A pedestrian and unimaginative multiplayer mode is the only notable flaw in a game that otherwise plays, looks, and sounds fantastic.

Does a great job of improving on its predecessor's shortcomings and offering deeper, more-balanced gameplay.

No doubt, this is a more brutal, bloody, and foul-mouthed effort than last year's game, but this emphasis on mature content is backed up by great gameplay and an incredible atmosphere.

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.

Bottom line: You can't find a pool sim that looks and plays as much like the real thing as Virtual Pool 3 does.

Delivers all the fun of the original game with enough extras to keep the gameplay fresh and the premise interesting. Fans of the first game should feel at home with the sequel, while those new to monster ranching should be able to dive right in.

Unapologetically surreal, which can make it tough to look away from, and its toylike gameplay model makes for a surprisingly satisfying experience.

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

The end result is an interesting and often-exciting adventure that should be appealing to most action-game fans, but will probably hold extra appeal if you're at all interested in graffiti and the culture surrounding it.

Deathrow's graphic violence and excessive swearing mean it's not exactly the game to get your kid brother, but most Xbox owners should find in it a highly gratifying experience that's equally well suited for single-player or multiplayer mayhem.

The extras in Substance--while perhaps not as substantial as Metal Gear fans had hoped--help make the wait for this Xbox version justifiable, but in the end, it's the core game itself that's still very worthwhile.

Offers some of best value for the money of any single-player game currently available, and it ranks up there in terms of size, scope, and quality with some of the best games the role-playing genre has ever had to offer.

Fitting a team-based shooter into a platformer might not seem like a great fit at first, but when taken as a total package, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a truly great game.

While the classic Tony Hawk gameplay is present, and still fantastic after all this time, the new story mode doesn't make as dramatic of a change as it probably could have.

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.

The game exudes a pride in the aircraft that is palpable even to the uninitiated gamer. Just observing the aircraft in flight, especially at high altitude with contrails streaming, is enough to evoke admiration for what the developers have achieved.

Everything that was promised. This is a game that's less concerned with the aesthetics of combat than it is with capturing a sense of awesome scale, though it does look amazing when armies clash. It's real-time strategy supersized.

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

It shines as an enjoyable, solid wrestling game that will provide hours upon hours of entertainment to fans of the genre.

May very well be the best split-screen multiplayer-focused first-person shooter ever created.

Extremely fun. And like Bill Cosby used to say, "You just might learn something by the time we're done."

Arguably the most original and inventive rhythm game since the advent of "Dance Dance Revolution" or the original "Parappa the Rapper," and it's easily one of the best rhythm games for the PlayStation 2.

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.

The end result is an interesting and often-exciting adventure that should be appealing to most action-game fans, but will probably hold extra appeal if you're at all interested in graffiti and the culture surrounding it.

The tweaks that Konami has made to the match engine have produced a more refined game, but there's not a hint of the revolution attempted by EA Sports in most annual FIFA updates. There are also only a handful of new features, chief of which are eight-player online support, an increase in the number of licensed teams, and an international challenge mode.

It's packed with clever and entertaining action, not to mention some of the most highly impressive, razor-sharp graphics you've ever seen, along with terrific music and sound. Kameo feels rather disjointed at first, and it's not a particularly long game, but it ultimately provides a rousing, memorable journey.

This is an incredibly slick package, and not just on the surface, either. On Tour tightens up a lot of the underlying course designs and gameplay mechanics, and it quickens the pace without betraying the fundamentals of SSX.

Shenmue II is so much better than its predecessor, refining nearly every aspect of the original. It's a polished game that serves as a showcase for the DC and the evolution of the RPG genre, and fans should definitely find a way to play it.