Funny writing (courtesy of an ex-"Ren & Stimpy" scribe) can't save this uninspired rehash of antiquated Crash antics with lackluster visuals. [Dec 2004, p.170]

It fuses a boring turn-based strategy game with a lackluster one-on-one fighter...In short, two half-assed components combine to make...well, you do the math. [March 2004, p.114]

My biggest gripe is with Apokolips' level design, which usually involves beating up the same enemies over and over again. [Dec 2002, p.218]

As a car-combat game, it's passable but not exceptional. As a postacopalyptic "GTA" clone, it falls well short of the mark in terms of story, mission diversity, and replay value. [Nov 2003, p.171]

Relocating Suidoden's established gameplay to the vast and choppy seas doesn't do it any favors - instead of exploring diverse geography on foot, you're steering a boat across a bleak, boring ocean. [Feb 2005, p.108]

This game actually slows down time. Its characters move at the speed of Elmer's glue. [May 2005, p.124]

Gamers weaned on faster smackdowns and who aren't turned on by the idea of a showdown between Megalon and Destoroyah should proceed with caution. [Holiday 2004, p.106]

The new "Incredibles"-esque visuals and accessible dribbling mechanics are welcome, but this arcadey pitch still needs grooming. [Mar 2008, p.75]

It should be illegal for you to own money if you even considered buying this crap. [Jan 2004, p.189]

The game doesn't require you to spend too much time leveling up and upgrading weapons(though you can certainly take your time with that)--it cuts right to the action. [Nov. 2006, p.133]

Take the "Touch" portion of the title with a grain of salt, as it's nigh impossible to maneuver your way through the Monkey Ball gauntlet using the stylus controls. [Apr 2006, p.105]

Problem is the game is about as friendly as a Cylon; there's no tutorial to ease you into all those moves or the different mission types, and the difficulty spikes at odd moments, making some levels painfully tedious.

The new "Incredibles"-esque visuals and accessible dribbling mechanics are welcome, but this arcadey pitch still needs grooming. [Mar 2008, p.75]

If Sapphire put as much emphasis on the combat as they did on conjuring gritty stories to back each fighter, Barbarian could have been a lot better. [July 2002, p.115]

In more than 20 years of playing games, I have never seen a console game as obviously unfinished and rushed to market as Enter the Matrix...This game is a complete mess, and that's the only complete thing about it. [Aug 2003, p.114]

Wii Music's biggest downfall, oddly, is its music. [Dec 2008, p.64]

The most frustrating thing about Bruised is that, to be successful, you've either got to memorize a lot of combos or just mash and hope for the best. [Apr 2003, p.111]

The fakeout mechanic that allows you to maximize your gambling dollar is pretty cool, and the over-the-shoulder camera gives a neat Punch-Out!! vibe...but that's about it for the highlights. The rest of the game, from the shallow fight mechanics to the load times to the bland backgrounds, is very mediocre.

The missions themselves are similarly uninspired, like the dreaded escort mission we've seen done a hundred times before. [Oct 2002, p.204]

Besides the poor enemy A.I., the paint-by-numbers gameplay (requiring surgically precise cursor movement for actions like jumping or climbing) makes the action feel canned. [Dec 2003, p.195]

Van Helsing may be short and sometimes repetitive, but it's still a fun ride. [July 2004, p.92]

But Heroes II doesn't really offend on any level. It just doesn't excel. [July 2006, p.94]

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]

Once you strip away the nifty new controls, you're left with a flawed shooter that does nothing I haven't seen a million times. [Jan. 2007, p.62]

Jericho is a mess of a shooter with nonexistant A.I., frustrating timed events, vague puzzles, and PS1-style load times. [Dec 2007, p.107]

A cool team-play aspect makes up for the lackluster fighting. [May 2003, p.132]

The worst problem is that certain jumps are damn nigh impossible - it's not even a question of skill. [Nov 2003, p.176]

An unforgiving difficulty level and harsh time limits <I>severely</I> undercut the fun... [and b]am-powing hordes of goons becomes achingly repetitive over time. [Nov 2003, p.172]