What you end up with is a solid but average action game with only truly great concept. Sure, it's a one-trick pony, but at least the pony's cute and doesn't smell. [Dec 2003, p.156]

The graphics range from okay to great and the colorful cast of characters inject infrequent doses of levity into the proceedings, even if some of the dialogue is two monkey jokes beyond eye-rollingly lame. [May 2004, p.82]

A massive, fun, diverse, challening single-player shooter that requires you to use a bit of your brain as well as your brawn, and will keep you coming back for more. [Aug 2003, p.82]

For 20 bucks, this is almost a must-have for the old-school Sega nut inside us all. [Holiday 2004, p.67]

Level design is well done, giving players the illusion of a non-linear world while deftly guiding them down a path. Well-placed hints ensure that Scooby never gets stuck. [Nov 2003, p.130]

The AI isn't so good. The perps never move or run away - they just stand and fight to the death or give up. [Dec 2003, p.124]

A good step in the right direction for a great franchise. [Aug 2005, p.81]

Though no aspect of it truly screams triple-A, the entire effort is one that patient players who can endure the early hours will surely enjoy. [Holiday 2004, p.84]

What kills ASB '04 is simply how it plays. Hitting is incredibly difficult and pitching doesn't "feel" very good. [Apr 2003, p.81]

It'll have to settle for merely squeaking into the playoffs. [Dec 2005, p.117]

It's truly a surreal (and kind of sleazy) videogame experience to be watching a scantily-clad, silicone-enhanced woman gyrating on-screen as a reward for your racing skills. [Oct 2004, p.82]

It's the fighting that matters, and that, fortunately, is deep. [Feb 2005, p.74]

Despite quirky animations and some long-drawn-out relationship-building, I found myself quite enthralled with the magazine-publishing gameplay. [March 2005, p.82]

Go ahead, fanboy - this one's for you. [Dec 2005, p.116]

A merely pleasant romp that has very little spunk or spine. [Jan 2005, p.76]

Does a fantastic job of putting not only putting "it" in the game, but you as well. [Feb 2002, p.75]

Pacing is very slow. [Dec 2005, p.110]

The floaty physics is surely intended to make the game more "mass market," but it's just silly to watch vehicles drift through the air like gravity was a myth. [May 2005, p.81]

It's a testament to Tecmo's long-running reputation for making tough yet rewarding games that are hard to put down. [Nov 2005, p.124]

If this innovative gameplay was attached to visuals like the ones in "Wreckless," we'd still be playing... and I'd have sideburns. [Nov 2003, p.102]

The triggers control the flippers, and the ball physics are outstanding - every hit feels like it has real weight. [Nov 2004, p.77]

As any gamer will tell you, it's not necessarily about the innovative pathways a title forges, but in how it handles - and Tork handles the curves smoothly. [March 2005, p.79]

There are plenty of great moments, but the complete package falls a bit short. [Nov 2002, p.112]

While Tak 2 won't score points for innovation, it delivers enough humor and action to satisfy your platforming desires. [Dec 2004, p.82]

This has never been a game for just anyone. It takes a specific type of gamer to be able to wade through the seemingly mundane tasks and details. [Dec 2002, p.112]

It's a tasty appetizer that, while offering plenty of meat for the $10 asking price, only serves to intensify our hunger for the real thing.

It's fun, just not next-gen sparkly. [Jan 2006, p.62]

It's a bit rote, and dealing with the same two basic guard types (swordsman and crossbowman) for the bulk of the game doesn’t help. The repetition is slightly offset, however, by the wealth of tools at your disposal for staying hidden.

We're not quite ready to hail it as an MVP between the pylons, but NFL Blitz is a fine $15 reboot. Nevertheless, our fingers remain crossed for a bolder On Fire Edition (à la NBA Jam) next season.

The game still has looks to kill for and offers up the identical Xbox Live modes and challenge of the 360 version. [May 2006, p.71]

But what's really a labor of love is all the bonus material - historical info, original poster and advertising art, and behind-the-scenes videos with the games' creators. [Nov 2004, p.85]

What The Pinball Arcade set out to do - lovingly and accurately re-create true genre classics - it does very well, and pinball purists won't be disappointed.

So sure, Lips doesn't offer the challenge of other music games, but the presentation is incredibly slick. [Feb 2009, p.81]

Definitely worth at least a rental, Shattered Dimensions has its charms: quality writing and voice-acting, inventive set pieces, and, yup, four different Spider-Men.

Packs each and every turn with extreme imagery and wickedly macabre imagination. [Apr 2010, p.82]

Though it deftly combines action, strategy, and resource management, Godfather II simply never evolves. [May 2009, p.74]

The game's mission objectives shouldn't be this frustrating, but much of that aggravation washes away when your limping, cracked-visor, ammo-depleted mech fires off a miracle shot to live another day. War has never been this intense, and you should try to take part.

Driver: San Francisco hasn't got much in the way of cutting-edge visual pizzazz or precision physics, but it gets enough online mileage out of the body-snatching gimmick to make up for some offline disappointments.

Sliders compensates with stupid-fun multiplayer. [June 2009, p.75]

It's all mildly entertaining but utterly disposable. [Apr 2010, p.86]

Played out against a great backbeat with tracks from San Quinn, Turf Talk, and Rhymefest, And 1 reminds us that basketball isn't just a game; it's a way of life. [Aug 2006, p.78]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Even with some less-than-thrilling scenarios and its failure to reward player choice, Sleeping Dogs ultimately delivers a very good open-world action experience. It hits enough high notes to warrant the trip to Hong Kong, even if the route there feels a little too familiar. [Oct 2012, p.64]

It's a solid package, but we have some gripes: ship movement often feels slightly oversensitive, and it's sometimes difficult to tell why you took damage, especially if the environment isn't clear on what is and isn't a hazard. Dropping powerups when you take damage is also incredibly irritating, as you'll likely take more hits struggling to retrieve them.

The rough edges of 11-year-old game design will keep you from losing yourself in the experience, but there's more than enough substance to make this acclaimed adventure from another age worth a fresh look. [Nov 2011, p.85]

As far as gameplay goes, World Cup performs a notch better than "FIFA 06" did(although taking free kicks from midfield is an odd moment with limited options for control and strategy). [Jun 2006, p.77]

NFL Tour doesn’t go to cartoonish extremes, and its self-imposed limitations send some long-term potential off the field on a stretcher, but the smooth play and slick presentation keep it a worthwhile sport.

Technical problems aside, The Raven’s three chapters are charming and sincere, with a knack for breezy puzzles, punchy dialog, and memorable characters.

As difficult as it is for a self-proclaimed story-aholic to admit, the flow of combat and epic exploration is enough to make the Gothic series' console debut an interesting experience, despite the mind-boggling story design.

Overall, Madden remains quite raw. The engine shows a great deal of promise, and Connected Careers features a lot of interesting ideas, but there's no question that this is a rebuilding year. The best news is that EA finally seems to be on the right track. Give it another year, and Madden may at least be a true contender. [Oct 2012, p.72]

With just a five-area adventure mode and a points-focused championship mode (and no multiplayer). there's a lot less content here than in, say, the recent "Geometry Wars 2". [Nov 2008, p.80]

If you have the personal motivation, joining the ranks of coaching legends could be incredibly satisfying. [Aug 2006, p.76]

And to top it off, it’s almost shockingly short: for a full-priced game, we expected more than four hours of gameplay with no multiplayer in sight. If it cost $40 or less, we’d be singing a different tune…

The game is solidly entertaining, especially when four competitive players get to whacking each other, racing for powerups, and tossing each other off ledges.

Glitches keep Sniper Elite V2 from a higher score, though, especially in the game's innovative co-op modes, where bugs kept us from completing some objectives. Hopefully, an update will fix this otherwise excellent experience.

It’s difficult to call Burial at Sea’s first episode especially satisfying — by its cliffhanger ending, the labyrinthine overworked plot teeters between collapsing in on itself and being a devilishly clever rug-puller. But even as it stumbles, this DLC installment remains a fascinating, complicated riddle to watch unfold.

This game is all about silly fun. [Oct 2012, p.79]

Be prepared for a bit of disappointment, though. While Years 1–4 had something new hiding behind every doorway, much of this sequel feels too familiar.

Much like Sony's old "FaceOff" series, the gameplay itself is super-fast and floaty(by default; sliders let you tweak this), and the skates never really feel attached to the ice the way they should. [Nov. 2006, p.84]

Trine 2 is easily the most beautiful Xbox Live Arcade game we've seen. Charming voiceovers and an evocative sound design work small wonders, but the stunning scenery is suitable for framing.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

You might fail to see what all the fuss is about if you're not a shmup historian, but for the faithful it's a pleasure to rediscover R-Type with friends and flash. [Feb 2009, p.81]

If it sounds like we’re pining for Insect Armageddon, let us make it clear that 2025 is the superior game. The locales are more striking, the destruction (and particularly the feedback from your weaponry) is greatly improved, and there’s far more depth overall.

Hardcore fighting fans looking to dive back into a franchise classic should take note: this probably isn't the exact version of the game you remember. The core gameplay, for reasons unknown, is based around the European PAL release, which had a few distinct elements that were changed for the North American version. Casual players won't care, but diehard competitive players will find some attacks are much nastier than they remember.

Given its feel as a challenging, enjoyable homage to gaming's past, we relished Crimson Dragon for serving hard-earned silver linings to those wiling to stick with it.

Even with the gigs and events to participate in, Lego Rock Band is, with its lack of any new features, essentially a lego-skinned track pack. [Jan 2010, p.72]

A solid if shallow BMX racer that actually uses a story as an impetus for pulling off tricks. [Jan 2003, p.70]

Dragonborn gives players plenty more of what they loved about Skyrim, and is worth buying for that fact alone, but it could've and should've been so much more.

As with Lego Rock Band, however, Band Hero is essentially a track pack. In this case, it's a $60 one, but you get over 60 songs--most of which are exportable to GH5 for just $5. [Jan 2010, p.72]

The Cave's charms aren't meant for longevity or deep, thinky examination. Its breezy morality play feels more like a small, self-contained, eccentric dose of dark humor, best suited for whiling away a gloomy afternoon spent indoors.

If you played last year's "Avatar: The Last Airbender", you'll know pretty much what to expect from this sequel, although this time around the game looks cleaner, offers new combos, and has a larger list of characters, including Appa, Jet, Toph, Zuko, and Uncle Iroh. [Holiday 2007, p.82]

Four-player online co-op also takes the sting out of the dumb A.I., and it showcases how this $10 game should be played. [Holiday 2007, p.70]

The controls are not as tight as you want when your virtual life is on the line. [Jan 2006, p.64]

A good time can be had, but only if you're patient...and a really big fan of Most Wanted. [Holiday 2008, p.68]

There's a tragic amount of recycling here. You spend too much time in levels with not much to do; too much time slicing thorugh obvious padding to teach a climax that we can promise won't satisfy you. [Mar 2008, p.86]

It's just not that scary anymore. [Holiday 2005, p.78]

Improves on the first game in almost every way.

Well worth $5. [Oct 2009, p.77]

Twenty-plus playable characters (including fisticuff faves Krillin, Goku, and Piccolo), ground-based and sky-bound battles, a brimming list of offline challenges, and an addictive around-the-globe online Versus mode (complete with leaderboard tracking) fill out this beefy package.

Though Devil May Cry 2's faults required more than just an HD makeover, we won't let one bad apple spoil the bunch. For $40, we're finally getting two of the most extensive and excellent action games of all time, with a decent HD makeover. And that's a deal worth smiling about.

It's a crying shame that Gun for 360 didn't get the next-gen love it deserves. [Jan 2006, p.62]

EA Sports has removed some modes and features this year (like Heisman Challenge) while others return or debut, but ultimately, the end experience feels about the same. As expected, NCAA Football 14 is an entertaining game of college ball, but rarely much more than that.

The world won't be able to resist comparing Kinect Sports to Nintendo's Wii Sports gold standard, and the newcomer doesn't disappoint. Bowling and boxing are the two overlapping sports, and in the Kinect edition they're just as responsive and immediately accessible as you'd expect after four years of playing the Wii-mote version.

For the most part, TASM merely refines the formula of prior open-world superhero games with better graphics.

It's certainly no "Dirt"--Codemaster's off-road racer is still in a league of its own--but Sega Rally Revo's uniquely interactive terrain and unrefined bounce-me-off-the-walls driving dynamic help compensate for its thin venue count and constrained physics. [Dec 2007, p.73]

Playing alone, you'll remember why simple arcade shooters got left behind in the smokey pizza parlors of yesteryear; play along side a friend, the experience into a frantic race for survival that's well worth the small pittance for admission. [Jun 2006, p.60]

Its production values are unquestionably budget, but the game's ambitious level of corny self-awareness makes it a stupidly affordable, must-have cult title for the adventurous set.

Fanciful flight modeling aside, Trickstar did an admirable job with the individual aircraft renders, and when things blow up, they do so spectacularly. The lengthy and sometimes meandering campaign missions could use a rewrite, but Damage's diverting pyrotechnics and shallow learning curve should earn it solid points with the plug-and-play arcade crowd.

If staring down a virtual swarm of Japanese Zeroes gets your heart racing and your under-used flight-shooter trigger finger itchy, this game certainly has the scratch. [May 2006, p.71]

If you're a veteran player, you're probably already grinding away at the new jobs. But for those of us who are sitting on the fence, there's enough here to make the jump worthwhile. [Feb 2008, p.77]

Fortunately, the combat and RPG gameplay are where this game sizzles. [Feb 2009, p.82]

Even with all these enticing extras, we wouldn’t recommend buying the Arcade Cabinet games in one of five available three-packs (most of which are $10); that’s too much money given that almost every three-fer includes a mediocre game.

The enemies are crass, the design is mean, the challenge is unforgiving, and the reward limited. You've been warned. [Mar 2010, p.82]

While it’s one of the most attractive and polished fitness games we’ve ever played, we can’t help but feel like Zumba Fitness World Party could’ve been so much more. Its breadth and depth of content make it an interesting destination to explore, but when we need to push ourselves, we’ll stick with our copies of Core and Rush for now.

While Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance can’t match the majesty of Metal Gear Solid’s epic campaigns or the fluid combat of top action titles like DmC, there’s still plenty to like in Raiden’s true action debut. If you can forgive some combat issues, you’ll dig the outlandish story and crazy carving mechanics.

But though the grandiose soundtrack may fool you at first into mistaking this for an epic Square-esque RPG, it’s not. It’s slightly smaller-scale, and the somewhat odd (and kinda bland) character designs never really reach the iconic eye-candy levels of more accomplished J-RPGs like Final Fantasy.

What you get, really, is Battlefield at its most pure. [Aug 2009, p.71]

If Petroglyph can fix the single-player AI, smooth out some of the game’s graphics slowdowns, and provide a camera that zooms back more than a few inches, chapter two of Universe at War could well challenge Battle for Middle-earth II for overall Xbox 360 RTS honors.