An ideal title for people who’ve never partaken in the MMOG scene to use to test the waters. Like most of the other entries in the genre, it is a leveling treadmill, but it is a really well designed one.

A stunning achievement in interactive entertainment. With a solid story, engaging characters, stunning visuals, and delightful dialogue, this is one adventure you simply won’t be able to tear yourself away from.

These are first-rate emulations of all the original games, perfect recreations that will put a smile on your face and provide countless hours of gaming enjoyment.

A classic in a long line of Mario classics. Excellent gameplay, vibrant graphics, beautiful sound, and an intriguing story make this one of the best GBA titles.

The innovative monster-creating facet alone will surely entertain for hours and leave a lasting impression on any newcomers to the series.

While some gamers may be turned off by the game’s simplicity, Simpsons fans should be encouraged to enjoy this highly polished, eminently charming and enjoyable Simpsons driving adventure.

Ubi Soft has taken their PC masterpiece and trimmed it down just enough to make it accessible on the Xbox while adding enough new features like the voice command interface to make Rainbow Six 3 the most immersive tactical simulation you can experience without years of military training.

Everything about it is magic - and even if it is a bit on the short side, it's an amazing game that no one who experiences will soon forget.

A spectacular adventure, and while I was sad to see the online component fail before I even got to login and try it I am glad to see that Cyan is committed to keeping the content alive.

With a huge core game and a substantial expansion pack all bundled together for about $30 you won't find a greater RPG bang for your buck.

If the game developers had improved the overall graphics, added multiplayer or online multiplayer game modes, AND rewrote the entire script, then I might suggest renting this game. Sadly though, I must tell you to avoid it at all costs.

If you already have "Crash Team Racing," don’t expect anything new or exciting beyond the updated graphics – Crash Nitro Kart is basically the same game in a pretty new package.

A couple of years ago this title might have flown but there are just too many music games currently available for the PS2, and American Idol just seems like a quick and dirty knockoff to cash in on the fever of the show.

There is very little story present and no emotional attachment to the lead character. All of the “fun” aspects of the NOLF legacy are gone.

The Hobbit is not a bad game, or a glitchy game. It's just not a particularly inspired game.

Short unbalanced levels, simplistic gameplay with auto-targeting, and first-generation graphics doom this game to bargain bins everywhere.

The story is excellent, the visuals amazing, and when combined with the professional voice work, improved combat, and new telekinetic powers, you won’t find a more captivating or exciting action game on your Xbox.

The obvious staying power is in the multiplayer potential whether you gather some friends over for a local foursome or take your skills online for an Opti-Match or enter an XSN tournament.

This is definitely an experience that is best shared, but even if you are forced to play alone, you won’t find a more challenging or visually stunning Batman experience than Rise of Sin Tzu.

A landmark achievement in game design starting with the addictively fun core gameplay, instinctive controls, then rounding out the package with gorgeous visuals, stunning special effects, and professional sound work.

A fantastic game that offers dual play modes, challenging puzzles, a progressive character development system, and balanced gameplay that is great for gamers of all skills and ages.

The result for the end user however is a mixture of frustration and bemusement, but even during its most redundant moments, one can sense brimming potential in this game, and it would not be too far fetched to imagine a whole new franchise based upon Nick Delios mystery adventures.

I was left slightly underwhelmed and rather bored with the entire experience. Sure, Ultimate Beach Soccer is new and different and that might be enough to get a few curious gamers to check it out, but I doubt it will keep their interest for more than a day or two.

A fantastic game that offers dual play modes, challenging puzzles, a progressive character development system, and balanced gameplay that is great for gamers of all skills and ages.

Great graphics and a breathtaking soundtrack put it right at the top of the 2003 holiday heap. Everything in this game comes together beautifully.

I have no patience for a game that has as many bugs as this one does. There’s no excuse for it except laziness or just a sheer contempt of the game playing public.

This mix of tried and true RTS gameplay along with the polished production values added by an outstanding soundtrack and visual effects engine does much to enhance this game, but leaves the entire experience a little lopsided.

The stunning graphics, intuitive controls, fluid combat, and challenging gameplay were more than enough to keep me busy for many days of solid gaming and when I finally finished the game I found it to be a most satisfying experience.

Blitz Pro walks a fine line between serious sim and classic Blitz action and maintains a perfect balance from start to finish.

It is deep, it is branching, it is enjoyable, it is everything you’d expect from another free-roaming game about a blowhard in a car, in a city, trying to right some kind of wrong. The only problem? It never quite hits its mark as solidly as everyone had hoped.

This version of L.A. is a living, breathing city where your actions have a direct bearing on immediate events and could even impact the story much further than you can possibly imagine.

An above-average racing game that a Ford fanatic will fall in love with.

The execution however was so deeply flawed I don’t know why it even shipped.

It’s long, and it’s deep with ample replay potential for those of you that enjoy such games. Otherwise, it’s very hard to recommend to someone new to the genre. Once you get the hang of it, SAW is very well researched and quite challenging.

Definitely a niche title and in this case its more of an update to last year's game than a full-blown package, and an unpolished update at that.

Adds a generous heaping of additional content to an already vast game.

This is <I>the</I> online game of 2003 with a single player experience that will be talked about and used to measure all future FPS military games for a long time to come.

At the end of the day you will come for the single-player game and stay for the multiplayer modes. If the multiplayer modes don&#146;t interest you then you will want to rent or simply skip this title.

Gladius is not for the faint of heart &#150; it demands attention to detail and a willingness on the part of the player to listen to instructions and take time to learn the ropes. Players looking for a Golden Axe-like hack and slash venture will soon find themselves buried in instructions on power ups, tournaments, and character statistics and should probably look elsewhere.

It also gets bogged down in it&#146;s own self-induced complexity. The clumsy inventory and totally outrageous enemy AI will scare off all but the most diligent of gamers.

On a broader scale, there is little here to frighten away the average RPG gamer and Gothic II is presented in such a way that those who and not "Role Players" but like a little story with their action will be pleasantly surprised Gothic II.

Walks a fine line between serious sim and classic Blitz action and maintains a perfect balance from start to finish.

The sheer scope of the expansion is impressive as the development team desired to not only add new areas and items, but to change and update the way DAoC itself can be played.

Might make a decent rental or budget purchase for the kids, but most of us will have more fun digging out the original arcade classic and playing those challenging levels without all the clumsy &#147;improvements&#148;.

There is also the added value of new levels, gameplay enhancements, and even a complete buried game locked away waiting for you to connect the GBA and GameCube versions.

The level of depth to be found here is astounding - from the very onset of the game you'll find yourself knee-deep in menus, combat, and strange locations.

There is a level of complexity in the gameplay that makes this game challenging for experts, but those same controls can be ignored and even novices can enjoy a single-button return system for casually knocking the ball around.

A must-have title. It's not as fast or unrealistically fun as "SSX3" but it wasn&#146;t meant to be. This is serious snowboarding that almost takes the sport into its own niche sub-genre.

Taking the story into the past was a nice direction on the part of the writers, and the story and missions are inventive and flow nicely, but the poor performance of Adama tarnishes the overall presentation.

Offers one of the best stealth gameplay elements seen in an action title to date. I really got into that little combo move, cackling with glee when I snapped a neck or cursing when I flubbed the move and got taken down.

Even though the gameplay is a bit lacking in length and diversity you can&#146;t help but admit the game is just plain fun to play, and the level of difficulty will provide a challenge for jaded veterans of the genre.

I whole heartedly urge you to pick up this title if you have even the smallest interest in RPG&#146;s, or strategy gaming or are just a LucasArts fan.

THUG has something else to offer besides unlockable goodies: depth. As with previous Hawk titles, the deep gameplay and highly interactive environments inspire and encourage you to experiment, find new combo lines, and improve as a player.

A severe, albeit pleasant, shock to system. The game has grabbed me in a way that only &#147;No Mercy&#148; has ever topped.

It&#146;s story skillfully blends some of the most famous fictional elements of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne alongside more recent faraway works like DinoTopia and Jurassic Park, with the added pleasure of cinematically orchestrated music and beautiful graphics to engage players and immerse them in a magical world.

Has all the makings of a great game if only the designers had put more effort into the combat and perhaps mixed up the action with some puzzles and utility belt access.

I'll trade in better sound and graphics and smoother gameplay any day over a few features.

One of my favorite party games ever, with the 8-player support and the promise of more songs on the way, well in a word, Yay!

An outstanding game that promises absorbing gameplay and a nice break from other strategy games that either focus purely on combat or economic simulators that are too complex to be enjoyed by anyone other than a select few.

Yet another futuristic racer. Without a twist. Well, I take that back &#150; there is a twist, but not a big one; this time the hovercraft are big 30&#146;s style sedans. Why? I don&#146;t know.

Obviously, MGM and the McQueen family gave their approval, but whether you enjoy it will depend on your love of the genre and your tolerance for mediocrity.

The team really outdid themselves in differentiating the different societies. This was done while still keeping a delicate balance. No one "civ" has the advantage.

If you enjoy military action games, especially detailed simulations with sophisticated commands, an overwhelming interface, difficult missions, and an RPG skill system then Hidden & Dangerous 2 is the game you have been looking for.

It&#146;s not the prettiest game on the PS2 and it&#146;s over almost as soon as you start. It has a nice two-player cooperative mode and plenty of single-player bonus games that give it some added life.

I still had a good deal of fun with Curse, and I would like to see a sequel - provided Asylum can update and improve upon the clumsy combat mechanics.

Despite the excellent presentation, Grabbed by the Ghoulies really didn&#146;t have much of a story or a linear progression. It was more like a series of ongoing monster-bashing challenges &#150; even the ending was rather anti-climatic.

The slow pace and ridiculously formal dialogue will certainly repel some players, even patient ones &#150; but the rest of us will find a detailed, suspenseful story brought to life by alluring graphics.

While an acceptable game for all that it is, doesn&#146;t match the greatness present in the SNES Batman adventure.

It has all the standard components of traditional platform titles but disguises them with clever game design, intuitive character interaction, and constant humor.

It has all the standard components of traditional platform titles but disguises them with clever game design, intuitive character interaction, and constant humor.

Choked full of quality gameplay, authentic Star Wars goodness, and loads of bonus content, this is the best Rogue Squadron game since the last one.

The small personal touches that abound throughout the game are evident of quality production values, and these shine through in both the game&#146;s outstanding interface and its spot-on motif.

A fun and highly challenging tactical game that will test your analytical skills as well as your undying patience.

It reeks of "shovel-ware," a game that was stripped of both function and price then sent to retailers in the hopes of turning a quick buck. The gameplay is shallow and often needlessly frustrating, with few attacks really being entertaining, but most lacking any sort of humorous overtone.

Just doesn&#146;t bring anything new to the platform table.

You can have just as much fun watching the show and save your Xbox for a real game.

There simply isn&#146;t anything terribly new or exciting in Project Zoo.

Rather than try to mimic any single driving combat game, RoadKill combines the best parts of every homicidal car game that has come before it to create a totally original concept.

There simply isn&#146;t enough variety in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and the repetitive combat, troublesome camera, and platform-like jumping puzzles will quickly go from entertaining to annoying long before the game is over.

I really enjoyed Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, which just made it that much more disappointing when it was over before it ever got started. Usually three hours into a game and I am just starting to get the hang of it, but in this case I was looking for something else to play next.

It&#146;s rare that we see this level of sophisticated squad-based tactical gameplay in a console title.

If you were a fan of Backyard Wrestling before the game then this title was made just for you. If you enjoy ultra-violent games like "Tenchu" or "Thrill Kill" then you will definitely want to play this game.

Just doesn&#146;t bring anything new to the platform table.

The staggering system requirements are a point of concern, though, and I feel I can't give the title a universal stamp of approval without a word of caution. But if you've got the hardware, it's an electrifying experience you can't pass up.

While the Atlanteans are cool, and it&#146;s always fun to level your enemies&#146; towns with a 4-story creature, it&#146;s a pretty steep price to pay.

There is even a low enough learning curve and relaxed gameplay mechanic that even fans of the show, ones that are not exactly computer savvy, could be sucked in.

The premise of Etherlords II can be diluted down to a simple card game concept; one person plays their cards and then the other until somebody wins. By nature, it is a repetitive game and I think the game designers overestimated the fun factor.

Fans of previous NHL Hitz games will still enjoy the easily accessible gameplay and hopefully respect the move into a more serious variation of the sport.

I enjoyed the premise and there is an undeniable charm about this game, but there are just too many camera issues that quickly turn into control and combat issues that make the game more frustrating than fun to play.

Does a remarkable job of simulating just about every aspect of the IndyCar season and the world famous Indianapolis 500 right up to the point where you get behind the wheel. The car setup, the schedules, the teams, the racers, everything is perfect and you won&#8217;t find a more authentic presentation of IndyCar racing - just don't drive this out of pit row.

While Acclaim has managed to make a game that is better than any of the other attempts at a home edition NBA Jam still doesn't live up to the arcade original and falls short of other arcade hoops like "NBA Street" and "NBA Showtime."

You&#146;ll never catch me playing this game in the arcades but having DDRMAX 2 on my PS2 ready to humiliate myself in the privacy of my own home is undeniable fun.

The combination of puzzle-solving and strategy works well, but there simply are not enough episodes and environmental variations to keep the player engaged for more than 5 hours at the maximum.

Despite the graphical flaws, poor mission design, and lack of a compelling story I still have to admit I had "fun" playing this game. Sure it was easy, sure I finished it in record time, and no, I probably won’t be going back and playing it again anytime soon.

This is one of the best new multiplayer games and its exclusive to the Xbox, so you even get some system bragging rights to go along with your hack and slash adventures.

Even though we can't score this game as high as the GameCube's "F-Zero GX" everyone here at GCM who has played XGRA unanimously agrees this is the better racing game, both in gameplay and track design.

The music is better if your turn it off and the tinny sound effects are a bit disappointing, but at its heart there is a fun and substantial gameplay experience to be had if you have the perseverance to tough it out.

From its finely honed user interface to its nearly flawless campaign and PvP modes, Homeworld2 is a breath of fresh air when most games of its ilk are bogging themselves down with needless complexity.