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.