It's about beautifully crisp handling, absorbing gameplay that rewards both finesse and testosterone, and a relentless stream of holy-four-letter-word moments of automotive annihilation. [Dec 2004, p.96]

Most maddening is the game's unstable framerate. [Oct 2004, p.76]

Amped 3 gets everything right that's wrong with "SSX." [Jan 2006, p.72]

If Midway's goal was to make a first-person shooter that was as deep as the lightgun blast-'em-up arcade game of the same moniker, it's succeeded admirably. The problem is, this is 2005, and the simple run-and-gun FPS went the way of the crop circle about six years ago. [Apr 2005, p.78]

Climax’s brand of dogfighting is certainly straightforward and repetitive, but it’s also ludicrously fast-paced and highly addictive. Hardcore flyboys might sneer, but most others will have a hard time tearing their eyes from the screen.

Online play over Live will enhance this game's replayability, but a little more content would've made it an epic crossover. [Holiday 2008, p.80]

It may not share the same rarified air as Microsoft's genre-leading "Crimson Skies", but Blazing Angels 2 elevates the franchise a helluva lot closer. [Dec 2007, p.66]

For us, Gel never quite...gelled. [Aug 2009, p.77]

Despite different settings, there’s something very Infinite Undiscovery about Last Hope. In a good way.

ProStreet might feel a bit thin without the open world and impulsive attitude of "Most Wanted", but it's still and exciting distillation that adeptly mixes arcade pleasure with realism for an absorbing day at the races. [Holiday 2007, p.72]

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.

Brimming with subdued pastel colors, hand-drawn characters, and a trippy, jazzy soundtrack, Pid's aesthetic is peculiar but challenging enough to be fun. [Nov 2012, p.85]

NiGHTS is like the dreams it's based on: it's easy to dismiss as silly nonsense, but when you dig deeper into it, you'll find something beautiful and revelatory.

The “a-ha” moments when you successfully combine your various marker powers to navigate a pitch-black cave, escape the clutches of a pursuing beast, or access a seemingly out-of-reach ledge made us feel like Mensa members.

Lavish graphics and cinematic cutscenes are worth the $19.99 price tag alone, and though a couple of annoying bugs exist, it's a mature, intelligent journey that will entice any true adventure fan. [Nov 2003, p.124]

A decidedly old-school FPS that modernizes itself just enough to make it fun today. [Nov 2009, p.68]

Our favorite addition is the inclusion of tooltips telling us how to perform the required tricks. When doing a challenge off one of the brand-new park objects, we now know exactly how to do a Crail or a Truckdriver without having to dive into the glossary of grabs!

It feels just like last year's version with online play added. [Oct 2002, p.100]

Selecting Online mode almost literally transports you to another game - a new interface and a surprisingly robust and navigable online selection screen. [Dec 2003, p.93]

Only diehard fans will spend more than a couple hours with the Wonder Boys, but Monster World IV is worth a look all by itself.

If you can get some pals together, have a stable connection, and don’t mind interrupting your game for a level-up session, you’ll have some fun here, but Battle Grounds still falls short of being the sleeper hit it could have been.

It's easy to put down the wrong tower as you hurriedly try to set up your defenses, but otherwise, the controls are solid. [Holiday 2009, p.75]

Breezy and bite-sized, it won't wow you..but it's no dog, either. [Holiday 2009, p.82]

Clunky controls. [July 2010, p.79]

Imagine if "Hot Shots Golf" had been developed by Larry Flynt Publications, and you might have an idea of the humor and content included in this otherwise sharp-yet-strangely-normal golf game. [August 2002, p.81]

Whether you're playing with buddies online or in the same room, or just battling through the career, this extremely polished sequel is an excellent way to rock out. [Nov 2010, p.66]

Dungeon Siege III is among the finer ways you can dungeon-crawl on your 360 these days, and if the developers can iron out its quirks, a sequel (which this game sets up nicely) could be epic.

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]

A hard game to review simply because it's so very, very good in almost all the right places except for its length. [Dec 2002, p.105]

There's one thing that we can't dispute: Axel & Pixel is a gorgeous point-and-click adventure. However, the story leaves a bit to be desired. [Holiday 2009, p.76]

Fortunately, nostalgic fans can indulge in four-player split-screen, which - while offering a third as many match types - still manages to recapture some of the fun Bond games have been grasping at for the past 14 years.

For a fair price of $40, the high caliber of NASCAR 07's tune-up keeps the good times rolling--and turning left, of course. [Oct. 2006, p.82]

Hexic 2 deftly expands every concept that made its freebie predecessor the star of Live Arcade's launch. [Sept 2007, p.74]

Despite a few flaws and one ill-conceived megamix, these games are treated with the respect they deserve at a price we’re willing to pay. We’re happy to see them on Arcade where they belong.

The game was expressly designed for co-op play, but that makes the enemy A.I., poor vehicle mechanics, and the inability to save on command hard to accept, considering it costs you and a friend a combined $120 to play the game “as intended” over Xbox Live.

A splendid dungeon crawler that's one of the best co-op experiences on Xbox. [Nov 2003, p.108]

It never does anything exceedingly well, nor does it do anything poorly...Though solid in many aspects, [it's] ultimately underwhelming. [Nov 2003, p.120]

Haven't played Arkham City yet? By all means rush out and buy the Batman Arkham City Game of the Year Edition, which includes Revenge and the rest of the game's DLC. On its own, though, this revenge isn't cold - it's a reheated dish of bland bat.

A few titles(including Knights of the Round)support offline three-player fun, but even for $20, we say pass. [Holiday 2006, p.76]

Unfortunately, the story feels just as half-hearted, and it's hampered by fast-travel locations and quest kick-off points that seem erratically placed.

Dark Sector assumes you’ve played a metric ton of games. And even if you have, you’re still likely to get confused and frustrated. Some kind of hint when you’re clearly not grasping it would’ve gone a long way toward easing the pain.

If stupendous puzzler Peggle and the cute gelatinous hero from de Blob had a teleportation accident à la Jeff Goldblum and the common household pest in The Fly, then The Splatters would be the result - except it'd be totally awesome and not a hideous Brundlefly monstrosity.

But for $10, the price is alright for this fresh slice of strategic goodness. [Holiday 2009, p.81]

Fails to measure up to Codemasters' other fine racing titles. [Aug 2004, p.84]

The routines here are fun when you know them, but getting there is more of a struggle than it should be - and unfortunately, that slows this dancer's roll.

Even at $40, it's tough to recommend the meager additions Off the Record delivers. Diehard Dead Rising fans will like the callbacks, and series newcomers won't mind the recycling, but everyone in the middle will wish the new material was more abundant.

Giving us the option to bypass the mini-games and get straight to the story would've made this charming visual treat even tastier. [Holiday 2007, p.73]

Undeniably fun, with solid controls, tons of charisma, and respectable tech specs. [Dec 2002, p.154]

Combat in G:DAMM is both slow and simple when compared to smooth, combo-heavy fighters like "Tekken" or "Street Fighter." Giant monsters can't be bothered with fancy combos, juggles, reversals, or counters. [May 2003, p.80]

The game's one weakness is that it's simply not a lot of fun for a lone combatant. [July 2003, p.80]

If the sheer act of dungeon-crawling is your bag and you don’t mind a subpar story and an unending flood of other random errands to run, Sacred 2 is a great romp that lasts 25 to 30 hours.

Aside from some minor control annoyances - like the same button used for multiple actions (such as blade attacks and item pick-ups) - Shank's craftsmanship is largely impeccable. It's one of 2010's most memorable and exciting action games. For $15.

A very bare-bones expression of the genre. [July 2010, p.80]

If Syberia II has a serious flaw, it's that controlling Kate requires finesse. [Dec 2004, p.98]

You'll notice WWE '12's wider accessibility right when the first bell rings. Controls are far easier to grasp (they're almost as newb-friendly as WWE All-Stars') and matches flow naturally, which is great given how minimal the HUD is

The game's also surprisingly scary at times: in dark spaces, we found ourselves flinching at disembodied moans, and being rushed by Infested (fast, growling zombies reminiscent of 28 Days Later) freaked us out more than once.

Unfortunately, the lack of intuitive physics is the real killer.

Admirably, it doesn't just resort to predictable, cliched platformer gameplay - it resorts to that and a respectably varied selection of other gameplay interludes. [Sept 2005, p.80]

So mindlessly enjoyable that you'll soar right past those flaws. [May 2008, p.73]

Whether you still watch wrestling or just enjoyed it back in the day, Legends is entertaining to the end. Its pared-down controls may disappoint hardcore fans, but they do make it more playable for newcomers - and players of all stripes will appreciate the giant bearhug it gives to nostalgia.

Just fun (and wickedly funny) enough to make it worth a rental. [Jan 2006, p.71]

The perfect way to approach it is to shelf your hardcore gamer pride, download a walkthrough to get your through the annoying bits, and just wade into its rampant creativity with both eyes wide open. [Apr 2006, p.77]

The game starts to lose its novel sheen after just a few hours, even as it offers a tantalizing glimpse of the genre's future.

Vipers is still a lot of fun, but you won't dump newer 3D fighters for it.

If you've already finished State of Decay and want more, Breakdown is a hugely addicting excuse to dive back into Trumbull County and spend endless hours strip-mining it.

Mired by clumsy controls and spotty friendly AI, this sequel can't decide whether or not it wants to be a tactical realistic shooter or simply a run-and-gun arcade fragfest. [Nov 2003, p.114]

Mixing the party-friendly mini-games with Xbox Live and offline multiplayer may be enough to warrant a purchase, provided you're able to temper your single-player expectations. [Aug 2005, p.84]

That full price is steep for what feels like an add-on disc. Gather your bandmates for a money-saving weekend rental, and you’ll have more fun with the oldies than you might expect.

Grueling career mode will make you want to cut off your right hand. [Jan 2006, p.75]

The graphics are noticeably better, the gameplay is expanded upon, and it's twice as bloody as the first game. [Holiday 2004, p.67]

Though the inclusion of sometimes mind-numbing "climb the tower" segments in Story Mode, as well as occasional enemy AI that ranges from stupid to cheap, keep it from mass-scale beat-'em-up greatness, Samurai Warriors satisfies an appetite for destruction in a way that few other games can. [Aug 2004, p.80]

Call of Juarez could've been a uniquely hard-boiled journey through the late 1800s, but it kicks up too much distracting dust to be worth the trip. [July 2007, p.78]

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

A fun and absorbing game. Shallow, noisy, and still slightly cool. [May 2002, p.72]

The Snowboarder mode...is simply the deepest and best career mode we've seen in any snowboarding game – or any sports game, for that matter. [May 2002, p.74]

It's like Disney's fantastic ride - sure, you can sometimes see the seams and bolts showing, but what a ride it is anyways. [Dec 2003, p.128]

There are definitely better b-ball games on Xbox. [Dec 2003, p.94]

If you're hoping to truly break into the higher tiers of fitness, as exemplified by the pro athletes who make video cameos during the game, you should seek real-life options instead. This one's best suited for NikeFuel addicts and people who just need motivation to work out.

As a gleeful tribute to gaming and pop-culture past, though, Retro City Rampage is definitely recommended. It may not rival the series it most closely follows, but it still offers a unique and gorgeously presented experience.

It's also got the most riveting plot of any Xbox FPS to date, topping "Halo." [Apr 2004, p.78]

A poor framerate, bland textures, awful character models, clipping bugs, and a messy interface all suck the fun out of what should be a solid RPG. [Jan 2004, p.76]

With just one map for each lane approach (split between two play styles), Guardians' limited scope left us itching for just a bit more variety. But the game rewards obsessive, repeated play with extensive tactical depth, making such a streamlined approach remarkably effective.

You’ll also have no one to remind you to leave your brain at the door and enjoy this game as it was meant to be taken - as a fairly well-built, over-the-top testosterone fantasy without all the fancy polish or (dare we say it?) smarts of, say, Gears of War, but still an incredibly satisfying shot in the arm for co-op addicts like us.

Xbox owners get the mediocre 2K6 with new rosters, but nothing else new. [Apr 2007, p.86]

With all that content to complement its addictiveness, Meteos Wars shouldn't be missed by those who crave block puzzles. [Holiday 2008, p.69]

Throw in more responsive skating and a brilliant new face-off system, and we definitely dig how NHL 2K8 shakes and bakes. [Nov 2007, p.92]

It packs a ton of bedwetting frights into those [few] hours, and there's nothing like a game that leaves you craving even more. [May 2005, p.83]

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]

Bourne Conspiracy screams weekend rental. It isn’t a one-trick pony, but it has three or four moves at best - enough to truly impress you for a while, but not enough to compel most of you to punch, kick, and shoot all the way to the end of the game.

Your $5 will be better spent elsewhere. [Dec 2009, p.78]

Aimed at pre-teens--some overly cutesy characters and patronizing narration make it a little too cloying for grown-up gamers--Thrillville hits its marks well on most fronts. [Jan. 2007, p.75]

With a 20-hour runtime, both it and the gameplay are prone to meandering and missteps, but Lords of Shadow 2 nonetheless manages to bring the series crashing to a satisfying conclusion. [April 2014, p.70]

Fun? Not for long, and not for the asking price of 10 bucks. [July 2009, p.77]

The videogame equivalent of all-you-can-eat shrimp week at Sizzler. [June 2005, p.86]

Battle Fantasia may be a niche game for a specific audience, but otaku will live happily ever after.

Still, controlling every moment of every fight is just ridiculously fun, and you'll be quite content while you wait for what should hopefully be the ultimate WWE game next year. [Dec 2007, p.74]

Pretty but contrived. [Feb 2002, p.80]

Unfortunately, the game and story wrapped around this wondrous engine aren’t worthy of the visual splendor. [Mar 2002, p.72]