Almost all the games here are interesting, challenging, and enjoyable. [Sept 2005, p.110]

With the bland levels, generic PS1-era platform gameplay, and cheap enemies, you shouldn't bother. [Sept 2005, p.116]

Playing good or evil has little effect on the loopy story; although the game kept me entertained, I didn't feel the need to replay for the alternate ending.

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]

A sloppy mess of nonsensical plot points, dumb puzzles (which often boil down to trial-and-error guessing), and yet more bland blasting sections toward the end of the game, when this whole ghost train really derails. [Sept 2005, p.114]

Still excellent despite the fact that its biggest innovation really amounts to an unnecessary step in the passing game. I'm more impressed by the little tweaks--precision passing, smart routes, the "truck stick" for those Jerome Bettis moments--that improve the overall experience.

Still excellent despite the fact that its biggest innovation really amounts to an unnecessary step in the passing game. I'm more impressed by the little tweaks--precision passing, smart routes, the "truck stick" for those Jerome Bettis moments--that improve the overall experience.

Quotation forthcoming. [Sept 2005]

It all feels so, well, irrelevant--pushing around a bunch of tiny characters and dealing with their assorted toys provides loads of intellectual satisfaction, but I found it hard to make a real connection.

I give a bloodthirsty thumbs-down to Colosseum's frustratingly clumsy combat - and blame the slow-to-respond controls that make both dodging and striking needlessly difficult. [Aug 2005, p.113]

Nanostray should come in a plain white box labeled VERTICAL SPACE SHOOTER--it's as generic as games come.

When a racing game's gimmick relies on un-seat-belted drivers forcibly ejected through windshields during crashes, you know you're in trouble. [Aug 2005, p.110]

If you want a meaty alchemic role-playing game, conjure up "Atelier Iris" instead.

When a racing game's gimmick relies on un-seat-belted drivers forcibly ejected through windshields during crashes, you know you're in trouble. [Aug 2005, p.110]

Thankfully, EA has addressed my biggest complaint with last year's addition of NCAA: the visuals. Everything has been touched up. [Aug 2005, p.111]

Eventually, my impatience with the same little games set in like seasickness, but the quests and fleet of ships and play-as-dastardly-as-you-dare piracy kept me from hopping overboard.

Thankfully, EA has addressed my biggest complaint with last year's addition of NCAA: the visuals. Everything has been touched up. [Aug 2005, p.111]

It's hard to recommend picking up Killer7, even as a curious experiment or artistic statement, when so much of the actual gameplay screams to put it down. [Aug 2005, p.108]

It's hard to recommend picking up Killer7, even as a curious experiment or artistic statement, when so much of the actual gameplay screams to put it down. [Aug 2005, p.108]

Maybe if this blah shooter had better controls - and maybe if you haven't played a first-person bast-em-up since 1995 - it would be worth your time. Ah, who am I kidding. Coded Arms would still suck. [Aug 2005, p.119]

Find three friends to play with (you can play a limited four-player game with one cart), and you'll never want to put your DS down again.

A potent concoction that should appeal to any RPG fan. [July 2005, p.112]

As a fan of stealth-action in general and the Xbox Chaos Theory in particular, playing the DS version is like reuniting with an old friend...who's gained weight, lost his hair, had his limbs chopped off, his brain sucked out, and been through one of those car-crusher things. And smells. Like cat pee.

But it's mostly mediocre. Fantastic 4 desperately tries to break up the button mashing with lame minigames, like hacking a door by doing preschool puzzles, which just made the game feel like a fantastic chore.

There's less oncoming traffic to compensate for the smaller screen, and I didn't quite feel the classic Midnight Club sense of speed like Demian did.

But it's mostly mediocre. Fantastic 4 desperately tries to break up the button mashing with lame minigames, like hacking a door by doing preschool puzzles, which just made the game feel like a fantastic chore.

But it's mostly mediocre. Fantastic 4 desperately tries to break up the button mashing with lame minigames, like hacking a door by doing preschool puzzles, which just made the game feel like a fantastic chore. [Sept 2005]

The game has a great sense of humor, and I enjoyed the story missions, but the side quests hardly vary at all from one level to the next. Just screwing around and messing with citizens isn't as fun as it could be, either.