This is an addictive, gorgeous, and challenging game that shoves a pie in the face of those that continue to foster the notion that turn-based strategy gaming is dead.

A horrendous combination of bad gameplay, graphics, character design, and a complete lack of charm. This is an affront to gaming.

A great expansion that keeps the flavor of the original, while adding new gameplay changes that remove much of the original's micro-management.

The combat is challenging because of the limits of the interface.

May not be as flashy graphically as "Live 2002," nor as polished technically as "NBA2k2," but it stands a solid middle ground between the two as an enjoyable game.

Bad isn't even close to deep or sophisticated, but, for a quick action game diversion, it's worth checking out.

It's hard to remember many games as cinematic and immersive as MoH: Allied Assault. Simply put, it's the best first-person shooter we've played in years.

You're much better off getting the Xbox or PS2 version of this one. This one wasn't made for the PC originally, and it shows.

It may be a blatant "DOOM" clone, but Dark Arena still manages to be a generally entertaining and mindless shooter. Solid controls, large levels, and plenty of evil mutants all add up to a fun time out.

It might be worth a shot, but only if you've already finished "Shogun: Warlord Edition," "Stronghold," and all the Warhammer games.

Even on the hard difficulty setting the AI is only a second from making a mistake that leaves the lane wide open for a monster slam. Shooting the three is not as easy because of the percentages, however, depending on the player, this can be exploited against the computer in a big way.

A bit like the Homecoming Princess. Sure, she looks nice, and is fun to play with, but you can't help looking at the Queen and wonder what might have been.

A little more actual gameplay would have driven the score up, but the unique combination of music and visuals make it a must play for those who seek something different.

Too few arenas, repetitive action, difficult AI and bad weapon balance add up to a bad game.

Commits the worst possible crime: it's simply no fun to play.

The generous helping of missions and otherwise familiar and entertaining RTS action are commendable, but poor AI, limited maps, and some interface problems hamper the gameplay.

With the feel and look of many of the Super Nintendo and Capcom shooters like "UN Squadron," this is a sharp looking, entertaining flyer.

Like an interesting tech demo with a sometimes tedious and frustrating game built around it.

The controls are as intuitive as a first-person shooter and as easy as point and click.

Utterly clever, entertaining, and action-packed, Giants is an absorbing romp through the lives of well-rounded comedic entities on a weird alien land.

Like an old, wretched, but enthusiastic quarterback that's become painful to watch after too many seasons of failure, expect to QBC come back for one more season.

If you are from the era when Falco was considered cool and "Return of the Jedi" had just been released, then I heartily recommend this game to you.

There are definite improvements in the Xbox version, however, and despite its faults, this is an involving and disturbing, if incredibly short-lived journey into horror...nowhere near as impressive as "Silent Hill."

Obi-Wan might have been a good game on the last generation of consoles, but it's too confused, rough hewn, and repetitive to stand up against Xbox games like "Halo" or even "Azurik."

A game that won't inspire novices or attract causal gamers. This is one for the hardcore only.

While the gameplay could still use some refinement and focus, the overall Vengeance adventure is an engaging and entertaining one.

You'll spend far too much time in the park, and not enough in the attractions, and that's just not very fun, no matter how old you are.

Both the weak storyline and repetitive dungeons become tedium personified before you know it.

The graphics are so beautiful that some scenes are sure to make you weep; the gameplay is intricate and well explained; the story is simple, yet powerful; and the characters are memorable and endearing.

What's missing is Crazy Taxi's sense of breakneck speed, as well as its more clever map design.

Hands down the best overall simulation of real-world business economy around.

A solidly entertaining and charmingly classic role-playing game sure to delight anyone looking for hours of adventure.

If you like fighting games, pick up another one.

With no multiplayer modes at all, there's little reason to play after completing Max's rampage the first time. If this particular flaw doesn't bother you, however, Max Payne manages to deliver some of the best gunplay around, and is an involving and intense festival of urban decay, ultra-violence, and slow motion cinematic blood shed.

This game is well worth its 40 hours, and there are plenty of laughs to go along.

All in all though, the birds-eye view of the action is what drives Driven -- like it, and you'll like the game. Hate it, and you'll consider Driven to be just another failed movie license.

SSX is special. And the reason for that is the incredible replayability and the pure game design it offers.

So much of what makes this game cool is lost in translation to a less potent platform. If the PS2 is your lone system, you'll still have a good time, but may be left wondering what all the hype was about.

The game is fun to play, has solid control, and plenty of tracks, but nothing about it screams out for attention.

Not quite great, but far from awful. As a result, you're far more likely to love than hate it.

Everyone who enjoys video games owes it to themselves to try these titles at least once. If, however, you enjoy arcade reflex contests where you play for high scores, this will be perfect for you.

Whatever you do, don't buy Alon D'ar.

The nonexistent load times, unlimited draw distance, and non-linear level design go far to establish Jak & Daxter as a classic, but there could have been more innovation to cement its position.

Once again the problem is one of controls, perspective, and a complete lack of freedom.

The game's combination of strong story, seriously tactical real-time battles, gorgeous graphics, and real-time role-playing, make this one of the best surprises of the year.

S.W.I.N.E.'s visuals and parts of its audio are surprisingly good. On the other hand, the game has been promoted as "irreverent" and "hilarious," yet it's neither. The whole pig/rabbit schtik is weak and irrelevant, not irreverent.

The lack of visible competitors in the single-player modes, combined with the relatively slow pace, can make the game a dull affair. There's just too little sense of speed, danger, or excitement, and that bodes ill for a racing game.

One thing I will say is that Acclaim has the beginnings of a game engine and gameplay model that could really kick some serious butt if they just take the time to implement more modes and tweak what's already there.

This is one game you won't put down until every technique, option and secret has been revealed.

The upgraded engine looks amazing.

The gameplay is easy to pick up, yet has lots of depth due to the feat system. The graphics and sound are excellent. And there's plenty of replay value, especially for Forgotten Realms fan boys.

Though the Pikmin really don't have the individuality that Pokemon developed, you really do start to care for your little guys as the game progresses.

Even if you've played the original, SSX Tricky is a fantastic game of fast paced action and tons of surprises.

It's probably entertaining enough for the casual gamer, but the competition even in the bargain bins is better.

It's a solid, trick based BMX game. Good control, mixed with decent graphics, and a wide variety of truly huge and impressive courses should satisfy any player in search of an extreme sporting fix.

Looks good, has plenty of tactical depth.

Apologies go out to all the perverts out there, you're going to be disappointed too...an adventure game that's woefully short on the adventure based on a pornographic comic book character that doesn't get pornographic.

With all of the current A-list titles available, the flaws in Dragon Rage really scream out at you.

The only complaint I have about EvS is that your health, armor, and arsenal don't carry over into the next mission.

Although the single player game has a few too many potential dead ends, the accessible gameplay and multiplayer support for up to four people means it's a surefire crowd pleaser.

Its lack of innovation, crude trick control scheme, and lousy opponent AI might tempt you to look elsewhere for your watercraft kicks...but I can't help but smile as I weave my way through the course.

The crashes, lockups, and bizarro-world English really put a damper on things and lead to a lot of nerve bending frustration, and in the end it's just not worth the effort to fight through all the mess.

Running away from dinosaurs may keep you alive, but it just isn't very much fun.

Despite its lack or originality and ultimately disappointing graphics, Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition remains a decent, but far from great game.

Power through some early dullness and potential confusion, and you'll find a grand adventure in a rich and colorful game world.

Crawling across the forest floor to tag a one-shot kill on a guard whose head was barely visible in a tower at 186 meters is a thrill unlike any other.

[It] would make a fine purchase for masochists and parents looking to punish their kids. Other than that, gamers could play "Crazy Taxi," and then watch an episode of the TV show to end up ten times more satisfied than this game will make them.

The environment, the quests, and the huge world you're in overcomes some of the technical issues with the game.

Fans of the series may be puzzled by a few missing features.

"Defender II." It's hard to imagine why that one is omitted, since it should use the same graphics as the included "Defender."

With excellent controls, graphics, sound, and a huge variety of gameplay modes, this one is a game you should pick up.

A worthy sequel.

A decade of shooters combined into one polished package; the single-player mode is filled with great action and a wide variety of gameplay, and the innovative multiplayer mode should hook veteran fraggers almost immediately.

Throw away every pre-conceived notion you may have about games involving music mixing, as Frequency is not only strong in its fun factor, but intensely addictive as well.

The first time you see AquaNox in action, you'll probably be impressed with the bright lights and flashy explosions, but you'll probably tire of those in about five minutes.

There's no shortage of better ways to spend your hard-earned gaming money, even when you're rummaging through the bargain bins.

Amped may not be exactly like snowboarding, but it's the closest you can get without equipment.

No other game to date comes this close to replicating what it would be like to explore a truly seamless universe.

An excellent wrestling game offering enhanced creation tools, excellent graphics, fast paced action and a ton of new (and old) gameplay modes.

Superior AI, breathtaking graphics, unassailable realism, a growing user made add-on community: expect IL-2 to grab a lot of "Simulation of the Year" awards in the coming month.

An incredibly entertaining, diverse, and humorous addition to the Mario/Wario legacy. It's challenging and creative, but not as outright frustrating as "Warioland 3."

Sadly, with its major rules problems, only slightly improved animation (from the PS2 version) and host of omissions and gaffes, the lack of expected features, and most importantly, the under-optimized controls here on the Xbox, prove that NBA Live 2002 is just a rushed game.

The voice acting doesn't come off as well as the music and sound effects...you've heard these lines all too many times before, and this time i[t] comes off about as convincing as when "fan boys" try to imitate their heroes at a sci-fi convention.

The pace is quick, the visuals pleasant and the writing as tight as its television counterpart.

While Electronic Art's blatant clone, "Simpsons Road Rage," has much improved graphics, a two-player mode, and free ride option, Crazy Taxi still comes out ahead in pure controllability and gameplay.

It's not earth-shaking entertainment, but you'll have a damn good time.

The game will take the average player only about six hours to beat, but those six hours will be spent experiencing some really great visuals, imaginative game design and some classic Nintendo magic.

If you're a baseball fan, you'll love the attention to detail in this game.

The best arcade-style action / party game to come around in ages.

Like the other games in their series, Hitz is easy to pick up, fun to play, and not at all representative of the sport that it's based on.

A good game for kids. Since that's the target for this title, then it gets higher marks than it would otherwise.

The game runs poorly on just about any machine.

Unfortunately, Scooby Doo gets so bogged down in unfolding its linear narrative and conveying the differences of its main characters that it never really gets around to being fun.

This is by far the most creative Xbox launch game, but it suffers from repetitiveness and unresponsive controls. Still, it will clearly appeal to platform-game aficionados.

Most of it is done really well, but there simply aren't enough great moments to offset the repetitive gameplay seen throughout much of the game.

Far superior to the PS2 version, Thunder on the Xbox is definitely one of the coolest racing titles on the system. Though the gameplay is shallow, it's playable, fast, and has a ton of things to unlock.

It's a huge step in legitimizing surfing games, much like how THPS was for skateboarding games. The graphics are very impressive, the controls tight, and the wave physics accurate.

Huge parks to crash through, a wide array of famous riders and tricks, and familiar Tony Hawk-style gameplay all add up to a solid offering from Acclaim.