From the graphics to the gameplay, in the eye of this beholder, Temple of Elemental Evil screams mediocrity. [Nov 2003, p.174]

Virtua Tennis 3 is a perfectly serviceable tennis game (pun intended) that fails to provide a big enough splash to make it anything else than just another tennis title. Next time I hope it won’t take Sega seven years to come out with the same game.

It comes out of the gate with a strong opening set and sprinkles in a good joke every time the audience gets restless. But the gameplay itself is as diluted as a happy hour special in an 18-and-over club.

For a motocross game, MetalX is pretty hardcore. [Aug 2003, p.91]

Seeing Clementine’s story end is bittersweet. For anyone who has cared about her fate, it’s worth seeing if she can survive the terrible odds or if she’s doomed to travel the same path as Lee, but just know that you are likely to come away with mixed feelings.

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.

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

It's a ball with friends, amusing solo, and a nice purchase for anyone that already owns the bongo controller. [July 2005, p.121]

Button timing and mashing is fine, but it would be great if Konami could expand snowboarding (and even figure skating) into a more combo-laden affair a la Tony Hawk. [Mar 2002, p.79]

Without getting too fuddy duddy, the low-stress charm of building your skyscraper is hard to really knock, expecially for fans of casual simulations. [Jun 2006, p.119]

The Vita is a great home for many games, but this is not one of them. As a standalone product, this version of Borderlands 2 has little value, living in the shadows of its superior iterations. It gives dedicated vault hunters even more ways to spend time on Pandora – but if you love the core gameplay that much, its implementation on Vita is bound to disappoint you.

From action-style combat scenes to cutesy animal sidekicks to world-saving dilemmas, this is a Tales game through and through. I’m pretty sure that’s not a compliment anymore.

Still, the different aspects of gameplay flow together smoothly and the campaign at least throws enough varied challenges to make it moderately entertaining. [Dec 2007, p.156]

Even PS3 gamers who would be playing it for the first time should be wary about a purchase. [Issue#203, p.97]

Sheffield tried too much and didn't focus enough on the gameplay necessities. [Nov 2002, p.113]

It's too bad the developers felt they could coast along on the strength of a handful of good ideas. [Ocvt 2007, p.121]

There is a load of personality in Chicken Little, and the large variety of level types and playable characters will appeal to fans of the film. [Nov 2005, p.149]

I wanted to love Pier Solar HD. I grew up playing the titles it emulates, and seeing the look and feel so authentically captured gave me high hopes. However, I grew increasingly bored with Pier Solar once the initial wonder wore away.

The new Legend, Challenge, and Xtreme modes offer more scenarios for each character. This helps keep things fresh, even if the beat 'em up routine is the same. [Dec 2003, p.150]

The gameplay and plot show their age, blending into the sea of modern role-playing conventions.

The inability to bring any of the new characters and weapons back into the main game relegates Donkey Kong Adventure to being a fun but forgettable detour. I still enjoyed my return trip to Mario + Rabbids’ wacky world, but hopefully the next visit is more meaningful.

NFL Fever has more or less stayed the same, which means that it has actually lost ground. [Sept 2002, p.88]

It's not the sort of game that works well when you want to cozy up on the couch for a few hours. It becomes repetitive, and you will come up with all sorts of new profanities when doing the same thing over and over on the same level miraculously works because that one brick fell slightly to the left. Angry Birds is a fun game, but the console is not where it belongs.

Ultimately, what I remember most about this game is the wrist and neck pain.

Offers plenty of variety and a faithful presentation. [August 2002, p.79]

Dante’s Inferno features some interesting aspects (like its combat), but early innovation loses out to repetition. The game’s biggest strength – Visceral’s recreation of hell – wanes during the second half. Some entertaining unlockable content adds to the replayability, but for most gamers, Inferno doesn’t have enough new ideas to warrant a return trip through hell.

Angry Birds is a perfect mobile diversion game. It's quick and addictive, and before you realize how its fickle physics can be incredibly unfair, your game is interrupted by a phone call. It's not the sort of game that works well when you want to cozy up on the couch for a few hours.

I liked puzzle mode the best, but wanted a little more. There is nothing else to this game. I guess you get what you pay for, but even at $20 it would have been nice to see a two-player mode.