Pokémon Unite is a fun way to spend your time despite these frustrations. The game eats away the hours of my day as I reassuringly say to myself, “Just one more match.” Battles play out with the spectacle that the Pokémon series is known for, and with so many abilities to choose from, no match feels the same as the last. The game’s simple mechanics and recognizable characters make for an approachable MOBA experience; and with a potential catalog of nearly 900 Pokémon to pick from, my hopes are high for the future of Pokémon Unite.

The new bells and whistles streamline gameplay and make this title much more fun than I was expecting. [Oct 2004, p.146]

EA Vancouver has added just enough to keep things ticking along. The gameplay cuts down on predictability, providing a layer of freshness to the familiar and producing a squad that can compete – but is also in danger of missing a Champions League spot.

Pinball FX 3 contains a number of welcome additions and improvements, and gives pinball fans what they need most: an excuse to return to and keep replaying all of their favorite tables. Hopefully the studio can also shore up and heighten the sense of rivalries again, but either way, it's a great time for pinball wizards to dive back in.

F1 2011 offers a fun driving experience and a welcome change to the traditional career schedule, but in the franchise's second year running, it's in need of a pit stop and some fresh tires.

Lego 2K Drive builds an incredibly inviting world where speed and silliness reign supreme as you race and morph across its delightfully destructible setting. Despite some frustrating mission design and a smattering of bugs, Lego 2K Drive quickly won me over with its absurd narrative full of irreverent dialogue and moreish open-world challenges. If only the specter of microtransactions didn’t loom so large in this kid-friendly game, it would make for an even smoother ride.

With its faults, this title is a good hack-fest with a high body count (which makes for an awesome multiplayer component), but still leaves it short of what it wants to achieve. [Jan 2004, p.148]

The game looks phenomenal. Vivid colors blanket the backgrounds and characters alike, and the detail work, from waving grass to rippling waterfalls, is remarkable. While the plot and humor at play here rarely reaches for anything beyond immature power fantasy, the gameplay package is far more than you (or I) would have expected.

Nintendo’s goals with this game appear more modest, and they are largely accomplished. If better controls for an eight-year old game meet your equally modest goals, you should find little that disappoints.

F1 2011 offers a fun driving experience and a welcome change to the traditional career schedule, but in the franchise's second year running, it's in need of a pit stop and some fresh tires.

Vermintide 2s’s co-op delights are gruesome fun, especially if you have a dedicated group of friends to take on the horde of monsters and level up your characters. The bloody thrills of working with fellow players to shred entire armies of foes into meat makes this grisly battlefield surprisingly fun (if unsettling) place to spend time.

As much fun as I had with Extreme G3, I have to give the slight nod to Kinetica in this issue's futuristic racer debate. [Nov 2001, p.110]

The story and its multiple branches will grab your attention, and the combat – while different in style – delivers plenty of thrills. I prefer the PC iteration, but it’s still good on PS3 and 360, and way better than not playing Dragon Age at all.

With no franchise mode, Crib, or many amenities apart from nice stadiums, it’s the lack of connection with the league itself, not the fact that the NFL is missing, that is a letdown. Bolster this aspect and make some gameplay tweaks, and All-Pro Football will threaten Madden’s NFL more than the XFL ever did.

The design of the world, the way Fury explores it, the few puzzles, and the combat are all well-designed, elevating it above the elements that make it feel like a game from the past.

While the graphics leave much to be desired and the quality of the CG cutscenes is crude at best, Armed and Dangerous is in the most side-splitting of ways, pure comic genius. [Jan 2004, p.144]

Maneater is an enjoyable hunt that satisfies in its shark mayhem and story of revenge. The action is a bit repetitive and chaotic, but the goofiness of the violence ends up winning out. This is the first shark game I’ve truly enjoyed. It has cult classic written all over it.

If you never experienced the Homeworld titles during their initial run, this collection is a great way to take a look at an incredible RTS experience in a world that sees the genre waning.

The rain effects are fabulous and the cockpit cam is sweet, even if skips the odd frame or two. [August 2002, p.79]

It may not be the be all end all Sonic game that professed enthusiasts like myself have been waiting 15 years for, but Sonic 4 is a fun, frenetic download for fans and newcomers alike.

The IsoMotion controls are still difficult to master, and the story-driven 24/7 mode still lacks decent team AI, but these faults pale in comparison to the amount of things Visual Concepts does right with this hoops title.

If you like brawlers, platformers, or both, Alter Echo should be on your list of must-plays. [Sept 2003, p.114]

If you approach Kakarot for the story and the harrowing battles, it can be amazing. Outside of collecting Soul Emblems, the RPG elements are mostly lacking, even if they do push you to keep leveling to take on harder foes. All told, CyberConnect 2 gives fans a fun way to reexperience this saga.

The Asian Dynasties features three short and sweet mini-campaigns focused on events in Japan, China, and India, but the multiplayer is where you can truly test your mettle.

The game is recommended for anyone who likes taking a close look at a piece of art that goes against the grain of the medium. You should consider checking out Dear Esther the same way you'd appraise a film. If you're interested in absorbing an intellectual story and gorgeous visuals without having to exert a drop of effort, take a chance on this curious experiment.

Ballers may not deliever the full five-on-five experience, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a handheld b-ball title that delivers such an exciting challenge. [Apr 2006, p.135]

I had a really difficult time adapting to the inconsistent accuracy of the weapons. [May 2002, p.92]

A few new difficulties and 120 new achievement-like challenges even make this a tempting collection for those who already downloaded the games individually.

Ultimately The Last Guardian isn’t about pulling switches or leaping over gaps. It’s about your smile when you see Trico doing something silly, your compassion when you watch it struggle, and your relief when the creature shows up at just the right time. That’s what you get here that you can’t find anywhere else, and it is enough to make The Last Guardian worth playing.

It may only be a two-hour game, but the difficulty is perfect, and it offers plenty of incentive for completionists.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think Midway could create a game that competes on EA’s level, yet Hitz does it. [Feb 2002, p.87]

Taking into account the uphill battle this title had to fight, it comes out much the same as the PC edition (minus the Risk-like War of the Ring mode)--which is not a bad thing to say. [Aug 2006, p.86]

Ubisoft now has a solid foundation for operating its first persistent open world. If Massive and co. make smart additions to the end-game content and keep a steady stream of new activities for players to enjoy, I could see this game going strong years into the future. But if the Dark Zone and PvE environment don't evolve, I'm not sure many people will be left in New York City come the winter.

If nothing else, this is a solid add-on to a great base game. I just can't think of anything about it that makes Dawn of War any more of a "must-play" than it already is. [Oct 2005, p.146]

You're going to have to decide for yourself if loading is a dealbreaker. [Oct 2005, p.152]

While many of Vive’s launch applications are demos or betas, Audioshield is a solid and complete game, and its ability to read and create playable tracks from any piece of music provides effectively endless replay value. This is an early testament to the power of VR to create novel experiences in established genres, and music-game faithful should seek an opportunity to at least try out this new take on interactive music play. [Tested with Vive]

Creating a fast racing experience sounds like a fundamental requirement of any racing title, but Nail'd isn't just a game that blows by low expectations. It's a focused experience that sticks to a tight racing line and captures the essence of speed in a flash.

Often frustrating, but overall it's a worthwhile experience that's unlike anything else. [May 2004, p.108]

Pirates offers the same great mix of addictive minigames to which we sea dogs have grown accustomed.

Dungeons 2 does an admirable job of channeling that old-school Dungeon Keeper feel into a new title, and fans of the series will find some enjoyable evil to be had in the dungeon-sim genre. Swapping between dungeon and overworld can make the game feel schizophrenic at times, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not a significant detractor.

If the gameplay is a zero-sum when compared to FIFA 14, the title's World Cup-related accoutrements are welcome, but not significant.

Though the stages are much longer than their original forms, sometimes clocking in at around 15 minutes, playing through Story Mode only takes a couple of hours. Still, Contra: Operation Galuga packs a whole lot of action into those hours. When you add the more flexible Arcade Mode and difficult Challenge Mode, Operation Galuga is an admirable modernized reimagining of one of the most influential games of the late '80s.

Though the gimmick eventually wears thin and the complexity sometimes outpaces the simple concept by the time you reach the puzzles in the triple digits, Please Fix The Road shows that creativity and clever puzzle design are more important than a robust toolset or wide-ranging player freedom. It delivers a tight, curated puzzle-solving experience that hooks you from the very first puzzle and, through steadily evolving mechanics, delivers satisfaction around every turn.

The combat isn't super-innovative, with lots of ducking behind things and corner creeping, it does the job, however, and is complemented by some clever puzzles. [June 2002, p.78]

Vampire Crawlers elevates an otherwise simple but highly entertaining card game with sensations more reminiscent of a casino (or Vampire Survivors) or the blinding blue light of doomscrolling late at night to create a retro-inspired diversion that’s hard to put down. Its pull is less powerful with its dozen or so stages complete and behind me, but it’s clear that desire to return will never quite let up, lingering, waiting in the gothic wings for one more run.

Covenant is such an interesting mix of old-world immersion, nice plot twists, layered (and super-quirky) characters, and rewarding combat. [Oct 2004, p.132]

Everyone has their own criteria for what makes a game as huge and complicated as an MMORPG fun, and D&D Online will be just what a certain number of folks want out of their $15 per month. [May 2006, p.108]

World Cup Brazil has its advantages, but it's stuck in an awkward position. It's not the best representation of all the tournament encompasses, and in some ways it's not even better than FIFA 14.

While I would love to give this a higher score, its lack of online play and dearth of innovation hurts its entertainment value. Fans will enjoy it, but there isn't much else here. [Mar 2007, p.100]

Retro/Grade is a weird but admirable attempt to rekindle the popularity of a genre that has fallen out of favor. Though its timing may be off, fans of games like Amplitude and Guitar shouldn't overlook this one.

While somewhat shallow, My Sims will spark your imagination and awaken the inventor in you with its ingenious art-driven gameplay. [Oct 2007, p.121]

Everything is solid, but there's little that will make you throw your hands up with delight. [May 2002, p.91]

Any game with 55 single-player missions is worth checking out. Add to that equation Double Helix's excellent graphical system and blistering gameplay and you've got a hit on your hands. [July 2003, p.116]

The sheer number of things going on in each scene, coupled with the fact that you almost always have control of the camera make this feel like an actual place moreso than any adventure game before it. [Nov 2004, p.167]

Mario worshippers will be entranced. To the rest of us, it's just a fun little golf game. [Sept 2003, p.110]

Supraland's production values are underwhelming, but it overcomes those shortcomings by offering fantastic puzzle design and a big world that rewards exploration at a steady clip.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Gunslinger's shootouts. The game certainly doesn't turn any FPS conventions on their ears, but it still presents tense and entertaining shootouts frequently.

Velocity Ultra looks, plays, and sometimes feels like a traditional vertical scrolling shooter, but has a level of accessibility and innovation that separates it from comparable games. Its main hook is one I never felt fully comfortable with, but it didn’t hinder the overall experience. The genre convergence on display here is exciting, and worth playing even if you typically avoid shoot ‘em ups.

While it's not the next evolution of competitive FPS by any stretch of the imagination, a clean frontend with good party support and matchmaking at least lets those players who can forgive its faults an easy way to play the game the way it was meant to be.

In my tenure as a game critic, I haven’t come across a game that fluctuates between highs and lows as frequently as Spirit Tracks. I often found myself taken aback by an amazing puzzle, only to be bored to death on a train moments later.

These moments, combined with the fascinating vintage visuals and music, make it easy to overlook the areas where Mouse wastes some potential. Sure, I'd have liked more meaningful investigative mechanics and fewer reskinned baddies, but I was often too busy tapping my toes to jazz tunes and laughing at the riotous cartoon antics to be too bummed about it.

When you look past the gorgeous visuals, Killzone: Shadow Fall is a competent shooter in terms of both campaign gameplay and multiplayer offerings. It may not be the most innovative titles on the market, but it’s certainly one of the top stars of the PlayStation 4’s launch lineup.

FIFA is still doomed to feel a little stiff due to its reliance on set animations to govern play, and there are plenty of frustrating AI mistakes that linger. [Oct 2005, p.128]

Blasting through the game's varied environments with a pistol in each hand never got old, and I always looked forward to the end-level duel with a legend of the Wild West. After the dreadful Call of Juarez: The Cartel, I was skeptical going into this downloadable offering. To my surprise, Techland has bounced back with a very enjoyable tribute to the tall tales of the Wild West.

I do like that Super Swing lets you earn special shots if you’ve got enough Pang. Throw in some crazy locations around Pangya Island (including some wind tunnels) and you’ve got yourself a good enough time to keep you shooting birdies all the way to the 19th hole.

Majesty 2 is a better designed game than the original in many respects – the balance is improved, the interface is less horrible, and the economy model is vastly superior. However, it fails to project the kind of quirky charm that made the first title such a classic.

Ever Oasis marks the first fully original title from developer Grezzo in some time, and it is exciting to see what the studio is capable of when given the opportunity to create something totally new. The final product is a unique RPG experience that doesn’t have a lot of character, but is able to deliver a consistently compelling adventure. I never got the sense that the world was alive, but I enjoyed exploring, fighting monsters, watching my town grow, and making sure my residents were happy.

Some minor tweaks are appreciated, like having all of the minigames unlocked from the beginning, but nothing has been done to alleviate SMB's myriad frustrations. [Apr 2005, p.117]

When all is said and done, it’s the potential for laughter that proves to be Pit People’s standout achievement. The tactical gameplay is interesting and entertaining, but the comedy is the star of the show here. I enjoyed my time with The Behemoth’s new, funky world, as well as the cast of lovable characters who inhabit it, and will fondly remember many of its gags for a long time to come.

The occasional control wonkyness is the one new negative, which is counteracted by the added minigames and location. [Feb 2005, p.125]

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.

I eventually abandoned the physical toys for the convenience of quick onscreen tweaks, and the road to victory had some bumps and dips with balance issues and some repetitive mission structures. Nonetheless, I found a lot to like in Starlink’s uncomplicated and wholesome sci-fi campaign. And I have no doubt that the 11-year-old version of me would be at least twice as thrilled.

The design is light years behind the PC market. [Jan 2003, p.101]

H1Z1 has some cool modes that give it some extra oomph, but the field of battle royales already has some excellent choices. H1Z1 has a solid foundation of scavenging, shooting, and surviving, but it needs a little more vim and vigor to really compete in the battle royale free-for-all.

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.

Despite some of the missteps, World Tour's bedrock gameplay remains a reason to check out the title. The 3DS' touchscreen is used to add draw, fade, loft, and drive to your shots, and it works well. Additions like this and online play show that the series hasn't remained stagnant in its long interval, but they aren't entirely unexpected, either. Mario Golf: World Tour is a welcome but not irrefutably triumphant return.

Dead to Rights: Retribution isn’t subtle or refined, but it excels at letting players move from one sleazy place to another and scouring it clean of life.

I may have a hopeless addiction to Spelunky, but it's not an entirely pleasant one. As exciting as it is to play a platformer with an infinite number of new levels to jump, whip, and bomb your way through, the novelty comes at a cost. You need ample patience, time, and skill to make it through Spelunky's ever-changing caves, and much of the hidden content is virtually off limits to all but the most hardcore (and masochistic) gamers.

Difficulty aside, I dug this game because a lot of the little touches: the shadows that fall on the track, the shortcuts, the elevation changes, and the way that every race and lap has some surprises in store. [March 2005, p.140]

So it's short; Steve Wonder could probably rock the combat engine like nobody's business. [Aug 2004, p.97]

There’s no getting around that Full Throttle is a 22-year-old adventure game and still plays like it. The puzzles are occasionally frustrating. Your character moves at a slow pace, and some of cultural humor is outdated. Still, the quirks of the original game are as attractive today as they were then, and this version does a fine job smoothing out the rough edges, making Full Throttle Remastered a road trip worth taking.

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.

This is one of those games that is successful in the delivering of instant action, but doesn't offer up much in terms of depth. If you thrive off the online deathmatch scene, you'll fall head over heels in love with Battlefront. [Oct 2004, p.121]

Creating a fast racing experience sounds like a fundamental requirement of any racing title, but Nail'd isn't just a game that blows by low expectations. It's a focused experience that sticks to a tight racing line and captures the essence of speed in a flash.

Rev 2 has a lot of new content for returning players to dig into for a low cost, and the Guilty Gear Xrd package as a whole should be enticing to newcomers, even if Rev 2 itself doesn’t have a whole lot of new things for them to do. The fighting is fast, complex, and fun, and it features one of the best on-ramps for fighting games this generation. If you have a penchant for anime, belt buckles, and an endless love of guitar metal, Rev 2 has a lot to offer.

This is a slightly inferior version of an awesome game, which makes it a pretty good offering on Nintendo's handheld. [Oct 2008, p.115]

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.

Today, the added content in this expansion is still fun – but it’s more of a lunch with an old friend than a sizzling date with a hottie you just met.

While I have to quibble about the juming controls being clunky; the action is well-paced, the graphics match the cartoon in lively colors and interesting layout, the story is respectable, and the sound is a nice touch. [Feb 2003, p.110]

While a perennnial bronze medal winner on PS2, this year's ShootOut has officially got game. [Dec 2003, p.150]

Old Man’s Journey takes around two hours to complete and makes the most of that time, showering players in an array of lovely images and sounds while also giving them some fun manipulation puzzles to solve. I left this beautifully animated countryside having felt that the journey was indeed one worth taking.

It’s not bad, but it doesn’t deliver the payoff (and neither do the isolated multiplayer battles) after the time you spend on the more exciting ship building.

Given that fact, however, this game largely remains the same as it ever was--due to the consistency of the gameplay from last year. But because that the tour has adopted the new FedEx Cup system, your career can't help but feel a little different. [Nov. 2006, p.128]

SingStar’s karaoke action may be somewhat limited in an era that follows the release of Rock Band, where so many other ways of playing are available. However, for enthusiasts who aren’t looking for anything that complicated (or expensive), SingStar should deliver some amusing Friday nights with friends.

It’s great for showing off your new system and acclimating to a new controller, but a dearth of content prevents Resogun from earning much praise beyond being a solid, fun launch title.

Battle Grounds is not the super-polished experience of many of today's top brawlers, but it's definitely worth a look if you're interested in the genre and are at peace with familiar anime tropes.

Some strategies, such as asking your AI players to perform freeform offensive runs, aren’t really executed, and I found that they expressed themselves better in the traditional playing mode rather than Be a Pro.

As a standalone game, The Banner Saga 3 is the weakest of the bunch. As a conclusion, it does its job well, marrying beauty to melancholy and making me think long and hard about what sacrifices I was willing to make for the good of the world.