Competent but unimpressive.

For mindless, violent action, the title reigns second to none. However, we've played the same game four times over, and it's high time the franchise had a face-lift.

Considering that some of the maps in the "Road to Rome" expansion were spectacular, it's hard to justify dropping $30 on another set of maps and some vehicles.

ESPN is incorporated seamlessly into the game, and it mostly works well, with solid pre-game coverage, a clean interface, and some slick graphic overlays in between gameplay.

There are some good ideas in Heaven & Hell, but they rarely end up making for a fun game. Completing a mission feels more like work. Add a number of interface issues and plain old bugs, and you've got a pretty solid disappointment.

Various goodies you can unlock and a multiplayer option save the game from being a total washout, but this title is otherwise an uninspired take on a sport that ought to be played at the extreme.

Disgaea's loose, unorthodox gameplay, plus its tongue-in-cheek attitude, is just what the genre needs.

What frustrated us most about Republic is that we can see a hint of greatness. We saw many ways to influence the game, but they're all reigned in by the mission design. In its current state Republic: The Revolution plays more like a failed coup.

The highs of the added features are sacked by the lows in basic gameplay.

The online mode and audio commentary show that the series holds promise, but even hard-core college football fans will feel frustrated by this game.

If you already own "Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance" for the Game Boy Advance, then consider this the strictly optional, backwards-compatible 2.0 version.

Fans of anime-style action and stories will especially dig this game, with its heaping dose of Asian mysticism, fatalism, and drama. Beyond that, the strange, magical action and hordes of levels are sure to give action fans plenty of challenge.

May appeal to hardcore football fans looking for a more customizable game of pigskin on the Xbox, but most gamers will lose interest rather fast. Not only are there myriad problems with the overall presentation, but the gameplay also fails to feel as tight or well tuned as this season's other football titles.

There isn't a better 3-D, weapons-based fighting game on the market.

One of the most creative and enjoyable games to come around in a long time. Its mixture of creativity, solid gameplay, and sense of humor make it a game to die for.

The gorgeous graphics, great sound and level design, and innovative gameplay make this one of the best shooters of the year. It's also a very good reason to upgrade your video card.

It isn't as addictive or diverse as the great pinball videogames, but it'll quench your "Pokemon" thirst.

It's exactly what you'd expect in a licensed third-person action/adventure. But that's the problem. We liked the additional characters and multiplayer options, but the gameplay and graphics are uninspired.

As the videogame equivalent of washing down a pack of Pop Rocks with Coke, some will take the challenge head-on while others will listen to the naysayers. Either way, F-Zero GX is now the official barometer of hard-core gaming.

A beautiful game. Much like its predecessor, AquaNox 2 sets a new high water mark (heh, heh) in graphics. High end PC gamers are in for a real treat. It doesn't hurt that the game plays well too. Yet the single player campaign just isn't all that long.

Combine one part action, one part tactical strategy, and one part dodgy AI, add a pinch of RPG-style customization, wrap it up in a third-person perspective, and what have you got? Cold Zero has its good moments, but they are few and far between.

Big things lie in store for the series -- but not in its first incarnation. Take this beginning episode with a grain of salt and save it for a rental.

Yes, the collision is iffy, and yes, the platform elements are vicious at times, but the end result is still better than, say, the majority of games based on, ahem, that other Matt Groening license.

Offers no meaningful reason why you should pick it up over other four-wheeled fun. $30 price tag or no, with better titles like "Re-Volt" buried in bargain bins across the nation, you're better off making tracks in a different direction.

It has the makings of a role-playing classic, but it runs out of steam half-way through. The rest of the game is playable and occasionally fun, but it never comes close to the greatness of the first act.

There's a massive amount of technique to learn. When you're playing solo, there's no shortage of things to do, thanks to quest mode and the dozens of training challenges.

Heavy on the text, and some of it is dry and repetitive. There's great depth and nearly endless variety, but only a certain type of gamer will make a match with Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII.

Knocks the chin strap up around the nose of the competition. It's simply the most realistic simulation of football available, and once again, the industry standard.

Knocks the chin strap up around the nose of the competition. It's simply the most realistic simulation of football available, and once again, the industry standard.

Knocks the chin strap up around the nose of the competition. It's simply the most realistic simulation of football available, and once again, the industry standard.

True followers of the ATP will love the in-depth simulation of the pro tennis world, and any gamer who appreciates a well-designed, good-looking sports title will not be disappointed, either.

You may weary of war before you've won the relatively short campaign. And if you do slog on, you'll be "rewarded" with an even tougher difficulty setting.

Smart, different, and engaging, it gives action gamers something new to test their mettle with, both on and off-line.

All hype and scare-the-girlfriend jokes aside, Silent Hill 3 is a truly disturbing, frightening, and bloody experience (more or less in that order). This is the current high-mark of scary games, period, with production values that put most contemporary horror-flicks to shame.

The bonuses left us dissatisfied. Sure, new outfits and craft are cool, but they lose their novelty if they don't help your performance. You can earn enough points to buy a hot new ride, but the upgrade is purely cosmetic.

If you like boring, repetitive, badly done combat, then run, don't walk, to the store and pick this bomb up.

The alien infestation system is a great concept that suffers in its implementation. Conversely, the space marine controls are quite functional, but the story makes little use of the "Aliens" license. And the predator story is more of a "that would be cool" afterthought than a smart addition.

Its swing mechanism is sitting in the light rough, but veteran golf gamers will drive it out without leaving a divot. If anything, it's odd that a golf game with so much color is so not wacky. But between all the unlockable options and excellent multiplayer mode, this is one golf game that won't leave you screaming for a mulligan.

Though there are a few interface and gameplay quirks, "Shadow Magic" is immensely satisfying. Whether you're new to these games or a grizzled veteran, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic"will keep you playing late into the night.

Gamers looking for a vast, expansive trick system like the one in the "Tony Hawk" games might find their wings clipped in Downhill Domination, but the responsive physics and no-rules mayhem work surprisingly well. It's fast -- perhaps a little too fast.

On a rudimentary gameplay level, Syberia is an average adventure game with average puzzles. But dig a little deeper and you'll find an experience that evokes a somber mood that stays with you long after you've finished playing.

The most complete and all-encompassing "Star Wars" gaming experience yet. Thanks to the nonlinear gameplay and extensive dialog, you experience everything firsthand, and the RPG battles let you direct "Star Wars"-like cinema in a way that's impossible with other genres.

In many respects, NCAA Football 2004 is deeper than its NFL counterparts. In fact, it's the best football game currently available for the GameCube. However, if you own multiple consoles, the PlayStation 2 version boasts inferior visuals but rather impressive online play, and the Xbox version has noticeably better graphics.

Combat looks patently ridiculous. How many shots from a blaster does it take to kill a fluffy space bunny, anyway?

The action comes up a little short when it comes to the visceral sense of combat. The game is devoid of blood, which can either be good or bad depending on your taste in such things. The lack of the red stuff is just one example of how the game comes across as overly sanitized and not quite as brutal as it could be.

This one has the looks, raunch, and laughs, but it also packs a solid volleyball engine. It's what "Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball" should have been.

We could go on to describe the pointless level design, sloppy controls, and graphical glitches galore, but how much more convincing do you need? Don't buy it!

Every bit as good as the original. The campaigns are wonderfully crafted. There's a good challenging story with plenty of new gameplay.

Even with its extras -- [it's] still a bit on the ditzy, simplistic side. It's appropriate really, since almost nobody wants an overly simulated volleyball title. As a raw game, it certainly plays better than the admittedly better-looking "DOA Extreme Beach Volleyball."

Not a terribly friendly game. It has a wicked learning curve that will cause casual gamers to contemplate walking the plank. But if you're tough and self-reliant enough -- RPG-nerd points count here -- there be treasure here.

It's a great platformer with a lot of the strong, fun play mechanics that are simply missing from a lot of the PlayStation 2's platformers these days. However, if you played the first game, Ape Escape 2 won't be a shining gem but just a fond reminder of the first time you played this series.

Improving your rider's living conditions aside, there's nothing here that hasn't been done countless times before.

A solid foot soldier, meeting gamers' expectations and occasionally rising above and beyond the call of duty. But like a new recruit, it misses the mark more than once.

If the core battle system was more robust and there was more to do than just fight and draw, Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color could have been a landmark title.

The questionable control layout makes actually enjoying the good points harder than it should be.

Tries hard to please RPG and strategy fans, but it spreads itself so thin in the process that it won't do much for either. It isn't terrible, but everything in it has been done to death.

The end result is strategy overload for the action gamer and action overload for the strategy gamer. Those in between won't be particularly impressed, either.

It's not great or inspired and almost everything in the game has been done many times before, but the action is engaging, the level design is impressive, and the weapons and aliens look good.

Limited replay value cripples its long-term worth, as does its ultra-lightweight content structure.

Fans of F1 racing may be able to put up with the game's lack of features and frustrating nature. This simply isn't a racing game, however, that will appeal to a mainstream audience or win any new fans for the sport.

With its anemic presentation, difficult jumps, and random and completely obscure puzzles, it's tough to enjoy everything else Buffy has to offer.

Attractive graphics, endless gameplay, engaging strategy, new features, and multiplayer out the, ah, missile silo... what more do ya want, a parade?

The fundamental gameplay is so strong and so well executed. But it's over so fast without enough challenge that you can't help but want more. Never before have I found a game that screams rental so loudly.

An unfinished, bug-ridden game. Blame Core for being too ambitious. Blame Eidos for shipping it too soon. But don't blame us if you buy it.

There's nothing deep in Big Mutha Truckers, of course, but the humorous gameplay makes this a surprisingly fun driving game, especially for only $20. Offbeat, distinctive, and reasonably original, there's nothing else like it on the Xbox.

It'll nonetheless scare the living crap out of would-be heroes and haters alike. Diverging from tradition, this is the game that finally puts the gun survivor series on the map.

Are we operating under regulation Xbox parameters here? Visually speaking, everything's bland, blocky, and the visibility is poor. The game is not pretty. Enemy movements are sluggish as if they're suffering from joint pain as they fire at you.

Sonic Adventure DX is at its absolute best during the Sonic and Tails segments. Their levels are what you paid the admission price for. The rest are just leftovers.

The game just never firmly establishes a sense of direction. All told, you're basically thrown into a scenario and told to care, with no supporting material to help an intelligent human being establish anything remotely resembling suspension of disbelief.

Hard-core hobbyists may appreciate the title's extreme challenge level, esoteric presentation, and pioneering play mechanics. On the other hand, confusing campaigns and a mind-boggling mission structure guarantee casual enthusiasts just won't get the picture.

The adventure is a first-class effort all the way and well worth the asking price. The newest additions to the toolset are also top notch.

While the game is fairly short, the individual reports are quite long and you can only save between them. Since there's no sleep or suspend mode, it's not a good game to play in short bursts.

A testament to just how thoroughly a game can be improved in its second coming.

Between all the ship battles, alien spiders in dark caverns, and action-movie challenges, Mace Griffin delivers a good-looking and constantly engaging experience that is equal parts cinema, all-out combat, and skulk-and-kill infiltration.

The fast-paced weaving through the streets of two different cities holds a wealth of interesting gameplay. While there's nothing new or innovative here, MM3 offers easy playability with plenty to do.

A huge step backwards for the series.

Lesser games in the extreme sports genre have a tendency to wade in a shallow pool of standard cliches, but Wakeboarding Unleashed keeps the focus squarely on the gameplay, where it should be.

For a budget title, Will Rock will paralyze you with excitement and is a true test for the first-person shooter hard core. No thinking allowed.

While the gameplay is super tight, the depth is a bit lacking and the single-player modes could definitely use more variety. But for a lot of gamers, the killer personality, fast pace, and handsome looks of Ultimate Muscle will highlight the best trait the game has, it's simply fun to play.

New scenery, new enemies, and new quests abound for fans of the third Elder Scrolls game, but the familiar story line and lack of any real innovation keeps Bloodmoon from shining too brightly.

The game still has some rewardingly thrilling and violent moments and a superb sense of speed. The drawback is that less hardcore players are doomed to keep coming back to some frustrating cycles of trick-induced wipeouts.

Racing is the primary focus here and the game does a good job at translating the complexities that go into maneuvering a horse through a tense race.

Fans of the unjolly green giant will have some limited, isolated smash-bouts, but those who are gamers first and Hulk fans secondly will be better off investigating the console versions based on the film.

Like a toaster wrapped in gold leaf under the Christmas tree. The contents simply defy the billing. But if you're looking for some disposable, forgettable fun, this is one Xbox game that'll cure your itchy trigger finger.

As beat 'em ups go, this is an excellent one. Hulk fans rejoice. You finally have a game worthy of the lovable green lug.

A fun game, but there's not a lot new here. It has the standard game modes we all expect in a fighting game these days, but nothing else. Continually dressing up what amounts to the same game with a different name is becoming insulting.

There's only one thing a game that asks you to pick a nose can be, and that's one of the best handheld games ever.

The physics appear sound and there are plenty of ways to tweak your vehicle, but the game has no spark. Easy mode is too dull and not at all true to the sport, and normal and pro modes are too demanding.

While the rev of the bike engines is dead on, the music is just awful. The same bad grunge rock song (or at least, all the songs seem to sound the same) plays over and over. Unless you can phase the noise out, turning the music off will be your only recourse.

Even with all of the cosmetic and gameplay changes, the improvements from the first game are minimal. They're not enough to bump it up an extra star.

Hidden beneath that glossy surface is a game that takes almost everything that's annoying with real-time strategy titles and fixes it. It's deep, yet accessible. It's action-packed, yet manageable. In short, it's everything you could ask for in a real-time strategy game.

Bruce Campbell voices Ash's dialog, which should please fans of the movies, but his deadpan delivery might come across as bad acting to those not familiar with the distinct style of his character.

If you've grown accustomed to 16 on 16 battles in other shooters, nothing, we repeat, nothing, will prepare you for combat in Planetside.

While it does supplement the story exceptionally well, Enter the Matrix lacks anything that would make it stand out as a great or even good game.

As close to a full-blown sequel as we've seen to the original "Sims," and is sure to hold most gamers over until 2004. More immediately enjoyable than "The Sims: Online," it's the type of open-ended game you can intensely play over time or just spend a few hours with here and there.

Best of all, the numerous bugs and glitches that brought the PS2 version down a notch have been cleaned up and eliminated, for the most part. Enemies no longer shoot you through solid walls, you no longer randomly lose health while running, and cars remain in your garage until you take them out.

Precisely more of the same. It's bigger, stronger, and deeper. Even the flaws are repeated, as party members still need a lot of hand-holding.

While it's not the unplayable mess of the "World War II Online" debut, Eve is still firmly in the beta stage in all respects except monthly fees. [19 June 2003]