Without a doubt, the best part of Blood Wake is its graphics. From coastal towns to the many scattered islands, there's always something well-rendered to look at.

The PC version featured some jaw-dropping graphics, but the PS2 version will put your jaw back on. It doesn't look bad, per se, but it hardly holds a candle to the PC.

A terrifying, chilling, disturbing, and in every sense scary psychological horror game.

But the evil control, level design and graphics from the Dark Side can turn a good jedi like Obi Wan bad.

An excellent battle system and a level of visual artistry that sets a new mark for others to follow, and the long awaited addition of voices adds a dramatic element that's been missing forever...But with the steps forward come a few backward, like the inability to scene skip and the overly linear flow.

It looks simply unbelievable and the gameplay and control is easy and intuitive. The bullet time alone makes it one of the premier action games on the Xbox.

Just not very exciting. The combat can't find a comfortable medium between action and strategy.

It is one of the best hockey games I've played...a picture perfect port of the Playstation 2 version. The graphics are just a smidgen better than the original.

It manages to work well on the Xbox...though the PS2 version is still probably the best of the three.

While I'm on a tirade about the bad, let's talk stupidity; in this case, the enemy AI. Baddies are as dumb as an inebriated possum caught in a set of headlights.

While not without its flaws, Max Payne is a solid addition to any PS2 library, provided you didn't play the PC version, you don't have an Xbox and you aren't just itching to see Max on your big screen TV.

[It] has as set a new benchmark for the platformer genre with its huge environments and gaming freedom. Play this one through, and you'll never look at platformers the same way again.

A game rusted stiff by recycling and repetition. The gameplay is still there and the challenge has taken some steroids, but there's no heart.

But in the end, Acclaim has exceeded my expectations. Given, those expectations were very, very low to begin with.

Rumor has it that GameDay 2002 is superior to GameDay 2001, but that's sort of like saying a bop on the head is better than a punch in the nose. I wouldn't pay for either of them.

While it surely won't appeal to the Tekken heads, it's a great fit for those who swear by Samus and die by Donkey Kong.

Serves up enough tasty D&D stew to satisfy your role-playing urges. It oozes with quality and is genuinely fun.

Not everyone may take to the strategic undercurrent, but as it stands, this Pikmin has already fixed its roots deep in my jaded gamer's heart.

The Gamecube version of SSX Tricky manages to retain the most important quality of the PS2 version - the fun - despite having a few flaws. This is a very good game, and while it's not quite as polished as the PS2, it's still worth the money for Gamecube owners.

Very deep for an Xtreme game. The level sizes, moves list, and challenges are extremely expansive.

Extreme G3 excels in its delivery, but the lack of excitement and any sort of replay system dampen the fun.

It's got some nice waves, but a bad camera, tough controls, and some unsatisfying gameplay cause an evil tsunami of massive proportions.

By adding more depth and a much needed multiplayer mode, Koei has improved the series. So if you're a fan of beat 'em up action on a massive level, this is definitely the game for you.

This game looks like the result of an evening filled with Spicy Hot Cheetos and warm Pabst Blue Ribbon. Not pretty.

A solid game with a few extras thrown in for good measure. Despite its arcade style of play and limited depth, this is one game that can be enjoyed by most everyone throughout the galaxy.

What really puts the hurt on this game is the lack of any real challenge or fun.

A derivative mess of weak AI, mediocre graphics and a silly plot. While not inedible, this game is only suitable for the starving.

So it seems like we have a pretty solid game here. Not brilliant, but fun and dorky, maybe a "B." But there's a horrible curse on this game: the worst… loading times… ever. You can spend more time waiting around than actually playing Road Rage.

Not what it could have been. As a story it's utterly bizarre, as a sequel it's sub-par, but as a stand-alone game it's very good. The simple truth is that regardless of the detractions, killing Nazis will always be fun...always.

NFL 2K2 scores a bullseye with a blazing framerate, a caffeinated pace and the dynamite control scheme NFL 2K games are famous for.

If you're interested in the art of music mixing, Frequency's Remix mode is a good introduction...As a game though, this note is a little flat.

Most of the sound effects are fine, but the main engine noise sounds a little too high pitched. I know F1 cars run a cool, almost zippy noise, but here, it sounds more like you're driving a high-end Hoover.

While the control scheme is easy to grasp and intuitive, simple commands on the controller translate into some incredibly complex and violent moves onscreen. The use of one button for general defense adds great realism.

The marginal graphical changes don't really make for a better overall game than its disappointing PS2 counterpart.

Even though I'm amazed that such a good game came together in such a short amount of time, I would have preferred to have waited for a few more levels. It's really a bummer, too, because the game is so much fun.

A mediocre port of what can already be considered an old but classic Dreamcast game.

One disappointment here is the lame way that the tricks have been integrated...you never really need to do tricks. In fact, doing so often slows you down. You just don't get rewarded enough for pulling off the cool stuff.

The replay value is suspect and the one enormous dungeon mansion can grow tiring, but the graphics are quite beautiful and the interesting game mechanics are enjoyable.

A ho-hum game with some annoying AI and marginal presentation. Despite its plethora of modes, it's simply not very fun.

It sounds like a game doomed from the start, but ultimately turns out to be a stroke of genius.

Abe, Munch and all their pals are hilarious, but the gameplay gets repetitive, what with all the Spooce collecting and somewhat uninspired puzzles.

The graphics are old, NPC riders aren't very fun to race against, the maps are dumb and the camera's a joke.

Halo has totally revolutionized how we look at console FPS games. Before you go to that big sweat-stained sofa in the sky, you absolutely have to play this game.

Simply better than the PS2 version. It's smoother, looks a lot better and the gameplay has made a successful transition from frustrating to decent fun.

It manages to float where others have sunk and breaks the trend of garbage surfing games by offering decent if somewhat limited fun.

There's nothing like trying to make the same jump over and over for ten minutes solid to make you give up in frustration and try to do a different "good deed" instead.

As a rental for a night with friends, Fuzion Frenzy rocks.

Nothing goes on along the sidelines. There are no pedestrians watching, no birds flying overhead, nothing. Pretty hard to believe these world-class cities are so dead.

Despite good visuals, the control is a little too arcadey, missions lack a great deal of excitement and the mission structure leaves a lot to be desired...it's just not that much fun.

The whole game makes as much sense as watching an episode of "Twin Peaks" backwards. But it looks a helluva lot better.

While it does a great job displaying the fine art of toon graphics, it falls flat with almost everything else. From poor level design to brutally repetitive play, this game has been crushed by one anvil too many.

Excellent physics and suspension, aggressive opponents and humongous and well-planned environments give a bit of shine to a game that is otherwise strictly last generation.

The attention to detail, from the realization of 43 cars to the breadth of 23 tracks, should make any NASCAR nut proud.

A fundamentally flawed game. It's a skateboarding game that's trying to be a snowboarding game, instead of trying even harder to be a good snowboarding game.

The big problem is that, well, there isn't really any problems to solve at all. Right when you think some kind of clever action or maneuver is required to get past a tricky bit, you realize the answer is smack dab in plain sight with big neon signs pointing out the way.

For the most part, the graphics and gameplay are identical to its PS2 brother...[but, of course] the revolutionary online component is sadly missing from the Gamecube version.

By making the game more accessible to general consumers, they also took out some of the much needed depth. What it does, it does fine, but it doesn't do too much.

The artificial intelligence is brilliant...for a goldfish. For an AI program, however, it's pathetic.

The real joy of this expansion rests in sowing the seeds of discontent among the residents of your Sim neighborhoods. Hot Date gives the gamer some great tools for creating angst-ridden relationships, as it introduces more than 40 new social interactions...The most worthy of the Sim expansions.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT under any circumstance give this game as a gift to anyone you would like to stay on good terms with. Not even die hard Survivor fans could possibly enjoy this game. Instead, send a copy to your worst enemy.

Dark Summit sets its sights high, but the final product is mainly just a decent snowboarding game with a weird, lame story. A few cool concepts raise it above mediocrity, however.

Even through Battlegrounds uses the "Age of Empires" engine, it just doesn't look as impressive. Map textures and units look okay, but they don't seem to sport the amount of detail that was included in AoE.

If you're looking for the thinking man's shooter, then keep searching. Soldier of Fortune is all about the mindless yet blissful twitch.

Half-life itself is over three years old and the engine it runs on is even older, so it's no wonder the graphics and textures look extremely bland and dated . Even with the new PS2 hi-res upgrade, father time has inevitably brought out those wrinkles.

Ultimately too much like many of the Capcom fighters that have come before it.

The feeling of tension and suspense the player gets while playing through the first two games is strangely absent here. Whereas before I would hug the walls and creep silently through corridors looking for the enemy, now I find myself calmly standing in the middle of a room nonchalantly picking off baddies.

It's tons of fun...I'm a big fan of old-school Run D.M.C., but it gets a little redundant hearing the sample 'It's Tricky!' every time you land an Uber trick.

Easy to handle control, a decent trick system, and the all important water physics are down pat.

Like a soap, it's a little hard to start right in the middle and know what's going on. The Legacy of Kain series is one of those rare games where it's actually worth paying attention to the story. Too bad you have to go back to the PS1 to get caught up.

Although burdened by some flaws, AVP2 delivers three of the most unique gaming experiences ever and is a game no fan of fast-paced, in your face, brain-eating action should pass up.

Pays almost too much of a tribute to past Dragon Warrior games, offering sound, graphics, and writing that seem like a step backwards in their simplicity.

The game is still frighteningly addictive, constantly dangling new accomplishments in front of players who, at 3 am, are still planning on playing "just one more turn."

When it's all said and done, when your eyes have completely dried up after spending 7 straight hours obsessing over massive rail grinds, THPS 3 comes through on its promise to do next-gen justice to the series. There simply is no better skating game available, and for that matter, very few other games that compete, period.

Fine for its intended audience. Simple gameplay with familiar heroes is enough to keep the little ones occupied for a while. Just don't expect anyone over the age of six to go ga-ga over it.

Manages to breathe new life into an old formula. I love the new rules and hope they show up elsewhere in the Bomberman series.

I think it's safe to say that someone at EA Sports has too tight a grip on the mantra, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Year after year, the Live series crops up with minor retrofits while other EA lines, like the admirable Madden games, enjoy sparkling new touches and interesting new modes.

The only time you can use the Bat-grapple is when you get an onscreen signal to look for a huge, out of place Bat-insignia perched on the corner of some overhead location. Oh, I guess I'm supposed use my Bat-grapple here. Sheesh!

While it manages to float a few meters above the bottom of the ocean ["Surfing H30"], it sure as hell isn't the sunny beach it claims to be.

The big kick in the eyes come with the laughable rain. Besides degrading the graphics to a PSX level, the rain only seems to fall in certain spots, like right over your car. It's as if there's a guy in a helicopter spraying water from above with a hose.

Just about the best game yet released on the system and one of the most impressive console titles we've ever seen. And I ain't blowing smoke up your tailpipe.

The story isn't there, the gameplay is very boring, the graphics aren't good and the control will leave you craving for the blood of a programmer.

Even with the goofy camera, unnecessary cut scenes and mediocre voices, this is probably the best superhero game for the PSX.

With anti-aliased backgrounds (nerdspeak for smooth and seamless), cool shadows and weapon lighting effects, it puts last year's PS2 games to shame.

A deep, hard strategy game that offers tons in the way of customization and length.

Thunder 2002 opens to the rhythms of "Sweet Home Alabama," giving the game a touch of atmospheric country twang and setting the tone for the rest of the game. Get used to it, because it will be heard through most menu screens.

If it's beauty you're looking for, look somewhere else. Thunderstrike is a graphical plain Jane of a game, especially since so much of the action takes place at a distance.

A cool game that's been suspended from greatness due to its less-than-stellar track design, lame weapons and stunts that are often not as cool as they should be.

The paper-rock-scissors effect has never been so intricately factored into the units, the missions are interesting, and all your favorite actors (from Udo Kier to Ray Wise) are back to make Yuri's some of the sweetest revenge ever.

Delivers a nice diversion for those who like to sit back and solve some quiet puzzles without having to deal with an engrossing story or hectic action.

This game will really only make Castlevania devotees truly happy. If the original came out today, it would be quickly persecuted for how dated it looks and plays.

Save your money for something less painful, like a bikini wax or unanaesthetized dental surgery.

Play with traction control, ABS, weather conditions, damage and more in the handy options screen. You'll even be able to turn on the FIA rules or try your hand at interactive pit stops. I love choices.

The only shadows Okage: Shadow King is going to be ruling at my house are the ones under the stack of other games I'd rather be playing.

It's got everything you're looking for in an arcade shooter and more. Just don't expect it to last forever.

What Ultimate Ride does, it does pretty well. The problem is that it does so very, very little. And with an entrance fee of $40, there should be much, much more: people in foam rubber animal costumes, women flashing their breasts on the log ride, kids barfing during the loops, etc.

The Story mode lacks a story, the only other mode sucks, and without a friend to play against the game is just too repetitive to be worth buying.

An amusing and worthwhile diversion.

I'll take SH2 [over "Resident Evil"] any day. Turn out the lights, turn off that damn radio and you'll see what I mean. It eats into your brain (mmmmmm.....) and you won't even notice how jittery you've become until the cat suddenly jumps into your lap and you fling your controller at the ceiling.