The tiny characters are vividly illustrated and animated with surprising aplomb, remaining remarkably expressive despite their diminutive stature.

Perhaps the most gorgeous, addictive and exceptionally challenging rally title ever to hit a home console.

A staggering achievement in video gaming -- not only building on its stunning predecessor, but actually eclipsing it.

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

Although almost ridiculously simple, "Virtua Tennis" is more addictive than chocolate-coated, sugar-frosted crack.

The Bottom Line: Brilliant.

A brilliant game that brings some much-needed variety to the PS2's lineup.

A great experience. It's as close to a perfect rendition of the D&D universe as we've ever seen.

Though in five years we will not look back on "Icewind Dale" as the game that changed the world, we will likely remember it as one of the most enjoyable RPGs we've had the pleasure to crack open.

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

UT fares better than "Quake III" in three of the categories: lag, amount of people allowed to play and levels.

Definitely a cut about the rest. Not only is it one of the best console-based strategy games of all time, it also shows a level of quality that is lacking in many PS2 titles.

If you're severely allergic to overly cute-and-cuddly games, take some Dramamine before heading off on Mario's adventure.

With a ton of options, gorgeous graphics running at consistently high framerates and plenty of tracks to choose from, the few niggling problems (like online lag and touchy controls) seem to slip away into meaningless babble in the heat of a close race.

This new version, in fact, is much the same as the ones of yesteryear. But since that means it still features great gameplay and some of the best multiplayer in existence, you won't hear us complaining.

Combining superb stealth gameplay with outstanding visuals and that crafty British humor, Chicken Run is more than worth crossing the road for.

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

Blizzard has scored again with an object lesson in polish, depth and sheer compelling playability.

If nothing else, Final Fantasy IX is a work of utterly sumptuous beauty, with gorgeous environments, jaw-dropping cut-scenes and detailed characters.

For a complete package of plot, style, depth and action, few games rival "Deus Ex."

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

It has improved graphics, better controls, smarter AI and a new momentum meter that adds to the drama.

Sega GT is a nearly perfect racing simulation that offers hundreds of cars, dozens of options and weeks of deep gameplay.

Even players who aren't die-hard fans of the shooter genre will enjoy the game, if they give it a little time to grow on them.

MLS again uses that classic fluid passing game found in all the previous Konami soccer titles. The controls, which use the Japanese configuration, are responsive and logical and designed to keep the pace of the game loose and fast.

Those with the ultimate system and mad teamplay skills will eat this up, though; it's a triumph of teamwork, dynamic gameplay and some serious strategy.

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.

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.

A fast and fun hockey game that gives you all the options, modes and action you could want from a hockey game.

One of the coolest and most absorbing games we've played all year.

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.

Everything about the game is fun and everything about the production value says quality.

With only a few camera issues to stomach and a raised eyebrow given to the level of difficulty (especially in later stages), Ecco's 25+ stages of fluid, gorgeous gameplay show it has the brawn to back up its beauty.

Although it doesn't make full use of Sony's new 800-pound gorilla, it does have spectacular and colorful graphics, ingenious level design, a wonderful cast of characters and an enormous game world to explore.

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

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

So vastly improved over its predecessor that it easily wrests away the title of "Best Football Videogame of All Time" and easily scores a direct hit.

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

We predict with confidence that Excitebike 64 will go down in gaming history as the best motorcycle game ever.

Oh yea, oh yea, glory hallelujah -- this is the game we've waited so long for.

The best wrestling game ever made and one of the best games ever to appear on the N64.

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

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

One of the most compelling, beautiful and impressive pieces of code we have played in a long, long time. It is also insanely addictive.

Colorful, fun, hopelessly addictive and a great way to introduce others to videogames.

Innovation, game play and design are blended in near-perfect measures, resulting in a game that's such a delight to play that I'm already begun working our way through it for the second time.

It's Number One, baby! Hi, Mom!

The fact remains that if you want to own the best possible basketball game for the PC, this is the one to get. The graphics are, as usual, simply spectacular, and the production values, from the snappy menu system to the hip-hop timeouts, are the best in the business.

The best $20 computer game we've ever played.

Another excellent addition to the series, a great example of pure pinball simulation.

Dance games will probably never get any better than this.

It's as if Michaelangelo came down, picked up an already beautiful painting and made it a masterpiece.

The best adventure game in years. That's one of the easier ways to describe The Longest Journey. It's also the longest, the most rewarding and the most mature.

There are a few weaknesses with the collision detection, but on the whole "Tenchu 2" is gripping, sleek and cool.

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.

Let's start by clearing up the silly notion that Fear Effect 2 is the games equivalent of a skin flick, shall we?... Creative, deep and addicting, Retro Helix is one of the best action adventures we've ever come across.

Luckily, the lame story is the one glaring flaw in an otherwise stupendous role-playing game.

This is the most beautiful fighting game ever to grace a home console.

When we're this in love with a game about silly four-wheeled pleasure machines for the suicidal, you can bet something really special is going on.

Even though the graphics are almost identical to the last version, everything else has been upgraded enough to make this sequel better than last year and, by default, the best racing game of all time.

The MOST FUN 2D fighter game of all time.

With near-perfect control, a great new hip-hop soundtrack, several new characters that weren't in "Double Impact" (including perennial favorite Chun Li) and the best 2D animation we've ever seen in a fighting game, this game is certainly the business.

An outstanding title that can do it all.

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.

FIFA 2001 may not be revolutionary in gameplay or depth like Madden, but it's revolutionary in terms of graphics -- and it brings home the ultimate vision of soccer game creators better than any game before it.

The ability to control, design, influence and sometimes destroy the lives of little virtual versions of ourselves is mysteriously engrossing.

While its direct competition is the Dreamcast's "Virtua Tennis," those who pass up this one because of cutesy characters and backgrounds will miss out on one of the best games for the system, hands down.

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.

This is the type of game that mothers hate.

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.

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

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

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

Easily the most realistic, and definitely one of the most fun, fighting games to ever come along.

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

Both the graphics and the driving model are spot-on, but the game is also full of great new ideas, like a time of day setting that corresponds to the internal clock of the Dreamcast, a fictitious car stereo that lets you "make your own CDs" and a brilliant point system.

This one has it all -- an innovative combat interface, a sweeping story and some of the most gorgeous graphics seen in a PSX RPG. Quite simply, it's a must-buy for any console RPG fanatic.

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

Madden 2001 passes the competition to become the best gridiron title on the N64.

It's aimed towards a younger market, but the visuals are good, the controls are great and the game manages to elicit more endearment out of The Phantom Menace than a crate full of unwanted plush Jar Jar dolls.

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.

Great graphics and animation, plenty of nifty features and delightfully freeform racing make for a solid package.

Each cutesy character speaks a cheery sort of gibberish, and gameplay is littered with enough bleats, chirps, hums and nonsensical exclamations to gag a deceased goat.

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.

Gamers weaned on massive combos and flashy pyrotechnics will most likely find themselves fidgeting, but we've got a suspicion that plenty of PS2-owning gamers out there are looking for a fighter with finesse -- not just for fans of the genre, Kengo fits that bill quite nicely.

While there's nothing included that will crack the Earth with its monumental importance, it's certainly nice to know that the same old, same old has been presented with a nice, new bow.

Breath of Fire IV is no exception, compensating for its minor narrative and graphical flaws with watertight gameplay and a huge helping of old-fashioned role-playing charm.

While the game's nothing less than explosive, it's quite quirky, too -- strange characters, stranger situations and an unusual emphasis on fruit make this... well, the fruitiest shooter we've seen in some time.

With great gameplay comes a great game.

A good game on basically all accounts, Charge 'N Blast brings adreline-pumping, arcade-style insanity back to the Dreamcast.

There are a few problems here -- failing to solve a puzzle means having to repeat an entire level, for example -- but the majority of Shadow of Destiny is excellent.

For the devoted, F355 Challenge is the closest videogames have ever come to reproducing the experience of driving a single car.

The magic of "StarCraft's" expertly designed strategy glows brightly enough to blind you to its few inadequacies.

Beautiful to watch and entertaining to play, the game will draw you in and make you feel connected to your onscreen personas like few others. Serious sim fans should definitely give this game a test flight.

Inventive and exciting with its flaws safely buried in the adrenaline rush.

It's innovative, intuitive, engaging and, best of all, comes jam-packed with action that's fast, furious and totally fresh. It's the first genuine opportunity for anime fans to bring their robotic dreams to life.

For those with the drive and the patience, though, Superbike 2001 is, hands down, the best motorcycle simulator available for the PC.

Coupled with the nearly perfect atmospheric music and sound, the game does have its moments of true fright.