Does both fun and realistic very well with below par results (in golfese, that's good). [Nov 2003, p.74]

Miyamoto got the idea for this quirky strategy game from observing his personal garden. What kind of garden? [Feb 2003, p.96]

For the more discerning hockey connoisseur, NHL2K3 has made great strides since its debut on the now defunct Dreamcast. [Feb 2003, p.93]

F-Zero is finally running on hardware that can do it proper justice, and Sega makes GameCube sing. [Oct 2003, p.63]

Strangely, the best version is on the least-powerful hardware. [Feb 2003, p.93]

Outside of a slightly boring midgame stretch in which you're tracking down overdue library books (no, really) and an overly tough final boss, this is a flawless portable adventure. [Feb 2005, p.91]

Despite some corny writing, this uberhip noir videogame feels like a movie but plays like a great action game. [Feb 2003, p.94]

Textures are muddier, the framerate is choppier, lighting effects are faked (faked well, but hey), and the image quality isn't as clean. [May 2003, p.71]

Superior simulation of the nail-baiting sport of stock racing, with amazingly realistic physics matched by a sublime 3D engine. [Feb 2003, p.94]

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]

Playing Rise of Nations won't make your jaw drop in amazement, but you'll probably still have lots of fun as long as you like RTS games. [Aug 2003, p.74]

If you want to enjoy this game in all its glory, you'd better have a top-end gaming PC and a decent racing wheel. [May 2003, p.66]

Zombies running amok in Raccoon City; more B-movie voice acting running amok on your speakers. Enough to fill two disks this time! [Feb 2003, p.97]

An amazing-looking game with some pretty serious muscle under the hood. If only the game actually <I>played</I> better - especially the batting - you'd have the "Madden" of baseball games. [Apr 2003, p.65]

Few racers match the sheer excitement of unleashing the boost on a straightaway to the accompaniment of wailing guitars. [June 2003, p.68]

"Einhander" is German for "awesome 2D shooter that should have sold way more that it did." That, or "one-handed." We're not sure. [Feb 2003, p.97]

It's a seamless and nigh-flawless experience that incorporates the best of what we love about gaming. [Aug 2004, p.90]

The game has changed just enough to please loyal fans, and when you've got a formula that makes for such a compelling gaming experience, why mess with it? [July 2003, p.80]

A collection of over 200 totally unexpected, random, frighteningly creative "microgames." [Aug 2003, p.79]

But POP's only really significant flaw lies in its adventure/action ratio: Both aspects are thoroughly fleshed-out but rarely intertwined.

Just as "Madden" continues to dominate gridiron play, so does ESPN NBA Basketball on the hardwood. [Dec 2003, p.84]

Nearly perfect. This release from MS Game Studios, despite the glaring lack of competition, is one of the best tennis game you can get.

The addition of legendary club swingers such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to the roster adds credibility to balance out the fantasy golfers. It's also refreshing to see so many new courses. [Nov 2004, p.116]

Plenty of cars, silky-smooth graphics, and of all things, a story mode. Best played with the Jogcon controller. [Feb 2003, p.97]

Countless mascot racers flooded store shelves during the PlayStation era, and Crash Team Racing was the only good one. Really. [Feb 2003, p.97]

It's also an enjoyable game with a huge collection element (there are hundreds of different clothes, shoes, and other accessories that will actually have an effect on your stats), unconventional game modes, and fantasy courses and golfers.

There's so much new content, it's more like an excellent sequel to the original. [Sept 2003, p.70]

An incredibly deep strategy RPG with a branching story line and a rewarding battle system. [Feb 2003, p.97]

Insomniac's terrific action-platformer has you jumping from world to world in search of new weapons and gadgets. [Feb 2003, p.93]

NCAA 2005 is not as good as "NCAA 2004." It's more on the level of colossal disappointment, actually, considering the hype surrounding 2005's release. [Sept 2004, p.87]

The graphics are beautiful, the characters original, the story entertaining, and the control dead-on. [Nov 2004, p.128]

Offers up some solid gameplay, sharp visuals, likable character designs, and a fairly compelling (if somewhat typical) story. Fans of "Advance Wars" will particularly enjoy it. [Dec 2003, p.102]

There's almost enough new gameplay in Rise of Nations: Thrones & Patriots for a full-fledged sequel instead of an expansion pack. [July 2004, p.86]

But whoever designed the final level) filled with screen-obscuring lightning attacks) and behemoth boss is a cruel, cruel person indeed. [Jan 2004, p.52]

It's very clever; the political overtones are great for that last-minute term paper. [Feb 2003, p.97]

Enemies and weapons are well balanced, progression through the Mars base is even and steady, and the locations are varied enough to keep things interesting. [Oct 2004, p.100]

Old annoyances have been addressed: You can use voice chat in the lobbies and put your buddies on a friends list to find them and send them messages (even when they are in a game). Also, cheating should be cut way down by other added measures. [Dec 2003, p.94]

It's a great challenge, and it gets tough near the end - but the lead-up to this difficulty level is perfectly executed, and the amazing graphics, weather effects, and car crashes keep you entertained during the frustrating parts. [July 2004, p.88]

A beautiful-looking "Dungeons & Dragons"-based hack-and-slash. [Feb 2003, p.92]

The extra game modes add quite a bit to the simple concept. [Feb 2003, p.96]

An exhaustive open-ended RPG that essentially allows you to make it up as you go along, with hundreds of people to talk to. [Feb 2003, p.95]

One of the best reasons to own a Game Boy Advance. [Feb 2003, p.97]

Still derivative, and slightly bizarre, but better than the previous game, Jak II is a trip worth taking. [Nov 2003, p.82]

A great RPG strong on replay value (the item trading and link-up systems are particularly handy) with great visuals and art style to match (Akihiko Yoshida's character designs have never been better). [Oct 2003, p.79]

The mix of 2D characters on a 3D plane not only looks appealing, the gameplay that's designed around the concept (Mario's transformation skills in particular) is a creative fusion of art and design. [Nov 2004, p.105]

Yeah, we'll say it: Mario Kart: Double Dash is the most fun you'll have with a game this year. And probably next year. And maybe even the year after that.

Nothing's more hysterical than replacing Solid Snake with an old office lady, and watching her sneak off to take care of business on Big Shell, SOCOM at the ready. [Apr 2003, p.63]

An amazing-looking game with some pretty serious muscle under the hood. If only the game actually <I>played</I> better - especially the batting - you'd have the "Madden" of baseball games. [Apr 2003, p.65]

The game that never ends... So why is it so much fun to play? [Feb 2003, p.96]

Brainless running and gunning is an underappreciated way to waste a couple of hours with a great-looking game. [Feb 2003, p.94]

With the improved online play, expansion of the popular lightning challenges, and inclusion of Chase for the Cup, NASCAR 2005 has enough horsepower to last you all year. [Oct 2004, p.102]

While it is, technically, a rail shooter, it's quite a rail you're riding. [Dec 2004, p.110]

An exceptional game based on a simple concept; some of the later levels will eat you for lunch. [Feb 2003, p.96]

The invention-building feature, which lets you create new weapons by combining photos of different found objects is nothing short of genius. [Mar 2003, p.68]

On the downside, you're going to have to bite your lip and accept the fact that the Xbox version does look a bit better. [Sept 2004, p.84]

The ultrasharp, hi-res character art and fluid animation keep XX at the cutting 2D edge, putting even Capcom's most recent fighters to shame. [Mar 2003, p.66]

Without a doubt, a contender for racing game of the year. [June 2003, p.74]

Extremely realistic attack chopper sim that's not for the weak of hear or impatient of trigger finger. [Feb 2003, p.94]

True icenicks will revel in the new dream mode and party mode. [Oct 2004, p.106]

Seriously, if you haven't finished the first installment of Camelot's sprawling GBA epic, it's likely you'll be baffled, at least initially, by this direct follow-up. [May 2003, p.73]

If you just like insanely fast arcade racing, go ahead and pick it up. It's a gas. [Aug 2003, p.73]

It's not exactly cutting edge. What it is, though, is incredibly sold fun. [Oct 2004, p.110]

A fine RPG - it's just not the earth-shattering sequel that people might expect. [Feb 2005, p.100]

Every now and then, however, you strike solid gold, and if "Super Mario 64" is videogaming's "A Hard Day's Night," then Beyond Good & Evil is surely its "Let it Be." [Dec 2003, p.98]

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]

A solid platformer with a unique aesthetic and animations. Lacks a little in the challenge department; a little on the short side, too. [Feb 2003, p.93]

A hardcore simmer's delight, with superb flight physics and enough detail to please the most finicky realism fanatics, including minutiae such as adjustable fuel mixtures and radiator controls. [June 2003, p.70]

Nothing but simple, addictive fun. [May 2003, p.68]

Nintendo has put together a fantastic cooperative quest, but compared to most single-player games, it's short, and compared to most multiplayer games, there's little reason to go back once you've played through it. [July 2004, p.83]

The game's not just about kicking ass, though. It's also about gorgeous graphics. [Aug 2004, p.99]

An aggressive driving simulator that defies the rules of physics. Includes a dedicated crash mode for aspiring demolition-derby stars. [Feb 2003, p.92]

If Codies opened up the format and provided more variety in the Championship mode, it would be a king. [May 2003, p.68]

The real star of NBA Live 2004, however, is the superb visual quality and the newfound ease with which players can call set plays and change defenses. [Dec 2003, p.84]

What really sets it apart from other first-person shooters, though, is the attention to technical and tactical detail, as well as the skill it demands from the player. [Jan 2004, p.78]

The game has an amazing energy and great joy. Its unfettered creativity is astounding, and this is where Katamari truly excels. [Nov 2004, p.110]

DOW isn't a perfect translation of the Warhammer game, nor is it a vastly innovative RTS, but it is a good-looking and fun RTS that should entertain any fan of the genre. [Dec 2004, p.130]

An enhanced port of the classic SNES racer with improved graphics and support for 4 players. [Feb 2003, p.97]

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]

From the makers of "Dave Mirra BMX" comes a just-as-playable inline skating game with a simple trick system and large levels. [Feb 2003, p.92]

The real star of NBA Live 2004, however, is the superb visual quality and the newfound ease with which players can call set plays and change defenses. [Dec 2003, p.84]

It doesn't quite have the depth or legs to carry it into longevity like an "EverQuest" or a "Final Fantasy," bit that's for later patches and expansions. [Aug 2004, p.87]

The massively muliplayer RPG that's so addictive it makes crack look like Sanka. Play this game at your own risk. [Feb 2003, p.94]

MC II should ship with a free sample of Ritalin. The amount of concentration required to maintain control of your car at such incomprehensibly high speeds almost requires some sort of chemical assistance (just joking kids). [June 2003, p.66]

This is in fact everything you have ever loved about Onimusha buffed out to the max. [June 2004, p.75]

As frivolous as it seems, FFX-2 is most effective later in the game, when the light stuff gives way to more serious tones. A bizarre, feisty triumph. [Dec 2003, p.90]

It kind of works, if only as a surprisingly challenging, exceptionally beautiful time capsule of Tezuka's greatest hits. [Sept 2004, p.82]

A shooter/strategy hybrid full of weird British humor, unique and beautiful 3D graphics, and naked lady sea monsters. [Feb 2003, p.94]

When the amazing, talented artists from Square join forces with the amazing, talented artists from Disney, good things happen. [Feb 2003, p.92]

The refinement of the Kudos point system is the biggest difference between Project Gotham and its Dreamcast predecessor. [Feb 2004, p.95]

It's almost like a bawdy, medieval "Animal Crossing" for adults. But you lack true control; moreover, things don't change unless you change them, making the world feel shallow. Though you usually have the freedom to do as you will, important characters are often completely exempt from your meddling (or even exist only in cut-scenes).

The gameplay is what will make or break Covenant for you; to be honest, it's nothing new. But the game is so chock-full of clever little intertwined ideas that you won't mind. [Nov 2004, p.126]

If only the visual polish matched the immaculate accuracy of the gameplay. [Oct 2003, p.67]

Submission moves finally makes sense, thanks to a logical location-based damage system, and wrestlers' weights are accurately presented. [Jan 2004, p.92]

The worst thing that can be said about Viewtiful Joe 2 is that it's a lot like the first game, and that's a good thing. [Jan 2005, p.123]

Throw in three difficulty levels and multiplayer support (with either a Multitap or a Network Adaptor) and you've got a lengthy and highly replayable adventure. [Mar 2004, p.86]

Hardcore fanatics may grouse about its simplistic flight model, mouse control, and repetitive missions, but for everyone else, it'll provide endless hours of exploration, random violence, and, most important, fun. [May 2003, p.69]

Takes an excellent original game, loses some ground on control, but gains it back with variety. [Feb 2005, p.109]

Unhealthily addictive. [Feb 2003, p.96]