Might not bring much new to the table (aside from its gorgeous cel-shaded graphics), but it's such a stellar example of this traditional style of RPG'ing that it's worth a look. [Nov 2002, p.74]

Brilliant battle system - arguably one of the finest ever devised. [Apr 2003, p.50]

To my shock, Nightfire is every bit as good as "Goldeneye." [Dec 2002, p.56]

Forget the serene day at the ballpark; Slugfest delivers action, fisticuffs, and plenty of fun. [May 2003, p.50]

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

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

Without the MLS license, it's hard for a casual fan like me to get into. [Mar 2003, p.50]

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.

At the very least, speeding on a broomstick at 250 miles per hour will give you a new level of respect for Harry's skills as a Seeker. [Dec 2002, p.75]

Brings exciting visuals, fast gameplay, and over-the-top wrestling moves together in a package that's as fun to play as it is interesting to look at. [July 2003, p.48]

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]

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

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

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

If you can get past the fact that you've played this twice before, you'll love it. [June 2003, p.45]

The gameplay is really solid. It just doesn't feel like Splinter Cell, so calling it that seems a little misleading. [June 2003, p.42]

The cut-scenes will make you feel seriously embarrassed for the people who wrote them. [Aug 2003, p.32]

The best looking baseball game on the market. [August 2002, p.44]

Everything looks fabulous and the pinball physics are dead-on, but the difficulty could've used a bit more tweaking. [July 2003, p.50]

The game also suffers from way too many cheap hits and bizarre, maze-like levels with no basis in reality. [June 2002, p.86]

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

The game doesn't last that long, but you'll be constantly entertained. [June 2002, p.60]

The cliffhanger ending is mind-bendingly cool. [June 2003, p.51]

True RPG fans (like me) will eat this up. [Feb 2003, p.51]

Much like "Virtua Tennis," the game is great because it rewards anticipation. [Oct 2002, p.44]

It's just kinda...there. [Apr 2003, p.52]

It's all about the weapons... And they're all pretty rad. [Feb 2003, p.48]

It doesn't have the polish or intensity of "Midnight Club II." [Aug 2003, p.31]

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

While its gameplay is neither fantastic nor bad, overall, it's a solid action-RPG that does a great job of capturing the phenomenon on which it's based. [July 2003, p.50]

Ugly. It's got a muddled battle system. [Feb 2003, p.44]

Sonic fans owe it to themselves to pick this up. [Dec 2002, p.72]

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 solid shooter with a slick look that offers little new to the genre. [Apr 2003, p.44]

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

With the bugs ironed out, we'd have a good game on our hands. [Dec 2003, p.66]

Have you ever played the classic arcade game Robotron 2084? Imagine a crappier version of it in 3D with horrible controls. That's what the on-foot missions of Rebel Strike are like.

My biggest beef with the game is that it never really feels like your hits are connecting. [Dec 2002, p.64]

What sort of waste of time is this vulgar mediocrity? [Sept 2003, p.55]

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

The fighting system is as basic and clumsy as it was back in 1987. [Dec 2003, p.75]

Good, but not the revolution its PC sibling was. [Mar 2003, p.44]

The drawing system is brilliant - simple sketches transform with ease into wonderfully animated creatures. [June 2003, p.50]

Ever wanted to play an action movie? Here's your chance. [June 2002, p.64]

A pretty fun game, but it essentially ends ujp being more of the same. [Jan 2003, p.67]

Since it uses the same engine as the GBA "Tony Hawk" games, the skaing and grinding action works very well. [July 2003, p.52]

Transforming robots, stylish graphics and a huge variety of missions make up for the occasional bump in the road. [Nov 2002, p.72]

It's incredibly hard. Linear algebra was easier than this - and more fun. [Apr 2003, p.53]

Still a ways to go if Fever is gonna compete with "Madden." [Nov 2003, p.54]

Has great graphics, but is painfully low on actual gameplay. [Mar 2003, p.52]

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.

It's like "Tomb Raider" with a better fighting engine. [Apr 2003, p.54]

Too short, too straightforward, and too limited to recommend to all but the staunchest snowboarding aficionados. The game can be beaten in two hours on your first go. [Jan 2003, p.49]

A bloody, intense game that almost perfectly captures all of the excitement of the world's premiere fighting sport. [Mar 2003, p.49]

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

Each level starts out as fun, but with the gameplay so frustrating and immensely difficult throughout, what starts out as entertaining often becomes mere work in no time. [Sept 2002, p.42]

A pleasant surprise last year, but the newest version offers little in the way of enhancements...Plays smooth and fast, perfect for a quick dose of action here or there. [Sept 2002, p.51]

This control's like my cousin Rocko's deodorant. Sometimes it's on, sometimes it's not. [June 2002, p.67]

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]

There isn't anything in Clone Wars that hasn't been more successfully executed in another game. [Jan 2003, p.61]

It's nothing entirely new, but you'll have a good time doing it. [Nov 2002, p.75]

A really nice looking game, and the environments feel like actual places (as opposed to game levels), so exploring them isn't aways that painful. [June 2003, p.53]

What ultimately brings Godzilla: DAMM down is its repetitious nature...Regardless, hardcore Godzilla fans will eat this up. [Nov 2002, p.78]

Easily worth its weight in gold as a multiplayer game, though; the depth of the options available to you are staggering. [Nov 2002, p.70]

You practically need a magnifying glass to spot your tiny units on the map. [Jan 2004, p.67]

A complete lack of newness. [Feb 2003, p.47]

An immensely cool game that pushes frustration to its boundaries. [Apr 2003, p.51]

Frustrating because of the repetitive, mapless dungeons, and stupid because of the lame story. [Jan 2003, p.46]

A pleasant surprise last year, but the newest version offers little in the way of enhancements...Plays smooth and fast, perfect for a quick dose of action here or there. [Sept 2002, p.51]

A pleasant surprise last year, but the newest version offers little in the way of enhancements...Plays smooth and fast, perfect for a quick dose of action here or there. [Sept 2002, p.51]

Just doesn't make the cut. [Oct 2002, p.51]

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

The man with the lightgun is king, and the man without it is zombie chow. [Dec 2002, p.62]

Forget about the old-school gameplay and squatty heroes of the original games - Twilight features expansive 3D worlds, cool anime-style characters, and radically reworked gameplay. [July 2003, p.57]

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

Slower-paced than "Dark Alliance," and it feels a lot more soulless and generic. [Nov 2003, p.54]

Our primary gripe against the game, however, is the length: veteran gamers will be able to beat it in a matter of hours. [June 2002, p.88]

I wish I had played [it] before I played "Gallop Racer." In almost every regard, G1 is a superior product with much more depth and sophistication. [July 2003, p.59]

SNK creates quirky, memorable characters with interesting moves, and KOF 2001 in particular showcases a huge number of these. [Jan 2004, p.58]

There's also a split-screen two-player mode that makes the game twice as fun. [Dec 2002, p.62]

It's friggen' hard...Gamers who relish a real challenge, though, will find Stuntman extremely satisfying...if they make it through the whole thing, that is. [August 2002, p.42]

This game does nothing new except offer a ton of foul language to get you in trouble with the 'rents. Next, please.

Unexpectedly creative. [Apr 2003, p.42]

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]

One of the great things about this MMORPG is that it's just <I>massive</I>. [Grade = A+]

Virtually no health power-ups + enemies that can attack you from offscreen = hurling your game pad at a wall. [Dec 2002, p.66]

Improved, but still trails EA's "NCAA 2003" in every conceivable department. [Sept 2002, p.52]

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

My biggest beef with Wario World is that it's over too quickly... If you love looking for secrets, though, Wario World is a great diversion. [July 2003, p.47]

Old-school gamers will love G&W Gallery 4, as will anyone who's up for a pure, simple challenge. [Jan 2003, p.65]

Certainly should garner awards for technical achievement. [Dec 2002, p.58]

What I like most about The Hulk is the fact that the Hulk plays the way you'd expect him to. [July 2003, p.53]

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

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]

Cooperation is key. It's easier and faster to do everything with the help of other Sims. [Mar 2003, p.55]

As a single player game, it's kinda boring. [Jan 2003, p.59]

It's just too darn short. It's not even as difficult as its PS2 counterpart, so you'll blow through it relatively quickly. [Jan 2003, p.65]

First of all, there's the asinine boost system. As in the previous game, you must link powerslides to keep your boosts going, forcing you to keep your kart at a 45-degree angle during races. Blech.