A game so fresh and unique, it just begs to be experienced despite its flaws. [Feb 2003, p.138]

The gameplay is ironclad; however, a few presentation problems hold the title back. [Dec 2001, p.250]

Series fans will devour it as an excuse to flesh out the Resident Evil cannon, but it features enough casual slaughter of the undead for anyone to enjoy. [Jan 2008, p.82]

With 2K Sports nabbing the exclusive third-party baseball-sim rights to the MLB license, it had a golden chance to nab the hardball crown from EA's NCAA-license-relegated MVP series. Instead, we get this scattershot effort. [May 2006, p.94]

Once you suss the A.I.'s intricacies, the game holds little mystery or reason for replay. [Jan 2006, p.125]

This 40-hour quest could've really used a few legitimate dungeons to explore, but the narrative and combat alone kept me hooked. [July 2003, p.106]

It’s too bad there’s no way to work on defense other than getting pummeled by the CPU game after game. [Oct 2001, p.154]

Now if it wasn't for the blasted controls! [May 2002, p.108]

I'm ready for this series to advance its gameplay, rather than just continuing to add new objects and locations to interact with.

I have exactly three words for the golf snobs: unlockable trucker hats. [July 2005, p.120]

Shockingly decent. [Dec 2004, p.170]

Once I got used to the orchestral score, Mad Maestro was surprisingly enjoyable, long and difficult (which isn't exactly the norm in the genre). [May 2002, p.107]

Approach it clinically, and you'll dig Xtreme's versatile, well-designed skill and magic systems. [Nov 2002, p.283]

The fun is over too soon.

With 2K Sports nabbing the exclusive third-party baseball-sim rights to the MLB license, it had a golden chance to nab the hardball crown from EA's NCAA-license-relegated MVP series. Instead, we get this scattershot effort. [May 2006, p.94]

If you're brave enough to look past aesthetics, Eternal Sonata is worth hearing out. [Oct 2007, p.100]

In the attempt to be all things for all kinds of gamer, each little mode lacks polish. [Jan 2003, p.173]

Anyone expecting to reliably pull off a 20-hitter with Adon: Forget it. [Oct 2002, p.204]

The combat’s more fun and involving than anything in Pokemon Stadium. But the rest of the game hasn’t changed much. [Nov 2001, p.210]

When I wasn't being mugged by the Bad Voice-Actors Brigade or rendered comatose by the game's tepid pace, I was struggling with the enormous chore of just moving around thanks to the clunky, imprecise, sub-"Resident Evil" controls. [Dec 2002, p.260]

Developer Heavy Iron has captured the show's personality perfectly. The 3D characters look exactly like their cartoon counterparts, and it's stuffed with classic Doo touches to the bursting point. [July 2002, p.120]

Note to developers: if your main character is a wacky time-travelling, vacuuming cat, you've got to milk the wacky angle! [Dec 2002, p.248]

Stringent pilot-training courses and competitions seem dull at first, but as you unlock cooler aircraft, the fun blossoms. [Apr 2003, p.111]

Atlantis integrates the story and the gameplay seamlessly. [Sept. 2001, p.148]

Up from the depths of the minors a year ago, MLB 2005 is starting to look like it belongs in the bigs...Maybe next year, 989, you'll go all the way. [May 2004, p.96]

Ironically, Summoner 2's strengths (faster action, computer-controlled allies) expose the game's many weaknesses (poor camera during combat, enemies that swarm you, sluggish controls). [Nov 2002, p.70]

A somewhat confusing interface and disjointed midbattle cut-scenes make keeping track of allies and major enemies a chore, occasionally shrouding the path to victory, but otherwise, Samurai Warriors slices and dices. [June 2004, p.102]

While I love Whiplash's over-the-top concept and humor, its gameplay and graphics languish in a sea of averageness. [Jan 2004, p.128]

Unfortunately, beneath that striking detail, Shake It! plays exactly like Wario Land 4(GBA). [Nov 2008, p.68]

It's absolutely recommendable, but it ccould've been so much more. [Nov 2008, p.78]

Acclaim's solid first-person shooter is heavy on the fog. It is atmospheric, though. [Jan 2004, p.189]

This is one game that everyone should be playing long after it comes out, both online and off. [Dec 2008, p.83]

Wii Music's biggest downfall, oddly, is its music. [Dec 2008, p.64]

Globe-trotting Laura gets new weapons and vehicles. [Jan 2004, p.189]

Derivative or not, Punisher suffers from the same crippling problem: The extreme gunplay gets old after you've capped your first 50 felons. [March 2005, p.118]

I love what this game offers - classic 3D platforming with a supercool mini-ninja dude. The problem is, I-Ninja doesn't offer a whole heckuva lot of it. You can blast through the entire game in a few sessions. [Dec 2003, p.192]

Like the previous Def jams, Icon can't decide what kind of game it wants to be. [Apr 2007, p.88]

My biggest gripe is with Apokolips' level design, which usually involves beating up the same enemies over and over again. [Dec 2002, p.218]

Linking one impossibly huge slide after another can be intense and fun, but the weird, floaty physics would probably make more sense in a game about racing ATVs on the moon. [Holiday 2004, p.134]

A genuinely fun game that makes clever use of the DS's touch screen. [June 2005, p.107]

Sadly, the game still doesn't quite live up to its high-concept premise. Battles often degenerate to button-mashing, the difficulty is still wildly inconsistent, and the dungeons are woefully unimaginative. [June 2003, p.127]

The levels are tight, fast, and fun - less about aimless exploration and more about reflex-testing action. But on the other hand, I'm a little disappointed that it's so short and simplistic, and that it doesn't take more advantage of the GC's hardware. [July 2003, p.114]

Yes, you'll encounter a touch of the overly familiar sameness you get when you play any "Ridge Racer", but it's like slipping on a well-worn pair of jeans: It feels fine every time. [Jan. 2007, p.81]

It's an adequate platformer, yes--with solid controls and great first-half pacing--but I'd never choose this over the sublime original. [Dec. 2006, p.150

All the constant hiding and tiptoeing and sneaking doesn't scream "action-packed!" after all. [Feb 2004, p.118]

The shallow but fun Live games put this prettier version of CW a few parsecs beyond its PS2 and Cube cousins. [June 2003, p.114]

Scores with the cause-and-effect physics of a PC game but seldom capitalizes on the unscripted chaos. [June 2005, p.101]

Tune and tweak all you want, Demian, and 2K6's goalies will still be absolute sieves. And for that reason - plus 06's faster play and flashier offense - I'm giving the nod to EA's game. [Oct 2005, p.114]

Like the previous Def jams, Icon can't decide what kind of game it wants to be. [Apr 2007, p.88]

Finally, a game that embraces the inherent homoeroticism of pro wrestling. [Jan 2005, p.132]

Last year's realistic military-shooter SOCOM 3 was great, but I felt tricked after popping in the so-called sequel, Combined Assault. The game is a lot like the previous one, with a key difference: the "combined assault". [Jan. 2007, p.104]

It's fast, and it's pretty fun. It's just not particularly special. [July 2005, p.110]

I found myself playing the game simply because I had nothing better to do, not because I was particularly into it. [Sept 2005, p.119]

Jak X delivers smooth, intense online action and a solid variety of game types, including a take-out-the-drones death race and an entertaining sport hunt in addition to typical races. Nothing spectacular, but satisfying nonetheless.

Derivative or not, Punisher suffers from the same crippling problem: The extreme gunplay gets old after you've capped your first 50 felons. [March 2005, p.118]

XGRA isn't as impressive as "Extreme G 3" was when it first hit PS2 and Cube. The graphics look roughly the same, it plays similarly, and it has the same main drawback: not enough tracks. [Nov 2003, p.174]

So even though Live is lookin' better, it could still use more time in the gym. [Nov 2007, p.103]

It's fast, and it's pretty fun. It's just not particularly special. [July 2005, p.110]

The mediocre graphics, overly simplistic dungeons, and repetitive combat (in which you're alternately mashing buttons or baby-sitting you're A.I.-deprived party members) haven't changed one bit since the first volume. [Oct 2003, p.144]

This latest case of sequelitis attempts to keep things fresh by making a few minor changes to the familiar Mega Man formula. Notably, the nonlinear world gives some freedom to the series--but at a cost. [Oct. 2006, p.118]

Blood sports deep characters, an awesome premise, and an engaging story line that kept me playing long after the novelty of having swords for arms wore off. [Dec 2004, p.160]

Straight dumb, violent fun, regardless of how many times you've seen it before. [Jan 2002, p.233]

So even though Live is lookin' better, it could still use more time in the gym. [Nov 2007, p.103]

The new microphone-based minigames are more gimmicky than fun, and I hate passing the mic back and forth. It's still a fun party game. [Feb 2005, p.114]

The game sabotages things right from the start by sticking you with four of the most vapid, unlikable protagonists I've seen in my 20 years as an RPG fan. [Sept 2007, p.94]

The game doesn't require you to spend too much time leveling up and upgrading weapons(though you can certainly take your time with that)--it cuts right to the action. [Nov. 2006, p.133]

Get past all the computer jargon (your sniper rifle is amusingly called the "LOL" gun), and you have a pretty typical first-peson shooter. [Jan 2005, p.135]

The level design is straightforward and challenging (especially later stages) but relatively low on surprises. [Apr 2002, p.141]

For a game so short on looks and character, Black Kat is surprisingly engaging. [May 2002, p.109]

A great combination of frantic, Japanese guitar rock and wacky anime-inspired action. [Feb 2002, p.148]

XGRA isn't as impressive as "Extreme G 3" was when it first hit PS2 and Cube. The graphics look roughly the same, it plays similarly, and it has the same main drawback: not enough tracks. [Nov 2003, p.174]

A worthwhile game, but only if you appreciate the quirky and bizarre. [Dec 2002, p.228]

Though the fighting's great (even when it's on the slightly confusing four-player variety), I can't help but be disappointed by the rest. [June 2004, p.108]

Nope, this 3D fighter forces you to wrap your head (and hands) around a shockingly deep control system utilizing nearly every button on the Wii-mote and Nunchuck. [Dec. 2006, p.118]

It's all style and relentless action so over the top it makes "Doom" look like "Mary Kate and Ashley: Girls Night Out." [Oct 2002, p.179]

While MLB has the basics down pat, it lacks "2K5's" sublime ESPN presentation and "MVP's" addictive minigames. [May 2005, p.132]

I love what this game offers - classic 3D platforming with a supercool mini-ninja dude. The problem is, I-Ninja doesn't offer a whole heckuva lot of it. You can blast through the entire game in a few sessions. [Dec 2003, p.192]

Tune and tweak all you want, Demian, and 2K6's goalies will still be absolute sieves. And for that reason - plus 06's faster play and flashier offense - I'm giving the nod to EA's game. [Oct 2005, p.114]

The sense of speed – especially with a built-up racer – is amazing, but it comes at a price: boring, repetitive textures. [Apr 2002, p.139]

It’s a refreshing change from the weirdness you’d find in a "PaRappa" or "Dance Dance Revolution." [Jan 2002, p.208]

I love what this game offers - classic 3D platforming with a supercool mini-ninja dude. The problem is, I-Ninja doesn't offer a whole heckuva lot of it. You can blast through the entire game in a few sessions. [Dec 2003, p.192]

After playing Call of Duty 3, I wonder if maybe it isn't time for a break from WWII first-person shooters. [Jan. 2007, p.98]

A videogame can only live on "visceral" for so long before you're yawning, longing for better A.I., a more involved story, or...well, just about anything with more substance. [Apr 2006, p.94]

XGRA isn't as impressive as "Extreme G 3" was when it first hit PS2 and Cube. The graphics look roughly the same, it plays similarly, and it has the same main drawback: not enough tracks. [Nov 2003, p.174]

The core gameplay is essentially the same as last year's "Two Towers," though the graphics have been given a minor facelift and the stages are a bit more varied. [Dec 2003, p.236]

I'm stoked to continue to see improvement in this series, but it's a shame small problems (like lengthy load times) still pin SVR down. [Dec 2007, p.106]

Hysterical as Simpsons is, it's hard to appreciate the humor when you're busy fighting with an annoying camera and unreliable controls. [Dec 2007, p.108]

The boss battles, too, seem to borrow a page from the messy showdowns that spoiled "X2: Wolverine's Revenge." They're so infuriatingly cheap, you'll want to Hulk-smash your controller. [Aug 2003, p.120]

A solid, sometimes engaging action-platformer, but nothing more. [Apr 2003, p.116]

Facial animations and motion-captured movement create eerily lifelike boxers. You can even see real-time reflections in the sweat on the boxers' backs – creepy. [Apr 2002, p.143]

In typical Treasure fashion, the screen is almost always littered with enemies, and the challenge level is absurdly high for a beat-em-up. [Nov 2004, p.152]

The technical issues and unambitious design come with a chaser of charming silliness. [Apr 2006, p.97]

As I paraded through the areas killing similar tiny enemies over and over (even the "big" monsters don't intimidate), it took forever to find any exciting rare items to wield. Without those incentives, things got monotonous. [March 2005, p.123]

Create-a-Golfer is utterly underwhelming, and...simple shot challenges don't amount to exciting minigames. [Dec 2003, p.226]

Although the title looks amazing, the gameplay feels a little stiff. In attempting to create the most realistic college experience, Sega took some of the fun out of the game. [Jan 2004, p.116]

Although the title looks amazing, the gameplay feels a little stiff. In attempting to create the most realistic college experience, Sega took some of the fun out of the game. [Jan 2004, p.116]

A videogame can only live on "visceral" for so long before you're yawning, longing for better A.I., a more involved story, or...well, just about anything with more substance. [Apr 2006, p.94]

The technical issues and unambitious design come with a chaser of charming silliness. [Apr 2006, p.97]