A decent game, but its lack of depth makes it the poster child for an average game...On a side note, the music is some of the best I have heard in a game in a long time. [Mar 2002, p.83]

Ironically, the very thing that made Bully the subject of so much criticism – the school setting – is also its greatest strength. In Bullworth and the surrounding town, Rockstar Vancouver has created an extremely detailed universe, full of secrets, humorous characters, and hidden activities.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The campaign is a grueling challenge all the way through, but every time I snatched a win from the jaws of defeat I felt an undeniable surge of satisfaction and pride, one that made my victories that much sweeter. If that sounds fun to you, Conquest is the ideal way to play Fire Emblem Fates. If you want all of the fantastic gameplay with less pressure, don’t feel any shame about sticking to Birthright. You can’t go wrong either way.

If you have a PlayStation 4 and some friends, you must have this game at the ready on your hard drive.

Tearaway is brilliantly out of step with much of mainstream game development. It’s gentle, distinctly British brand of whimsy and imaginative visual style makes it an experience unlike any other you’ll have this year. The core gameplay isn’t exceptional, but it’s solid enough to let the brilliant puzzles, art, and level designs shine.

One of the best games ever made for the PSP. The single-player ties flawlessly into the multiplayer, where you can test your loyal soldiers against up to five other people via ad hoc, infrastructure, and even game sharing.

Despite that lack of propelling factor, I’m still completely engrossed in this game, playing it during any 15 free minutes I can find throughout my day. Though I’ve technically completed the game, I want to SSS rank all of my favorite songs, dig deeper into the libraries from Final Fantasy games I’m less familiar with, and show off my rhythm prowess against other players. This is a fantastic rhythm game set to the tune of arguably the greatest music catalog in all of games. While I would have liked more guidance in how to proceed, the musical content on offer is so diverse, so nostalgic, and so well done, that I have no problem composing my own fun.

In the Wii's expansivve gutter of shoddy third-party ports and minigame garbage, Capcom is showing that it's possible to make something original and fun. [Nov 2007, p.148]

The gameplay has some rough edges, but as an interactive story, this is an experience that shouldn't be missed.

MLB 13: The Show turns the bats loose and finds stability online, but the numbers reflect MLB’s juiced era more than the pitcher-friendly league we see today. This year’s game is about making contact more consistently and shoring up the other aspects of a well-rounded baseball sim.

I adored almost every second of Psychonauts 2. It achieves something I don’t often see in games – a continual sense of awe as each of its worlds unfold. It took 16 years to reach release, but Double Fine has delivered an incredible sequel. I hope we get a third installment that doesn’t take nearly as long to create.

I am referring to how much I think Microsoft's controller will feel more natural in your hand, due to the rough similarities between it and the DC's. [Mar 2002, p.85]

The damage modeling in this game is second to none. [Dec 2002, p.136]

Thanks to its excellent utilization of well-worn Zelda-inspired conventions and enough unique twists to differentiate it from the pack, Minishoot' Adventures delivers an outstanding bullet-hell experience with less frustration than most entries in the genre. I didn't set out to 100 percent Minishoot' Adventures, but by the time I reached the end of the the story, I had experienced everything the game has to offer, a testament to how enamored I am with this fun, twin-stick title. Minishoot' Adventures bridges the gaps between disparate genres with outstanding gameplay and thoughtful level design to deliver one of the best games I've played all year.

FIFA 14 for the next-gen continues the good work done by the current-gen iteration when it comes to synching up players' footwork during shots to produce varied and realistic results.

It's like a simple "Sims"...but it's a lot of fun, I swear. [Oct 2002, p.86]

In my tenure as a game critic, I haven’t come across a game that fluctuates between highs and lows as frequently as Spirit Tracks. I often found myself taken aback by an amazing puzzle, only to be bored to death on a train moments later.

A monster of a sequel, offering bigger scares and more excitement than I expected... The tease for Dead Space 3 has my head spinning with questions. [Feb 2011, p.92]

The game contains the sophistication of a sim-racer while still packing enough pick-up-and-play fun for anyone watching from the couch. I don’t imagine, however, that there are going to be a lot of people content to simply sit and watch Dirt 2 without getting their hands on ­it.

This cult classic has lot nothing--and gained quite a bit--in the translation to PSP. [Nov 2007, p.163]

Even though the classic Pokémon formula still works as evidenced by HeartGold, I can’t help but hope for a new Pokémon title that breaks some new ground.

But the big-time college football moments that it does deliver are worth it--and you won't find them on that new-fangled next-gen console either. [Aug 2006, p.81]

The story and its multiple branches will grab your attention, and the combat – while different in style – delivers plenty of thrills. I prefer the PC iteration, but it’s still good on PS3 and 360, and way better than not playing Dragon Age at all.

A lot of people will look elsewhere for gameplay depth, but what BG&E sacrifices in control comlexity, it makes up for in story and pacing. [Dec 2003, p.174]

With a staggering revamp that touched upon almost all aspects of the game and modes that keep things interesting, Reaper of Souls isn’t so much an expansion as it is a completely new game.

I can't fault a game that offers such a fun, engaging, and lengthy adventure on the Wii. [July 2009, p.87]

PES 2016 is about more than just a few additions for the year. It ushers in a new era for the franchise that needs to be experienced.