The game is both visually interesting and colorful, running at a consistent 60 frames per second, and the quality of animation looks like something you'd see on a Saturday morning cartoon.

Not only adds more stuff to the Sims canon, it improves and more importantly expands the game in subtle but far-reaching ways.

The most ambitious and complicated real-time strategy game ever made. This will make it a joy to devout fans of the genre, but an overwhelming mess to everyone else.

MGS2 suffers in its story. I can't spoil it for you, but I can at least warn you to be prepared for a plot that frequently reaches levels of sheer absurdity.

The "Star Wars" universe was clearly warped to fit over the AOE II lattice. Air combat loses some of its appeal as you watch tie fighters and X-wings hovering stationary over an enemy building, dropping bombs and shooting grunt soldiers on the ground.

It's the best original (nonport) GBA RPG to date, sporting stellar graphics, above-average sound, and a worthwhile experience (at least 20 hours of gameplay) that should make that next family roadtrip that much more tolerable.

The intense strategic gameplay alone makes it one of the better RTS titles released in recent years.

An excellent game. From its graphical prowess to its fast-paced gameplay and killer soundtrack, it doesn't fail to deliver in a single area.

Every cut scene makes reference to events or characters from previous titles, and newcomers will likely be lost as to their significance. Since the gameplay itself is subpar to the point of being at times unforgivably dull, those not here for the story will find little to hold their attention.

The marine single-player is exceptional and the multiplayer is very strong. The predator and alien single-player games just pale in comparison, but they don't detract from the other two.

The entrancing music and compellingly complex but accessible gameplay are still unparalleled, making minutes transform into hours as your nights are dominated by the story of your civilization.

A rare and beautiful thing, a nearly perfect game.

The graphics, though pixilated, are well done and utilize the GBA hardware competently. The monsters still look as threatening as ever, and the action animation is solid.

Aside from an inability to fully control Batman in the first-person mode, many of the things he can do -- such as sneak along walls and use the Bat Grappling Hook -- end up as fairly clichéd means to add puzzle sequences or even just length to the game.

An amazing experience, resulting in a classic crime drama on par with "Heat," "Goodfellas," or "Casino."

Where sound does suffer is in the audio levels. There are times where dialog gets so drowned out by both the music and the sound effects you can't understand a single word a character's saying.

The game won't win any awards for sound design, but the eye-popping graphics more than make up for that.

It features a tighter back story, a more streamlined and interactive combat model, the ability to play the game the way you want to play, and best of all, does so in an easy to understand, even friendly manner.

The novelty of the premise wears thin after about an hour. This is not good, especially for a game that takes about 25 hours to complete.

The tedium, bugs, and simplicity of the game itself outweigh much of the value the game offers in its size or even its faithful translation of the 3rd Edition rules, making this Pool of Radiance but a shallow reflection of the earlier classic.

Ship movements are heavily physics-based, which can make even simple movements near space stations or other ships problematic for anyone unused to this sort of gameplay. Docking is especially nightmarish for new players.

The controls are too simple to make you want to play the game for very long.

Seldom has sound, vision, and control worked in such perfect harmony. Most players will find themselves wanting to play SH2 right after they finish it the first time.

Best of all, the sound mix supports DTS 5.1 output, allowing you to literally feel every hit when cranked up loud enough on the right system.

Despite a solid concept behind it, NHL Hitz 2002 has neither the gameplay nor the presentation level to deliver.

Paradigm has managed to give the series a true upgrade while retaining the excitement of the original right down to some pretty snazzy remakes of the Peter Gunn theme.

The moment Ico first takes Yorda's hand in his is as organic and human as anything seen in interactive entertainment. Sony has created a classic that is both a stunning technical achievement and a perfect example of a videogame as art.

While not terribly complex, the racing itself makes for excellent fun, and the intricacies and unlockable features are more than enough here to keep you coming back for more.