Immersive elements are everywhere: You don't just press a button to activate a lever that opens a gate -- you use the analog stick to shift Harry in the direction you want to tug that lever.

The first great translation of everything that makes James a 00 agent, and it's perhaps the best console Bond yet.

Easily the best motocross game I've ever played, and it's the first one I'd recommend to people who aren't the least bit fans of the sport.

The cinematic cutscenes are completely uninvolving, with bored-sounding voice acting, the flimsiest of plots, and the most uninspired script imaginable. This would all be alright if the gameplay were strong.

It's reawakened my passion for the world's most popular sport, and it's seized my attention more completely than any video game since "ICO." Konami receives my foot-funk-free Golden Boot for this amazing effort.

Pure Bond, perhaps even the best Bond, with something for everyone. The over-the-shoulder view is what 007 needed all along.

I couldn't ask for much more with MX Unleashed. A few more challenges in freestyle would be nice, but this really is the total package for race games -- which is no surprise, coming from Rainbow.

The franchise's signature elements are all here: driving, flying, action, stealth, and style, all done consistently well.

Primitive and unpolished, but its relentless goofiness, perfect use of the license, and twists on the stealth-action genre make it worth playing anyway.

No game has this sort of RPG/RTS mix, and I got just as much a kick out of getting a new spell or a new suit of armor as I did in guiding my hordes into battle.

Where's the battle map editor? Although Wrath Unleashed provides only 21 battle maps (four of which are locked), there are only a handful of three- and four-player battle maps, and they're bound to get stale after a few rounds of play.

Like the best of Japanese-developed games, the artistry is spot on. It's artful and visually varied, and the soundtrack is appealing if slightly bombastic. Although the online options lag behind the quality of the rest of the game, this is a four-star title through and through.

It does decrease the barrier of entry enough that the average gamer has a better shot at enjoying it. Combine that with superior level design and attractive graphics and my preference for it over "Shinobi" is obvious. It's still chock full of frustration and teeth-gnashing.

Think of Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 as being like the latest version of "Madden."

While you might not complete Wrath Unleashed in a weekend, it's possible that it won't hold your attention for too much longer. Although Wrath does what it does very well, it suffers from a lack of ambition.

An entertaining collection of shooters, but it's kind of funny and kind of sad that it doesn't play to perfection with its namesake peripheral.

In some ways, the problem with Unreal II is that it tries to wear too many helmets. It's a sequel to the original title, and has a healthy multiplayer mode intact because of Unreal's highly popular tournament editions. In the end, it does both without excelling at either.

Merely good - hopefully Nintendo will take heed and give us the game we've REALLY been wanting next time around.

Oddly, I suspect that those less-versed in the Metroid games will get more enjoyment out of it, as it will seem more original and less stale.

The single-player game is too easy and the multiplayer game is too impractical. If Square had found a way to balance the multiplayer gaming, this would have been a fantastic title.

From vanilla A.I. and a very limited game engine, to technical issues and a frustrating camera, it's a game that's extremely hard to recommend.

The old adage about hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror holds true here, and while the terror's fun for a while, the boredom ultimately cancels it out.

If you loved Vietcong, you'll probably love this expansion; just don't get your hopes up about finding anything groundbreaking.

While the large ship selection is a fun idea, it's no substitute for the essential elements of good level design, consistent game speed, gameplay originality and a smokin' soundtrack.

It's not nearly as good as "Ace Combat 4," but it's enjoyable enough to tide you over until the next Ace Combat game.

The few puzzles in the game are quite easy, and most experienced gamers will barely even be aware of them.

It's way too easy to dash off a cliff into an instant death, which seems totally out of place these days.

The substantial, full game is included, with all the cool modes, as well as a host of new content...but the much-trumpeted online mode is a little too problematic to recommend without hesitation.

It's way too easy to dash off a cliff into an instant death, which seems totally out of place these days.

While some of the areas are bigger than the ones found in the original, almost all of them are less interesting. The game's dungeons and outdoor areas are, for the most part, boring.

The plotline is simple, the characters are instantly likeable, but more importantly, from start to finish, the action never lets up.

If you're a Black Hawk Down multiplayer junkie, you'll probably get your money's worth just from the three jungle maps. But everyone else should probably save their $20 until Novalogic offers something more substantial.

It's got the core gameplay to be one of the best strategy titles ever made, but failures in execution means that Silent Storm ends up being nothing more than a good game.

The curse of Japanese racer audio lives on in Auto Modellista. The announcer needs a good punch in the face.

An impressive product that's only a patch or two away from true strategy game greatness.

A competent and occasionally compelling hack-and-slash, but fans of the PC games won't give a damn about it, and "Champions of Norrath" is a more satisfying and more technically impressive example of the genre on the PlayStation 2.

.hack does not end triumphantly. A year ago I was optimistic; now I'm just looking forward to playing something -- <I>anything</I> -- else.

A competent and occasionally compelling hack-and-slash, but fans of the PC games will continue to dream of the true RPG they'll never get, and fans of Dark Alliance would presumably rather play "Dark Alliance II."

At its best moments, mediocre. At its worst, it's redundant, unforgiving, and glaringly ugly. You simply have no time to be messing around with this sort of game.

At its best moments, mediocre. At its worst, it's redundant, unforgiving, and glaringly ugly. You simply have no time to be messing around with this sort of game.

An immensely satisfying arcade football game, with huge offense and serious points going to the unbeatable multiplayer component.

It's not as polished or flashy as the NBA equivalent, but for a first effort NFL Street is a damn good time, with better multiplayer than anyone else.

NFL Street can't be beat for multiplayer fun on any console, and tweaking rosters will keep fantasy fans up late at night for weeks.

Though it does have its pleasing points, ultimately Conflict Desert Storm II is caught between appealing more toward hardcore military simmers or action fans.

A solid and pleasantly deep arena beat-'em-up with lots of longevity, and through the presence of the Hedgehog and his posse adds absolutely nothing to the game, it's nice to see them getting work in these tough economic times.

I was happy to find that the game is well-balanced, requiring even use of all three abilities, and multiple pathways can be accessed by exploring areas with different team leaders. [*See GameSpy for their new 5-star conversion scale]

The real crux of Condition Zero is simply that it provides a great way to enjoy Counter-Strike offline, old graphics or not. If you're perfectly happy playing the free Counter-Strike mod online, don't bother with Condition Zero.

Has a unique visual style, an involving storyline, and several dozen hours of intensely immersive gameplay.

It's not a matter of the game bringing forth 140 hours of fun, rewarding gameplay, but 140 hours of watching-the-paint-dry monotony. You're better off checking out the wealth of "Diablo II" mods than plodding your way through Blade & Sword.

The perspective is wrong, making combat a chore, and playing against other people is a nightmare. Even if you can ignore these faults, it succumbs to another deadly sacrament that affects even the best fighting game: it's repetitive to the point of exhaustion.

It was already forgettable on consoles, but Capcom completely drops the ball with this malfunctioning PC port.

Max Payne definitely deserves its M rating. Its story, tone, and language are miles beyond what most folks are used to from a GBA title. Happily, so is the look and sound of the game.

Of the three versions, this is clearly the sharpest.

This game remains thoroughly addictive and is worth picking up if you're interested in a fun diversion with a reasonable shelf life.

This was my favorite version of Bustin' Out. Although the graphics are sharper on the Xbox version and the PS2 version boasts online multiplay, the GCN-to-GBA connectivity feature gives this one a notable edge.

Overall, the single-player mode is a blast to play. The controls are fluid, the animations are entertaining, and the taunts are still over the top, as in the victorious declaration: "Invincibility! I am too uncanny!"

A combination of solid Zelda-style gameplay and cinematic excellence push Beyond Good & Evil into the upper echelons of action / adventure games. This is what an interactive movie should be.

Things appear and disappear out of the corner of your eye, and you're never completely sure of what you've seen. Nothing has to say, "Boo," because there's an underlying Boo-ness to the whole experience.

You can buy sexier RTS games, but you won't find a more realistic one than Highway to the Reich. Its 2D presentation may not dazzle, but it's capable of revealing the gritty nature of warfare.

Tries too hard to appeal to all types of racing fans, without ever feeling like a complete experience.

Not as good as "Guilty Gear X2" and maybe "Capcom vs. SNK 2," and is so complex and steeped in tradition that it's not the best introductory package for someone wholly unfamiliar with The King of Fighters.

When you're not being underwhelmed by Sorcerer's Stone, you'll be infuriated by it.

An incredible technical achievement, and easily the GBA's best retro-collection. If you have even the slightest fondness for the Atari Age, or if you want to begin your game-history self-education in earnest, Anthology is a must.

Yes, a lot of the gameplay is boring and clunky, but through books and movies we've come to think of Harry and crew as friends, so the true fan will be able to look past a lot of the game's quirks and have a relatively decent experience.

When you're not being underwhelmed by Sorcerer's Stone, you'll be infuriated by it.

MMORPGs fans will find plenty to like with Horizons. Its crafting system is unmatched, getting your own place is a nice perk, and busybodies will love the multitude of quests.

While combat obviously isn't the focus of a stealth game, the fighting in Surma is stunningly awful.

An involving graphic adventure, but it's noticeably hampered by its technical flaws and well-meaning attempts at action sequences.

Perhaps the biggest draw for Gundam fans is the mode in which you create your own pilot and build up his or her stats in one-player missions, then fight other Gundam geeks in the two-player mode.

If you're a fan of strategy, board, or card games, this is one you can't let slip by despite its unfamiliar name and unassuming appearance. It's a thoroughbred.

Right away I can tell you that if you played the first one, your opinion of this game will more than likely be the same.

The longevity factor makes it a rental for even vaguely experienced players. On the other hand, as a young player's introduction to gaming, I-Ninja is nearly the perfect tool.

This is what space games should be about: lush scenery, freedom, and room to roam. "Elite" is dead. Long live X2.

A much worse persistent problem is the A.I., which is still so bad that at times it's hard to recommend Combat Mission as anything other than a multiplayer game.

While the improved handling and graphics are a treat, Spy Hunter 2 feels like it's moving away from the original's inspiration, instead of towards it.

The voice acting is more painful than ever, and continues to sabotage the series' attempts at dramatic storytelling.

Too linear to be challenging for expert gamers, and with a learning curve that dips into boredom exponentially the longer you play it, this is a perfect rental for your ADD-riddled nephew -- and him only.

Oddball comedy and action galore -- sadly, it's the same simple action over and over.

A must-play for anyone looking for a fun, intelligent action/adventure game. Is it as great as its forebear? I'll say no. That said, Invisible War is still an excellent sequel to Deus Ex, which, while lacking its scope, smooths over many of its roughest edges and provides a decent conclusion to the current story arc. [Note: GameSpy's revised 5-Star conversion scale - see site]

With an inaccessible multiplayer and a deeply flawed single-player game, there's just not much to like in Terminator 3: War of the Machines. It's a game that feels incomplete and practically abandoned by its publisher.

Sure, the core gameplay is still there -- and it's still fun -- it's just marred by shoddy visuals and a stuttering framerate. In a shooter, a sketchy framerate is the last thing you want. And that's not all -- the game's cool save system has been totally botched on the PS2 port.

Between the game's multiple endings and its awesome character creation, it's definitely worth playing this 20-plus hour game again just to get a different feel for its compelling story and tight gameplay.

Since the controls are so clunky, you'll be wobbling to align properly with the criminal in question; so while he's nailing you with bullets, your sole concern is landing one shot.

Operation Surma isn't a total disaster, but it's the bottom of the stealth-action barrel, and only those gamers who've played literally everything else in the genre should bother with this one.

A must-play for anyone looking for a fun, intelligent action/adventure game. Is it as great as its forebear? I'll say no. That said, Invisible War is still an excellent sequel to Deus Ex, which, while lacking its scope, smooths over many of its roughest edges and provides a decent conclusion to the current story arc. [Note: GameSpy's revised 5-Star conversion scale - see site]

Some homogenous gameplay and the occasional graphic lapse aside, Armed & Dangerous scores with humor and weapon innovation.

A combination of solid Zelda-style gameplay and cinematic excellence push Beyond Good & Evil into the upper echelons of action / adventure games. This is what an interactive movie should be.

A mess of a real-time strategy game that's unlikely to appeal to either EQ loyalists or RTS fans.

Most people will find Sword of Mana to be a mediocre game, while staunch series fans will find that it gives them exactly what they want.

It may look nice and deliver speed, but it's bested by "SSX" 3 in just about every way.

This isn't really a fun toy, either, but more like one of those Fisher-Price "busy boxes" for young kids: Hit a button and it makes a noise; turn this knob and listen to the Pikachu say its name, etc.

Whenever you add a new race into an already established game, the question of game balance becomes an important issue. Rise of the Elves does an excellent job in this regard, as the Elf retinue is not overly powerful nor are they fodder for the other four races.

One of the coolest things about this game is the fact that it doesn't take itself very seriously. The sense of humor manifests in a bunch of ways, not the least of which are the whacked-out in-game TV shows that play out in parallel to the game's own story.

While the presentation doesn't feel like an afterthought, it probably won't quite completely fulfill your live-action, comic-book fantasies.

While the improved handling and graphics are a treat, Spy Hunter 2 feels like it's moving away from the original's inspiration, instead of towards it.

The in-game fighters are ugly, poorly animated, 3D-rendered sprites that make them look as though all your favorite characters have been replaced by rubber dolls -- and not the good kind.

My disappointment in this disc's shortcomings is tempered by the sheer amount of great, classic gaming on offer.

It has a simplistic hand-to-hand fighting system, a jerky, broken camera, crappy, jarring level designs, and horrifically frustrating platforming elements. It pretty much just fails at emulating the combat-heavy action games that have inspired it, and you'll constantly remind yourself of this as you play.