Dated technology, distracting controls, and some downright sloppy programming undo what could have been a great game.

The main problem with the gameplay, as it was with the first, is that there's no real reward for shooting well. As long as you duck at the right time you can hit a very low percentage of your shots and still finish the game.

The graphics, however, are the game's strongest suit. Viggo's Revenge sports the same cartoony characters and environments as the DC version, but they have been a tad improved thanks to cell shading technology.

The challenges are too weak. The game moves way too slow.

If you are looking for all-out arcade excitement that has made Midway notorious, you will definitely find it in CART Fury. Unfortunately, the novelty of this high-octane action burns out rather quickly.

An entertaining, mission-based driver with hilarious commentary and fairly engrossing gameplay. This is definitely a sleeper hit for the aging PlayStation.

If you liked the first one and are bored its levels, this game is perfect for you. If you never got a chance to play the first one and want a solid trick-based game for the PSX this, too, is a great choice.

I actually think GigaWing 2 is a great game in many ways, but it is so short it makes even the super-low $20 price tag look steep.

Attempts to bring back to the DC the excitement that HOTD2 gave us and, as we all know, it's not 1999 anymore, and the Dreamcast is no spring chicken.

After spending solo time with the game, I've decided that Mario Party 3 is like that last guest who refuses to accept that the party is over.

It's cool to look at and has excellent sound, but it lacks fundamental gameplay elements that make kart racing the good time that it is.

I haven't seen such lame animations since the early days of Sega Genesis. This is supposed to be the PlayStation2 for crying out loud. How difficult is it to do create some cool fighting animations?

My big issue with ESPN MET is the AI or lack thereof. On several occasions I was able to bring my opponent's goalie out of his box and leave the goal wide open. In addition, taking the ball from players is as easy as running into them.

Such a pleasure for longtime fans. The series keeps getting better, rather than rotting like the game's antagonists and citizens of Raccoon City...What makes Nemesis better than the previous installments is the improved interface.

The few new game modes and extra features hardly justify the price tag. Nor does the fact there are already numerous similar games available for free on the Web.

A generic cart racer, even with those blue bastards behind the wheel. The only saving grace is the price tag.

Once the nostalgia wears off, you’re left with a mediocre game show game that can hardly compete with the likes of Sierra On-Line’s successful "You Don’t Know Jack" franchise.

If you haven't seen the game, prepare to witness some of the weakest graphics this side of the millenium. The 3D characters are nothing but big blocks of pixel.

Sheesh, this clunker might as well be subtitled "Interactive Espionage Game Design Basics for Dummies." How retailers can live with such rubbish polluting their shelves isn't apparent.

BMX isn't a bad game, it just doesn't do anything fresh to get a jaded player excited.

What could have been a groundbreaking title has been reduced to an exceptional weekend rental.

The gaming equivalent of a four-day candy and soda binge: nothing substantive, you know it's terrible for you, and you'll hate yourself afterwards. In fact, you hate yourself while it's going on, but it's such tasty junk that you just can't stop.

Most notable is what Outlive doesn't incorporate--every innovation since 1998. No burrowing or stealth units, no unit experience carryover, no 3D battlefield or units, no unique units.

The bugs are inexcusable, but when it comes to baseball, there just isn't any other game that comes remotely close to being this deep and endlessly replayable.

It's actually pretty entertaining, though almost completely uninspired.

After prodding through this journey over the past week, I can assure hopeful N64 players that this game isn't worth your time, money, or effort.

Still the perfect choice for casual fans that want to take some cuts as Manny Ramirez or bring some heat as Randy Johnson, but the lack of any new features is disappointing.

What LucasArts has done is create a traditional console title with little regard for computer game-specific enhancements. So while BfN doesn't flirt overly much with the Dark Side, Jedi masters take heed; unless pure, unadulterated melee sounds like a plan, this incredibly basic blaster will send shivers down your lightsaber.

Great visuals coupled with great atmosphere and music makes this a must-have for fans of the genre.

I could go on for hours describing the game's pendulum swings from ground-breaking presentation and production value, to sub-par action and repetitious, short gameplay.

Its games last too long, there's too much of an emphasis on offense, and pitching and defense are virtual afterthoughts. This may sound discouraging, but even with these problems, the game can still hold a national interest.

Having played it, I found it to be pretty enjoyable, if only for a few scatterbrained hours. It could, however, be the perfect kids game for the N64.

The experienced wave racer will find nothing but frustration and disappointment.

Perhaps the freakiest, most outright offensive title since "Panty Raider," this no-brain child of development house Xilam proudly touts its own immaturity, Fred Durst-style. Technically, that's why you'll have such a blast playing the sucker despite a few glaring flaws.

A cute and entertaining romp that offers just enough thrills and chills to be highly addictive and extremely frustrating at the same time.

Forget about your outside game--it's next to impossible to sink a trey. And the acid-trip free throw meter will have you wondering what the 989 gang was huffing when they thought it up.

What? That's it?...The above text is not a direct quote from my last date, but rather my initial reaction to finishing this fun, but brief, expansion pack.

For a budget title, Blade of Darkness ain't so bad, despite its weaknesses. If you've run out of games to play, give it a whirl, just don't expect the world.

While a viable contender for anyone's gaming dollars, The Messenger is best suited for intermediate level detectives. Dedicated play requires a patient mind and hefty time investment, though not nearly so large an expenditure as most adventures demand.

If Konami can keep the slicker aspects of the game and work on the weaknesses, maybe ESPN 2Night, like Zo, will be a lot more impressive next year.

Nine out of ten experts agree, this kangaroo should be hopping his way into bargain bin obscurity, posthaste.

There are a few new mini-games thrown in, and the crazy cheat codes are back, but they're a fleeting distraction at best. This game is worth nothing to people who have played one of these before.

This career mode-intensive cycle-racer does a great job of taking gamers through a variety of Ducati-brand bikes (new and vintage), along with plenty of impressive challenges and races.

Certainly a feast for the eyes, but questionable AI and control issues keep it from instant-classic status.

Spastic action, beautiful graphics and robotic sound effects do not a classic make.

Great-looking models of some of the coolest planes ever made. Easy to jump right in and start blasting.

989 Sports has a long way to go to be competitive with EA Sports, but FaceOff 2001, although deficient in almost every category, is an entertaining game that is certainly worth a weekend rental.

The vehicles have a silly propensity to flip upside-down (even at 20mph), and stupid proportional gaffes abound, like a dune buggy that's able to muscle an SUV over a cliff. Which is just insane.

It's interesting enough, and you'd probably get a few hours of gameplay out of it, but it gets tired really quickly. Add this to the fact that the really cool battles -- the ones with lots of ships on each side that might have drawn you to this title--are nearly impossible to coordinate.

It's a bit of a step backwards, taking the more exploratory 3D incarnations into consideration. Still, if you're looking for some chaotic old-school 2D side-scrolling mayhem, it's worth checking out.

For all the complaints you can level at the game--serious though they might be--the fact remains that the combat controls are well designed, and kicking ass in this game is incredibly entertaining.

Ridiculously long load times. Even with added structure, gameplay eventually goes stale.

While the graphics are some of the best that I have seen in a racing title for a nex-gen system, this does not compensate for the fact that Driving Emotion Type-S has unrealistic physics that debilitate the overall enjoyment of the game.

Worth checking out simply for its quirky faux contemporary rock theme song.

Aside from the graphics, the PS2 version of Live 2001 can't hold a candle to its PSX counterpart.

The Ward was obviously inspired by LucasArts' classic "The Dig" and Inscape's underrated "Drowned God," only it's nowhere as good or as innovative as either title.

Great graphics and storyline can't quite make up for its lackluster AI and tedious gameplay.

Like a mixture of "Mario Kart" and "Motor Toon GP," RC Revenge Pro's pint-sized racing terrors are armed to the teeth, delivering a totally lighthearted, fun and competitive racing experience.

In essence, the closest motorcycle fans are going to get to a bike version of "Gran Turismo."

The 3D engine is quite good, the interface is top-notch, and the gameplay itself stays within the standard mold of the genre; it just doesn't try to reach for anything beyond the mold. Or, if it did, it got mired along the way in a swamp of mediocrity from which there was no escape.

The aspect of contacting and interacting with demons was also an element that I fully embraced. It broke the monotony of simply killing and killing in order to gain experience points.

Has everything an F1 fan could desire. But for experts it may be a little too easy, and for outsiders it's just not as fun as some of the other racing games out there.

The PS2's first college hoop game doesen't blow the roof off the arena.

Needs a lot more to justify the price.

A decent game that's like class registration in college. Every course you pick seems cool, but only two will actually be interesting.

For practical purposes, think of this disc as a professional kickboxer's bombshell girlfriend--you can look, but bad things come to those who touch.

After spending a week tiring of this title's company, memories of the countless frustrations encountered are also taken away from the affair.

Fans of the cartoon obviously aren't sick of the Batman premise, but that doesn't mean they'll be able to tolerate this game.

The online play takes this game over the top, as you no longer just win money from your game console's unlimited bank, but you actually get to grab it from other human racers.

A solid--albeit brief--game. However, because of the game's flaws, it makes a prime rental candidate.

I never thought hitting someone with a lead pipe could be so boring.

A mediocre title that's way too short and only slightly innovative. However, if you can't get enough of these games, the price makes a purchase a no-brainer.

Shows brief glimpses of that old EA excellence with its new dynasty mode, but sadly, the overall game slides weakly into the realm of substandard.

It's the second-best RPG on the Dreamcast, and is surely a fantastic second helping that satisfies that next-generation RPG hunger that's only just been alleviated by "Skies of Arcadia."

Even with its flaws in gameplay mechanics and visual presentation, Capcom's port of Resident Evil 2 is a thing of beauty, preserving the euphoric atmosphere of a game that no other gaming company has been able to duplicate to date.

For the true believer, it's all worthwhile when Ash cranks up his trusty chainsaw and lets loose with a hearty, "Yo, tree bitch. Let's go."

Those utilizing that modem in the back of the DC are sure to appreciate a lot of what this racing game has to offer. Anyone else, however, will likely find it sorely lacking in what should otherwise be standard features.

Though exceedingly difficult, this title's still a rollicking good time.

It's not pretty, and the sounds may drive you batty. However, if you can get past the primitive and cutesy graphics, you'll find a fun and addictive experience that offers an enjoyable--and certainly more cerebral--PS2 experience that's currently unmatched.

My only complaint about the story is that it's a little linear, but as the focus of the game is on combat, it's forgivable.

Amusing and might be fun for a couple of days, but there's not much here to hold your interest. If, on the other hand, you're an adult and a big fan of "Quake" or "UT," and you have a young sibling, relative, or child that you'd like to play games with (minus the graphic violence and gore in most games), this is a great game to try out.

Tack on a "Police Academy's" worth of god-awful zingers, third-grade-level dialogue, and "witty" remarks so sour they'd curdle milk, though, and you've got the makings of a highly playable, thick 'n' chunky piece of interactive fromage.

Part of the pleasure in playing Sheep is just experiencing its originality and sense of humor.

This becomes a case of hurry up and wait. I found myself frantically trying to fit all of my moves into the eight minutes that constituted my turn, then going and fixing myself a sandwich during the AI's eight minutes.

Nothing less than a solid role-playing game with old-school style and flair.

One of the deepest games ever created. Too bad all the time spent with the options couldn't have been devoted to gameplay instead.

As my son put it, "This game was designed by mean old men who just wanted to twist our minds." I couldn't have said it better myself.

A terribly average game, Chronicles is about jumping, falling, dying and reloading from the memory card every few minutes.

Innovative gameplay, clever level design, and an abundance of mini-games serve to spice up an otherwise generic experience.

Dinosaur tries so hard to be a good game for kids, but it just falls flat on its face due to the control issues. I can't imagine kids playing this game for long periods of time; it is so complicated for the wee people that it's more of a hassle than anything else.

Unless you're obsessed with playing with little green men and don't think you're going to be abducted in the near future, stay well away.

This is not a bad game on the whole. If you've got the patience to get through it, and if you can bear with the shabby controls and sometimes maddeningly awkward camera angles, there are plenty of rewards.

A good-looking FPS with a huge assortment of baddies, as well as a multitude of impressive environments. And although the action is fairly cut and dry, it is still a shooter's joy while it lasts.

Good ideas clash with rigid mission architecture and fruity design work. This is the same game in which you can authentically throttle a foe to death, but half a dozen body shots won't ice an opponent.

The fact of the matter is that the gameplay in this ramshackle title pales in comparison to these top-selling greats, as does its unpredictable design, boring multiplayer modes (deathmatch, pass the bomb, etc.) and outdated engine.

GunBird's the word, standing out as one of the best finger-crampin' exercises since the Rubik's Cube.

Until SCEA sits down and actually works to iron out some of the game's bugs and takes steps to improve the realism, GameDay will be mired in Madden's shadow for many seasons to come.

This aspect aside, the game has a typical "walk about, search for keys, flip a switch, search for power-ups" feel that never seems to pull any major punches. If you've got nothing better to do, consider renting it.