The game is a huge improvement over its predecessor... To put it to plain and simple words; NCAA Football 06 is the best game in the series.

Now the sound is probably the worst part about the game.

With the immense amount of toying and tinkering you can do in this entry of the TimeSplitters series, you will be hard-pressed to become bored quickly.

A little more variety in terms of the structure of available side missions would have made the game even better.

Nippon Ichi strikes again with one of the most charming, creative, and fun games on the Playstation 2 this year.

It is a wonderful title that exudes both charming beauty in its lush aesthetics and sophisticated brilliance in its streamlined, accessible gameplay.

There's a hefty dose of nostalgia in this collection, but you'll also find that these games have aged marvelously well.

Star Ocean 3 lays out one of the most fun, intriguing and overall best role-playing games not only from just this year, but in any time recently.

Delivers on all fronts. Sure it has its minor flaws, but with a stellar story, crazy amounts of celebrities, licensed soundtrack, and fun fighting engine, you would be hard pressed to find a game as enjoyable as Fight for NY.

This game not only has an incredible control scheme, but it has so many extras that you probably won't even have to update until V5. Whichever way you look at it, NBA Street V3 is the new pinnacle of the NBA games and is much more fun than any other basketball game in existence--including "NBA Jam."

It's impossible to imagine someone not enjoying Stranger's Wrath, and while its innovations may seem superficial, all of the whimsical variations on the usual themes make for an exciting and eccentric game that must be experienced to be understood.

It is a wonderful title that exudes both charming beauty in its lush aesthetics and sophisticated brilliance in its streamlined, accessible gameplay.

Experienced players may be somewhat annoyed by the limited AI and rudimentary base building, but those drawbacks won't stand in the way of a surprisingly compelling game.

The unlockable content alone is enough to keep a player busy for quite some time; couple in the sweet little extras like ‘celebrity’ golfers, and mini golf and the enjoyment can go on for quite some time.

If you don't mind waiting, the Xbox version of Street Fighter Anniversary Collection will arrive in early 2005 and will feature online play. That alone makes the Xbox version seem far superior but for those of you that just can't wait, this game is easily worth the money.

The game also feels a little too anticlimactic because the last few chapters aren’t as intense as the original.

The squad ethic has been applied solidly to fast-paced action that is sure to appeal to any serious action gamer. If you can overlook the short, 10-hour campaign and a multiplayer component barely worth mentioning, then RC is an easy recommendation.

This game hits the nail on the head in so many ways it really is hard to nitpick about the small shortcomings such as no in-game cut scenes or free flight. If you are a DBZ fan, don't rent this game. Buy it right now.

With the focus more on action this time round the game is even better than before. It’s true that it loses its way towards the end, lapsing into same old same old territory and playing too similarly to Doom 3, but Doom fans will love it nonetheless.

The squad ethic has been applied solidly to fast-paced action that is sure to appeal to any serious action gamer. If you can overlook the short, 10-hour campaign and a multiplayer component barely worth mentioning, then RC is an easy recommendation.

The story is still as engaging as any you have ever and will ever witness, but the technical issues are too abundant to ignore, which keeps The Sith Lords from reaching the status of last year's Knights of the Old Republic.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans' faces; old, and new alike.

It is evident that the five years of development were well spent, and you can see that EverQuest II was, is, and will likely continue to be a labor of love. If you want a satisfying, intriguing title full with potential, look no further.

Not for the impatient type, but if you are willing to struggle through the often laborious brain-teasers, you may find the final reward surprisingly fulfilling.

The single player game may get a bit tedious, but the game can be just as fun as "Soul Calibur" if you have some friends who are ready for some action on the street with its pick and play controls.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans’ faces; old, and new alike.

Despite a few technical problems and terrible game modes, ESPN MLB manages to deliver a very solid game of baseball that any fan of the sport should enjoy.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans' faces; old, and new alike.

The most impressive feature of Dungeon Siege 2 is how well it balances the sleek combat of the original with enhancements that add breadth, without any element feeling out of place.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans' faces; old, and new alike.

With the immense amount of toying and tinkering you can do in this entry of the TimeSplitters series, you will be hard-pressed to become bored quickly.

This kind of game could have been a lot of fun online, but Nintendo apparently doesn't see it that way. At the very least a system-link mode would have been a welcome addition.

But really, why fix what isn't broken? It's great to have a new iteration in a potentially classic franchise, and Viewtiful Joe 2 is as joyous to play as the first, some slightly more frustrating puzzles notwithstanding.

The perfect purchase for simulation basketball fans that want a little of arcade-like freedom.

BF:V has a ton of AI routines to run all at the same time, and it sucks every last resource from your system. Online play, however, will probably run quite well in comparison.

It features an ideal set of secrets to unlock, features great graphics and sound, loads of NFL Superstars and Legends, and even has quite a few elements of strategy in it.

Recommending Killer 7 is frightening, much like recommending A Clockwork Orange, or Pulp Fiction, or Eraserhead. The art we love is not always universally enjoyable, but we all want to share that favorite special vision with others, while still worrying about what they will think. We offer our sincere but guarded blessing to Killer 7.

Just gushing with tons of gameplay options. The game offeres more than what you'd expect from the series.

If you'd rather not bother with these RPG-style elements, the game nicely offers the option to have the points automatically placed, though you still have to access the character menu in order to do it.

While Rebelstar: Tactical Command may seem a few years late to PC gamers used to this level of depth in their SRPGs, handheld gamers can now enter into the arena of intelligent, well designed and rewarding turn-distance-based gaming.

Defeating swarms of countless bad guys is one of gaming's oldest and purest joys. X-Men Legends is a prime example of a game that taps into the fun to be had in that, offering a wonderful variety of characters who possess a wonderful variety of powers you can use to battle your enemies.

A little too much like last year’s game...However, its defensive gameplay mechanics are more than enough to warrant that this is a must-play game if you’re into football, and it’s a lot more user-friendly than ESPN is.

To put it plain and simple, Metal Slug Advance is one of the most entertaining Game Boy Advance games of the year, and if you even find the game easy enough to beat it quick, you'll want to keep going time and time again to improve your skill.

The effects in cutscenes are spectacular and the looks of spells are amazing.

Recommending Killer 7 is frightening, much like recommending A Clockwork Orange, or Pulp Fiction, or Eraserhead. The art we love is not always universally enjoyable, but we all want to share that favorite special vision with others, while still worrying about what they will think. We offer our sincere but guarded blessing to Killer 7.

Swamp filled jungles and ruined cities have never looked so good in a space shooter.

Does away with swords and sorcery, and instead gives us an excellent action RPG populated by Marvel Comics' band of heroic mutants.

With its unique art style, good story, and fantastic soundtrack, it’s one of those games that can definitely be enjoyed by a lot of people.

The different solutions to each level provide enough replay value for a couple of extra run-throughs of the game.

Baseball games are sure to get a kick out of its take on the classic game, while others will likely enjoy the easily accessible gameplay and hilarious, hard hitting action.

While its multiplayer might leave something to be desired, its single player hits its mark.

Other than the game’s well-performed music, the sound is nowhere near the quality as that of the game’s controls or visuals.

It's not perfect, but when you add up the rule changes, the vastly improved gameplay, the bug fixes, and the $20 price tag, it's impossible not to recommend this game to anyone who loves the sport of Hockey.

Just don’t get this game with the expectation to play something 2d and reminiscent of "Symphony of the Night." It is short, and can be beaten in about 10 hours.

With nice looking visuals and outstanding gameplay, Sega went ahead and added enough depth to the game to call it a handheld sleeper.

While its multiplayer might leave something to be desired, its single player hits its mark.

Even after five years, Nintendo has managed to rekindle the gameplay and addictive qualities that brought us to this game in the first place.

Just an all around good game. Where it lacks in polish it makes up for in character.

Suffers from the same "problems" as any sim-game; repetition of the tedious.

One of the few games that manages to successfully center itself entirely around its story.

Even after five years, Nintendo has managed to rekindle the gameplay and addictive qualities that brought us to this game in the first place.

Somehow manages to be as deep and addictive as it is rushed and flawed... What it fails at borders on inexcusable; it doesn't launch the Tekken series up to the same level of greatness as the "Virtua Fighter" series.

The game is simply fun to play, and if you give it a chance, you'll be doing so for quite a long time.

Some might be a little disappointed by its short sub-30 hour campaign, but most people will find it forgiving because this game has so much heart and soul that it will be remembered long after it’s beaten.

The only real reason not to get this game is if you have no access to Xbox Live and already own the PS2 version.

If you can get over the cutesy, anime driven art style of the game you're going to find a very rewarding RPG that will be fun for a long time.

An action game for people who don't usually play RPGs.

More characters, amazingly detailed courses, the Double Dash idea, unlockable vehicles, and other secrets prove that Mario Kart: Double Dash is a huge improvement over previous games in the series.

Radiata Stories has a fair amount of replay value to back it up. It has 175 recruitable characters, and if you go through both scenarios, you’ll have about 30 hours of gameplay, assuming you don’t get lost.

The PlayStation 2 version isn’t bad, but it’s lack of technical godliness is a relative hindrance, and the online mode is a little less fleshed out than that of the Xbox and PC versions.

Too bad that all of the "enhancements" made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they "fixed" the things that were never broken.

Stylistically, the game borrows heavily from many predecessors, including Lunar, Grandia and all entries of Squaresoft’s Secret of Mana franchise. But with just the right amount of borrowing and combining of different elements into something new, alchemy becomes wholeheartedly amusing, entertaining and rewarding.

The maps are completely awesome and it's great that they are being released to those of you who don't have the option of taking the game online to download them. Otherwise, it's worth just waiting until next month when you can get them for free.

Too bad that all of the “enhancements” made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they “fixed” the things that were never broken.

Unfortunately, the game's visuals don't have any noticeable improvements from the last game; it looks like Madden 06 uses the same graphics system from last season.

If you enjoy beautiful, fluid, entertaining adventures, then this is your chance to take part in one.

Transcends gimmickry and enhances a standard third-person shooter with some nifty psychic powers and moments of sheer brilliance. Still, some uneven design decisions, tepid levels, and other shortcuts keep it from being a classic.

Raw and addictive, but lacks the polish to make it stand out in a niche market.

Better than the first in every category.

Luckily, you have the option to turn the new passing system off, but if you do-what valid new additions separate 06 from the rest? Almost nothing.

Luckily, you have the option to turn the new passing system off, but if you do—what valid new additions separate 06 from the rest? Almost nothing. It’s looking like the lack of competition is a bad thing, but who knows?

If you consider yourself a fan of SNK, a fan of good online modes, or are just in the market for a new fighting game to take online while you wait for NeoWave or Samurai Shodown, look no further than The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact – Maniax.

Luckily, you have the option to turn the new passing system off, but if you do—what valid new additions separate 06 from the rest? Almost nothing. It’s looking like the lack of competition is a bad thing, but who knows?

The length is fair, the story is on par with what Rare usually does, it’s visually superb, and the sound is actually enjoyable.

It strips away many of the old-fashioned frustrations without eliminating the enjoyable aspects of the genre. Experienced players, however, will be disappointed by the lack of the depth and breadth of a game like "Anarchy Online" or "Everquest."

Too bad that all of the "enhancements" made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they "fixed" the things that were never broken.

Too bad that all of the "enhancements" made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they "fixed" the things that were never broken.

With the immense amount of toying and tinkering you can do in this entry of the TimeSplitters series, you will be hard-pressed to become bored quickly.

The FLUDD system is used throughout the game and can either be why the game is so great or why the game is so mediocre.

The myriad of ways to customize your abilities and interesting additions to the game add some depth – but sadly, the mediocre implementation of some of those elements keep the game a standard hack-and-slash button masher at its core.

A decent action game with a lot of nifty gameplay twists thrown in for good measure. While we wish BloodRayne moved a bit better than she does, no one can argue that she brings a sexy darkness to an action game (ahem) dripping with personality.

The problem with Kingdom Hearts is it's definitely not the action RPG people fell in love with on the PS2. It doesn't carry the same mood along with the story (though it had a well-written plot), and with the pacing the game has; it can often feel a bit rushed.

A decent action game with a lot of nifty gameplay twists thrown in for good measure. While we wish BloodRayne moved a bit better than she does, no one can argue that she brings a sexy darkness to an action game (ahem) dripping with personality.

The graphics in Animal Crossing can be out done by the GBA. It has a very low frame rate, and has horrible looking grass. The graphics suck.

If you can look past the minor problems in the animations, the Superman AI and the new rule missteps, you will find that EA has actually created a pretty good sim style game.

This is one of the better RPGs to come in a few years, and a revamped version for the GameCube is just what the Doctor ordered.

A game that probably could have used a bit more focus and polish but despite that still does its job well. The single-player campaign is somewhat interesting and gripping, and players looking for the ferocity of multiplayer won't be disappointed.

In every sense of the word, Graffiti Kingdom is a flat-out fun game. It’s not amazing, and it’s not even great, but it’s well worth the price of admission if not just to try something new.