While a pee-wee-sized version of Madden can't hope to compete with its big brothers, I'm amazed at all it does pack in, including solid gameplay, a decent season mode, instant replays, and PS1-level graphics.

As for enemy behavior, it's so embarrassingly bad at times, it's hard not to laugh. [Jan 2004, p.122]

The combat is so-so; it's tense and action-packed, but unforgiving summoning and attack systems drain most of the fun. [June 2003, p.113]

The original was an infamous flop, but the sequel is unexpectedly well crafted, nicely executed, and fun. [Jan 2005, p.137]

While the game remains highly conventional, the developers clearly understand what makes games like this interesting and have executed on that knowledge surprisingly well.

The best has to be Ash's undead sidekick Sam (never mind Crispin and Jon D.), since he serves to break up the monotony of the combat (you use him to solve puzzles) and gives Bruce Campbell someone to play off of for one-liners.

Derivative or not, Punisher suffers from the same crippling problem: The extreme gunplay gets old after you've capped your first 50 felons. [March 2005, p.118]

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 snazzy visuals will initially draw you in, but you'll stick around for the instinctive, responsive gameplay. [Dec 2003, p.201]

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

Viking simply doesn't do enough to stand up to the more polished action experiences out there. [June 2008, p.86]

Underneath the rote plot elements is a thoughtful tale packed with great characterization and surprising good humor. [Jan 2006, p.129]

Is it a game or is it a simulation? Yet again, it's neither, and Tiburon has failed for the second year running to strike the gllorious balance it achieved with NASCAR 05. [Oct. 2006, p.110]

It's fast, and it's pretty fun. It's just not particularly special. [July 2005, p.110]

After a few levels I found that it's harder to stop dribbling at the urinal than it is to destroy the opposition. [May 2002, p.106]

The control is a bit sloppy, but the tracks really improve as the game progresses. [Mar 2003, p.134]

Collectively, the infuriating missions and maddening difficulty swings prove to be overwhelming, sucking away what little fun there is. [Nov 2004, p.136]

If you're able to accept the unorthodox control scheme, the mediocre single-player game (at least it has one), a troublesome camera, and the lack of an effective lock-on mechanism, then you're tough enough to reap Monster Hunter's unique benefits. [Dec 2004, p.162]

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]

We can't pretend that Justice League is anything but a mindless beat-em-up. [Dec. 2006, p.138]

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

Instant deaths, abetted by a bad camera, put the brakes on the best bits of an otherwise ugly and repetitious game. [Apr 2004, p.121]

It feels more like a Sunday drive down a busy city street... Go straight for the PS2 game. It's far and away the best of the three. [Nov 2002, p.306]

The last game's horrible 3D stages are now less frequent, and the bosses have graduated from embarrassing to forgettable. [Jan 2005, p.134]

Only hardcore Batfans should bother enduring this frustration. [Dec 2001, p.236]

The killer visuals just can't disguise the repetitive levels and frustrating trial-and-error missions. [May 2004, p.108]

While this latest version succeeds in providing a polished, fast-paced, fun game of over-the-top 3-on-3 hoops, it doesn't really offer anything we haven't seen before. [Dec 2003, p.191]

The snazzy visuals will initially draw you in, but you'll stick around for the instinctive, responsive gameplay. [Dec 2003, p.201]