sounds great (and the game has been a huge hit in Europe), but the final product flat out stinks.

The Bowl selection in GameBreaker is nowhere near as authentic as it is in EA Sports' title (which means no Orange, Fiesta, or Sugar Bowls), you won't find the official BCS ranking poll, and you won't find a situation creator.

Paradigm has done an excellent job of re-creating a cartoon universe with colorful characters, hilarious animation, and eye-popping visuals that are fun for all ages.

The undersea environment it uses is appealing and fun to explore, especially since the open maps of the game facilitate fairly nonlinear exploration.

Fails in so many areas that the entire experience ends up being one long exercise in frustration.

A great story-driven game that takes elements of several genres to create a worthwhile experience.

A solid retro title -- it's over quickly, and the graphics are rough, but the gameplay triumphs.

Despite its flaws, serious Quake III fans will want to snatch this up right away.

There is nothing here you haven't seen before.

A better-than-average RTS game with some compelling elements, marred by multiplayer game balance issues and a sometimes dull single-player game.

The problem here is that there are better, more original and inventive party games out there; Crash Bash fails to do anything to put itself ahead of Nintendo's "Mario Party" series, or even match it.

A straight-up old-school space shooter dressed to kill.

Enough playability, weirdness, gameplay variety, and levels to make it worth a look if you want something that won't break your bank.

Tense missions coupled with bug-bashing fun make this one of the better strategy games we've seen this year, though it won't appeal much to gamers who aren't fans of the book or movie.

While Chicken Run isn't an exceptionally awful game, it reeks of unfulfilled potential, most notably in the gameplay, which is highly monotonous and downright frustrating.

A good example of an arcade boxer done right, thanks to its wealth of gameplay modes, exhaustive list of fighters, and wildly fun, over-the-top gameplay.

DreamCatcher's game basically consists of one man leisurely fumbling through a series of Myst-like tasks while Dracula hangs out on the sidelines.

The tight handling we grew accustomed to in Vigilante 8 is nowhere to be found. Instead of having massive tires to keep you on the road, you have to deal with unruly floating vehicles that glide all over the place; turning and weaving in and out of tight spaces can prove difficult.

It's a beautiful looking piece of work, even if there is a modicum of slowdown from time to time due to the sheer amount of traffic on the screen.

This mid-season replacement, though not without its occasional highlights, misfires far too often to run in the same league as its predecessor.

It'd take a miracle to thaw this one out.

Too difficult for all but the most dedicated creators, and even they may find themselves frustrated by the program's constraints.

Aside from lacking an overall slick visual polish, NASCAR 2001 is everything racing fanatics could want, thanks to its huge list of licensed drivers, cars, and tracks, and its intense gameplay.

An interesting take on the classic game and a must-have for fans of the original.

Only those who have rhythm and coordination and don't mind acting a little silly will truly enjoy this game.

Offers solid arcade gameplay, but it lacks the depth of the made-for-console wrestling games.

Most gamers will enjoy the game's straightforward approach, and there is plenty for hard-core fans to sink their teeth into.

Combining tried-and-true platformer elements that make platform games great with an awesome graphics engine and humorous, endearing characters, The Emperor's New Groove guarantees fun for all ages.

Even though the multiplayer games offer a bit of fun for a few hours (blowing your friends up is always entertaining), WDL falls short of our expectations by failing to deliver the kind of unadulterated explosive combat we had hoped for.

Although the game may look like a kids' title, Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers has enough depth and challenge to keep even the most seasoned gamer busy.

Although Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers has a lot of good things going for it, such as well-designed levels, tight graphics, and responsive controls, it falls short of being a great platform game due to its hard boss encounters, poor camera angles, and brief adventure.

An entertaining golfing exercise with several unique features and the most intriguing lineup of single- and multiplayer game modes in the business. But it also feels rough and incomplete in its current state.

You don't have to be a pre-teen or Chip 'n Dale groupie to enjoy "Magical Racing Tour," but it sure does help.

A good first effort, but it's too derivative of Half-Life in many spots, and it lacks focus and polish.

Solid, fun to play, and irritatingly addictive.

A typical EX game: solid, a bit boring, and uninspired. It lacks the key elements--great graphics, tight gameplay, and personality in its game design--that give the 2D Street Fighter games their appeal.

Because Gunbird 2 is such an insanely hard game, casual gaming fans are warned to stay away. Only hard-core fans of the genre need apply.

The good news, if you're a hard-core old-school gamer, is that they both play like the Gradius shooters of old. The bad news, for every other gamer out there, is that Gradius III and IV don't showcase the true power of the PS2.

Although X Squad is fraught with many ups and downs, it's still a refreshing foray into tactical territory usually reserved for the PC world.

Even though the gameplay is somewhat old hat, there is enough variety and challenge in this game to make it a worthwhile purchase. The adventures are well balanced, and the visuals are outstanding.

Even though Silent Scope for the PS2 doesn't offer a gun peripheral like the arcade version (can we stress that enough?), it's still an exceptionally fun game that warrants attention.

This is a nice alternative to the spoon-fed clues you get in so many adventure games.

While vehicular combat with Star Wars characters may sound cool, you'll be hard-pressed to get much enjoyment out of this game.

Even though the lack of gun support takes away some of the appeal, Konami has done a commendable job of bringing the coin-op experience home.

Limited single-player capabilities; clunky interface; online registration costs $10; acquiring additional playing pieces can become an expensive proposition, especially for younger players.

There is unquestionably some fun to be had in Spawn, but control and camera issues keep the game from realizing its full potential.

A significantly underwhelming racing title that is outpaced by EA's superior NASCAR 2001 in almost every respect.

Although Hogs is far from state-of-the-art, it's definitely fun and worth a look if you want something different and smart.

From the grindingly slow frame rate to the in-your-face pop-up to the time you spend racing through empty streets, the game misses on every count that matters. Don't even bother renting it.

Crippled by graphical glitches, poor control, and incompetent AI, TWINE feels more like a wannabe "GoldenEye" than something that can stand on its own merits. It's not that it's a horribly bad game; it's just not a very good game.

This game whips "Sydney 2000" for overall fun, graphics, and playability, and "Virtua Athlete 2000" in depth.

With unwieldy gameplay and a variety of bugs, "Dogs of War" isn't worthy of being in the same genre as "Ground Control."

Get past the mentally incapacitating control setup, find a dark enough room, and sit back to enjoy hour after hour of corridor wandering and Xenomorphic genocide.

Its weak event lineup will leave it in a prime spot to be overcome once "International Track and Field" enters the competition.

An excellent home translation of an arcade hit, but could use a bit more tweaking to truly shine.

Will likely prove more frustrating than fun for those who strap themselves into the cockpit.

Apart from a small assortment of new moves and costumes, there is almost nothing in the game to distinguish it from previous installments.

If you like the horror-survival genre, or are a big fan of Resident Evil-style gameplay on the PC, Dino Crisis is definitely worth checking out.

KISS fans will almost certainly feel ripped off by the band's phone-in appearance. However, for those who simply want a game with a high body count, K:PC definitely piles the carnage quite high.

If you could save the game anywhere you wanted during the RTS and RPG modes, it'd be easy to put aside its lack of originality and recommend it as a reasonably entertaining game, something to tide gamers over while they wait for the next really big RTS or RPG.

As is the case with any good simulation, there are lots of details for the golf fan to tinker with.

PBR2 has more going for it than you'd expect, mostly in the way of visuals, but doesn't hold up as an overall gaming experience.

If you like scrolling hack-'n'-slash with some platformer action, all wrapped in a decent story, Dragon Valor will prove to be at least moderately entertaining.

This is the worst football game on the Nintendo 64 since last year's version.

Hinging on a technological gimmick and the Pokémon license, the game falls well short of the standard set by previous Pokémon titles.

The same old Tomb Raider action.

The latest in button-mashing, a genre that lost its excitement eons ago.

Although slightly better than "NFL GameDay 2001," and we mean slightly, GameBreaker 2001 falls way short of our expectations because of its poor gameplay and spotty AI.

Marred by a dodgy interface, "Toy Story 2" nonetheless knows how to flex its might like a championship weightlifter.

The design leans far too heavily on passive, informational sequences rather than immersing the user in what is potentially an incredibly interactive environment.

Where this game excels, though, is the fast, fluid gameplay and the tight controls, which thankfully weren't changed, and which are enhanced by the analog controller.

A below-average game with little in the way of compelling gameplay.

Lame graphics, poor audio, and a definite lack of features once again reduce the beleaguered franchise to NIT status.

While certainly not a spectacular, original work of gaming art, The Grinch is a solidly done 3D platformer that effectively makes fun use of a well-known license.

A game that blends all the fun of a long tedious board game with the excitement of staring at a loading screen!

"Fighter Destiny 2" is not a total crime against humanity, but it's pretty close, and given the fact that it plays almost exactly the same as the dusty original, there can be no doubt that the fighting throne certainly doesn't go to this pretender.

A good diversion for bored cyber-deer hunters itching for diverse creatures that stalk back, but it's obvious that this series is falling somewhat behind the curve.

With sloppy controls, an uncomfortable camera, poor voices, and awful music, BLSC has little to get excited about, even if you're a hard-core "Toy Story" fan.

The problem is that unless you have the patience to put up with the AI's single-minded fighting style, for the most part you will find joy only in the two-player battles.

Despite the fact that Dinosaur boasts 12 full levels, each is pathetically short, not to mention extremely easy, usually only consisting of a couple of quick puzzles briefly interrupted by occasional fight sequences. Unfortunately, those are also short and terribly dull.

An Olympics-licensed title that could have been great is marred by a shoddy control setup and lack of production.

It goes where no Trek game has gone before -- and it should stay there!

If you consider yourself even a casual gamer, don't be enticed by the pretty box: tap the buttons in your mind and run far, far away.

This "Resident Evil" wanna-be falls flat on its undead face.

With all those freshly minted copies of "Madden 2001" on the shelves, there's no reason to pick up NFL GameDay 2001.

A terrible fishing game that sinks right to the bottom of the pond.

Despite its humongous selection of teams and clean-looking graphics, this version of Sony's college-hoops franchise is just as horrible as last year's "NCAA Final Four" on the PSX, thanks to lackluster, unbalanced gameplay and an incomplete control scheme.

While there are a few interesting spots and plot points, Evil Dead the game has managed to turn one of the most original and entertaining of all B-horror-film franchises into nothing more than a boring, uninspired, and pedestrian attempt to cash in on a license.

Run about? No. Run far, far away.

Even though Freestyle Motorcross's outlandish trick selection and arcade-style flair make it somewhat entertaining, the simplistic gameplay, poor graphics, and limited selection of riders simply don't make it compelling enough to belong in your library.

By far the weakest of the Sega Sports lineup.

Want to play volleyball? Go to the beach and stick to the real thing; this game sucks.

A surfing game that even the biggest poseur would classify as fairly bogus.

Oddly enjoyable for a few hours, but the fun runs out quicker than your AA guns' ammo.

No matter how much fun you had with the first game, this is one to avoid.