Pokémon Conquest takes the Pokémon you know and recognize (and love?) and places them into the world of tactical turn-based strategy with little kicking and screaming. Unfortunately, its simplicity will turn away tactical purists, and its complexity and management demands will turn off fans of the traditional Pokémon RPG.

It's both rewarding and frustrating. [Feb 2002, p.100]

Indivisible is full of ambitious ideas and uneven execution. When it succeeds, you see glimpses of the fantastic game it could have been – but those flashes never last long enough for the dream to take shape. What you’re left with is an experience full of noteworthy successes and confusing failures, and like the game’s title suggests, they are all too intertwined to separate.

I found myself frequently resisting the urge to throw down my controller in frustration. This wasn't my cup of tea, but I can't help but admire its dramatic artistic sheen. [Oct 2004, p.140]

Overall, Mass Effect fans could take or leave Infiltrator. It's not some important lost lore chapter. It's the best mobile Mass Effect experience yet, but it's got a long way to go to catch up with its console big brother.

If the gameplay had more to recommend it, this would be a must-play on the DS. As it is, it’s an amusing if uninspired romp that should give more than its share of belly laughs to the beat ‘em up ­faithful.

I quite enjoyed looking at Sayonara Wild Hearts, even though interacting with it left me cold. In fact, I probably would have liked it just as much if it were just a short film. As it stands, it’s an impressively stylish title with a disappointing amount of substance.

Ruiner feels like a fantastic slice of action orbited by a bunch of mediocre elements, so the experience never coalesces into something truly exceptional. However, that gameplay is solid enough to prop up this bloody sci-fi adventure, even if it never amounts to anything more than forgettable fun.

There’s certainly a lot here to love, and a lot more that you want to love, but most of your time in Kane & Lynch is spent shaking or scratching your head. The problems are just too visible for it to be taken seriously as a gritty thriller.

Lococycle isn’t complex, but I was easily sucked into its silliness. I wanted to see where this intentionally stupid story was headed, and it was worth the trip – even if the game itself isn't very deep.

If you can put up with the lack of precision in the hockey stick peripheral and the shallow nature of the other game modes, NHL Slapshot's fun Peewee to Pro mode captures the spirit of hockey from the backyard ponds to the packed arenas in a way that should appeal to adults and children alike.

I'm a little disappointed that Tenchu isn't pushing the genre forward like "Splinter Cell" and "Metal Gear Solid" have. [March 2005, p.132]

The Chinese Room has crafted another unique experiment that proudly stands out from the gaming norm, now with the improved graphical horsepower of the PS4. Despite the prettier locales and solid attempt to break out of the linear mold, Rapture simply doesn't feel rewarding when straying from the glowing golden path.

Dante’s Inferno features some interesting aspects (like its combat), but early innovation loses out to repetition. The game’s biggest strength – Visceral’s recreation of hell – wanes during the second half. Some entertaining unlockable content adds to the replayability, but for most gamers, Inferno doesn’t have enough new ideas to warrant a return trip through hell.

The jokes cater mostly to the kids, and that's exactly who should enjoy this fairy tale jaunt the most. [July 2004, p.112]

The Sims 4 is a beefier and better game with its diverse expansion packs and added content since release, but without much of that being available on console just yet, this feels like a step back from the PC version. Nonetheless, this is essentially the same core experience as the base game on PC, and it’s worth checking out if you don’t already own the game. Although the console version features some dodgy controls, it largely delivers on its promise of bringing a faithful port to the console audience.

The Gunk deserves a fair bit of criticism and only a little unreserved praise. The connection between the characters holds up the story, sucking up goo is strangely satisfying, and the mechanics work as intended. However, I wish the world felt more distinctive and better realized. The environment has the potential to be a vibrant kaleidoscope with brilliant hues and unearthly forms. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite hit that mark. All said, The Gunk is a competent romp through space, but not a stellar one.

I feel proud for beating BloodRayne: Betrayal, but I can't recommend it for anyone who lacks an ocean of patience. [Sept 2011, p.93]

The RPG-style fights are uninspiring, and the storyline is simplistic. Still, the graphics are bright and inviting, with menus that are easily navigable. [June 2004, p.138]

I love the constant action and surprisingly deep gameplay that Heroes has to offer. [Dec 2004, p.191]

I feel proud for beating BloodRayne: Betrayal, but I can't recommend it for anyone who lacks an ocean of patience. [Sept 2011, p.93]

The Sims 4 is a beefier and better game with its diverse expansion packs and added content since release, but without much of that being available on console just yet, this feels like a step back from the PC version. Nonetheless, this is essentially the same core experience as the base game on PC, and it’s worth checking out if you don’t already own the game. Although the console version features some dodgy controls, it largely delivers on its promise of bringing a faithful port to the console audience.

It's easily one of the most unique and entertaining multiplayer choices for the GameCube. [Apr 2005, p.131]

Minecraft Dungeons has a solid core, and I’d love to see where it goes from here. Hopefully, Mojang recognizes the fact that games with grinding don’t have to be as much of a grind. It would be great to have some kind of way to experience levels in a remixed format, similar to how Diablo III has rifts or Torchlight and Path of Exile offer more randomized maps to encourage replays. But Minecraft Dungeons’ current approach is simply replaying the same stuff over again, and just isn’t enough.

The best thing going for it is the very well done graphical style. [Mar 2004, p.114]

Grim Fandango is a tough game to evaluate, because it comes with so much baggage. If you’re already a fan of the game, the few new additions are nice – but aside from the commentary, they’re far from indispensable.

All the parts for a great multiplayer experience are here – class unlocks, a variety of familiar modes, lots of guns – but they don't come together in a way that makes Medal of Honor a must-play shooter. Military buffs may enjoy the game on some level, but in such a densely packed genre, EA must try harder to stand out.

I enjoyed my time with NES Remix 2, but it’s ultimately a shallow experience.

Mostly, I am just happy that there is a good Mario Party available in the Switch 2’s launch window. It’s not a game I see myself booting up on my own, but as a means to get a party going with players of all skill levels, I am glad I have it on the metaphorical shelf.

Basically, only play this game if your friends are willing to run at your side. When the game is functioning as intended, it can be brilliant. But don’t let your guard down. Problems will arise, and your most difficult challenge may be combating a bout of boredom.

Unfortunately, the shining strengths of the game are buried underneath a thick layer of rust that only the thirstiest of air-junkies should bother chipping through. [Feb 2010, p.95]

If you’re looking for a bite-sized dungeon crawl, Guild of Dungeoneering delivers – but don’t expect a lofty foray into the realms of exploration, customization, or strategy.

Concocting potions and humiliating dark wizards is fun for a while, but once the novelty is gone, Hogwarts loses all of its magic.

The saving grace of these extended gameplay encounters is that the combat is reasonably engaging, and interactions between characters will likely delight existing Granblue Fantasy fans. Relink is unlikely to be any newcomer’s favorite game. Still, the basic gameplay is fun and keeps you moving along the treadmill, especially if you have a gathering of like-minded source material fans to help you slay its biggest figurative and literal dragons.

It may not be the follow-up that fans of the Mana franchise have been hoping for, but cool visuals and an interesting story elevate it above the level of an everyday mindless button-masher. [May 2007, p.87]

The main problem I found was that this type of game needs to tread a fine line between player control and AI, and I don't feel that Space Colony does it all that well. [Dec 2003, p.181]

Summon Nights wants to be "Chrono Trigger", but it only really reminds me how awesome that classic is, and how much this game isn't it. [Aug 2006, p.92]

The Grid series offers a fun, gorgeous racing experience, and I can see value in bringing it back. But this incarnation of the game performs the bare minimum of the reboot mandate when it should be doing so much more. We race to be in first place, but unfortunately, Grid seems content to be in the middle of the pack.

Much like the gameplay, this sequel is highly repetitive and loaded with technical difficulties. [Jan 2002, p.78]

If you're a genre dabbler, there are a good dozen or so similar games released over the last several years that deserve your attention far more than this entirely average title. [Feb 2006, p.110]

Other than a couple Vita-specific features, an easier difficulty level, and a collection of trial missions, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus doesn't offer anything new. If you loved the original game enough to play through its numerous updates, then you may enjoy taking this new version on the go. However, action fans accustomed to the polished games of this generation may become frustrated with the eight year-old mechanics.

Sincere attempts have been made to make this game more universally appealing to a wider range of gamers with the simpler control options. Removing the need to focus heavily on keeping your plane in the air leads to a fun-but-simple flight combat game. Unfortunately, you can't escape the fact that the gamer who will get the most from Birds of Steel is the one who has at least one meticulously painted World War II model airplane.

A Way Out's co-op vision is a bold choice that works because it uncompromisingly places players in a co-op context, joining them onscreen and off. But given the weakness of the gameplay at times, perhaps the game isn't bold enough.

Sincere attempts have been made to make this game more universally appealing to a wider range of gamers with the simpler control options. Removing the need to focus heavily on keeping your plane in the air leads to a fun-but-simple flight combat game. Unfortunately, you can't escape the fact that the gamer who will get the most from Birds of Steel is the one who has at least one meticulously painted World War II model airplane.

Outatime is also significant as it is the first entry in which Michael J. Fox joins the cast, jumping into the role of one of Marty's ancestors. While I found Fox's involvement exciting, the actor's character seemed out of place during these sequences (as if the role was written late just so Telltale could slide him in), and Fox himself uses a goofy southern accent that does little to disguise his aging voice. It's sad, but the most authentic sounding McFly in the game is a Michael J. Fox impersonator.

As far as road trips go, The Crew is about as average as they come. There are some fun times, but you may be surprised to discover that America is a pretty empty place.

Being an arcade game, however, fun isn't the problem with Smashing Drive – it's the lack of replay. [Apr 2002, p.79]

It’s easy to feel like you’re a kid in the candy store with GT’s open format, but this edition of the franchise has none of the sweet, satisfying racing that has been its hallmark.

When Wizards Unite is trying to do something new, it can be good fun. Most of the content sadly ends up feeling like a strange version of Pokémon Go, giving players flimsy reasons to catch or zap ‘em all.

A solid story and cool puzzles only go so far when the production values scream “low budget” every step of the way.

If you thought Animal Crossing was too sparse on the gameplay front, Tomodachi Life’s superficial interactions may stretch your definition of the word “game.” In spite of the repetition, this island is a pleasant place to visit, even if I’m not ready to take up a permanent residence.

Shortcomings in the pacing and the lack of diversity in the combat pull down the experience, but I liked the time I spent with Kenshiro. The Fist of the North Star franchise feels dated in many ways, but you would be hard-pressed to find a better representation of its strange and violent world in a video game.

Instead of the brain-bending adventure with scares and gore that I had so desperately hoped for, it turned out to be a sloppy, monotonous bore that nearly put me to sleep.

Little effort has gone into crafting a game that belongs on the Wii – very few upgrades distinguish it from the graphical quality you’d see on that earlier system.

Starships is simple, slick, semi-strategic fun. It’s incredibly accessible and lacks the sometimes overbearing menus and micromanagement that can make strategy games dizzying and intimidating, making it a nice point of entry for those looking for a casual experience within the genre.

The magic just isn’t here. Repeating the success of Star Wars with a radically different license requires more than Star Wars as a foundation. It really never finds Indiana Jones’ pulse, and ends up being somewhat of a mess, albeit a moderately fun one.

This might not be Clover Studios' best effort, but as ports go this is far from terrible. [May 2006, p.110]

As a strategy board game, Culdcept Saga integrates luck and skill well enough to be generally entertaining, and even more so if you are prone to obsession when it comes to collection and optimization. [Feb 2008, p.101]

Planet Zoo put up a lot of obstacles to my enjoyment, but once I broke through the majority of them, I found that engaging loop of mastery and success that makes simulation games fun. I enjoyed trying to one-up my last creation and surpass my previous revenue and years in business. Unfortunately, Planet Zoo requires an unreasonable level of patience that creates a barrier around its best qualities.

The problem is that it just doesn't play right. The physics system for the ball is out of whack. There is often no predicting what it will do. [Nov 2003, p.171]

198X reminds players that even simple arcade experiences (or their recreations) can provide an interesting escape.

Another promising game struck down by execution. [Jan 2003, p.96]

If anything, my largest complaint about this game comes from the fact the number of wrecks onscreen sometimes means that winning a race has a s much to do with good luck as skill. [Dec 2004, p.168]

The action does get intense, and if anything else, having to keep your eye on your comrades in a way highlights the grim fight for survival and tight-knit nature that all soldiers need in battle. [Oct 2004, p.129]

This game did little to lure me into the college fold. It falls more into the category of a generic baseball game than it does a part of EA's college series. [Feb 2006, p.104]

Virtua Tennis 3 is a perfectly serviceable tennis game (pun intended) that fails to provide a big enough splash to make it anything else than just another tennis title. Next time I hope it won’t take Sega seven years to come out with the same game.

It may not be challenging or action-packed, but Valiant Hearts provides some thoughtful and sobering looks at what life was like on the front.

Ruined King is a conventional RPG set in the League of Legends universe with an exciting lane system that smartly reconstructs the standard turn-based loop. Still, a forgettable story about good vs. evil and reiterative backdrops are apparent drawbacks. The action and imaginative characters do their best to keep the game’s 20-30-hour time sink enjoyable. Still, players that aren’t already fans of Riot Games’ flagship franchise are better off skipping this entry.

There’s definitely a charming old-school spark to this reboot, but without anything beyond the constant monster mashing and levels that seem to blend together, you may find yourself needing excitement badly.

The multiplayer core at the heart of Rainbow Six Siege is a great foundation. But given its lack of infrastructure around the mode and severe lack of meaningful modes to buttress it, Siege feels slight when compared to its past entries and the other big-name first-person shooter franchises it competes against.

The RPG-style fights are uninspiring, and the storyline is simplistic. Still, the graphics are bright and inviting, with menus that are easily navigable. [June 2004, p.138]

The game's steep learning curve will have sim-heads in heaven, but may be a little too tough for most. [Nov 2002, p.128]

The tactical demands Siege puts on players is unlike anything else on the console market today, and may prove enough for those seeking this flavor of first-person shooter. However, Siege doesn’t do enough to unite players who understand the importance of communication or provide variation in rest of the package.

Overall, the game is just average, but the potential is there for something really special if a sequel cam our way. [Sept 2005, p.115]

The story is barely present, and persistent elements that tie the rogue-lite experience together – like crafting and store expansion – have too little impact to convey a satisfying sense of progress. When viewed on a smaller scale, the accessible combat and simple formula make it easy to pick up and enjoy Moonlighter casually. However, my excitement and enthusiasm were at their highest during the brief window when I didn’t know exactly what to expect next.

Fans of the well-crafted, single-player campaigns of previous Rainbow Six games will find nothing of value in Siege. The short tutorial missions lack replay value, and the popular Terrorist Hunt mode, which can be played with up to five friends, gives players little options other than ramping up the difficulty. Locking players out of selecting the map they want to play on is a curious decision, as are many of the battle tactics you see the enemy A.I. employ.

Despite its sparse offerings, Danger Zone still proves that you can do beautiful things with a car, no matter how damaged it is.

The first 15 to 20 minutes were a lot of fun. Then the rest of the game set in. [July 2002, p.90]

A decent addition to the series. [Nov 2002, p.133]

Even though none of these elements are so astounding as to bring outsiders into the fold, the franchise's debut on the GameCube ("Pokemon Channel" doesn't count) is a trainer's dream come true. [Mar 2004, p.110]

While Danger Zone undoubtedly sets the world ablaze, it also requires thinking along different lines. Danger Zone's more open levels and moving traffic creates situations requiring a more calculating kind of destruction.

Minecraft Legends battles to blend its open-world adventuring with the intricacies of real-time strategy, a war that sometimes detracts from the overall fun you can have. Even so, its gorgeous environments and clever world-building inspire familiar creativity that makes up for its growing pains. Where other strategy games feature more profound complexity, Minecraft Legends has heart, and it’s hard to resist its charm. Mojang’s first expedition into this genre occasionally holds your hand too tight. But when its grip loosens, there’s a vibrant world of combat challenges to discover, ultimately making it an enticing endeavor.

I stared at the television in disbelief for a good hour wondering how Capcom cold have messed up this bad. Devil May Cry 2 in not only a grave disappointment, it's a painful one. [Mar 2003, p.78]

Ultimately, New Tales From The Borderlands feels like more of the same and fans of the first are likely to enjoy this, but given it’s been nearly eight years since that first one, I wanted more of an evolution.

You have to be way more forgiving than the gameplay is to enjoy Lucidity.

ModNation Racers remains a bastion for creativity, and I can only hope its focus on user-made content influences other kart racers and the racing genre as a whole. Road Trip's new touchscreen controls further refine content creation, but they aren't a game changer. Unfortunately, the lack of online multiplayer is.

A definite upgrade for casual gamers who want a deeper tennis experience than Wii Sports. [July 2009, p.85]

Considering all of the extras Eurocom added to Reloaded, I have no doubt the developer tried to make the definitive version of a modern day GoldenEye. However, I still feel like I would've been happier playing a $10 downloadable HD remake of the original game, similar to last year's XBLA release of Perfect Dark. GoldenEye 007: Reloaded still entertains, but stripped of its nostalgia, it fails to reach the status of an elite agent.

After the novelty is gone, it's an adequate, if goofy, golf title with passable technical execution. [June 2004, p.123]

While the character animation is the game's strong point, the camera will trick you into a falling death more often than not. [June 2002, p.81]

Keep your expectations in check, and there's some fun in the mayhem. [Oct 2005, p.126]

The addition of Conton City alone makes Xenoverse 2 an improved sequel. Running (and later flying) around its large space with other Dragon Ball Z fans is fun, and walking up to familiar characters to learn their iconic super moves makes seeking out everyone worthwhile. It all eventually points to the combat, though, and I struggle to get excited about entering each new battle. It becomes a hurdle to what has the potential to be a highly replayable experience with lots of interesting unlockables.

The game controls often feel unresponsive in real-time, but using the Clash meter slows the action down and allows you to make cuts that spell the difference between torn tendons and touchdowns. If senseless violence and arcade football are your passions, Blitz is the league for you.

Rush of Blood is straightforward in its execution. It’s a simple action game that feels like an evolution of the light-gun shooter, but in this early age of virtual reality, it’s the right call. Pointing and shooting at scary things on a fun-house roller-coaster might not seem like the right direction for Until Dawn’s character-focused storytelling, but for PlayStation VR, it’s one of the best ways to get your feet wet, even if it doesn’t do anything bold or particularly innovative in the world of game design.

The 360 version of the game is identical to the PC incarnation, but the control blows. [Dec 2008, p.113]

I don't regret my time with Silent Hill: Downpour, but mediocrity hung over most of my playthrough like a fog. [Apr 2012, p.82]

If you can look past the archaic game mechanics and have the patience to trudge through the early missions, Monster Hunter Tri offers a lengthy and rewarding experience like nothing else on the Wii.

Missions are fairly repetitive and directionless, and the load times are a little too long. MHF is, at times, so slow it might put you to sleep if you’re not careful.