You can almost feel the snap of a bone as your opponents bend your elbow 90 degrees too far -- the other way. [July 2002, p.120]

The repetition and generally dated gameplay kept me from ever getting overly excited about playing it. [July 2002, p.118]

Heat's mushy [control] scheme relies too heavily on context, making your beach bunny set when you intended an unstoppable spike, and its overbearing interface banishes guesswork (and psych-out strategy) from the game. Still, the virtual volleyball action is fast-paced fun. [Sept 2003, p.112]

I love this game’s stinkin’ fast-pitch delivery. Facing a 98 mph heater has never been so intimidating (at least, in a video game). [Feb 2002, p.158]

Sure, it's fun, but it's hard to plop down your dough considering last year's "Bomberman DS" allowed eight-man fragfests. [Sept. 2006, p.108]

Geez, how many disappointing "Mana" titles will we have to suffer though before Square Enix puts this once-proud franchise out of its misery? [Sept 2007, p.100]

An RPG that deftly copies "Final Fantasy X" but is burdened with a story that plays more like a "deleted scenes" bonus DVD than anything coherent. [Holiday 2004, p.104]

Flow? NHL 2005's skaters have no flow, 'cause they're always lying out on the ice from hit after hit - just like last year. I know hockey is a rough game, but c'mon, I like to control the puck for more than two seconds before picking up my teeth. [Oct 2004, p.99]

If not for some serious balance issues (some bosses can easily kill you in two hits), stupidly out-of-place stealth levels, and finicky weapon controls (it's really hard, for some reason, to hit someone with a stick), Honor might have been more than just a solid rental. [March 2004, p.120]

I wish more of the sprawling levels encouraged that kind of teamwork instead of sending you on dull hunts for switches. [May 2005, p.133]

The Incredibles game had some great material to work with, but the energy and humor that really made the movie great just isn't there - out-of-context voice clips and poorly connected cut-scenes certainly don't add anything. [Jan 2005, p.132]

It's still Monster Rancher, though, and it's still great for fans like me, but it's not the step forward I was craving. [Jan 2004, p.142]

Shooting up a building/tanker/rival definitely looks good as you drive by at 135 mph, or maybe reverse time to get a second, closer glimpse, but both the combat racing and arena-style battles have been done to death and back by other games, and better. [Feb. 2007, p.88]

There's not much of an actual game here. [May 2003, p.134]

An RPG that deftly copies "Final Fantasy X" but is burdened with a story that plays more like a "deleted scenes" bonus DVD than anything coherent. [Holiday 2004, p.104]

Flow? NHL 2005's skaters have no flow, 'cause they're always lying out on the ice from hit after hit - just like last year. I know hockey is a rough game, but c'mon, I like to control the puck for more than two seconds before picking up my teeth. [Oct 2004, p.99]

It's a brief, disappointing adventure with occasional flashes of greatness.

Playing from a series of static perspectives seems like a hearkening back to the days of clunky, older PS1 titles, and it's completely unsuited for a game that requires so much fast action. [Oct 2003, p.152]

The story loses steam about two-thirds of the way through; solving puzzles, which are few and far between, requires little brainpower; and it's far to easy to survive your sentence with so much free ammo and health lying around. [May 2004, p.86]

Oh, and if you already own OutRun 2 on the Xbox, don't bother with this update. [Jun 2006, p.110]

A well-made, technically solid shooter, but its dedication to realism kills the fun. [Aug 2006, p.88]

Oh, and if you already own OutRun 2 on the Xbox, don't bother with this update. [Jun 2006, p.110]

Though most of the game is well balanced, the last few missions become unfairly hard.... But a fine effort indeed. [Feb 2004, p.110]

But while multiplayer rocks, the appeal of the campaign and character customization lasts about as long as Darth Maul's screen time. [Nov 2007, p.122]

Webslingin' remains the selling point, but the combat--although built from the ground up for this game--still consists of random button mashing. [July 2007, p.88]

Flow? NHL 2005's skaters have no flow, 'cause they're always lying out on the ice from hit after hit - just like last year. I know hockey is a rough game, but c'mon, I like to control the puck for more than two seconds before picking up my teeth. [Oct 2004, p.99]

Other than striking character designs by an insanely talented artist (Hyung Tae Kim) and a flashy, complex combat system, it's business as usual in Magna Carta.

The levels are too drawn-out and repetitive, and I odn't really care for the theme, but underneath it's a no-bull shooter steeped in classic gameplay juices. [Sept 2002, p.148]

The Incredibles game had some great material to work with, but the energy and humor that really made the movie great just isn't there - out-of-context voice clips and poorly connected cut-scenes certainly don't add anything. [Jan 2005, p.132]

SRS just lacks the certain something that made "Need for Speed Underground" so exciting. It's disappointing, because SRS covers all the bases except for the two most important in this genre: There's no real sense of speed, and the handling lacks weight or feel. [Oct 2004, p.98]

Although ZF does a great job of sucking you into a world of squad-based heavy metal warfare, I can’t recommend it to anyone but hardcore Gundam fans. [Feb 2002, p.154]

While the crisp graphics and energetic battles work well, the dungeons are a chore and the plot is you usual Mega Man X bluster - weak in a five-hour platformer, unbearable in a full-length RPG. [Nov 2004, p.138]

That strategic team planning and stealthy single-player combat is fun. It just needs to be more consistent...and controllable. [Jan 2008, p.95]

But maybe words like "solid," "competent," and "fine" tell you why it's also hard to recommend Quake 4: It's exactly what you've come to expect from a modern first-person shooter, and nothing else.

For the first half of the game, varied missions keep the action interesting. After a dozen sorties, however, it get old, and all but the most patient pilots will want to pop the canopy. [Jan 2004, p.109]

Repetitive mission-based gameplay risks players preemptively abandoning ship. [Mar 2002, p.142]

Take this as a reminder that just because you can put SimCity on the DS doesn't mean you should. [July 2007, p.93]

Though most of the game is well balanced, the last few missions become unfairly hard.... But a fine effort indeed. [Feb 2004, p.110]

It's a solid effort, but it just doesn't have the minute-by-minute gravity of 2K7's college game. [Feb. 2007, p.89]

Bandai gets so much right with this new Gundam role-playing game that the stuff it gets wrong really, really hurts. [Mar 2006, p.106]

SRS just lacks the certain something that made "Need for Speed Underground" so exciting. It's disappointing, because SRS covers all the bases except for the two most important in this genre: There's no real sense of speed, and the handling lacks weight or feel. [Oct 2004, p.98]

Once you slide past something you need, you can’t back up – that sucks. [Jan 2002, p.220]

The story mode in Colosseum is surprisingly dark (by Pokemon standards), but with its lifeless characters and endless torrent of dialogue windows, it's not quite the full-fledged RPG fans may be hoping for. [Apr 2004, p.130]

Seven Sorrows baits you with a role-playing-game-style character development system, but the game's short length (easily clocking in under six hours) makes leveling up unrewarding.

The lack of online in the first MHF was bad; in a sequel it's unforgiveable. [Oct 2007, p.103]

Tactically, it's pretty boring, but if you can get into the goblins' expendable-offense mindset, it's a smashing time.

If you’re desperate for a shooter that’s got absolutely no value other than just plain shooting, Outtrigger fits that bill. [Oct 2001, p.150]

I find it sharp, fast, and stylish, which is just what this kind of game needs to be. Just keep the volume low—these Turtles be talking too damn much.

Dawn's unlockable goodies will give "Street Fighter" fans a surefire boost, but anyone simply looking for an evolution in Onimusha will leave feeling shortchanged. [Apr 2006, p.103]

The quick races, which play a lot like a lamer, more grounded version of Hydro Thunder, only draw attention to the ghastly load times. [Aug 2001, p. 109]

Ten years ago this balls-out approach might've been considered fresh, but today it feels like an empty stereotype of the genre's past. Some might dig its old-school vibe, but I'll take a pass. [June 2004, p.93]

Take the "Touch" portion of the title with a grain of salt, as it's nigh impossible to maneuver your way through the Monkey Ball gauntlet using the stylus controls. [Apr 2006, p.105]

It all makes for an action game kinda like your typical Bond girl: fun to look at but shallow. With simple mission objectives, cinch puzzles, and autoaim (that you can tweak for more skillful shots if you like), this game practically plays itself.

I had hoped for a lot more, but it seems like the push to get it online was all Fever's developers focused on. [Oct 2002, p.204]

As a car-combat game, it's passable but not exceptional. As a postacopalyptic "GTA" clone, it falls well short of the mark in terms of story, mission diversity, and replay value. [Nov 2003, p.171]

Playing good or evil has little effect on the loopy story; although the game kept me entertained, I didn't feel the need to replay for the alternate ending.

The Club certainly brings nothing innovative to the venerable shooter genre. [Mar 2008, p.83]

Like a mediocre Buffy episode: Decent plot, predictable Scooby-gang hijinks, and lots of fighting action and bad vampire puns... It also throws in...the iffy graphics engine that produces lifeless character movement and collision issues. [Oct 2003, p.134]

Those who have long since retired their Shrek-themed bedsheets will find the game easy and repetitive [July 2004, p.94]

Now, if they could just manage decent graphics-the game slides dangerously close to PS1 territory at times-ditch the freakish characters, and pen a halfdecent tale to go with the gameplay, SaGa could finally become a series worth paying attention to.

Lacks the white-knuckle, sweat-inducing, warp-speed intensity that the futuristic-racing genre thrives on. [Dec 2002, p.258]

Playing good or evil has little effect on the loopy story; although the game kept me entertained, I didn't feel the need to replay for the alternate ending.

Those who have long since retired their Shrek-themed bedsheets will find the game easy and repetitive [July 2004, p.94]

The shortest volume in all .hack-dom, and most of it is spent running errands, but the final battle (which is spoiled in the pack-in anime DVD) is a great payoff if you've been following the story all this time. [Feb 2004, p.122]

A Zelda: Wind Waker–esque cartoony graphics style would have been perfect for Jack, who, now that he's 3D, looks kind of like Jay Leno or John Kerry what with his freakishly long chin. And the cut-scenes—often the only good part of a licensed game like this—are embarrassing.

The Club certainly brings nothing innovative to the venerable shooter genre. [Mar 2008, p.83]

Highly frustrating missions pepper the game, usually filled with cheap enemies who have impeccable aim and a superhuman ability to absorb multiple shotgun blasts at point-blank range. [Apr 2004, p.116]

Even at those speeds, the heart-pounding moments are few and far between. [Nov 2001, p.206]

Yet, with the game rooted in arcade sensibilities, TMNT ends up a short and repetitive journey. Noninteractive environments and scant gameplay differences among the four turtles diminish my desire to replay.

Ten years ago this balls-out approach might've been considered fresh, but today it feels like an empty stereotype of the genre's past. Some might dig its old-school vibe, but I'll take a pass. [June 2004, p.93]

As a car-combat game, it's passable but not exceptional. As a postacopalyptic "GTA" clone, it falls well short of the mark in terms of story, mission diversity, and replay value. [Nov 2003, p.171]

It's when you stand back and think about the tacky, clunky graphics and the intrinsically repugnant battle system that you realize what's wrong here - and what another MMORPG needs to do right. [Mar 2003, p.118]

What once seemed so charming and fresh comes across as competent but stale from othe crypt. [Oct 2005, p.120]

Like a mediocre Buffy episode: Decent plot, predictable Scooby-gang hijinks, and lots of fighting action and bad vampire puns... It also throws in...the iffy graphics engine that produces lifeless character movement and collision issues. [Oct 2003, p.134]

We can't pretend that Justice League is anything but a mindless beat-em-up. [Dec. 2006, p.138]

As much as Demon Stone tried to suck me in with its impressive graphics and presentation, it pushed me away with rote gameplay and imbecilic A.I. [Dec 2004, p.148]

As a car-combat game, it's passable but not exceptional. As a postacopalyptic "GTA" clone, it falls well short of the mark in terms of story, mission diversity, and replay value. [Nov 2003, p.171]

It does prove entertaining in multihour bursts, it's just that it feels unsubstantial compared to better titles. [March 2005, p.128]

You can save anywhere or enter and exit battles as needed - nice touches that make this one user-friendly. [March 2005, p.124]

Silent Line has made me a partial believer; if they'd simplified the controls some, I'd be completely sold. [Aug 2003, p.113]

Like a mediocre Buffy episode: Decent plot, predictable Scooby-gang hijinks, and lots of fighting action and bad vampire puns... It also throws in...the iffy graphics engine that produces lifeless character movement and collision issues. [Oct 2003, p.134]

A Zelda: Wind Waker–esque cartoony graphics style would have been perfect for Jack, who, now that he's 3D, looks kind of like Jay Leno or John Kerry what with his freakishly long chin. And the cut-scenes—often the only good part of a licensed game like this—are embarrassing. [May 2004, p.89]

Tactically, it's pretty boring, but if you can get into the goblins' expendable-offense mindset, it's a smashing time.

A crucial piece of the puzzle is missing here: communication. [Nov 2002, p.292]

But between the high frustration factor and the frequent need to crisscross the large city (some kind of warp option would be nice), I feel Rush tries a little too hard to turn me off.

We can't pretend that Justice League is anything but a mindless beat-em-up. [Dec. 2006, p.138]

It all makes for an action game kinda like your typical Bond girl: fun to look at but shallow. With simple mission objectives, cinch puzzles, and autoaim (that you can tweak for more skillful shots if you like), this game practically plays itself.

Highly frustrating missions pepper the game, usually filled with cheap enemies who have impeccable aim and a superhuman ability to absorb multiple shotgun blasts at point-blank range. [Apr 2004, p.116]

Isn't a terrible game, but its sketchy camera, imprecise controls, and lackluster combat relegate it to the realm of the terribly average to me. [Jan 2004, p.124]

Pares down the survival-horror experience to its most basic, frightening form - running for your life. [June 2005, p.100]

Seriously, this one might as well be called Mario Hoops 1-on-3, as your teammates don't know the first thing about moving without the ball or helping out on D. [Oct. 2006, p.116]

In the end, K-1's pared-down approach is forgivable, but its bland execution is not. [Aug 2003, p.113]

A certain niche of gamers will surely warm up to this unassuming quest, but anyone accustomed to the genre's finest offerings will balk at its wimpy difficulty and light-weight narrative. [Jun 2006, p.114]

The "GO-GO-TURBO Japanese cheerleaders on speed" mood and shallow, stupid puzzles are the sort of thing shut-in "Naruto" fans thrive on, but I found them irritating. Thankfully, it was short. [Feb 2006, p.108]

Scrapland's cool murder mystery is wasted on a series of lame fetch quests. It's got a lot of heart - just not a lot of brains. [Apr 2005, p.125]

It all makes for an action game kinda like your typical Bond girl: fun to look at but shallow. With simple mission objectives, cinch puzzles, and autoaim (that you can tweak for more skillful shots if you like), this game practically plays itself.

What I like most, though, is the game's brisk pace. Even within the first five hours, I felt like I had lived a virtual lifetime. [Mar 2007, p.92]

A Zelda: Wind Waker–esque cartoony graphics style would have been perfect for Jack, who, now that he's 3D, looks kind of like Jay Leno or John Kerry what with his freakishly long chin. And the cut-scenes—often the only good part of a licensed game like this—are embarrassing.