I enjoyed the Deception series on PSone, but this sequel hasn't made any strides forward. [Dec 2005, p.174]

The improvements to the fundamental gameplay in Madden 24 continue to pay dividends with some of the most authentic football the series has ever seen. But, like an ill-timed penalty, the dreadfully slow menus and funneling toward tedious minigames wipe out any forward progress and move the series backward overall.

This game is like your favorite team going from a 5-11 season one year to a 6-10 record the next. Regardless of whatever improvements have occurred, you aren’t going anywhere with that kind of record.

In the end, this would-be epic is nothing more than a series of lock-and-key puzzles - the same outdated concept that developers have been shoving down our throats since the first "Prince of Persia." [May 2003, p.80]

This game expands the show’s fiction and reveals a few mind-blowing twists, including one that has completely altered all of my theories about the show. As of the time of this writing, it is one of the biggest reveals yet.

It's interesting to see how pinball has progressed through the years, noting the considerable point score inflation that's taken place. [Feb 2005, p.113]

Get ready to crash into some rails - a lot of rails. [Dec 2003, p.150]

It tarnishes the hallowed GoldeneEye name that gamers have held close to their hearts since 1997, and is the equivalent of tossing a martini into Bond's face and then shooting him in the family jewels with a tranquilizer dart. [Jan 2005, p.114]

Ashes of the Singularity is a solid title, but ultimately too unambitious in areas that matter. It demonstrates it can do amazing things with tons and tons of units on screen, but fails to provide compelling reasons to play beyond that.

Too Human is about players sculpting their ideal killing machines. If you enjoy leveling and looting, it's worth a look. If you only have a moderate interest, Too Human's aggravating gameplay and irreparable plot won't deliver many thrills. [Sept 2008, p.104]

It's as easy to put down as it is to pick up. [Nov 2002, p.134]

This game is stuffed with things to do, but it doesn’t take long to figure out that you’re just going around in circles. The gameplay fails to elevate this title, and players are unable to take advantage of the possibilities all around them.

I appreciate the opportunity for some 4-player local (but not online) cooperative play, and some minor strategy is involved in combining different minerals during a dig to create more valuable objects. These small wrinkles aren’t enough to keep players invested. Play Super Motherload if you love the pure joy of the Dig Dug-style carving out of the ground, but don’t be surprised if there’s not enough buried beneath that layer.

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.

A better, more focused sense of humor and combat tweaks help move the action along at a better pace, but Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon still pales in comparison to the core RPG installments.

The story's ending does not land. While it's logically sound, it doesn't register with its intended gravity. I'm not sure how you'd figure out its finer points on your own; as a detective, it feels like you've been taken off the case, and are instead reading how some other detective figured it out via the case file after the fact. It also works from without rather than from within because it relies on sentiments for a character that I didn't feel.

Since there are a number of cool Alien and Predator units that are fun to see and play, Extinction does have some redeeming value. However,...the lack of online support or multiplayer of any kind is unforgivable. [Aug 2003, p.99]

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.

Enemy AI is as dumb as a crumbling brick wall and there are no shadow or cover effects. [Oct 2004, p.136]

This isn't new as much as it is an expansion pack through and through. [Jan 2003, p.90]

It's interesting to see how pinball has progressed through the years, noting the considerable point score inflation that's taken place. [Feb 2005, p.113]

This game is like your favorite team going from a 5-11 season one year to a 6-10 record the next. Regardless of whatever improvements have occurred, you aren’t going anywhere with that kind of record.

Sure, it has framerate issues and stiff animation, but it also has real-life players, solid physics, multiple game types, and a pretty easy learning curve. [Feb 2004, p.109]

Nothing even comes close to touching its encyclopedic approach toward statistics. [Apr 2003, p.83]

Not only is the running game slow as ass, but I once saw a failed field goal earn my opponent three points. [Mar 2003, p.85]

The action is satisfactory, and the multiplayer options are robust. [Nov 2005, p.148]

What you are really buying when you pick up this bundle is a fun minigame that comes with a packed-in controller novelty. [Feb 2008, p.99]

Beware, waggle controls go from amusing (hammering with the dropship) to pesky (the shoulder-dislocating astro punch).