Frame's spooky atmosphere and subtle use of ambient noise and music build a sense of mounting terror that makes the actual enemy and cutscene scares all the more pants-wetting.

What took me by surprise was the rather deep, involving golf game that lies beneath the crass interior. [Sept 2002, p.152]

Phantasia still has an awful lot of charm for such an old game, and fans of traditional RPGs will appreciate its long, varied dungeons and action-packed, real-time battles. [Apr 2006, p.108]

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]

This new installment will totally baffle fans of the series. With its gloomy postindustrial setting, moderately complex platforming bits, and surprisingly different battle system, WA4 bears little resemblance to its charming, Wild West-themed predecessors. Once you get beyond that initial shock, though, you'll actually have a decent time.

Frequent fliers of the Ace Combat series will feel like they've been on this flight before. [Dec 2007, p.122]

It's not terribly deep, but like tearing around on your uncle's ATV, it's fun while it lasts. [Jan. 2007, p.63]

I swear, for every 10 minutes of dungeons and monster-grabbing, I had to sit through 20 minutes of characters yammering at each other. Sure, I like the dialogue, but it was still too long to sit through. [Mar 2007, p.94]

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

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]

Crisis Zone has the most unique plot to date. [Dec 2004, p.170]

A great multiplayer romp that will keep you and your friends glued to the set for months to come. [Dec 2002, p.236]

A very good-looking, fun boxing title loaded with satisfying arcade action... The champ's still got it. [Dec 2002, p.258]

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]

I'm ready for this series to advance its gameplay, rather than just continuing to add new objects and locations to interact with.

The first Phoenix Wright game was a little bit better, a little more fulfilling, but DS owners looking to tackle another caseload will get a kick out of this. [Feb. 2007, p.96]

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

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

I'm ready for this series to advance its gameplay, rather than just continuing to add new objects and locations to interact with.

Enemy A.I. here might as well stand for "Artificial Idiocy." [May 2002, p.109]

Once you’ve mastered the somewhat quirky camera zooms and the rules of the sport, EA’s Rugby becomes an enjoyable experience. [Sept 2001, p.145]

There's entertainment to be had with Extinction, but expect a lot of hair-pulling to go along with it. [Sept 2003, p.116]

Instincts' A.I. won't revolutionize the first-person-shooter genre, but the rest of the game is still pretty damn cool. [Nov 2005, p.150]

An excellent compromise between old-school SNK fighters and faster-paced, more fantastic Capcom titles on the DC today. [Oct 2001, p.148]

With plenty of duets and no more story mode, this is the most party-friendly version yet. [Apr 2006, p.103]

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]

Despite the game's pacing, the graphics, cut-scenes, and second half of the story end up making Episode II a solid RPG - just not the epic sequel that the previous game deserves. [March 2005, p.122]

Sure, the graphics, control and physics here are super-duper. It's just that the actual gameplay can get as repetitive as scrawling "I'm a stuntman!" a thousand times on a chalkboard. [August 2002, p.128]