Dungeon Maker has some cool features, but not enough to cross that threshold of having been “done right,” and the title winds up as a simple variation on the level grind we’ve been playing for years.

It’s easy to be skeptical of LEGO Rock Band as a quick cash grab, but Traveller’s Tales’ trademark LEGO silliness blended with a few interesting new mechanics from Harmonix elevates the game to a level fans of both series shouldn’t brush off.

Brink is not a bad game. If Splash Damage can stabilize the performance and fix some glaring omissions (like a pre-game lobby) with a patch, I'd gladly spend more time with it. But with only eight multiplayer maps, 20 progression levels, no clan support, and average gunplay, it's not a good value proposition. Especially considering many Xbox Live games offer a similar amount of content for a fraction of the price. [July 2011, p.86]

Outside of this, through its array of innovations, Major League Baseball 2K6 blows the doors off of what you could expect from a baseball game. [Apr 2006, p.116]

Like last year’s Thrillville, Off the Rails, requires some research on the part of the player to discover which things are fun (designing faulty rides) and which are a waste of time (talking to guests). Unfortunately, even the content that survives the cull isn’t enough to make the whole experience more than a diversion.

NASCAR Heat 4’s A.I. is a work in progress, the career mode is adequate, and the online suite is behind the times. Nevertheless, it’s the best offering to date even if it’s not totally dialed in, forcing you to get up on that steering wheel and dig deep for your spot on the track.

World War Z takes arguably the best part of the film and uses it to create a visually interesting gameplay mechanic that is horrifying to witness but fun to dismantle.

It's a lackluster, repetitive experience that will only appeal to the most Clancy-crazed gamer. It's not terrible or broken, but I've been doing the same thing, with the same problems and frustrations, for years. [Nov 2005, p.141]

I found the gameplay became a bit stale after the first few runs. [Nov 2001, p.112]

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]

While F1 driving demands a high skill level, I don't appreciate how your car's handling lacks that fine touch. [Aug 2003, p.91]

While the quality of the polygonal models brings back memories of the 386 processor, the fact that developer Raylight Studios was able to create convincing and enjoyable gameplay around it is an impressive feat. [Aug 2003, p.104]

I can't stress enough how chaotic and frenetic four-player matches are - you really have to play it to understand. [Dec 2003, p.158]

The jokes cater mostly to the kids, and that's exactly who should enjoy this fairy tale jaunt the most. [July 2004, p.112]

With its distinct art style, melancholy tone, and ambiguous story, Fe tries its best to run with the artistic indie video game crowd. While its heart is in the right place, Fe comes up short in nearly every way, delivering an experience that is frequently frustrating and consistently bland.

The gameplay mechanic itself is ultra smooth and simple, yet satisfying even after hours of play. [July 2007, p.99]

Hyrule Warriors Legends is still a solid action game featuring Zelda characters and worlds, and the added mechanics, levels, and characters for 3DS are fun and worthy additions. Unfortunately, the game’s technical performance drags it down significantly.

A dull, occasionally frustrating experience with a lot of cute nods to the series for hardcore fans. That’s as good as it gets. From the puzzles to the combat to the exploration, everything feels less ambitious and entertaining than other recent Lego titles. The basic mechanics still work, but the gameplay feels like a leap back in time.

There are a lot of cool ideas at play in Full Auto, and the races can be giddily enjoyable, especially online, but overall it doesn't quite reach the heights that a weapons-based racer could. [Mar 2006, p.110]

The gameplay is simple yet heavily varied, which in turn keeps the action fresh and fun. [Aug 2005, p.98]

The Golf Club delivers as a course creator, and it's no slouch swinging the clubs, either. What's missing is the personality: the larger career structure and personal investment in your avatar to spur players on and elevate the experience from a nice set of features to the complete package.

Playing a mess like NHL 2K9, it’s hard to think that just a few years ago this was the hockey game of choice for serious puckheads. Now it would take several pucks to the head to even make me consider paying money for this experience.

One of the more unfortunate things about this game is that for a supposedly comical kart racer, the drivers’ personalities rarely come through. At its worst, NASCAR Kart Racing stands out as little more than a marketing opportunity in a sport already filled with them.

If you love stylish action, but always find yourself wanting a little extra time to figure out the next tactical move, Ronin could be just what you’re looking for.

While Sega clearly put some effort into this reissue, an HD coat of paint can't correct the Jet Set Radio's fundamental control flaws and repetitious design. I'm sure this sounds like heresy to Dreamcast faithful, but it's the truth: This game wasn't that good in the first place.

The emotions Halo inspires, like panic from hearing your shield beep as enemies overcome you or the explosive joy you feel from throwing a well-placed grenade, are all on display here. Spartan Assault is a true Halo game, even if the series’ signature scope and size are scaled down.

New venues and motion-captured versions of the titular band look great, and the video interviews with its members are a blast for music history buffs.

I feel that the game opens up too quickly and that, while there a respectable nine districts, each has very similar goals and features. [Dec 2004, p.164]