Reclaims the crown "Wipeout" stole from F-Zero with lots of stuff to unlock, a stout Story mode, and lots of group fun - but it can be frustratingly difficult, too. The chemical response of your adrenal gland could be hazardous.

On the whole, the puzzle construction is logical and rewarding, but it has major lapses of logic that prove maddening. The multiplayer mode is where Chaos Bleeds really shines.

A unique action game that’s repetitive in its style and level structure, Alter Echo is kept from being boring by its over-exaggerated morphing combo system and a wide variety of enemies that adapt to your attacks.

A fun mixture of addictive action, tough obstacle course maneuvering, and actual wit.

Beats its predecessor with souped-up visuals, new characters and moves, improved tutorials, hundreds of unlockable items, and the amazingly deep Quest mode. And this is a Greatest Hits title? Insane bargain alert!

For Romance followers, this addition to the series is the best yet. An unlimited number of accounting practices combined with more depth to the lives that you control can be an overwhelming if not humbling experience for wannabe rulers of the land. Just make sure you’re up for a long lesson in advanced bookkeeping.

Of course, the game feels best when played with the PS2 controller. The Xbox and the GameCube are fine, too, but their button layouts force sometimes awkward finger stretching.

On the field is where Madden is money. All the player models have received another megadose of polygons. The PS2 looks even better than last year's version, but the Xbox and the GameCube really shine.

This 2004 edition maintains the traditional love affair with the NFL that football gamers have come to expect from the series while adding some dynamite new features.

It’s too easy. You'll be able to breeze through the game's 13 levels and only encounter about three tough bosses, which comes out to roughly $17 a challenge.

The best part of Island Thunder is its price tag... Though it may seem to be a simple add-on, Island Thunder has enough features to make it feel like a brand-new game.

The two-player mode isn’t all bad, but for such a solid game, it’s a flaw that’s keeping this otherwise plenary racing game below the ranks of "Mario Kart" and "Diddy Kong Racing."

For all its similarity to Silent Hill 2, the third installment still manages to set itself apart with more variety, slightly improved combat, more logical puzzles, a different enough story, and even better visuals in their own grainy nonconformist way.

It’s a fun mixture of high-speed racing with a tight balance of racing and tricks.

The fact that the game is so close to perfection is what makes the multiplayer so damn disappointing.

By taking two killer licenses and placing them in a real-time strategy setting, Zono Inc. has crafted a compelling, addictive, and challenging-as-hell game.

The game surfs on the well-executed difference among the Alien, Predator, and Marine gameplay styles, but the strategy lacks depth and defaults to the throw-piles-of-guys-at-the-enemy style of gameplay.

The audio and visuals are pristine (gotta love that water), the core gameplay's solid as ever, and as a party game, there are few equals. If you wanted a revolution, you probably wouldn't be buying this anyway.

Less enjoyable is the amazingly blatant product placement—bike brands like Trek and Specialized make sense, but while you pedal, billboards for online auction sites and energy bars peddle under the guise of earnable sponsorships. Gamers will tire of it quickly.

Missions get yawn-inducingly monotonous after awhile, and the game's final motorcycle chase sequence is one of the most frustrating ever designed.

Silent Line’s claim to fame is the new first-person view, which looks very cool but ups the practice requirements, too.

BioWare has fabulously succeeded in taking a very PC-like title and making it palatable (not to mention obscenely addictive) to the console audience. The result: the best RPG on the Xbox and arguably the best Star Wars game to date.

Throughout the action, the controls handle sweetly, combining the depth of a large number of moves with smooth playability.

Throughout the action, the controls handle sweetly, combining the depth of a large number of moves with smooth playability.

Throughout the action, the controls handle sweetly, combining the depth of a large number of moves with smooth playability.

Easily the most gorgeous and immersive game in the genre. Huge cities, vibrant wildernesses, and highly detailed player character models help nail home the sheer Star-Warsiness of the game, while the Star Wars sound suite does its usual awesome job of grounding you in the world of the films.

The graphic and sound departments could have used just as much depth. Instead, the visuals are reminiscent of how the first-generation PS2 games look—not refined with average detail.

Presentation wise, the wide range of characters and vast courts look great and feature a high level of detail. Animation can be a bit stiff looking, but this is still one of the best-looking volleyball games ever.