But this year EA slapped handcuffs on gamers trying to shoot over 50 percent from the field. [Dec. 2006, p.126]

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]

It's mildly amusing at best, but one thing's for sure - you definitely get your money's worth. [Oct 2003, p.118]

The sloppy swordplay and imprecise magic attacks just make the game look like an alcoholic staging of Medieval Times. [June 2002, p.97]

I'll stick to paper and pencil versions of sudoku until a cleaned-up sequel appears. [July 2006, p.82]

When even a game's manual asks, "Wouldn't you rather play something else?" consider taking the hint. [Feb 2005, p.83]

A slightly improved port of the GameCube multiplayer party combat game, but it's still too chaotic and random for anyone born before the '90s. [May 2006, p.92]

If it weren't for all the basketball in Sony's new NBA 07, I'd give the go-ahead on trying this one out. [Nov. 2006, p.110]

The best part is that some jittery-fingered button-masher won't necessarily win. You actually have to box. That's something the arcadey "Ready 2 Rumble" couldn't figure out. [Apr 2003, p.84]

The fighting system isn't particularly deep (throws and specials tend to win fights), and the graphics are the antithesis of PSP quality. The levels are bland. [Nov 2005, p.121]

So there you have it: a typical Japanese RPG. With pets. [July 2006, p.85]

Pac-Man World 3 shows up to class every day but settles for straight C's. It will mostly appeal to youngsters, and I'm sure that kids will find something in it. But the folks who grew up with Pac-Man won't find much to love in this lazy cash in.

The levels are huge, but you don't feel like there's much freedom because the game very strictly controls where you can and can't go. [Feb 2003, p.109]

The only aspect of the game helping it avoid becoming a complete disaster are the arenas. [Jan 2005, p.106]

A huge, solid game that's seriously crippled by an unworkable control scheme. [July 2005, p.78]

It's the closest thing to an honest-to-God flight sim a PlayStation has seen. [Nov 2001, p.160]

There's surprising depth and lots to do for a younger crowd. It's perfect for an under-13 gamer. [Feb 2003, p.101]

All the features added to Genki's long running game of after-dark street racing are cursory at best and cosmetic at worst. [Jan 2004, p.130]

This game is about a realistic Texas Hold 'Em experience against the computer, and not much else. [Aug 2006, p.75]

It was quite the pleasant surprise. [Dec 2001, p.175]

And, much like a real sweatshop, WTF provides little incentive to keep you going. [Dec. 2006, p.136]

Did I mention the shooting interface itself? Picture the annoying timing of the triple-tap Hot Shots model combined with the occasional imprecision of the analog Tiger model, and you'll have some idea of what we're talking about here: It's the worst of all possible worlds!

Other than that, Miami Vice is the most unremarkable eight hours you'll sppend en route to a lousy concclusion this year! [Oct. 2006, p.91]

To put it simply, there are so many small fundamental problems--the passing feels stiff and has some weird bugs that cause the ball to fly off in random directions (not to mention the fact that the AI, while mostly consistent, does have a tendency to cheat a little bit when intercepting passes, at least more than any human opponent would).

There's no excuse for such an absurdly awkward control scheme. [Apr 2003, p.92]

The fact that I got so involved in the solo portion of a multiplayer game meant they were doing something right. [June 2002, p.99]

Aside from getting to tote around the world's longest hose for hours, this game is just not very fun. [Apr 2004, p.98]

Track design is unimaginative, the cars look like they're made of plastic, it's not fast, and the gameplay structure feels clumsy and unfinished. [Dec 2004, p.128]