The content that's there can occasionally be fun, but there just wasn't enough of it to keep me engaged. [Feb 2006, p.112]

Even though you are the coach in this game, you're still little more than a bystander. [Aug 2006, p.84]

Akka Arrh is an interesting experiment. Despite its shortcomings, Atari fans can still find some fun in this blaster from the past – the game just comes with a big asterisk. As much as I’m excited to see a lost piece of gaming history revitalized and brought to modern consoles, overwhelming visuals and confusing, abstract game mechanics bring the experience down.

If you’re a huge Punch-Out fan and slightly curious about Rage of the Gladiator, I’d still recommend the WiiWare download. While it doesn’t dethrone the champ, it’s got the potential to be a contender if Ghostfire Games makes some changes next time around.

But the slow pacing and bad combat tarnish what otherwise might have been a portable gem. [May 2008, p.99]

Perhaps it's due to Gear Club's mobile roots, but this title is more form than function, which does not give it a strong foundation.

Sure, the PSone-like crowds look terrible, but Wii Boxing fans finally have a meatier boxer to obsess about than Wii Sports.

I was pleasantly surprised with Arthur and the Invisibles. It steals acrobatic fighting and platforming elements from "Price of Persia" and contextual button pressing finishers from "God of War."

Warp is charming at first, but the simple A.I. and basic puzzles aren't enough to make it an XBLA standout. Completionists may find replay value in the collectible grubs, basic upgrade system, and challenge rooms, but anyone looking for deeper stealth or puzzle-based gameplay should look elsewhere.

In a sport searching for the next big crazy trick, this game’s insistence on the basics only takes players so far.

Arcania isn't what anyone thought Gothic 4 would be. It's a marginally competent action/RPG with all the depth of a kiddie pool, not the huge open-world role-playing epics the series was previously known for.

Falling somewhere between a traditional Ridge Racer title and a Burnout game, Unbounded fails to fully succeed at recreating either experience, ending up in between the two racing franchises in terms of quality.

Arcania isn't what anyone thought Gothic 4 would be. It's a marginally competent action/RPG with all the depth of a kiddie pool, not the huge open-world role-playing epics the series was previously known for.

Falling somewhere between a traditional Ridge Racer title and a Burnout game, Unbounded fails to fully succeed at recreating either experience, ending up in between the two racing franchises in terms of quality.

In the end, Sonic nuts will love it. Everyone else should stay away.

The fact that the gameplay never evolves and the defensive stops are too powerful means this game's legs aren't very long - just like Mario's stubby little limbs. [Dec 2005, p.178]

The racing itself is pretty good, and the rest of the game feels like a total hackjob. [Oct 2004, p.123]

Sloclap’s first foray shows glimmers of brilliance in the combat and the somewhat intriguing aesthetic of masked martial artists going at it in strange lands. Even so, Absolver feels like a collection of little pieces from something larger that just never happens. It’s as if someone has set the table for a fascinating three-course meal and the appetizer is the only thing that ever comes out of the kitchen – and by the time you take your first bite, you’re being ushered out the door.

Each level follows the exact same progression path, and this dull repetition ultimately makes what could have been a great tornado game nothing more than a funnel cloud.

Those who have fond memories of the PSone cult classic "Thousand Arms" will definitely enjoy Ar Tonelico's strange blend of action, dialog, and courtship. [Feb. 2007, p.101]

You have to make sure to input your spins early. This means that you can't make those minor corrections that can be so crucial to landing tricks. [Apr 2002, p.83]

Everything, and I mean everything, from the ammo pickups littering the ground, to the lack of weapon reloading, to the super speed in which your character moves, to the silly side comments he’s always making, to the general lack of story, and even the random level themes make this feel like a freeware game I would have stayed after school to play in the computer lab.

Ultimately I came the realization that, at the end of the day, I would have been happier playing this game with a conventional analog stick.

I'm sorry to say, four million Japanese can be wrong. [Nov 2001, p.122]

The abrupt endings, forced action sequences, and extensive load times mar an otherwise fun adventure game. The topnotch writing, and fascinating hook of Holmes struggling with a real issue are buried beneath these problems.

Parasite Eve fans may find themselves turned off by the frenzied action-oriented approach of The 3rd Birthday, and the execution certainly has its ups and downs. Even though The 3rd Birthday may not be one worth celebrating, we're hoping Square Enix can get it right if it decides to someday bring the franchise back to its console roots.

In terms of depth, the Wii version doesn't offer much outside of a barebones Franchise mode. [May 2008, p.95]

Sky's laundry list of quests is strangely solid in both its simplicity and repetitive challenge. [Dec 2002, p.130]