Aside from the bitchin' new modes, Guitar Hero II is essentially the same game with new songs. [Dec. 2006, p.134]

Simply amazing, and even better than the Japanese version. They balanced out the fights and added a couple of Bosses and some extra footage to the game.

"Guitar Hero" is still the way to go for lone wolves, but if you have the space, the manpower, and the means($170), Rock Band unquestionably, unequivocally rocks. [Jan 2008, p.92]

Great! Now even dorky white gamers think they can rap. [Jan 2004, p.188]

"We're mature!" No, you're not. You're just a fun action/shooter/junior-high simulator. [Jan 2004, p.189]

And once the music ended, it was pretty clear: Rock Band 2 is another chart-topper. [Nov 2008, p.79]

If anything is a disappointment, it's the all-new multiplayer mode; the game's lock-on targeting just doesn't lend itself very well to a four-player fragfest, and the options are severely limited. So why am I still giving Echoes such a high score?...The main game is that damn good. [Holiday 2004, p.136]

As expected, the control is perfect. Samus' myriad movies activate with precision and ease - all games should feel this good. [Jan 2003, p.214]

[Chris]: Madden just plays better than "ESPN." There. I said it. [Bryan]: No, Chris - It plays a LOT better. And and I'm not just talking about the improved defensive play (especially in the secondary) and, with a quick tap on the new Hit Stick, the bone-jarring tackles. It's how Madden replicates the style of play of actual NFL squads. [Sept 2004, p.94]

Even with these changes and enhanced running game, ESPN NFL Football remains second-string behind "Madden"; its franchise options don't stack up to Johnny boy's title. [Sept 2003, p.125]

I am frankly astonished by how much playing this game feels like playing the guitar for real.

Despite the wealth of eye-candy, the true brilliance behind the game is the sharp level design. [Sept 2001, p.141]

Only Psygnosis could bring a sci-fi flight sim to the consoles and make it fun. [Jan 2004, p.188]

Like most games with "Mario" in the title, it's good stuff. [Jan 2004, p.189]

If you were to lock a group of mad scientists in a room and force them to come up with a formula for a diabolically addictive platform game, chances are the result would play a lot like Up Your Arsenal. [Holiday 2004, p.123]

Not only do the backgrounds look amazing, but their realism combined with the confining effects of fixed camera angles makes this the scariest RE of all. [June 2002, p.116]

Creepy, creative, and tenacious, the Cobra team outdoes even the wicked Foxhound squad from "MGS" in terms of flat-out coolness. The nerve-racking, ambitious duel against one boss, code-named The End, will likely go down as one of gaming's finest. So will the game itself. [Holiday 2004, p.110]

The dark humor knows just when to give you a good kick in the balls. And isn’t that what we’re really looking for in a video game? [Aug 2001, p.110]

Lara Croft came and third-person 3D action-adventures haven't been the same since. [Jan 2004, p.189]

Though they suffer a bit when things get hectic, the Wii-mote-enabled controls generally serve RE4 well: Aiming weapons, swiping your knife, and shaking off face-sucking nasties with real-world moves adds urgency to an already incredibly intense experience. [July 2007, p.82]

It's unlike anything else you've ever played, and so you may love it or you may hate it. Count me firmly in the "love" boat. [Nov 2005, p.142]

If every game sucked me into its world like this one, I'd drop out of society, move into the Unabomber's cabin, and never turn off my PS2. Seriously, NCAA 2003 is too good. [Sept 2002, p.150]

Quicksilver pacing, white-knuckle tension, and spit-shined effects put Gaiden among the most remarkable action games ever made, but it's every bit as hardcore. [May 2004, p.104]

Everything included has been executed so ridiculously well that it's easy to forget this is a PSP game and think you're back swinging your blades on PS2. [Apr 2008, p.84]

One of the freshest, most lovingly crafted side-scrollers that still plays well to this day. [Dec 2002, p.272]

Far from being a ponderous sci-fi exposition, Mass Effect boasts a dynamic, well-constructed story with a broad emotional range. [Holiday 2007, p.82]

Fantastic game, but who can forget the terrible intro and dialogue? [Jan 2004, p.189]

[Chris]: Madden just plays better than "ESPN." There. I said it. [Bryan]: No, Chris - It plays a LOT better. And and I'm not just talking about the improved defensive play (especially in the secondary) and, with a quick tap on the new Hit Stick, the bone-jarring tackles. It's how Madden replicates the style of play of actual NFL squads. [Sept 2004, p.94]