For all its shortcomings, Dragon Quest Heroes II ends up a perfectly adequate beat-em-up. I encountered few surprises during my playthrough, but the simple fun of being a single soldier against an army of colorful Dragon Quest baddies is undeniable. I still prefer the original Dragon Quest Heroes, but this sequel continues to inspire confidence in Omega Force as it continues to experiment with its brand of action.

Mario Tennis Fever is hardly a revolutionary entry, but it nails the series' most important element by offering a well-rounded experience with myriad ways for players of all skill levels to enjoy the game of tennis.

Home to some of the greatest gameplay that you'll ever encounter, but unless you compete online, it mostly goes to waste. [Dec 2005, p.154]

With Tacoma’s unique take on branching narratives and a strong cast, it manages to tell an intriguing tale about mortality and relationships in the face of catastrophe. Tacoma builds on the foundations of Gone Home, but has its own unique tricks to tell an immersive story in a compelling way.

This is one of the funniest games ever made, and a fantastic way to teach yourself the controls of the Wii while simultaneously charming friends into understanding why you just spent a few hundred dollars on this new game system.

The multiplayer experience is a good time – and quite different than single-player (most time powers have been excised) – but it doesn't have any depth or a progression for players to follow. At the most, it's a fun distraction. The single-player game, however, should not be missed.

It’s a mix of exciting and overwhelming as you try to maintain what feels like 50 pots boiling over at different times. [Mar 2007, p.104]

Racing is a constant challenge. Each corner, opponent, and straightaway is a chance to gain or lose positioning at a bevy of different points on the track. I’m used to that cadence, so to introduce new wrinkles that evolve and deepen the experience on and off the track is exciting. It feels like a new take on speed.

It may look more modern, but Trials of Mana is a faithful remake outside of its combat tweaks – and that isn’t necessarily a good thing. But as a fan of the original, parts of this game are still charming. I adored the combat and boss fights (when my A.I. cooperated), and even with some of its repetitive nature and horrible voice acting, I didn’t want to put the game down. It’s a decent remake but not the fantastic one it could have been. This series has so much potential, I’d just love to see it fully realized.

It's fun and lighthearted and sure to make fans smile, but Dancing All Night isn't anything special; it's just an average rhythm game that's begging for a better interface and more song variety.

Mirage teases a larger mystery that connects to Basim’s role in the earlier Valhalla release. But in this case, the resolution of that mystery is unsatisfying and feels like an odd wrap-up to an otherwise self-contained narrative. Concerns about the conclusion aside, I still had a wonderful time in Baghdad’s ancient alleys and palaces. Not everything is perfect, but the “less is more” design philosophy goes a long way to making this one of the most consistently engaging titles within the series for some time.

NCAA 13 doesn't take the kind of giant leap forward that will be noticed by the masses, but it's an installment that will be built upon and which we will look back at as a key moment in the franchise's larger history.

While the story remains riveting up to its questionable conclusion, the minute-to-minute gameplay is uneven.

The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game ends up being a relatively small step forward for Lego games, but is an excellent use of the Ninjago license, making its high-flying ninjas feel powerful and unique.

After having a year to settle into the Wii's brand of pro football, this branch of the Madden franchise is certainly less alien, but at the same time it's not necessarily more comfortable to deal with. [Oct 2007, p.122]

The total lack of soul in Big Red One, along with the irritating level design, are simply too much for the technical excellence embodied in its smooth framerate and slick graphics to overcome. [Jan 2006, p.137]

One of the better music games on the market. [Aug 2004, p.100]

Cosmic Star Heroine has a lot of great ideas, but they never develop into anything that leaves you fully satisfied. The game is still fun and worth playing, though; as someone who grew up with Phantasy Star, Suikoden, and Chrono Trigger, seeing some of their elements collected and compiled is charming. I just wish Cosmic Star Heroine was better-rounded and the rest of the game had as much depth as its battle system.

Unfortunately, the only place this intriguing design has a place to shine is in multiplayer. The campaign is laughably awful, with a tepid story told through awkwardly acted cutscenes surrounding poorly scripted scenarios.

Sable ends in the same way it starts, at home with family. The narrative payoff is not actually about your final choice, and that may rub more goal-oriented players the wrong way. However, I found the conclusion a fitting end to a side quest-filled exploration game. For those who love to explore, I can’t recommend Sable enough. Every element – beautiful graphics, compelling traversal, and player-driven plot – works together to ensure I simply lose myself in the world.

Between its unforgiving nature, unbalanced difficulty, and humdrum puzzles, I wouldn't have pressed on through Dokuro if I wasn't reviewing it. Rarely did I feel that fun "a-ha" moment that makes puzzle games exciting; instead I found tedium and frustration. I surely wasn't as devoted to this game as Dokuro was to the princess. Add me to the list of Dokuro's unrequited loves.

EA Sports PGA Tour captures the intricate nuance of golfing. However, the systems struggle with what a user can reasonably decipher from a mere analog stick, leading to a frustrating experience. EA Sports PGA Tour is a game at odds with whether it wants to compete with rival 2K’s realism or veer closer to its own more arcade roots, and in the process, lands its first drive on this new round in the rough.

Although Heroes is far from the first WWII flight sim, it soars high above other games thanks to its incredible attention to detail. [Oct 2005, p.124]

The game controls like an awkward 6'7" giant. [Nov 2005, p.148]

A decent punching game, but little else. The boxer creator was paltry at best, and training was non-existent. [Apr 2002, p.74]

While this story is rather cheesy, the subtleties Crystal Dynamics used to take this posterboy of evil, and put him in a protagonist role, is fascinating. [May 2002, p.86]

It's a great game for head-to-head bouts with friends. [Apr 2003, p.93]

An all-encompassing adventure that is just as complex as Spidey's console brethren. [June 2002, p.86]