I can't remember the last time I had so much fun just playing. At times I truly felt like a little kid completely immersed in a fantastic game of let's pretend. At my age that feeling doesn't come around to often but when it does you sure savor it.

I truly fear poor old Robert Louis Stevenson is turning over in his grave at the atrocity that has been committed in his name.

If you are the obsessive type who likes to control every little happening, the trade of every historically-accurate bushel of grain, then Patrician II will supply a lengthy, stream of satisfaction.

A few minor annoyances, like poor enemy AI and some puzzles that seem almost too difficult keep it from a higher score, but if you’re looking for a game you can invest some time in and not feel like you came away with nothing, welcome to Eden.

It takes some special effort to make a game so frustrating in all of its aspects that it seems to have been made by gaming sadists with the express intent to torture innocent gamers.

Short Adventure and limited two-player mode aside, Lego Racers 2 is an excellent game.

Technology can't emulate personality, at least not yet. Maybe some day The Weakest Link will make a good holodeck program. Until then, pass.

Okage's extreme weirdness does level off after a while into a mostly familiar RPG, but its overall charm and humor make the experience well worth it.

The problem is, the raw mechanics of the game are simply quite the logistical chore, with very little chance to even sit back and enjoy the otherwise-entertaining detail animations which might lend some humor to the game.

Its uninspired dungeons, two-dimensional characters, repetitive gameplay and frustrating technical problems make this one not worth the time or the money.

If you love the Looney Tune cartoons, you will love each level of this game.

Amid its many puzzles, creepy scares and flurries of combat, Silent Hill 2 has moments that are so human and painful--forget about “horror” for the moment--that they elevate the experience from a mere “videogame” to a jarring, unsettling look at pain, loss, despair and dread.

If you think you'd like a little more realism in your RTS games but shudder when somebody says the name "Jane's," Real War is definitely something you should check out, despite its polish flaws.

The improved puck control alone makes this game a gourmet meal for diehard hockey fans.

Its innovative combat system, addictive click and kill adventuring, and solid story make it a title that keeps reviewers up late.

The thing that I enjoy most about this arcade style hockey is the big hits. You can actually practice the many skills you will need in this game, including driving your opponent through the glass.

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.

Although short (about 10 hours of play, not including mistakes) it seemed just right and there’s probably nothing more that could have been added that would make it any better.

There's a lot of survival in this survival horror, but very little horror. Occasionally it manages to surprise you with some good monster placement and give you a little jolt, but that's all.

It was a long wait for the sequel, but Pyro spent the time innovating a game that was already innovative to begin with. You're gonna love this one.

Hardcore types probably won't care for it, but the more mainstreamers might be interested in a little monkey business.

Make no mistake about it, this game is a contender and could be some stiff competition for Madden on the new consoles.

It definitely has a strong boardgame feel, although it's not as hands-on as the popular "crayola rail" games, nor as addictive as the recently released "Monopoly Tycoon."

A very faithful recreation of its coin-operated brethren in both its graphics and gameplay. The bad news, however, is that without the light gun, it’s just not as fun. Plain as that.

I am particularly impressed though with the customization abilities of the game.

Better than all the superhero drek we've been force-fed in the past, but the wait continues for a superhero PC game we can call a bona fide classic.

What was supposed to be Red Faction’s raison d’être – French for “cool feature designed to make it seem like more than just a cheap Half-Life clone set on Mars”--[the Geo Mod technology] turns out to be its biggest disappointment.

Playing this game reminded me of being at a family outing when I was a kid and picking up a coke can to take a drink only to find out that one of my relatives had used it as an ashtray.

Equal parts aggravation and disappointment.

It can't touch my all-time favorite adventure games, but it goes down nice and easy, like a midnight snack.

Without any satisfyingly complex battles, lacking any sort of an interesting story line, and plagued by camera angles that will drive you batty; playing Heavy Metal: Geomatrix is like paying sixty bucks to see Megadeth, and discovering you must sit through a set by Britney Spears.

Through no fault of the developers, some of the physics of riding a bike (as opposed to a skateboard) make this game less fun than playing the Tony Hawk series. Think about it, a skateboard can go both ways, a bike cannot.

Judged as a whole, hardcore audiences could certainly do much better.

A deep, quite cartoony and consummately Japanese turn-based wargame with depth, character and replayability to burn.

While [it] might not be as polished or have the better AI and all the bells and whistles of Madden, it is a very solid football game and offers up plenty of new and innovative features that Madden doesn't.

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.

Aside from the talented AI, there are a lot more impressive game features. One of the first things to come to mind is the incredibly deep playbook and coverage set.

Great concept, graphics, music, and controls are important characteristics of a great product; but so is gameplay, and in this department Stretch Panic is lacking.

If you play this game over and over like I did, then you will find something new and challenging each and every time you plug it in.

You can expect some immense spaces to trek around, just don’t expect too many courses to race on.

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

Let’s trim it down to a single conclusion: if you like RPGs, get this game. Right now.

For strictly pedal to the metal action that requires leaving your brain in park, Extreme G3 is a blazingly fast and fun ride.

An outstanding update of the Dreamcast version–-does truly replicate this most unique of races, while not forcing players to endure a full day of gaming.

Compelling and long-lasting.

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

So what’s not to like? Really nothing, but neither is there really anything that stunned me. This is good, solid, ‘Mech gaming, yet nothing more.

Despite the wealth of options and considerable depth, it’s pretty much the same over and over again giving you little urge to come back.

The defensive AI has been cleaned up and perfected. I do mean perfected.

The wormhole/supply line/multiple fronts idea is a great one, and I’d love to see it taken further.

It could have been vastly improved with a bit more graphical polish, and the addition of more exploration and side-quests to break up the monotony of its near-constant combat.

Freaky and entertaining, yet you'll note nowhere on that list can "addictive" be found.

It rocks, despite some small flaws. Good replay value can make a game go a long way.

A well thought out and logical adventure game that, other than the no riding of dragons problem, is fairly solid, if a bit boring.

The game isn’t particularly innovative, and ends rather rapidly. It is more of a Gundam teaser than a really rich gaming experience.

Part puzzler, all prankster, it's a unique, silly puzzler with a few glaring errors, but lots of heart.

Casual gamers will no doubt be driven off by its lack of special items and overall difficulty, but for those who can appreciate this type of game, it is a rich and beautiful experience that leaves one craving another sequel.

A decent shooter and it has its merits, even on a console where new software is getting mighty scarce. However, if you were only going to own one, this probably wouldn't be it.

The worst, in a ruin the game entirely sort of way, worst part of SoF, hands down has to be the pathetic artificial intelligence offered up by your enemies.

The massive number of features and solid gameplay more than make up for any of my minor gripes.

There’s no compelling reason to pull you though the game, like Max Payne’s revenge theme or Solid Snake’s score to settle with his ex-teammates.

Striking graphics, realistic environments, interesting and diverse characters--what’s not to like? Really nothing.

But in the end, this fantastic engine and solid concept is hobbled by routine shooter gameplay.

While some details such as heat management and precise targeting have been glossed over a mite heavily for BattleTech fans' tastes, overall Mech Commander 2 bestows a new lease on life upon the esteemed franchise.

The lack of stimulating combat or camp building will turn off quite a few others. But hey, the premise is cool.

The fun of it, however, is pretty thin, and City Crisis is probably best as a one-night rental and no more.

The problem is, much of it is done so darned sloppily.

It's games like Gran Turismo 3 that make me proud to be doing this for a living!

If this is some kind of punishment for all those people who complained "Onimusha" was too short, then Metro3D have produced what might be considered the ultimate gaming hell.

The great thing about MX 2002 is that it combines both of these kinds of gameplay--competitive racing and freestyle tricks--and does them both well.

Quite worthwhile in the absence of anything new from Squaresoft.

When you are able to get four other friends in the room, the battle mode is the best action as you are likely to find on the GBA.

The game evokes memories of Blade Runner, the dark-grey/pink palettes lending a film noir ambiance that fits the plot like a black leather glove.

Adds plenty to Diablo II, and not just a new episode. It actually changes the entire game from start to finish.

Despite its terrific particle-effect, motion-blur visual doodads, it’s a rather simple game system, pointedly geared toward casual and even first-time gamers.

AID:TNN comes off, despite its graphical wizardry, a little…sophomoric. The majority of the cinematic cuts and voice acting are god-awful-bad, and not even in that charming, maybe-they-meant-it, B-movie "Resident Evil" way.

Victim rescue is pretty unrewarding. All you need to do is stand over a victim and right click, and they vanish.

If there is any down side to it at all it’s that there won’t be a "Baldur’s Gate III" and I will sorely miss my player character with whom I have shared such a wonderful adventure over the last three years.

For some ridiculous reason, you use a six-hot REVOLVER as your only weapon.

It doesn't have the "wow" factor that the first game had and is somewhat forgettable after you have played it through.

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

It does have some issues, like the damage modeling, that keep it from being the ultimate hardcore simulation, but as a challenging arcade game this one certainly deserves a test drive.

Though an exceedingly fun and rewarding game, NBA Street isn't very original or particularly noteworthy.

AID:TNN comes off, despite its graphical wizardry, a little…sophomoric. The majority of the cinematic cuts and voice acting are god-awful-bad, and not even in that charming, maybe-they-meant-it, B-movie Resident Evil way.

While Steel Soldiers has its strengths, the outdated play mechanics and buggy code may frustrate players rather than satisfy them.

Nice single-player game progression, though, and a welcome transfusion of RTS gaming's life-blood.

Problems aside, the game is still a joy to behold.

Beyond the HD pack, nothing has been done to evolve the game as a whole.

Speed vs. control is what F-Zero is all about. It's not an easy ride, but it's a fun one.

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

The patented pacing, mechanics and rewards of the adventure go down like a perfectly aged fine wine.

It is also lacking one incredibly basic feature--the ability to save your game! No battery backup, the game doesn't even issue level codes!

One of the best games released so far for Nintendo's 32-bit handheld.

It's hard to tell what's part of the gameplay and what's merely artwork, a fact not made any easier by the GBA's notorious lighting difficulties.

If you can make it past the cuddliness, there is some good napalm throwing fun to be had.

Even though the PC version is based on the original music generator, it is the best of the bunch in terms of control and flexibility.

In the end playing Gangsters 2 is like watching a really bad B-movie. You enjoy yourself not because the movie is well directed, or acted; you watch the movie because parts of it are so bad it makes you laugh.

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.