Viking simply doesn't do enough to stand up to the more polished action experiences out there. [June 2008, p.86]

Underneath the rote plot elements is a thoughtful tale packed with great characterization and surprising good humor. [Jan 2006, p.129]

Is it a game or is it a simulation? Yet again, it's neither, and Tiburon has failed for the second year running to strike the gllorious balance it achieved with NASCAR 05. [Oct. 2006, p.110]

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

After a few levels I found that it's harder to stop dribbling at the urinal than it is to destroy the opposition. [May 2002, p.106]

The control is a bit sloppy, but the tracks really improve as the game progresses. [Mar 2003, p.134]

Collectively, the infuriating missions and maddening difficulty swings prove to be overwhelming, sucking away what little fun there is. [Nov 2004, p.136]

If you're able to accept the unorthodox control scheme, the mediocre single-player game (at least it has one), a troublesome camera, and the lack of an effective lock-on mechanism, then you're tough enough to reap Monster Hunter's unique benefits. [Dec 2004, p.162]

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]

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

[Its] controls slightly edge out those of "Tricky," with easier-to-pull-off stunts and a useful grind button. [May 2002, p.112]

Instant deaths, abetted by a bad camera, put the brakes on the best bits of an otherwise ugly and repetitious game. [Apr 2004, p.121]

It feels more like a Sunday drive down a busy city street... Go straight for the PS2 game. It's far and away the best of the three. [Nov 2002, p.306]

The last game's horrible 3D stages are now less frequent, and the bosses have graduated from embarrassing to forgettable. [Jan 2005, p.134]

Only hardcore Batfans should bother enduring this frustration. [Dec 2001, p.236]

The killer visuals just can't disguise the repetitive levels and frustrating trial-and-error missions. [May 2004, p.108]

While this latest version succeeds in providing a polished, fast-paced, fun game of over-the-top 3-on-3 hoops, it doesn't really offer anything we haven't seen before. [Dec 2003, p.191]

The snazzy visuals will initially draw you in, but you'll stick around for the instinctive, responsive gameplay. [Dec 2003, p.201]

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

Online multiplayer matches fare a little better, as the thrill of assaulting your friends with monster rushes and souped-up spells momentarily overshadows the lingering control and A.I. issues. [Jun 2006, p.121]

From the annoying time management of the schedule-based career mode to the ho-hum training minigames, Smash Court feels like a less entertaining "Virtua Tennis" knock-off. [Aug 2007, p.84]

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

They've added no-frills co-op and a second character but stayed within the comfortable confines of mindless action. [Dec. 2006, p.160]

The lame-o difficulty (the first game was probably too hard, but come on, I've played tougher "Rugrats" games) means that you'll blow through it in a night. [Mar 2003, p.114]

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 laughable plot, poor level design, wimpy sound effects and fluctuating difficulty. [Nov 2002, p.306]

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

Sure, I applaud Sega for attempting to transform the single-player experience into something meatier, but poor voice acting and clumsy storytelling lend the proceedings a cheesy B-movie vibe. [Jan. 2007, p.101]

So why couldn't I put it down? Simple: deep character-building options. [May 2005, p.91]

Wayward needs something to keep it interesting, like stronger melee weapons to discover or moves to learn. [Sept 2003, p.117]

Collectively, the infuriating missions and maddening difficulty swings prove to be overwhelming, sucking away what little fun there is. [Nov 2004, p.136]

It's a work in progress somehow on shelves, full of frustrating bugs; shooting for the stars, it lands well below its own lofty expectations. [Aug 2005, p.116]

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

The cast moves around as though they were at the bottom of a swimming pool on Jupiter...these slumberous high-gravity physics weigh down an otherwise fine (though light on modes) game. [Apr 2002, p.145]

Problems from the first Raw carry over - matches plod on too long, and animations look unrealistic and robotic. Even diehard WWE fans should treat this as a rental. [Dec 2003, p.224]

I felt the magic before, but Rabbits! left me feeling a little heartbroken. [Apr 2006, p.105]

All quirky style with little substance, Overdose has you blasting through endless hordes of goons - although the real enemy is the camera and clunky controls. [Dec 2004, p.170]

Cooler character and enemy designs alone would have helped immensely. [June 2002, p.114]

As for enemy behavior, it's so embarrassingly bad at times, it's hard not to laugh. [Jan 2004, p.122]

KFC's humor is about as subtle as a punch to the groin, and not nearly as smart. [Apr 2003, p.128]

Frustrating or not, Shikigami isn't a bad shooter. [June 2008, p.78]

If you're determined to don cans and rock the boards, you'd be better off just buying the real thing. [Apr 2006, p.102]

It has a truly epic feel, buoyed by fantastic graphics and a rousing, orchestral soundtrack. Star Fox Assault succeeds where most games fail: It's simply exhilarating to play, despite its flaws. [March 2005, p.132]

Combat is where Blood Omen 2 really outshines previous games in the series. [June 2002, p.109]

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

Like any fighting game, though, it's only as good as its replay value, and GGX's is a little better than average. [August 2002, p.136]

What a letdown! I had high hopes for March Madness this year, but this one's all sizzle and very little steak. [Jan 2008, p.90]

If you want a meaty alchemic role-playing game, conjure up "Atelier Iris" instead.

Let me help clarify: The controls aren't complicated on their own; they're just complicated for this type of gaming experience. [Holiday 2007, p.66]

The worst problem is that certain jumps are damn nigh impossible - it's not even a question of skill. [Nov 2003, p.176]

The finicky grappling hook controls lack the intuitive ease you'd like from such an integral control element (never mind the fact that you can't hook onto buildings or trees...wha--?). Even by the game's end, I'd still stumble when trying to sling from car to passing helo.

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

It's too simplified and repetitive for even the most desperate of action-starved gamers. [Oct 2002, p.194]

The edgy cartoon trappings kept me interested in this game far longer than its actual gameplay. Which is to say, about an hour - or maybe three, if you count the two times I had to restart because I was still figuring out the Story mode's rules that don't let you retry events.

Too bad the extra content isn't quite as fresh. [Aug 2007, p.85]

Between the terrific cinemas, TV voice actors, and perfectly re-created story lines, you'll really feel like you're playing the show. And isn't that what you've wanted all along? [Feb 2003, p.136]

A simple, solid adventure with smart puzzles and high production values, but it leads its junior wizards through every baby step. [Aug 2004, p.101]

I agree the premise isn't as intriguing as the first game's, but Manhunt 2's still got plenty of creeps and creepy atmosphere--it's the 8mm and Hostel of videogames. [Holiday 2007, p.69]

Distressingly little effort went into crafting this anniversary package: Square Enix merely cobbled together aspects from the PS1 and GBA remakes, touched up the graphics with high-resolution art, and added one new, ultra-difficult dungeon at the game's end. [July 2007, p.95]

Spidey simultaneously fights crime and a bad camera, usually indoors in environments reminiscent of "Spider-Man 1's."[June 2005, p.109]

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]

"Motorstorm" does off-road racing better than this. So do "Dirt" and "Sega Rally Revo". [Jan 2008, p.94]

The repetitive challenges are uncreative, and the game's choppy graphics and collision-detection isues make the whole experience head-splitting. [Aug 2003, p.116]

The game’s graphics seem tighter and less warpy than before, all making this a superior game to its predecessor. [Aug 2001, p.112]

Mystical Ninja had a nation of young adults spiking and dying their hair. Or not. [Jan 2004, p.189]

Entertaining enough at first, but lacking any staying power. [Apr 2008, p.78]

Put simply, this game looks awful...An excercise in frustration with clumsy controls and uneven level design. [Nov 2004, p.150]

It delivers ho-hum RC racing that, true to the title, involves inadvertently smashing into things...and that's about it. [Aug 2003, p.112]

While this latest version succeeds in providing a polished, fast-paced, fun game of over-the-top 3-on-3 hoops, it doesn't really offer anything we haven't seen before. [Dec 2003, p.191]

Offers less gameplay than the first and lacks the ingenuity and novelty. [Feb 2002, p.154]

The action on the track is mediocre, especially once you realize you'll have to wrestle with the touchy control on the same tracks in the same cars over and over. [Jan 2004, p.124]

Too much of the good stuff (unlocking new areas, upgrading equipment, and raising livestock) happens either by accidental discovery or hours into the game--after most people will have lost interest. [July 2007, p.97]

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

This game actually slows down time. Its characters move at the speed of Elmer's glue. [May 2005, p.124]

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

A simple, solid adventure with smart puzzles and high production values, but it leads its junior wizards through every baby step. [Aug 2004, p.101]

Solid…if you want something smaller with a focus on character development, give Tsugunai a whirl. [Feb 2002, p.158]

The novelty of the battle system wears thin pretty quickly, and befroe you know it, you'll be wishing you could just skip fighting altogether. [Dec 2002, p.204]

You'll still have to deal with irritating load times and janky collision detection problems (it's easy to get your car stuck on objects and buildings). [Mar 2002, p.141]

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]

An unforgiving difficulty level and harsh time limits <I>severely</I> undercut the fun... [and b]am-powing hordes of goons becomes achingly repetitive over time. [Nov 2003, p.172]

While the game won&#146;t win any awards for originality, it is well-paced and does a good job of keeping the player glued to the tube. [Oct 2001, p.145]

Stiff, robotic controls present the game's biggest hurdle. Most action sequences are a joke, as gun battles consist of standing while firing at a bad guy who is five feet away. [March 2004, p.119]

The action on the track is mediocre, especially once you realize you'll have to wrestle with the touchy control on the same tracks in the same cars over and over. [Jan 2004, p.124]

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]

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]

Trust me, the controls are sheer, unadulterated nonsense. [Apr 2002, p.141]

Fielding features the sweetest setup in years, with its simple analog-based meter. And baserunning and hitting benefit from less-complex models. Something's still missing. [Apr 2008, p.73]

Deciding whether to fend off those carnivorous foes or sic 'em on your human enemies adds a teensy bit of strategy to the otherwise typical run, gun, and reload approach. [Mar 2008, p.81]

There's a surprising amount of fun stuff here, if you have the patience to see it all. [Feb 2005, p.115]

What they've done is mash together a platform/coin-collecting game with a plodding kart-combat racer, then grafted on some escaped-from-a-cell-phone minigames. It's a Frankensteinian mess.

What a thermonuclear disappointment. To someone like me, who loved all three Fallout role-playing games on PC, this is a power fist to the face - an insult. [March 2004, p.114]

Collectively, the infuriating missions and maddening difficulty swings prove to be overwhelming, sucking away what little fun there is. [Nov 2004, p.136]

It's too simplistic. While the game gives the illusion of Splinter Cell-style freedom in how you want to take out your enemies, Batman only really ever has one course of action: knock something over, scare the bad guys into dropping their guns, then come in punching and kicking.

When the most exciting thing you can buy (aside from slicker clubs) is a new pair of slacks, you know you're playing no-frills golf. [Mar 2006, p.112]

A sloppy mess of nonsensical plot points, dumb puzzles (which often boil down to trial-and-error guessing), and yet more bland blasting sections toward the end of the game, when this whole ghost train really derails. [Sept 2005, p.114]

What's more, the game's confining mission-based, dungeon-crawl layout may turn off fans accustomed to the series' traditional expansive, expressive worlds. [Aug 2007, p.83]

Crisis Zone has the most unique plot to date. [Dec 2004, p.170]