Many of today's action games compel gamers to race through them as quickly as possible, rarely stopping to enjoy the scenery, but Vice City is the total opposite. It's a game you want to soak in; a game you want to take in slowly and enjoy every moment.

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

But the manner in which all the little pieces were brought together to create a whole that is truly greater than its parts is a tribute to the design skills of the team at Shiny.

The graphics on the PC version are by far the best.

Never gets complicated, it never gets boring, and it will probably remain the best sports game of the year -- especially in the eyes of those gamers not necessary obsessed with stats and realism.

The addition of weapons to the fighting game mix has put the Soul Calibur series in its own arena; the intensity of clashing blades and the strategies afforded by their behaviors makes the game feel more visceral than any of the other fighters on the market.

Visually and conceptually, Alice is unparalleled among this year's games, and succeeds in eclipsing its own weaknesses with intoxicating style. A defiantly original example of game-development as a fine art.

Smuggler's Run 2 makes Smuggler's Run look like a tech demo. It's Angel Studios' best game so far.

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.

Groundbreaking and triumphant. Lesser words just don't do justice to the superior graphics and general aesthetics of Guilty Gear X2.

Subtle and clever...The game, like its predecessors, is about addiction. Unfortunately, it does a great job of it.

The best portable Castlevania game yet created.

A battery save would have been the icing on this otherwise delicious six-layer cake. However, even without it, Arcade Advanced is an excellent example of how a retro compilation should be done.

A picture perfect port of what should be the most tired game in the business, somehow having it portable again, especially this well done, is a joy to fans everywhere.

The best snowboarding game on the market.

It's as fun and exhilarating as a classic three-chord punk tune at a folk rock festival.

The fastest, sexiest, loudest, and, like all things spawned from the bowels of hell, intensely addictive assault on your senses to hit the PS2 thus far.

I've been sucked in by the splendor that is Dark Age Of Camelot. I've had nothing but good times since I started playing. Servers have been stable and the NetImmerse engine has withstood the steadily increasing flow of new players without a hitch.

Epic in scope and delivery and should not be avoided by anyone, novice or veteran. This is most certainly my pick for RPG game of the year.

The best home version of DDR ever made.

What's most important, though, is that the classic, exciting Tony Hawk gameplay is still very much in evidence. Taken in its own right as a GBA game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 soars high.

With three diverse factions, an immersive 3D battlefield and nearly unlimited replay value, The Moon Project is leading the way for the next generation of real-time strategy games. An early candidate for the best RTS of 2001.

From beginning to end, the involving storyline and varying mission types will keep you wanting more, which is provided by the sufficient multiplayer capabilities, and the interesting SquadWar ladder system.

Where the PS2 version really shines is in the control department. The controls become almost second nature after only a few minutes of running around.

Arguably the best golf simulation on the market.

With its incredible graphics, breathtaking action and painstaking authenticity, Frontline is the best WWII console game ever released.

The powerful story affects you as it unfolds and by the end you will be drained--your life will never be the same again. This game could do to adventure games, what Doom did for the FPS. A must buy for anyone and everyone.

The biggest difference between 2K3 and its competition, though, is the game's physics. Players move like they're actually on ice.