The graphics and sounds are nice, and the action can get mean. [July 2002, p.150]

It's a little tricky to target enemy ships at first, and the levels are longer than they have to be, but the game has an unmistakable Star Wars flair. [Feb 2004, p.154]

None of these activities are particularly intriguing, and after playing each one once, you'll have seen pretty much everything the game has to offer. [Jan. 2007, p.116]

All in all, the game would have benefited from less character and more clarity. [Aug 2007, p.88]

Whoever's responsible should be thrown into the Sarlacc pit. [Nov. 2006, p.90]

For those who know and enjoy poker, this game will be a total disappointment. [Dec 2005, p.111]

But what should be At World's End greatest asset--the combat and the use of the Wii remote--quickly turns into its greatest failing, resulting in an overall experience mired in tedium. [July 2007, p.94]

FFF starts simple and later becomes boring and monotonous. [Nov 2009, p.89]

There's no platforming, no puzzle solving, no backtracking, no nothing: you just work your way across the stage until it abruptly ends. [Dec 2009, p.89]

The game may keep toddlers entertained, but so might an empty box (which is a heck of a lot cheaper). [Oct 2005, p.100]

In the future, hopefully Eidos's commitment to rejuvenating the series will carry over to the handheld installments, but this uninspired port feels like it belongs to the crumbling franchise of a few years ago rather than the new and improved Legend. [Dec. 2006, p.105]

However most of them need work--partially because they're not great fun to begin with, and partially because the controls aren't as solid as they should be. [Dec 2008, p.104]

At the end of the day, there just isn't anything special about this release. [Sept 2011, p.74]

2K's Carnival Games for Wii is a fun, pick-up-and-play party game that many enjoyed, but unfortunately the fun factor doesn't translate well to the DS. [Aug 2008, p.90]

Once you're in the boat, the action gets unavoidably repetitive, however--see a fish, catch a fish, repeat. [Jun 2006, p.87]

Disney Universe feels like the result of a Disney executive saying "Those LEGO games sell a lot of copies. We should make one of those too." [Nov 2011, p.86]

Only the most fervent Panda fans will bother dawdling through this sluggish RPG-inspired journey. [June 2011, p.88]

To make matters worse, the game's 50 or so activities are seldom satisfying, and the stylus controls can be frustrating. [Nov 2011, p.85]

Repetitive combat. [Nov 2010, p.91]

Unfortunately, not even cupid's arrow can reconcile my disdain for the DS side-scrolling brawler that bears the name of the object of my affection. [Aug 2006, p.87]

I'm looking forward to the great stuff Ubi has on the horizon, but looking past Double Agent. [Dec. 2006, p.114]

The game just isn't much fun. It also isn't fun to look at. [Nov 2009, p.89]

But the basic gameplay is flawed in every way, especially during the unresponsive fight sequences. [Oct. 2006, p.92]

Rock Revolutiion is one Rock Band copycat you can afford to skip. [Dec 2008, p.96]

Times are tough, but this is one job offer you should pass up. [June 2009, p.90]

The execution feels both overly simplistic and loose. [Dec 2010, p.87]

Steel Horizons, a WWII naval combat game, attempts to bypass that balancing act by integrating classic turn-based map movement with the urgency of "real-time" battles--and ends up delivering a hollow experience on both counts. [Apr 2007, p.85]

RIR is an interesting attempt at delivering arcade-style touch-screen thrills, but it falls short in execution. [Oct. 2006, p.90]

It's immersive gaming that develops at a slow gallop. [July 2002, p.151]

The fun on the fairway is a bit easy and the timing of the swing meter is a cinch to master. [June 2002, p.152]

Stumps stop your truck cold, and small bumps cause it to turn over. [March 2005, p.108]

After you cast the lure, it's almost enirely up to luck to determine whether the mindless back-and-forth-swimming fish bite - not an engaging play. [Dec 2004, p.154]

Probably not cool enough for experienced gamers, Ice Age is perfect for beginners. [Apr 2002, p.152]

Control is touchy and moves are limited, but the game has great atmosphere. [May 2004, p.121]

The puzzles are also frustratingly nonintuitive. [Feb 2004, p.154]

While the stylized visuals are AWOL, Army Men's classic objective-based missions return for duty. [Jan 2002, p.132]

The competitions are consistently fun in keeping with the zany sense of humor that made the Shrek movie so memorable. [June 2003, p.138]

Rough hit detection, nonintuitive puzzles and small characters make the game difficult to play at times, but the payoff is a fun story and beautiful film stills that make up the cut scenes. [Mar 2004, p.120]

Since manual landings are a real trick, you'll likely let the autopilot do the work. [Feb 2005, p.115]

The games are simple and suitable for very young players. [Dec 2003, p.148]

An exercise in difficult play control and low visibility. [May 2004, p.122]

Although the controls are a little sluggish, the variety (badminton and volleyball mixed with point-A-to-point-B running and jumping levels) is impressive. [Dec 2004, p.152]

A freestyle section during each song lets you improvise and employ your special moves. [June 2003, p.140]

The kookiness gets hairy since the objectives tend to be fuzzy and the graphics and controls are sloppy. [Aug 2002, p.147]

A fist-flying, flame-belching 2-D romp in a twisted fairy-tale world. [Dec 2002, p.218]

Advanced players may find the games to be too simple, but novices will appreciate the simplicity. [Nov 2004, p.132]

You'll have a difficult time mounting an effective defense since opposing teams drive the ball with lightning speed. [Nov 2003, p.156]

Flight levels between adventure sequences look cool, but an angled view throws a wrench in the vehicle-piloting works. [Dec 2004, p.156]

Since the characters have unusual strides, the movement can be slow and unpredictable. [July 2003, p.146]

Good for short sessions, but not one that you'll spend hours playing. [Feb 2005, p.117]

Controls are slightly sluggish. [June 2005, p.97]

It's basic kart racing that's gigantic fun if you're a Shrek fan. [May 2002, p.140]

It boils down to a monotonous and unsatisfying experience. [Jan 2005, p.141]

They have such wonderful monsters to draw from, but don’t really use them. [Jan 2002, p.127]

Essentially a poorly executed flat-ground version off "Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam", BMX Challenge provides very little payoff for our excitement. [Oct 2007, p.89]

Stays firmly in the for-fans-only bin. [Oct 2009, p.89]

Designed for a keypad-equipped Controller, the games are almost unplayable after their configuration to the GCN Controller - it's a frustrating experience. [Jan 2005, p.138]

Unfortunately, the ThunderCats game we finally got is an incredibly simple side-scrolling romp through boring levels populated by similar looking enemies.

A bonus garden simulation allows you to grow unusual hybrid plants, though the goals and gameplay are difficult to interpret. [March 2005, p.108]

With no multiplayer support, very little replay value, underachieving graphics and weak sound effects, Space Invaders fails to revive the franchise's former glory. [Oct 2005, p.97]

But the tie-ins and unlockable minigames are not enough to make the game any more entertaining than counting sheep. [Dec 2008, p.94]

Someday, somebody is going to make something fun out of this concept, but the folks making this game haven't gotten there yet. [Jan 2009, p.91]

It's too bad the execution fails so miserably, because many of the ideas are great. [Holiday 2007, p.85]

As cute as A Witch's Tale is, its weak gameplay and slopped-together feel aren't to be appreciated by anyone. [Nov 2009, p.86]

Multiple characters and unlockables provide some incentive to play, but only the most devoted Naruto die-hards need apply. [May 2006, p.94]

Unfortunately, all of the goofy personality of this movie tie-in is quickly trampled by irritating level designs and an inconsistent difficulty curve. [Sept 2010, p.90]

Also, the fact that enemy AI just happens to execute almost every move with near-perfection by lining up multiple turns in a row makes for some frustrating gameplay. [May 2007, p.87]

Poor hit detection and sluggish controls make the game's challenges more frustrating than fun. [Dec 2003, p.150]

If you vallue quantity over quality in your game collections, Games Explosion! fits the bill. If you prefer polish, you'll do better by sticking to the WarioWare games or established classics compilations. [Oct. 2006, p.92]

Maintains the lighthearted atmosphere of previous Tak games but is weighed down with unneeded difficulty in its jumping game. [Nov 2005, p.116]

It's a sad day when the world's most famous wizard has lost all his magic. [Holiday 2010, p.88]

Marvel Trading Card Game's voluminous stack of cryptic rules, absolutely brutal learning curve, and terrible in-game tutorial make it virtually impossible to play. [Mar. 2007, p.87]

There's a story to hold the action together, but not a very strong one. [Holiday 2009, p.89]

It may look and - thanks to strong voice acting - sound like a potentially compelling anime series, but as a playable video game, Lux-Pain is a nonstarter. [Apr 2009, p.85]

The untamed action is klutzy and frustrating. [Dec 2001, p.172]

Sega struggled to deliver a compelling superhero experience with the first Iron Man game, but even now, armed with a new developer and second playable hero, the sequel falls similarly flat. [July 2010, p.88]

It's a shame that Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga has such a slow pace, clunky interface, ugly graphics, sluggish combat, dumb AI, and lackluster overall presentation - there are actually some neat ideas in this action RPG. [Oct 2009, p.89]

THQ's new WWE game for the DS gets only one thing wrong. Unfortunately, that one thing is pretty important. [Holiday 2008, p.89]

Generic power-ups, atrocious graphics, and an abundance of recycled textures certainly don't help the game's case. [Sept 2011, p.82]

NBA Live's Wii struggles continue with another lackluster effort plagued by glitchy animation, unresponsive motion controls, and atrocious AI. [Nov 2008, p.104]

As you might expect, facing computer-controlled opponents in an RPG-themed board game is a dreadful bore. [May 2009, p.89]

A lackluster 3-D light-gun shooter. [June 2010, p.88]

Although Hugo: The Evil Mirror is set up like a puzzle game, there's nothing really puzzling about it. [June 2005, p.98]

But the gameplay is so simplified and dull that after a few minutes in the cockpit I was ready to crash into a nearby mountain. [Apr 2006, p.86]

Even the classic "TMNT: Turtles in Time" bonus arcade game doesn't run as smoothly as it should. [Jan 2006, p.114]

If you're looking for an easy-to-understand falling-piece puzzle game, Majesco's "Bookworm" is a more reliable choice. [Sept 2004, p.117]

Whether you compete with your friends or play by yourself, you must watch all five of your rivals take turns, which accounts for a lot of downtime. [Jan 2005, p.139]

It must have been a pretty awful plane, because it lends its moniker to a game in which it's virtually impossible to maneuver or engage in combat. [Oct 2009, p.90]

There's just nothing clever or satisfying here. [June 2011, p.87]

It doesn't stay interesting for very long. [July 2009, p.88]

Even the biggest Transformers buff will want to steer clear. [Aug 2011, p.90]

Add to that the clunky combat mechanics, and the only pleasure you get from beating a level is the relief that it's over. [Aug 2011, p.89]

For a 3D game, this really lacks depth. [Aug 2011, p.89]

But the majority of Ice Age 2 is tedious and lifeless. [May 2006, p.88]

The gimmick of tilting the Wii Remote like handlebars is as engaging as this game gets. [Apr 2009, p.87]

Unfortunately, with its bland presentation and dearth of play modes, Sudoku Fever's rendition of the game is pretty underwhelming. [Apr 2006, p.86]

Just right for beginner players. [Nov 2001, p.150]

We'd love to see a Wii MotionPlus-enahnced version of this game, but until then leave this one in a galaxy far, far away. [Holiday 2008, p.89]