Provided you keep the sound on mute, pump up the resolution, and have a few hours to spare, this is decent down-home motor madness, served the finger lickin' way.

Despite the excellent manual, the cumbersome interface and maze of data make it seem more like a first draft of the future than mission accomplished. [Sept 2005, p.56]

In short, X is a fairly good game that could have been great. With more missions, a better flight model, and better pacing, it might have dethroned "Elite." As is, it joins a long line of games like "Privateer II" that entertain but leave you wanting more.

Parallel Lines proves that effective story-telling sometimes makes up for mediocre gameplay. [July 2006, p.87]

The gamplay is pretty standard fare. [March 2005, p.78]

Battle Out of Hell isn't an essential expansion, but it provides some good practice and motivation to try to unlock everything on some of those original levels. [Feb 2005, p.62]

It remains hampered by somewhat soft physics, outdated season information, and the absence of an online multiplayer mode. [Jan 2003, p.77]

While you need to babysit your smoke-jumpers a wee-bit too much, the topic is interesting enough to make this more than just a curiosity. [Jan 2005, p.79]

It's overcooked and to slick, through redeemed by the sheer quantity of stuff you can do. [Dec p.90]

It's a lot of clicking, looking at things, tweaking routes, and clicking a little more, and as with most of these types of games, is oddly compelling in an Excel spreadsheet kind of way.

Stylish and interesting, but still in need of some animated substance. [Feb 2004, p.66]

Scenario design in the new campaigns is overly reliant on puzzles. [Oct 2003, p.95]

Hamstringing Jedi and spaceships to accommodate a medieval, land-based combat system was the easy way out—a capitulation.

All of the changes make Railroads! less of a strategy game than a toy with extra challenges. [Jan. 2007, p.50]

The AI in the aging "Half-Life" was better; the sond in "Medal of Honor" blows this away; and the cut scenes and exposition in the "No One Lives Forever" series leave this in the dust. [Apr 2003, p.68]

It's still over too quickly, and there's little explanation why you're running around these ruined buildings beating up drug addicts. [Sept. 2006, p.76]

Doesn't come through with enough swashbuckling, ship-boarding flair. For all the many improvements in this sequel, it still has many of the same fundamental problems of the first game. [July 2003, p.74]

The geography is often stunning and shows a flair for the otherworldly that puts the more expensive landscapes of "Star Wars Galaxies" to shame. [Jan 2004, p.68]

While it's great to see it return to the PC after a three-year absence, it doesn't reach the heights of previous editions. [Feb 2003, p.67]

While the writing is more polished this time around, the dialogue remains inconsistent in voice. For every dramatic moment, there's a completely out-of-place near-verbatim take on "Monty Python,' or a silly inside joke. [Aug 2004, p.58]

It's viscerally fun, it actually looks and sounds pretty good, and in 15 minute spurts, it's as entertaining as many 3D shooters. [Oct 2002, p.81]

The game could have been stellar, but it falls flat in one critical area. You never, ever hit a ball out.

If directing your armies around Napoleonic Europe with somewhat abstract Quick Combat resolution gets you excited, you can pretty much overlook all the other problems. [Oct 2005, p.70]

It's a virtual, and literal, bummer. SimGolf is a fantastic game, by far Meier's most playful project to date, marred by all-too typical PC game glitches.

It's crazy, but there's something that keeps you coming back even when you think you'll be bored watching ships being built or exploring for mineral deposits. [Mar 2004, p.82]

One of the most user-unfriendly sims ever committed to ones and zeros. [Apr 2004, p.67]

The game is shockingly deep; in fact, it rivals the sheer volume of "stuff" found in most sports text games. [Aug 2004, p.71]

Though only the second installment, this feels more like the "Return of the Jedi" of the Battlefront franchise than "The Empire Strikes Back." [Feb 2006, p.52]

Quotation forthcoming. [Mar 2006]

With its jazzy score and terrific art design, it's a sublime bit of style over substance. With most games seemingly afraid of not being generic, that goes a long way. [May 2006, p.93]

By the end, even if you've blasted your way through the entire game in under ten hours, you get a strange sense of years having elapsed not far removed from an absinthe hangover. [Aug 2004, p.54]

When matched up against the complexity and challenge of similar PC titles like "TRON 2.0," the compromises made in the name of console game design are painfully evident. [Mar 2004, p.67]

A meaty, critic-proof must-buy for any Galaxies subscriber. [Oct 2005, p.83]

an arcade game masquerading as a simulation. [Dec p.63]

New passing and tackling models are nice, but soccer fans deserve the same features—career mode, AI sliders, computer trade AI, detailed stat tracking, and so on—that nearly every other EA Sports game possesses.

Quotation forthcoming. [Jan 2005]

Nintendo sweetened the pot with what feel like dozens of mini-games, and you're liable to find two or three that can hold your attention. [Sept. 2006, p.81]

It has the setup, but its drab, by-the-numbers execution lacks any flair.

Nightlife merely gives you new places to do the same old thing. [Dec p.62]

It just plods along in mediocrity from start to finish, smiling contently all the way. And there's nothing innately wrong with that. There just isn't anything innately right with it either. [July 2004, p.58]

Takeda's strength lies in its handling of the nuances of combat. Leadership, morale, training, tactics, and other factors all come into play.

The result is a fast, flashy exercise in steering, shooting, and squinting. [Dec p.93]

It appeals to a man's primal (well, juvenile, at any rate) need to blow stuff up, that part of the pre-adolescent male psyche that puts fireworks in model airplanes, melts GI Joes, and burns down popsicle stick cabins.

Despite the surface problems, there's a lot of real depth to Soldiers of Anarchy – just kitting out your team can take almost as long as a mission itself. [Feb 2003, p.71]

If there is a patch by the time you read this, and you're the type who pegs the name Peter Johnson as a redundancy, then you'll probably get a kick out of it.

The kind of design innovation that could make this game great, yet ends up demonstrating the game's schizophrenia. [Jan 2006, p.56]

There are better, more challenging alternatives out there for just $10 or $20 more.

The plot isn't thick enough to block candlelight, and the cut scenes that litter each mission are somewhat problematic...Thankfully, the strategic elements are far more engaging.

It's like scoring with a random co-ed after a night spent projectile vomiting with your frat buddies. [Dec 2004, p.89]

If they could have made it into the underpinnings of a stronger combat system, perhaps the other areas of the game where they played it safe wouldn't have seemed so grossly rehashed. [July 2005, p.88]

It's missing the polish of the games from that era, and it eventually succumbs to a samey sameness. But until it reaches that point, it satisfies the need for speed and shotguns. [May 2006, p.92]

It feels like exactly what it is: a small and perhaps insignificant part of something much larger and(hopefully)more interesting. [Sept. 2006, p.57]

While it borrows heavily from the "Baldur's Gate" bag of tricks and has a few rough edges, it's still worth a look.

While the game's multiplayer is truly innovative, it seems to come at the expense of the solo game.

Although there's a lot of new content, it's concentrated almost solely in the Atlanteans. [Dec 2003, p.90]

It has one basic concept, which it runs into the ground. You'll be doing a lot of the same things over and over through the game's three locales, and it's liable to get boring after a while.

May have been the first game to blaze the "stealthy action" trail, but the irony is that more recent PC offerings (such as "Thief") have since done it better, which leaves this port showing its age.

You'll get your dozen hours of fun out of Bookworm Adventures, but you'll want to go back to "Bookworm" for more serious wordplay. [Mar 2007, p.70]

For casual adventure fans, it's a decent alternative to some of the more graphic murder-mystery games, such as last year's superior "Still Life". [Sept. 2006, p.76]

The action is still highly distinctive fun, though, and for those in search of a challenge, Aquanox 2 definitely comes through. [Jan 2004, p.85]

A solidly entertaining stealth game, but its emphasis on puzzle-like level design, and an unforgiving difficulty level makes it as frustrating as it is entertaining. [June 2003, p.82]

The series still sims seasons faster than any other game out there, making it a quick and entertaining play for wannabe Billy Beans. [Aug 2005, p.79]

Forget technology trees - this game has a technology forest that spans 17 pages. [Sept 2002, p.85]

While Earth 2150 clearly takes its inspiration from the best of the RTS breed, it fails to establish any identity that is clearly its own.

It tries almost nothing new. It's like a K-Tel greatest hits album. Yeah, sure, you've heard these songs a million times, but they're all good and it's nice to have them in one place.

If you played the original, expect more of the same real-time tactical gameplay with a few new units to use along wthe way. [Sept 2004, p.75]

All that appeal is present in Legend, but it's attached to only half of a brilliant game. And in the end, half of a new Lara Croft game adventure turns out to be better than none at all. [July 2006, p.55]

The armored Task Force engine is one of the most complete, and completely baffling, systems in modern computer wargaming[sic]. [Dec p.63]

There aren't many gameplay variations, but it's a nice, colorful diversion. [Feb. 2007, p.74]

It's a brilliant toy but also a jumbled mishmash of original ideas and mundane gameplay that fails to deliver a cohesive single- or multiplayer experience.

Unlike most of the dregs of the genre, however, School Tycoon keeps its tongue planted firmly in cheek, and presents a slightly bizarre and weird little world for your gaming enjoyment. [May 2004, p.63]

The game oozes style, with high quality sound and nifty visuals that make it a simple matter to know at any time what weapon you've picked up, what your current ranking is, and which players are nearby.

Advanced Naval Warfare is not for rookies reared on rollover tooltips, but even seasoned salts will require a bit of time to get reacquainted. It's still an impressive and compelling game; it's just badly in need of modernization. [Oct. 2006, p.71]

Taken purely as a game, Getting Up works. But whoa, its message is a mess. [May 2006, p.49]

If you are entertained by style alone, this game may be right up your alley. If you also want truly challenging puzzles and combat that rewards creativity, however, you may be a bit disappointed.

It's overcooked and to slick, through redeemed by the sheer quantity of stuff you can do. [Dec p.90]

A game that solidly hits its clone-ish objectives but seldom elevates itself to anything more than a fun-and-frantic, click-y time killer. [Feb 2006, p.65]

It's just not particularly inspired. It's also amazing how much licensed cars are missed. [Oct 2003, p.85]

The second game in this box, the multiplayer Splinter Cell, is as bold as the single-player is mediocre. [July 2004, p.60]

There are few games with such radical swings from "amazing" to "sadistic." [Jan 2004, p.64]

Short but endearing. [Sept 2005, p.57]

Like far too many other sequels, the game doesn't live up to the expectations its predecessor set forth. Though it is well produced and solid, most adventure veterans will probably find themselves wishing for a little more "Circle [of Blood]" rather than such a straightforward Sword.

The limited campaign, awkward interface, and other niggling issues result in a gme that even sim fanatics will have to work to like. [Nov 2005, p.71]

Spartan's 3D battles look great, and the freer camera control give you a new perspective on hoplite warfare. [Sept 2004, p.74]

While most games have you fighting zombies, this one puts you squarely in the rotting feet of one Edward Stubblefield, who one day finds himself slightly undead. [Mar 2006, p.53]

The problems [including the lack of an intermission save feature] are a shame, because they tend to overshadow what is really a very good game.

For longtime fans of the series there simply isn't enough new stuff to get excited about, however, and for every improvement there are missing features and lingering problems that drag the game down.

The potential is there for something much greater. The magic just doesn't quite happen. [Oct 2004, p.86]

Since this is largely a pure math game, the AI can be brutal. [June 2005, p.56]

Super Princess Peach...an unremarkable platformer that plays like an introduction to the genre. [Jun 2006, p.91]

Superb visuals still impress despite their age. [Jan 2003, p.73]

Even though the Steve Saleen Styling Studio is a disappointment, there's enough entertaining racing to make a few nights fly by.

However, the puzzles are downright asinine, suffering from illogical design and poor execution. [Mar 2007, p.72]

It's best suited for those who are already familiar with "Warhammer", as there is a lot here to make a diehard grin from ear to ear. [Feb. 2007, p.60]

Patches are in the works (one was available shortly after the game shipped), and fans are already modding the game to make the Dynasty mode actually work. [July 2004, p.63]

The armored Task Force engine is one of the most complete, and completely baffling, systems in modern computer wargaming[sic]. [Dec p.63]

You’re not likely to be that disappointed with Traitors Gate, but then again the entire experience isn’t likely to become something you’ll cherish, either.

An amazing bargain, particularly if you like the idea of exploring a dynamic universe and don't mind filling in a few gaps with imagination while you live the Captain Kirk fantasy. [July 2004, p.67]