I like how it's pretty easy to complete any of the levels, but achieving a gold star on each and collecting all the various coins and cards require strategy that's just challenging enough to stimulate the noggin here and there. [Nov. 2006, p.139]

Aesthetics aside, this is no ordinary marble game: it's deeper, tougher, and generally pretty great. [Nov 2007, p.102]

It's not perfect--the difficulty spikes randomly throughout and spamming units produces easy victories--but it's a step up from "Heroes of Mana". [Holiday 2007, p.87]

It's a bizarre mishmash of clashing styles, concepts and gameplay that, despite being all over the map, is still a must-play title. [Nov 2002, p.72]

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.

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

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]

Improvements over last year's (extremely late) version of Blitz are minimal. [Nov 2002, p.298]

It's so-so styleless graphics fail to impress, and the whole thing's too short and easy. [Jan 2003, p.107]

It's hard to top pummeling an opponent with a building you just ripped from its foundation. [Dec 2002, p.234]

It's compelling enough to keep you retrying the more frustrating match types, plus put up with the stealth missions. Sure beats watching the History Channel. [March 2005, p.119]

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]

For one thing, storing and retrieving items is too much of a hassle. And second, whoever came up with the idea or permanently losing your valuables every time you die(which makes going back to finish the job much tougher)should have their head examined. [Nov. 2006, p.138]

By combining the original's gadgets and controls with "Mario Party"-esque minigames, Escape fails to be more than the sum of its parts. [Holiday 2004, p.108]

Quotation forthcoming. [July 2005]

It's old-fashioned, unpretentious fun, but fun that might be better suited to something that wasn't full price. [Dec 2002, p.218]

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]

Yeah, it controls fine and looks <i>fantastic</i>, but it suffers the same "been there, done that" feeling as other PS2-to-PSP ports, in this case with the added handicap of no online play. [Jun 2006, p.118]

You must buy this rad $20 collection of 20 good, bad, and butt-ugly games. [Dec 2004, p.170]

This game is so supremely easy for anyone to pick up and play that what initially seems one-dimensional and lame ends up leading to awesome multiplayer. [Nov 2003, p.196]

Still, like the original, it's highly enjoyable to exercise your noggin in quick spurts. [Sept 2007, p.98]

You must buy this rad $20 collection of 20 good, bad, and butt-ugly games. [Dec 2004, p.170]

The game has a great sense of humor, and I enjoyed the story missions, but the side quests hardly vary at all from one level to the next. Just screwing around and messing with citizens isn't as fun as it could be, either.

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

DAH2 still suffers from its share of frustrating escort missions, cross-map fetch quests, and ugly graphical pop-up, but Pandemic's strides make second contact more pleasing than the first. [Dec. 2006, p.138]

A competitive and addicting game that&#146;s full of variety, pep, and personality. [Oct 2001, p.150]

Long-term fun is doomed to extinction. Sure, you get a lot to do, but not many ways to do it. [Apr 2003, p.132]

Not essential, but worthwhile for anyone who hasn't played the original Evil in ages. [Apr 2006, p.104]