While it ultimately fails to be an easily accessible, helpful tool to teach the true novice how to play chess well, Majestic Chess is a well-made product that provides good competition for amateur players who aren't too serious about their game. [Dec 2003, p.142]

If Ubisoft can fix the slew of multiplayer problems, the company just might have a real classic on its hands. [June 2004, p.84]

Has that woefully underbaked, released-just-in-time-for-the-holidays taint to it, and that's just a colossal shame, because underneath that nastiness is a great, great expansion. [Mar 2004, p.78]

Myst V isn't a rosebud twist ending to the series but rather a distinguished, picturesque, and more-than-sufficient finale.

The new campaigns take advantage of a larger supported map size, allowing for longer and more complicated scenarios. [Oct 2003, p.117]

This year's model leaves you feeling like it's nothing more than one big, full-priced retail patch. [May 2003, p.98]

The humbling slam-dunk competition attempts to cement EA's street credibility but fails. It's just too unforgiving to be considered anything other than a flashy extra. [March 2005, p.77]

Forget what you learned in previous games, because it won't apply here. [Aug 2004, p.76]

If you have any inclination to explore the inner workings of business, Capitalism II has a lot to offer. [May 2002, p.86]

The pathfinding problems suck a lot of the joy out of this WWII tankfest. [Nov 2004, p.86]

This game looks great and its two play modes are fun. [August 2002, p.72]

Superb physics, killer graphics, and an agreeable price point. [Feb 2002, p.96]

After spending a few hours online scouring for a populated server or losing thanks to bad leadership, players will ultimately lose interest—and we'll be left to lament Savage's unrealized potential.

A deep game worthy of exploration and discovery - you'll just have to exhibit nigh-infinite patience with its glacially slow build-up and general unfriendliness. [Mar 2004, p.86]

EA Sports delivers an unprecedented level of control and innovation to PC baseball. [June 2003, p.105]

The makers of the well-received "Monopoly Tycoon" have created an entertaining sim - Vegas Tycoon gets the look and feel of Sin City just right. [Apr 2004, p.92]

A really good game hampered by the same pesky bugs and problematic A.I. as the original. [Feb 2004, p.78]

Everything is improved in what's still the coolest railroad builder around, but oh boy, you better love trains. [Apr 2004, p.85]

Dungeon Siege II errs by giving you way too much, all teh time... ultimately diminishing the impact of everything you do. [Nov 2005, p.92]

While it delivers a much better Vietnam combat experience than you might expect, the graphics can be problematic. [July 2003, p.76]

The least inspired "Jedi Knight" game yet still has some thrills. [Nov 2003, p.100]

At a high level and still playing? Grab it. At a low level or just thinking about playing? Skip it. [Feb 2004, p.81]

It distinguishes itself through its presentation, gameplay system, and a subject matter that's neglected in computer war games. [Apr 2005, p.90]

For kids, it's great. For adults, eh, not so much. [Aug 2005, p.78]

Battlefront gives fans a perfectly good way to act out their fantasies of being a grunt in either of hte series' wars. [Holiday 2004, p.82]

Provides solid 3D platforming action with some panache - and the occasional little graphics glitch. [June 2003, p.94]

A fun mix of strategy and role-playing, minus all the pencils and dice.

With the new AI and multiplayer features, Austerlitz finally does justice to what was a revolutionary game system. Sid Meier should be proud. [Nov 2002, p.129]

With some A.I. tweaks, flyable torpedo bombers, and various bug fixes, this game would be a sim junkie's dream. [Jan 2005, p.97]

The pacing seems a little off in this game, and to compound the issue, there's no in-mission save. [Dec 2002, p.120]

A good game, if not ground-breaking like the original. [Jan 2003, p.108]

I really enjoyed this game. The string of battle after battle can get a little tedious after a while, and the lack of any compelling story line keeps you from getting completely sucked into the game. But it's a great antidote for those who were disenchanted by "Magic." [Dec 2003, p.130]

The real bonus here is the campaign editor, which allows for the creation of linked campaigns. [Dec 2004, p.99]

Great for joystick jockeys who like their games tough and frantic. [Jan 2005, p.102]

Offers up the delight of "RollerCoaster Tycoon" with a historical bent and a sharp, colorful Asian edge. [Nov 2002, p.126]

Offers a great blend of combat and economic strategy. [Aug 2003, p.79]

Good game, but it's a warm glass of milk when you really wanted a shot of your favorite poison. [Dec 2003, p.128]

Just competent, not compelling. [Sept 2003, p.92]

I consider myself at least a competent player, but even on the lower difficulty levels I felt overmatched. [Dec 2002, p.130]

NHL 06's online features, combined with a great single-player dynasty mode, create a much more dynamic playing experience than 2005's. At last, offense takes center ice and defense moves from the blue line to the goal crease, where it belongs.

It balances an equal number of frustrating and appealing elements to create a love-it or hate-it experience. [Mar 2002, p.72]

It's a bit repetitive, and it should be about four times longer—an experienced prankster can finish it in a single afternoon. Other than that, this one is a keeper.

As it should be with an add-on pack, most are expert-level missions, but at least they start you out slowly. [August 2002, p.78]

A war game for casual gamers. [Jan 2005, p.88]

It has flaws, most notably unimpressive graphics and an agonizingly slow start, but it has everything that made "Privateer" great, and then some. [Mar 2002, p.84]

A definite improvement upon its predecessors and is loaded with playworthy features. The efforts to reach a wider audience are laudable; however, with the new features still in need of work, hardcore drivers should look elsewhere.

It's a maddeningly beautiful game filled with the tedium of being an observer more than a player. [Feb 2004, p.81]

A good game, but its convoluted interface, some minor bugs, and the lack of a detailed manual make it a tedious and frustrating game to learn for both old-school Europa fans and newbies alike. There are rewards to be had here—but you're going to need to put in some time to reap them.

An exciting mud-splattering ride, a comprehensive off-track world, and an approachable price point. [Jan 2003, p.126]

A seriously intended and well-made game and its heart is in the right place, but I got tired of it sooner than I expected. [May 2004, p.90]

The A.I. on both sides of the conflict is awesome; as the leader of the counter-terrorists, your A.I. pals will follow you and, in some cases, "take the point:" You can give them orders via the chat feature and they'll do things like camp on a bomb site or guard the bomb.

Exactly what you expect from a Total War expansion.

Delivers the best World War II real-time gaming experience to date. [Aug 2003, p.88]

Breaks no ground, but good old-school stuff with amazing graphics. [Jan 2005, p.100]

Call it a "StarCraft" homage, call it a "Starcraft" clone, Dark Planet is still a good, entertaining RTS. [June 2002, p.90]

Like the original ZT, the difficulty level involved in the gameplay is practically nonexistent. [Mar 2003, p.108]

You'd think jumping would be precisely tuned in a game about accuracy, but here, it feels like a crapshoot. [May 2004, p.85]

Fast-paced and graphically crisp, Space Interceptor is a good quick fix. It just gets old fast. [Feb 2005, p.88]

Fun, but it doesn't do anything groundbreaking. [Apr 2004, p.93]

Threre's little direction to help you along as you try to set up and run a league, and the interface is poorly designed at nearly every level. [Oct 2002, p.116]

The game is aesthetically stuck in the past, the single-player campaign is a typical helping of fantasy storytelling, and the multiplayer experience feels way too familiar. [Mar 2004, p.76]

A competently done city building game with nothing to set it apart from the crowd. [July 2003, p.80]

Decent combat system, good-looking engine, mediocre scenario design.

Despite the somewhat rough production values, Original War delivers interesting small-scale RTS action. [May 2002, p.81]

It's idiosyncratic but exciting in a way games like "EverQuest" aren't, and it's getting better... Shockingly good when you consider it was developed by a team of three people. [Oct 2003, p.124]

Just like the last Blitzkrieg. No, really. [Feb 2005, p.89]

Attack Squadron's high points are in the bomber missions...The immersion is excellent. [July 2002, p.76]

The biggest problem with Trade Empires is that the absence of everything except the trade engine makes the game seem unusually flat. [Jan 2002, p.100]

You'll sleep through most of the challenges, though, as your vampiric superpowers are so unbalanced that you'll cut a bloody path through the action in no time...even if you suck at these kinds of games. [Oct 2005, p.80]

Invisible War's mechanics are often repetitive and frustrating, but the choices you make are not, which helps keep things interesting even when you're unlocking yet another door with another multitool for the upteenth time. [Mar 2004, p.72]

Although the horror element here suffers from one-trick-pony-itis, I was, over time, compelled enough by the story to keep going-not just because I had to, but because I was kinda interested to see how things turned out.

Everything from basic commerce to trade has been significantly revamped. [Jan 2005, p.105]

Checkpoint placement is consistent only in its inconsistency. [Feb 2004, p.83]

The camera pans and zooms as it pleases, so keeping tabs on yourself is tough enough, let alone pretzel-bending into a stamina-boosting lotus stance while ducking baddies. [Jan 2006, p.103]

For casual gamers and casual Harry Potter fans - diehards may be let down. [Nov 2004, p.82]

Delightful, disappointing, and frustrating.

If you're looking for RTS writ large (and slow), TOD is worth checking out. [Apr 2005, p.89]

Unfortunately, this stellar tactical engine serves as the only highlight in a game with a lifeless campaign and enough technical problems to give Data a run for his money. [Mar 2003, p.100]

Despite the patient sneaking this game encourages, Contracts seems a little rushed. [Aug 2004, p.73]

In spite of any number of small improvements, the new game feels more stale and by-the-numbers than the first one. [Aug 2004, p.78]

Here in beats the heart of a classic.but casual simmers should wait and see if patches fix the problems.

Decent but dated, this is best for the die-hard Matrix fans who still believe. [Feb 2006, p.70]

It's never outright terrible. Which qualifies Big Mutha Truckers for some kind of best in breed award. [Sept 2003, p.99]

Unfortunately, the game shipped with its pay-to-play multiplayer unfinished and nonfunctional, so the only groundbreaking you'll do until that's fully completed is the kind that results from plummeting off cliffs.

The game was pretty fun—for about two levels. After that, MHPBMX began to feel way too repetitive. [Jan 2002, p.118]

The only thing missing from Ryzom's customizable battling, harvesting, and crafting systems is a lack of bothersome bugs. [Jan 2005, p.102]

The incessant clicking is reminiscent of, but nearly as gratifying as, using a retractable ballpoint pen. [Apr 2005, p.86]

I'll live with the skewed strikeout numbers and the other quirks, because there isn't a better game. [July 2002, p.70]

The AI, for both team and enemy, is absolutely atrocious. [July 2002, p.64]

Ultimately, Advent Rising shoots for the stars but barely breaks orbit. [Nov 2005, p.94]

MIT could use a few of this game's puzzles as its early admissions test, but Aura's still enjoyable overall. [Oct 2004, p.81]

All told, it's a solid and enjoyable game that should appeal to both business tycoon fans who want to focus more on their customers and fans of "The Sims" who want to play a more goal-oriented game. [Oct 2002, p.110]

The game's fast pace makes managing your turf a hectic, confusing ordeal. [June 2004, p.87]

In the played-out field of fantasy real-time-strategy games, SpellForce rises above the muck with ambition, a few original gameplay touches, and some truly spectacular graphics. [May 2004, p.80]

While I found the game a refreshing diversion from the usual slash-and-loot online fare I've become a little worn out on after years of play, I did find the heavy focus on interaction with other players to be too much of a good thing. [July 2003, p.82]

Planet Moon's Armed and Dangerous is "Kelly's Heroes" meets "Shrek" by way of Monty Python and Guy Ritchie. [Mar 2004, p.74]

It isn't a great game, but it's a decent challenge. [June 2002, p.87]

If only the camera system were half as responsive as the bad guys are. [July 2003, p.89]