For the second year running, "NHL" best encapsulates the play and and authenticity of the sport. [Sept 2004, p.103]

Don't be dissuaded by the kid-friendly appearance, this is a thoughtful game both emotionally and strategically. [Oct 2005, p.151]

Whether you want to challenge the best in the world online or simply claim your throne in career mode, this is a terrific next step for EA Sports’ MMA franchise. UFC 4 effectively evolves its gameplay and career mode, giving you more than enough reason to step back into the Octagon.

Thronebreaker is a great alternative for fans of Gwent who’d rather not dive into the multiplayer arena. Although some unique twists can’t hold off some late-game tedium, it’s a diverse campaign that emphasizes the strong characters and tough decisions that define the Witcher series, and emphasizes clever twists over turning newcomers into solid Gwent players. Whether you just want to play more Gwent or are simply a fan of The Witcher, playing Thronebreaker is an easy choice.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion follows in the footsteps of Shredder’s Revenge by offering a smartly modernized take on the arcade games of yesteryear. It’s not the deepest package, nor does it completely shatter this genre’s reliable mold, but anyone bearing a nostalgia for the Marvel arcade brawlers of old will have a great time smacking around villains as Earth’s – and the galaxy’s – mightiest heroes.

MLB 2K7 is certainly a better game, but most of the new content is of the visual variety. I can't stress enough how impressive this aspect of the game is. It captures the look, sound, and feel of the game better than anything you've seen before. [Mar 2007, p.98]

A lot of fun to play, but it's more of a 12-yard run on first down instead of the 40-yard bomb down the field. [Aug 2005, p.96]

The Show 14 is another pennant-winning effort for Sony San Diego that showcases improvements both on and off the field, and opens avenues of play to people looking to digest baseball in different ways.

After years of iteration as a minigame and in beta, Gwent has come into its own as a great card game. It emphasizes keen decision-making over chance, and a great back-and-forth buildup ratchets up the tension across multiple rounds. With a great variety of decks and strategies at its disposal, as well as strong incentives to play match after match, Gwent proves great ideas can come from small beginnings.

Even with some unpolished technical aspects, the way the story unfolds is innovative and engaging, and the number of ways around every problem is impressive. [Sept 2004, p.106]

LittleBigPlanet 3 is a strong showing for Sackboy and company, but one that points to the fact that - unlike Nintendo's Mario, who's been reinvented many times over the years - this series' future is likely to follow the arc of another Sony platformer, Ratchet & Clank, by settling into a comfortable groove.

While you’re able to play through the story in a single evening, Aftermath gives you a deeper look into the Mortal Kombat universe as seen through the eyes of characters who aren’t typically stars of the show. When combined with three additional characters, Aftermath delivers a strong package for fans of the latest iteration of the bloody fighting franchise.

My enthusiasm for Civ V has continued unabated for a full year now, and this expansion adds new fuel to the fires of conquest that still burn in me. Despite the days of playtime I've put into the base game, I can't imagine going back after a few rounds with Gods & Kings. I strongly recommend this expansion to all Civ V players – though you may need to jump a difficulty level to account for how powerful the new toys are.

If you love magic and mosters, you really can't go wrong. [Dec 2002, p.142]

After last year's revolutionary success, this game - like "Madden" - is slowing down with age. [Oct 2004, p.125]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

I look back on my time with La-Mulana with plenty of frustration at the challenging platforming, enemies, bosses, and puzzles. But I'm also amazed at the time, thought, and talent that went into creating this experience. There may never be another game like La-Mulana. If you have the determination to see it through, you'll be glad you played this unique adventure.

The seemingly complicated flight sim-like elements scared me away from this game for a long time, but once you give it a shot, you'd be surprised how accessible and fun it can be. [May 2006, p.102]

Kirby Air Riders is an inflexible experience, forcing the player to learn its mechanics and engage with all its modes to get the most out of it, and it's a better game for it. Its gameplay is simple to learn but hard to master, and with such a variety of machines and modes, there are a lot of different definitions of what that mastery looks like. It's a game with a strong, unique identity that likely won't unseat your favorite racing game, but it isn't trying to. Kirby Air Riders is a star shining for no one but itself, and I can't help but respect it for that.

As a revisiting of the excellent Sun and Moon, it feels like a good note to close the generation on, but if you had your fill with Sun and Moon, don’t worry – you aren’t missing anything important.

The video game market is filled with racing simulations, and it’s nice to see oddities like Wreckfest that deliver the exact opposite. Why race a clean path when you can race dirty? If that proposition sounds fun to you, you can’t go wrong with this aggressive racing experience.

A faithful reproduction with some welcome enhancements and improvements. [Nov 2002, p.150]

With Ghostrunner 2 behind me, I’m thrilled more of this series exists. Even after rolling credits, I'm excited to tear through its levels once more to find collectibles like sword and glove skins and old-world artifacts like VHS tapes, and try my hand some more at the delectably simple roguelite minigame. Though Ghostrunner 2 falters in a few ways, like its more open-ended sections and superfluous wingsuit, what remains in the hours outside of those missteps is its best-in-class parkour action. And like its predecessor, it remains a damn treat.

In one of the final moments of Infinite Wealth, one of the characters falls exhausted into the street, beaten down by everything that just came before. As he does so, he looks satisfied and happy, even though arguably nothing is going right for him at that moment. In a lot of ways, I felt the exact same by the end of the game. I was tired. And yet, I was also ready to see what this crew would get up to next.

Excitebots succeeds where Excite Truck didn’t. Monster Games didn’t just add features, it improved the whole formula.

Hell Yeah is an enjoyable 2D sidescroller that waxes nostalgic about classic games just as much as it establishes its own identity as a "how-to" guide to murdering monsters in ridiculous ways.

Graphically, it's a masterpiece. [Jan 2006, p.136]

One of the best remakes I've played in recent memory. [Nov 2001, p.106]