ZOE does tend to lose momentum, though, due to repetitive visuals and a drawn-out story that gets in the way of all the action. [Apr 2002, p.146]

Just too troubled to even bother renting. [May 2002, p.112]

Crash for the GBA is what the PS2 game wanted to be. [April 2002, p.146]

A beautiful game...The problem, though, is that Smilebit is guilty of design overkill, and it negatively affects the overall experience. [Apr 2002, p.142]

I'm all for authenticity, but holy smokes, that ball's hard to hit. [June 2002, p.118]

I'm not sure which is harder: keeping Robert Downy Jr. away from a crack pipe or establishing a consistent offense in All-Star Baseball. [June 2002, p.118]

Once you catch on, using the stick feels fluid and natural – thus more immersive. [Apr 2002, p.141]

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

Without a doubt, this is the best Digimon game I’ve ever played, but it’s still nothing special. [Mar 2002, p.144]

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

Do yourself a favor and head down to your local arcade if you want to play some 18 Wheeler. [May 2002, p.112]

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

All the alternate routes in SD make the game highly replayable, [but] there are still only a handful of tracks that add up to a total estimated playing time of oh, let’s say…15 minutes before you’ve seen just about everything. [Mar 2002, p.139]

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

It's more fun for folks who just want to remember two or three key moves and make those last through a night of clunky combat with a few buddies. [Apr 2002, p.144]

An epic game. But like other grand-scale projects, say the movie "Waterworld" for example, it ends up spreading itself too thin for its own good. [Apr 2002, p.144]

It's the great gameplay and intense, "Harlem Globetrotter" action that really keep NBA Street trucking. [May 2002, p.112]

Its top game speed, Lightning (yes, that's what they call it), keeps the action firing at an intense clip without sacrificing skater physics. In other words, it's slippery fast, but not in a cheesy, pretend way. [May 2002, p.114]

After the blood-soaked honeymoon is over, you'll see the game in the harsh morning light and wonder if it was worth it.

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]

This is the only next-generation game title that realistically re-creates every facet of the game...The graphics, animation and sound are much improved. [Mar 2002, p.135]

I don’t know what kind of smack the graphics are on, but they just pop out of the screen at an almost unbearable intensity; it’s a very cool effect. [Mar 2002, p.136]

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]

Outside of "Tetris," "Tetris Attack," and "Pokemon Puzzle Challenge," this is probably the best handheld puzzle game around. [Mar 2002, p.146]

Though the new multiplayer levels are nice, fixing the horrible camera should have been the priority. [Mar 2002, p.139]

It's still one of the best platformers ever, now perfectly ported to GBA...a true classic. [Mar 2002, p.145]

Midway did an excellent job of retaining the old Blitz flair and trademark never-say-die-gameplay while introducing more players, tons of killer animation, and funnier commentary. [May 2002, p.108]

The Columns formula really isn't that fun. [Mar 2002, p.146]

Through what I assume is some kind of mystical voodoo magic, the game cleanly details every frame of a 100-mph car chase without batting an eye. [Apr 2002, p.144]

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

Sonic and pals have never looked better in 2D. Still, I could've done without Knuckles and Amy. [Mar 2002, p.146]

Airblade sabotages everything it gets right with gameplay problems. [Mar 2002, p.135]

Like being the hot-dog vendor at the Olympic park. You get to watch all the events, but don’t really have all that much fun being there. [Mar 2002, p.139]

Inexplicably horrible graphics completely ruin an otherwise splendid title. [Feb 2002, p.156]

Suffers from a steep difficulty curve. Blame it on the excessive enemy quotient, the steep cost of healing, and the unwieldy inventory control. [Feb 2002, p.148]

Tekken loses out big time by not supporting the GBA's one-cartridge multiplayer feature. [Feb 2002, p.172]

If the game weren’t such a sadist – you’re gonna have to be tough and persistent to make it through this one – and if it weren’t so short (about half the length of an average RE), I’d say it’s a must-buy for any gamer. [Mar 2002, p.141]

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

If you can stay on your bike long enough to appreciate it, MGP2’s excellent weather effects and pervasive sense of speed will immerse you in its cutthroat reality. [Mar 2002, p.138]

Controlling three characters simultaneously is a breeze, and the complex combo system makes trouncing enemies fun. [Feb 2002, p.156]

NC is too shallow to be an RPG and too complicated to be a quick-fix good time...highly repetitive. [Mar 2002, p.144]

While this hectic pace isn't realistic, it does make your palms sweat. [Apr 2002, p.143]

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]

The game boasts some delightful hi-resolution 1080 Snowboarding on-crack graphics, and a fantastic create-a-player mode. [Mar 2002, p.139]

Another cool feature is the adrenaline button, which lets you control the intensity of your special moves and dunks. [Mar 2002, p.140]

The 2K2 [computer opponents], however, can light it up with more ferocity than a pit bull at a beef jerky convention. [Mar 2002, p.138]

The great A.I. and lightning-fast game speed pulls off an uncommon balance of realistic football with an arcade edge. [Mar 2002, p.144]

Where’s the freaking Dynasty mode? [Mar 2002, p.138]

It’s the first shooter I’ve played that’s demanded not just my reflexes, but also my intuition. A trip worth taking. [Feb 2002, p.156]

The whole damn experience is like watching your dad perform Who Let the Dogs Out? – you want it out of your line of sight as quickly as possible. [Mar 2002, p.135]

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

When it comes to graphics, it still almost looks like an N64 game…It’s worth renting QB Club 2002 just to play these mini-games. [Mar 2002, p.141]

All Wizardry really has to offer is a lengthy maze. You're going to be trudging through the labyrinth 'till your hair turns gray. [Feb 2002, p.158]

Edging out its PS2 brother with enhanced graphics and a new mini-scenario, SH2:RD is the definitive version of Konami’s foggy frightfest. [Jan 2002, p.230]

If someone handed you a lightsaber, I bet you, like me, would want to rip a lot of things a new poopchute with it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the Ginsu simulator I was hoping for. [Feb 2002, p.168]

Should be plenty fun for the very young ones in your family. [Mar 2002, p.141]

Bursting with an ingenuity cure for jaded RPG gamers, JC2 inspires the sleeping role-play addict to awaken. [Feb 2002, p.148]

All those glorious graphics are just gravy, as the lovable characters and compelling story provide the true heart of FFX. [Feb 2002, p.150]

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]

Overall, BoF exemplifies hand-held role-playing done right. [Dec 2001, p.264]

If a circus train wreck was ever more accurately embodied in digital format, I haven't seen it...It's a steaming pile of bloody dog krap. [Mar 2002, p.146]

After the novelty wars off, the gameplay can get monotonous. [Feb 2002, p.166]

The game's "Judgement Ring" is the best solution yet for adding timing to RPG battles. [Feb 2002, p.156]

Lamentably, this FFT doppelganger actually reminds me more of Tactics Ogre, and that’s a stop back for the genre. [Feb 2002, p.168]

The frame rate has also been improved upon over NHL 2002 on the PS2, and runs as smooth as Michael Jordan’s newly shaved head.

Aside from porn stars, no one likes sloppy seconds. But that’s what Majesco is shamelessly serving up with this effortless rehash. [Feb 2002, p.158]

Once Bullet Time’s novelty wears off, you’re left with a repetitive shooter, blasting the same species of enemy over and over. [Feb 2002, p.158]

Handily bests the Crash games in every way. [Jan 2002, p.210]

I thought I’d sooner see Sasquatch ride a Chimera bareback through the streets than a bland series like Mega Man X last through six installments. [Feb 2002, p.172]

Maybe I’m sadistic, but it’s the funniest stuff I’ve seen in a long time. [Feb 2002, p.152]

The players look horrible in comparison to Madden and NFL 2K2, and they move more sluggishly than Oprah after brunch. [Feb 2002, p.154]

Suffice it to say, if the first game made you happy, this jam-packed sequel will make you crap your pants with glee. [Feb 2002, p.160]

[It will] suck you in faster than an arrow into a gelatinous cube. [Jan 2002, p.202]

As unique as it is captivating with great controls (outside of a small problem with bomb-carrying Pikmin) making it all possible. [Jan 2002, p.200]

The throwaway storyline, endless loading times, small environments and barely Dreamcast-quality graphics are instant turn-offs. [Jan 2002, p.230]

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

It’s the best action-oriented war game on the planet, flaws and all. [Jan 2002, p.208]

A slapdash, sloppy and unimaginative retrofit. [Jan 2002, p.232]

It’s not that it’s ugly, but compared to most Xbox games, it looks ugly, but compared to most Xbox games it looks like the boring girl next door and makes the GameCube’s Rogue Leader seem like Pamela Anderson. [Jan 2002, p.231]

It’s hard to take a game seriously whose hero looks like a plastic, blue Reboot reject. I think Paul Reubens would have been more believable. [Feb 2002, p.164]

Combined with razor-sharp controls, this is one of the fastest, most responsive fighting games I’ve ever played. [Jan 2002, p.232]

Easily the best Harvest Moon yet. [Jan 2002, p.222]

I swear, you could probably nail players in the groin nine times out of 10 with these controls if you practiced enough. [Feb 2002, p.164]

On the PS2, 2K2 is a faster, more arcade-like experience than it was on the DC. [Jan 2002, p.216]

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

This is the fastest, best-handling F1 game since Bizarre Creations’ F1 ’97. [Feb 2002, p.168]

Mind-boggling travesty. [Jan 2002, p.231]

The game’s biggest sin, however, is its overall lack of play modes. [Jan 2002, p.228]

It’s so fulfilling, almost therapeutic, to layeth the smacketh down on a few of your buddies. [Jan 2002, p.221]

Despite the difficulty, it's almost impossible to put Rogue Leader down, and that's the sign of a truly great game. [Dec 2001, p.258]

It takes sound football strategy and patience to be successful, so when you finally beat the game on All-Pro mode, you know you’ve accomplished something big. [Feb 2002, p.164]

I can’t get past the touchy, unforgiving control that plagues the game. [Dec 2001, p.254]

Every room is like an Easter Egg hunt filled with surprises that’ll make you tingly all over. [Dec 2001, p.256]

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]

May just be the best party game ever made. [Dec 2001, p.254]

Poor Harry’s world slows to a coma-inducing craw whenever he’s running, flying or…well, moving. [Feb 2002, p.170]

Fans looking for a quick ride through the events of teh book and movie will be pleased with Potter GBA, because that's all it is. [Feb 2002, p.172]

So wholesomely original, so finely polished, so expertly crafted, that you can’t help but fall in love with it. [Jan 2002, p.227]