The incredibly slow pacing and monotonous puzzles will override the Disney entertainment factor for the young as well.

A must for anyone with even a passing interest in football. It might very well be the finest game in the venerable history of the EA Sports series.

Works out many of the kinks found in last year's game and gets the series back on track.

Unlike EA's game ["NBA Street"], Street Hoops is ugly, shallow, and incredibly dull.

With its in-depth franchise mode, online play, excellent running and passing gameplay, and detailed graphics, NFL 2K3 is one of the best football games to date.

The game's shallow goal design keeps it from achieving the same level of addictiveness as games like "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" and "Aggressive Inline."

A perfect example of a game that doesn't have any serious problems but doesn't do anything to really set itself apart, making it difficult to recommend because there are better alternatives available.

Has online play, a robust franchise mode, and plenty of secondary modes to keep you busy, but the minor issues with the running and passing game really prevent it from being the absolute best representation of professional football that's available.

The controls and overall presentation, while lifted from the Madden games of the past, are up to the current GBA standards and do a nice job of delivering NFL fun on the go.

Nowhere near as pretty or diverse as the original 1996 PC game, but it's easily the best FPS to hit the GBA since "Doom."

It's certainly not as deep or as beautiful as the recent PlayStation 2 and Xbox releases, but it's still pretty fun.

Short and relatively uninspired.

Unlike EA's game ["NBA Street"], Street Hoops is ugly, shallow, and incredibly dull.

The game's shallow goal design keeps it from achieving the same level of addictiveness as games like "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" and "Aggressive Inline."

The few minor issues in the gameplay and the fact that it has the same general look as last year's game really prevent it from taking the crown in this year's football race.

It's a great game and definitely worth purchasing if you didn't already buy Blitz 2002, but Blitz 2002 owners may wish to rent this one first to see if the changes are meaningful enough to them to warrant another purchase.

There's a lot to like about Madden 2003...the few small problems its gameplay does have really prevent from it being the top football game on the GameCube.

Consistently avoids any overt lewdness you might expect and rises above it by delivering an all-around excellent game with impressive visuals and tight, intuitive gameplay.

A great game that fixes a lot of the little problems with the 2002 game and adds a couple of nice features.

Instead of drawing from the rich source material of the TV show, Farscape is a conventional action game with a clunky interface and a dated engine.

The game seems to lack an overall level of polish, as you'll see some questionable AI and some occasional bouts of slowdown in the PS2 version of the game. Still, the gameplay itself is rock-solid.

It's a great introduction for first-time smugglers, but those already familiar with the series won't find much new here.

Fans of last year's game won't find much more than a roster update and a few minor gameplay tweaks in NFL Fever 2003, while new players will find in it a fairly entertaining, though unrealistic, game of football.

Your best bet is to not play Tsunami 2265 at all. Don't worry, you're not missing anything.

Unless you haven't come out of your basement since 1983, you've undoubtedly seen plenty of strategy games that are much more advanced.

Simply put, console tennis doesn't get any better than this.

Like so many other motion picture adaptations, the game lacks the special effects and dialogue that make the film entertaining.

Its innovations with regard to timed-run and in-level goal designs are sure to become trends used in the next generation of alternative sports games.

The game's somewhat sticky control and straightlaced mission design keep Gun Metal's gameplay from living up to the strength of the idea.

What could have been an action-packed, combat-intensive game gets muddled down by mechanics that make it frustrating more often than satisfying.

The frustratingly bad physics in Totaled! make the game a thoroughly unentertaining experience.

Chances are a good number won't be able to forgive the incredibly high level of difficulty--or, rather, be forgiven by it, especially considering the inability to save in the middle of the game's long levels.

Its innovations with regard to timed-run and in-level goal designs are sure to become trends used in the next generation of alternative sports games.

The fighting is fun, but the presentation problems do get in the way just enough to become an issue.

If you're not a huge fan or a newcomer to the series, you may find that Crazy Taxi 3 doesn't have much more to keep you coming back.

A strictly average action game that may interest the few players who haven't graduated to a newer system, but serious gamers will pass it over for something a little more modern.

A college football fan's dream. There are so many different features in the game, and the dynasty mode is so deep, that it's almost overwhelming.

The rivalry games are incredibly entertaining, and the dynasty mode adds a tremendous amount of replay value to an already great game.

Undeniably a great college football game.

Pushes no boundaries and takes no chances.

Quite possibly one of the most confused games and most definitely one of the worst games to be released so far in 2002.

For the most part, it's a satisfying re-creation of the struggle that defined the 20th century. But because it lacks a challenging AI, it eventually falls apart as anything other than a multiplayer game.

As far as Napoleonic warfare goes, you'd be hard-pressed to find a game as visceral and polished as Austerlitz: Napoleon's Greatest Victory.

Despite some real problems, Resistance offers a memorable setting and the sort of intense, intelligent challenges that can make tactical shooters so much fun.

The first baseball management sim that is truly easy to use... [but] its glacierlike speed won't win it any friends.

At worst, you'll lose some time downloading it. At best, you'll get an unusually intense game that in many ways rivals or surpasses the top commercial tactical shooters.

As good of an offering in the genre as there's ever been, featuring a superb story, carefully refined gameplay, plenty of depth, the best online multiplayer mode in any real-time strategy game to date, and the excellent production values you'd expect from a Blizzard product.

The flaws in the game are topped off with some mediocre graphics, a horrible soundtrack, bad voice acting, and a ridiculous number of loading times.

A surprisingly clever and enjoyable little game.

The game offers numerous options, it has a ton of cars and all of the tracks from the rally circuit, and it looks good for a handheld game.

The game misfires at almost every turn, featuring repetitive and overly simple gameplay, as well as dated graphics and an almost complete lack of sound effects.

The story mode provides five missions that can be completed in 20-30 minutes each, and the unlockable training and boss modes don't provide too much more entertainment.

A real step backward for the Delta Force series.

In short, the game plays like an unfinished product rushed out the door and has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

The gameplay mechanics are pretty basic and repetitive, and the storylines are so bland that there's not much value in finishing the game with every character.

You'll need the patience and interest to pour hours upon hours into the game, tirelessly tracking all your statistics as you slowly progress through the military and political ranks.

An original game that some will undoubtedly love, but others won't enjoy at all because of its trial-and-error approach and high degree of difficulty.

Just a so-so fighting game. Even those who watch the series religiously will be hard-pressed to remain interested.

When you race through the new courses and then through the original courses, it almost feels like you're playing two different games--one that truly captures water racing and another that gives small little tastes of what it can be like.

MX Superfly may get bogged down from time to time by the overabundance of minigames, but behind that small obstacle is a motocross game with great gameplay and solid audiovisual presentation.

Though its visual style is soft and often flowery, the pace of the action is maddening and intense.

It still takes the same exciting type of "no rules" approach that the previous games have taken, but RedCard resembles the actual sport of soccer far more than, say, a two-on-two basketball game represents actual NBA play.

Offers several solid interpretations of the classic Russian mindbender, though there's little here that hasn't been seen before.

Functionally and visually, this game is a twin of F1 2002 for the PS2, which was developed using the same impressive graphics and physics engine used in "F1 2001."

It goes into slightly more realistic territory without sacrificing the fun, easy-to-learn gameplay that most of Midway's sports games possess.

An incredibly appealing sports game. While it doesn't possess the sheer addictiveness of, say, "NFL Blitz," it's simultaneously a breath of fresh air and a nostalgic look at the baseball game genre.

Quite possibly one of the most confused games and most definitely one of the worst games to be released so far in 2002.

Unfortunately, Tetris Worlds also introduces one particular change to the gameplay that renders the classic game all but unplayable.

Featuring a gripping story that never lets up, inventive gameplay, sky-high production values, and an attention to detail that is seldom matched, it's an experience like no other.

Its focus on blowing things up gives it a bit of a distinction, but since there's little context to the game and the levels seem thrown together, you'll probably lose interest quickly.

Legion has many sound concepts, but just about everything falls apart in the execution, resulting in a game that runs the gamut from frustrating to just plain terrible.

Fun enough to sit down with for a couple of minutes, but more serious soccer fans won't find it the least bit satisfying if they're looking for a proper and involved video rendition of their sport.

It centers on a battle with a lot of mobility, clearly defined objectives, and unique challenges for both sides. Couple this with Panther Games' innovative gameplay system and you have one of the best single-battle wargames since Atomic Games' "V for Victory" series.

It may carry a $20 price tag, but even at half that price, the technically flawed gameplay and dated production values add up to a gaming experience that's hardly justifiable.

A cleaned-up and slightly larger version of MX 2002. If you missed out on MX 2002, Superfly is a perfect place to start.

Sporting an excellent sense of speed and tight controls, Freekstyle is undeniably fun. But its awkward learning curve and sinister AI will test the mettle of even the most ardent players.

A serviceable futuristic racing game that is perhaps a bit too similar to previous installments in the series.

It's not an ideal game--the gameplay can seem a little plodding at times thanks to the abundance of stats and options, and the AI is sometimes a little too skilled to be realistic--but overall, it's a perfectly good game of baseball.

A well-paced RPG that offers unique and challenging battles and a lighthearted story, Battle Network 2 also hosts a wealth of secrets and extras available both during the initial play-through and after the game has been completed.

The game's use of first-person shooting sequences and other unusual gameplay elements, such as the helicopter's cloaking device, makes Fire Blade an interesting and involving game to play.

Previous budget-priced shooters didn't set our expectations for Navy SEALs very high, but the game undercuts even those standards.

Simply put, once you get into Neverwinter Nights, you'll likely have no need or desire to play another role-playing game for a long time--or any other game for that matter.

A fine-looking, great-sounding, fun-filled game.

GTC: Africa isn't a bad game, but almost all of its components are average at best, and unlike other games in this genre, it lacks any one outstanding feature or notable aspect.

It's a very fun game to play, but there really isn't much to it. You'll likely finish the game in a few hours.

It's because of its accessible nature that Magic Online is undoubtedly the best software representation of Magic: The Gathering released thus far--quite possibly surpassing the physical card game in many respects.

A pretty fun game that's a little short on options but not bad on offering up some well-rounded soccer gameplay.

It was clearly developed with a younger audience in mind, but it is precisely this demographic that will be the most put off by its often-punishing difficulty levels and extremely touchy controls.

The game suffers from a variety of problems that range from poor sound to bad level design, and in the end, they keep Monster Jam from being the least bit enjoyable.

This traditional adventure game offers a few attractive scenes, but otherwise it's an exercise in tedium that will disappoint even avid adventure gamers.

Though it may seem difficult for beginners, Age of Wonders II sounds good, looks great, plays terrific, and improves on every aspect of the original game.

A great Formula 1 game...On the other hand, it is another one in EA Sports' long-running F1 franchise, and it doesn't offer a whole lot of reasons for those who bought F1 2001 to pick this one up.

Clearly superior to "F1 2001" in several important categories, and it's a superb single-player driving game for those who appreciate real-world driving intricacies and generally authentic visuals.

If you can overlook the cheap AI, you'll probably enjoy Test Drive.

For anyone above the age of 12, Pryzm Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn is quite forgettable.

Don't be fooled by its outward appearance: Outlaw Golf is still a surprisingly realistic golf game, complete with spins, hooks, slices, and breaks and the sort of complexity you might expect from a straightforward golf sim.

If nothing else, the experience should last you a while, thanks to the numerous play modes available in WrestleMania X8.

It's a beautiful-looking, sprawling, and completely open-ended game that allows you to play pretty much however you like as long as you're willing to fill in a few blanks using your imagination.