Still, even with the new levels, simpler event progression, and slightly upgraded graphics, this feels too much like my last SSX winter getaway. Next season, I want to go somewhere new and exciting.

It's right up there with "Metal Gear Solid 2" as the best action the PS2 has to offer. Play it. [August 2002, p.126]

BO is literally one big blast after the other. Keep in mind, though, that the “Online” in BO is really what you make of it. [Dec 2001, p.260]

I give developer Treyarch credit for its ambitious GTA-style playground game design, but the errands Spider-Man sends you on are repetitive and dull. Combat is part of the problem; you can buy all sorts of fancy moves and combos, but why bother when button-mashing works just as well? [Sept 2004, p.98]

With rock-solid gameplay and plenty of creeps, Bloodshot finds its soul by making your heart race. [Apr 2008, p.74]

This game bursts with one brilliant design decision after another - including a Gamebreaker power-up system that is, finally, perfect. [Mar 2007, p.86]

If graphics and gameplay are more important to you than story, by all means dive in. [Holiday 2004, p.134]

Street perfectly blends the arcadey feel of old-school "NFL Blitz" games with "NBA Street's" flamboyant antics. [March 2004, p.112]

Daunting as the setup might be, give Chronicles a chance and you'll likely get hooked. It's a simple, beautiful, and rewarding experience. [Mar 2004, p.124]

Anyway, 07 plays just fine, but once again this edition leaves you wanting (and expecting) much more. [Dec. 2006, p.132]

The other big addition to this year's Smackdown! is nearly lag-free online play, though playing only standard singles matches quickly grows boring. [Holiday 2004, p.122]

The most impressive element of the game, though, is Skull Island itself. Grand and gorgeous, the environments never repeat, and the adventure never slackens.

I say Prologue is a demo. [July 2008, p.80]

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]

Classic "Rondo" alone would be a great budget title for virgin Western audiences; adding a remake and "Symphony" turns this into a no-brainer. [Nov 2007, p.120]

This year's MX is certainly the most professional motocross game I've played - the physics are flawless and every race has nail-biter potential, even if you're dead last heading into the final lap. [Apr 2004, p.118]

It's a truly beautiful game, too, spanning from the lush forest of Ewok-infested Endor the to the Tatooine desert (complete with hostile Tusken Raiders.) And it's just plain cool to see Darth Vader walking around kicking ass. [Nov 2004, p.124]

Take a self-guided tour of Little America - it's not every day you get to fly an autogyro. [Jan 2004, p.189]

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]

I find the core game to be a lot of thumb-flattening fun--it's just no "Top Spin 2." [Apr 2007, p.84]

I find the core game to be a lot of thumb-flattening fun--it's just no "Top Spin 2." [Apr 2007, p.84]

It's definitely not one for the squeamish. [Jan. 2007, p.64]

The A.I. is occasionally suspect, but getting a fun solo game in addition to the legendary multiplayer just helps round out the experience.

Still, even with the new levels, simpler event progression, and slightly upgraded graphics, this feels too much like my last SSX winter getaway. Next season, I want to go somewhere new and exciting.

The game's family-friendly, white-washed Teen rating siphons out a lot of the potentially gritty realism. [Dec 2002, p.236]

I've never seen a game with such intolerable loading times. [Oct 2003, p.142]

I defy anyone, whether they care about big monsters or not, to pick this game up and not experience two things. First, they'll develop rudimentary skills within about a minute or two of play, and second, they'll have an enormous amount of fun. [Feb 2003, p.142]

Plays just like Namco's previous two games, with deceptively difficult turns and a great sense of speed. [Apr 2003, p.116]