Don't be fooled by that cutesy purple dragon - this ain't just a kiddie game. [Nov 2001, p.51]

EA Sports has been gradually enhancing the presentation of F1 over the past few years, and this time, it's stunning. [Aug 2003, p.97]

I can't get enough of it. Not many games are so great that they can help influence your taste, but this one really is something special. [Apr 2002, p.100]

By making a few seemingly subtle but ultimately profound gameplay changes, Criterion has improved a game we didn't think needed improving. [Nov 2005, p.104]

The game that redefined the game that redefined video games. [Mar 2002, p.34]

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

The best superhero game ever, featuring America's favorite webhead. [Mar 2002, p.34]

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]

Its controls are near-as-damnit perfect, and the connection you feel between yourself and your fighter makes a game like "Tekken 4" look like it's just fooling around. [Sept 2003, p.95]

The most fun I've had playing a Final Fantasy... In terms of pure fun? This one rocks. [Dec 2003, p.149]

It's incredibly satisfying, regardless of your gaming abilities [thanks to huge explosions], and it's so well designed that the control system becomes transparent after spending very little time with it. [Jan 2003, p.118]

Plenty of other platformers can boast similar features - but few have pulled them all together the way that Ratchet & Clank has. [Dec 2002, p.166]

Featuring a massive quest filled with RPG elements, mind-blowing 2D backgrounds, fantastic character artwork, an astounding soundtrack and osme of the best Castlevania gameplay ever seen, SOTN is a PS one classic that can't be missed. [Nov 2001, p.40]

I love this game, and I don't see myself playing anything else at home for a good three or four months. [Sept 2002, p.11]

The game will twist and turn, surprise and captivate, and surpass any expectations you might have conjured up...The PS2's defining title. [Dec 2002, p.154]

With the sequel out on PS2, you don't want to fall behind, do you? [Mar 2002, p.34]

Another masterpiece from Square, and one of the best RPGs of all time. [Nov 2001, p.40]

The controls have been totally overhauled, and you now have an unprecedented level of influence over the ball. [Dec 2002, p.160]

Our favorite PS one Final Fantasy. [Nov 2001, p.46]

A grueling 81 stages of the World Rally Championship await you, all modeled using satellite topography and some of the finest graphics you'll have seen on the PS2 yet. [June 2002, p.101]

One of the best 2D fighters ever made. [Nov 2001, p.52]

Unlike last year's game, Tiger 2004's minor additions make more of a major difference than it would seem at first glance. [Oct 2003, p.124]

People do not play games because they break new ground. People play games because they are fun. And fun is God of War's greatest strength... This is not a perfect game, but it is a great one.

Represents the pinnacle of the sport in videogame form with its nearly flawless gameplay and wide assortment of modes.

If you don't like Burnout 3: Takedown, there's something wrong with you...It has completely spoiled me, making it near impossible to enjoy other games in the genre. [Oct 2004, p.102]

Being able to play as all three members further fleshes out the mission variety - I couldn't tell you the last time I've had so much unadulterated fun playing a game. [Nov 2004, p.126]

Comes so close to perfection that you really have to wonder if Tiburon can top itself again next year. Somehow, though, I have faith that it will. [Aug 2003, p.100]

The absolute best possible Pandora experience is when four people who know each other hook up and take turns playing as spies and mercs. It is a spectacularly rewarding experience and unnervingly addictive. [July 2004, p.84]

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

King is the best, most synergetic convergence of film and videogame I've ever seen. It turns Two Towers' wow factor into an emphatic "holy freaking crap!"

The first PS one installment of Final Fantasy is still one of the best ever. [Mar 2002, p.34]

Good lord, is this a beautiful game. [Jan 2002, p.124]

I know everyone is expecting this game to be good, but I have to tell you I was shocked at how great it is. [Dec 2001, p.159]

The biggest improvement - the RPG-style character growth - really and truly changes everything. I kid you not. Replaying a section isnow a reward unto itself, since you gain experience for every enemy you kill... Man, I <I>really</I> love this game. [Dec 2003, p.154]

But for the first time I can remember, an extreme-sports game actually has a real story, honest-to-goodness characters, and a reason to play beyond seeing the next level or beating your last high score.

Sure, "Ace 3" has better graphics, and sure, there might be a little more variety in the missions. But the laughable challenge level in "Ace 3" makes it hard to recommend it over its older brother. [Nov 2001, p.38]

As some would argue, the best 2.5D platformer ever released. [Nov 2001, p.40]

One of the most incredible experiences I have ever had with a game. [July 2002, p.98]

NCAA 2003 comes so close to perfection that you really have to wonder if Tiburon can top itself again next year. [Sept 2002, p.114]

I haven't been sleeping much, because I can't put this game down...Easily one of the best first-person shooters out there - on any system. [Dec 2002, p.176]

The game that made kart racing cool. Nothing has ever matched its quality. [Mar 2002, p.34]

An example of WE7's overhauled physics engine for the ball itself. It no longer glides over the pitch, but randomly bobbles off the imperfections in the turf. This leads to a slew of new control options for dealing with bouncing balls. [Mar 2004, p.101]

The series has maintained - or improved - its gritty realism, its immersive, nail-biting single-player campaign, and its extraordinarily engrossing online play in spite of some substantial alterations. [Dec 2005, p.102]

The sound effects are without any shadow of a doubt the most amazing I've ever heard in a videogame. The rasp of the engine is so unbelievably believable that you can actually feel the reverberation of the exhaust as the ower surges through it. It will change your expectations of what a game can sound like. [Dec 2004, p.120]

It's so good that it'll have hardcore hockey fans enthralled. [Jan 2003, p.134]

Friendly enough for the first-time platform player, deep enough for platform veterans, and funny as hell...It's a brilliant game. [Dec 2004, p.126]

"Burnout 3" may beckon for the sheer thrills, but Chase is one of the best sports racing games ever released. [Oct 2004, p.108]

The controls are great, it's exceptionally playable, and if you're a real gearhead you should be very excited. [June 2002, p.128]

Pack[ed] with stunning FMV, well-developed characters, and a touching story that revolves round the theme of love. [Nov 2001, p.46]

In all my years of playing MMORPGs, none has grabbed me as strongly as FFXI. None has made me more proud of my in-game accomplishments or more excited to see what's around the next corner. I'm addicted. [Mar 2004, p.97]

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

Aside from the cultural tweaks, the other major improvement here is in the scale of the game. The mountain you're competing on is huge, and the better you get, the more of it you get to see. In places, it's downright beautiful. [Nov 2003, p.134]

Has everything I've ever wanted from a sports car racing game: Cool rides, some of the best engine noises ever committed to a gaming sountrack and most importantly, a sense of incredible speed and power. [Nov 2002, p.186]

If you want to pick a fight, why not battle with the best of 'em? [Mar 02, p.34]

PaRappa will win over anyone with his hipster looks and smooth style. [Nov 2001, p.50]

Never mind that it's one of the best fighters ever made - it's one of the best games ever made... Brilliant. It's one of those extremely rare games that screams perfection. [Sept 2003, p.94]

In Thunder 2004, you take the track with 42 of the most vindictive drivers ever to hold a wheel. [Oct 2003, p.118]

When it comes to games for sports lovers, this one leads the list. It's my early favorite [yes, over "Madden" and "NCAA 2003"] for sports game of the year. [Dec 2002, p.170]

Yep, Tiburon's gotta go and give us a new greatest NFL game ever made. Again. And they'll probably do it again next year. [Sept 2003, p.99]

The gaming equivalent of a religious experience. [Feb 2002, p.112]

Packs in more quality gameplay than most RPGs could ever hope for, with the finest battle system yet for the series. [Feb 2002, p.104]

The pacing and structure of the game means that the process of achieving goals and being rewarded is sufficiently frequent that you always feel like you're doing something new. [Nov 2002, p.182]

The key to Hight Heat 2004, and the reason it already ranks high on the list of my all-time favorite games, is that it's the best bargain in games. A full 162-game season will last you about 90 hours. [Apr 2003, p.94]

So say what you will about TimeSplitters being too arcadey or too cartoony or not serious enough—I'll just be over here having a hell of a time. Last I checked, that's what games were for.

The best racing game you'll find on the PS one, hands down. [Mar 2002, p.34]

One of my favorite games, ever...It's got story, it's got action, it's got amazing graphics and some of the best animation you'll see anywhere. [Dec 2003, p.166]

Truly an FPS masterpiece. [Dec 2001, p.166]

In short, SOCOM II has addressed nearly every complaint I had about the first game, and added a bunch of new features on top of that. If you like the first game at all, run - don't walk, run - to get this game. [Dec 2003, p.160]

It's hard to express how stunning this game looks and sounds. [Nov 2001, p.158]

Quite simply, the ideal sequel: The developers have managed to not only bolster and dramatically improve the good qualities of an RE title, but also completely drain out the bad aspects of the RE franchise. It's a perfectly executed reinvention of a stagnating franchise. [Dec 2005, p.128]

This awesome platformer makes use of the Dual Shock in creative ways. [Mar 02, p.34]

It's the first must-own PS one game for the PS2-only chaps. And that's a real coup. [June 2002, p.102]

Namco went all-out and put forth a tremendous effort, showing onece again why the series continues to remain at the top of the genre. [Nov 2005, p.80]

Given that Snake is the ultimate videogame stud, it's great to work through some new objectives with his gritty new perspective. [Apr 2003, p.87]

The most innovative, outlandish, brilliant video game I've ever seen. [Jan 2002, p.126]

Madden has added so many goodies that Madden fans will be smiling ear to ear, and newcomers'll love it. [Sept 2002, p.116]

The most noteworthy part of the game is easily the end sequence. Without spoiling it, it's a chase that combines elements of MGS, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "Return of the Jedi", "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker", and "Ico" into an utterly engrossing and visceral ride.

Better graphics, imroved story, and the same basic look-out-for-the-zombies gameplay. [Nov 2001, p.51]

The first PS2 game to really get my heart racing. If you really get into this, your adrenal gland will start juicing out its stuff so much that you'll actually feel that buzz. [Apr 2003, p.82]

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.

It's so well-balanced, you're not limited to a video game strategy. You can play it any way you like. It's real soccer, and that why we love it. [Apr 2003, p.100]

The sensation of FIFA "playing itself" is pretty much gone, and it's clear that the A.I. has been seriously overhauled... If you want to fully immerse yourself in soccer culture, FIFA is pretty incredible. [Dec 2003, p.156]

For my money, I think I actually like this one better than "Winning Eleven 7." FIFA is packed with more features than you could possibly explore unless you play nothing but this for the next six months. [Nov 2004, p.138]

Multiplayer is a hoot, rebounding is spot-on, the Career mode lets you unlock legends, and the new defensive counters add loads of strategy. But most important, the first game's rubber-band logic that kept every game close has been abandoned. [May 2003, p.94]

Infinite playability and attention to the he-men details make this a treat. [Mar 2002, p.34]

San Andreas is shocking, not necessarily because of its typically contentious subject matter (though there's plenty in it to rub those of a conservative disposition the wrong way) but because of the sheer scale of the experience...Is it really the best game ever made? Quite possibly, yes.

Pure fun... With so much variety, the game has more than enough absurdly addictive elements to keep you busy for untold hours. [Mar 2003, p.108]

After sinking nearly 20 hours into GT4, I'm still nowhere near seeing everything it has to offer. [Apr 2005, p.98]

There's also a ton more to this game than the original. More tracks, more modes, more riders, more everything. [Sept 2003, p.101]

Makes a mockery of "Hawk 3" - you'll see. Funny, smart, richly entertaining and superbly crafted, Hawk 4 is more in the same class as "Grand Theft Auto III." [Dec 2002, p.178]

I can't begin to explain how addictive I found this. [Jan 2002, p.140]

Patience, careful planning, and a certain tolerance for trial and error are far more important than quick reflexes and an itchy trigger finger, which means it's not really for everyone. But if you're willing to put forth the effort, you're in for a supremely satisfying time.

I haven't even talked about the nonlinear gameplay, the spectacular graphics, the rock-solid controls, the amazing physics (especially the rag-doll death animations - wow), the great variety of missions and settings, the solid voice acting, the awesome orchestral soundtrack, or the exceptional multiplayer. [Oct 2003, p.122]

The game IS gorgeous. The graphics are beautiful the sound effects are spectacular, and the overall presentation is extremely stylish. [May 2003, p.92]

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]

The replayability is off the charts. [Dec 2001, p.168]

Though not the never-ending chain of quests found in a "real" EverQuest game, Champions certainly stands as the longest, deepest title in the "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance' vein yet seen on a console. [Mar 2004, p.102]

Though on this, the third time around, the game's template is starting to feel a tad formulaic, it's stil a formula that works well, and fans of the series should be well pleased. [Nov 2005, p.92]