The gameplay feels nearly identical to "Crash Team Racing's" (PS1), even down to the speed-boosting wumpa fruits, so if you loved it before, you'll still love it, and if not...not. [Jan 2004, p.110]

Why must Neo Contra be so short? I want to see more giant plant-things with baby heads and talking dogs wearing Kaiser helmets. [Holiday 2004, p.117]

The controls are great once you get them customized properly*fire buttons on L1 and R1), with nimble movement and crazy bursts of speed seldom seen outside of anime, but this dexterity is wasted on short missions, bare-bones multiplayer, and the same ol' gameplay AC has been recycling for years. [Apr 2007, p.85]

This game's simply schizophrenic; it attempts to be all these things to all people, so in the end result is in dire need of polish and focus. [Oct 2008, p.88]

It's too poky and awkward to work as a new-age light-gun shooter, too shallow to work as an RPG, and too mediocre to merit attention.[Mar 2008, p.74]

Why would you bother with its blundering ways with "Madden" and "ESPN" around? [Nov 2003, p.184]

Though the fighting's great (even when it's on the slightly confusing four-player variety), I can't help but be disappointed by the rest. [June 2004, p.108]

Online is almost dauntingly packed with options, and the roll move is still kind of broken, but it's hard to argue with the price. [Holiday 2007, p.88]

In typical Treasure fashion, the screen is almost always littered with enemies, and the challenge level is absurdly high for a beat-em-up. [Nov 2004, p.152]

OK for kids, but more sophisticated players will get bored quickly. [Jan 2002, p.229]

An addictive and charming game. It could have used a lot more modes and maps, but I enjoyed its simplicity, fast-paced action and great controls. [Dec 2001, p.250]

It's like "Morrowind," minus the best part - exploration... The gameplay simply isn't fun. [Sept 2003, p.122]

Compared to smoother, more realistic titles such as "High Heat" (and to a lesser extent, "All-Star Baseball"), this is an embarrassment. [June 2002, p.114]

Brawlers offers incredible customization, but the front end looks like, well, an NES game. [June 2008, p.87]

Taps that bizarro vein and sucks it dry, with funny (intentionally and otherwise) voice acting and quirky characters. [May 2002, p.108]

It's too simplistic. While the game gives the illusion of Splinter Cell-style freedom in how you want to take out your enemies, Batman only really ever has one course of action: knock something over, scare the bad guys into dropping their guns, then come in punching and kicking.

A horrible camera often shakes uncontrollably like a drunken Corellian, and sloppy controls tend to make you feel just as uncoordinated. [Feb 2003, p.138]

Highly frustrating missions pepper the game, usually filled with cheap enemies who have impeccable aim and a superhuman ability to absorb multiple shotgun blasts at point-blank range. [Apr 2004, p.116]

Light on story, this Onimusha saga spin-off is almost all slice and dice. Think of it as "Super Smash Bros." with Bushido instead of butt stomping - simple fun for four players, with strategy based not so much on <I>how</I> you swing your sword ("Sword Calibur" it ain't), but when. [Apr 2004, p.119]

It is fair to compare MVC2 to the less pixilated, more balanced, online-enabled, and just plain superior "Capcom vs. SNK2." Against that heavyweight, this codger has no chance. [June 2003, p.112]

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

Most gamers, however, will be immediately overwhelmed - it's just so hard to get into, and quality results demand a monumental time commitment. [Dec 2003, p.216]

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

First, it provides an engaging story (told through beautiful cut-scenes that kept me on my toes till the very end. Second...building up each legion's stats keeps the action from feeling monotonous. [July 2003, p.112]

Kane & Lynch is a fun game to fly through in a couple days on "Aspirin" (easy) mode, but not deep or hardcore enough to hold up long term. [Holiday 2007, p.75]

Opoona's flaws are hard to ignore, but I at least had a decent time with it. [may 2008, p.78]

Sorry, but the near total lack of horror in this survival horror game bored me plumb to sleep. [July 2003, p.116]

My biggest problems, though, are with the unevenness of the penalties called and shots that go in.