Essentially, if you like the way strategy games engage your faculty of forethought and resource management, then MGA2 will be (at least) a 30-hour trip into grid-based nirvana. [Apr 2006, p.106]

Otogi has incredible art direction, virtually flawless controls, and one of the most addictive (and rewarding) combat systems out there. Hack-n-slash in 3D has never been this good on Xbox. [Oct 2003, p.154]

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

If you haven’t tried this series yet, you are really missing out on the nicotine/booze/sugar/sex of video gaming. [Nov 2001, p.214]

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

Despite my small gripes, Dead is stsill a must-have in any to-go gamer's pocket. [July 2002, p.126]

Underwater flying, several sweet detachable gun bits, a traditional stage-long battleship enounter...Final is an R-Type fanatic's dream and the best thing to happen to side-scrolling shooters since "G-Darius" (PS1) [March 2004, p.119]

Hunter would have benefitted from a ton more firepower - you know, the kind of bang-bang action where ammo is a foreign concept and you simply hold down the "kill" button to mow down everything in sight. [July 2002, p.122]

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

Still, I love how The Bigs has the bells and whistles without the SlugFest-style BS like punch-throwing or loop-de-loop curves. [Aug 2007, p.76]

The revamped control is an interesting step forward; now all that's missing is a thick layer of polish. [Oct. 2006, p.106]

Sleek graphics and a fast start can't mask what's an entertaining but ultimately disposable diversion. [Feb. 2007, p.90]

Everything about Warriors is imaginative at its mind-blowing best. And it's all packaged with some amazing graphics, a haunting soundtrack, perfect controls, and enough gameplay to last over 20 hours if you're the thorough type. Don't miss it. [Dec 2004, p.164]

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

It's hard not to look at all those features on the current-gen version - monster playbooks, Campus Legend mode, trick plays, special-teams tweaks - and wonder why a football game coming one generation after "Madden" on 360 doesn't have what you'll find on the PS2 or Xbox. [Aug 2006, p.84]

It's an uneven collection where high scores disappear when the power goes off, just like they did in the '80s. [Oct 2001, p.158]

It needs some retooling – mainly better defensive A.I. [Jan 2002, p.229]

The majority of the game is one long gunfight, shifting between a traditional free-looking aim to lock-on, slow-mo shooting. It's good stuff, if you don't mind your foes acting like targets in a carnival game.

Despite recycled levels, repetitive enemies, chaotic combat, and unbalanced characters, just controlling four X-Men and using their powers is usually enough to make up for Legends' flaws. [Holiday 2004, p.100]

These are far and away the best versions of Final Fantasy I & II to date, with updated scripts, awesome new bonus dungeons, and superb visuals and sound. [Holiday 2004, p.142]

Does one thing really well: the Zen feeling of hitting a jump just right, catching the curve of the dirt like a stylus in a record groove. [Apr 2005, p.116]

GrimGrimoire is fun at first, but not in the same league as developer Vanillaware's "Odin Sphere". [July 2007, p.92]

This game has it all: monsters to capture and raise, upgradeable items and spells, and incredibly rich character customization. I got sucked in to this as badly as I did with both "Final Fantasy Tactics," so that's saying a lot: 50-some great hours, lots. [June 2004, p.97]

Strip away the surprisingly excellent graphics and gimmicky bonus material and you've got a 3D fighter that's derivative at best. [Jan 2003, p.178]

Most hockey games serve up similarly snazzy visuals, tight control, and expansive options, but none of 'em focus on purely wild-and-fun gameplay like this. [Oct 2003, p.136]

It's unbelievable how a game that's so addictive and enjoyable on the big consoles can lose so much in its transition to portability. [Dec 2005, p.174]

The camera doesn't swing around fast enough after a change of possession, causing some turnovers and missed fast-break opportunities. Plus, the dynasty mode, slam-dunk contest, and three-point shoot-out have all basically gone untouched.

I found the combat lame, the camera annoying, and some levels frustrating. [July 2002, p.124]

I was terribly bored the first couple of hours. Then I grew to like it more and more. But it never felt like a good Castlevania game - just a good action game. [Dec 2003, p.212]

Team chemistry and prestige are just as important as your personal points standing in NASCAR 06, which makes the whole experience much deeper. [Oct 2005, p.113]

Each campaign mission plays out in wonderfully designed stages created specifically to capture your imagination. [Aug 2006, p.86]

ESPN may lack the innovations and overall polish of "MVP," but it's otherwise a serious contender. [May 2004, p.90]]

"Final Fantasy" is an impenetrable mess with a bare-bones bore of a battle system that's all about mindless levelling-up. But "Final Fantasy II" is a real treat: The story, system, and pacing all hold up marvelously. [Apr 2003, p.134]

It's sometimes difficult to track down the Sim you need in order to advance a quest, and the dialogue is maddeningly repetitive, but otherwise, Bustin' Out is engaging, original, and just plain fun. [Jan 2004, p.164]

Like so many PS2-PSP ports, you won't find much compelling new content, either. [July 2006, p.93]

The only thing more frustrating than fighting the overpowered CPU is hoping a boneheaded A.I. tag partner won't blow a crucial match. [Nov 2004, p.151]

The Xbox pad isn't the best for street fighting, but the online play was flawless during our testing. [March 2005, p.126]

It's fast, fun, and most importantly, free. [Oct 2002, p.192]

Feels stale and rehashed. In a lot of ways, this is pretty much the same game we've been playing since 1997, but without the refinement of "Tekken 3" or the added team complexity of "Tekken Tag Tournament." [Oct 2002, p.190]

Tremendously deep warrior-customization options and rich strategy elements make Gladius absolutely worthwhile and fun, but prepare to invest serious time. [Dec 2003, p.185]

The outstanding music and the tension of pursuit make this a first-person experience like few others. [Dec 2008, p.65]

My main knock against the game is that it can be hard to see the little rolled up Samus, uh, ball at times, particularly during boss fights when the big fellas and their minions are pelting you with rocks or rockets or blast waves or just negative thoughts, and extra particularly when the ball gets hung up in the dead zone between the upper and lower screens.

Unless you're completely worn out on the series, you'll find this to be one of the best action games on the GBA. [Apr 2003, p.132]

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]

For children of the 'Cube who've never smuggled, Warzones is a great deal. [Sept 2002, p.162]

Spend a couple of hours globe-trotting Prey's extraterrestrial fun house and witness your mind turn to mush as it soaks in all the bizarre gimmicks--portals, walking on walls, immortality--that help the game stand out from other ho-hum shooters. [Sept. 2006, p.94]

The open-ended level design - and especially the nifty fortress-defense stages - made for many moments of shooter Zen. [Jan 2004, p.154]

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]

It certainly captures the show's appeal, and it's a solid buy for fans. But between the annoying one-liners and huge difficulty spike late in the game, it's just not for casual gamers. [Sept 2002, p.154]

Representing this summer's European tourney, UEFA impresses in many ways: shimmering presentation, engaging game modes, and tweaks to problems that hurt "FIFA 08". [June 2008, p.78]

The ability to steer every object, projectile, and hurled corpse with motion control adds an unprecedented layer of complexity and fun to an otherwise familiar fare. [Oct 2007, p.92]

Series vets should expect deja vu from Vesperia's linear town-dungeon-town progression, superfluous cut-scenes, and lame cooking minigames. [Oct 2008, p.86]

Do you have the patience to work through the frequent shot frustration? If so, you'll enjoy the almost ridiculous amount of content shoehorned in here. [Oct 2007, p.91]

With its massive levels, cool vehicles, character classes, and play modes that range from quick and dirty to needlessly complicated, Snowblind's online game itself is reason enough to lock and load.

A better-playing, all-around more realistic game than 2002 with a level of control that puts all past EA NHL games to shame. [Dec 2002, p.212]

The game's approach to controlling a giant, transforming robot is probably the freshest ever conceived. [Dec 2002, p.80]

I must have yelled "Oh wow!" at least 900 times when I first booted up RayStorm. The polygonal enemies and terrain look phenomenal, making this the most eye-catching PS title yet. [July 1997]

Getting the Mummy burnt, shocked, and sliced makes for both fun and funny gameplay. Watching Sphinx do double-jumps and sword strokes, on the other hand, fills me with "eh." [Dec 2003, p.204]

The most calming game I've played...The downside to this pastoral pleasantness is that it requires Zen-like patience. Chances are, you don't have it. [Apr 2004, p.130]

The game initially strikes a good balance between challenging and rewarding but becomes extremely difficult in later stages (despite bike upgrades), ramping up the frustration factor considerably - and unnecessarily. [May 2004, p.88]

A wicked weapons-based 2D delight that should bring joy to fans of fighting games everywhere. [Dec 2001, p.236]

Getting the Mummy burnt, shocked, and sliced makes for both fun and funny gameplay. Watching Sphinx do double-jumps and sword strokes, on the other hand, fills me with "eh." [Dec 2003, p.204]

It’s a freakin’ blast to play…It’s good ol’-fashion, mindless arcade fun. God bless it. [Feb 2002, p.168]

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

Grab three friends, then get ready for the best in multiplayer mayhem. [Jan 2004, p.189]

The Orc-hacking gameplay has you tapping more than just one button 90 times a minute. [Feb 2003, p.154]

This one may mildly entertain those who've never been Twisted before, but series vets should simply drive away. [June 2005, p.109]

I like that in 06's franchise mode each NHL team has its own objectives - be the Wings and anything short of Canada's Holy Grail is a disappointment. [Oct 2005, p.114]

The visual upgrade will get you bby this season, 2K, but come back peddling the same lackluster feature set next year and I'm sendin' you to the minors. [Apr 2007, p.89]

What an awesome surprise - DD wasn't even on my radar, but it deftly mixes "Road Rash's" two-wheeled combat with "SSX's" long and crazy downhill drops to create one hell of a rush. [Aug 2003, p.121]

The combination of toe-tappin' music, retro-futuristic style, and rapid-fire pacing injects Space Channel with an infectious, addictive quality. [Dec 2003, p.210]

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

One of the prettiest, most involving RPGs to hit the GBA. [Dec 2002, p.272]

The game that would start a Mario-themed party-game revolution. [Jan 2004, p.189]

The outstanding music and the tension of pursuit make this a first-person experience like few others. [Dec 2008, p.65]

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]

If nothing else, Wrath of Heaven succeeds where it absolutely must - executing stealth-kills as a ninja is simply exhilarating, and the animations rock. [Apr 2003, p.118]

It’s just one of those incredibly intuitive pick-up-and-start-powersliding types of racing games. [Jan 2002, p.202]

If you never tried the original, the prospect of replaying entire levels over and over after dying at the boss is probably more than you'll put up with, but fans will appreciate the elegance of Hunter's simplicity. [Mar 2006, p.114]

Mario Strikers Charged isn't a soccer game. It's a chaotic war of dispossession, body-checking, and garbage goals. [Sept 2007, p.80]

As much as I like the action-oriented battle system, random enemy encounters are far too frequent. [Feb 2002, p.172]

This is a well-put-together mini-game masquerading as sports entertainment. [Dec 2002, p.250]

Hit & Run is so good at capturing the show's spirit and copying a great game ["GTA"] that it turns out to be real, honest-to-God fun for anyone who digs the show. [Oct 2003, p.140]

Great bosses, plenty of maneuvers, maybe a little short, but packed with quality fun. [Holiday 2004, p.100]

The analog nub is too sensitive for the series' signature swing system. [May 2005, p.98]

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

If Dark Alliance II were a creature in the "D&D Monster Manual," it'd be called the Yawnisian Mind Borer, and it would lure victims into repetitive dungeons, make them wander until they fell asleep, then swipe 50 gold from their wallets. [Feb 2004, p.111]

Old school in every possible way. [Jan 2003, p.173]

Getting the Mummy burnt, shocked, and sliced makes for both fun and funny gameplay. Watching Sphinx do double-jumps and sword strokes, on the other hand, fills me with "eh." [Dec 2003, p.204]

A pleasant surprise. [Apr 2008, p.76]

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]

With a cast of well-written characters, branching conservations, and a cool interface, this is the adventure the DS has been dying for. [Feb. 2007, p.97]

If only the game put you in a few more situations that demanded strategy. I had a fun enough time sprinting from one massive firefight to the next, nailing glowy-eyed enemies like paper targets, but I only felt the need to pick a particular gun or change bionics about half the time.

Despite these gripes, the moody visuals and frantic gameplay prevail, so horror fans should still seek out The Thing. [Nov 2002, p.290]

Though the fragging may hold your interest for a while, it's far from revolutionary, and the rest of the game feels like a rodent-encrusted relic from 2001.

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]

I’m happy to say that Namco’s fixed a lot of what made Tales 1 annoying while preserving its cooler aspects for their three-disc sequel. [Oct 2001, p.154]

Besides the graphics, which still look good, the game has not held up well. [July 2003, p.118]