Featuring over 180 puzzles, easy-to-learn gameplay and some great extras -- including three cool multiplayer modes and the original arcade version of Ms. Pac-Man-- the return of the first lady of videogames is one that's impressive, if not quite triumphant.

The characters and the storyline are so superbly written, illustrated and realized that it'll be impossible for any RPG fan to not find something to like in Skies of Arcadia.

A mostly retrograde move -- less impressive in almost every aspect than the gems that inspired it. It's by no means the worst game we've played, but only the most rabid of Star Wars fans (of which there are plenty) should take this one for a spin... hover... whatever.

A surprisingly fun action game that doubles as a great multiplayer title as well as a mind-bending puzzle game.

So imaginative, colorful and funny that it serves to remind us how insufferably gloomy and witless most shooters are.

There are a few problems -- namely save points, the sometimes quirky interface and the occasional awkward control -- but as a whole, The Devil Inside is fun and stylish.

The two companies have succeeded in creating a good game but perhaps haven't reached their potential.

With its myriad bugs and lack of real multiplayer component, Jet Fighter IV is the sort of game that should have spent a few more months in the hangar.

In short, Monkey Island has amazing production value, great graphics, good comedy, and a compelling story.

Well, it sucks. There's really no getting around it. It has great ideas and some innovative design, but a horrible grappling engine and the worst collision detection ever seen in a wrestling title overshadow all of the good.

Perfectly walking the line between arcade racer and sim, it delivers fantastic, deep, engrossing racing action without the endless twiddling of a sim or the ridiculous control of an arcade racer. There are no weapons or powerups, either.

Poor AI, routine melee combat and unimaginative gameplay consign Rune to the hellish abode of the bored.

As dopey as the AI is, it really is a lot of fun to jump into a level where you know that you're completely surrounded and outnumbered and gun the hell out of everything that moves.

Prolonged exposure to this latest Bond adventure reveals that TWINE is, despite the gorgeous visuals and top-notch presentation, at heart a relatively shallow experience -- decent, but not quite good enough.

The games themselves look good and play even better, but only against other humans. It's just not fun to play minigames against a computer, no matter how well they're both programmed.

It's not a horrible game, but the one other pool game available at launch, "Q-Ball: Billiards Master," is just a tad bit better.

The golf ball "rolls" like a ping-pong ball on an air-hockey table...TW2001 slices into the rough when it comes to actually playing the game, and that's a shame, as nearly everything else is top-notch.

Whether standing on its own or against the legion of fine racing alternatives out there (from "Gran Turismo" to "Wipeout"), this is one racer we'll probably leave in the games garage.

Some incredible AI programming, a great sense of style, clever design and tons of replay value and you've got our new favorite puzzle game.

So clever in its conception and execution that we can't see anyone not finding its worth in least a few of the many delights it has to offer.

Never thought we'd have to say it, but this latest Army Men title is really pretty darn good.

Melodramatic dialogues precede and follow each fight, and they're handled with the same mildly illiterate aplomb as most anime translations -- meaning that they're longwinded, heavyhanded and occasionally unintelligible to all but the most diehard of fans, which is just how we like 'em.

The second incarnation of Jack is less than the first, but better than all of the others.

Hey You, Pikachu is bright and saccharine, the videogame equivalent of a "Brady Bunch" marathon with a pre-sugared cereal chaser.

Nothing on Dreamcast comes close to matching this game in terms of action and fun.

Some of the controls could have used some tweaking, the enemy AI tends to be pretty bland and, overall, we've done most of this before. However, it's got just the right mix of several other games with touches of originality, and it kept us coming back.

The few weaknesses come from repetitive gameplay in the single-player game, simplistic tactics that often boil down to "get 'em," and steep system requirements.

Ugly visuals and a much uglier framerate fail to bolster a lackluster stunt system that's neither visceral nor deep.

A passable shooter that will please Nintendo-owning fans of the genre, but it won't win any awards for originality, ingenuity or design.

Smoother than The Glide, bigger than The Diesel and cooler than The Iceman, NBA 2K1 is as about as good as basketball gets.

The multiplayer won't hold most people's interest for more than a few rounds, but the creative level design as well as the minigames will keep most platform fans munching to the end.

If you're a 500cc motorbike fan, you're all set, it's pure genius. Otherwise, this is a detailed, fun and addictive racing game with a twist.

Controlling the lethal moon buggy can be awkward, and there really is no depth to the game beyond shooting and driving, but there is plenty of fun to be had.

It contains an interesting and cleverly told story and takes great pains to build an atmosphere, then smashes the whole house of cards to the ground, violently, with a cheap cop-out ending.

Players who preferred last year's fast, arcade feel can boost up the speed in the options settings, but fans of more thoughtful, deliberate play will likely enjoy the challenge and pace of this year's iteration.

Beautiful graphics, huge courses, great multiplayer and infinite replayability round out the package to make this hands-down the best game on the PS2.

Featuring major improvements over last year's KK2000 -- including brilliant commentary and much improved player control -- this updated version is easily the best boxing game on the market.

Delivers on every level -- gameplay, graphics, sound and, especially, originality. Greedy as we are, we can only complain that there isn't even more goodness.

This version of Sarge's Heroes seems to be the most workmanlike, competent and graphically solid of the bunch.

It's fine for players looking for basic off-road action, but those looking for hardcore realism or arcade action should look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, this isn't the sort of game we want to play online or off.

Alas, KISS Psycho Circus just plain sucks.

This hastily assembled, disposable piece of plastic tries to surf, as it were, entirely on the cool little surfboard add-on that's used to control the rider, but it wipes out early and often.

This is a good pool game with lots to offer -- but it'll likely bore players pretty quickly.

The multiplayer is what really sets the game apart from most puzzle games, in fact, letting two people fight for space onscreen, pushing the separating line back and forth by performing combos.

It the best of the Olympic crop, but it still doesn't quite get even a bronze medal.

The original Dreamcast game blew us away, and there are so many improvements to this version it'd be impossible to list them all.

A fun, detailed and graphically lovely golf game that bodes well for future trips to the links on the PlayStation2.

But for sheer fun, there are a few games that can compete with Tony Hawk 2's excellent mix of tricks, bails and hidden swag.

Nice graphics and physics and a number of secondary features make for a satisfying ride, but it's ultimately lacking in the innovative thrills we've come to expect from Sony's highly hyped machine.

If you like Tekken then you have to have this, the most, biggest, best bag of Tekken so far. A droolworthy launch title.

If you're after a simulation and you like collecting and upgrading your cars, you might want to wait for "GT 3," but if you're after an adrenaline fix and a fun racing game, then look no further.

Although NHL 2001 is by no means perfect -- it lacks drop passes and give-and-goes, and is mysteriously missing the icon-based passing found in the PS1 version -- it is so visually spectacular and sound in fundamentals that we don't hesitate to recommend it.

While we all know that a life of crime ultimately doesn't pay, a joyride with the fresh and fast Smuggler's Run is rewarding through and through.

The graphics are very impressive, the sense of speed is downright frightening (especially when played from the cockpit of the car) and the graphics are an amazing amalgam of detail and functionality.

It's certainly not the game for everyone, but those of us seeking a slightly more sophisticated take on old-school beat-'em-ups will find many hours of blistering goodness.

There is no masking this one; it is, to mince no more words, a wonder.

TDVR stands out for a being a fun driving game that places its emphasis on fast action rather than hardcore realism.

This, as of right now, is the de facto standard in high-end golf games, and no golf-game fan should be without it.

An inexcusably shallow draw-in rate and the worst automap and world map combo ever seen in a modern RPG conspire to yank the coveted Direct Hit ranking away from what is, in all other ways, a stellar experience.

Uninspired graphics, technical flaws and a clunky interface leave it floundering in the channel.

An exhilarating first-person mech shooter, it has its share of shortcomings, but in some respects leaves Core's also excellent title in the dust.

"SSX" is a zany, fun and arcadey snowboard stunt-racer, and Konami's ESPN X Games Snowboarding is a realistic and beautifully presented simulator, one that will probably have massive appeal to hardcore snowboarders.

Lacking in gameplay and visual splendor, Evergrace doesn't do enough to provide a quality next-generation RPG experience.

Featuring dozens of challenging missions, a grueling tournament mode and an infinite number of customizable options for building, dissecting and re-working mechs, Armored Core 2 is gorgeous, challenging and thorough.

The gameplay is as expected -- slow, with a lot of exploration and some tough and sometimes frustrating enemies and puzzles.

Awful camera control and a dated engine ensure that, as thoroughly enjoyable as Legends 2 is, the series still has a ways to go before equaling the brilliance of its two-dimensional brethren.

An ugly, hollow mess that disgraces its storied predecessors in every way.

Fun, simple fun. And massive destruction. That's about it.

A pretty weak entry from Ripcord, Spec Ops II won't overly offend or overly excite anyone.

It's a gun game without a gun, and there's really no way to get past that one glaring omission.

Running at an unbeatable 60 FPS and loaded to the gills with impressive weaponry and unwary enemies, Timesplitters is the perfect FPS to debut with the PS2.

Jaw-dropping graphics. The level of detail on each player is almost silly.

Those who enjoy lackluster game values, cliched dialog and a motley collection of sophomoric characters will find this a competently produced title that won't be hard to get through.

X Squad was to be the first squad-based game on PS2, but its AI is so bad that it really becomes a basic third-person action title with only some nice effects and a huge weapons cache to show for it.

Decided it didn't want an in-game save function and forgot to add multiplayer, a skirmish mode or the ability to change the level of difficulty.

After a year of impressive Dreamcast titles, gamers have come to expect something more from their next-gen consoles, and the same shallow, flashy arcade games just aren't going to cut it.

From the moment this underwhelming title stumbles into action, gamers will be hard-pressed not to notice its painful mediocrity --CB2001 makes the annual SCEA father-son hackeysack tournament look like a paragon of x-tremity.

Gamers with a penchant for shooting, sneaking and protecting the free world will no doubt find plenty to love in this finely crafted, story-driven actioner.

This level is fairly fun and is one aspect of the game that keeps Andy MacDonald from being a huge, steaming pile of crap, instead making it passable into the realms of midsized steaming pile of crap.

An adrenaline-packed racing game with positive points that outweigh its obvious flaws, Demolition Racer is a game that most people will enjoy.

A must for shooting enthusiasts and fans of the disappearing light-gun genre, but is almost the perfect definition of a rental title to the rest of the gaming community.

Plenty of flash, spectacle and new features... but so little meat to carve a proper meal from.

The city-building series has been popular before, but we think Zeus has the potential to blow this series up big-time.

Those who haven't already bought a copy of it should promptly have their heads examined.

The recipe might be getting old, but what comes out of the oven is still plenty tasty.

Even with the supported keyboard and mouse, UT is only a good game that will become a great one once the PS2 heads online.

What's missing here, though, is seasickness, the smell of the sea, the heady aromas of bait and chum, the interminable wait for a nibble or bite, and the numbing frustration of a day of fishing when no fish show up.

Is EX3 the worst fighter we've ever played? Absolutely not -- however, its mediocre fighting engine and uninspired visuals are yet another example of a once noble series gone sour.

After the first half hour, however, we discovered that while the game does have some mindless aspects, it's a surprisingly fun action title with some worthwhile puzzles and even an intriguing storyline.

With just about every conceivable option for a basketball game available, Live 2001 is even better than last year's excellent effort.

Consider, if you will, a racing game in which it's not even necessary to touch the control stick while driving in order to finish a race.

We know it sounds weird and wild, but trust us, once you see the game in action you'll almost understand why it has, at times, totally dominated not only the Daily Radar office, but that of our parent company Imagine media as a whole.

It's the arcade mode that drives this game home, and even though it's as deep as a stack of good Jaguar games, it's still fun to play.

It's a must have for casual WWII air buffs and the hardcore as well, and fortunately has the distinction of being well worth having.

It's such a banal misuse of a popular franchise that its mediocrity really shines through.

Two parts "Wipeout" and one part "Mario Kart", combined with a feel all its own, make the newest Rollcage a winner across the board.

More creative minigames, a slightly higher difficulty level, superb level design and some of the best realtime graphics the PlayStation has ever seen all make Year of the Dragon a winner.