Obviously, your enjoyment of the story line and setting are largely dependent on your familiarity with the show, but thankfully the gameplay is solid enough to provide enjoyment for Rocket Power neophytes as well.

The buddy system is fully fleshed-out and the combat system is deep, but the game is marred by easy, repetitive puzzles and flawed jumping mechanics.

Rides the line between story and "freedom" well.

New content is nice, but this piecemeal addition at $20 a pop of what should be sequel content is starting to feel more like gouging than a company generously giving its loyal customers what they want.

The biggest problem is the lack of communication among teammates. You can press a button to taunt or another to cheer, but that's it.

Fulfills bare minimum expectations of the typical fighting game sequel. It delivers more of the same with slight tweaks in the character roster.

Hard-core gamers might find the gameplay too forgiving and simplistic, but everyone else will be delighted to discover a land of beautiful graphics, intuitive and entertaining gameplay, and plenty of cool characters.

The level of player interaction and attention to detail rivals that of "Morrowind" and easily surpasses the "Baldur's Gate" series.

This game has about as much to do with the license as an episode of "Sanford & Son."

Its sense of speed, tight controls, and terribly addictive career mode will appeal to just about anyone.

Nothing more than a second-rate shooter. It's obvious that the developer has talent, but it should have focused its skills more on gameplay than on presentation.

The textures are model, character models are laughable up-close, and the game has a toylike look that doesn't really pay homage to the historical backdrop.

A lot of work obviously went into the battle engine, but it's buried underneath such a thick layer of dry minutiae and inconsequential plot.

It's more successful than any other surfing game that's come before it, but its seemingly random waves and amazing physics don't entirely overcome its repetitive nature or lack of difficulty.

Remains the best of its genre, with its ball physics, ease of play, and wonderful online community. However, aside from the fantastic new control method and character models, not much has changed in the series in five years.

The game can be completed in less than two hours, cut scenes included. Yes, there's much beauty in a simple control scheme, but not when it reaches the point of redundancy.

The renowned charm of Disney's characters, the stylistic panache of "Final Fantasy" folk, and a well-designed gameplay makes up for Kingdom Hearts' relatively few shortcomings.

A title that further refines the portable "Castlevania" lineup to perfection.

It isn't dross, but it probably works best as a quick rental, even for speed junkies.

The bottom line is that Hitz, the fun fast-paced and frantic arcade-style hockey game, made itself deeper. The result is a more satisfying game overall.

A worthy distraction in small doses.

The biggest drawback to the game is that it relies heavily on multiplayer. The single-player tasks are fun, if benign, but the AI is pretty rudimentary and your behavior has no real long-term effect on your relationship with other residents.

The game is somewhat short however, and there are some frustratingly cheap places for the monkey king to blow it. Which, in turn, blows some of the games potential replay value.

What Big Air Freestyle lacks in originality and trick accessibility, it makes up for in scope and replay value.

In terms of visual presentation the game is a total letdown, with flawed 3D graphics that even at their best are not all that striking or impressive.

In addition to standard team-based first-person shooter action, Battlefield 1942 incorporates the brilliant gameplay concept of vehicles and other machinery.

A great example of how to translate an existing property into a videogame, as it incorporates the elements and characters of the show in such a way that you don't necessarily have to be familiar with the cartoon to appreciate the wacky production design or gentle humor.

Like a truly interactive horror movie, The Thing unfolds at a suspenseful pace...One of the most unique and compelling story-driven games to hit console systems in some time.

Misfires slightly as a stand-alone first-person shooter, as it's not deep enough to warrant too much replay. But in connection with the Guncon2, the game outshines any recent competitors.

It's a meaty release that doesn't bog the player down with complicating control configurations, drawn out cut scenes, and plot development that gamers will likely be familiar with already.

It keeps most of the basic gameplay elements intact, but a little bit of polish (along with a few additional features) could have made this a spectacular title, rather than a merely solid one.

Enemies in Blade II display some of the worst AI to date. They tend to attack only when you get close to them. There are no variations in enemy attacks.

Feels as if it's beneath the once-great franchise.

Despite the absence of much role-playing, or perhaps because of it, Westwood has created a game that is quite a lot of fun to play. In fact, it's one of the few MMORPGs that is enjoyable even if you choose not to interact with any other players.

The problem is that most of Turok feels as if the developers were trying to emulate another game (mostly "Halo"), with exceedingly mixed results.

A magnificent game.

Seems intent on trying to incorporate all the cool stuff in other, better shooters. The problem is that it doesn't do it very well.

Anyone looking for a great hack-and-slash adventure will be more than satisfied with Onimusha 2. You still have to put up with funky camera angles, but the overall control is more than sufficient to get you though this 10-hour-plus trek.

A real treat... However, the occasional way-too-difficult mission leads to some frustrating repetition, and behaving while driving around so as not to blow the last leg of a driving mission can become slightly tedious.

The frustration factor, however, runs needlessly high in SOCOM as a one-player adventure.

So the engine is clunky and the pathfinding is bad. Ultimately that doesn't matter much. This is a great RPG.

If you're up for the puzzle-like gameplay and the repetition, Prisoner of War greatly expands what a stealth game can accomplish.

The variety of moves at the player's disposal only makes the accessibility of the controls more impressive. Mario is immediately responsive to any command and makes flips, spins, wall jumps, and other complex maneuvers easier than you would think.

The graphics are sharper and more vivid, and some of the backgrounds are jaw dropping.

The series has always been strong, but never as good as it is this year. In fact it's all but perfect, needing only a few tweaks, a few polishing strokes, and Microsoft's promised Xbox Live! service to make it ideal.

An uncompromising game in its presentation, scope, and challenge level. It's well-made, intricate, functional, and deadly, much like the weaponry of that distant time.

Between the dull punchfests, the insanely accurate enemies, and the extra difficulty created by forcing the player to rely on autotargeting, completing Dead to Rights quickly becomes an act of will.

It came so agonizingly close to being a great one. With some camera tweaks and a more effective method of combating multiple foes, this could have been a truly special title that would have appealed to more than just devotees of the "Buffy" show.

A solid and extremely fun game that will probably be overlooked by many in favor of more high-profile titles. It's a shame really, because Moonbase Commander's simple focus and gameplay is an excellent example of substance over style.

Middling level design along with an over-reliance on mobbing the player with nearly impossible situations make Hunt a disappointing release.

Matches up decently to last year's Madden and Sega offerings, but those games are doubtlessly improved this year.

For hardcore football fans, Madden NFL 2003 is a must-own. From the assortment of modes to in-depth features like the playbook editor, this game was made for those who appreciate the intricacies of football.

Not-too-bright enemies coupled with garish graphics are both a lesson in frustration and an eyesore. It takes a lot of the fun out of blasting a floating brain type when the aforementioned baddie looks more like a smudge than a foe.

The finer details can be hard to discern. This reviewer found himself straining his eyes in an effort to keep up. But as it's packed with plenty of action, gameplayers should be ready for some serious button banging.

Features an excellent control scheme and upgraded graphics but it still feels shallow. The AI mode definitely could have been deeper and the addition of more extra features would have been a plus.

Even if you can look past the uninspired visual presentation, Farscape is a somewhat tedious and boring affair that is likely to compel only die-hard fans of the show to play it to the very end.

It's a living, breathing example of the Xbox's graphical prowess and a lesson in accessibility for novice gameplayers as well as the more experienced.

Despite lots of shooting action, the unresponsive controls and below-average mission design lead to a distinctly dull experience.

A game that looks like it came from a major animation studio. The fluid movement in this game is no less impressive.

The lack of multiplayer action combined with the rather unrefined combat, annoying save game functionality (or lack thereof), and frustrating jumping problems all take their toll on the overall play value.

While it isn't the defining UFC console experience, the career mode and two-player competitions are worth your time, especially when you've created and developed your own fighter.

Fans of the series expecting innovation will be disappointed, but newbies will now be able to see what Dreamcast owners have been secretly enjoying for years.

Not every new idea works, but it's refreshing to see a developer, especially one as conservative as Blizzard, branch out a little.

Perhaps the most disappointing martial arts adaptation to hit consoles since "The Karate Kid" on the 8-bit NES.

If ever a game deserved the term "played out," it would be this one.

It has that "just one more turn" kind of addictiveness that all good turn-based strategy games have in spades.

Stuntman's most noticeable flaw is the load time before a level, which takes upward of a minute whether you are playing it for the first time or restarting it.

A great flight sim that won't bog you down with complex controls.

Perhaps the best thing about MLB Slugfest 20-03 is how well all the different elements come together to create a game that is both recognizably baseball and something you've never played before. The "extreme" additions work exceedingly well in the baseball setting.

Developers of 3D games should study the camerawork in "Eternal Darkness." It's quite simply a stunning technical achievement.

Crashing through flaming glass hoops while pulling off death-defying aerial stunts at 98 mph makes it a hard game to turn off once you've perfected it, and a thoroughly addictive two-player mode will help you get there.

A lot of game even if most of it is just potential.

Subtle touches such as the clips from HotD2, voice acting, and mimicked designs of the series' various settings make PotD a fitting homage to the series.

Once you know all the jokes in Outlaw Golf, it starts to lose its appeal. If you take away all of the game's "Smackdown" humor and attitude, all you're left with is a decent golf title.

Suffers from outdated technology being applied to a game design that doesn't really know what it wants to be.

The gameplay is so enjoyable, however, that it should almost be required to at least try - especially the multiplayer mode.

The battle system makes up for the mediocre production values, as does the many incentives to play this title over and over again.

The occasional high difficulty will alienate most players, though for those who can take the heat, Dropship is a great buy.

Frontline isn't perfect, though. For one thing there are the always-problematic control issues. A console system with its gamepad just can't replicate the tight controls offered by a mouse and keyboard.

While Lost Kingdoms certainly has plenty of flaws, this is still an impressive first-generation role-playing game for a system that desperately needs one.

Legends of Wrestling has, at heart, a deep and intricate gameplay system, but it's mired in overly complicated controls and a shocking unresponsiveness.

While the game's difficulty will vary depending on each gamer's proficiency, the game will appeal to both action and arcade fans alike.

As shocking, unsettling, and addictively compelling as a viewing of HBO's "The Sopranos." It's just that brilliant of a game. Capiche?

Decidedly underwhelming.

Sufficient gameplay of third-person shooting, stealth, and a hefty load of campy newscasting that fortunately can be skipped.

Even at a scant five hours, it's hard to believe that playing this game will be a worthwhile experience for any gamers, no matter how fond they are of the series.

Its poor replayability and lackluster production values ultimately make this game a curiosity rental and nothing more.

One of the largest and most richly detailed fantasy worlds ever to wear a set of polygons. There are literally hundreds of hours of gameplay.

A near-complete package. There's a good variety of moves, challenges, and features to keep the average extreme sports fan coming back.

Capcom seems unable to accept the idea of user-controlled cameras of any sort. You'll inevitably end up shooting at monsters you can't see thanks to lousy viewing angles...Otherwise remarkable.

From the opening sweeps to the penalty kicks, this game engages and entertains. For the PlayStation 2 there is no better soccer title to own.

What's more troubling is the absurd number of glitches littered throughout the game -- in gameplay, graphics, and sound.

[It] will likely prove as influential as all it's inspirations.

The emptiness of the world, the poor quality of the graphics, and the decidedly easy-to-use interface and instructions cripple what otherwise could have been a fun little RPG.

The game is flawed on so many levels (and in so many ways), that its occasional glimpses of greatness almost get lost in the Bespin Clouds.

Players are going to love the slew of new interpersonal interactions available to their Sims as much as they love the new objects.

Throughout the entire campaign, you can't help but feel that this is a comic book come to life.

The story could easily have been told in a third of the time, leaving room for more substantial narrative and perhaps even more inventive level and game design.