The single-player game is a perfectly adequate sequel to the original, but the multiplayer stuff may well be the best online experience on the PS2 right now. [Aug 2004, p.102]

Kingdom Hearts II, I am relieved to say, delivers on everything the series' potential hinted at. [May 2006, p.101]

I defy you to find a blaster that gives you more hours of gameplay than this redux of the three-year old PC game. [Dec 2001, p.242]

Nearly as sharp and detailed as the characters in an anime movie, X2's fighters spring to life with fluid visuals that put "Street Fighter III"'s to shame. [Mar 2003, p.126]

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

A high level of rider and bike customization and goodly amount of attribute points to be earned mean you'll be playing this one for quite a while. [July 2003, p.106]

Until the developers master the riddle of team A.I. (players here don't always respond properly in certain situations), work remains undone. Even so, this year's model is great.

P3 proves RPGs don't need big budgets to be all-around awesome. [Sept 2007, p.96]

UT3 may be a bit light on strategy, but it's heavy on fast, frantic mayhem. [Feb 2008, p.80]

Enough creepiness to make Christopher Walken uncomfortable. [Jan 2004, p.189]

From start to finish, Canvas is packed with beautiful graphics, awesome level designs, and compelling gameplay. Boss battles are cool and unique, and the minigames and bonus options are worth unlocking--really!

The thing that really impresses me about Legends is the way the developers managed to translate the breakneck pace of "Burnout 3" to a handheld. [Nov 2005, p.154]

For me, the big thing is feeling like I'm actually on the ice. ESPN's physics and skating put me there. "NHL 2005" is too stiff compared with the flow in 2K5. [Oct 2004, p.99]

The hardcore MVP player will dig getting a read on the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand. Maybe 2K Games can steal this feature next season - EA surely won't need it. [April 2005, p.112]

There are some potholes - the graphics get choppy at times, and the retail-car challenges seem tacked on - but the sheer variety is something that even non-NASCAR fans will find addictive. [Oct 2004, p.98]

For now, Resistance delivers a launch classic, but not quite the hoped-for "Halo" killer. [Jan. 2007, p.74]

Still excellent despite the fact that its biggest innovation really amounts to an unnecessary step in the passing game. I'm more impressed by the little tweaks--precision passing, smart routes, the "truck stick" for those Jerome Bettis moments--that improve the overall experience.

Although not necessarily its core mechanic, few things are more satisfying in Mercenaries than blowing crap up, and the enormous variety of methods with which you can do that makes it an absolute joy to play... The first truly great game of 2005. [Feb 2005, p.101]

Age sports some remarkably tricky puzzles and labyrinths. I'm a sucker for difficult dungeons, so these brain-benders kept me enthralled (and occasionally baffled) throughout. [May 2003, p.138]

All serious gamers should check this one out. [Mar 2008, p.85]

It's the puzzles that make the game so rewarding. They're tough, sure, and many are downright brilliant in design. Working Designs, as always, did an excellent job translating the dialogue and story, although, their trademark humor is toned down a bit. [Feb 1998]

Using the same game engine as its NBA counterpart, 2K5 plays better than it did a year ago, in part because the A.I. is way smarter. [Jan 2005, p.128]

It won't blow you away, but RPG fans who can see beyond the drab look and slow intro will find a rewarding epic. [Dec 2002, p.218]

Simply the best online racer yet. [Aug 2003, p.116]

Don't overlook this title just because it's 2D; the graphics here are detailed and ingeniously designed - the current pinnacle of pixelated art and animation. Behind the pretty facade is a fighting system as deep as any classic of the genre. [Oct 2004, p.110]

While the crème de la crème of RPGs (like "KOTOR1") deliver a gripping tale that sucks you in to its world even further, this narrative is a horribly slow burn, and worse, predictable. [Feb 2005, p.112]

Mixing Walt Disney's colorful whimsy, the industrial distopias of French cinematographers Jeunet and Carot ("City of Lost Children"), and "Zelda" mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto's genius for flexible gameplay, BG&E is mesmerizing, ominous, and, most of all, memorable. [Dec 2003, p.200]

Clever, addictive gameplay like this fits the Mario subject matter perfectly, but neither the story line (it's too cute to stomach, really) nor the visuals (can you say GBA?) do it justice. [Jan 2006, p.130]