A visually arresting experience I wholeheartedly loved...A rare treat of a game and a celebration of video games as an art form. [Sept 2011, p.88]

Despite a couple of missteps in the narrative, I enjoyed Telltale’s addition to Game of Thrones’ lore. As this episode clearly illustrates, Telltale is quick to swing its sword when it when it comes to character-defining moments.

While this latest entry is definitely a step back for the series, it still has most of the hallmarks of solid action and inappropriate behavior that have always been so much fun in the series.

It may be far from perfect, but Echoes of Time's amusing gameplay and ground-breaking multiplayer make this the most noteworthy Crystal Chronicle title to date. [Apr 2009, p.82]

Though sub-par action and cheap deaths are endemic to the Bard's quest, this title made me feel like I was taking part in a real fantasy adventure teh way few others have over the years. [Dec 2004, p.167]

A dreary, joyless piece of junk that shamelessly tries to get kids to believe that cleaning is fun. [Feb 2006, p.108]

The overall story is still intriguing, but this disappointing episode won't be a tough act to follow.

It's a blast, and the combat is a great balance between a wrestling and a fighting game, but I felt like a terrible human being. I guess that's the price you pay for being a gladiator. [Feb 2005, p.116]

If, like me, you’ve cooled on the music genre in recent months, I don’t think Green Day is the band to reignite your love affair with Rock Band. In the future, maybe Harmonix could attempt a single band title based around a more complex – and more fun to play – band like Muse or Rush.

If you grew up with these games, they're still a joy to play. New converts t the Sonic fold will get a great introduction to the 'hog's history. [Dec 2004, p.168]

I genuinely enjoyed the charming early hours of Road Not Taken, but its rewards are a game of diminishing returns.

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.

The art direction, character design, and storytelling are all top notch. [Nov 2004, p.146]

When you find the right offbeat item, or barely squeak by a guard in Escapists 2, it's incredibly refreshing. However, the monotony of gathering items and playing errand runner for other inmates sours the experience, and the awkward controls don't help. For those who crave unforgiving challenges, the Escapists 2 brings them in spades, but it often comes at the cost of your patience.

It's a fun play, but being a veteran of the console versions really pulled out this handheld incarnation's glaring flaws. [July 2005, p.127]

It's one thing for the current-gen versions of this game to be not as visually compelling (such as the sense of speed not being as good), but it's unfortunate that you only race against three other cars during typical challenges.

Online play is as good as we’ve seen out of the genre on console, mostly because of the improved controls, but C&C 3’s reliance on hard counters, unit specials, and speedy expansion is a terrible fit for the limitations of the gamepad interface. Kane’s Wrath executes its mediocre ideas solidly, but that doesn’t make it any more fun to play.

It's not as if the game itself is bad, it's that the technology is so horribly mangled that the delicious puzzle-laden universe is almost unplayable on Xbox. [June 2005, p.132]

Though the campaign is long, you could pack all of the action into a container half of the size of the "Max Payne 2" quest. [Jan 2004, p.156]

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

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

For the majority of gamers, it's too little too late. [Dec 2001, p.113]

Shovel Knight Showdown is great for short sessions with friends, or a couple playthroughs of the story mode, but simple movesets and repetition limit the enjoyment. You can dig into some good Shovel Knight fun here, but don’t expect to strike gold.

My time with No More Heroes 3 jumped between the short highs from entertaining bosses and cutscenes to long, ugly stretches in the world. Much of the design is dated, and I wanted to drop it after a few bosses to avoid the mundanity, but I’m happy I saw it to completion. There are many fun moments, and I love how unafraid it is to be strange or referential. Those who are already invested in the tale of Travis Touchdown should be right at home in this new No More Heroes. Still, I’d insist newcomers try out previous entries before diving into this Garden of Insanity.

While she's traditionally been either a hostage or a benchwarmer in the Mario universe, here Peach takes center stage in a full-blown, original platformer that will be instantly addictive to fans of games like Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World. [Mar 2006, p.118]

Mr. Run and Jump may look unassuming on the surface, but the challenges that await will have you screaming in frustration until they have you shouting in triumph. Though the trial-and-error style of each difficult room sometimes wore on me, after each success, I couldn’t wait to see what hurdles I needed to clear next.

It's not particularly innovative, but it does allow for some great, challenging strategy. [May 2005, p.116]

Chroma Squad is an overall enjoyable experience that runs on nostalgia, but falls short of becoming everything it could have been. Though the progression system comes to a screeching halt during the latter portions and gameplay repetition can lead to tedium, I still found enjoyment throughout the lengthy story.