I had a good time behind the wheel in Destruction AllStars, even if I don’t know that it has enough to keep me around forever. That’s not to say there isn’t anything to do; there is a decent-enough selection of modes and activities between online and offline, with more on the way. And I appreciate the instantly satisfying action that’s as easy to drop in and out of as the cars themselves. Even if the novelty of vehicular mayhem isn’t enough to sustain my interest for many more long-haul sessions, I’m looking forward to taking it for a quick spin every now and again.

So even though Monster House is better than your average kid's movie game, I just have to imagine most kids will put this down long before I did, and go do something more meaningful, like climb a tree or read a book. [Oct. 2006, p.110]

I think this desire to innovate in the genre comes at the expense of what's ultimately good abuot pinball itself...There's not one individual stage that has that incredibly addictive "I could play this until I die" feeling that you get from a well-made traditional pinball machine. [Oct 2004, p.147]

While any pinball game should have an element of randomness, there are times in Odama when an accidental ball bounce floods a river and sweeps your entire army away in one fell swoop. [Mar 2006, p.112]

It's sad when the best thing you can say for a game is that it's not broken, but that's about as positive as I can be about Silverfall. [May 2007, p.93]

Your Shape featuring Jenny McCarthy is a decent title, but it's in dire need of a shot in the arm. [Jan 2010, p.87]

If your preference is single-player or co-op, Dog Days' lack of personality (both in the characters and on the battlefield) results in one of the blandest shooters out there. Given how little the story matters, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck could have been swapped in as the protagonists and I probably wouldn't have noticed.

TNA Impact reminds me of a bratty little kid. You know the type, always running around making bold claims, kicking people in the shins, and talking about how big and strong he’s going to be when he grows up. Since he’s just a kid, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt — someday he might accomplish impressive things. However, right now he’s still just a punk.

Dangerous Driving has some hiccups like momentary pauses in tunnels, rare unexpected car swerves (both yours and the A.I.), slowdown, and inconsistent crash determinations, but these aren’t even why the game misses its target. Previous Three Fields titles like the Danger Zone series and Dangerous Golf had a reason for their destruction, but I can’t find it in Dangerous Driving. The racing itself has some thrills due to its sometimes insane sense of speed, but neither it nor the crashes make their mark.

The leader in sports [ESPN] and the company behind "Metal Gear Solid" should just go their separate ways. [Mar 2002, p.85]

A foul dead fish aroma surrounds every gameplay aspect. The techniqes of casting, jigging, setting the hook, and landing the fish are miserably executed. [Sept 2004, p.115]

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is a big step in the right direction for the spinoff series. While it still has quirks, it's a fun, easy experience that anyone can play. Though I still vastly prefer the classic Sonic games, Fire & Ice is an enjoyable spinoff title that brings some great elements of those games back into the forefront.

Simply put, this game is bad and I hate it. [Nov. 2006, p.140]

I love this title’s core idea of using custom-leveled heroes and their squads of minions to conquer the world (or defend it; same difference) in a turn-based framework. Until I can do that without attending to details that I don’t care about through bland menus, though, I’ll be sticking with "Fire Emblem."

Mario Party should be about fast-paced fun, which is why I prefer to get my kicks with the spastic, oddly humorous "Rayman Raving Rabbids."

The pacing isn't perfect, and some elements will leave you befuddled, but the twisting narrative holds up to the end.

Mario Sports Superstars delivers five fun, surface-level sports experiences in one package. Individually, these sports would be unable to stand on their own. However, as a compilation, the variety helps compensate for the lack of depth. Still, the more I played, the more this package felt like a collection of minigames than a value-packed compilation.

I might have recommended this simplistic formula for younger gamers except for the fact that encounters with Omnidroid are some of the most tedious and unforgiving bouts I've ever fought. [Jan 2005, p.118]

Disintegration’s core idea of blending a first-person shooter with a strategy game is neat, but it takes so many missteps that the promising concept gets lost. The action is repetitive, and the basic mission design is tired – you can’t even save the game mid-mission, which is particularly baffling. Amid the tedium, I had an occasional moments of fun in Disintegration, but those moments were fleeting.

Pretty uninspiring stuff, but I guess if you’re a parent looking for a (relatively) harmless game to pick up for a small child it might do the trick. I’d like to think your kids deserve better.

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]

With choppy play, no strategy, and an asinine betting system (bet on the most dunks and you'll win every time), Street Hoops is a tall guy paper doll simulator at best. "NBA Street" wins in a rout. [Sept 2002, p.81]

For those of us that loved the original, Manhunt 2 is a trip that’s worth taking, even if it’s not nearly as memorable or enjoyable. While I applaud the series for it’s uncompromising take on morality and violence, it’s hard not to notice that recent titles like "Mass Effect" and "BioShock" have covered similar territory in a more mature – and much more enjoyable – fashion.

Metal Saga is like a bastard mash-up of Mad Max and Lawrence of Arabia...tanks, deserts, and a post-apocalyptic future that manages to be super boring. [May 2006, p.101]

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

While I like the added emphasis put on replaying older levels, I am frustrated and baffled that the action-stopping tutorials from the earlier levels persist on repeated playthroughs.

In the world of games, it deserves a body bag. In the world of 24, it's just as good as the show. [Apr 2006, p.122]

While the first "Rumble Roses" game was a fun, solid wrestler with some cheese-cake amusement, XX simply feels aimless, dull, and a little offensive. [May 2006, p.104]