Deca Sports Extreme is fun at first, but it won't hold your interest long enough to justify spending $40. [Sept 2011, p.73]

And sadly, the dead-simple games themselves lack much of the charm, spark, and ingenuity of the older Mama entries. [Sept 2011, p.73]

Imagine one terrifically long, drawn-out dungeon from "The Legend of Zelda: A link to the Past", then yank out enemy variety, cool weapons, and a constant sense of acomplishment. That's kinda how Monster House for the GBA is. [Sep 2006, p.85]

A drab experience that takes little advantage of the DS hardware (menu issues annoy) and rarely rises above the level of sufficiency. [May 2009, p.91]

Line Rider's transition from Flash-based phenomenon to full-fledged Wii game is a bumpy one. [Nov 2008, p.98]

The enemies are dim-witted but manage to stay alive longer than they should thanks to awful hit detection. [Oct 2005, p.100]

Though the art style, from the folks who brought us "Parappa the Rapper," is delightfully bizarre, the rest of the game is pretty bland, simplistic, and repetitive. [Mar 2006, p.87]

There are problems inherent to bringing console dancing games to handhelds--like, for instance, the fact that they just don't work as originally intended. [Nov 2011, p.85]

There have been enough subpar movie games of late that you should know what to expect, and The Ant Bully meets those expectations. [Oct. 2006, p.87]

For all the flair and weirdness of Furu Furu Park, the real meat of the product -- the minigames -- ends up being a thin and unimpressive experience.

It's hard to enjoy your bouts when your biggest fight is against the controls. [Apr 2009, p.90]

It tends to feel more like running in place - as the man says, there's not much point to it. [Mar 2010, p.91]

The riding mechanics aren't terrible, but Full Throttle's open-ended, GTA-wannabe world just doesn't work. [Mar 2006, p.86]

The minigames are fun, but someof them are quite confusing and more challening than most party game minigames. [Apr 2003, p.134]

Random encounters happen too often, take too long, and involve too much sitting and waiting for the active-time gauge to fill up. [June 2009, p.90]

Spider-Man has definitely seen better days. [Nov 2011, p.83]

And the most basic element of LEGOs - building things from blocks - is entirely absent. [July 2009, p.86]

With a few more enemy types, longer levels and a higher difficulty level, Gumby vs. The Astrobots could have joined the ranks of great GBA platformers. [Oct 2005, p.97]

This first-person shooter plays fine a lot of the time, but the frame rate can get extremely choppy and the graphics go from so-so to downright ugly. [Jan 2009, p.90]

Considering how basic Swords is, it would have been better suited to WiiWare; as a full retail release, it's disappointing. [Nov 2010, p.91]

Fortunately, younger gamers(or older one's with a short fuse)can skip levels freely if they want to experience the monotony of the repetitive level design more quickly. [May 2006, p.88]

Unlike Thor, however, Captain America suffers a bit in the transition to the stereoscopic handheld. [Nov 2011, p.77]

The controls are unwieldy, requiring you to go through individual steps to select a target ball, choose a target pocket and aim the shot, but it becomes easier with practice. [June 2004, p.121]

Numerous sequels and spin-offs later, the franchise has arrived on the Nintendo 3DS handheld, but I'm sad to say that the experience hasn't improved at all. [Nov 2011, p.77]

The levels are short, but an item-collection feature offers some motivation to fight through them multiple times. [Jun 2006, p.86]

Unfortunately, the game still isn't terribly compelling. [Dec 2009, p.84]

It's a shame the puzzles aren't more varied. The structure of James Noir's Hollywood Crimes could use some work too. [Nov 2011, p.75]

It's unfortunate that Midway's first foray in the squared circle isn't what you could call a success. [Dec 2008, p.94]

The result is hinky control as you try to fight wave after wave of monotonous enemies and navigate past lasers and pits. [Feb. 2007, p.95]

The Rabbids still amuse with their antics, but their first Wii U effort fails to consistently entertain. [Dec 2012, p.73]

Unfortunately, the ambitious attempt to bring the full-fledged experience to the DS results in something of a mess. [July 2007, p.97]

Lacking the sophistication of the Spy Kids films, the GBA adaptation of Spy Kids films, the GBA adaptation of Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over is a side-scrolling platformer with cartoonish graphics and a variety of play styles. [Sept 2003, p.137]

The play control is unpredictable at best. [May 2002, p.131]

Guilty pleasures aside, though, Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue falls flat. While the surreal, candy-colored world looks nice, the game mechanics are unresponsive and shallow. [Oct 2005, p.99]

Despite being packed with good ideas, the platformer stumbles constantly in its execution. [Holiday 2008, p.86]

MySims Party offers a god amount of variety. Unfortunately, many of those games aren't all that fun. [Apr 2009, p.87]

Few players will be patient enough to wait for the big payoff. [Sept 2007, p.89]

The DS version of Rock Revolution packs a lot in a tiny package. [Dec 2008, p.102]

The game would have benefited from some compelling touch-screen use (for puzzles or combat, perhaps), but as is, it barely puts the "interactive" in "interactive novel." [June 2008, p.89]

Helmet Chaos does have a surprisingly quirky sense of humor and some decent voice acting, but it's not enough to recapture the series's long-lost magic. [Oct 2005, p.100]

If you like side-scrolling shoot-outs, Alienators is a worthwhile thrill ride. [Dec 2002, p.172]

A dizzying camera scheme and a frustrating combat system put a damper on an otherwise enjoyable experience. [Nov 2002, p.224]

Weapons and ammunition are abundant, and you'll need them; the enemies come at a quick clip and the touchy aiming controls guarantee that you'll miss a lot of shots. [May 2004, p.122]

The title is worth playing once because of the compelling world in which it's set, and being able to kick human butt cooperatively with a friend is a welcome touch, but Avatar ultimately feels like yet another middling licensed game. [Jan 2010, p.88]

It suffers from an overly simplistic fighting engine, weak animation and a story mode that skims past major plot points with all the bluster of 10th grade chemistry class. [Jan 2006, p.114]

The challenging setup, bold graphics, lively characters and fun settings should score a knockout with boxing buffs. [Aug 2002, p.147]

Call it a fractured fairy tale with guns and flamethrowers. [Dec 2008, p.94]

As addictive as Mr. Driller 2 is, the GBA's sole screen doesn't provide enough vertical space (unlike "Drill Spirits" on the DS) to give you time to plan much of a falling-block strategy. [July 2005, p.101]

I suggest you spend your Essence Seeds elsewhere. [Jan 2010, p.87]

Mixes wacky action and T-rated crude humor with trading economics for an uneven playing experience. [Nov 2003, p.151]

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, the latest faceplant for the once-storied franchise, obviously and shamefully relies more on name value than actual value. [Holiday 2009, p.90]

There's a lot to unlock. [Jan 2002, p.134]

Stiff control and limited moves make Power Rangers: Dino Thunder a very frustrating play. [Dec 2004, p.154]

Mostly feels like material found in the bargain bin. [Dec 2010, p.86]

Unfortunately, virtually everything else about the game has issues: the story is virtually non-existent, the action is repetitive and boring, and the puzzle elements are condescendingly simple. [Jan. 2007, p.108]

Anyone who already has Namco Museum Remix should steer clear. [Dec 2010, p.87]

A scream for very young players. [Feb 2002, p.153]

More variety...might have made a big difference, but unfortunately, only Sid the sloth makes a playable guest appearance, and it's in a single minigame at that. [May 2006, p.88]

Unfortunately, the game itself isn't very good. [Jan. 2007, p.106]

But for those hoping for a solid third-person action game on Wii or an experience that goes beyond that of the GameCube game, Bionicle Heroes doesn't fit the bill. [June 2007, p.101]

The controls are a tad slow to respond and some of the jumps are tricky, resulting in a frustrating play at times. If you stick with it, you'll delight in the sci-fi fun. [Nov 2004, p.132]

Most of the enemies attack very quickly at close range, giving Dredd the advantage from a distance but making contact combat unnecessarily difficult. [June 2004, p.121]

The overall game is less inspired and more repetitive than previous outings with Timmy and his fairy godparents. [Dec 2004, p.150]

Repetitive and shallow. [Dec 2005, p.116]

You can find much better fighting games for Wii. [Dec 2008, p.93]

The background graphics and lighting effects can be impressive--though such work is wasted on mediocre gameplay. [April 2011, p.86]

It suffers from lackluster visuals, sluggish controls and an overabundance of fetch quests. [Sept 2003, p.135]

The Driver series is traveling the same road, to its detriment. [Sep 2007, p.86]

The game is short at about five or six hours, though I suppose it doesn't matter when you tire of the proceedings after 15 minutes. [Holiday 2007, p.82]

And would it have been that hard to include direct character control instead of using a remote-only point-and-click interface? [Mar 2008, p.86]

Since some of the titles, such as the window-treatment simulation Venetian Blinds, have no rules or scoring systems, it would be difficult to qualify them as games. [Mar 2004, p.119]

The premise is fun and the play control is good, but the driving physics are so incredibly unrealistic that the game loses its edge once the action begins. [June 2003, p.137]

A nonintuitive interface combined with difficult-to-decipher puzzles will frustrate everyone but boy geniuses. [Dec 2004, p.144]

Offers action and thrills of the 3-D platformer variety. [Feb 2003, p.159]

The adventure's pace is slow, but the pak is loaded with features. [Dec 2004, p.154]

As with the GCN version, tricks are limited to twists and flips. [Feb 2004, p.153]

The robot-collecting sequel is nevertheless a big step forward. [June 2002, p.154]

Although your jet fighter naturally stays at one altitude, the game's unusual control scheme allows you to dive for a moment by pressing Up on the Control Pad. [Apr 2005, p.100]

The graphics are rich and the dinos are wily, but the play control is lacking. [Jan 2002, p.136]

Not hot enough to melt the snow. [Jan 2002, p.134]

The artwork and special effects are well-executed, but the game's pacing is slow. [Dec 2003, p.146]

Also on the menu are some PDA functions that amount to a class scheduler, an address book and a horoscope. [Feb 2004, p.153]

A tutorial lets you in on the game's nuances, and numerous tournaments provide chances for you to win the game's 300 cards - a good spin for duelists. [Jan 2005, p.139]

Responsive play control and detailed graphics will make you want to venture deep into the story, but difficult battles against incidental enemies may keep you from your goal. [Aug 2004, p.123]

The game has a kitschy classic-television atmosphere that will nevertheless appeal to fans of the show. [June 2004, p.121]

Responsive control helps make the game an enjoyable play. [Oct 2004, p.124]

A compass points to your current objective, but it's still easy to get lost in the game's complex levels. [Mar 2004, p.121]

The poker play is solid, but the AI players are predictable. [Feb 2005, p.117]

The game's colorful graphics and light difficulty are appropriate for the franchise's young fan base. [Dec 2004, p.150]

Play mechanics are lacking, making it difficult to aim and fire at the same time, and computer-controlled ememies are brutal early on. [Nov 2004, p.131]

Looks and sounds like the cartoon, and the cut scenes are packed with laughs, but the flight-based control is frustrating and the game's delivery, collection and fighting tasks can be tedious. [Nov 2003, p.151]

The difficulty level is a tad high for young players and the gameplay is very repetitive. [Jan 2004, p.160]

Unfortunately, there's no cure for nonresponsive control and poorly rendered graphics. [Mar 2004, p.120]

The frame rate suffers in the downsized version. [Aug 2002, p.146]

A lot of story and dialogue leads to little action at the beginning, but it heats up if you stick with it. [May 2005, p.92]

More of a button-masher than the "Street Fighter II" games, Taiketsu is a simple battler that may bore fighting-game afficionados. [Feb 2004, p.153]

A lot of story and dialogue leads to little action at the beginning, but it heats up if you stick with it. [May 2005, p.92]

The standard jump-climb-shoot action is far from out-of-this-world. [Mar 2002, p.137]