It is simply far too difficult...and this level of difficulty seems to exist entirely to keep you from beating it within a few hours. [Nov 2001, p.96]

There are fleeting moments when you’ll have absolutely no idea where you are or what just happened before eventually realizing that it’s impossible to really wipe out or "come off" the track. [Dec 2001, p.105]

It’s not as polished as we’d like it to be, but it still has that “one more level” draw that keeps you going past midnight. [Jan 2002, p.90]

To be blunt, ‘80s flashbacks come with the territory here. Both whip-wieldin’ play and archaic visuals evoke images of an NES cartridge on steroids. [Nov 2001, p.112]

It isn’t bad, just eccentric – perhaps too much for its own good. [Jan 2002, p.82]

The clunky construction interface offers no way to replace a section of track other than erasing and rebuilding every single piece that comes after it, making spontaneous adjustments a chore. [Dec 2001, p.115]

The action, though, is simply repetitive, as even the most common creatures must be bludgeoned repeatedly to “kill” them (and there are a lot of creatures). [Nov 2001, p.100]

The simple fact remains that it’s difficult to play deliberate, defensive oriented hockey. [Dec 2001, p.108]

Fun but frustrating. Ultimately, the steep learning curve (formations? Don’t even ask ...)and increased micromanagement keep the game from being a "Diablo II" killer. [Dec 2001, p.115]

The best “wacky” sports game we’ve played in years. [Jan 2002, p.81]

The only problem is there just isn’t enough of it. [Nov 2001, p.108]

Hews so closely to the now four-year-old formula, it’s disappointing. [Dec 2001, p.108]

Approached as an interactive and emotionally satisfying bedtime story, Ico succeeds wonderfully. Just be aware that it’s a very short story. [Nov 2001, p.105]

The Dreamcast version gives you the best of all possible worlds: sharp, solid 3D graphics, along with reasonably familiar Resident Evil-style gamepad control. [Jan 2002, p.86]

Insanely difficult. Non-masochists need not apply. [Jan 2002, p.90]

It’s showing its age, but NFL 2K2 can still compete with anything the next generation has to offer. [Jan 2002, p.86]

The only serious knock you can make against it is that (ironically) having been designed primarily with the notoriously problematic joypad control in mind, the gameplay is a lot less challenging when attacked with a mouse and keyboard. [Dec 2001, p.115]

An ordinary experience that’s as routine as a metronome. [Dec 2001, p.100]

It’s a surefire blast any time you can get two or more people around the TV. [Dec 2001, p.112]

There are over 1500 different tricks possible in this game, and it never gets boring trying to find every one. [Dec 2001, p.100]

Suffers from shallow gameplay and outright boring level design throughout its six-hour adventure. [Nov 2001, p.108]

Once the truly tricked-out sport trucks are unlocked, the speed, fun, and Metallica-heavy soundtrack are hard to actively dislike. [Nov 2001, p.108]

Gamers not hooked on star jaunts and sci-fi melodrama may find the slow physics and steep learning curve too daunting. [Nov 2002, p.113]

On the whole, this definitely delivers the rush speed freaks crave. [Dec 2001, p.105]

Yet another checkpoint-to-checkpoint semi-sim, and racers yearning for something new will run out of gas quickly. [Nov 2001, p.105]

More realistic, but not more fun. [Dec 2001, p.112]

Palpably incomplete…[yet] the deepest mech game yet made for a console. [Nov 2001, p.100]

It earns our admiration for simply being different and is likely to have everybody crowding around the television at your next party. [Nov 2001, p.105]