Beating levels felt more in the realm of schoolwork than satisfying puzzle action. Presentation is very bland and simple, but that somehow doesn’t prevent loading screens between every stage.

Concocting potions and humiliating dark wizards is fun for a while, but once the novelty is gone, Hogwarts loses all of its magic.

If you’re already a fan of Harvey and the craziness that surrounds him, you’ll love how this game nails the feeling of the series. If you’re just a regular gamer looking for a solid legal adventure, other attorneys will represent your interests better.

True fans of the series can take heart at its improvements, but it looks like next year will have to be its Cinderella season. [Sept 2002, p.79]

The best imitation of The Behemoth's Castle Crashers that you're going to find on the Wii. [Issue#206, p.96]

The tricks are nice, but executing them is also uneven. I wouldn't say this title isn't fun, but "Burnout 2" is simply a better experience in almost every way. [July 2003, p.117]

Unfortunately, the shining strengths of the game are buried underneath a thick layer of rust that only the thirstiest of air-junkies should bother chipping through. [Feb 2010, p.95]

The best Turtles game in years, which admittedly is kind of like saying you just got the best punch in the gut you’ve had in years. Nonetheless, TMNT entertains pretty consistently, delivering fast-paced thrills but almost no genuine challenge.

I can see FPS fans having fun with BlackSite since it provides all the standard FPS rollercoaster thrills, but most of us have been up and down those hills a few too many times.

Metal Gear Survive doesn’t fail due to its baggage or expectations. It blunders entirely on its own merits. Its co-op suite shows promise and could become legitimately great in time, but the rest of Survive is a boring, grind-heavy slog where the biggest reward is simply more stuff. For as many bits of metal, wood, and fabric I had after 70 hours of play, I couldn’t help but think I’d wasted all of my time.

Karateka steps beyond its simplistic gameplay with exceptional production values.

There may be a very deep and interesting strategy game laying somewhere within Generation of Chaos, but you're going to have to work to find it. [May 2006, p.111]

Burning Skies isn't a failure by any means. While the visuals won't sell you on the console's power like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the campaign is filled with the big boss fights and unique weaponry you expect from the series. As long as you're not hoping for a console-quality multiplayer experience, Burning Skies should satisfy fans.

Suicide Squad is technically sound, and the action can be fast, frantic, and occasionally fun. The game could be considered a deconstruction and satirizing of the superhero concept. But for me, the whole thing feels mean-spirited, pessimistic, and glib. In other media, I’ve generally liked the irreverence of the Suicide Squad tales, but everything in this game feels less about laughs and more just joyless. I suppose it can be fun to piss all over any sense of genuine heroism in a comic book-inspired tale, but it can’t come as a great shock when some fans like myself just aren’t interested in the bloody and smug results.

Merely mediocre action. [Dec 2005, p.161]

This game's visuals are more a bitter pill for the eyes than a feast, and most of your time is spent jamming on the A button; but I couldn't help but enjoy Dark Legacy. [May 2002, p.84]

Essentially the video game equivalent of sleeping with your eyes open. [Nov 2004, p.149]

A decent addition to the series. [Nov 2002, p.133]

Even ignoring the ludicrous plot, what really matters here should be the shooting mechanic, which just isn’t much fun. The strangely designed cover system has you popping up and down like a hyperactive rabbit, so you never really get a full view of the action. And get this: in the cooperative multiplayer, you play in split screen – in letterbox format! What were they thinking? I don’t know what else I can tell you to discourage you away from this complete disaster.

At its best, Blade Dancer offers familiarity, along with a half-hearted attempt at multiplayer. [Aug 2006, p.93]

Almost all of the riddles revolve around finding an item and returning it to the appropriate specter - a convention that plays out as tedious and tiresome a short ways into the title. [Aug 2004, p.99]

If broken gameplay mechanics and community college acting didn’t weigh down the game, it might actually be worthwhile.

The graphics can only be described as awful, missions are boring, and combat ranges from dull to frustrating. [June 2004, p.123]

Spider-Man 3’s greatest strength isn’t how accurately it captures the essence of this hero; it’s the game’s ability to keep you in a state of wonder. You never really know where Spidey will be headed next, or what challenge you’ll be tasked with upon arrival. Variety really makes this game stand out above the others.

Regardless of your skill, everyone will be thankful for the improved battle interface. [Feb 2004, p.114]

If the passion of soccer leads people to violence, then I would watch out if I were FIFA Street - the game's liable to make some people mad. [Apr 2005, p.120]

Deformers has some rough edges to put up with, but none of them are reason enough to avoid the game completely. Though it may not have the staying power to tussle with stronger multiplayer offerings, at the core of Deformers is a strong multiplayer experience with a great mix of simple basics and potential for the once-in-a-blue-moon moments that define multiplayer games.

Even though I’ve got the gas pedal down as far as it’ll go, the game fails to satiate either the need or speed parts of the equation.