Seriously gory but realistic environments and an action-heavy gameplay mix make The Thing a satisfyingly disturbing must-play...Terrifyingly good.

It's worthwhile to trudge through the occasional dull punch-fight and inane spat of dialogue to get to the next wicked little gunfight.

Buffyphiles will be pleased; Willow, Cordelia, Giles, Spike, Xander, and Angel are all voiced by the actual actors from the show, and the actress voicing Buffy does a fantastic Sarah Michelle Gellar impression.

It doesn’t deserve starter status because its competition has a bigger head start with their titles, but it’s definitely a big step in the right direction.

For fighting enthusiasts still holding on to their PlayStation, Capcom vs. SNK Pro will entertain you. PS2 owners, though, should skip this title and just pick up "Capcom vs. SNK 2" instead.

Straddles the line between arcade and simulation nicely. Players move, look, and behave in a realistic fashion, but fatigue, substitutions, and playcalling don’t interrupt the fun.

With smart A.I., great controls, and a take-no-prisoners approach to football, it should earn All-Pro status again...a straight-ahead, hard-as-knuckles football game.

Offers no major surprises but plenty of refinements to a proven formula. It’s a major improvement over the first game.

The advances in gameplay, graphics, and features are quite noticeable as GameDay is a solid, enjoyable football experience; however, it’s still not yet ready to take the starter position.

Even beyond the football gameplay, you have to appreciate the wealth of extras and activities that make Madden NFL 2003 such an entertaining and complete package.

Straddles the line between arcade and simulation nicely. Players move, look, and behave in a realistic fashion, but fatigue, substitutions, and playcalling don’t interrupt the fun.

Definitely follows the standard formula, bolstered by some nice additions. Then again, it’s an enjoyable formula that works—so no problem.

The graphics are the main differentiator with the Xbox version looking sharpest, the PS2 version sprouting typical jaggies, and the GameCube version appearing slightly soft.

Even beyond the football gameplay, you have to appreciate the wealth of extras and activities that make Madden NFL 2003 such an entertaining and complete package.

Looks pretty, but the flawed controls prevent it from having the wide appeal a sport featuring toned female athletes in bikinis should have.

While all this is great, it still comes up a tad short compared to EA’s NCAA football game, especially in the college atmosphere category.

Despite its questionable ethical objectives, Warzones is simply a frantic driver.

This game dances down the sideline between football sim and football arcade game, and it scores.

It’s puzzling that this game could look better on the Dreamcast than on the PS2, but it does.

The depth and design of each stage, in fact, is what makes this game addicting to play—there’s so much to see and do in each level.

Solid and well-built—it’s just not going to knock your mechanical socks off in the imagination department.

As original in gameplay as it is in visual design.

The glitches and sense of sterility make everything feel just a little out of alignment, but Totaled!'s arcade-sy core and multiplayer mode still make it fun. [August 2002, p.82]

A well-made, well-presented, potentially thoroughly enjoyable hack-n-slash-a-thon that’s plagued by a Frustrating Cheap Death spell and the lack of any mid-game save or checkpoint feature to combat it.

For the first rollerblading game on the Xbox, Aggressive Inline sets one hell of a standard.

The graphics look crisp, but the slowdown on parts of Glitter Oasis is a major disappointment.

If a Playstation is all you have and three Syphon Filters just isn't enought, then C-12 is worthy of your attention. [August 2002, p.86]

Excellent controls deliver a highly responsive feel and a huge roster of cool moves, including a new defensive ball swat.