The presentation is strong, and there are some genuine moments of surprise - most memorably a scene that shrinks your character down and places you on a life-sized pool table. [Feb 2004, p.109]

It's a more physical and challenging play, but it still struggles with the fundamentals. [Nov 2003, p.170]

All of the spoken dialogue is loaded with swearing, prostitutes are everywhere, and the talk radio stations may contain the most sexually explicit content in any video game to date. The result is an immature and offensive clone of a far superior game ["GTA III"]. [Oct 2003, p.118]

I rarely feel that my intelligence is being insulted by a game, but RoadKill managed to do the trick. The self-consciously "bad-ass" plot is devoid of humor or interesting characters. [Oct 2003, p.139]

It's neat, but after a couple of hours you won't really feel the need to keep playing. [Dec 2003, p.158]

Unlike the movie, which was lush and vibrant from beginning to end, this looks worse than a '70s kung fu movie dubbed off broadcast television. [Oct 2003, p.117]

While head and shoulders above its console brethren, Crouching Tiger on the GBA is still a medicore effort. [Dec 2003, p.185]

Borderline unplayable due to terrible collision and sloppy mechanics. [Dec 2003, p.174]

While it is admittedly superior to the original, fails to ascend to the top of the squad-based shooter class. [Nov 2003, p.169]

I can't put my personal feelings on crarpy games aside enough to recommend Don't Try This At Home to anyone but people who think that getting thumbtacks stuck in your ass and scalp are a fun way to spend a Saturday. [Dec 2003, p.148]

I am scoring this lower than the Xbox version because it lacks four-player support, which is the preferred way to experience this game. [Nov. 2003, p.153]

The game itself is good, but not stellar. It looks most like a late-era PSone game, but has a fairly solid camera, great dialogue, imaginative level design, and a definite emphasis on platforming rather than fighting action. [Oct 2003, p.118]

A rare gem that seamlessly blends new-age technologies with gameplay of yesteryear, Viewtiful Joe is a stylish brawler that innovates in every field and emerges as one of the most captivating and addictive GameCube titles to date. [Oct 2003, p.124]

DemiKids (both Light and Dark versions) are what the last Pokemon entires should have been... If you have any affinity for the GBA Pokemon games, DemiKids is a must-buy. [Sept 2003, p.126]

Its gripping gameplay and the great Cold War-inspired storyline will have you hooked until the last Russkie is dead. [Oct 2003, p.113]

For all the great things Freedom Fighters does to create an immersive experience, it constantly comes crashing down because the player and camera controls are poor. [Oct 2003, p.136]

Just a fantastic console game that is late to the PC party. [Dec 2003, p.178]

Something any strategy gamer shouldn't be without. [Dec 2003, p.181]

The strategic elements are painfully shallow and are accompanied by archaic visuals. Sadly, a crayon drawing from a five-year-old shows more detail and realism than the military units in this game. [Oct 2003, p.122]

Okay, what we're dealing with here is a racing game that doesn't let you steer. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS?! You can't steer... It's kind of like making a platforming game where you can't walk. [Sept 2003, p.121]

The gameplay is much deeper and forces gamers to concoct more complex offensive strategies. In a way, though, the game has lost part of its charm. [Oct 2003, p.83]

I'd say that if you can't have a good time with this title, than you need to pull that puck out of your butt and allow yourself to sit down and relax a little. [Oct 2003, p.138]

The new moves are great; fighting is tolerable; and being able to knock down the goalie is a blast. However, the speed is greatly decreased. [Oct 2003, p.131]

This tedious handheld port will do nothing to revive the franchise's ailing reputation. [Nov 2003, p.178]

Features level design that would have been sub-par 15 years ago, terrible graphics, and wretched control. [Dec 2003, p.159]

Routed by the gameplay, options, and depth of "NBA Street." [Nov. 2003, p.149]

With only a few minor play control tweaks and touch ups, Dynasty Tactics 2 feels much more like an upgrade than a new chapter. [Oct 2003, p.120]

Where are the new modes? Where are the innovations? Not here, folks. This is just another DDR update for those who want more songs. [Oct 2003, p.122]

From a gameplay perpective, NBA Jam doesn't hold a candle to "NBA Street." [Nov 2003, p.171]

Even the many vehicle-based levels are solid enough that you can't ask for much more in a platform game. [Nov 2003, p.159]

This same tedious design also applies to the uninspired boss battles - which mostly just consist of running around, dodging attacks, and hitting whatever giant monster with and egg when he comes to a standstill. [Oct 2003, p.129]

Saying that EA has turned it on this year is the understatement of the century... When it comes to your hard-earned dollar, the puck stops at NHL 2004. It's easly the best hockey title of the year. [Oct 2003, p.121]

Tiger just owns it in every category: graphics, unlockables, golfers, courses, modes, and everything else. This is hands-down the best golf game ever, and easily one of the best sports games in general. [Oct 2003, p.114]

It adds some important elements to the game, but also has a ton of junk that really has nothing to do with the city building experience. [Dec 2003, p.183]

A great expansion to an already solid game. [Dec 2003, p.180]

An excellent expansion. [Dec 2003, p.180]

What is astounding is the replay value and depth added to the off the course shenanigans... Just like in real life, the coming of Tiger has changed the sport forever. [Oct 2003, p.139]

Given how far this franchise has come, however, I've no doubt that the team behind NHL will keep this series out in front of the curve from now on. [Oct 2003, p.138]

More game than we ever dreamed of. [Oct 2003, p.130]

Dense with managerial options and overflowing with new gameplay features, NHL 2004 is a complete turnaround from last season's disastrous release and is this year's must-have hockey title. [Oct 2003, p.131]

For all my complaining, there is one thing about this game that does rule, and that is the combat. It is still amazingly fun to slice and dice as a Jedi. It just feels good on so many levels. [Nov 2003, p.173]

There aren't many thinking-man's action games like this on the GBA. [Dec 2003, p.187]

I enjoyed my time with this title, but for most, the lack of variety and options will disappoint. [Nov 2003, p.163]

It's not that XGRA is bad per se, it's that the game has absolutely no soul. None. Zip. Zero. I have never played a game so devoid of personality. [Nov 2003, p.171]

The improved career mode, new SpeedZone, online play, and more crashes are nice, but the title's draw is the AI. Finally, a racing title breathes life into the cars around you. [Oct 2003, p.120]

These graphics look like they missed the PS2 boat entirely. What this game lacks in fun it doesn't even make up for in novelty. [Oct 2003, p.123]

From the graphics to the gameplay, in the eye of this beholder, Temple of Elemental Evil screams mediocrity. [Nov 2003, p.174]

The backgrounds are absolutely amazing, and you may find yourself studying your ships to admire their incredible detail. [Nov 2003, p.172]

The action is poorly designed and repetitive, and the quest is void of challenge. [Sept 2003, p.125]

This innovative concept proves to be very frustrating in real life. [Oct 2003, p.142]

For crap's sake, I can't even run down a corridor in Dino Crisis 3 with any semblance of accuracy... This game plays like a blind, drunken monkey has been given full control of the camera. [Oct 2003, p.135]

The results are nothing short of astonishing. It's nice to see Springfield get the respect it deserves. [Oct 2003, p.134]

The new driver ally/rival dynamic makes for some interesting new twists. [Oct 2003, p.137]

This thing's sweeter than that beer with candy pieces in it; y'know, Skittlebrau. [Nov 2003, p.157]

In utter honesty, there are few titles that have inspired such immediate and long-lasting malice in my heart and mind. [Nov 2003, p.157]

Its engine has nothing on "WrestleMania." I'd inch last year's "SmackDown" ahead of this game, too. Raw 2 is like a hardcore match: thrilling but sloppy. [Nov 2003, p.162]

The gameplay is easy to pick up and surprisingly deep; but more importantly, it's continually fun. [Aug 2003, p.99]

I'm sorry, but running around the same old loopy track designs in generic space bikes just isn't cutting it, and I really think developers need to either totally reinvent this genre or abandon it. [Nov. 2003, p.153]

Rarely do [fishing games] just stink like rotting fish guts after five days roasting in the sun. Which, coincidentally, is how bad this game stinks. [July 2003, p.107]

The magic and item systems are very cool, but the combat is not. [Feb 2003, p.110]

The isometric view means that you can frequently get stuck behind things or die because you misjudged distance and/or height. [Nov 2003, p.177]

Great graphics, good music, a somewhat amusing plot, and a humorous "hiding" mechanic are all wasted for the want of something to do besides search for keys and clues while performing some lightweight platforming. [Jan 2004, p.160]

Holes in the AI show that the CPU isn't the brightest or most skilled of opponents. It's impressive what Kush has done, but EA's game outperforms it with ease. [Oct 2003, p.121]

The camera often becomes a liability, especially in areas where you can't zoom out. Character advancement is bare-bones, which hurts replay. [Sept 2003, p.107]

Combining a real-time strategy game with a first-person shooter is a great idea, but I feel a bit like Savage is two separate, decent games rather than one great one. [Nov 2003, p.175]

My favorite level was when I chased a car around for 10 minutes, trying to destroy it. Wait, that was my least favorite level. Wait, that's EVERY level! [Oct 2003, p.123]

The entire mood is much darker than the earlier games. I appreciate the scope of this tale, and it makes up for some of the bad feelings I have about the cost of playing the whole series. [Sept 2003, p.109]

It just doesn't feel like I'm screaming through the great blue yonder. In this case, it seems more like I'm driving a Lincoln Continental with some guns strapped to the hood. [Nov. 2003, p.151]

Two dorks driving around in an incredibly ugly and generic city chasing bad guys with laughable AI doesn't qualify as good entertainment. [Oct 2003, p.136]

The title's AI (including the too-strong CPU on the penalty kill) still leaves you in a lurch too often. Finally, I'm still not a huge fan of the dekes. [Oct 2003, p.138]

If you don't die of boredom playing the game, you'll run headlong into the most disappointing aspect of P.N.03: It can be completed in a measly four hours. [Sept 2003, p.111]

Not only is this game incredibly deep, but for a strategy fan like myself, it is addictive enough to destroy your social life. [Sept 2003, p.124]

Has all the pieces in place but one. The lack of a good career mode keeps it from being the first must-have wrestling game of this console generation. [Oct 2003, p.128]

Unfortunately, the joy that comes with slaughtering entire civilizations is still plagued by plenty of slowdown and environment pop up. [Oct 2003, p.139]

As a Battlefield 1942 fan, I can't help but get excited about the new stuff; but at the same time I feel like I'm ready for something really new to push this game beyond its basics. [Sept 2003, p.123]

Simly put, playing in the optional first-person mode is a revolution you must be a part of. [Sept 2003, p.106]

Madden still has the best pasing game and deepest franchise options; yet ESPN's running game is unmatched, and TV-style sequences which range from weekly wrap-ups with Chris Berman to payers leaping into the stands after a touchdown are far and away superior to anything in EA's camp. [Sept 2003, p.117]

Not only is it fun for Disney lovers, it's a good time for skateboarding fans looking for creative environments or a more forgiving learning curve. [Oct 2003, p.123]

The simplified game design and control don't offer enough depth to overcome the downgrade in graphics. Also, I'm beginning to tire of the isometric view on these kinds of games. [Oct 2003, p.145]

What cold be more fun than a kid with an enormously swollen head, a mohawk, and red clown shoes busting 80,000 point combos? [Oct 2003, p.139]

This is actually one of the better games of this ilk I've played in quite some time. [Oct 2003, p.131]

It actually contains a good, unique mechanic for turning which lets you slide around curves and even whip out a muddy 180 degrees if you want. [Aug 2003, p.104]

Great characters, decently designed puzzles, and nifty graphics. [Nov 2003, p.175]

Has amazing attention to detail, thrilling battles, and a great story to boot. Snatch it up quick before it disappears like all other Atlus classics before it. [Sept 2003, p.108]

It just seems that the team spent a lot more time coming up with ideas for the game than they did executing them properly. [Dec 2003, p.183]

It's a great puzzler. Definitely a little weird, but most certainly good. [Sept 2003, p.109]

Graphics and online are where the attention's focused, but I think they should have continued down the road to refinement. [Sept 2003, p.109]

A good fighter..., SC II just doesn't elevate the series the way I had hoped, and even takes a few steps back in some single-player respects. [Oct 2003, p.112]

All around, it's the same great handheld fighter with a host of much-needed and superfluous enhancements. [Aug 2003, p.104]

It's just unfortunate that Otogi has come this far with its visuals only to be undermined by the subtle oh-so-important aspect of vids known as gameplay. [Oct 2003, p.133]

I love using the right analog to reel in and the left to set the hook, but other than that, the gameplay is pretty drab (and I mean that in comparison to OTHER fishing games.) [Sept 2003, p.121]

The game's Read and Lead passing system is simply a blast to play. It's not perfect, but it's a breath of fresh air to the sport. [Sept 2003, p.116]

Like sitting alone in the woods with a bottle of peepee tends to be, this game is damn boring. [Nov 2003, p.171]

I think I may have expected too much from this game, as it really isn't the Second Coming that I was waiting for. [Oct 2003, p.132]

I had my doubts as to how he would fit into the fold; but after putting this game through its paces, Link is now - far and away - my favorite character on the SC II roster. In my humble opinion, he's reason enough to invest in the GameCube version. [Oct 2003, p.126]

Staggeringly addictive at the outset, but starts to get repetitive a few hours in. A really excellent start and worth the money, but it leaves me salivating for a sequel. [Nov 2003, p.174]

It's definitely a puzzle game like no other, and even offers a nice level create function and four-player support, all for a 10-dollar price point! [Oct 2003, p.123]

The game is equal parts puzzle and beat 'em up. This prevents wear and tear on your thumbs, but some of the searching is tedious. [Sept 2003, p.108]