You can almost feel the snap of a bone as your opponents bend your elbow 90 degrees too far -- the other way. [July 2002, p.120]

The repetition and generally dated gameplay kept me from ever getting overly excited about playing it. [July 2002, p.118]

Heat's mushy [control] scheme relies too heavily on context, making your beach bunny set when you intended an unstoppable spike, and its overbearing interface banishes guesswork (and psych-out strategy) from the game. Still, the virtual volleyball action is fast-paced fun. [Sept 2003, p.112]

I love this game’s stinkin’ fast-pitch delivery. Facing a 98 mph heater has never been so intimidating (at least, in a video game). [Feb 2002, p.158]

Sure, it's fun, but it's hard to plop down your dough considering last year's "Bomberman DS" allowed eight-man fragfests. [Sept. 2006, p.108]

Geez, how many disappointing "Mana" titles will we have to suffer though before Square Enix puts this once-proud franchise out of its misery? [Sept 2007, p.100]

An RPG that deftly copies "Final Fantasy X" but is burdened with a story that plays more like a "deleted scenes" bonus DVD than anything coherent. [Holiday 2004, p.104]

Flow? NHL 2005's skaters have no flow, 'cause they're always lying out on the ice from hit after hit - just like last year. I know hockey is a rough game, but c'mon, I like to control the puck for more than two seconds before picking up my teeth. [Oct 2004, p.99]

If not for some serious balance issues (some bosses can easily kill you in two hits), stupidly out-of-place stealth levels, and finicky weapon controls (it's really hard, for some reason, to hit someone with a stick), Honor might have been more than just a solid rental. [March 2004, p.120]

I wish more of the sprawling levels encouraged that kind of teamwork instead of sending you on dull hunts for switches. [May 2005, p.133]

The Incredibles game had some great material to work with, but the energy and humor that really made the movie great just isn't there - out-of-context voice clips and poorly connected cut-scenes certainly don't add anything. [Jan 2005, p.132]

It's still Monster Rancher, though, and it's still great for fans like me, but it's not the step forward I was craving. [Jan 2004, p.142]

Shooting up a building/tanker/rival definitely looks good as you drive by at 135 mph, or maybe reverse time to get a second, closer glimpse, but both the combat racing and arena-style battles have been done to death and back by other games, and better. [Feb. 2007, p.88]

There's not much of an actual game here. [May 2003, p.134]

An RPG that deftly copies "Final Fantasy X" but is burdened with a story that plays more like a "deleted scenes" bonus DVD than anything coherent. [Holiday 2004, p.104]

Flow? NHL 2005's skaters have no flow, 'cause they're always lying out on the ice from hit after hit - just like last year. I know hockey is a rough game, but c'mon, I like to control the puck for more than two seconds before picking up my teeth. [Oct 2004, p.99]

It's a brief, disappointing adventure with occasional flashes of greatness.

Playing from a series of static perspectives seems like a hearkening back to the days of clunky, older PS1 titles, and it's completely unsuited for a game that requires so much fast action. [Oct 2003, p.152]

The story loses steam about two-thirds of the way through; solving puzzles, which are few and far between, requires little brainpower; and it's far to easy to survive your sentence with so much free ammo and health lying around. [May 2004, p.86]

Oh, and if you already own OutRun 2 on the Xbox, don't bother with this update. [Jun 2006, p.110]

A well-made, technically solid shooter, but its dedication to realism kills the fun. [Aug 2006, p.88]

Oh, and if you already own OutRun 2 on the Xbox, don't bother with this update. [Jun 2006, p.110]

Though most of the game is well balanced, the last few missions become unfairly hard.... But a fine effort indeed. [Feb 2004, p.110]

But while multiplayer rocks, the appeal of the campaign and character customization lasts about as long as Darth Maul's screen time. [Nov 2007, p.122]

Webslingin' remains the selling point, but the combat--although built from the ground up for this game--still consists of random button mashing. [July 2007, p.88]

Flow? NHL 2005's skaters have no flow, 'cause they're always lying out on the ice from hit after hit - just like last year. I know hockey is a rough game, but c'mon, I like to control the puck for more than two seconds before picking up my teeth. [Oct 2004, p.99]

Other than striking character designs by an insanely talented artist (Hyung Tae Kim) and a flashy, complex combat system, it's business as usual in Magna Carta.

The levels are too drawn-out and repetitive, and I odn't really care for the theme, but underneath it's a no-bull shooter steeped in classic gameplay juices. [Sept 2002, p.148]