Much like the PC Call of Duty (which I should note is a completely different game), this console title features a brilliant targetting mechanism that allows players to zoom in and aim down the sight of the firearm. [Jan 2005, p.115]

The act of bouncing a ball back and forth against an opponent in a virtual space, the main hook of Sparc, is fun and it works well. After overcoming my initial shortcomings of accurately being able to throw a digital ball, I quickly began to enjoy Sparc and even work up a small sweat. Beyond the basic fun of the main game, however, there just isn’t much here.

Castlevania fans will definitely be pleased with the direction this series is going in. It's a shame that it feels so dated. [Nov 2005, p.151]

The humor is certainly there, but Hypnotix really needs to get the polish onto this simulation before people will revere its hilarity. [Oct 2004, p.125]

All-Stars is clearly similar to Smash Bros., especially because it's far more fun to play with friends. Solo, it quickly becomes repetitive and doesn't give you much reason to continue. If you have company over, however, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale can be a lot of chaotic fun.

The Swords of Ditto’s repetitive nature grinds after a few playthroughs, but it’s a journey worth taking at least a few times.

The hook at the end of this episode has me intrigued for what comes next, but be warned, this is the roughest (and slowest) start to a Telltale series yet.

It's unusual and unfortunate that the inaugural DDR on the 360 fails to implement the coolest thing that's happened in dance games recently – inputting and grooving to your own tracks.

I don't regret my time with Atomfall. It knows what it wants to be, with a reasonable scope and solid shooting mechanics. But issues with the skill system, its underbaked stealth, and an unengaging narrative are asterisks too large to ignore. Like the world it depicts, something exciting and unique lies at Atomfall's core. I just wish it wasn't walled off by my laundry list of frustrations.

I look forward to the day when Tak gets the game he deserves. [Oct 2005, p.128]

If you are a puzzle game fan planning to pick up Move at launch, then Tumble is certainly worth your attention. If you want to get the most out of the game, however, bring in a friend with an extra Move controller to truly bring Tumble to new heights (pun totally intended).

Smash Hits does absolutely nothing to advance the GH brand in any way, but if you’ve long since packed up your PS2 it’s a great way to get your hands on some old-school favorites.

The Forgotten Sands is a conceptual step back for the franchise, but for once that's not a terrible thing. The Sands of Time trilogy was hugely entertaining, and this return to that formula puts a great face on the franchise to new series converts while pleasing old fans with a return to form.

As the first entry in the Famicom Detective Club series, The Missing Heir gives you a chance to experience a key point in visual novel history. Piecing together this mystery and seeing where it leads has this undeniable appeal. However, while the new graphics offer a beautiful leap in quality, this remake doesn’t alter some of the more archaic aspects of the experience, or even attempt to make the characters or story more interesting to keep with modern times. If anything, it’s an enticing way to look back at the history of this franchise, which I’m glad to have as it satiates my curiosity about this classic series. Unfortunately, it doesn't make more of an impact than that.

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.

While this game plays better on the pitch because AI teammates are smarter at taking runs, distributing the ball, and springing others with through balls, it lags behind FIFA in its feedback to the player and the fact that it has a better sim feature while you are on the bench.

The level designs and objectives just aren't as clever and the game itself is rather short, even for inexperienced FPS players. [Jan 2003, p.118]

Master of Orion is an incredibly polished iteration and a worthwhile return to the beloved franchise, but it’s entering a galaxy full of fierce competition as the space 4X genre has seen a big bang of resurgence over the last few years. Master of Orion boasts a lot to love for new players, and it’s one of the best entry-level 4X games out there, but older veterans may find themselves searching the stars for more complexity.

An adequate boxing title for fans of the franchise. [Dec 2002, p.144]

It's a cool idea and it looks fantastic, but it's just not that much fun to play. [Jan 2003, p.112]

Battlecry gives you some blistering combat, but the franchise could truly explode if it tapped into the series' rich subtleties. [Nov 2002, p.140]

It's still an exceptional baseball game, but I was expecting improvement where it really matters - the gameplay. [Apr 2003, p.93]

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]

With a breakneck pace and action-packed events, the sophomore episode of season two has me hoping that the series can carry this momentum forward. Though I'm anticipating the typical Telltale pattern where all your choices end up not making much of a difference at the season's conclusion, I'm at least enjoying the ride to that point.

The Council’s bad graphics, voice acting, and load times didn’t bother me as much as its problematic narrative. What’s the point of having choice and consequence when you don’t care about the story you’re inhabiting? The Council seems promising with its good ideas, but then when you get further into it, it betrays you like a dishonest politician.

This series is close to breaking through, it only needs to tighten up and refine its core elements (as well as expand its linear strucure) to stand out. [March 2005, p.130]

Harvestella’s systems feed together in a way that forces you to engage with nearly everything it offers, whether you want to or not. But those slice-of-life activities are mundane and get in the way of letting you enjoy the RPG elements on your own terms. Maximizing a day’s schedule is sometimes rewarding, but the sluggish pacing makes it tough to stay engaged for the long haul. Harvestella forces you to do a whole lot to complete comparatively little. At 70-80 hours, it’s one of the biggest chores I’ve played in some time. That’s unfortunate because the combat, story, and characters are decent enough that, in a more traditional RPG framework, they’d shine brighter. As it stands, squeezing this fruit isn’t always worth its small amount of juice.

Worst of all, however, are the on-foot sections - which would appear to be in the game for the sole purpose of annoying people. Scrap indeed. [Apr 2005, p.136]