Although the fundamental game is still outstanding, the lack of improvement and innovation in this year's edition is disappointing.

What maybe should have been "The ultimate 2D fighting game" winds up being little more than "Just another brawler."

Obviously dated, lacking the elaborate stories and special modes of many current fighting games. Still, the gameplay covers up the inadequacies in most respects.

Graphically the game is unequaled on the PSone, but things like poor scripting, painful voice acting and tired puzzle elements reduce the overall appeal significantly.

Fans of the original will enjoy the game, but there is the danger that this Hostile Territory will seem more like Familiar Territory.

The same flaw that haunts every other light gun game on the market. After an hour or so of practice, most gamers will be able to complete the game in just under twenty minutes.

The sense of style and visual creativity overcomes the game's shortcomings to make it a worthwhile play.

With an engaging story to complement the gameplay, it is only the game's problematic control and disjointed pace that keep it from scoring higher.

Delivers impressive graphics, audio, and smooth gameplay, but doesn't provide the same depth of gameplay as many other EA Sports titles. For the casual sports gamer, FIFA may be an entertaining, enjoyable title, but hard-core soccer fans could be left wanting more.

When you’re talking about a Miyamoto launch title, "pretty good" just won’t cut it.

Just as "Devil Dice" and "Intelligent Qube" showed that originality can still flourish in the puzzle genre, One Piece Mansion provides a welcome respite from the newest "been there, done that" version of Tetris or Bust-a-Move.

Likely to elicit plenty of "Oooohs!" and "Ahhhhs!" from your friends, The Bouncer simply doesn't have enough substance to satisfy diehard gamers.

A fine game, provided you don't mind a few patches of controller-hurling frustration.

Easy to get into and with a boatload of options, it provides a worthy alternative to the status quo, although hardcore ballers might scoff at the game’s arcadey nature.

Those who are easily frustrated will be turned off, but those who are willing and patient enough to spend some time to master this title will not be disappointed.

Though it has plenty of rough edges, the wacky cartoonish graphics and the bizarre sense of humor compensate nicely. Excessive loading is obnoxious.

Makes enough nods to the uninitiated that it is an accessible game, but at the same time it retains the depth that diehard NASCAR fans demand.

At times the game is a confusing mix between the real and the surreal, but the saddest truth is that this unique experience is over much too soon.

Some questionable AI problems (like weak goalies), horrendous sound, and some minor control issues disqualify this game from the finals.

Despite expectations, many gamers will find themselves disappointed by Oni's frustrating gameplay and lack-luster presentation. However, Oni is not a total loss, and succeeds at moving us one step closer to a true three-dimensional representation of classics like "Streets of Rage."

Much more than a straight forward port of the decent arcade driving game, Rush 2049 on the home consoles packs in vehicular combat and insane stunt driving for a pleasing combination of addictive gameplay formulas.

There's so much to like about Spy Hunter that it's a shame a few of the developers' design choices make it a chore to play through at times.

MX 2002 is on the good side of average, but it still doesn't stand out from the crowd.

Improvements over last year's version are few and far between, something of a disappointment considering Visual Concept's track record.

Great course diversity and a choice of four vehicle classes should motivate players to ignore the initial frustration and get to the good stuff.

Fast, fun and furious in small doses, but it wasn't made for prolonged exposure.

Unfortunately, the solid graphics, intricate track construction, and fairly tight controls fail to overcome cheap AI and a poorly balanced weapons system, relegating LTSR to the rental bin for all but the most devoted 'toon fans.

Although Seaman himself looks good, his bleak environment offers nothing to entertain the eyes or ears while you're waiting for evolution to happen.

Oozing with a creepy atmosphere and scary ambiance, this title is best described as a survival horror game played in first person, unfortunately the comparison also holds true for the control scheme, which is frustrating enough at first without the mouse to turn off most casual gamers.

A mindless shoot 'em up in every sense, and doesn't try to conceal that fact. If this type of gameplay appeals to you, give this circus a chance.

It's certainly a competent and fun game, but its appeal doesn't have a terribly long shelf life.

Excellent presentation and a well-implemented concept make the frequent frustration bearable, but a healthy dose of persistence is required to get the most out of this unique title.

The actual gameplay has changed imperceptibly in Mutant Academy 2, but six new characters and six new stages make it feel like a much more complete fighting game.

While GT2 adds more of everything -- cars, courses, even a rally mode and circuit -- it fails to improve the 2-year-old graphics engine or add any new gameplay features.

An above average effort on the PS2. Basically an enhanced port of the N64 sleeper.

The graphics are excellent (minus the very noticeable anti-aliasing issues) but the gameplay is analogous to driving a tank with broken treads.

Unfortunately, like too many EA Sports PS2 titles, the game feels like a polished-up version of an older PSX game, rather than an innovative new title.

Raw isn’t a bad game, it just needs more. More wrestlers, more moves, more options, more gameplay modes...

What set out to be "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" with bikes has turned into a pretty dull aping of the Pro Skater experience with numerous graphic and gameplay issues.

Think of this game as Tomb Raider Lite-it features a similarly obnoxious control scheme in a much cheerier universe.

A game that makes great strides in innovation, but fails to take the extra time and effort in polishing those innovations.

With bugs galore, shoddy fielding, and poor base running AI, ASB 2002 takes a step down from the series' legacy of excellence.

It is fun if you have friends over, but the single-player game is a chore.

B-Movie fans will enjoy the extreme gore and hilariously overwrought dialog, but those looking for genuine shocks will be sorely disappointed.

Featuring a well-developed storyline and numerous exclusive modes for this home version, Silent Scope 2 falters primarily when it comes to accurately targeting your enemies.

The game succeeds on so many levels that the flawed gameplay borders on tragedy. The only reason I felt compelled to play the game was to enjoy the graphics and sound, but unfortunately that isn't enough.

If you're a huge fan of the original Gundam series, this is your Game of the Year...On the other hand, if you're just looking for a fun game, Jaburo will likely bore you with snail's pace gameplay and frustrating missions.

If you are looking for a historical strategy sim you will be disappointed with Kessen's superficial treatment of military planning. But if you are seeking eye candy and a trite but entertaining story you'll likely be thrilled with this title.

If you're expecting Madden 2002 on the N64 to compare in any way, shape or form with the PlayStation 2 version, you're going to be sorely disappointed.

It plays a decent game of pigskin and isn't exactly harsh on the eyes, but with such clearly superior titles on shelves and on the way, it seems silly to lay your money down for anything but the best.

City Crisis won't rekindle interest in the genre, but it will eat up a few days of your time.

While some subtle improvements have been made, many of the game's original flaws remain, including lackluster gameplay and a dull story.

The thrills are as cheap and quick as the gameplay is shallow and you probably won't be playing it a month after purchase. That all sounds very negative, but above all else, arcade games are good fun, and so is WarJetz.

While the game perfectly captures the mood of the Evil Dead movies both graphically and aurally, poor control in combination with tedious combat makes playing this game a real chore.

Just another kart racer. It's really not interesting or fun enough to set itself apart from the million other kart racers on the market.

Without the fromping huge arcade cabinet, the steering wheel as big as your head and a few friends fighting over who gets to play next, it just isn't the same.

989 Sports should be pelted with sweaty towels for releasing a football game with so many glaring gameplay flaws. When the collision detection is so bad that players can literally run through their fellow athletes, you know something's dreadfully wrong.

In the end it's just a run-of-the-mill action game with few assets and lots of faults.

Unless you've got a thing for mediocre fighting games with half-animal women dressing in shamelessly whorish outfits, there's not much to see here.

It takes Tetris Attack and offers so little in the way of new material that it redefines the word "shameless."

While including enough varied modes of gameplay to set it apart from most RPGs on the market, Orphen's inconsistent presentation and oftentimes stale gameplay make it one of the Playstation 2's more forgettable launch titles.

Features fine graphics, a unique backstory, and atrocious controls.

What's the point of having 3D graphics if the gameplay doesn't even make an attempt to break into the Z-axis?

A leaden interface almost completely nullifies any enjoyment one might derive from this otherwise unique blend of action, adventure and puzzle elements.

A couple of the game's levels show some interesting design (the deck of a cruise ship and a hellishly unrealistic portrayal of New York as a post-apocalyptic wasteland), but the lack of real innovation in the game severely limits its lifespan.

A few scattered mini-games and some creative segments help to break up the been-there, done-that monotony, but still don't manage to extend the game's lifespan more than a couple of hours.

"If you've been crawling across a desert for a couple years before finding a drink, you'll swear that even the smallest, dirtiest drop of puddle water is nothing less than manna from heaven." Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a small, dirty drop of puddle water.

The graphics are really chunky and the sound effects are, at best, unobtrusive. Still, you don't necessarily play a game like this for the graphics. You play it for the hyper-cheezy commentary from Retired Sheriff John Bunnell and the modest thrill of keeping the peace.

Rampant slowdown exacerbates the already flawed gameplay mechanics, and the game can be played just as well with or without applying any amount of skill.

Unfortunately, the experience is horribly marred by a complete lack of replay value, which makes Virtua Athlete almost too short to qualify even as a rental.

Offers precious little new to the series, and is sorely lacking in inspiration. Namco has released a derivative knock-off of its own series.

Even the amazing graphics can't save the game from its shallow and poorly thought out gameplay.

A spiritual descendant of the Bushido Blade series, Kengo is a pretty bad game that doesn't live up to its fine heritage.

It's always interesting to have the option of being the bad guy, but truly bland gameplay and a relatively short quest sap the fun and make this a rental at best.

The pitcher-batter interface works well but an enormous list of bugs and flaws probably related to a shrinking development budget are just too much to bear.

An inferior adventure game compared to just about any of the Sierra or LucasArts efforts of the last decade. Unless you're one of the cartoon series' handful of fans, steer clear.

Slightly above average graphics, bland and repetitive gameplay and little to no innovation combine to make this arcade racer quite forgettable.

Gameplay is pretty shallow stuff, but it's also somehow more intense, and much more challenging, than recent games in the series.

Most of the time, it's duller than a bread knife, and even when it's supposed to be exciting, it's just tedious.

The absence of the sniper rifle peripheral, which made the arcade game exceptional, sucks the life out of this title.

Flawed controls and a counter-intuitive combat system just add to the overall frustration.

The visual effects in the game look amateurish, which compliment the wretched gameplay rather nicely.

The combination of uninspired settings, generic enemy designs, and spotty visuals makes Dragon Valor the very definition of a forgettable game.

A mixed bag of game design that's too complex for casual gamers and far too irritating for hard core RPG fans.

Presentation, however, cannot makeup for poor gameplay, something that Heavy Metal has in abundance.

Motor Mayhem has outstanding graphics and an impressive arsenal of weapons. However, the good stuff ends there.

A game that can only generate slight indifference.

All Sports Jam delivers are loose interpretations of one or two facets of all your favorite sports in one smallish game that grows tiresome after only a couple hours.

A grim reminder of how lackluster sequels and apathy can kill even a promising franchise.

The inspired concept is wasted by it's dull and monotonous gameplay, resulting in a disappointing game. While the graphics are great and the game is fun, the replay value is nearly nil.

Realizing that you have just spent 40 hard earned dollars on a game that is barely more enjoyable than reading a cereal box really takes the cake in terms of excruciating actualization.

Load times and boring mini-games will have this one appearing in the used game bin faster than you can say "ugh." It's my duty as a human being to warn all against even thinking about buying this game.

I've never read the novels this game is based on, and thanks to the suffering that I called playing Dragon Riders, I never will.

Murky, poorly defined graphics, an atrocious frame rate and terrible level design culminate to produce a title almost completely lacking in entertainment value whatsoever. Avoid like the black death.

Reaching into new depths of crappiness that few developers have dared explore, Konami has tried to hide a poorly-made PSone RPG in PS2 packaging.