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

Here’s a lesson in elegant game design...as pure and enjoyable a game as any in the GameCube launch lineup.

A puzzle/action game with depth, humor, and charm.

The control is perfect. Deathmatch standards like circle-strafing are a snap, and pretty much every common FPS convention from crouching to secondary fire functions is supported here.

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.

With its frantic pace and gorgeous visuals, it’ll have everyone in the room clamoring for a shot at the action.

Once you grow accustomed to the style of play you will be treated to a racer with depth and a remarkable presentation.

MGS2 includes all kinds of incentive to play the game again and again, including the new collectable "Dog Tag" feature, but to be honest the real replay value lies with the beauty of the game.

The best soccer game available. Despite the control flaws and graphic blemishes this game is a marvelous presentation of soccer, albeit slightly watered down for the masses.

The graphics and sound are excellent, but the most constricting drawback is the extremely long gameplay-disrupting load times.

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

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.

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

The incredible versatility of the gameplay, coupled with stellar sound and visuals, make this game nothing less than sheer bliss on a DVD.

Features the same ingredients that made the original delightful, but with new villains and a well thought out story.

The awe inspiring graphics, excellent music, intuitive gameplay, and replay value round out an excellent game that will rival "Metal Gear Solid 2" as game of the year.

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.

The slammin' soundtrack and an engaging trick system overcome a somewhat inconsistent framerate to make Kinetica more interesting than most its competitors.

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

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

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.

If you like F1 games than you will cherish every moment spent with this title.

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

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

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 most serious complaint comes from a lack of options...Despite this, Guilty Gear's aesthetic beauty and rich gameplay are more than enough for fighting fans.

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.

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

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.

While Silent Hill 2 retains the same basic format of the original, the story is decidedly more coherent and the graphics have been upgraded immeasurably.

Simulation junkies might be turned off by the exaggerated goal scoring, comical commentary and cute gimmick cameras, but a bevy of gameplay options can remove all such tom-foolery from the game.

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

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.

Whether you're new to the series, thoroughly sick of it, or can't wait to get back to raising monsters, this game has the capability to surprise, amaze and enthrall you.

When taken as a whole, Ico provides one of the most compelling and emotionally resonant experiences to be had on the PS2.

The hardcore will find this game irresistable, once again foregoing sleep and a social life in the never-ending quest for peace, love, and a +99 Red Pistol.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

If you're a recluse, you must get online access, as the online play is amazingly enjoyable.

It's got all the qualities that made people love the genre in the days before the PlayStation, plus a nifty battle program and some impressive anime videos to boot.

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.

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

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

XG3 features a thrilling sense of speed which more than makes up for a dull soundtrack and unoriginal environments.

The handling is drastically better than it was on the PSone, but horrendous anti-aliasing issues, draw-in, and loading times are still present.

Gadget Racers makes itself infinitely more accessible than the intimidating Gran Turismo games, and therefore a wonderful racer for the rest of us.

Little more than a slightly enhanced port of an already excellent game.

In spite of a few omissions, Another Age is near exactly the expansion that gamers were looking for.

From player ratings, to defensive-back AI, to ball physics, they've made a lot of smart adjustments to the game that may go unnoticed by many gamers, but are a joy to discover for savvy football gamers.

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 fine squad-level strategy RPG and one of the last excuses you'll have to spend 30 or 40 hours with your PSone.

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.

Sega has basically taken their arcade property, which by itself was very limited in depth, and has notably enhanced it for the home market.

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.

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.

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

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

Oh sweet mother of mercy, this is why I picked up a joystick in the first place. Klonoa 2 is as close to a flawless game as I've ever seen.

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

An outstanding game, with excellent gameplay and a deep set of features. Finally, the PS2 has a genuine A+ sports title.

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.

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

But for all its other qualities, the one element that elevates Gran Turismo 3 to instant classic status is the incredibly addictive career mode.

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.

The story isn't gripping, and the combat grows wearisome, but the game's strength - its ability to make you feel like you really are a part of Gothos - makes for a worthwhile experience.

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

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

Sit this collection on the shelf beside Final Fantasy Anthology and you'll happily own some of the best RPGs ever made.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

A fantastic game with an at-times atrocious camera system. Nevertheless, an incredible amount of extra features are more than enough to keep Sega's latest in the 'A' range.

A breath of fresh air in a market saturated with generic driving and shooting titles.

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

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.

The game could be handy to a dedicated user, but the complexity of the design is going to drive those with only a casual interest away.

An adeptly designed adventure game that effectively combines elements of several other titles into a highly entertaining - if imperfect - package.

Slightly improved graphics, thoughtfully designed new cities, and two new gameplay modes make CT2 feel more like an add-on than a full sequel. Still, it's an add-on to one of the Dreamcast's best games.

A bland storyline is the only thing keeping Red Faction from greatness. Nearly every other aspect of the game shows polish: sound, graphics, weapons, even a fun multiplayer mode.

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.

While CB 2001 isn't exactly up to the standards of some other titles on the market, for anyone interested in extreme sports titles, it's well worth a try.

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.

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

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.

Some of the mini-games are pretty bad and the single player mode is still not worth trying, but on the whole this is a very enjoyable game.

Old school sadists will love the ongoing screen-filling barrage of enemy fire, but most mortals won't have the persistence needed to finish the game.

It's just plain awful. Even the most rabid of KISS fans would do well to avoid this piece of junk...Squeeze all you want; there's no possible way you could wring even a drop of enjoyment out of KISS Pinball.

Full of eye-candy and finger-blistering, non-stop action, Silpheed will please any shooting fan.

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.

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