And one thing Round 3 does very well is pounding home this message: Bringing a good defense into the fight is just as important as bringing a good offense. [Jan. 2007, p.71]

Also, these types of games are generally better suited for the PSP to begin with. Don't get the wrong idea; it's still a very good collection of games. [Nov. 2006, p.118]

This title raises the bar for quality and polish for games on the PSP today. [Jan. 2007, p.92]

If you don't care who Black Bolt, or the Super Skrull(or, well, and of the characters named herin)are, then the game is merely a very solid beat-em-up, but man, if you're a Marvel zombie like I am, this is the closest we can get to enacting a digital version of the Secret Wars. [Jan. 2007, p.74]

Thankfully, the pros outweigh the cons: Project 8 definitely welcomes fans back to the series. [Jan. 2007, p.70]

But despite this flaw, Gunpey still makes line creation a whole lot more fun than art class ever did. [Dec. 2006, p.136]

While Carbon is peppered with clever ideas, ultimately it falls victim to EA's insistence on annually iterating a franchise. [Jan. 2007, p.68]

It's not the best WWII game by any stretch, but it's a damn reliable ride. [Jan. 2007, p.72]

The bottom line is that Resistance is a truly excellent FPS, rich in variety, atmosphere, and sheer entertainment. [Dec. 2006, p.111]

It's a second round of hardware launches for Tiger Woods PGA Tour and the results of Tiger's Playstation 3 debut are much more respectable than those of his last outing. [Jan. 2007, p.71]

All of this makes for a great basketball game that should satisfy the cravings of any hungry Playstation 3-owning basketball fan. [Jan. 2007, p.70]

They're all solid and they're all fun, with just the perfect difficulty curve for the younger set, while featuring enough challenge and mass destruction to keep parents interests. [Jan. 2007, p.89]

It's a great chunk of new maps and guns(and co-op!)for SOCOM fans, and it's as good a point as any for newcomers to try to penetrate the hardcore depths of the online community, no question. [Jan. 2007, p.80]

In case you haven't got the point by now, Guitar Hero II rocks. It rocks hard. It bests the original in nearly every way, and that's a damn hard thing to do. [Dec. 2006, p.124]

Either way, Final Fantasy XII is a fitting send-off for the series on the PS2, and it justifiably has a chance to proclaim itself the best Final Fantasy on the Playstation. [Nov. 2006, p.106]

Having a real pal alongside to shoot the crap out of the Helghast soldiers takes a bite out of their uncanny accuracy. [Dec. 2006, p.128]

But if you can get through that, you'll find fun beat-em-ups that serve as a testament to the greatness of simplicity in games. [Dec. 2006, p.134]

But still, it's a solid racer despite the problems. [Dec. 2006, p.116]

Like last year's game, VCS impresses like few other games on the PSP. [Jan. 2007, p.90]

In fact, with the track tuning for PSP-sized bites, this is superior to the PS2's current "ATV Offroad Fury 4". [Jan. 2007, p.92]

Phantasy Star Universe brings the classic lineage to the PS2 for the first time, in both offline and online modes. [Jan. 2007, p.76]

The game is much too hard for a younger player to get through, but still doesn't offer the challenge required for an older gamer to enjoy the entire experience. [Jan. 2007, p.89]

The game is much too hard for a younger player to get through, but still doesn't offer the challenge required for an older gamer to enjoy the entire experience. [Jan. 2007, p.89]

Additionally, there's a ton of extra stuff you can unlock ranging from art to music, so there's no question that, like the last collection, Reloaded will keep you glued to your PSP for quite some time. [Nov. 2006, p.124]

Despite some ugly flaws, however, Medal of Honor Heroes manages to fulfill the PSP's promise of delivering a console-level experience in a portable medium. [Dec. 2006, p.132]

It takes that same GTA structure but gives it a fresh setting and story that's focused to a much more manageable size. [Dec. 2006, p.120]

As for the rest of the game, the structure is still the same as before, but for Sims fans, the pet aspect will add plenty of new entertainment to make this worth picking up. [Nov. 2006, p.114]

While the rest of the SMT franchise is nigh impenetrable for anyone except hardcore RPG players, Devil Summoner provides a quirky entry point for gamers wondering what the fuss is all about. [Dec. 2006, p.118]

This is a great update, but it could have been stellar. [Nov. 2006, p.112]

Failing to fix the biggest problem of last year's game is the real issue with this release, and that sours all of the improvements a little. Even so, this is an easy update to justify picking up. [Nov, 2006, p.122]

A lesson to chronic underdogs everywhere, FIFA 07 sets its own terms for victory and then blows the doors off them. [Nov. 2006, p.112]

Even though the improvements are minimal, no other hoops title gives such gravity to every possession. [Nov. 2006, p.110]

This is a game that's revolutionary in so much more than its art style. [Sept 2006, p.72]

Cheers to you, SNK Playmore, for cleaning out the garbage and giving 3D KOF a fresh start! [Oct. 2006, p.85]

There's nothing quite like throwing up your own thunderdome(minus the Tina Turner)and shredding enemies once they've stepped into your invisible arena. [Nov. 2006, p.121]

With Lego Star Wars II, not only does the game itselff provide a general improvement over the previous release, but it also reinforces just how much better the original(which, technically, is the sequel)Star Wars trilogy is. [Oct. 2006, p.86]

What's pretty refreshing is that Lego Star Wars II makes a damn nice jump from the hefty console down to the wee portable. [Nov. 2006, p. 122]

Already one of the best games on Sony's handheld. [Sept 2006, p.85]

This feels way more like real hockey than the arcadey, gimmicky junk we've had to swallow in the past. Just a few more tweaks here and there, and EA's NHL will be the coolest game on ice once again. [Oct. 2006, p.87]

Really, it doesn't get much better than this for 2D fighting fans. [Dec. 2006, p.134]

A very glib way to describe Yakuza in terms of other games would be to say that it's "Shenmue" done right. [Oct. 2006, p.80]

It looks beautifully weird, and almost all of the(mostly)excellent songs--complete with vocal parts that change depending on which of the LocoRoco friends you're playing as--wedged themselves deep into my consciousness for days on end. [Oct. 2006, p.90]

Unrepentantly intelligent, epic, and approachable, this is one of the best RPGs available today and the Rubedo of the Xenosaga series. [Oct. 2006, p.82]

Lead Blocker - the new Madden feature that, unlike last year's passing cone, actually revolutionizes gameplay. [Sept 2006, p.82]

The same tight controls introduced by EA Tiburon in "NCAA Football" PSP--L button used with face buttons in lieu of a right analog--plus the revolutionary Lead Block feature, which allows you to take control of a fullback or offensive lineman prior to the snap, give PSP players a greatly improved football experience versus last year's debut. [Oct. 2006, p.93]

Features fun, arcadey action and an impressive amount of destruction - with a slightly irritating interface. [Sept 2006, p.76]

It's all very, very solid, but perhaps the biggest surprise was what a good fit the arcade mode is for a portable system. [Sept 2006, p.84]

It's not an "FF" title for the PSP, but it is a port of one of the better and rarer games in the company's history. [Aug 2006, p.80]

The quarterback moves way better than in previous games - he can take off and run without having to pull the ball down, making rolling out an throwing the ball on the run more fluid...The best sports game to hit the PS2 so far this year. [Aug 2006, p.78]

A robust fighting experience. [Sept 2006, p.81]

Really, if Naruto's your thing, then this game is right up your alley--but even the most hardcore fighting-game fanatics will get a kick out of it as well. [July 2006, p.75]

Take the great career mode, the interesting challenges, and solid online play, and you've got one excellent bike racer on your hands, even despite a few speed bumps here and there. [Sept 2006, p.76]

Just an all-around great collection, and fighting fans should be thrilled that Capcom was willing to give these great fighting games the treatment that they deserve. [Aug 2006, p.75]

Spectacularly good value, despite some of the same old problems. [Aug 2006, p.74]

Surprisingly polished. [Aug 2006, p.76]

We don't have to worry about the Hitman franchise feeling like a sports-game series with incremental updates, as Hitman: Blood Money adds three features that make it feel like a real sequel: money, notoriety, and publicity. [June 2006, p.90]

Rogue's greatest asset is its variety, which constantly refreshes the experience before that "new game" smell wears off. [June 2006, p.93]

The devil may indeed be in the details, but if you dive into Freedom with the mind-set of "knowing is half the battle," you'll be rewarded with a game that will provide you with--no lie--over 100 hours of truly compelling gameplay. [Jun 2006, p.100]

Turn-based strategy doesn't get any better than this. [May 2006, p.97]

Steambot is so much fun and so full of possibilities that, while playing, I mentally outlined not just my next playthrough, but the one after that. [May 2006, p.80]

There's never a shortage of funny. It's refreshing to play an RPG that doesn't take itself too seriously. [May 2006, p.80]

Even though FIFA 06 came out just six months ago, for fans of the beautiful game, 2006 FIFA World Cup is a must-have. [Jun 2006, p.97

Given the overall level of quality and activity in TOAU, it looks like Square Enix's first MMO has plenty of life left in it after all. [July 2006, p. 74]

The most important thing is that Crystal has recaptured what made the first "Tomb Raider" so fun: climbing through tombs, discovering artifacts, and piecing the puzzle together to find the solution. Archaeology is finally cool again. [May 2006, p.84]

Phenom plays like a refined version of its predecessor, but this time there's a far cooler, more engrossing story line to follow. [May 2006, p.82]

If this is what happens when you make a game on the PS2's supposed deathbed, then we might not need the PS3 quite yet. [May 2006, p.78]

All of the ports are about as perfect as perfect gets. [May 2006, p.92]

Gives you loads of freedom without compromising the classic story around which it's built. [May 2006, p.88]

Perhaps a bit less imaginative than its PS2 counterparts, the game's still a quirky example of pure fun. [May 2006, p.93]

While MGA2 is a lot more newbie friendly, it still requires a fair bit of strategy. [Apr 2006, p.88]

This slick spy shooter makes it easy to pretend "The Omega Strain" never happened. [May 2006, p.91]

This once-great series goes back to its roots in fine and tan style. [May 2006, p.89]

One of the better games you'll find for your PSP, and a must-play for die-hard fans of the series. [May 2006, p.90]

The finally realized Metal Gear Online (as Kojima calls it) ranges from solid multiplayer fare to a total blast. [Apr 2006, p.76]

A fun action experience with plenty of the old-school Mega Man platforming that everyone has come to love. [May 2006, p.92]

All that killing feels perfect; combat is tight and satisfying, especially once you begin to master your MP-consuming special moves. [Apr 2006, p.86]

An excellent action-strategy fix for the "Dynasty" and "Samurai Warriors" fan. [Apr 2006, p.94]

Criterion has succeeded in completely immersing the player in intense, cinematic gunplay--no other shooter has captured the pure awesome-ness and adrenaline of a suspenseful shoot-out in a game quite like this. [Mar 2006, p.85]

The game's story, written by the show's writers, is also top-notch, with the requisite last-second plot twists. [Apr 2006, p.81]

Just better enough than last year's game to warrant a purchase. Just. [Apr 2006, p.79]

A more exciting, more involving boxing experience than this year's PS2 game. [Apr 2006, p.90]

Grandia III is a game filled with polish, slick visuals, and a fantastic battle system. It just happens to be bogged down by a fairly mediocre story.

If for whatever reason "Tales of Symphonia" didn't grab you, you might want to consider giving Tales another try with Legendia. [Mar 2006, p.87]

Not only is it just an excellent port of an arcade game, but it also has one of the best rosters of any fighting game to date, along with enough extras to keep any sort of fighting fan busy for hours on end. [Apr 2006, p.90]

As a single-match footy game, WE9 is a visceral and satisfying experience that provides a greater sense of connection with the sport than "FIFA" manages. [Mar 2006, p.93]

Out of all the releases that have come out in the past few years, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X stands as an example of what every developer should do--actually take advantage of the new hardware and seize the opportunity to add something new. [Mar 2006, p.94]

Delivers a great baseball sim, though it might take a bit more work for you to enjoy it--in terms of getting used to no-name players and potentially adjusting gameplay options to your liking.

The surprising thing is that while it may sound like a bad afternoon in school, the game is actually astonishingly addictive. [Mar 2006, p.96]

This is one of the best wrestling games created to date. [Mar 2006, p.93]

An eminently satisfying game in its own right, and a more than worthy sequel--already it's going head-to-head with "God of War" in game-of-the-year debates around the office. Regardless, to my mind it's the best Prince of Persia yet. If you play just this one, you'll think it's excellent. But if you've played the last two, you'll think it's a masterpiece.

Good game variety, nice customization options. [Nov 2005, p.93]

Kong radiates the ultimate gaming feeling: being a total badass.

In spite of its goofy, vulgar, utterly over-the-top style...the game's damn addictive. [Jan 2006, p.105]

The landscape could be considered a character in itself - it rivals the state of San Andreas in size and detail. It's one of the few landscapes where you can look in any direction and realize that the mountain in the distance isn't scenery. [Dec 2005, p.116]

It's not as pretty as last year's game, but this refined Underground still delivers the goods: fun, fast racing.

This is an attractive, fun game, and if it had a better story and slightly more polish, it would be one of the best for the system. [Jan 2006, p.104]

With only a few exceptions, it exceeds every expectation. Bravo, indeed. [Jan 2006, p.102]

A supremely worthy successor to the most-frightening throne.