Unfortunately, most of the forms are just too random and arbitrary to be really compelling. [Feb 2006, p.113]

As you might expect from a new developer’s take on a series with such history, The Lost Frontier doesn’t feel essential. If you miss this game, you’re not going to be missing any major plot movements or character development in the Jak universe (and don’t even get me started on the snoozer of a bad guy). But if you’ve been jonesing for the gameplay that made you fall in love with the series in the first place, The Lost Frontier more or less delivers.

Minecraft Legends battles to blend its open-world adventuring with the intricacies of real-time strategy, a war that sometimes detracts from the overall fun you can have. Even so, its gorgeous environments and clever world-building inspire familiar creativity that makes up for its growing pains. Where other strategy games feature more profound complexity, Minecraft Legends has heart, and it’s hard to resist its charm. Mojang’s first expedition into this genre occasionally holds your hand too tight. But when its grip loosens, there’s a vibrant world of combat challenges to discover, ultimately making it an enticing endeavor.

Gyromancer is not as complex or demanding as many of the big name titles on retail shelves, but high production values and polished gameplay carry it a long way.

All of the basic attacks have been moved to the Wii remote's d-pad, which is awkward enough by itself. The bigger change is that the special moves are now associated with controller movements. [June 2007, p.113]

Somerville is held back by technical shortcomings, but is full of impressive moments worth experiencing with the lights turned low and and your headphones up high. The father’s adventure lingers in my mind as I reflect on what happened, and those memories do ultimately outweigh the technical shortcomings. I hope time will provide improvements to bring the game to where it deserves to be, which is high in the sky alongside the ships of the invading forces.

Like "Gallop Racer 2003," this is a darn good horseracing game. However, I can't see gamers having more than one filly in their stables, and this one loses by a neck. [June 2003, p.105]

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]

Only a diehard Wild Arms fan will be able to take these physics, and much of the game, seriously.

Having good graphics, excellent controls, creative gameplay with lots of circus staples (think water tanks and cannons), and genius character animation buts Aero into his own class of goodness. [Sept 2002, p.94]

It's almost embarrassing how behind the times this series has fallen. [Nov 2002, p.137]

Like the movies, this game incarnation doesn't try to excel at anything except making its monsters attractively cheesy and the gameplay decently exciting. [June 2003, p.113]

Even if you've already played the GameCube or PS2 incarnations, this late bloomer is worth investing in. [June 2003, p.113]

Despite its problems, Hero in Residence presents situations I want to see progress over the next four episodes. Though the pacing is inconsistent and the decision points are questionable in their weight, the new mechanics and revamped combat make me wonder what else Telltale has in store this season. Though I have my problems with this episode, I'm interested to see the direction the tale takes from here.

Rainbow Six Extraction converts much of Siege’s content library into an approachable co-op shooter, providing a tense environment for players of all skill levels. However, in a series of industry-defining hits, this installment feels incredibly safe and markedly less gripping than its predecessor.

Nintendogs + Cats definitely retains the inescapable charm of its predecessor, and I expect that will be enough for many of the younger and casual fans loved the first. For me, I expect more than marginal improvements after a six-year layoff.

Thankfully, the difficulty and complexity of the level design improves as the game wears on. Kirby’s ability to endlessly eat and absorb the powers of what he digests is not only enviable, but pretty darn fun in practice.

The campaign is rough at times but overall entertaining, though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a high-caliber action experience.

Seeing Bound instantly begs the question, “What are you playing?” but its movement mechanics make it unsure if it wants to be an engaging platformer or a passive relaxing experience. It lives somewhere between the two worlds; never fully embracing either, but it sure looks pretty.

Without the pure granular gratification of its tricks, Steep's feast resides in its many moments. Enjoying a beautiful vista, surviving a suicidal bombing run down the side of a mountain, or uncovering a new area and being rewarded for it – this is what keeps me coming back.

Even with the touch screen, there's not a lot new here, but it's definitely an engaging addition to the DS family. [Sept 2005, p.115]

Payday 2's novel heist-based gameplay is still worth checking out for those interested in a refreshing cooperative experience. For veteran criminal masterminds, however, the return of easily fixable problems and lack of account migration make it hard to justify the jump from previous versions.

Little Hope is inconsistent, like a witch-in-training still learning how to fully weave a spell. It sets up its story well and keeps you guessing, but the execution is lacking. It needs more variety and interesting things for your characters to do. The action comes too late, and by then, you’re already nodding off. However, seeing the fantastic ending makes putting up with those boring moments a little more bearable.

Avalanche does a good job of giving players access to new tools just as it seems the novelty is close to wearing off, right until the end. By the time I finished clearing out the final outpost, however, I was definitely ready to move on. Medici’s a great place to visit, but I’m not prepared to make it a new home – certainly not considering the state I left it in.

The seeds of greatness are here, but with plenty of room for refinement and clarity to improve the experience.

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]

NES Remix is a fun little distraction for a while, and brings back plenty of memories. Some of those memories are great, and others are along the lines of remembering how much Ice Climbers sucks. This isn’t a must-play highlight for the Wii U eShop, but it’s worth spending some time with if you grew up with an NES controller in your hand.

Fallout Shelter is a cool concept, and a nice mobile title to pop on to for a few minutes each day (after spending more significant time chunks getting your facility sustainable). It could use some more content and things to do later on; special events, new rooms, or anything else that adds variety and interaction would improve the otherwise pleasant formula.