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.

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.

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.

The mission battles are intense, and the environments are varied. And the battle environments aren't just eye candy; they actually effect the strategy necessary for success.

The control in Jedi Power Battles is fantastic.

The other PS2 baseball games better quake in their cleats. High Heat is as superb a gameplay experience as it is ugly.

Think of it as falling in between "Ridge Racer" and Gran "Turismo." If you are a car fanatic who would rather spend $1,000 on nice rims than pay off a student loan, this might be the racer for you.

A brilliant 3D world overrun by control and camera issues.

The best classic compilation yet.

If you like wall-to-wall bloody action in cool locales with some interesting puzzles and lots to do, Rune may be what you're looking for.

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.

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.

This one takes full advantage of the PS2's graphic capabilities, giving a digital beatdown to all comers in the genre.

This swan song for the Earth 21XX series almost knocks itself out of orbit by cramming more content into one small package than the average encyclopedia.

A brilliant lesson in game making as well as in history--and like history, it repeats itself again and again and again.

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

While it has nothing on "Marvel vs. Capcom,"" Mutant Academy" plays uniquely enough to warrant a chance from fighting game aficionados, as well as from X-Men fanatics, old and new.

Only a good, not great, golf simulation that leaves some room to grow.

If I never again see a story that contains color-coded heroes, it will be too soon.

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

Even with its flaws, Summoner stands out as the best RPG available for PS2 this year.

Maybe the best entry in the all-too-often disappointing "Star Trek" category.

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.

It's got scary atmosphere, decent graphics, excellent sound, great dinosaur enemies, ominous locales, and plenty to do. If you've already played through the PlayStation version, there's little reason to run out to get the Dreamcast rendition.

For the rest of us, the expansion pack really isn't practical, essential, or even ever-entertaining.

A few aspects may appeal to those of us without a pilot license, but most players will have little desire to struggle with this game beyond the early missions.

Staggering amount of customization, a virtual fleet of licensed vehicles, and an effective cross-platform online experience that gives a whole new meaning to the words "replay value" for a console game.

But if you subject the actual gameplay to any real scrutiny, you'll see all sorts of cracks that mar the game's beauty.

If you enjoyed either "Delta Force I" or "II," you'll like this game as well. It is more of the same, with some gameplay, graphic, and multiplayer improvements.

One of the nicest PSX games to be released in recent months, featuring great graphics, sound, gameplay, and an engaging storyline with vivid characters.

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.

Fun LAN action, in-depth single player games filled with secrets, and a completely original look and feel all create an arcade racer that is a step above most of the bland racers on the market.

The camera provides a third-person view, and although you can adjust the angles and the depth, it's definitely confusing, and not ideal for battle or discovery.

It looks, sounds, and even plays old school. Are you sure you want to go back to school?

This game is what the movie should have been.

Other than the great graphics, the PC version has nothing extra to offer over its console counterparts, so I wouldn't recommend an upgrade if you already have it.

But if you move through the settings from easy to normal to hard to very hard, you've got a challenging shooter that is as graphically appealing and fun as any out there--except, of course, for "Radiant Silvergun."

While fans of BMX will enjoy the cool licenses and game features (like the height meter for midair boasts), casual gamers who are used to training wheels will find both a plug-and-play arcade game and a deep career mode.

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

While the learning curve is as steep as some of the game's slopes, patience does pay off in this game, which should appeal to snowboarding fans. Unfortunately, the rest of us will find the game's strict guidelines to reality a detriment.

An absurdly non-existent damage model causes the game to seem so stunningly unrealistic that it's little more than a goofy cart racing arcade game.

"GameDay 2001's" crime is, plainly and simply, that it's not "Madden."

I count myself somewhere in the middle, acknowledging the innovations of Oni while also being aware of its inherent flaws.

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.

Captures the look and feel of Donald Duck's universe impeccably, and delivers a solid, fun, gorgeous platform romp the way folks like it--with style.

It's difficult to get excited about muddy graphics and visuals that look almost identical to those circa 1995.

Meshes tight control, serviceable graphics, and EA's trademark extras to set the standard by which future motocross games will be judged.

Like fine wine or stinky cheese, Ms. Pac-Man just gets better and better as time goes by.

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.

The graphics are superb. Rather than attempt to hypnotize you with psychedelic patterns of bullets, this game has a slower pace that actually allows you to take in your surroundings, an apparent breakthrough when put up against other recent shooters. The backdrops are luscious and feature textures so detailed that you probably don't have enough rods and cones in your eyes to appreciate them.

Combines land- and water-based vehicles in a racing simulation that's nothing short of amazing.

It really is a great stress-relieving game with its simple controls, colorful visuals, and soothing sounds--ah, the simple pleasures in life.

All praise the lord of the church of the swollen-thumbed messiah--this game is a kick!...You pound endlessly on two buttons until either the event is over or you've lost feeling in your hand, but virtually every other aspect of the game has been improved.

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

This was a good, but glitch-plagued game on the PC, and it may be just a little too complex for an easy transition to a console.

Unfortunately, for serious gamers and traffic-dodging enthusiasts everywhere, it's not enough.

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.

If a game doesn't bring anything new to the table, one must wonder why the developers even bothered in the first place.

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.

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.

And if you're too cool for this stuff, hey, grow up and get over it, because you're missing out on a terrific game.

I've come to the conclusion that if there is even a glimpse of something with even the tiniest bit of fur on it, peeps will flock to it in droves, and it's to this I also attribute the success of "Basic Instinct."...BR3 is best left to the novice.

If you are a World War II buff or a strategy enthusiast, by all means take PGIII for a cruise, but if you want variety and visual stimulation from a game, search elsewhere.

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.

Serves up a decent game of b-ball, but sluggish gameplay and the lack of a few fundamental options keep it from reaching its full potential.

The incredible visuals help this title to stand on equal ground with the rest of the FPSs.

Just know that you're in for a short ride that will leave you yearning for a full-fledged sequel.

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

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 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.

Sure, FOTD is a blatant "me too" AOE clone with a few new additions and a different cultural angle, but it's also an addictive diversion that'll keep you glued to the PC for hours on end.

The combination of the beautiful visuals, awesome sound effects, simple control, and hysterical power-ups really makes Looney Tunes Racing an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, the whole thing is noticeably short-lived.

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.

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.

Delve a little deeper, and you'll find annoying graphical glitches, shifty control, and a frustrating interface that detracts enough from the overall game to make it a mediocre title at best.

It's an addictive game that'll have you hacking away at brigands, toad men, evil priests, and even the occasional minor gaming bug.

Where else can you see Deion Sanders put a hit on somebody? Certainly not at a Redskins game.

ESPN MLS GameNight is sort of like the result of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman having a little tike of their own, but it comes out looking like your average tree sloth.

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

You get the feeling that the voice work was done by people that roll their R's when ordering the "Burrito Supreme" at Taco Bell.

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.

In a word, it's crap.

Given the sordid history of Looney Toons games, it's simply enough that this duck doesn't suck.

Deep Fighter ranks only behind the superb "Resident Evil: Code Veronica" in bringing mood to the table.

Aside from a few drawbacks, this manages to be an entertaining little game that adds enough to the smashy-smashy mix to keep you interested for at least a few hours.

Scary it ain't, but D2's got its morbid charms.

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.

Bear in mind that you're buying into a hard-core simulation, not a flashy pseudo-realistic game, so a troubled conscience won't be an issue.

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.

A good three to four hours of fast-paced fun if you take the time to find the secrets, thus making it perfect for a weekend rental.

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.

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.

Needs a lot more to justify the price.

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.

Has some arguably unique approaches, but seems to be lacking many of the checks and balances that would reign said approaches in from out-of-control excesses to interesting novelties.

Blends disco inferno sensibilities with technological prowess into one magically delicious cocktail, which goes down easy and is every bit as intoxicating as the type of brew it takes to get your antisocial ass out on a real-world dance floor.

Let's cut to the chase -- this game sucks. Or rather, its chief antagonist does, since that vampiric schmuck Dracula just won't stay dead...bloody good fun.

The six mini-games are fun to play... for about 30 minutes each.