Poor and rich people alike have no excuse to look elsewhere for a sensible purchase.

Even more tragic is the fact that there is no way for you to turn the tables and play as the Arachnids. I don't know about you, but I wanted to be the first kid on my block to suck a human brain out of a skull with a three-foot long proboscis.

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

Although the graphics and the sound effects could have been improved in some areas, there is one thing that remains a constant throughout the game: it is damn funny the whole way through.

The controls take some getting used to and the AI can be infuriating, but, it's still an insanely addictive game. It's one of those titles that'll have you storming out of the room swearing that you'll never play it again, only to find yourself back in front of the screen, Dual Shock in hand, half an hour later.

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

The game sounds better than it looks.

Die-hard point-and-clickers may be turned off by the lack of any real brain-busting puzzle action, but an engaging plot combined with terrific graphics and sound should make up for these shortcomings.

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.

It's always nice to see a license stretch its wings succesfully.

One of the most intriguing blast-a-thons in recent memory.

Too realistic at times, with frustrating, overly complex features.

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

If you have some vision, creative ambition, and a whole lot of time on your hands, RPG Maker just may be the game for you.

A mixed bag. And it definitely isn't for everyone. If you want a serious NASCAR sim and are willing to put up with some very schizophrenic graphics, this is your game.

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.

Although a brief new Age (Rime) with additional puzzles and subtle foreshadowing of the Riven sequel has been added as an ending bonus, it's not really enough of an incentive to play MYST over again.

A solid game for those who are looking for something fun and different, and it's not as complicated as Konami's "Dance Dance Revolution."

Imagine the ugliest person you know, and then imagine that the person is made to be just a bit uglier. That's how horrible the graphics are in this game.

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.

The lack of anything more in-depth, such as a career mode, severely cuts the replay value of Royal Rumble.

Blocky graphics, a complete lack of challenges or fun mini-games, and really bad stabs at humor make this game a drag.

While this magnificently dumb galoot blatantly treads on common ground, it leaves a lasting trail of wreckage that gamers will happily follow.

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.

Fun as hell to play.

If you're looking for your first PSX golf title, this is the game for you. But if you're a veteran PGA Tour player, the 2001 edition of the series may not be worth the upgrade.

Tiger plays poorly and finishes last among this year's golf sims, and that's not the only flaw in this game's realism.

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.

If you can get past the over-sensitive controls and find a vehicle or two that you like, then there's a lot of mindless fun to be had here.

Despite there being 13 different racers, all the characters seem to have the same abilities and driving styles.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Aside from some rather brilliant lighting effects, which become apparent when pulling off special moves, SFEX3 looks like nothing more than a high-res original PlayStation game.

As with all M&M games, the sound effects are my favorite. Each town and feature on the map has its own song or sound, and the richness and variety is impressive.

Inexplicably, Wacky Races does away with the very features which made its console cousins so endearing, substituting in their place cheap filler that's pure crapola whichever way you look at it.

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.

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

Old-school graphics and unprecedented difficulty level make this one a loser for all but the most dedicated retro-game freaks.

This is a tremendous one-player shooter with a level of intensity and suspense that reminds me of when super-graphic gaming was a brand-new thing.

While the graphics and the sound are on point, the game as a whole is weak.

A painful aquatic encounter, though not on the same level as, say, a jellyfish in the swim trunks.

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

The sound effects are very well done, but the senseless and endless chatter from your colleagues is distracting and unwanted, and the music score could have been much better and less monotonous.

The faces are the truest recreation of NBA stars I've seen, though the big heads do look a little out of place on the equally outlandish bods.

I liked this game simply because it's Star Wars, but also because it's a fun, if basic, combat title.

Uninspired graphics, sound, and gameplay help you quickly realize why this game was created in the first place. Namely, to separate an innocent Trekkie from his cash.

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

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.

Along with the frenetic gameplay, Spawn: In the Demon's Hand conjures up a deliciously wicked bevy of visuals for the owner's viewing pleasure.

This disaster of bushido, on the other hand, Kengo right into the discount bin.

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.

Dozens of magical rings will have you wishing you had more than ten fingers, but the poor enemy AI will have you occasionally flipping one of them at your screen.

The bottom line is that NASCAR fans will be pleased, and others won't be completely bored out of their skulls.

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.

While it may not be perfect, it does a damn good job, and sure as hell gets you interested in the Yamaha line of products.

The adrenaline-inducing arcade action makes up for the game's flaws.

Even though TWINE is no "GoldenEye," it's still a fun and well-made game in its own right. It's sort of the way I feel about Pierce Brosnan...he'll never replace Sean Connery in my heart, but he still plays a pretty good Bond.

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.

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

ESPN--the network that's given the world Chris Berman, "Sunday Night Baseball," and the "Fitness America Pageant"--deserves better than this.

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.

Well, this game is more than all wet. It's completely sodden. Water logged. Soaked. Drenched.

A game that perhaps could have been very good, but for various reasons, just isn't.

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of where I live. As a result, many neighbors complained about the expletive-laden screeching I let out while trying to play Alien Resurrection.

While this season's team doesn't bring home the stuff that gangsta rappers' grills are made of, they do turn in a solid, respectable, silver-medal-winning performance.

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

Each level is dissected by terrifically cheesy HOD-style cinema screens that supposedly advance the plot, but in reality make you scratch your head and go, "Wha'? Well, it looks good...."

Does "3DO" mean "3 directions only" -- forward, left, and right?

Make weapons out of trash! (Disclaimer: probably not advisable as a real-life hobby.)

Tomb Raider: Chronicles is like a fruit cake. Sure, it looks tasty and the name sounds good, but then you actually taste the thing.

The typical fashion model hangs out on the French Riviera and wears a slinky black dress with a fancy designer name on it. The typical RPGer eats a lot of french fries and wears a size XXL black T-shirt with a crewmember of the USS Enterprise on it. These similarities were not lost on From Software.

But if the thought of parachute pants makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, you could do worse than trying to relive your glory days with this title.

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.

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

Definitely not a "maximum" of anything, dismally low number of gameplay options, pretty but useless opponents, oversimplified cue-stick interaction, and way-sensitive controls.

The result is a game even worse than the port it came from. It's not an awful game, but it is awfully mediocre.

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.

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.

The bottom line is that this game has everything a fan could want, except of course, that it's full of courses and players that most Americans have never heard of.

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

A cow-tipping game would be a step up, particularly if the developers omitted the use of shameless advertising.

I wouldn't qualify it as mind-blowing in any particular way, but each of the game's component parts is solid.

I'd only give NFL Quarterback Club 2001 a look if John Madden's voice drives you into homicidal fits of rage.

Unlike "Seaman," this game's voice recognition is pretty primitive.

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.

If I can prevent just one piece-of-crap game like this from coming to the market, it will be the right thing to do for gaming.

The only way I can recommend this game is if you have a bunch of friends to play against head-to-head.

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

The sort of shallow and frustrating gaming experience that only a surfing fanatic or a masochist could ever enjoy.

Repetitive voice samples from the film, control flaws, and poor floating-camera angles make many levels frustrating.

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.

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.

This is creepy in a really bad way.

Max doesn't do anything particularly wrong, it just doesn't do too much that's new.

The ugly graphics that simply can't compare to what thy eyes have seen on the PlayStation2. Seriously, after playing SSX on the PlayStation's big brother, it hurts even to look at this game.

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.