Feels a bit like Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor in that an attempt to make an epic WWII Pacific Theater experience results in a product with brilliant touches mixed with mediocrity.

But even without the fielder cam, defensive controls are just a tad too sluggish—it's not uncommon to see a player circling around a ball on the ground or to have an outfielder take his sweet time throwing the ball into the infield because of the imprecision.

Overall, everything feels responsive, scores and stats come out realistically, and the atmosphere just feels right. [May 2004, p.84]

The game's presentation is incredible... Unfortunately, the A.I. should have spent more time in basic training. [Feb 2005, p.87]

Combat is flashy and loud, marred only by the accent-heavy voiceovers. [Sept 2004, p.88]

One of the fastest, most insane combat-racing games ever devised... If the tracks were a little bit less ambitious or the trick system streamlined for human hands, DD would easily be one of the best games of its type. [Aug 2003, p.78]

Acclaim made a lot of improvements and did a great job at capturing some of the spirit of baseball, but the actual on-field experience seems a little off. [Apr 2003, p.64]

It's a fun, imaginative platformer that, though easily and quickly completed, is another solid first-party GameCube title. [July 2003, p.74]

Defensive controls are just a tad too sluggish. [May 2004, p.84]

While the action runs smoothly, textures and level design are a bit on the simple side, making some of the more ambitious "natural" levels feel a little too grid based. [Apr 2003, p.67]

For newbies, this is still a great game, but for veterans of previous iterations, there's no reason to switch. [July 2003, p.75]

With its comedic bent and offbeat gameplay, Lupin the 3rd is a blessed alternative to the current wave of "Splinter Cell" clones, and a game that stealth fans and Lupin geeks can dig on equally. [Feb 2004, p.88]

Ash does a wonderful job of establishing an eerie, dystopian world where Dorothy's evil still slingers. [Mar 2003, p.71]

Between its immature "Mature-rated" content (naughty language is prevalent) and rough gameplay, RoadKill narrowly misses excellence.

Clumsy combat and woeful repetition will try your patience. [Oct 2004, p.118]

What would have been the game's ultimate saving grace - infinite human opponents online, courtesy of Xbox Live - isn't available either. [June 2003, p.75]

The turn-based combat is fast paced, precise, and brutal—they throw the whole freaking Monster Manual at you, and the numbers these monsters roll are crazy deep.

It's a fine tie-in game, but it's over rather quickly, offering little in the way of challenge. [Aug 2004, p.93]

The best Mega Man X in recent memory and will provide an enjoyable challenge to gamers willing to give 2D another go. [Feb 2005, p.97]

A fun ride that ends far too early. [May 2004, p.94]

With its violence, online play, and deep franchise mode, this title will appeal to both hardcore and casual baseball fans alike.

For a game that's more than a decade old, The Lost Vikings looks and plays great. [June 2003, p.77]

A solid game that shines in multiplayer, Blade Warriors is a great take on the "Smash Bros." formula that would truly excel if it were applied to the entire Capcom roster. Imagine the potential. [Apr 2004, p.84]

The hardware simply isn't powerful enough to consistently process what Killzone wants to do, in both single-player and online multiplayer modes. Similar to how Rare's "Perfect Dark" stressed the N64 near the end of that system's life, a game with otherwise excellent attributes finds itself arriving much too late for one party and a little too early for the next.

An Oliver-Stone-directed theme-park ride. [Dec 2004, p.102]

It's that A.I. thing that's a killer. The price is definitely right, but basing it on gameplay alone, this one lags behind this season's No. 1: "March Madness." [Jan 2005, p.118]

We'd be hard pressed to stake the claim that any of these add significantly to the first game's singularly terse thrill. [Jan 2004, p.60]

The glorious 3D speed rush is still broken by moments where you will scream with rage inspired by whatever sadism or idiocy has kept Sonic Team from fixing its camera and control schemes after five years of 3D Sonic games.

Achieves portable "Diablo"-ness like no one's business... The main problem with [it] is that it quickly gets repetitious and is best played with the three friends that the game supports. [Oct 2003, p.80]

Vastly improved graphics and animations make this practically a new game. [Jan 2003, p.93]

The games survive in excellent fashion on GBA, with sharp colors and fast framerates. [Sept 2003, p.80]

A fast, frantic action game starring a gun- and sword-wielding fellow fighting legions upon legions of baddies.

Xbox Live support is limited to downloadable content, not the needed multiplayer action, but it's great fun while it lasts. [Nov 2003, p.74]

It's the closest any DBZ game has ever come to replicating the insane airborne fights from the show. [Jan 2005, p.114]

An incredibly deep military flight simulator, Lock On is overwhelming, except to the most die-hard flight-stick jockeys. [Mar 2004, p.83]

A complete aesthetic and mechanical package. [Feb 2005, p.112]

With its open-ended structure and unusual story line, Arx Fatalis is the polar opposite of traditional console RPGs, and that's why I like it so much.

Topping off the game is the ability to go through all of RS's excellent missions in a splitscreen co-op mode with a friend. [Dec 2003, p.68]

If you're frustrated by "FFTA," this is strategy with training wheels. [July 2004, p.92]

Offers a more simplified, newbie-friendly version of traditional Tribes gameplay. [Jan 2005, p.92]

A totally new game. Unfortunately, it lacks the depth of the other games here, and therefore won't satisfy hardcore baseball fans. [Apr 2003, p.64]

It isn't exactly groundbreaking, but Whiteout plays well and offers a good-looking experience. [Feb 2003, p.73]

You will get enough to satisfy your battlefield cravings, but these extras could have - and maybe should have - been offered as a free download, not a $17.99 purchase. [May 2003, p.69]

If it weren't for an enhanced combat system, it would be a definite step down from "Kingdoms VIII" - ultimately, it's more of the same. [Apr 2004, p.92]

Tongue-in-cheek humor and mindless, cathartic bashing of things keep the proceedings from getting overly dull. [Jan 2004, p.92]

The most welcome addition to the series are the highly interactive backgrounds of Namco's arcade classic "Crisis Zone." [Nov 2003, p.84]

The delights are mostly in the details - and the developer has taken the time to stuff this version full of neat little extras. [Apr 2003, p.73]

The game expertly blends physical—mostly platforming—challenges with cerebral puzzles and, in the process, keeps players guessing throughout.

All the atmosphere is here - the confusion and fear - but beyond that, DFBHD doesn't involve much more than mowing down hordes of mindless enemy drones. [June 2003, p.73]

There's solid ground on which to build a game, but compared to what Insomniac is doing, much work remains. [Dec 2004, p.126]

The textures aren't quite as sharp [as the Xbox version] and the framerate is a little dodgy, but Indy controls slightly better on the PS2 controller, thanks to the additional shoulder buttons. [Sept 2003, p.69]

The gameplay, although strong at first, wasn't meant to be stretched this thin; if you're someone how intends to attempt all four games at a stretch, prepare for plenty of tedium to set in halfway through. [Jan 2004, p.52]

Holding back the fun are severe slowdown and scripting problems; hectic firefights and complex rooms often crush the game's framerate, and some event triggers can be irrevocably hung up, forcing a restart. [Dec 2003, p.92]

Even if the image of the precious Hamtaro in an apple suit makes you cringe, there's a solid game behind the cuteness. [Sept 2004, p.94]

Spearhead's default movement is also faster, which makes the game livelier: But if you're only interested in single player, there may not be enough here to sway you. [Mar 2003, p.70]

It's a well-made game, but its high points start to fall as you experience them over…and over...

A sublime experience that incorporates the feel of flying, acrobatics, and racing all in one. Unfortunately, the finicky EyeToy provides less than optimal control, resulting in intermittent bursts of frustration. [Jan 2005, p.122]

The hand-to-hand combat is, despite a handful of unlockable combos, pure button-mashing chaos.

The graphics and sound are far from revolutionary, the weapons basic, and the story a total throwaway, but when the gameplay is as fast and frenetic as this, no one will care. [June 2004, p.86]

The fact that Jaguar's flame katana - a standard weapon - can take down most bosses in less than five slashes...well, that just shouldn't be possible. [Dec 2004, p.128]

Oddly, though, Yuke's employs two separate buttons for blocks when there's clearly no need to use more than one, and it offers no option to modify this scheme. [Nov 2003, p.74]

Instead of cramming three divergent threads into one game, the developers should have split them up. The Russian campaign could have stood on its own, but it feels like an afterthought.

The experience could have been even edgier if the enemy A.I. was fully up to snuff. [Nov 2004, p.136]

Features an essentially unchanged game system and makes no allowances for introducing newcomers to the halfway-complete adventure. [Oct 2003, p.66]

Mega Man's bread and butter has always been the run-n-gun, and X7 continues that tradition admirably. [Nov 2003, p.84]

A surprisingly deep and satisfying ride, made all the more appealing by its $19.99 price tag. [Nov 2004, p.136]

Acclaim made a lot of improvements and did a great job at capturing some of the spirit of baseball, but the actual on-field experience seems a little off. [Apr 2003, p.64]

Cel-shaded graphics effectively capture the look and feel of the classic 1980's cartoon. Especially enjoyable for fans of the series. [Feb 2003, p.93]

Promathia should offer worthier excursions than this. [Jan 2005, p.108]

While the action might not be outstanding, the game world itself is. [Feb 2005, p.98]

With Dynasty 4's release scheduled for March, it's hard to recommend Xtreme Legends for purchase, fine game though it may be. [Feb 2003, p.72]

There's enough here to warrant purchase for diehard AoM fans, but it doesn't change gameplay significantly enough to draw in audiences outside the original fanbase. [Dec 2003, p.97]

Between its immature "Mature-rated" content (naughty language is prevalent) and rough gameplay, RoadKill narrowly misses excellence. [Nov 2003, p.81]

People with high blood pressure might want to stay away, but if you can tolerate unreasonably difficult A.I., Far Cry will punish you. And you will like it. [June 2004, p.82]

A fun, frantic fighting game tht completely captures the unique spirit of the show... A must have for DBZ fans. [Feb 2003, p.69]

It's a claustrophobic eye-dryer whose thrills are offset by the demands it places on the gamer. [May 2003, p.65]

When the action speeds up - in some painfully confusing boss battles - the imprecise controls and weak camera direction nearly kill it. [Nov 2003, p.84]

Lackluster graphics ensure that P.T.O. screenshots will never hang in the Louvre, but when the Klaxons are blaring, few will care. This one shoots to kill. [Mar 2003, p.65]

Fighters plays up the action while devaluing its story with cookie-cutter bad guys, bad accents, and jingoistic sentiments. [Oct 2003, p.76]

Has Kirby on the right track and, for the first time in years, starts to evolve the series. It just doesn't quite live up to its ambitions. [Nov 2004, p.118]

A lot of fun, but if it has one problem, it's that it is too similar to the previous game. But hey, the first game was great. [Aug 2003, p.71]

It's just a little too late for a reboot from last year. [Feb 2005, p.87]

Doesn't reinvent the gameplay of its predecessors, but it does refine it. Unfortunately, it's not all for the better. [Jan 2005, p.128]

Literally as simple, short, and brutal as a bullet to the head. [Nov 2004, p.116]

Better than the original in almost every respect. [Aug 2003, p.80]

Jump online, and you'll immediately reconsider Thunder. [Oct 2003, p.76]

PC players have a set of expectations that couldn't be met without more solid A.I. That, plus unfulfilling multiplayer, takes away any chances for a Medal of Honor here. [Jan 2005, p.122]

If you can handle LOC's steep learning curve, you'll enjoy an experience unobtainable on any other platform - the game is that compelling. [June 2004, p.85]

As awe-inspiring and grandiose as the Pearl Harbor level is, it's still just a rail shooter. The missions are uneven, ranging from uninspired "stealth" levels to well-designed artillery raids.

By upping the number of creatures in a stable, Tecmo has dramatically quickened the game's pace, with only a minimal trade-off in terms of the number of menus a trainer must plod through. [Jan 2004, p.60]

A technical knockout, really, considering there's not much competition. [Feb 2003, p.95]

Short, linear, and in its best moments, incredibly difficult. But for those who long to feel their hands cramp up around the cold, hard plastic, that might be enough. [Nov 2004, p.108]

The game expertly blends physical—mostly platforming—challenges with cerebral puzzles and, in the process, keeps players guessing throughout.

And the first-person baseball feature? Don't even think about it. [May 2004, p.85]

Between its immature "Mature-rated" content (naughty language is prevalent) and rough gameplay, RoadKill narrowly misses excellence.

One of the fastest-paced, most exciting wrestling games we've ever played... [But] effectively dealing with multiple opponents is highly problematic. [Apr 2003, p.70]

Encounters in Space makes up for its inevitably repetitive lock/dodge/shoot action with tons of replay value.

Maximum Impact is trapped in a weird place. It got most of its soul from the series' 2D legacy, but elements of the latest in 3D fighters have been sprinkled liberally on it. [Dec 2004, p.133]