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]