The battle system still rocks the house if you're a fan of fast-paced turn-based systems.

This game's pick up and play appeal will have casual gamers hooked to this game, but its RPG style elements and surprising franchise mode depth also could appeal to sports game junkies as well.

Some baseball games may offer sharper graphics or more voice acting, but no game offers a deeper, more realistic simulation of America's pastime.

It is a kick, though, and has an easy learning curve for beginners while delivering challange and depth for more experienced gamers.

One mighty fine soccer game. Yep, mighty fine indeed.

A few steps shy from a classic and offers no compelling improvements over Sega's NBA 2K1 to convert Dreamcast owners away from their online-savvy gameplay and get them on a PS2.

While many may be frightened off due to the depth and complexity, others (especially fans of "AC 2") will joyfully sink their teeth into this one.

This is one instance where a lot of appeal and a sizable dose of flash and panache can make up for some simplistic control and unimpressive depth enhancements.

Reborn into a new era of gaming, SpyHunter maintains its great name for being a hardcore action racing title.

Sadly, many people will pass this title up for something with a bit more "flash" instead of going for substance – something Headhunter definitely has.

The controls are simple, but the weapon system and town building program will take time to master, and this should appeal to RPG fanatics.

Fatal Frame is damn scary. For the first time ever, I not only had to play a game with the lights on, but I had to throw in another game afterward playing this to kill the mood of it all.

Fluid gameplay, great visuals, and a huge amount of overall depth easily override some low-key soundtracks, a frustrating camera, and a high degree of difficulty.

A load of fun.

The sense of speed, the detailed graphics, and most of all, the fun makes this a great addition to the PS2 lineup.

The sheer appeal and addictive quality of this title is unmistakable.

The game still continues to have a great sense of speed and the thrill for being chased.

Haven't had more fun with a light gun on a console since the original Time Crisis.

Sky Gunner’s gameplay has old school written all over it, and I mean that in a good way. The game’s slowdown might mar some of the game’s appeal, but if you can look past that, you have a charming and engaging experience to look forward to.

The game of baseball was more accurately depicted in High Heat than most any other baseball game I've seen...High Heat's superb control and outstanding gameplay should be enough for most any fan.

What with the story mode, the regular mode, and the competitive mode, there's enough here to keep a whole group of puzzle gamers occupied for quite some time.

The fact still remains though that if you are looking for a game that represents sim-hoops, there is no game that represents that better than NBA Live 2002.

It's very addicting so if you don't have much time to spare, this isn't the title for you because playing for only a few minutes is an impossibility.

Starfighter has won back my trust with pretty visuals, controls as smooth as a baby's freshly powdered ass and an highly enjoyable play structure which welcomes replay.

A veritable avalanche of gameplay options.

High time demands put on the gamer by the "no saves in dungeons" design... won't bother hardcore fans but may tax the patience of the more casual fan.

The replay value for this title is huge and the amount of time that it's going to require to unlock everything is significant and will keep gamers glued to see what they can unlock next.

In terms of physics I must say that I'm really at awe with the direction the game took.

Soul Reaver's story is much deeper, more dramatic and lavishly developed in this edition.

Despite its simple core, Dynasty Warriors 2 is appealing to me. The action gets very intense with the sheer number of people on screen.

The new multi-player options and superb gameplay could actually keep you playing until MGS 2 in October. I've played precious few PS2 titles that are better, and Winback is certainly one of those games that will seem impossible to put down.

The fluidity of the player movements and how fast and distinctive the game plays out is very realistic and far surpasses anything currently available. This truly is the best simulation baseball game on the PS2.

. It blends fast gameplay, great graphics, and a variety of option to create perhaps the greatest golf outing to date.

Fast, frenetic, and most importantly fun.

The game is great in both short bursts and over the long haul.

Although it is hampered with framerate issues and a bit of a clumsy interface, the game delivers on mostly every other aspect.

The well-told story, furious battles, and engrossing settings should allow you to look past a few design problems.

Without the camera's awkward behavior and minor flaws in the story AirBlade would have easily found a slightly higher score.

Strategy games are never meant to be flashy or hectic, but if they become too slow and complicated for the sake of being complicated…well, then we have a problem. Dynasty Tactics walks a very fine line here, and luckily, does not fall into the aforementioned abyss.

A more complete gameplay model with refined controls could have made this racing title of the launch, excluding "SSX" of course.

If you're sucked in to the experience, you will find that there's plenty to do; cars to customize and challengers to crush. Although some may find it cumbersome and repetitive, the idea is sound, and the game comes out fairly clean in the end.

The game's brevity and lack of real suspense or horror make for a mellower game than anticipated. It's worth playing.

Could have been a better racer had the framerate not stopped at key points in the game and also if the game had a little more replay value.

It’s incredibly fun, and incredibly addicting. It’s just too bad that the camera system is incredibly flawed.

A blast to play.

A great design with a hint of innovation and style, and enough strategy to make you grow new brain cells.

There were so many hilarious phrases and humorous insults in this game that I can't even begin to remember them all.

A solid, yet simple rally game that works for what it tries to do. Its lack of vehicle customization restrict its appeal, and hinders its chance against heavy hitters like Colin Mcrae 3 and even GT3’s rally mode.

Weak story mode and ear damaging sound are the only minuses in the game, but these can be considered major categories.

NASCAR fans will find this title exhilarating and well simulated, and will really sink their teeth into the advanced controls and tune-up options.

UFC fans should be more than satisfied. It’s not as polished as I would’ve liked, and the depth is somewhat hindered by overly similar modes of play.

What could have been in the top ten games of the year has been brought down by dropping frame rates, repetitive gameplay, and agonizing load times.

A pretty, well-designed, stylish, and captivating piece of work that unfortunately suffers a bit with some distant and muted sound effects and less-than-engaging races.

It really delivers when it comes to captivating gameplay and incredible sound...It has the potential to provide hours of entertainment, but only for the right individual looking for this kind of game.

Don't forget to bring your patience though because Maximo's poorly implemented camera system, semi-cheap enemy placement at the end of jumps, and save system may be the difference between you liking this game, and you hating this game.

This is a curiously addictive game, and with the various modes offered, you'll be busy hauling bass and making a name for yourself in no time. Just don't forget to grow out those sideburns.

The non-stop action can get a bit repetitive and ultimately tiresome, and the sound effects may begin to wear on the nerves after a few hours of playing.

If the game had been more realistic, it actually would’ve been easier. No Stuntman will do some of these scenes and expect to survive...jumping onto and through a train? Nor would they do so many stunts in one take.

I really enjoyed Gungrave. I was able to come to terms with it’s short play length and old school simplicity, but I understand that this game might not pack enough staying power to warrant the $50 price tag.

A solid videogaming experience and one that, for a relatively inexperienced American public, is well worth trying out. Die-hard fans of the sport will be a tad disappointed with a number of aspects.

Due to the sheer difficulty, it's actually only for a select few.

Offers a good amount of playability for anyone even remotely interested in motocross or racing games in general.

One of the best puzzlers to ever grace a console, and almost a must-have party game.

For being button-masher friendly and suffering from uninspiring Career and Tournament modes, the game still somehow manages to end up as a rather top-notch boxer.

Highly original and addictive, .hack is more interesting than most of the MOM-RPGs the game attempts to simulate.

The graphics are excellent, the replays are amazing, the gameplay is solid, and even though the sound is sub-par, it's definitely worth a rent for racing fans.

A solid game, but I just wish it brought more to the genre as far as originality.

Great graphics, good sound, mediocre gameplay. We were soooo close.

The game is fun for a limited amount of time, but due to its lack of depth and lackluster at best multi-player mode, you will probably not find yourself playing this game whole a helluva lot once that initial excitement wears off.

It's not the giant that its characters are, but it is a pretty big fish that should be checked out, by rental at least.

With no online mode, and a limited set of additions, there isn't much of a difference here when compared to Blitz 20-02.

Maybe my expectations were set so low that there was nowhere to go but up the scale, but I truly found myself enjoying the gameplay. It was a relief to play a Star Wars title that made fun of itself before I could.

Somehow Remedy Entertainment made the PS2 look like an old man when compared to the new console and the tried and true personal computer.

Most definitely in the same vein as other EA Sports titles like "FIFA 2001" and "NHL 2001," but nowhere near the almost perfect stature of "Madden 2001."

Loads of potential. As for this year's game, it “bumbles and stumbles” out of the gate to a third-place finish behind Madden 2002 and NFL2K2.

Short length and repetitive gameplay take a little away from it, but action fans should be pleased.

The game is pretty simple in terms of menus and navigation, yet incredibly in-depth in terms of styles of music you can mix and match.

The most entertaining feature in Barbarian is, without a doubt, the interactive environments.

The game is just a little more tedious to play than it is enjoyable.

A disappointment. It lacks the charm that "Final Fight," and "Streets of Rage" had before it and it doesn't make up for it with the lack of depth and the lack of a 2 player mode! Shame on you Vis!

If you're a fan of the series or just looking for a great multiplayer seek and destroy mission, Gauntlet will provide thrills in spades.

Although it seems odd, I believe that this is the best of all the Konami/ESPN sports games to date.

It has most of the necessary ingredients to turn four friends with beer (or soda, for the tykes out there) into a night of simple, over-the-top, tank-based explosions and partying. Don't expect a one-player game though.

Although the play mechanics are very solid and intuitive, the controls get in the way to the point that it affects the gameplay. With another control scheme, this game would've been recommended a bit higher.

Tedious gameplay, horrid loading times, and a first few hours of gameplay hell make the game rather uninspiring. But getting past the first few hours will reward the gamer will a slightly better gaming experience.

While the game isn't incredibly deep, it does have a deep learning curve for driving. Otherwise, there are about 50+ cars to be had, most of them unlockable.

The camera problems and the game's unnecessarily uneven difficulty seal Pac-Man World 2's fate, in spite of the game's depth.

Because the combo system doesn't play a major role in the game due to the AI being brain dead, the game dies out rather quickly and many will get instantly bored with the title.

It's a simple, colorful, cute, but undeniably addictive puzzler that's wonderful for the times when a heavy game with a steep learning curve will put off the casuals in the room.

This is still the same game with only minor tweaking that doesn't make for any new experience.

A solid FPS, although it lacks a bit in the level design department. This leads to a potentially boring online experience.

The interface is clumsy, and the long load times can offset the fun factor. Even so, hardcore strategy fans should have fun with this.

Manages to be an entertaining RPG that navigates its flaws fairly well. There's nothing classic here.

While not quite "EA-like," Triple Play is a good, upbeat baseball game with realistic, engaging gameplay.

The biggest problem here is how tedious some of the objectives can be, but the story is interesting enough to keep you playing, and it's a decently long experience as well.

With solid graphics, solid sound, plus an astute use of the Rayman 2 engine, UbiSoft can chalk up a definite rental that should really be bought by any platform fan.

One of the best new PS2 titles out there, and despite some creative drawbacks, the sound effects and graphics are nicely done and draws you in to the experience.

It tells a fun epic tale, with great music, and the gameplay is solid enough to keep you interested. Unfortunately, the shaky camera, cheap enemy AI, and a limited move list keep this game from being stellar.