If you played "SOCOM" for the chat, however, then you'll probably abandon this game early on.

Some may be put off by the somewhat sluggish controls, which make you feel as if you’re actually manipulating a towering behemoth, but the rumble adds a nice effect whenever you’re struck or take a nasty spill.

The feel of the driving is what earned the McRae series its reputation, and the controls remain impeccable in this PS2 edition.

The whole game feels bloated, like it’s trying to do too many things at once, and the new character-oriented career mode is uninspired.

Wolverine's Revenge also has some haggard camera work and sluggish controls, not to mention retarded collision detection and counter-intuitively mapped commands (have fun trying to readjust the camera while in stealth mode).

While it doesn’t look bad, what was good-looking on the Dreamcast is mediocre by Xbox standards. The controls are also unchanged.

It's for that rare breed of gamer who isn't afraid of inhuman challenge, who spends days practicing their routines, who will do anything to beat his last high score.

Character animation is fine, but some questionable collision detection and generic explosions rob it of whatever flash it could have had. X2: Wolverine’s Revenge simply doesn’t feel polished—or even complete.

The best thing you can say about The Lost Age, though, is that it's Golden Sun—except more of it. A good 35 hours more, even. If you've played the original, then this is a must buy.

This version of Splinter Cell disappointingly doesn’t measure up to the superior versions on the Xbox, PS2, and PC, although it’s still a decent mission for the GameCube.

Although it lacks the ultra polish of "Need for Speed" or the outrageous wrecks of "Burnout," its high challenge and huge tracks will keep your hands glued to the controller.

The characters look nice enough, but the station itself is uniformly drab, making it easy to get lost. This situation isn't helped by a control system that seems designed to give you carpal-tunnel syndrome.

Visually, the game’s a stunner—cars look great thanks to a high polygon count, and when they crash, parts fly absolutely everywhere.

While the PS2's levels are noticeably shorter than those of the Xbox version, their design hasn't changed and the overall gameplay remains completely intact, making this game a wonderful adventure within the Tom Clancy universe.

While regular Joes will miss nothing if they pass this up, the art galleries and new music are enough to make Origins worth it to hardcore FF fanatics.

Improves on the first "Red Faction" on almost every level. The graphics are superb, the action is relentless, and the Geo-Mod aspects play a more integral role in the game.

A gripping and action-packed experience that will appease if you’re jonesing for a straightforward FPS.

At once the best wrestling game in years, an awesome showcase for some damn good hip-hop, and an example of what can happen when a game company takes a chance.

For all its frustrations and shortcomings, GR2003 does pay off with the thrill of long-sought victory and a sense of accomplishment for having figured out the bizarre subtleties of this stat-heavy simulation.

Among the most addictive, frantic, and fun of the latter-day Tetris/Puyo Pop/Dr. Mario clones, but the true insanity is reserved for two people.

More than just a port of a PlayStation 2 fighting game—it’s a port of a very good PlayStation 2 fighting game... The GameCube version suffers a bit on a few fronts, most notably its controls and graphics.

Samurai Jack is neck-and-neck with "E.T." for the Atari 2600. [Apr 2003, p.61]

The gameplay sometimes feels like it’s in low gear. The tracks are short and predictable, and although stunts are encouraged, the repertoire and controls are limited.

Fights are fast and furious, and there’s no shortage of splashy, flashy special effects.

While business minutia often drags down world-building sims, Operation Genesis offers enough variety and a bit of real action to not only set it apart but also keep players very satisfied.

Auto Modellista’s gameplay doesn’t match its outstanding visuals. Unfortunately, the driving technique at the heart of this driver doesn’t perform well.

Too bad the slow pace of the gameplay hobbles the cool concept.

Koei's obviously performed emergency surgery on the AI routines, because everyone's a thousand times smarter now.