Though you'll undoubtedly get swept up in the game's plot and be dazzled by its cinematics, it's the incredible story and the tense, enjoyable action at the heart of Metal Gear Solid 2 that make it so extraordinary.

The controls and general feel of Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX make it a satisfying product.

It's Gradius done good--if you're into that sort of thing.

The objective-based system works well within this particular environment, the storyline--though incredibly mediocre--is successful in what it sets out to do, and the trick system is easy to get into.

On one hand, sure, it's a derivative real-time strategy game. But on the other hand, it's a tidy little bundle of escapism that's perfect for a generation of gamers raised on Star Wars.

Action fans will have little room for complaints, however--Soldier of Fortune promises "action movie" gameplay and delivers. Each firefight is a challenge, and the detailed, though gruesome, enemy model animation enhances the realism.

A gripping combination of superb story design, sly artificial intelligence, taut combat sequences, and logical puzzles.

Featuring some of the best graphics seen on the system, a rich quest, and classic RPG gameplay, Golden Sun is a throwback to some of the SNES' best.

It has refreshingly little in common with other games of its kind. Besides which, its great presentation, genuinely likable units, replayable campaign, and flexible skirmish and multiplayer modes are easily enough to recommend it.

Once you're used to floating diagonally and hopping ledges toward loftier areas, the game becomes quite fun.

One of the best 2D fighting games available, not just on the PlayStation 2, but on any system.

You can accelerate up to 200mph within seconds and survive a brutal wall impact, but a low-speed scuff on the turf sends your car spinning.

More of the same thing that made the first game good. Unfortunately, what was great almost three years ago doesn't hold nearly as much water these days.

A fun beat-'em-up that captures the innocent charm of the show's martial artist namesake.

Without a more involving campaign mode, with these glaring gaps in realism, and with this lackluster graphics engine, a lot of these fans are bound to be disappointed.

No one has ever really captured the feel of this sweet science as precisely as Victorious Boxers has.

More than just an upgrade of the original, SSX Tricky is the best snowboarding game ever made.

A good racing game that--with a few tweaks-- could have easily been one of the greatest.

Those who played the original will simply find the same game in a new package...If you've never taken up arms in the Kohan universe, this is your second chance to introduce yourself to a new brand of real-time strategy game--and you shouldn't miss it again.

If you're looking for classic online RPG hack-and-slash gameplay, Dark Majesty has more than enough to keep you busy for quite some time--and at a price that's more than reasonable.

If you're looking for a relaxed and somewhat mellow foray into the genre, Martian Gothic isn't half bad.

With the addition of enhanced graphics, as well as an all-new passing system, fans of soccer will find that this latest FIFA game is the most challenging, most realistic, and also the greatest yet.

A highly enjoyable, well-executed flight sim that perfectly blends the action elements found in the series' earlier games with the sort of narrative typically reserved for other genres.

Maintains the status quo and fails to deliver a fresh, compelling experience.

One of the most intense and entertaining racing games on the PS2, complete with tight controls and impressive graphics.

Gone are the days when your team of choice could score a dozen goals a period, performing incredible crosses at will. Instead, EA has decided to convert its popular franchise into a more simulation-oriented game, and the results are definitely pleasing.

These additions are sound--they extend and expand on the original game's context in meaningful ways--though they might have given a stronger impression if Black Knight weren't a full year older than, and just as expensive as, its predecessor.

It's a solid but unremarkable addition to the aging tactical shooter.

When the first wave of frustration passes, you'll realize that Conflict Zone is a subpar RTS game whose few good ideas just don't add up.

In addition, Dig Dug Deeper's relative lack of difficulty, levels, and complete lack of extra modes and features make it difficult to recommend to even the most ardent Dig Dug fan.

This is perhaps the ultimate example of an incomplete online game with more glaring defects than properly working features.

Burns bright, but not as long as you'd like. It's an excellent sequel in that its puzzles and combat have evolved to the next level, and it provides a compelling, if not wholly satisfying, storyline.

It's pretty darn good.

Yes, AVP2 lets you save anywhere...It's better than the original "Aliens vs. Predator," and it's one of the best action games released so far this year.

For serious RPG fans who couldn't care less about the Final Fantasy brand of flash, though, it's hard to envision a more appropriate game.

If you want wild off-road racing, 4x4 EVO 2 usually delivers, warts and all.

An oversimplified arcade racer without a drop of the wildness or excitement that the best arcade racers offer.

There's definitely a lot to do, and MXRider will last a long time, especially for those of you who feel the need to get everything out of a game.

It's back with a vengeance...in short, a triumphant proclamation that strategy gaming is alive and well and still able to keep you rooted in front of your computer for hours at a time.

A faster, sexier, more engaging, and more enjoyable game...essentially a better-looking and more fun version of the original.

Featuring great graphics, a memorable story, and plenty of diverse missions, Myth III's campaign will present a welcome challenge for veterans and newcomers alike.

Strikes a perfect balance between new and old and renders the two previous entries in the series almost completely obsolete in the process.

If you're not ready to commit to the PlayStation 2 yet, and you've grown weary of the levels in "Tony Hawk 2," then Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is just the ticket.

More sophisticated players will likely find this 3D platformer to be too repetitive and easy.

If there's something that might hold you back from enjoying the game, it's the lighthearted and somewhat goofy story. However, the game doesn't take itself too seriously, so neither should you.

The ultimate version of the classic one-on-one fighting game.

It can be quite fun in parts, but other levels can merely be a chore to deal with while you make your way to the next.

With the addition of online play, Bomberman Online takes an old standard and makes it feel at least somewhat fresh again.

EA Sports decided to key on gameplay this time around, and in the process it has successfully propelled the game dangerously close to reality. This should sit well with anyone who truly appreciates the nuances, subtlety, and pace of the real-world sport.

Although the rebounding game is a bit improved, there are new presentation elements, and the new franchise mode adds quite a bit of replay value, NBA Live 2002 does not improve significantly on last year's version and seems to be falling behind competing hoops products.

If you're into racing and, perhaps more importantly, into trying to find bargains to squeeze more horsepower or handling out of a custom-built ride, you'll probably find it easy to look past MCO's shortcomings and immerse yourself in its wild, weird world.

Slightly better-looking than its PS2 and GameCube counterparts, but that's it. Aside from a few graphical enhancements, the game is a virtual carbon copy of the PS2 and GameCube versions.

Doom may be a bit too dated and/or simplistic to draw you back in. However, if you appreciate the beauty of straightforward gameplay, happen to have a few feisty friends, and absolutely adore your GBA, Doom is an excellent choice.

The Art of Magic's uneven presentation is indicative of the game as a whole. The RPG elements don't get as much attention as they deserve, and the gameworld and characters are a mishmash of hackneyed, third-rate Tolkienesque fantasy.

It's also, inexplicably, the most popular online role-playing game in the world...It looks old, it plays poorly, and its opening levels are so frustrating that there's a good chance you'll never make it to the interesting stuff.

By abandoning almost all pretense of a coherent story, the designers have simply created a series of beautiful, interesting environments filled with some good puzzles.

While the game offers improved graphics, an expanded roster of players, and tightened gameplay, the changes made may not be enough to seduce fans of the original Virtua Tennis.

With revamped animation, new zone defenses, and improved AI...the most true-to-life simulation of the National Basketball League to date.

There's probably no single feature of Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX that could be considered exceptional, but that isn't a prerequisite for a game to be fun or addicting--and the PC version of Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX is both.

In the end, BV succeeds at what it set out to do--it puts you into the role of Batman. Every major aspect of the character is presented in some way in the game...it is one of those incredibly rare birds known as a good licensed game.

The age of the engine is apparent, and the presentation and gameplay simply aren't up to par with those of more modern surfing games.

If unadulterated speed and kaleidoscopic imagery sounds like fun, Ballistics is your ticket to paradise. But many racing fans may well find that paradise short-lived.

The high-speed supercars featured in the game feel lifeless, the courses seem entirely too convoluted, and the physics are unexciting.

Project Eden's superior blend of squad-based gameplay, ingenious puzzles, clever level design, and multiplayer modes creates an action-adventure game that challenges your brain more than your trigger finger.

While the violent nature of the game will surely turn some people off and kids simply shouldn't be allowed anywhere near it, GTA III is, quite simply, an incredible experience that shouldn't be missed by anyone mature enough to handle it.

Couple limited instant action options with no competitive or cooperative multiplayer modes, and Top Gun: Combat Zones lacks the value and longevity of better games in its field.

It's been years since a game let you pour boiling oil on invading hordes, and Stronghold simulates castle sieges well enough to recommend it to those who are interested in the premise. But it's a hesitant recommendation, due to a poor interface and mediocre campaigns.

It's unquestionably FS 2002's surprisingly glorious and massively modified visual presentation that makes this the finest civilian flight simulation ever to appear.

It's somewhat disappointing when, only three to four hours into the game, you've reached the final climactic battle.

Caring for a zoo full of your own miniature animals has its own charm, and despite its visual flaws and less-than-spectacular sound, Zoo Tycoon conveys this charm well.

Perhaps for the first time in the 3D action genre, Devil May Cry has successfully captured the twitch-based, relentlessly free-flowing gameplay style of so many classic 2D action games.

It's an all-around great real-time strategy game that also happens to stand out from other games in the genre.

Although the game itself looks beautiful, Prehistorik Man is fairly vanilla in terms of gameplay.

Stunted graphics aside, NASCAR Thunder 2002 is a Winston Cup fanatic's dream...absolutely the best NASCAR title available for the PS2.

Players looking for a detailed flight simulation will enjoy Thunderstrike's tactical gameplay, but fans of visceral action will find its strike-and-hide gameplay requirements a bit too rigid.

The gameplay is inviting, the characters are charming, and the challenge level is just right, while the inclusion of a strong female character directs the game toward all age and gender groups.

The interesting character design and unique stunt system set it apart from the pack, but the fluctuating frame rate, track design issues, and poor sensation of speed hold it back from being a really good futuristic racing game.

The storytelling is so incompetent that it eventually becomes sort of charming. However, the same can't be said for the control problems and general lack of technical polish.

It may not have the depth of a "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out," but it's definitely worth taking a look at, if only to see the sharp graphical presentation.

It makes an already great game even better, not only by piling on new features, but also by adding enough significant enhancements that the result stands out as being not just broader than its predecessor, but legitimately different.

Zax is simple and repetitive in the same way that simple and repetitive arcade games of the past offered action-packed, addictive entertainment.

The fact is, as an online role-playing game, Dark Age of Camelot surpasses any such game to date and promises to remain the finest in its class for a long time.

It's among the worst action-adventure games ever released and is so crippled by confusing camera angles and bad control that it seems less like a game and more like a parody of its genre.

This is a game where you can get lost in the moment very easily.

Patrician II successfully blends trading, city-building, and simple ship combat in a way that's constantly engaging.

Though it too often strays into an underdeveloped and unsatisfying combat system, when it sticks to adventure, it's quite successful.

If your first encounter with Castlevania was "Symphony of the Night" or even some of the SNES games, you'll be disappointed by the dated graphics, static gameplay, and lack of replay value.

Regardless of how passionate you are about rally racing, or just the ASO-sponsored event itself, it's doubtful that you'll tolerate Acclaim's mockery of the sport.

Thanks to a claustrophobic clipping plane and frequent dead zones, BackTrack still feels like unfinished shareware.

While it looks and sounds good and is a solid-playing game, it is not without a few annoying quirks that pop up at moments when you least need or want them. The addition of being able to play as a villain is a welcome change.

Very few [f1 games] have managed to walk the fine line between appealing to the masses and appealing to those who require the utmost level of realism, but that's precisely what EA's F1 2001 for the PlayStation 2 does.

The changes to the game are marginal at best... However, die-hard Formula One fans need look no further than F1 2001 for the most up-to-date--visually or otherwise-- F1 racing game on the market.

So little has been done to jazz up the game's presentation that only those who long to hear more abuse spew from Anne Robinson's curled lips will find enough here to justify spending 20 bucks.

The updated roster, extra tracks, and added thunder card elements are nice endowments, but the overall driving experience is muddled enough to frustrate diehards and casual players alike.

While it bears a passing similarity to "Jet Grind Radio," the unresponsive and overly simplistic gameplay and repetitive mission objectives keep it from reaching the same level as Smilebit's innovative and engaging in-line skating game.

Even with its flaws, Okage remains a breath of fresh air for a genre in desperate need of the kind of originality and variety that it provides.

All things considered, Time Crisis II is a whole lot more fun than a console port of a three-year-old arcade game should be. Fans of the arcade version will not be disappointed.

Does its job quite well--it's a graphically remarkable yet otherwise conventional 2D fighting game that plays well, sounds good, and offers a memorable lineup of cool characters with countless crazy moves.