Unless you're a fan of repetitive beat-'em-ups that require dozens of hours of devotion to unlock every last item, level, and character, RotK won't have much to offer.

Hardcore duelists might find the game slightly less challenging than its predecessors, due to some new rules and the lack of any multiplay, but if Yugi's your boy, the cart is worth checking out.

The best version of these two games on <I>any</I> platform. The improvements are enough that you may want the Double Pack even if you've finished both games before.

Has solid gameplay, great graphics, and brings a little somethin' different to the beat-'em-up genre.

A schizophrenic title that can't really decided what it wants to be. It's still a fun and different take on the sport of football -- especially as a multiplayer party game -- it's just not as much fun as it used to be.

It's one of the finest crossover titles I've ever played; mainstream gamers will enjoy it for its excellent use of the movie license, sharp visuals, and easy-to-pickup gameplay, but it also has enough challenge and variety for hardcore players to soak up.

The best FIFA game so far, but it's still a few problems away from being a soccer utopia. EA really needs to perfect FIFA's control as much as it needed to make a better Career mode. The old developmental mantra is gameplay first, options second.

All of the elements were there to make this an addictive and challenging title. Instead, it's a slow-paced and confusing jumble.

The best FIFA game so far, but it's still a few problems away from being a soccer utopia. EA really needs to perfect FIFA's control as much as it needed to make a better career mode. The old developmental mantra is gameplay first, options second.

It's one of the finest crossover titles I've ever played; mainstream gamers will enjoy it for its excellent use of the movie license, sharp visuals, and easy-to-pickup gameplay, but it also has enough challenge and variety for hardcore players to soak up.

Too bad it's so short, but there's plenty to do in the city of L.A. once the story is over. This is the first game that treats the "GTA" model as inspiration rather than a quick ticket to the bank.

Here's to Nintendo for finally removing its blinders and giving us the chance to make our own decisions.

Too bad it's so short, but there's plenty to do in the city of L.A. once the story is over.

Too bad it's so short, but there's plenty to do in the city of L.A. once the story is over. This is the first game that treats the "GTA" model as inspiration rather than a quick ticket to the bank.

There are some brief fun moments, but they are far outweighed by the frustration of bugs, the lack of a compelling story and some convoluted puzzles.

The quick-paced gameplay also means that you'll have to make even more snap decisions when engaging against a human opponent and this will result in some heated matches.

It's just too bad that the second game in the series turns out to be a bit tarnished instead of the exemplary hobbyist tool it deserves to be.

A mixed bag. The innovative level design and variety keep things interesting, but it's over far too quickly.

While the basic gameplay engine is solid enough, TMNT forgets that less is sometimes more, and does a fine job of boring the player as a result.

A brilliant action game from beginning to end, and is packed with so many amazing moments that it's my leading candidate for the best PC game of 2003, and there's a good argument to be made that's it's the best WWII shooter ever.

The first-person shooter action doesn't compare with the likes of "Half-Life" or "Red Faction" and the team-based strategy element couldn't carry the night vision goggles of either "SOCOM" release.

The intelligent touches and relative difficulty make Rogue Ops generally fun for fans of the genre. The unevenness in the presentation and controls keep it from really setting the genre on fire.

May have the most interesting lineup of bonus features of all the video b-ball releases, but its sub-par gameplay keeps it from hanging on the same court as EA Sports' or Sega's game.

The headset is a gimmick, you and your team aren't always on the same page, and the whole thing plays like just another forgettable first-person shooter.

The intelligent touches and relative difficulty make Rogue Ops generally fun for fans of the genre. The unevenness in the presentation and controls keep it from really setting the genre on fire.

With its epic storylines, hundreds of combat scenarios, and open-ended structure, Gladius is one of the deepest games of the year. If you play strategy/RPGs because you're an anime fan, Gladius will bore you; if you play them because they're fun, Gladius will obsess you.

Packs a surprising amount of appeal.

It's exciting when a relatively unknown development house like Techland can spring forward with such an intriguing effort, and if nothing else, we applaud its ambition.

Gothic II's biggest problem: it's simply slow going.

It's beautiful, it's well-designed, and I can't wait to spend more time in it.

A slightly schizophrenic brew. The true-to-the-sport side won't please the football gamers used to deeper titles from EA or Sega, and those who just like the idea of flagrant late hits might be disappointed that some of the lunacy seems to have been toned down.

There's no multiplayer, no online play, and only a couple of difficulty modes. But it does its work extremely well, and it's safe to say you won't play a similar game this year.

One can't help imagine what might have been if more units had been added and specialized tactics would have been allowed to take shape.

The latest -- and probably last -- expansion pack for The Sims, Makin' Magic, is easily the most fun of the seven.

The most striking aspect of the new environments is how skilled Mythic is at art direction.

An insult to the men and women protecting our country.

While Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is a faithful handheld version of the literary sport, it doesn't quite work as a game without the feeling of flight that is Quidditch's most magical aspect.

Certainly one of the best racing titles for the system, even if there are no foolish spectators to mow down every time you slide a bit too widely around a curve.

The ability to play as both the Prince and Farah is an interesting addition, but in practice it devolves into standard "you stand on this switch and I'll stand on this one" gameplay. The resulting balance leaves the replay value quickly sucked dry once you've had your fill of the game.

With its epic storylines, hundreds of combat scenarios, and open-ended structure, Gladius is one of the deepest games of the year. If you play strategy/RPGs because you're an anime fan, Gladius will bore you; if you play them because they're fun, Gladius will obsess you.

The game's shot variety, graphics, and online capabilities truly take tennis games to a new level. The things that prevent the game from being as perfect as Kournikova's... legs... are the load times and poor implementation of risk and drop shots.

I'm stunned by Redeemer's hefty number of annoying quirks; in both presentation and gameplay, this game is sloppier than a Carl's Jr. Super Star.

The main problem with Amped 2 is its controls...In practice, most players will find it difficult to learn at best and frustrating at worse.

The intelligent touches and relative difficulty make Rogue Ops generally fun for fans of the genre. The unevenness in the presentation and controls keep it from really setting the genre on fire.

There's no multiplayer, no online play, and only a couple of difficulty modes. But it does its work extremely well, and it's safe to say you won't play a similar game this year.

It's a must-buy for anyone with even the slightest interest in the genre, presuming they can handle the lack of super-deformed character design.

A game with simplistic fighting and a tedious unlocking system, but it's a polished and faithful presentation of Dragon Ball Z with a fair amount of content.

Absolutely the best skating game for the system. The PS2 is the best at THUG life, and you owe it to yourself to insert your own digital presence into the game and take your skittles to the online arena.

It's a triumph for THQ and vindication for Yukes. This is best of the series, and one of the best wrestling games to hit a console.

With PlanetSide being constantly updating and patched, this expansion may become indispensable somewhere down the road, but it's not worth the admission price right now. Take that $$$ and buy a few Code Reds instead, because as all the good players know, the action is best late at night.

The interface problems are enough to keep Journey To The Center Of The Earth from being a four-star game, but fans of point-and-click adventures will find plenty of puzzles and story to make it a game still worth buying.

The strongest of the dragon's GBA appearances. Thanks to the large number of challenges you're presented with, the game plays a lot freer and more open-ended than most platformers -- handheld or console.

Doesn't capture the spirit of the Dark Knight, and it's barely as interesting as most platformers for the two-decade-old NES.

From the main story mode to the arcade mode to the multiplay, there's not a weak spot to be found.

Instead of picking this up for your next party, I suggest snagging a few good CDs or maybe "Trivial Pursuit"... hell, even pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey is more fun.

It's painful to see that the ultra-cool face-mapping and online eight-player multiplayer game is absent from the final Xbox package. However, THUG for the Xbox remains one of the best games you'll play this year.

The most notable disappointment is the lack of any online content. Yep, only PS2 THUGers have the ability to map their own face into the game and play multiplayer sessions online. But still, THUG for the 'Cube remains one of the best games you'll play this year.

It's one of the best and most enjoyable rhythm / music games ever made.

PopTop steams onto the scene with a product that's nearly everything a strategy game needs to be: easy to pick up and play, but deep enough to engross players for hours and months on end.

If you're an action game fan and you want something that you can pretty much jump into and play without having to pore over a manual -- and you need something to occupy your time while you're waiting for those other, bigger games to come out -- BEA is a good candidate for your time.

I rarely start off a review talking about how a game looks or sounds, but the presentation of this game can't be understated. It looks and sounds spectacular.

An extremely solidly-made, quality game, but lots of what gamers love about Castlevania has been jettisoned in an attempt to streamline it. The result is a very playable but somewhat dull game.

The basic gameplay is rock-solid, and fans of multiplayer RTS games will get far more than their money's worth out of it.

Another annoying aspect of TMNT is its overly punishing difficulty. While you can coast through early portions by mashing away, later stages and boss fights can be stupid-hard.

I'd certainly sign on for another tour of duty, especially if the guys who created my interface iron out some of the glitches. In all, I'd say this is a compelling World War II experience.

While there are still some control problems that keep it from being perfect, Sega's dominance on the hardwood continues. This year makes it a three-peat.

Hardcore fans will find a lot to like, but until the AI and balance issues are fixed it remains merely a good game but one that falls a bit below expectations.

If you dig survival-horror games and you're up for a new story and setting -- and don't mind some very familiar gameplay -- Curse is a good time.

It still succeeds in providing the player great fun through dozens of brilliantly designed worlds, but some innate limitations of the GBA hardware prevent it from being at the very top of its form.

This game exemplifies the sleeper hit; its unique feel, solid gameplay, and great aesthetics offer up something a little left of center, but it's something that anyone who's remotely interested in the genre should be checking out.

What could have been a shining example of spooky fun ends up being Microsoft's answer to Nintendo's "Luigi's Mansion"; like that game it takes a well-tested team and results in a short but attractive and spookily cute game with strange play mechanics that never quite works right.

While this game is quite the looker, its gameplay is far, far too repetitive and strangely difficult. It's more of a license cash-in than a modern-day version of the classic games.

Possibly the finest snowboarding game ever. SSX 3 offers an insane amount number of challenges, near-limitless replay value, and tight gameplay from start to finish.

While No Man's Land may not offer the depth of Microsoft/Ensemble's "Age of"... games, it's still a good value, with lots of gameplay and eye candy along the way.

One long exercise in frustration.

Possibly the finest snowboarding game ever, SSX 3 offers an insane amount number of challenges, near-limitless replay value, and tight gameplay from start to finish.

Possibly the finest snowboarding game ever. SSX 3 offers an insane amount number of challenges, near-limitless replay value, and tight gameplay from start to finish.

It's not trying to complete with "Half-Life 2" or "Doom 3", but if the plan is to entertain and freak players out, it's mission accomplished.

The more I played it, the less I enjoyed it. It's a rudimentary beat-'em-up game which borrows the combo compliments of "Devil May Cry" and the buy-a-combo system of "The Two Towers," and thinks those elements by themselves are enjoyable, which they're not.

A decent offering and an affordable way for a player to build skills and eventually enter the fray in "Warbirds" online.

The more I played it, the less I enjoyed it. It's a rudimentary beat-'em-up game which borrows the combo components of "Devil May Cry" and the buy-a-combo system of "The Two Towers," and thinks those elements by themselves are enjoyable, which they're not.

You could, of course, look at UFO: Aftermath in a vacuum, as if "X-Com" never existed. Even then, however, you're just left with a series of weak real-time tactical battles loosely connected by a shallow strategic shell.

An excellent example of a "slacker" game: it gets as little done as it can while making sure it fills its quota so it can be out the door for the day. There isn't a thing new here and it makes no attempt to improve the genre.

The formula that Mr. Vogel and Co. have mastered here is, as before, how to combine fast-paced exploration with smart surprises that keep you guessing. Do yourself a favor and try this game, because as they say in Arkansas, "It's the gameplay, stupid."

Though some may be disappointed by the linear gameplay, most will take comfort in the fact that the scripting is well done and helps make for a well-crafted experience.

An excellent example of a "slacker" game: it gets as little done as it can while making sure it fills its quota so it can be out the door for the day. There isn't a thing new here and it makes no attempt to improve the genre.

While the overall game experience ranges from frustrating to epic, there's something special about the title as a whole.

The game has some button scheme issues, but still comes across as a super sim that'll let you control your man like no game before.

While it would have been nice to have a better way to organize workers' shift schedules, customizable characters, a richer combat system, and a multiplayer module, there's more than enough interesting things to do to keep you busy.

By and large it's a boring, scattershot attempt to bring MMX into the new millennium. The original "Mega Man X" is one of my favorite games ever -- and the flaccid 2D sections in this game aren't half as good as any of the levels in the original game. The 3D bits are more compelling, but still substandard.

The movement and timing puzzles that make up the bulk of the gameplay can be tedious and frustrating, but completion of a mission always brings a rewarding sense of accomplishment.

These new elements seem to have been thrown in merely for the sake of being different, and the result is a confused mishmash of ideas that is more banal and frustrating than fresh or exciting.

The action in Max Payne 2 is as adrenaline-pumping as anything you'd see on the silver screen, and you're in control. Or dangerously close to spiraling out of control, as Max often is. Despite the length, this is top-quality entertainment.

Thanks to revolutionary ten-man motion captures, the look of 2004 will impress you. This is the first hoops I've played where everyone on the court acts the way they're supposed to.

As a game, though, Celebrity Deathmatch dies a faltering and unfunny death.

Despite its daunting start, in the single-player mode, MMZ2 plays very much like an enhanced version of its predecessor, which is a good thing.

The gameplay is completely unfulfilling, and the game just doesn't justify it by being funny. The television show's humor was always crass, but the game somehow seems grim and dull.

Thanks to revolutionary ten-man motion captures, the look of 2004 will impress you. This is the first hoops game I've played where everyone on the court acts the way they're supposed to.