Just as addictive as its predecessors, but features more thoughtful challenges and conquests. [Mar 2004, p.97]

In all honesty, there's not a single thing about this version that stands out as superior to "Wrath of Heaven" (PS2). [Apr 2004, p.105]

I can't stress enough how chaotic and frenetic four-player matches are - you really have to play it to understand. [Dec 2003, p.158]

If you still find yourself playing "Raven Shield" instead of the newer FPSs though, Athena Sword will only make you fall in love with it all over again. [May 2004, p.107]

If you think Peter Jackson's true masterpiece is "Dead Alive," you'll be right at home with The Suffering. [Apr 2004, p.90]

It's a shame that the developer couldn't also license some fun gameplay to go along with the Corvette name. [June 2004, p.129]

Seriously, this is essentially the world's slowest third-person shooter with hoses instead of rifles. [Mar 2004, p.107]

For the second year running, MVP is home to the best all around gameplay package. The pressure sensitive pitching mechanic, and sheer intensity of batting best exemplify the realism of the sport and skills that it takes to excel. [Apr 2004, p.93]

Unfortunately, my impressive creation was forced to engage in mundane missions and unexciting encounters - it was like watching Superman pay bills or walk the dog. [Apr 2004, p.98]

With compelling storytelling, and one ingenious mission after another, Mafia has enough firepower to keep you playing until the end. [June 2004, p.132]

If you think Peter Jackson's true masterpiece is "Dead Alive," you'll be right at home with The Suffering. [Apr 2004, p.90]

For the second year running, MVP is home to the best all around gameplay package. The pressure sensitive pitching mechanic, and sheer intensity of batting best exemplify the realism of the sport and skills that it takes to excel. [Apr 2004, p.93]

While not boasting a tone of new content, you can't help but find yourself completely entranced by the updated sequences and newfound graphical realism...Something that you'll cherish for a lifetime. [Mar 2004, p.108]

For the second year running, MVP is home to the best all around gameplay package. The pressure sensitive pitching mechanic, and sheer intensity of batting best exemplify the realism of the sport and skills that it takes to excel. [Apr 2004, p.93]

Combat feels more like a slugfest than an intense tactical experience; not once was I able to recover from bad odds through strategic expertise. [May 2004, p.107]

Whether the criteria is length, diversity, excitement, or challenge, I know no better courses than those in this game. [Apr 2004, p.106]

The mild strategy elements and simple gameplay involved could appeal to younger players, but not to anyone who actually enjoys controlling events onscreen. [Mar 2004, p.114]

There are way too many technical problems to list, but it makes up for them with a cool theme, fun environmental interactions, a decent story, and gameplay that's, well, fun. [Apr 2004, p.106]

MTX is simply the fastest motocross game I've ever played. [Apr 2004, p.89]

It's well made, and the technology really makes you feel like you and Rio are in this together. It actually makes you care about the adventure at hand, which is the true mark of a great game. [Mar 2004, p.102]

Yes, it's simple and not terribly original, but it does provide plenty of fast-paced action and some solid visuals. As action games go, you could do much worse. [Mar 2004, p.100]

During my playtime, my emotions always registered somewhere between mildly annoyed and just plain bored. [May 2004, p.94]

From start to finish, this game captivated me to no end and wowed me like few others have. [Apr 2004, p.102]

During my playtime, my emotions always registered somewhere between mildly annoyed and just plain bored. [May 2004, p.94]

MTX is simply the fastest motocross game I've ever played. [Apr 2004, p.89]

Though the visual and audio aspects of PSO III leave something to be desired, the concept and level of variability at its core (not to mention that it's one of these elusive online-enabled GameCube titles) is enough to make it a highly enjoyable and surprisingly addictive game. [Apr 2004, p.101]

During my playtime, my emotions always registered somewhere between mildly annoyed and just plain bored. [May 2004, p.94]

If you loved the original Steel Battalion, I can't recommend this purchase enough...But be forewarned that there aren't exactly a ton of people online and the quality of the experience suffers for it. [May 2004, p.103]

Even though the game is amazingly deep and intricate, it doesn't change the fact that it's also rather dry. [Mar 2004, p.107]

The trick system gets points for being integral to building speed, but its execution is uneven, meaning you don't always perform the tricks you've punched in. [Feb 2004, p.108]

Simply put, this title's characters, plot, and dialogue are hackneyed and verging on painful. Every joke falls flat, and every plot twist seems scraped from the bottom of Indiana Jones' barrel. [Apr 2004, p.91]

The Frogger-inspired log jumping stage is one of the most ill-conceived moments in gaming, and is the perfect example of the uneven difficulty level in this title. [Apr 2004, p.110]

Simply put, this title's characters, plot, and dialogue are hackneyed and verging on painful. Every joke falls flat, and every plot twist seems scraped from the bottom of Indiana Jones' barrel. [Apr 2004, p.91]

Simply put, this title's characters, plot, and dialogue are hackneyed and verging on painful. Every joke falls flat, and every plot twist seems scraped from the bottom of Indiana Jones' barrel. [Apr 2004, p.91]

Is it the next great evolution of gaming? Perhaps not, but it is a step towards creating the ultimate James Bond title. [Mar 2004, p.92]

More straight-up innovation is needed next time, but until then, we've got a good solid game on our hands. [Mar 2004, p.94]

As rewarding as the hand-to-hand combat is, Rise to Honor's thrills are short lived. It's an enjoyable play, but much like Jet Li's films, is nothing more than a lazy afternoon of fun. [Mar 2004, p.98]

This second American title absolutely proves that Winning Eleven 7 is the greatest soccer game in the world. It's not perfect, but it easily bests EA Sports' "FIFA." [Feb 2004, p.101]

Is it the next great evolution of gaming? Perhaps not, but it is a step towards creating the ultimate James Bond title. [Mar 2004, p.92]

More straight-up innovation is needed next time, but until then, we've got a good solid game on our hands. [Mar 2004, p.94]

Is it the next great evolution of gaming? Perhaps not, but it is a step towards creating the ultimate James Bond title. [Mar 2004, p.92]

The stealth gameplay is repetitive and unoriginal, sucking all of the cheeky fun from the Japanese franchise. [Feb 2004, p.103]

The RTS portion of the title, which is mostly very well-done, suffers from one problem that almost utterly kills my enjoyment of it: Unit AI is freakin' terrible. [Mar 2004, p.113]

The graphics are dull, the combat is clunky, and the pacing is incredibly slow. [Mar 2004, p.107]

Offers up the deepest dungeon crawling experience in the console universe to date. [Feb 2004, p.94]

Depressingly lackluster. [Mar 2004, p.106]

It's every bit as good as the full-size version, only smaller. More focused on action than role-playing, Baldur's Gate is one fun little fantasy (not in the dirty way) title. [Feb 2004, p.114]

It's about on par with a video poker machine in terms of graphics and sound. [May 2004, p.108]

The strategy is intricate, the creatures are totally awesome, but some sketchy execution on the combat side of thigs keeps Wrath Unleashed from oattaining immortality. [Feb 2004, p.108]

Basically, this will keep your trigger finger busy for a long time....However,...no visual enhancements have been made for the Xbox port. [Feb 2004, p.109]

The biggest issue I have with this title is that the weapon switching is pretty awful...Other than that small complaint, every facet of Unreal II is very solid. [Apr 2004, p.105]

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]

The new content is spectacular, and fans of the series will absolutely adore this special edition...One of the greatest titles in the history of gaming. [Feb 2004, p.113]

Although many of its elements tie into the greater Final Fantasy universe, this is but a faint echo of what you hve come to know and love...There's little here that truly excites. [Feb 2004, p.104]

It's very unpolished, but incorporating a number of RPG elements into the formula that Koei's had so much success with is such a great idea that Joan of Arc is rather enjoyable nonetheless. [Apr 2004, p.109]

On the easier levels, I usually just died of boredom, on the harder difficulties I swore in anger at the title's merciless assault. [Mar 2004, p.107]

Had the enemy AI been better, the speed not so sluggish, and the combat a little bit more on the arcade side like "Secret Weapons Over Normandy," this game could have been something special. [Feb 2004, p.97]

Collectors will get a kick out of it for some of the extra data, but the games don’t quite have the same luster as they do when you play it on an actual unit (although "Astrosmash" is much easier to play using the PS2). d-pad)

While the plot and Depression-era ambience still held me rapt, the gameplay itself was, quite frankly, pretty dull at times. [Mar 2004, p.104]

It's a servicable and innovative effort, but there's still room to grow. [Mar 2004, p.107]

With each release this series keeps losing more and more ground. [Dec 2003, p.170]

As much as I enjoy the online play and random dungeon generation in "Champions of Norrath," Dark Alliance II's quest has a better flow to it, the stages show more variety, and the hack n' slash gameplay is more dynamic. [Feb 2004, p.100]

Fans of frequent save points will be frustrated, but devotees of the old hack n' slash will be satisfied tenfold. [Feb 2004, p.96]

Anyone who doesn't already have BHD has been missing out on one of the best FPSs of recent times, and Team Sabre is just icing on the cake. [Mar 2004, p.112]

The turn-based system feels very artificial and makes gameplay very slow at times...If Silent Storm had a better time system, it could have been a classic. [Feb 2004, p.112]

To paraphrase Wooderson, Matthew McConaughey's character from "Dazed and Confused": "Racing games keep getting better; Auto Modellista just stays the same." [Apr 2004, p.106]

Certainly a respectable entry into this genre, and is funny enough to bring a few holdouts into its fold. [Feb 2004, p.101]

Hopefully, down the line, someone else can give us a similarly high-concept RPG with a little more meat on its bones. [Feb 2004, p.103]

The game doesn't have any glaring failures, which is always good. And it made me laugh, which isn't necessarily bad. [Feb 2004, p.107]

This title is notable only in the fact that every single facet of the game is mediocre to bad. Control, graphics, sound; all are very unimpressive. [Apr 2004, p.106]

All in all, Street is more of a pure multiplayer experiece. [Mar 2004, p.96]

All in all, Street is more of a pure multiplayer experiece. [Mar 2004, p.96]

All in all, Street is more of a pure multiplayer experiece. [Mar 2004, p.96]

The single player story mode is unspeakably repetitive, and the multiplayer games can be equally frustrating since the eight playable characters are seriously unbalanced. [Apr 2004, p.110]

In all, this is a step in the right direction for Sonic, but one that ultimately fails to thrill. [Jan 2004, p.137]

The problem is that neither the physics nor the graphics have aged particularly well; if you're looking for a next-gen FPS, this is not it. It is, however, a decent update to one of the best titles of yesterday. [Apr 2004, p.108]

Those desiring a fast-paced FPS should search elsewhere, but Arx will certainly be up some people's alleys. [Jan 2004, p.150]

This title uses may of the tired conventions of the fighting genre but manages to keep them interesting with great graphics, clean gameplay, and the potential to cause a lot of damage to a lot of people. [Feb 2004, p.112]

It stands head-and-shoulders above the bar that's been set for GBA action games. [Jan 2004, p.160]

Won't blow your socks off, but it's a noteworthy first attempt that deserves a look. [Jan 2004, p.141]

The reason that I liked this edition of The Sims, in particular, is that the missions move along quicker than the real world or past versions of the game have offered. [Jan 2004, p.130]

I never thought I'd find myself saying that I enjoy connectivity more than online play, but this just happens to be the case with Bustin' Out. [Jan 2004, p.140]

The control is solid and impressive. [Mar 2004, p.114]

Every moment of Beyond Good and Evil looks as good as a traditional RPG cutscene. [Dec 2003, p.156]

Without a doubt in my mind, the scariest game ever made. [Jan 2004, p.124]

A lot like riding with a mechanical bull: sort of fun, sort of painful, with absolutely no sense of control. [Feb 2004, p.105]

It's too bad that there's nothing but straw where R: Racing Evolution's heart should be. [Jan 2004, p.121]

It won't inspire anyone to forsake "Virtual Fighter" or "Tekken," but for fans who don't already own this on Dreamcast, it's a boon. [Dec 2003, p.146]

Unless you're six years old and a mad Potter fan (who didn't play this game on PSone), don't go anywhere near this one. [Jan 2004, p.134]

Sure, it has framerate issues and stiff animation, but it also has real-life players, solid physics, multiple game types, and a pretty easy learning curve. [Feb 2004, p.109]

The problem is that I can't get myself to really like Rena; she really comes off as a vapid, mindless character. [Feb 2004, p.105]

It became clear at this point that Horizons follows the MMORPG cannon to the letter, that the graphics are very average, and that there's no reason to play outside the social aspect. [Feb 2004, p.111]

A good story, solid controls and graphics, and tons of interesting gadgets. [Feb 2004, p.103]

All around, Curse just bored me. The menus are clunky, the mape is useless, and combat is too easy. [Feb 2004, p.68]

One of the best console adventure games in the last few years. [Jan 2004, p.151]

As intriguing as this setup may be, it comes up short on the gameplay end. The controls are unconventional and your general movement is implemented poorly. [Nov 2003, p.153]

An incredibly addicting strategy game. [Dec 2003, p.149]

Even though it's not in the premier league of fighters, I can honestly say for the first time that non-fans will find this an inviting game with its own brand of depth. [Jan 2004, p.133]