Seriously, this one might as well be called Mario Hoops 1-on-3, as your teammates don't know the first thing about moving without the ball or helping out on D. [Oct. 2006, p.116]

In the end, K-1's pared-down approach is forgivable, but its bland execution is not. [Aug 2003, p.113]

A certain niche of gamers will surely warm up to this unassuming quest, but anyone accustomed to the genre's finest offerings will balk at its wimpy difficulty and light-weight narrative. [Jun 2006, p.114]

The "GO-GO-TURBO Japanese cheerleaders on speed" mood and shallow, stupid puzzles are the sort of thing shut-in "Naruto" fans thrive on, but I found them irritating. Thankfully, it was short. [Feb 2006, p.108]

Scrapland's cool murder mystery is wasted on a series of lame fetch quests. It's got a lot of heart - just not a lot of brains. [Apr 2005, p.125]

It all makes for an action game kinda like your typical Bond girl: fun to look at but shallow. With simple mission objectives, cinch puzzles, and autoaim (that you can tweak for more skillful shots if you like), this game practically plays itself.

What I like most, though, is the game's brisk pace. Even within the first five hours, I felt like I had lived a virtual lifetime. [Mar 2007, p.92]

A Zelda: Wind Waker–esque cartoony graphics style would have been perfect for Jack, who, now that he's 3D, looks kind of like Jay Leno or John Kerry what with his freakishly long chin. And the cut-scenes—often the only good part of a licensed game like this—are embarrassing.

Second-string sturvival horror marked by puppetlike physics and way too many exploding barrels. [May 2005, p.124]

The mission progression helps things gel, but the leaden controls and graphical sterility weigh down an otherwise decent action game. [August 2002, p.123]

Slow to start and quick to finish, Trace holds your attention by the thinnest of strings: a deire to fill the blank pages of the story. [Oct 2005, p.122]

As much as Demon Stone tried to suck me in with its impressive graphics and presentation, it pushed me away with rote gameplay and imbecilic A.I. [Dec 2004, p.148]

Those who have long since retired their Shrek-themed bedsheets will find the game easy and repetitive [July 2004, p.94]

A woefully uneven mix, but one that true Sonic fans will probably still want to own just for "Sonic CD," aka the best Sonic game ever. [Sept 2005, p.115]

No amount of graphical frosting can save GV from its terrible, overly complex controls...GV will frustrate the hell out of you. [Apr 2002, p.143]

Tactically, it's pretty boring, but if you can get into the goblins' expendable-offense mindset, it's a smashing time.

Isn't a terrible game, but its sketchy camera, imprecise controls, and lackluster combat relegate it to the realm of the terribly average to me. [Jan 2004, p.124]

It's your standard third-person action-adventure game, sans cool gameplay hook, distinctive protagonist, or over-the-top concept. [Sept 2004, p.102]

A gory good time. And that's really all that matters.

Too bad the extra content isn't quite as fresh. [Aug 2007, p.85]

Yet, with the game rooted in arcade sensibilities, TMNT ends up a short and repetitive journey. Noninteractive environments and scant gameplay differences among the four turtles diminish my desire to replay.

A gory good time. And that's really all that matters.

Second-string sturvival horror marked by puppetlike physics and way too many exploding barrels. [May 2005, p.124]

But between the high frustration factor and the frequent need to crisscross the large city (some kind of warp option would be nice), I feel Rush tries a little too hard to turn me off.

Frustrating or not, Shikigami isn't a bad shooter. [June 2008, p.78]

It also looks great, the character classes are interesting, and I appreciate the puzzlelike missions with more ambitious objectives than "kill everyone". [May 2008, p.89]

The story spews more cheese than blood, the wonky camera hides foes, and the duo of poorly placed save points and lack of health pick-ups can turn Nanobreaker into a controller-smashing affair. Proceed with caution. [March 2005, p.120]

If you can look past the ugly visuals, grab a friend and tackle this in Cooperative mode (but skip the dull four-man face-off) [Feb 2003, p.158]