Shines as one of the most addictive and compelling strategy titles of 2001.

It offers an imaginative, well-conceived design wrapped up in a very pretty package.

An excellent macro-insight into running a railroad empire. Simple to learn, completely absorbing, ultimately challenging.

Guiding a cursor around a screen, activating a scope, and taking out targets is certainly an original and enjoyable experience, but the repetition of the enemy patterns make it difficult to return to after the game has been beaten or you've had your fill of playing sniper for a day.

The historical sweep is fascinating, as is witnessing the advances and growth of your prospective civilization, but it's truly unfortunate that your participation in all of this couldn't be more involving and challenging.

If you can put up with the need for a control pad and occasionally frustrating levels, not to mention the terrible save option, this really is a good super hero game.

Unfortunately, when there is a lot of action on-screen, there are noticeable slowdowns, which really shouldn't happen with a machine like the PlayStation 2.

While it's not perfect, Road to India is a stylish and imaginative adventure game.

Most importantly, it does what it does well, and except for the lack of a printed manual and more help for learning strategies, is a worthy tribute to the lost Jane's Combat Simulations brand.

Several shots short of a 21 gun salute.

FG plays fast and boils down to several repeats of each mission as you figure out what happens, where it happens and just what it was you did in order to make it happen. Zero replay value in other words.

One of the top strategy games of the year, on any platform.

While Dave Mirra 2 shouldn't be branded with such terms as "unpleasant" or "ridiculous," it is safe to say that the title repeats the same type of quality as its PSOne ancestor, "unfinished" and "hurried" would be more like it.

A lackluster version of the game.

Yep, you've got to use passwords to continue in the campaign mode. Fortunately, the game's pick up and go nature, excellent visuals, decent simulation qualities, and excellent multiplayer more than make up for those problems.

A game which does everything right. Gameplay, graphics, realism, mood, and extendibility through the included fully-featured mission editor.

This is a fun little game, but I don't think it's worth buying unless you're a diehard Treasure fan and would really like to support the company.

Like "Solomon's Key" for the NES, with the frustration level turned up by ten degrees. If you can get by the gameplay limits put in place by the developers, then you might enjoy this title. I could not.

Plenty of tracks, options, characters, and personality -- there's a lot to like.

The game's action is unquestionably fun and a pleasure to watch, but a plethora of minor flaws add up to nearly counteract the off-road ecstasy.

The combat is fun but tends to be short, but the physics are good and the game is forgiving.

A fantastic game that will keep you enthralled for hours and hours. There are some annoying bugs, but even those can't derail this exceptional gaming experience.

The missions are a wee bit tough, but nothing a veteran player can't handle. This game is realistic enough to satisfy the wargamers among us, and exciting enough to satisfy the most jaded real-time strategy gamer.

A simple game to learn but has an underlying structure that is very complex (complex in a good way though).

Falls short of what I think it intended to accomplish. The guts [are] there with the good control and tight physics model, but the presentation is not up to the level it should be.

It is another fantastic foray into survival horror by Capcom, who have successfully taken the genre started by "Alone in the Dark" and turned it into four of the most thrilling and fun-filled gaming experiences around.

Even if horse racing doesn't sound too thrilling to you, Gallop Racer 2001 is still worth a look, as it's a fun game on its own merits.

Time and time again when the AI is down late in the game and needs a touchdown to win or tie, it refuses to call for a deep pass play...Complaints aside, Madden 2002 delivers the best arcade football experience to date.

Primal Prey isn't deep or imaginative, though it does have its moments...Still, the core gameplay isn't rewarding enough to make you want to keep searching for those moments.

A truly mediocre strategy game with a lackluster campaign.

A bad adventure game based on far better books. Go read them.

A great expansion pack. It makes Shogun better, adds new units, modes, and campaigns, and yet doesn't disrupt the sweaty-palmed fun of the original.

Poor framerate, small cast and moves, and poor replayability among other issues. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" sells millions for a reason -- this just isn't it.

Although this game is influenced by two outstanding titles, the end result isn't so hot.

For a mech combat game, Journey to Jaburo isn't terrible, but it is lacking good control and the graphics are pretty sad overall.

The game plays well, creates delightful tension, and captures the ebb and flow of small unit actions. It's just too bad that HPS won't invest money in upgrading graphics or printing a manual. If they did, they'd have a turn-based winner.

Though configurable enough for newbie play, the subject matter actually makes for a poor tactical wargame.

They still have a few problems to iron out, but the fascinating adventure is well worth giving it a try.

The dynamic campaign is one of the best ever.

A decent game, with both good and bad points. Nothing to wait in line for though, and not one you're likely to lose sleep over.

Like getting the ant farm as a gift four birthdays in a row, the introduction of a "new" Settlers game is becoming a trite, if comfortable, old joke.

A damn good game, Combat Command 2: Desert Rats has nearly all the strategic depth of much more complex titles at half the cost in learning time.

The gaming is tense, the firefights exciting, and the price reasonable, but poor mission design and dated camera controls sink the game into the upper echelons of mediocrity.

While the story isn't quite as moving as the original, Klonoa 2 has a wonderful mix of action, great control, nice challenge (if you try to really complete the game), and just beautiful presentation.

Light years ahead of "GameBreaker 2001," and, for all its faults, is still a game that most PS2 owners -- myself included -- will thoroughly enjoy.

It's mechanics and gameplay may annoy you, but if you liked John Carpenter's version of "The Thing," you should be able to buy into (and enjoy) the storyline.

An engaging storyline, high-quality cut-scenes, a cast of unique heroes and a whole stampede of missions make Desperados a shining silver star.

Even if MP is a little short, it is still one of the best PC games released this year. When you stack up the excellent storyline, awesome visuals, stellar special effects, and pulse-pounding gunfights, MP is simply one of the most fun action games on the market today.

Universally better than the original game while adding enough stuff to keep it from being just an interface upgrade.

There's nothing that can't be fixed by a patch, however. If you are an RTS fan, Empire of the Ants will deliver.

Simply too short to be a worthwhile addition to your PS2 library. Saving people and property is a mild diversion at best.

It was very addictive in its deceptive simplicity; just when I thought I had figured out the formula for success, the AI would show me up with something else. It's not a hard game, but it is a challenge.

The collection feels incomplete without Ms. Pac Man, the only Pac sequel truly worth playing.

Every fan of racing will find something to love in GT3, and purists will find a veritable Mecca of cars, tracks, and realism.

Un-inspiring characters fighting un-inspired battles to get to un-inspired cutscenes just makes for a boring, tedious disc. If you hate RPGs there will be nothing in this game to change your mind.

The 400+ hours of gameplay is a disability if anything, for if you desire to play more than a couple dozen hours you have a stronger constitution than I do or are a glutton for punishment.

As an arcade racer, it's very easy to play, but doesn't have the shortcuts and environment interaction that makes it a blast to play.

A great game. Sure, it's a wee bit difficult, and pirates aside, the game offers little that is different from its predecessor, but for series aficionados, or those looking to become series aficionados, this is a solid piece of work.

It's still fun running around and laying bombs with a bunch of friends, all huddled around a powerful light source and connected by link cables. That's what Bomberman, is all about.

Fun, engaging, and very entertaining. Some will be drawn in by the story, some by the humor, and some by the sheer originality of the world that has been created.

Leave true role-playing to "EverQuest." LoD, just like "Diablo II," focuses on action over role-play. If that's been your addiction since the game came out, this is your new fix.

A promising game with some big technical flaws, but in a few week's time it's sure to replace your "EverQuest" addiction.

Even if it isn't all that different from "Zeus," it provides the same addictive gameplay that made "Zeus" such a great game.

The animal changes are more than a simple gimmick, but it alone cannot provide the level of depth BR3 needs if it wants to be a real contender.

Despite its many bugs and flaws, the game is still fun to play when it works. The combat is rather uninspired, but it serves to add to the atmosphere. The amount of frustration you'll find in the game should be noted, however.

The best expansion pack I've ever played.

With its diversity, engaging style, and sly sense of humor, Startopia has plenty to offer.

It is on the cusp of being a fun game, but the lack of editing capability and the omission of offline bots severely limit its replay value.

Great graphics that remain true to the series' roots, wonderful animation, the classic Monkey Island humor is present in full force.

A combat intensive 3D RTS that plays fast and smart, with clever AI and an engaging story propelled campaign.

It's a "one night stand" of a game, pretty but not perfect, a nice way to kill some time, and it's good for the duration as long as you don't think too hard about it.

Overall I enjoyed the game, though the campaign is a bit lackluster and the game doesn't offer anything new to the RTS scene.

If you don't own "Opposing Force," get it. If you do, then don't expect a repeat performance.

A great, if overly hard revamp, of the classic SNES racer.

The best platformer currently available for the GBA; Ubisoft beat Mario at his own game... for now.

A deep, engrossing, RPG-platform amalgam that's also perfectly portable.

With its more strategic pace and multiple choices of characters, you can't go wrong.

Creative, weird, wild, and endlessly replayable.

It's difficult. Which isn't a problem in and of itself, it was difficult before, only now it's also unforgiving.

The best game for any system based on an arguably cruel schoolyard game.

Wasn't great in 1995, and it's even less impressive in 2002.

It plays like, looks like, feels like, and IS like Mario Kart, which is a good thing!

Despite those minor problems, the "pick up and play" for a short while nature of this kind of gaming makes it all but perfect for portable pocket gaming system like the GBA.

You also don't feel particularly bloodthirsty when you've got this bouncy music playing in the background. The music just isn't that good in general. It's dull and repetitive...Aside from some gripes here and there, FF:VR is a well done adventure game.

You're better off getting some PC sound software if you'd really like it, but if you do decide to check out MG2, make sure you bring your patience. You're going to need it.

Not even Eliot Ness and the Untouchables could bust down the doors and reveal the fun in Gangsters 2.

It's unplayable out of the box and incomplete even when patched. But if it can survive, there're signs that WWII Online could be a winner.

On one hand, the simulator will wow train fanatics and will probably give them all they want. On the other hand, casual gamers would most likely be bored to tears.

You'd be much better served picking up a port like Rayman or Mario, or something more original like Warioland.

The GBA option captures the spirit of the game so much, even hardcore fans should want it as an alternative for when the TV or PC is occupied or when they're on the go.

Not half as fun as the full console versions.

If special effects trump all the complaints in this review, well, go ahead and enjoy, just keep the receipt around for when the novelty starts to fade.

There is about 30 hours of play contained within Dark Cloud, but the title does not contain the type of epic storyline needed to drive the player through those hours.

Anyone who is into racing or tuning will think that they have stumbled upon the proverbial pot of gold with TXRZ. While the somewhat repetitive style of competition in the game will turn off some, the game is simply too exciting and fun to even notice.

While initially exciting, the thrill of the speed will wear off within the first hour or so, leaving you with a poor arcade racer that's neither exciting enough to last beyond the initial play nor realistic enough to provide the depth of a real racer.

Red Faction delivers a satisfying, if slightly flawed single player experience and a distracting, but ultimately shallow multiplayer mode. The graphics are impressive, and the technology introduced in this game is amazing, it's just unfortunate that it hasn't been used to its fullest potential.

If you're looking for depth or a realistic simulation, look elsewhere. If you're looking for tense, adrenaline-pumping arcade action, you'll probably want to look elsewhere too. It's true that you might find simple glee as you blaze away with your bomber's heavy machine guns, but that wears thin in a hurry.

This game is a good children's title and is aimed at ages eight and up, though I dare say any kid who could reach the keyboard and mouse could play.