San Andreas's chief advantage over "Vice City" is size. And for many players, that's good enough. But another group of fans will come to quietly understand that, at least for the time being, "Vice City" remains the high point of the GTA series.

The good news is that piecing 'coasters and parks together is easier than ever; between the flexible camera controls and the effortless new terrain-building tools, RCT 3 squeezes tremendous functionality out of its elegant drag-and-drop interface.

The exhilaration of getting the enemy in your sights and squeezing the trigger still hasn't worn out, even despite its similarities to "Forgotten Battles."

The brilliant level design in this game doesn't take center stage when it comes to eye-popping visuals. There are now many more reasons to drool over your favorite female fighter.

For veterans, it'll feel like the same gameplay found in all previous Ace Combat games--and that's not necessarily a bad thing considering this is a shooter that's still worthy of sitting in first class.

Part of the fun is watching everyone's humorous club swings and listening to their foul mouths after shanking a ball. Sadly, the jokes start repeating after the front nine. [Nov 2004, p.140]

Playing Otogi 2 not only reconfirmed our opinion of the original, but it also disappointed us as it's nearly just as constrained. [Nov 2004, p.108]

As a bonus (although some would see this as a reason to buy the game), TRON 2.0 also includes the full versions of both the original "TRON" arcade game and the "Discs of TRON" arcade game. Control in both is spot on, with "Discs of TRON" using the shoulder buttons for targeting.

The gameplay blows minds. The lush, detailed graphics and driving sountrack are the icing on the cake. [Dec 2004, p.108]

While it's always great to see an arcade title faithfully ported to a home console, Crisis Zone is nearly too arcadey for its own good as both story mode scenarios can be completed in well under an hour on the normal difficulty setting.

Behind the flashy extras and cool license, TMNT2 remains an utterly forgettable (albeit forgivable) example of the modern gaming mediocrity. [Dec 2004, p.116]

May not be as revolutionary as the original, but it's still a solid gaming experience and a good bridge between the gaming world and reality. [Dec 2004, p.132]

While the incorporation of stealth may not be the strongest feature in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, it's probably the only change worth noting. Although there are other modes for you to try, they're really not worth the time. [Dec 2004, p.134]

The battlefield is stained with annoying blemishes, but the game still performs courageously. [Dec 2004, p.104]

Despite Rayne’s new abilities, you’re still doing pretty much the same thing as before—slashing up wimpy guys, defeating bosses, and then doing it all over again after the next save point. (Even worse, the old camera problems are still there—you’ll get blindsided by enemies all the time simply because you had no advance warning of their presence.)

By no means a perfect game - however, it's quite addictive and has the best controls for any soccer game so far. [Nov 2004, p.145]

Despite Rayne's new abilities, you're still doing pretty much the same thing as before-slashing up wimpy guys, defeating bosses, and then doing it all over again after the next save point. (Even worse, the old camera problems are still there-you'll get blindsided by enemies all the time simply because you had no advance warning of their presence.)

By no means a perfect game - however, it's quite addictive and has the best controls for any soccer game so far. [Nov 2004, p.145]

Not all of the games have aged particularly well. Pit Fighter, Kozmik Kroozr', and Primal Rage are almost unplayable, and the obnoxious taunts of Wizard of Wor will send you scrambling for the mute button. [Dec 2004, p.116]

Showdown's preset camera angles aren't very intuitive--in later levels, players are constantly attacked from enemies offscreen, and Captain Gundam frequently can't see enemies that he is attacking. Also, the item system is clumsily implemented.

Not all of the games have aged particularly well. Pit Fighter, Kozmik Kroozr', and Primal Rage are almost unplayable, and the obnoxious taunts of Wizard of Wor will send you scrambling for the mute button.

Classic RPG elements (like turn-based battles, item stores, and a rich plotline) flesh out classic Mario elements (like star/coin collecting, pipe travel, and jumping on things' heads as a means of violent retribution) to create a thoroughly enjoyable gaming experience (as long as you can tolerate the cuuute!).

Not all of the games have aged particularly well. Pit Fighter, Kozmik Kroozr', and Primal Rage are almost unplayable, and the obnoxious taunts of Wizard of Wor will send you scrambling for the mute button. [Dec 2004, p.116]

With horrible graphics that look like something an owl regurgitated, broken controls that must be wrestled with at every turn, and level designs that could turn the undead, Robotech: Invasion is an utter waste of money.

It's almost like they came up with the jokes first, then hastily built a game framework around it. [Dec 2004, p.118]

With horrible graphics that look like something an owl regurgitated, broken controls that must be wrestled with at every turn, and level designs that could turn the undead, Robotech: Invasion is an utter waste of money.

Deception's drop-dead gorgeous graphics are loaded with clever details (Mileena's thinly veiled mouth or razor-sharp teeth, for instance) and vibrant colors.

The Story Mode is decidedly different in that it doesn’t feel like a rehash of THUG and the inclusion of Classic Mode is brilliant—that’s without accounting for the expansive customizable and multiplayer options. Simply put, this game is skating nirvana.