Nowadays, the game’s blocky, out-of-proportion players are showing their age. [Dec 2001, p.260]

Still, it's one of the few games that can overcome shaky fundamentals in light of an astonishingly engaging adventure. [May 2008, p.77]

I felt liberated by the lack of a time limit in the sequel's new cave system, and you WILL get addicted to collecting every beautifully rendered junk trinket in the game. [Oct 2004, p.112]

There has never been a computer opponent that is this cunning. It even plays smarter than most of my buddies, and perhaps more importantly, it doesn’t whine after a loss. [Dec 2001, p.250]

Still, it's a solid end to the Prime trilogy. [Nov 2007, p.98]

The A.I. is even brainier than before (teams now put extra pressure on the goal when trailing and sit back with the ball when ahead), the shooting controls are less sensitive - a good thing - and the visuals are finally comparable to FIFA's.

This is, without a doubt, the best first-person shooter you'll find on the PS2. [Dec 2002, p.224]

A must for car-loving 360 owners. [Aug 2007, p.80]

Everything runs silky smooth, the PS2 pad actually seems to respond better than the GC controller, and except for the occasional bit of grainy graphics, this is a perfect replica of the original. [Oct 2004, p.106]

This is the best hoops game I've ever played. [Apr 2002, p.141]

[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]

For the second consecutive year, it leaves the competition slack-jawed and two steps behind with its finesse game. Aside from being the best looking of the latest hockey titles, it's also the most realistic. [Oct 2003, p.138]

Teens in clam diggers save the world again. Doesn't have "FFVII's" rep, though. [Jan 2004, p.188]

A racer in the vein of "San Francisco Rush," with tons of shortcuts. [Jan 2004, p.189]

What makes Duty so special is the A.I. Enemies make great use of cover; they charge when it's to their advantage and give up positions when they know they're beat; they actually seem to understand grenades, running from them or tossing them at the perfect spot to draw you out of hiding.

Burnout Revenge is hard to rate. On almost every level, it's superior to Burnout 3, yet it lacks the impact of that game, which had so many pieces come together to create arguably the best arcade-racing experience ever.

DQ8 is so freaking big that it's almost like the dandy RPG fan's answer to "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." [Dec 2005, p.154]

You can't ignore Zero Mission's artful graphics, haunting soundtrack, and brilliantly balanced gameplay. This is a must-have for all GBA owners. [March 2004, p.128]

EA's improved everything in this game, from graphics to putting to new arcade modes that help pass the time. There's just no better golf game out there. [Oct 2003, p.136]

It takes sound football strategy and patience to be successful, so when you finally beat the game on All-Pro mode, you know you’ve accomplished something big. [Feb 2002, p.164]

As unique as it is captivating with great controls (outside of a small problem with bomb-carrying Pikmin) making it all possible. [Jan 2002, p.200]

It's playing solo that puts this one over the top. Creating a custom hoopster and earning respect never feels repetitive. [March 2005, p.116]

Fable II is the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for folks who hated(and liked, too)the latter. [Dec 2008, p.80]

The rock-solid gamelay has been tuned to perfection and no other game sweats the details like this. [Jan 2003, p.176]

Nothing on the Legacy of Kain scale, but compared to the SNES carts it’s like a mosquito that won’t leave you alone. [Aug 2001, p.112]

L4D is one zombie apocalypse I completely and utterly embrace. [Jan 2009, p.84]

Online play, a much-improved franchise mode, and the integration of the ESPN license dot the i's in an already great series. [Dec 2002, p.204]

Blocky 3D brawler borrowed from "Virtua Fighter" to bring grade-A whoop ass to Sony's console. [Jan 2004, p.189]