Cast all fears aside: the latest Final Fantasy is the greatest game ever to bear the name.

With its stunning 3D engine, uniquely challenging gameplay in both single- and multiplayer modes, great audio, and terrific story, Homeworld is both an excellent game and one that may well reshape the entire real-time strategy genre.

A bit on the easy side. The platform-jumping sections aren't too tough, the puzzles not too complex, and the bosses fairly simple to beat.

A hybrid game that effectively blends elements from a variety of genres into a thoroughly enjoyable and accessible package.

"NFL Blitz 2000" still has a firm lock on the arcade football business.

The game looks good and feels convincing, and although it's unstable and flawed and otherwise every bit as difficult as you would expect, Hidden & Dangerous is nonetheless an impressive and uniquely serious depiction of squad-level combat behind enemy lines.

A game that might be mediocre in its presentation but more than makes up for it in its gameplay and concept.

There are two kinds of video-game fans who play golf games: the kind who play hard-core golf simulations and the kind who play everything else. Mario Golf is, amazingly, the kind of golf game that could appeal to both. Anyone who would turn a blind eye to Mario Golf because of its exterior qualities will be missing perhaps the best golf game on a console.

A refreshingly unique game … despite its ephemeral nature, Pokemon Snap is a must-buy for fans of the license and probably warrants interest from those that aren't.

Cavedog's second game suffers from a long list of problems that collectively prevent it either from exceeding its ancestor or from rejuvenating a tired genre.

One of the best 3D platformers to date, brimming with innovation, originality and fun.

Improves in almost every conceivable way on its predecessors and reestablishes the series as the premier example of the play style it single-handedly pioneered.

With at least 50 hours of gaming in each character's scenario, Star Ocean might not be compelling enough to play through twice, but the first time is as engaging as any RPG you're likely to play. Highly recommended in any case.

World Driver Championship is an average racing game with exceptional graphics. The game's incredible visuals give you a sense of realism for a little while, but the second your car starts to do an excessive slide around a turn, it kind of falls apart.

Lunar may not have modern aesthetics, but its gameplay and story are among the best of any RPG of any era.

Above all, R4 is incredibly fun to play. Unlocking the cars (more than 300 in all, though most are basic variations on a few common themes) quickly becomes an obsession, and the Jogcon adds a ton of depth to the game's control.

The game's graphical prowess and arcade-perfect gameplay combined with its cache of bonus modes makes Street Fighter Alpha 3 the latest standard for 2D excellence on the PlayStation.

Easy enough for anyone to pick up, yet it has enough multiplayer appeal to stay interesting for a good long time. So, if you've got a crew of friends ready to pick a Nintendo character and throw down, then Super Smash Bros. is definitely worth a purchase.

Given what "Bust A Groove 2" could have been, it's somewhat disappointing that "Bust A Groove 2" is such a plain rehash -- a solid game in itself but a lacking sequel.

Although it might have been better in almost every respect, it is, like any good online RPG, a work in progress. And there's no question that it's the best game of its kind.

The inability to call for backup in two-player hot pursuit games is completely unforgivable and keeps the gameplay score from being even higher.

A great deal of fun. It's an excellent game, whatever genre or sub-genre you try to classify it in, and its flaws don't drag it down nearly as much as they might sound. This game is not to be missed, highly recommended, and so on.

One of the most successfully unnerving elements is the game's lighting... It was that effect, much more than any fearsome creature, which made me leave a hall light on one night after playing it.

The game isn't terribly long, but the thrill of making your way through the levels makes the game seem longer than it really is.

Another one of those games that can make hours pass like minutes...With its top-notch diplomacy, civilization building, and wargame elements, Alpha Centauri is the new pinnacle of turn-based strategy games.

It's that multiplayer competitive spark of screaming at and/or cheering for your friends that injects life into these often-simple little games, and without it, they're just simple little games. The less-social gamer might want to rent.

Oddly compelling 3D vampire-hunting that fans of the series should definitely not miss. A well-balanced, challenging gameplay experience that's filled with pretty visuals, awesome (though limited) music, plenty of secrets, and some incredible bosses (just wait until you see Death... whew!).

With its thoroughly addictive gameplay and meticulous attention to detail, largely manages to meet, and even surpass, gamers' high expectations for this ambitious game.

He is back with a furious and terrible anger indeed. Just as GoldenEye raised the bar for first-person shooters, so too has Turok 2. It's a landmark shooter and a must-buy.

Its emphasis on stealth, strategy, and ingenuity, coupled with its strong narrative structure and excellent mission design, adds up to a game that's stylish, serious, rewarding, and unique.

Despite the bugs and broken features, I've been game-locked on this simulation since the day I booted it, forsaking even the WWII sims I'd waited so long for. No other sim has come so close to re-creating the feel of my one flight in a jet fighter.

Basically, Bungie left no stone unturned in its quest to improve an already solid product. As a result, Myth II is about as good as a computer game can possibly be.

A game that can't be called anything other than flawless...This is the masterpiece that people will still be talking about ten years down the road.

A solid game, worth the time of anyone who enjoys a good puzzle/adventure title. Those who lost interest in the series with "Tomb Raider II" may want to give it another look with the third.

The closest thing to a revolutionary step the genre has ever taken. Through a series of subtle and artistic design decisions, Half-Life creates a reality that is self-contained, believable, and thoroughly engaging.

Overall, Rogue Squadron is a good mission-based shooter. The mix of levels really keeps the pace of the game fresh and exciting. Any fan of the first level of "Shadows of the Empire" really should check out Rogue Squadron.

It's a fun game that relies more on gameplay and exploration than it does on flashy special effects, and it features a lengthy (although linear) quest that should satisfy even the most critical gamer.

Easily the best Crash yet. Every aspect of the game is better: new moves, levels, bosses, graphics, sound, and gameplay. It's the most fun I've had with a 3D platform game in a long, long time.

WipeOut 64 isn't horrible, it just feels like the developer's first effort for the system at times - which it is. The one- and two-player modes are worth exploring, but the game will still likely be disappointing for hard-core fans of the series who expected more improvements after the two-year wait.

Playing Railroad Tycoon II is an emotional experience bringing back memories of Lionel trains and Christmas mornings long past and staring at Lionel catalogs and dreaming.

But Blood II lacks some of the innovation of the original; the horror-theme is less pronounced, and the level design doesn't stray far from the average...But it's hard to fault Blood II for not doing anything new; it sets out to be a traditional shooter and does a good, if not great, job.

In Exoddus, you have an incredibly welcomed quick-save option that allows you to quickly save your progress, anywhere in the game as many times as you want.

Perhaps even more so than its predecessor, Fallout 2 contains dozens of subtle and more often not-so-subtle references to cult movies, television icons, and other aspects of popular culture.

While the game surely has its share of problems, it must be said that the game presents itself extremely well and really is fun to play, even if it is almost completely devoid of challenge.

SSSV is out, and while it's unmistakably a late-blooming first-generation N64 game, its charm and straightforward, if simplistic, delivery make up for the graphics and relatively easy gameplay.

Xenogears' reliance on story, subtlety, and mood make it Square's most anime-like RPG thus far, in many ways making the game one of its best.

Playing DMA Design's Body Harvest is like taking the lead role in a BBC sci-fi TV series. The visuals may not be revolutionary, and the story may be a bit cheesy, but there's something unmistakably charming about the whole thing.

In addition to being a very good adventure game, it features great writing and beautiful art direction.

While Shogo's makers aren't Japanese, it's clear that the people who made it have a fine grasp of the subtleties of Japanese animation, as the game combines the conventions of furious action and vivid characterization within a conventionally first-rate first-person shooter.

Practically flawless from a technical standpoint, the biggest thing missing from F-Zero X is that it lacks a soul.

A typical film tends to be fairly short, and Parasite Eve, in keeping with its cinematic inclinations, is no exception. Expect to finish the game all the way through in no more than 15 hours.

Excels in every way that counts, provides a lot of fun, and is well worth the price of admission.

Easily as good as "Raystorm" or "G-Darius" and tough competition for "Einhander", Thunder Force V is a shooting fan's dream

While generally better than Spec Ops, Rainbow Six carries its own baggage, especially where the conflict of realism versus gameplay rears its ugly head.

Mission: Impossible is a very inconsistent game - some levels are great, and some just aren't any fun at all. But overall, most of the game is challenging and fun.

Namco's incredibly accurate GunCon is optional in Elemental Gearbolt, but it's not necessarily needed, as the enemies are quite large, and shooting in their general direction seems to cap them fairly easily.

Graphically, Banjo-Kazooie takes it to another level. The game maintains the look and feel of Mario 64, but instead of flat, shaded polygons, BK uses a lot of textures.

It's like an X-Files primer, filled with cute references to events from the show and following a plot that the devout will be able to predict within the first 15 minutes of the game.

Before you can enter a given circuit, you must obtain certification in the form of a license. If you don't pass, you can't race. This is certainly the most controversial aspect of the game and the reason that Gran Turismo scores only an 8 in gameplay.

And while the fruit of its efforts may not be the miracle this genre needs for a complete revival, it's just about as good as shooters get.

Between the various multiplayer options and the great single-player mode, Forsaken 64 comes out a real winner. Save for Rare's Goldeneye 007, it easily defeats the other first-person shooters currently available for the N64.

The gameplay is identical to the arcade. Every move, combo, and character has been transferred over, and a couple of new characters have been added in as well.

Mystical Ninja will be digital culture shock to the uninitiated. Mystical Ninja is a solid, quirky, and entirely rehashed title that holds its own well against the horde of painful Mario clones.

The game has so much life in it - whether in the great, narrative-driven single-player campaign or the multitude of multiplayer options - you won't grow tired of it anytime soon.

At its best, Of Light and Darkness will remind you of the classic TV series The Prisoner. It can be artfully disorienting and promise hidden depths of meaning. But at its worst, it seems more like the second season of Twin Peaks, when the obscurity gets self-serving, and the payoff is meager compared with its initial pretensions.

Combining fantastic graphics and above-average gameplay, Dead or Alive is a fun and challenging fighting game well worth picking up.

The gameplay is extremely tight and manageable, making the game incredibly fun to play. Although, quite honestly, the real reason that NFS III is so much fun to play is the hot pursuit mode.

If Quake is a game experience you don't want to miss, and if a Nintendo is all you have, then Quake 64 is your ticket.

There's a pervading feeling of trying to keep yourself busy (almost like a cat playing with a mouse) than being kept on your toes by your foes.In the end, Yoshi's Story is good for a rental at best.

From the impressive 3D terrain, to the expertly animated characters, to the gorgeous soundtrack, to the sheer volume of available gameplay options, Final Fantasy Tactics is a masterpiece.

One of the most entertaining games I've ever played. With its unique camera angles, storyline, graphics, sound effects, and music, RE 2 seems more like a product out of Hollywood than the video game industry.

It's an addictive, well-rounded game that is balanced, challenging, and, most of all, fun to play. If you're speedy, on the quick end it'll take around 40 or so hours to complete.

At first glance, the game looks like it's moving faster than the old-school arcade version. But in reality, the game is very slow-paced. The robots never seem to get close enough to pose a threat. I went through 40 of the game's 200 levels before losing one life.

You'll actually feel a loss if (and when) your star monster passes on. You might start to relate better to your monster than to actual people.

Artificially lengthening games by making you do the same thing over and over again is my vote for the worst trend in gaming … even though this is a much better game than Kart 64 ever was.

Most of Tomb Raider II's improvements are cosmetic, and even those aren't really anything special.

It's sad but unsurprising that the game's look pretty much duplicates the original PC game. While texture-mapped scenery looks a little better, all monsters, items, and basically anything changeable in the environment are implemented as sprites - essentially, sets of still pictures that show the same character in different perspectives. It's not very vivid.

Plotline aside, Colony Wars delivers the real experience with its spectacular cinematic graphics.

It's "Circle of Blood" with new characters, a new storyline, a new threat to world harmony, and a few omissions and additions that help to streamline the adventure.

Like its predecessors, Curse has all the makings of a classic: great gameplay, fantastic graphics and music, challenging puzzles, a complex plot, and hilarious dialogue.

It's a leisurely paced, all-encompassing, mentally challenging experience. If you enjoyed "Myst," you'll thoroughly enjoy Riven.

When you combine the excellent multiplayer support, the great graphics, and the dramatic gameplay improvements offered by the 1.1 patch, you get a truly remarkable real-time strategy game.

For the record, chicks dig PaRappa too, so if having a cute game means you can convince your otherwise game-loathing girlfriend to pick up a controller, "it's all good."

The designers have done a commendable job of creating an immersive environment and have come up with what is arguably the best single-player first-person shooter since "Doom."

Fallout's detailed graphics, compelling plot, and intuitive gameplay should deservedly broaden its appeal beyond the hard-core role-playing game audience. Put simply, Fallout may be the best role-playing game to be released in years.

Quite possibly the best 2D action side scroller ever.

The lack of longevity in the single-player mode and the simplistic multiplayer options make Postal a moderately fun ride, at best.

This game is about as solid as the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. It has all the right ingredients to please Civil War buffs, hard-core strategy fans, and maybe even some casual gamers adventurous enough to try something new.

The system can go very far with some fine-tuning, but as it stands it seems downright schizo. Is it a simplified "Civilization" or a modestly beefed up "Warcraft"? It's almost as if the designers started out to create one game and ended up with another.

Playing now will give you a sampling of the game's potential, but unless you are incredibly patient, can tolerate constant lag and design changes, and you have the time to devote considerable attention to your characters, chances are you will simply find Ultima Online extremely frustrating...In its current form, Ultima Online is a major disappointment. [17 Dec 1997]

Hard-core fighting-game fans should consider Bushido Blade a welcome breath of fresh air; it's a vastly different combat experience that makes for one of the classiest, most serious fighting games ever.

The Extreme Contest can get pretty fast and furious. Again, the Extreme G gameplay is much different from similar-looking racing titles. The bikes are firmly planted on the ground, and the game is as much about battling opponents as it is about racing, giving it a very competitive feel in more ways than one.

Cavedog has done a commendable job of taking the basic mechanics of real-time strategy and using them to create something new: A game that relies less on constant mouse-clicking than careful planning and strategic thinking.

Abe's really is the ideal platformer, balancing its action and puzzle elements perfectly to make the game intelligent, engaging, and, best yet, fun.

Never before have technology, playability, and narrative combined as well as in Final Fantasy VII.

The type of game N64 owners have been waiting for since they finished Mario 64. It has outstanding graphics and sound, and contains a certain depth in its gameplay that really entices you to finish it on all three difficulty levels.

Sure, there are a lot of levels, but most of them are very easy. The result is a great game you'll be done with in about two days.

Star Fox 64 is the kind of game you will spend many sleepless nights with - even after you finish. An instant N64 classic.