The intensity of the experience and the thrill of planning and executing a smooth tactical assault are well worth the price of admission.

City Of Heroes is a breath of fresh air, and a hell of a lot of fun to play. By building on this initial framework, COH has the potential to grow by leaps and bounds.

The game world is huge and the developers have done a wonderful job of making each area in the game very unique. I am constantly looking forward to visiting a new zone and discovering new adventures.

Just like all of the best Nintendo games, the more you play F-Zero X, the more you'll appreciate its subtleties. It may not impress you at first glance but I can assure you, this cart is packed with gold.

Currently the high water mark for the PS2.

If you were one of the ones that sobbed every time "Return to Krondor" was delayed, you'll go through Wizardry like an adult going through their childhood home. In some ways, it's a piece of living history.

Rumble Racing really is all about pin-your-noggin-to-the-headrest-and-flatten-your-cheeks speed.

It’s a rare game that gives you the feeling of being a small cog in a giant war machine. An important cog, for sure, but the world doesn’t end just because you’re not in it anymore. Somehow, that says a lot about how realistic and immersive this game is.

Even hardcore sim-nuts won't have any quality issues with Tropico; it's the less-experienced who will find themselves initially bewildered, even with the talky tutorial--there's just a lot of detail here, and Tropico seems to take for granted that players know the city-sim drill.

Terrific music and sound effects make this one of the best-sounding computer games released this year. Human screams and primal alien/predator screeches are done very well.

It's idiotic. It's also pulse-pounding, addictive, cartoony, loud and grating, and essentially engineered to lay the audio/visual Stigmata on mom and dad hard if they happen to be in the same room trying to read US News & World Report.

The defensive controls for World Series Baseball have to be the best out there, bar none.

If the game was not so brilliantly presented with such rich characters, story and astounding art and voice-work (best voice-work to date in a videogame), you would probably take more notice of the simple and boring adventure elements (go here, go there, find this, talk to that person...), and the too-heavy reliance on melee combat, and the constant battles, and the frustration of having to take two steps back to level up before being able to take the all-important third step forward in a world.

Aside from these minor graphical niggles, the game does look mightily beautiful and plays smooth as glass, even in splitscreen multiplayer mode.

One of the coolest things about Fable is how your character's abilities and appearance change based on your choices. If you've been good, you'll look pure and sweet and innocent. If you've been bad, you'll look like you're touring with Marilyn Manson.

It's Kubrick's "The Shining" to most other developers' "Scream 2," and it's the kind of game to play alone, in the dark, with the back door open and a dose of prescription medication in you.

Perhaps the best party game for the PS2 out there.

The gameplay is truly a remarkable achievement... Aesthetically pleasing, lots to do, lots of options, lots of ships and weapons to buy, and a great story. Sounds good to me.

To say that the Snowspeeder freak in me is satisfied with this game would be an enormous understatement. This is one hell of a fulfilling interactive experience that plays and plays and plays.

It's funny, dramatic, mysterious, and full of satisfying moments. I find it's a great game to work out some frustrations on. Just picking up a bat and wading into a crowd of moaning, shambling monsters is a wonderful stress reliever.

What the franchise loses in the transition from console to handheld, it makes up with intuitive control and the best multiplayer the DS has to offer. You'll be playing this one for a long time.

It’s very frustrating, and enough to make more sensitive gamers nauseous. You’ll get angry and start swearing at the TV.

Turok's flashy stuff notwithstanding, it is the game's incredibly rich and complex level construction and enemy AI that will keep your heart pounding and the sweat beading until the very end.

Keep the same great game play but throw in more innovation next time please.

SimGolf does manage to provide a game that is especially simple to play and continues to be fun long after you've managed to turn a profit.

Its mists, textures, particle blood sprays and lighting make it the best-looking shooter on the PlayStation 2, and maybe even a competitor for best-looking overall game.

The game is chock full of innovations, yet retains the addictive play of its predecessors.

The replay value of Shogun: Total War is immense.

Solid and extremely stylish (if unrevolutionary) RTS gaming.

The save game system and the control scheme add to the difficulty more than they should.

Comic book fans will love how the game faithfully adapts the experience of being the Hulk, and people who have never even picked up a comic will enjoy the wanton destruction the players are capable of wreaking.

It doesn't have the enormous depth of play that some of the auto racers modeled on "Gran Turismo" have, with hundreds of vehicles and upgrades to collect and keep you playing, but it provides the most exhilarating and intense races anywhere.

Story and characters are excellent. Their personalities and motivations come through easily without a lot of overdone angst.

Titles such as "Etherlords" have blown the genre open, and in comparison Disciples II seems markedly dated.

In a game already so dark and visually menacing, the Xbox gives the phrase "jumping at your own shadow" a whole new shade of meaning.

The physics model of Train Simulator is quite simply dead-on. Your biggest enemy is derailment. There are all sorts of ways to derail a train when you drive it badly.

The game's artwork is simply astounding, and the play is fun, and the only little knocks against it are that gameplay tweaking options are very limited and the commentary gets a little tiresome.

Doesn't really add a whole bunch of new twists to the WipeOut-elegance we've known and loved since 1995 but you can't deny that the game is an extremely fast-paced, action-stuffed, super slick interpretation of the experience we found on the seminal PlayStation discs.

As good as it gets when it comes to platform games. I even like this game better than "Super Mario Advance."

I'm not quite ready to show off my mad dance moves at the arcade just yet, but I've been having a blast playing DDR Konamix.

A great game with high replay value. This Square-Enix title will satisfy even the most hardcore RPG fans with its innovative gameplay and many features.

A pure celebration of the movies that inspired it. It is a terrific action game with a degree of depth and a great collection of surprises to collect. The game is also peerless in the presentation department and you can play it with a friend.

You hardcore adventurers already love it, and you newbies out there are in for a real treat, and you are to be envied.

The most enjoyable new aspects of the expansion are the vehicles, and nearly every side gets new ones.

The game is among the best looking on the N64. The music and sound effects are N64bulous, and a solid narrative connects the game together and ties it into the Star Wars universe.

If you're a Resident Evil Veteran, this is the smartest and most polished of the series.

It's a slick, stylish, fun game either way, perhaps worth a little more if you've played the original. Bond minus the boobs, baby, shaken and stirred.

This time the settings are richer and the environment is fuller and he's got help.

I didn't find it very scary. Maybe after so many games we're on to its tricks, but there seem to be far less boo! moments than in other RE games.

LocoRoco is an easy-going game. In fact, playing it sometimes feels close to meditation.

A game that makes you feel like you're sucking on a IV drip that's pumping adrenalin.

I love the game's soundtrack, which has old and newer hits, and completely fits the game's attitude. I never would have thought that skateboarding tricks and Johnny Cash would go together, but they do.

Bushido Blade is a classic. The sequel for this fighter is already creating waves in Japan, so it shouldn't be too long before we're embroiled in an even more sophisticated adaptation of the most horrific of activities.

Starts off with one of the best opening scenes of any game in the last few years.

Easily one of the most enjoyable and rewarding videogames I have ever played. The zany touches are quite brilliant but the challenging and original gameplay is what really makes this cartridge rocket.

Easily one of the best comic based video games to ever hit home consoles. It's a fanboy's dream in terms of living out the life of a superhero. Just remember that it's only a game … leave the underoos and silly string at home.

The Pacific based action in CFS 2 includes stunning locations that really show that the battleground was truly a tropical paradise, and well-detailed aircraft to take to the skies. This is really one title not to be missed!

I wouldn't go so far as to call it quite the revolution it could have been, but it comes close. And in the world of action/stealth/strategy games, the series still has no equal.

A joy to play. The voiceovers and multiple camera angles continue the series' entertaining tradition.

For pick-up-and-play fun, NBA Live 2003 simply can not be beat.

I would have also liked the game to last longer. An, average monster's life span is three to four years. That can be played through in about one or two sittings.

Another testament to the release-first, patch-later mentality of the PC games industry, Crimson Skies could have been a near perfect title if a little more time had been spent on quality assurance.

All it needs for 2002 is the ability to start a riot and you won’t be able to tell it from the real thing.

The frustrations are enough to make me wroth enough to wall a Sim up in an exitless building and watch them slowly expire.

A thoroughly enjoyable simulation that is refreshingly different compared to the cavalcade of action, strategy and RPGs cluttering the marketplace today.

So essentially, the graphics, the sound, the story and the puzzles are marvellous. They all add up to one fantastic adventure game.

There has not been a flight combat sim released on any console system that can even come close to the quality and value of this title.

What makes Frequency really special is the way it sinks its hooks in and challenges players to outdo themselves just one more time.

One of the best action-movie games on any platform. Some frustrating camera placement and a save-game that takes some getting used to take very little away from the excellent sneak-and-peek gameplay.

A few new weapons, a 3D take and cleaner visuals can't hide the fact that this is essentially five year old game play that Nintendo could have done in its sleep. Although I found Mario Kart 64 to be eminently playable, I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was a knock off of the first game.

Despite some control issues and flaky computer AI, Ridge Racer 64 is an extremely satisfying addition to Namco's prized franchise. It may have taken a full generation for Ridge Racer to hit the N64 but I think you'll agree with me here, it's never too late for this much fun.

Gitaroo Man's key is that it truly makes you feel that you are producing the music with your actions and that is very satisfying.

Provides a lot of gameplay, and while it can be a bit on the redundant side – which is a problem with the genre as much as this particular title – it does offer a diverse number of environments and themes.

As wrestling games go it is probably the best total package.

A few rough spots, but the "ultimate" in the game's name is no exaggeration.

The game is full of the little details that define greatness. If Warlords Battlecry II isn't one of the early leaders for real-time strategy game of the year I'll eat my magical staff.

Fans of anime should rejoice in the story, and those looking for a strategic level game for the PlayStation 2 will no doubt be captivated by this intense title.

It's a decent expansion pack, but nothing so bold that it would cause heart palpitations.

The game is also annoyingly dark during night missions. Even with the brightness cranked, it was pretty hard to see.

I like the new modes because each one puts the player on the defensive at some point, and I love being the centre of attention in a multiplayer game and facing overwhelming odds. Yeah, I'm a masochist, sue me.

Definitely not for the casual gamer or anyone into pretty graphics, Sid Meier’s Antietam! is great game nonetheless, providing an accurate and historic simulation of one of the bloodiest (i.e. casualty-filled) single days in American history.

What a classy, clever package. Without a doubt, Extreme-G has the coolest futuristic atmosphere I've seen on the Nintendo 64. Probe may have lifted design ideas for its game but they obviously took the time to borrow from the best. Extreme-G is simply magnificent to watch.

One of the best comic games to come along in years … and it's certainly the best X-Men game I've ever played.

The game has plenty of swearing, and lots of gore. I like running around nearly dead--you leave a big trail of red wherever you go. Ok, so maybe it is over the top, but at least somebody still has some cajones out there.

If you just want something to race in circles while oohing and aahing over the purty but extremely exaggerated lens flare, this isn't for you. Sega GT 2002 is a game with substance.

The best addition is definitely the new multi-passenger fares you can pick up, adding a new, and quite difficult challenge to your taxi driving skills as you try to beat the timer while delivering up to four passengers to different locales.

Though it would seem like a completely different experience, StarFox Adventures is a little like "Eternal Darkness"--a beautiful, well put together action and adventure game with so much to do and see.

It might not be the prettiest game, but Warlords: Battlecry proves that good gameplay certainly makes up for blunt edge graphics.

A lot more difficult to learn and to play than it ought to be... [but] a great game.

The single player is fun, but the real lasting value can be found online.

Not only does it add to the original product, but it seems to morph it into something slightly different and new, something definitely a bit more comedic and a bit larger than life.

Whether you're looking at the graphics, the gameplay, the server response, the community activity, this is one staggeringly good game.

On both the Xbox and PlayStation 2, EA Sports has brought the Thunder with authority as far as this race fan is concerned. I've played both versions and the Xbox version is the better of the two.

Military buffs will no doubt find this an immersive game, even if only in solo play.

Although ATV Offroad Fury is not a keeper for everyone, you don't want to miss playing it at least once.

The shortness of the game is partially forgiven by the richness of its production.

Technological inferiority aside, Suikoden II has the best game system of any current PSX RPG and is a must for every RPG gamer's library.

The game really has the Trek flavour pegged...Bridge Commander's sore spot is that mission structure is not nearly as open-ended as it could be.