The stylized graphics have a love-them-or-hate-them quality, but the animation is smooth and the music grooves. [Sept 2003, p.137]

The graphics are colorful and detailed, but the characters are small. [Apr 2003, p.136]

The platforming and fighting controls are a little unwieldy. [March 2005, p.106]

For an espionage title, the movement and sniping control is surprisingly sluggish. [Feb 2003, p.154]

Three types of powerups give Frogger extra speed and strength. [Feb 2003, p.156]

The story sequences are slow-paced and the camera doesn't always show the best view of the battle, but the action between bots can get pretty intense. [Feb 2004, p.150]

The racing action is similar to that of other kart games, but the Digimon influence adds a fun gameplay edge. [Oct 2004, p.124]

It's simple but furious. [Jan 2002, p.134]

A real racing rush. [May 2003, p.139]

A strong 2-D one-on-one fighter that even casual fighting fans will get a kick out of. [Aug 2004, p.122]

I found the actual play control sloppy, especially playing headers and shooting off a cross. [May 2002, p.132]

Despite a hokey story and marginally offensive characters, Monster 4X4 is a powerfully satisfying monster truck stunt game with 27 tracks. [Feb 2004, p.150]

The game's play control and animation are a little rough, but overall, it provides lots of action and thrills. [Jan 2003, p.174]

A fun and fast-paced baseball experience. [May 2003, p.139]

Some situations are frustratingly difficult, but the play control is intuitive and reasonably responsive. [Nov 2003, p.154]

Loaded with high-octane action and adrenaline-soaked thrills. [Oct 2002, p.198]

The Bust-a-Move series once again offers hours of fun for action-puzzle fans. [Feb 2003, p.156]

Imagine the most intricate, feature-laden knockoff of the old arcade game "Choplifter", and you'll have an idea of what Glory Days 2 is about. [Aug 2007, p.89]

If you have a PC(or Mac), you're better off tracking down the aforementioned "SimCity 4" for a few bucks. [Nov 2008, p.101]

So EA didn't totally drop the ball; this offering just doesn't live up to the high standards we've come to expect from the Madden name. [April 2011, p.77]

With a mix of 2-D and 3-D, Kim has some of the coolest-looking levels of any DS game yet. [Dec 2005, p.121]

Portability and touch-screen functionality give the DS game the edge. [Apr 2009, p.84]

FIFA 10 is definitely snappier than previous installments as a result, but it doesn't go far enough. [Dec 2009, p.84]

Play control is tight and the graphics are colorful but sparse. [June 2003, p.139]

Humorous flourishes, such as the "Zake Zako Hour" game-over screen, ad anime-style appeal. [Dec 2004, p.154]

The gameplay is solid--it features some nice options and delivers on its promise of simple cerebral diversions--but the presentation is pretty darn dull. [Oct 2011, p.84]

Although the fighting controls are complicated, the rest of the controls are simple and intuitive. [Nov 2003, p.151]

The most disappointing aspect, however, is the lack of Wii-remote usage--instead of carving up the tide with remote gyrations, you can boost occasionally by shaking the controller. [July 2007, p.96]

Although the game has its share of jumping challenges, Over The Hedge is primarily about one thing: Beating stuff into oblivion. [July 2006, p.94]

The game does have a whimsical charm, however, and the majority of play control is touch-activated and intuitive. [May 2007, p.86]

It's a bland platformer filled with repetitive tasks. [Nov 2012, p.76]

Still, Freedom Wings has its fun moments, and it's just quirky enough to keep you wondering what lies around the next bend. [Sep 2006, p.84]

The drawbacks are that the gameplay is basic button-mashing, and you can get past most enemies (in Medium difficulty) with standard attacks. [Aug 2005, p.81]

The downside of Pop Cutie! is that all of these duties are hard to accomplish due to an unbearably clunky interface that makes simple tasks difficult. [Oct 2008, p.90]

The card-based combat system is still fun and requires some good strategy to build a powerful deck, but the 3-D nature of the battle screen limits Mega Man's movement, which makes the fights less exciting. [Aug 2009, p.90]

Its blocky character models, chronic frame-rate issues, and N64-quality cityscape left my Spidey sense tingling--this game wasn't quite ready to scale the Empire State Building. [July 2007, p.95]

Fans and magnets add elements of danger. [Feb 2003, p.163]

Gameplay is tuned for gamers of all skill levels. [Oct 2004, p.124]

I would have enjoyed the game even more, however, were it not so brutally difficult. [Dec 2008, p.96]

The card-based combat system is still fun and requires some good strategy to build a powerful deck, but the 3-D nature of the battle screen limits Mega Man's movement, which makes the fights less exciting. [Aug 2009, p.90]

A solid play, but not an advancement for Turtlekind. [Dec 2005, p.112]

The gamplay is simple but well-executed and just as much fun as it was in the eraly '80s. [June 2004, p.121]

Althought the concept held up through Tecmo Super Bowl on the Super NES in 1993, 15 years later it just feels archaic. [Dec 2008, p.96]

Unless you have a real Pac-fixation, I'd advise you leave it. [Nov 2005, p.112]

Although it's the fifth Harvest Moon title for the DS system, not much has changed in Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar. [Sept 2010, p.89]

From their porch at the River City retirement home, we're sure Crash and the boys would approve. [Sept 2010, p.89]

Despite a few high points, you can safely file this game under "not bad, but entirely skippable." [July 2011, p.88]

A lot of these puzzles are downright cruel. [May 2009, p.89]

We recommend a catch-and-release approach to Reel Fishing Paradise 3D; it probably isn't destined for your trophy wall. [July 2011, p.89]

Considering that "Sonic Mega Collection" for GCN already boasts a perfect version of the original Sonic, this game is a bit of a tough sell, but at least the inclusion of the 'hogs trademark Spin Dash adds some appeal. [Jan. 2007, p.112]

A fighting game with RPG-style character building. [Sept 2002, p.164]

Surprisingly entertaining. [Holiday 2008, p.87]

A loony bin full of variety, and it's a platformer that's worth going grazy over. [July 2002, p.150]

Although the games have not been graphically updated, they still look great and play smoothly. [May 2003, p.141]

There's just not too much to do, and what activities there are become incredibly tedious after a short time. [July 2006, p.94]

Point Blank is supposed to be a virtual shooting gallery, and without a gun in your hand, you're missing that tacticle feeling that's so crucial to the experience. [Aug 2006, p.85]

Experienced gamers will probably look for more than what Touch Detective has to offer--both in story and gameplay--but Touch Detective will be a nice diversion for the younger set. [Dec. 2006, p.109]

Game play isnot quite up to speed with EA's "FIFA Soccer 2003." [Feb 2003, p.159]

Pacing and unlockables are top-notch. [May 2005, p.92]

If so much of the game weren't based solely on the touch screen, Konami might have had a winner. [Feb 2006, p.100]

Nonetheless, nostalgic-minded gamers will get a kick out of Bubble Bobble Revolution. [Oct. 2006, p.91]

King Kong is known for achieving great heights, but this game runs out of steam before reaching the top. [Feb 2006, p.100]

You'll enjoy Sega Casino for the range of games it has to offer-just don't expect to be wowed by the presentation. [Jan 2006, p.105]

The game is a s good as its GBA predecessors, but it doesn't stand out in any significant way. [Dec 2005, p.111]

Slow goal keepers ensure high scores and an exciting enough experience. [May 2006, p.94]

It's not about to bump Mario Kart from the pole position, but NASCAR Kart Racing is a surprisingly solid effort. [Feb 2009, p.90]

It's like fighting a fireworks display. Sometimes the enemy blows up. Sometimes you do. There's no strategy; no hook that makes you think about how you'll do better next time. [Feb 2006, p.99]

Simple, but fun. [June 2003, p.137]

Although play control and character actions are well-tuned, some platforms are frustratingly difficult to reach. [Mar 2004, p.118]

Still, Alien Syndrome delivers solid arcade-style action, and the inclusion of a four-player co-op mode always helps to mitigate a game's shortcomings. [Oct 2007, p.89]

Nanostray 2 is an odd mix of old and new; it looks and plays better than any of those old games, and it has the polish of a fresh title, but its brand of twitchy, frenetic action and one-hit deaths is so 1985. [Feb 2008, p.89]

I'd had my fill of destruction after an hour or two. [Nov 2010, p.87]

As you win matches in the four-round knockout tournament, you'll earn stats to make your team better. [Feb 2003, p.160]

Challenge Mode presents five objectives in each of six locations. [Jan 2003 p.173]

The trouble comes when Slimy has to slingshot himself into enemies, causing damage to himself more often than not. [July 2008, p.88]

Yes, Vanguard relies heavily on all the cliches of a World War II shooter, and what little new material it has fails to make the same impact as those now-standard genre elements once did. [June 2007, p.103]

The Transformers may be vehicles only part of the time, but their DS games--Transformers: Autobots and Transformers" Decepticons--could have nonetheless used a bit more polish before pulling out of the garage. [Sept 2007, p.86]

If you have a yearning for pure sudoku in video game form, Dr. Sudoku will provide a cure, but more options and a sharper presentation would have gone a long way. [May 2006, p.94]

The mixture of shame and frustration it instills will make you raise your eyebrows, turn on your heels, and snicker as you walk away. [July 2005, p.99]

Multiplayer skirmishes still make for a good time, and I definitely support the return to 2-D, but this series just can't seem to take a real step forward without taking two steps back. [Apr 2008, p.85]

As a budget-priced title, Ty delivers satisfactory entertainment for platformer fans. [Dec 2005, p.122]

This hard-boiled detective is a bit underdone. [June 2009, p.90]

Save your money for a better action-sports game. [Jan 2009, p.89]

The side-scrolling fight formula isn't new by any means, but the sumos give it their own fun spin. [Dec 2003, p.151]

What Carbon does right bodes well for the racing genre on the Wii; what it does wrong bodes poorly for the future of this once-entertaining franchise. [Feb. 2007, p.96]

Control is solid, but some puzzles are nonintuitive. [Nov 2004, p.133]

The action can get fierce, the motion is fairly smooth and the four-player battle mode is an absolute blast. [Nov 2001, p.148]

The control is tight. [Dec 2003, p.144]

The Transformers may be vehicles only part of the time, but their DS games--Transformers: Autobots and Transformers" Decepticons--could have nonetheless used a bit more polish before pulling out of the garage. [Sep 2007, p.86]

An overall lack of polish and poor enemy design. [Nov 2010, p.91]

Despite my disappointment with its lack of progress, MLB 2K9 is a solid game of baseball. [Apr 2009, p.85]

With this restructured control scheme, a lot of the frustration is alleviated. That gives this N3DS edition the edge over its Wii sibling, but it's ultimately a case of too little too late. [Oct 2011, p.83]

It's a real bummer that things fall apart in the heat of the action due to visual blips, game-freezing bugs, and audio pops. [Nov 2011, p.83]

The play control is stiff and nonresponsive, making it difficult to succeed in challenging situations. [Nov 2003, p.152]

It's getting to be that Yu-Gi-Oh! trading-card games have longer titles than shelf lives. [Jun 2006, p.87]

The game's offbeat humor made the tough job more enjoyable. [March 2012, p.86]

It's got great control and lots of zany action. [Jan 2005, p.138]

If you can look past the somewhat clunky graphics and the very short game length, you'll find a well-made, creative title. [Aug 2005, p.83]