Overall, this is one of those games that gets high marks for style, but could have used a bit more work in the substance department.

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

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

"Air Combat" isn't going to win any awards, but you'll be too busy busting caps at the tan army to even care.

Your outfielders are all apparently modeled after Greg Luzinski, because they each can only cover about ten feet of territory.

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.

Looks like a guppy of a fishing game indeed.

The novel point scoring system makes for intense play.

A silly little action shooter that takes a smidgen of brainpower and a tongue placed firmly in cheek to fully appreciate.

Gorgeous graphics, simple gameplay, and tons of multiplayer fun give this title legs like Steffi Graf's.

Doesn't really add enough that's new to the game, nor does it tweak the gameplay enough to fix some of the problems in "Pharaoh."

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.

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.

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.

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

My only major beef with the DR2 is that the problems of unit pathfinding that plague just about every other strategy game are alive and kicking here as well.

It's a shame that the developers didn't polish "Rally Challenge 2000" a bit before they sent it out the door, because it has a really cool racing engine at its core.

All aboard! This game will appeal to sim fans and model-train collectors alike.

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

With gameplay that's addictive and rewarding, you'll find yourself playing it into the wee hours of the night.

Thankfully, Capcom, the king of coin-op fighters, seems to have few reservations about taking what are essentially change magnets and bringing them home intact for the low, low price of $49.99 (or roughly 100 plays).

Make sure your affairs are settled before you start playing this game, and pray that your relationship is strong enough to make it through the addiction.

As revoltingly adorable as he is, Kirby can be quite a badass, and--if you give it a chance--you'll see that his new N64 adventure is pretty hardcore as well.

The storyline is immediately absorbing, and is a nice break from the typical run 'n' gun first-person shooter.

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

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.

A stress buster with mindless fun.

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.

The empire component, while solid, is a little bit shallow, the AI is weak in crucial areas, and the game is also buggy on some systems.

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

If you're an RTS fan who never got a chance to check out "StarCraft" on your PC, then you should definitely give it a whirl. If you've already conquered the universe, there ain't no reason to do it on your N64.

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

Well equipped to attract a large following among network players with its elegant controls and dazzling graphics.

If you're tired of the same old shoot-this-guard, find-this-key, flip-this-switch gameplay, give "MDK2" a shot -- you won't be disappointed.

The super-sugary-sweet music and the cutesy characters are enough to bring you to tears.

There are as many different reasons for the gamer to go to bed thinking of simulants, or any of the friends that have been hiding behind walls and popping a cap in your ass with the farsight, as there are peanuts in the box.

Like "SimCity 2000" and "SimCity 3000," this version can be extremely challenging and requires more micromanaging than even New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani would want.

Vagrant Story is, quite simply, a shard of excellence in terms of gameplay, emotion, storytelling, and cinematography.

The control's not user-friendly from the get-go; you'll need time and patience to hang with the big boys.

An incredibly deep simulation of human behavior.

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...."

The combat aspect could stand another tweak or two, but the intriguing story -- a blend of creepiness and conspiracy--keeps these discs in the console until the final credits run.

At three in the morning, I realized that having me write about GT2 is pretty much like giving Stone Temple Pilots' frontman, Scott Weiland, a gig as a heroin reviewer.

If you don't dig a traditional RPG structure, this is going to bore you to tears. But for a strong storyline in a non-traditional setting, Planescape is well worth the money.

If you play only one FPS this year, it will probably be "Quake 3," but if you play two FPS games this year, give Unreal Tournament a try.

This game is simply phenomenal, from its representation of the sport, to its incredible gameplay, all the way down to the brilliant sound effects.

Going about 600 scale miles per hour it is nearly impossible to discern what's going on with your gauges, not to mention the fact that it's really tough to know when you're about to destroy yourself...Only the most jaded of Wipeout players will feel cheated by purchasing this game and even they'll secretly have fun.

You won't touch your PlayStation or N64 again.

Final Fantasy VIII has been called an epic game. And it is, if epic means "boring."

There is only one major criterion System Shock 2 fails to hit. Graphically, it isn't so special.

In terms of options, "Blitz 2000" rests on its laurels, though a four-player simultaneous mode may be enough for die-hards to pick this one up.

The actual driving controls and physics in the game are great except for one thing. The analog steering controls are very jerky.

Quite basically, this game rocks... Plus it lives up to the peak level of story, animation, and performance that is expected from an adventure game these days, so it isn't just sitting back on its new control's gimmick value.

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."

Perhaps the biggest complaint about EQ over UO is the utter lack of an interesting dynamic economy and the structures UO allowed you to build before they ran out of room.

There has never been a game of this complexity (save "Battlezone" perhaps) which has been presented with such perfect and stunning clarity. I was initially daunted by the incredible depth of choice the game affords, and then my anxiety turned to awe. The interface is clean and simple without being simplistic. It is truly a miracle of design with its sharp AI and thoughtful little touches.

The only drawback to the graphics would be the lack of a rotatable battlefield, as it is sometimes hard to figure out where you can and cannot go in cramped quarters, canyons and towns.

You’ll find the gameplay tight, intense, suspenseful, and unique. It has already stolen my heart, take a risk and don’t overlook it, it may steal yours as well.

Realism aside, Half-Life provides some of the best unrealistic opponents seen to date as well. The creature design here is outstanding.

Infinitely replayable, as random encounters are a part of the game, and no one will find all the secrets the first time through.

A wonderful espionage sim with rich graphics and great playability. The attention to detail is uncanny and the story is engaging and fun.

Looks so good that it took me a minute to figure out that the opening computer-generated cut scene was over and the gameplay had begun. The transition between cut scenes and gameplay is swift and seamless.

The game has an ironic weakness, however. It is too much like Mario in some respects and not enough in others. The premise and underlying tasks are just too familiar to allow Banjo-Kazooie its own identity.

If you're looking for something new, if you're looking for groundbreaking gameplay, you won't find it here. What you will find is a very solid game engine, with fantastic multiplayer support, and nice units and technologies to choose from.

Some console role-players might just find this style of deep preparation and chess-like battle sequences too sluggish. Strategists who have been truly bored by trying to play "Panzer General" or even "X-Com" on a TV screen, however, will appreciate how much lush graphics, soundtrack, and effects can goose up a wargaming system.

More an interactive movie than a game, RE2 looks pretty but lacks challenge.

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.

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.