Even the addition of crazy new Social moves like Break Dance and Booty Tease make interactions with other Sims much more fun than they were in previous titles.

Even the addition of crazy new Social moves like Break Dance and Booty Tease make interactions with other Sims much more fun than they were in previous titles. [Jan 2003, p.48]

The game actually generates emotions: fear of the unknown, an impending sense of dread, and utter confusion due to the mind-bending plot. [Jan 2004, p.56]

This is the kind of game that literally makes you forget you're playing a game, leaving you barely aware of your body and just totally consumed by the action onscreen.

Sure, its graphics are ugly, but its action is first-rate...It's one of those rare games in which almost everything is destructible. [Jan 2004, p.65]

We never would have thought that adding some multiplayer functions to a 23-year-old arcade game would result in one of the most fun and addictive games out there, but Pac-Man Vs. is just that.

Older Pokémon fans will become bored right away, but younger ones will have a blast.

The game is darn near perfect but BAM!...AH! All right, already! There's nothing to complain about here. XIII is a blast to play...even if it's so cool, it will kick your butt.

Online play is fresh and funky, but the songs sound like the same old beat. [Jan 2004, p.64]

It's beautiful, it's fun, and it's hilarious to boot. [Jan 2004, p.59]

From the incredible visual presentation to the frenetic action to the jaw-dropping effects and pulse-pounding music, XIII is where it's at.

Simply the coolest first-person shooter -- ever. [Dec 2003, p.58]

You can play this game for more than 80 hours before you find everything, and more important, you'll actually want to play it for that long. [Dec 2003, p.48]

Unfortunately, his powers don't keep these areas from being severely linear. But there's enough to do that it stays fresh. [Dec 2003, p.58]

From beginning to end, these games ooze style. [Dec 2003, p.54]

Hands-down the best racing game yet to hit Xbox. [Jan 2004, p.62]

This is the kind of game that literally makes you forget you're playing a game, leaving you barely aware of your body and just totally consumed by the action onscreen.

Microsoft might be on its way to a formidable basketball franchise. [Jan 2004, p.63]

Plays great, but ultimately doesn't compare to "Crimson Skies." [Jan 2004, p.62]

This is the kind of game that literally makes you forget you're playing a game, leaving you barely aware of your body and just totally consumed by the action onscreen.

The bulk of the included 24 games are still highly addictive and hecka fun to play - especially multiplayer. [Jan 2004, p.59]

Best GBA game I've ever played. A must-have. [Jan 2003, p.46]

It's so well put together, too, that despite the immense speed, you're able to control the cars unbelievably well. [Jan 2004, p.61]

Superior to other college games and a lot of fun to play. [Jan 2004, p.63]

An insanely well-made kart game with tight controls, great tracks, and some sweet multiplayer action...quite possibly GameCube's best game this holiday season. [Grade = A+; Dec 2003, p.72]

The coolest addition is the ability to raise more than one monster at once, adding a level of strategy to picking the monster you enter in a particular competition. [Jan 2004, p.60]

Laugh-out-loud comic quips ("I blame society!" Homer yells when he runs someone over) and endless sight gags round out this very pretty—and ever-so-animated—picture.

The innovative platform elements, brutal combat, and puzzle-solving are a thrill for the soul. [Jan 2004, p.58]

My only real complaints are technical: The framerate is often unacceptably choppy and load screens pop up too frequently... Still one of PS2's best adventure games. [Dec 2003, p.64]

A masterpiece, plain and simple. From the opening Pearl Harbor sequence, to the rain-soaked midnight raids, to the machine-gun-mounted elephant rides, Rising Sun oozes with jaw-dropping quality at every single turn.

The ability to level up the hero and his weapons, RPG style, is a brilliant addition to the franchise's gameplay. [Dec 2003, p.51]

A really good game, despite the fact that Mickey Mouse is the main character. I just wish it was longer.[Oct 2003, p.52]

A masterpiece, plain and simple. From the opening Pearl Harbor sequence, to the rain-soaked midnight raids, to the machine-gun-mounted elephant rides, Rising Sun oozes with jaw-dropping quality at every single turn.

A masterpiece, plain and simple. From the opening Pearl Harbor sequence, to the rain-soaked midnight raids, to the machine-gun-mounted elephant rides, Rising Sun oozes with jaw-dropping quality at every single turn.

This is the kind of game that literally makes you forget you're playing a game, leaving you barely aware of your body and just totally consumed by the action onscreen.

Expect some of the coolest levels out there, a slew of amazing characters, and something lacking from many games today: a sense of humor.

Expect some of the coolest levels out there, a slew of amazing characters, and something lacking from many games today: a sense of humor.

Expect some of the coolest levels out there, a slew of amazing characters, and something lacking from many games today: a sense of humor.

As far as party games go, this is still your best bet. [Jan 2003, p.49]

Other than the lackluster practice mode, everything in FIFA 2004 is spot-on.

When you venture online, newbie ensigns should have better survival rates, thanks to a crackdown on cheating and the new ranking system. [Dec 2003, p.60]

Other than the lackluster practice mode, everything in FIFA 2004 is spot-on.

The graphics are first rate, and the action is intensely frenetic. Most important, ROTK turns up the LOTR authenticity full blast. [Jan 2004, p.55]

Other than the lackluster practice mode, everything in FIFA 2004 is spot-on.

Other than the lackluster practice mode, everything in FIFA 2004 is spot-on.

GTA's still king, but True Crime: Streets of L.A. rocks the spot. [Jan 2004, p.60]

My only dis (negative comment) goes to the control and camera, which are both kinda whack (somewhat sluggish), and Timmy's all Fat Albert, yo (moves like a sack of bricks). [Jan 2004, p.50]

The game continues to surprise you by tossing curveballs like siege weapons, random weather effects, and time-sensitive goals into the mix. [Dec 2003, p.75]

Since each Turtle has his own fighting style, it doesn't ever get old. [Nov 2003, p.72]

Despite its brevity and lack of good multiplayer, though, Call of Duty is easily one of the most fun shooters I've played all year. [Jan 2004, p.66]

The most beautiful MMORPG currently available. Its environments are second to none, and the character models are elegant and, frankly, a pleasure to behold. The world also feels more alive than any other.

The best Sims expansion and a must-have for any Sims fan. [Jan 2004, p.66]

It's amazing how much this game does well on top of its near-perfect controls. [Jan 2004, p.54]

The best of the three THQ wrestling games released this year. [Jan 2004, p.57]

Even if your singing sounds like a goat being strangled, you can still play. [Dec 2003, p.62]

Once you get bored with the combat, Lament of Innocence will get pretty tedious. But luckily, the combat is pretty cool. [Dec 2003, p.52]

Pretty much perfect... The whole thing is designed to make you want to play more. [Grade = A+; Nov 2003, p.68]

The battles are as chaotic and dynamic as "Halo's," but they're in the air... A must-play game. [Jan 2004, p.64]

This third game in the snowboarding series features a complete overhaul, dropping the whole race-circuit idea and taking a more open-ended, Grand Theft Auto–like approach to snowboard competition. [Grade = A+]

This third game in the snowboarding series features a complete overhaul, dropping the whole race-circuit idea and taking a more open-ended, Grand Theft Auto–like approach to snowboard competition.

This third game in the snowboarding series features a complete overhaul, dropping the whole race-circuit idea and taking a more open-ended, Grand Theft Auto–like approach to snowboard competition.

About as challenging as a wordsearch, but still fun for on-the-go gaming. [Jan 2003, p.48]

The most inventive, entertaining action-platform set pieces I've ever seen in a 3D world... One of the best games of 2003. [Nov 2003, p.50]

It would have been nice for Rockstar to learn from past mistakes instead of rehashing them. Still, no other game on any platform better mimics the look and feel of Hong Kong action films.

Just what I want to see happen to the Mega Man series - classic gameplay with extra enhancements for more depth, Zero 2 is a fantastic step in the right direction. [Nov 2003, p.70]

The real fun began when I grabbed a few friends and switched from the main Air Ride to the Top Ride and City Trial modes. [Nov 2003, p.66]

The graphical style is truly innovative, something I haven't been able to say about a game in a long time - it truly looks like a manga come to life. [Oct 2003, p.47]

If you like strategy, but don't want something super hardcore (like say "Dynasty Tactics 2"), this is your game. [Nov 2003, p.53]

One thing I'm wishing for more of in Hitz is crazier hitting, fighting, and commentary. [Oct 2003, p.62]

More than any strategy game I've played, DT2 forces you to think five moves ahead at all times. [Nov 2003, p.52]

Hardcore DDR fans will see the flaws, but DDRMAX2 is still a blast. [Nov 2003, p.52]

The mechanics of egg rolling, egg bouncing, and egg hatching are so well done and fun to execute that they infuse the whole omelet - er, game - with deliciousness. [Oct 2003, p.50]

Yes, checking is part of hockey, but it's overdone in NHL 2004. [Oct 2003, p.62]

Gone are the days when bouncing off another car to make a turn was acceptable. In Thunder 2004, you can still pull crap like that, but don't be surprised if your victim stuffs you into the wall on the next lap. [Oct 2003, p.63]

You're really going to have to learn which units to use, when to use them, and how to use them effectively. [Nov 2003, p.64]

If you like your games with a crazy twist, then you'll totally get into this one. [Oct 2003, p.52]

While hardly original, Hit & Run offers lots in the way of solid gameplay, excellent controls, and pure unadulterated fun. [Oct 2003, p.57]

You won't find a smoother hockey game. [Oct 2003, p.61]

Forgive me if I wanted more. I still love this series, but I had higher hopes for this sequel. Nonetheless, it's great fun. [Oct 2003, p.58]

What sets this game apart from every other is the obscene amount of tweakage you can do to your character. [Dec 2003, p.70]

The business, and if you even pretend to like RPGs in their purest form, you have to play it. [Oct 2003, p.51]

Players will come to love the game's fine grappling and reversal system. [Nov 2003, p.67]

The best of the series. [Nov 2003, p.58]

I actually dig this game. It's so good, I can even deal with the cutesy characters. [Oct 2003, p.60]

While Disgaea sure isn't as elegant and polished a game as "FFTA," it's definitely fun. [Oct 2003, p.58]

Once you begin figuring out the combo system and how to manipulate the dice, Bombastic becomes oddly addictive. [Sept 2003, p.54]

SCII is a rare thing. It has expertly designed fighting mechanics, a gorgeous graphical presentation, and a magnitude of features and play modes... The fighting still feels perfect. [Grade = A+; Sept 2003, p.48]

Frustrating at times. Restarting a level 38 times before you beat it makes it hard to look upon the experience fondly, after all. [Oct 2003, p.57]

SCII is a rare thing. It has expertly designed fighting mechanics, a gorgeous graphical presentation, and a magnitude of features and play modes... The fighting still feels perfect. [Grade = A+ ; Sept 2003, p.48]

SCII is a rare thing. It has expertly designed fighting mechanics, a gorgeous graphical presentation, and a magnitude of features and play modes... The fighting still feels perfect. [Grade = A+ ; Sept 2003, p.48]

A brilliantly executed first-person adventure. [Oct 2003, p.64]

Like "Wario Ware," this is a perfect handheld game. Instantly playable. [Nov 2003, p.72]

I couldn't stop playing F-Zero GX. It's refreshing to see a racing game ditching the sim elements that seem to be a prerequisite nowadays in favor of more arcadey gameplay. [Oct 2003, p.46]

The puzzles are more interesting, the learning curve isn't as steep, and the opportunity to take control of all of Buffy's pals mixes up gameplay nicely. [Oct 2003, p.50]

A brilliant fighting game, perhaps second only to "Soul Calibur II." [Sept 2003, p.53]

Without question, the year's best football game...again. [Oct 2003, p.61]

Apart from the minute-to-minute madness, Chaos Legion rocks a pretty cool amount of depth. [July 2003, p.56]

Newbies may be shocked at the strategy and planning this game requires, but they'll most likely enjoy the quick learning curve, thanks to Ghost's user-friendly interface. [Sept 2003, p.60]