It oozes with so much addictiveness that the storyline plays second fiddle and reminds you of a time when gameplay was an integral part of gaming. Put simply, this is one of the best games I have played in a long, long time. [Grade = A+]

It takes the quality gameplay from the second game and vastly improves it, while taking the better story pacing from the first game in mind when providing the lengthy tale that really involves the gamer.

The music is superbly scored and goes a long way to set a mood. I ca not imagine playing this game without the soundtrack and any attempt to do so only managed to break the mood.

Super Mario Sunshine can be completed in roughly 20 hours with nowhere near the 120 Shines hidden in Isle Delfino. Completionists will want to go back and get everything, and considering how addictively fun this game is, I wouldn't blame them.

It uses a combination of sight, sound, imagery and imagination to create the scariest game on any home console. Turn off the lights, grab your controller and enjoy the horror of Silent Hill 2.

The best stealth game and ninja game on the market today. This is my choice for 2003's Game Of The Year. [Grade = A+]

This is the possibly the best game to grace the genre in years. With tons of things to unlock, and considerable replayability, dedicated gamers will enjoy this title for years to come.

A complex fighting game that will take you a very long time to master each of the 13 characters.

The story was good for a sequel and while not as serious as the first one's story still can hold up to other RPGs out there.

If Otogi's tale was the bread it's gameplay is the butter. It mixes the best best of both the action and rpg genre... Much like "Ico" and "Panzer Dragoon Orta" it will go down as one of the most memorable experiences of this generation.

Demon slaying doesn't get any better then this.

The guys at Rockstar have really honed their ability to keep the missions fresh. They've managed to make each mission varied and complex without making them brutally hard.

With tons of items to collect, including unlockable characters, and some excellent co-op play, this game may be the best the X-Men have to offer this generation.

UbiSoft is going to be hard pressed to beat it.

This is the best offering of gameplay, extras and multiplayer that has come out in some time.

Probably the best 3D fighter on the market at the moment... Give it a try, watch your life disappear...

Pure immature fun with a story. You will like the comic mischief and the spell effects along with the sound track and voice acting. I simply cannot think of anything wrong with this game other than the visuals.

While there isn't much story in this game (which seems like going back to the FF:1 days) the game is incredibly addicting.

Visually, Ratchet & Clank is awesome. The immense levels are teeming with life. Outside of the basic minions you have to deal with, many levels are packed to the gills with life.

I have played RE on the PSX about 14 times and know it like the back of my palm, but this one still took me awhile.

One of the best aspects of Advance Wars is the sheer amount of things you can do. If you choose not to play the Campaign mode, you can still fight and earn battlefields in the War Room, or can get friends together and play multiplayer on either one GBA or link up to four GBAs at one time.

Probably the biggest strength of the game is the dungeons and your ability just to explore the immense world at hand. The dungeons are magnificently laid out and require a good bit of thought to successfully complete.

The best game on GameCube by far and one of the best games ever, in my opinion. It's a must-own for any action game fan. [Grade = A+]

A perfect mix of platforming and action.

Think of this as Final Fantasy on a 3-D chess board, where your men/women have certain movements and abilities. The spell effects are gorgeous and you can easily find yourself spending lengths of time just building your party the way you like.

Disgaea 2 is certainly a game that stat whores will waste hours on. You can get to ridiculous levels and do attacks that would make Final Fantasy lose it's lunch.

Anyone who comes away from this game with anything more than a few nitpicky complaints should just give up videogaming, period. Everything that this game does goes above and beyond the capability of the current competition and will easily set a bar for quality for years to come.

The epitome of perfection. Every single aspect of this game has been polished to an unbelievable extent. Everything has been resized to a colossal proportions, from the graphics to the weapons to the maxigames. This is one of the best action platformers of all time.

The execution of the voice communication, including eavesdropping and talking into the ear of captured mercenaries, makes the game all the more thrilling.

The graphics in the game are absolutely breathtaking. The Xbox has made the graphics from Vice City 10 times better with the lighting effects and the sheer power of the Xbox. Everything looks so vibrant and awesome. [Grade = A+]

If you're a fan of Star Wars, you NEED to purchase this title. The gameplay experience proves to be as deep as the engrossing story and wonderful script.

You'll get out of it what you put in. You can get into the game fairly quickly, but the real rewards come from investing time in the exploration and monster-developing aspects of the game.

Extremely fun and addicting. It has substance and style to boot and a great story.

Everything the original was but better. In fact, Ninja Gaiden Black proves to be one of the best action titles of this generation.

The actual fighting in the game is flawless...One of my favorite games of all time and easily my favorite game on Xbox. [Grade = A+]

This is easily my favorite first-person shooter (yes, it's better than "Goldeneye", "Halo", "Perfect Dark", "Half-Life", and anything else) and my favorite game on Xbox. [Grade = A+]

An insanely deep game that offers a lot to do outside of the 70+ missions. If you understand that it's just a game and that these selfsame actions are not healthy in the real world, you'll enjoy a well-developed world disguised as a deviously fun game.

It delivers an amazing game experience. This is the best entry yet in the series, and if they choose to continue it I would hope they use this game as the template for future entries.

If you have ever been a fan of the Twisted Metal series, then getting this game is a no-brainer. It's easily one of the best in the series and gives fans pretty much everything they've wanted out of the series.

Surprisingly impressive. In fact, the enemy and ally A.I. is done extremely well. Even on lower difficulties, you'll find enemies give you a challenge.

Adds a new level of terror to the Silent Hill franchise. It has the same great atmosphere and tension from the first two games all while adding tons more enemies and more tension because of it.

The best part of this game, of course, are its online features. You’ll simply be addicted to this game like a drug addict is to PCP. [Grade = A+]

Both the stages and characters show a grand level of detail and depth. Everything down to the facial features look spectacular.

A triumph of epic proportions that is sure to go down in history as one of the greatest game sequels ever made.

What sets Ghost Recon apart from other squad based shooters is its command map.

If you're looking for a comprehensive boxing title, then this is it. The depth of the gameplay and options, including online gameplay, will keep any boxing fan happy for a long time.

With some of the most impressive graphics seen in a video game to date, combined with an extremely easy to use yet wonderfully deep control system, Prince of Persia is a rare gem that is sure to be included in every top 10 list for years to come. [Grade = A+]

Unfortunately many people have been scarred by the abomination known as the "FIFA" series and so are unwilling to try the WE series which is a shame as this is definitely the benchmark of its genre.

A huge football game that fans of the genre should enjoy. There's lots here to do. In fact, the franchise mode alone should take you months to wear out.

It does such a wonderful job of pulling you into the Bond world and you could almost say this game is a movie and at times I had thought to myself that very idea.

Dwarfs the first game in every single aspect including those tiny little details only microscopes can see. [Grade = A+]

Everything SSX was, but better. Loading times are better, voice-acting improved, more tricks, new racers, improved tracks...

The perfect sequel. It also has everything a great action/adventure game needs. Fast and smooth action, multiple characters, well thought of puzzles, well fleshed out characters, a good story and kickass graphics and sound to boot. [JPN Import; Grade = A+]

No matter how much muscle your car is pushing, the AI will always manage a way to gain up on you and take the lead. I felt as if I’ve won a Nobel Peace Price when I finally beat the last race in Paris, and you will too.

Pure, intense stylish action.

It's as good as its nearest competition, "Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance," and in certain instances, like the deep realism and stronger focus on the action rather than story, is a better game.

The game is very story-heavy and linear because of the heavy focus on story. Outside of that, though, the game is a vast improvement over the previous game.

The design and layout are well conceived and pulled off convincingly with the highly stylized cel-shaded world. The levels are large, well-populated and fully active.

The best game for the GameBoy Advance? Absolutely.

The only other problem I found with the game was the challenge that the in-game camera presents. Often, you will find yourself using the camera buttons a lot to move the camera so you can see everything in the environment.

The single player is worth playing just as much as the online is. They both are lots of fun and at times the game can seem very chaotic but exciting all at the same time.

The gameplay is pure "old school" and makes no apologies for it. Without a doubt, this is a "Love It or Hate It" game. If you can weather a challenge, then be sure to invest in this title.

An absolute keeper for anybody looking for short bursts of entertainment on their portable machines, just in case the world around you seems to be fairly uneventful.

Baldur's Gate is all of the best things about "Dungeons & Dragons" without the annoying people you used to have to play with and the bother of keeping up with stats and dice rolls.

The audio portion of the game is well realized and adds a wonderful depth and flavor to the game, amplifying the experience.

Usually a game with no multiplayer and running a little bit on the short side, I would have a hard time suggesting buying, but Escape From Butcher Bay is put together so well that a purchase is well worth it for anyone who enjoys first person shooters or action titles of any kind.

With plenty of unlockables, action packed gameplay and awesome graphics. This is a must-buy for an action/adventure fan. But with the short play time, this is a tempting rental for everyone else.

The game just hooks you from the beginning and never lets go.

What sets this apart from all other racing games is the immense speed of the game, which will make you dizzy sometimes, and the fact that there are 29 people racing against you.

Heck, you should just play this game for the comic-book styled cutscenes alone. Good thing there's a good game in here as well.

If you loved the first game and enjoy a story-heavy action roleplaying game, then Kingdom Hearts II is a must-buy.

While the graphics engine may have a few rough edges, they don't detract from the great stealth action. If you can forgive the spotty AI, you will enjoy the challenge the game provides.

If you enjoy the BioWare style of RPG, then a purchase of this game is a no-brainer.

Where Legend is successful is in capturing the charm and feel of the original games and truly feels like the first modern take on the series.

If your looking for a good mature action/ adventure game that makes you think in more ways then one, do yourself a favor and pick up Killer 7.

The story may not be too in depth and the characters don't endear themselves as previous titles do, but for those that bought a PSP, Liberty City Stories pays off big.

On top of the fine sound effects and voice acting is a soundtrack that's beyond amazing.

It throws out so many references to the source material and stories written by the author that fans can't help but feel the wait has been justified.

If there's anything that can be held against Republic Commando, it's that the main story is short and doesn't have all that strong of an overarching story. Fortunately, the gameplay and audio package makes the overall experience worth the time and effort. Republic Commando is certainly one of the better Star Wars games to come out this generation.

This game has everything for everyone whether you’re into those car-jacking ways, killing innocent pedestrians, or just enjoy humor and huge exploration. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this title.

A great game with just a few beefs: poor use of great licensed music, slightly lacking implementation of the Gamebreaker feature, pointless hype about all the style moves (they're best used for taunting and bragging rights), and an insane difficulty curve in the Challenge mode which may send you to the store to buy new controllers.

A wonderful single player experience. While there isn't an overall story to the game, the cutscenes and mission briefs add depth and flavor to the game.

Anyone that is a remote fan of horror games should check this game out immediately. I haven't played a game this scary in a long time and the game play remains interesting throughout.

If FFXI gets its hooks into you, you may find yourself not buying any other games for a long time.

Luckily, the adventure and the Judgment Ring aspect of combat lend themselves to a quality title that's sure to be a nice change of pace for those who love Final Fantasy.

A refreshing sip of musical ambrosia.

Probably the most impressive part of the game is that all of the territory is connected, visually and gameplay-wise. Anywhere you can see, you can get to.

The only real flaw I found with the gameplay is that the game seems fairly forgiving with mistakes.

It's downright fun and you'll find yourself having a hard time pulling yourself away from it. While the single-player feels a little underdeveloped, you will play it enough to unlock the fun mini-games.

When it comes to scaring the crap out of players, Fatal Frame 2 can't be beat. For those looking to shoot up a ton of monsters or zombies, this may not be your cup of tea. For players looking for a terrifying tale that's swmped with ambience, look no further.

The game balance is well done and the average gamer will find a lot here to enjoy.

The story is both huge and deep and the game itself will provide you will a serious challenge. In fact, you may find yourself dead a huge number of times as many battles will require strategy and planning just to survive. When you finally get through the game, you'll feel rewarded for the effort.

With X-Men Legends, fans of the series will finally get a next-gen action RPG worth their time and effort. As an action RPG without the license, X-Men Legends is still a great effort, worth your time and notice.

While some may complain that the game is technically short, where the strength of the game lies is in its replayability. Shooter fans will be addicted by the game, which beckons multiple play-throughs just to improve their score and hopefully their internet ranking.

A wonderful experience that tells a fine story. While the game can be completed in anywhere from 10 to 12 hours, the pacing feels just right. If you were ever remotely interested in an adventure title without the words "Legend and Zelda" in it, Beyond Good and Evil is the first title you should check out.

Few old school series get such a great modernization like this. Considering the game easily clocks in well over 50 hours, any RPG fan will get their money's worth.

Visually, SOTC is all about the artistic flair and presentation. The same wispy, dreamlike style present in ICO returns, but with more Aztec/Incan influence in both the main character's attire and the way the Colossi appear.

Leaps and bounds above any other RPG available for the PS2 and will set the benchmark for games to come. If you can get past the linearity, you'll find a game that's got a lot to do and most of which is new.