Sadly, with some polish, this could have been a really good game. [Nov 2002, p.145]

Charming visuals aside, Leedmees does little to distinguish itself, and less to justify its $10 price.

The best thing here is still the three games, which hold up amazingly well after all this time. You could get them by buying the now-very-cheap Ultimate Genesis Collection (which includes dozens of other classics), but for purists, these fully featured versions are a must.

Fleeting moments of decency can't make up for the overall trudge, though. With such better Sonic outings in recent years, this old speedbump is best avoided.

If you're looking for quiz show entertainment, you're bound to be disappointed. [Jan 2010, p.69]

These repeated cheap deaths make the sparse checkpoints and the lack of a mid-mission save feature all the more obvious. At least there are no load times between deaths. [Aug 2005, p.85]

It's the ultimate game for, like, 10 people out there, and they'll love it like monkeys love bananas. [Aug 2007, p.74]

The gameplay follows a predictable pattern: Spidey and a sidekick(friends, like Black Cat and Iron Fist, or foes, like Doc Ock and Sandman)enter an area, Venom-ish enemies teleport in, and you have to clear the room of bad guys to open the door to the next area. Repeat ad nauseum. [Dec 2007, p.62]

The lack of jump-in play — particularly on the couch — is very disappointing considering the game’s coin-op origins. Bummer, dude.

Its predictable, "Save As from the last version" gameplay left us sad and disappointed. [Mar 2008, p.93]

With bland graphics, unremarkable sound, and a too-fake feel for the high-speed bikes, it just doesn't come close to THQ's two-wheel racer - which now than ever is the real Xbox speed king. [Sept 2003, p.81]

Because all three characters play the same despite stylistic differences, and only the final battle proves much of a challenge, there's little reason to get excited about shaving seconds off speed runs or climbing scoreboards. Karateka is fun and beautiful while it lasts, but it's over all too soon.

It all works fine, it's just pretty cheesy and not in the least compelling. [Holiday 2005, p.70]

The pace is slow - even for a tactical title - and once you figure out that "strategy" here consists entirely of shooting something, then finding a place to hide, you've pretty much cracked the whole enchilada. [June 2004, p.81]

It's not clear why handling, top speed, acceleration, and braking improvements apply only to specific livery paint jobs instead of to entire vehicle classes, and we never did figure out how the useless "clutch boost" feature was supposed to help us.

Boring combat lacks variety. [Mar 2010, p.84]

For nostalgic fans who can hang in there--or first-time players--earning "crazzzzy money" still has its mome4nts. [Feb 2011, p.81]

Technical things like weak AI that lets you take down enemies around corners without them reacting, and below-average animation that makes what should be a terrifying boss battle laughable. [Mar 2004, p.80]

It lasts just long enough to justify its humble asking price, but better online island vacations await you elsewhere.

Tedious ground combat makes up the majority of the game, and the cool cover concept and sci-fi story are strong, but blown opportunities. [Feb 2010, p.86]

The cartoonish, blocky graphics don't help, but constantly challenging gameplay and surprisingly smart A.I. make this a game that all strategy nuts will enjoy. [Oct 2008, p.85]

As Mass Effect DLC goes, From Ashes isn't as spectacular or impactful as ME2's Lair of the Shadow Broker; it's more a carbon copy of Kasumi - Stolen Memory, the companion DLC for ME2's thief character, Kasumi Goto.

This is just the games: no extras, no goodies, and no style. [Jan 2003, p.90]

You could always power through with some special ammunition, or grind past opponents with charged sonic blasts. But really, you'll only be cheating yourself out of all those marvelously entertaining chain-reaction killing sprees and the resulting scoring bonuses. [Nov 2010, p.72]

This time around, Dynasty Warriors’ horde-slaughtering action is complemented by a greater emphasis on strategy as you attempt to conquer China in Empire mode, the game’s meatiest offering.

If its presentation wasn't so poor(wooden voiceovers, bland graphics, annoying music), it's be a much better game, but at least it nudges the genre in the right direction. [May 2008, p.72]

Only small tweaks to an increasingly aging formula. [Apr 2010, p.79]

The target audience is gaming kiddies, and Open Season manages an attractive string of 25 short and bloodless missions for the prepubescent set, plus a few basic minigames. [Holiday 2006, p.86]

In short, there's little to distinguish Green Lantern besides its top-notch production values (polished combat, vivid graphics, good voiceovers), two-player co-op where a buddy plays as fellow GL Thaal Sinestro, and support for both stereoscopic and anaglyph 3D.

It's probably the game Hobbes' buddy Calvin would have designed had he ever grown up, although it's far too repetitious and simply not challenging enough for grown-ups. [Jan. 2007, p.76]

NASCAR 08's driving model is so demanding that you should probably stop diddling with those half-inch thumbsticks on the stock controller and buck up for Microsoft's wireless wheel. With physics this good, it's a worthwhile upgrade for NASCAR fans. [Sept 2007, p.77]

An evolution?/ Not with the low-res textures/ From Playstation 2. [Review Haiku - Feb 2002, p.80]

Games are meant to be played, not watched, and this one has more cinemas than "Metal Gear Solid." [Jan 2004, p.79]

Provides hours of well-polished, addictive gameplay. [Nov 2004, p.89]

The driving itself is fun and the controls are pretty tight, but the whiz-bang cutscene crashes get tiresome after awhile. . [Holiday 2005, p.68]

LOTR's slow-paced gameplay and mission-based structure seems more suited to an action RPG, but as an action adventure it doesn't quite measure up. [Dec 2002, p.137]

Two offline pals can spend a pleasant afternoon eliminating A.I. flyboys in Dogfight Mode arenas, facing ceaseless waves in Survival Mode, or revisiting missions that allow for a co-op partner. But even those tepid charms feel too much like dull training flights. [Nov 2012, p.81]

These folks add a considerable amount of content to a game in desperate need of variety, but their fighting styles and special moves aren't enough to make this rigid, repetitive actioner worth enduring. [Jan 2011, p.78]

It's one of those perfectly imperfect games you'll grow to love, even with its annoyances.

The target audience is gaming kiddies, and Open Season manages an attractive string of 25 short and bloodless missions for the prepubescent set, plus a few basic minigames. [Holiday 2006, p.86]

But with wonky, counterintuitive controls and nothing really new or compelling to add, Soltrio Solitaire doesn't give you a good reason to spend your solitaire time or money in the Arcade. [July 2007, p.79]

It's just not the cohesive, polished experience that it should be--and that "NBA 2K7" is. [Dec. 2006, p.86]

Otherwise, expect to get bored rather quickly with collecting spilled spheres and waiting for floating cube-movers. [Dec 2007, p.66]

Stumbles because of sloppy, annoying controls. [Dec 2004, p.96]

Whether you’re swinging a pipe or a scalpel, the controls never feel responsive, and rotten collision detection will drive you mad before Jigsaw’s twisted games even have the chance.

Blend a super-cool license familiar to hardcore and casual gamers (and anime fans) with pedestrian gameplay and run-of-the-mill graphics, and you'll upset both fans attracted by the storied name and those hoping for a game that stands on its own merits. [Nov 2004, p.84]

The frenzied pace makes for a pleasant enough co-op diversion, but it's also one that's devoid of meaning or longevity. [Feb 2008, p.79]

As uninspiring as it is harmless. [Sept 2006, p.79]

Overall, Dance Paradise is exactly what the game's name advertises: a respite from the sweet-inducing, mind-boggling physicality of titles like Dance Central and Dance Masters. [April 2011, p.79]

Forget "Fuzion Frenzy," this is the better Xbox game to break out during a party. [Jan 2003, p.90]

High Moon clearly did all they could, but ultimately, Dark of the Moon is a small package with too much filler to be worth more than a rental. Though we're betting it's still better than the film it's based on.

If Pokemon had 487 fewer monsters and only one tournament, it would still be more thrilling than this movie-based game. [Jun 2010, p.82]

Unfortunately, the majority of the game is spent hacking completely brainless enemies who literally turn their backs and wait for you to deliver the coup de grace once you've hit the A button enough times. [July 2007, p.81]

Oddly, what doesn't come into play so much is the series' unique new feature - the heart-rate monitoring done by the optional new Top Shot Fearmaster.

Far Cry Classic exhibits many of the ideas that came to define the series, but this decade-old shooter doesn't hold up very well thanks to antiquated design and a spotty porting job. [May 2014, p.82]

Front Mission Evolved doesn't deliver the innovation its name suggests, but it does offer the best classic mech action on 360, and fans of big-bot wars will enjoy it. [Nov 2010, p.82]

The tracks are nicely designed as well, but again, the effort seems fairly wasted due to the extremely dated graphics engine. [June 2005, p.86]

Instant replays - There aren't any! There's absolutely no excuse for that... especially on the Xbox. [June 2003, p.82]

Little errors such as collision detection are present, and the bland visual effects result in a game that controls poorly, looks bad, and is generally not much fun at all. [July 2003, p.79]

How cruelly ironic that a game filled with gleaming, glossy surfaces would be in such dire need of polish.

It's not a classic coin-op; it's a jurassic coin-op, and not much fun for 360 gamers. [Aug 2007, p.83]

It’s certainly a fresh take on the franchise, but sadly, it isn’t a particularly captivating one.

It's not very original. However, it still manages to capture that oddly addictive quality that every puzzle game must have, especially as a two-player game. [Dec 2002, p.118]

This should make a good party game for the grownups, especially over Xbox Live. [June 2004, p.81]

Playing solo is incredibly difficult and very little fun, and once people stop playing on Live, God Mode’s as good as dead.

Still, what the game does, it does well. And fun is fun, even if it comes with a tail. [Nov 2010, p.83]

It may not live up to the series' impossibly high standards, but it's still a gem in its own right. [Apr 2012, p.56]

There’s so much lovely intelligence lurking under Alone in the Dark’s hamstrung, occasionally glitchy surface (unforgivably, we found a few crash bugs in even the retail version!) that it’s hard to let this one go quietly into the night.

The worst, most persistent problem is the ridiculous and unalterable helicopter-style chase view, which lazily swoops from side to side as you tear through each turn.

Granted, even with a friend in tow, the missions all feel the same--which rings true of DW7 as a whole. [June 2011, p.83]

But the expansion pack-sized experience--we completed it in just a single day--also retails for 50 whole dollars. [Jan 2008, p.69]

TMNT's sold redeeming quality is that it lets young fans cut their teeth on a rudimentary platformer. [June 2007, p.76]

While the character models may leave something to be desired, the environments in Iron Phoenix impress with detail and variety. [June 2005, p.85]

The basketball itself is lacking in comparison to the amount of culture and attitude. [Oct 2002, p.112]

It never REALLY gets dull force-pulling a blaster out of adroid's hands and then force-pushing it into a wall where it explodes gloriously into tiny bits. [Feb 2002, p.78]

10 bucks isn't bad for a few hours of pleasantly frenzied multiplayer, provided you can coax a few comrades into joining you for the local-only ride.

While a few arcade ronin might still hold on to the old ways, most will find this Samurai is an obsolete relic. [Feb 2006, p.82]

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]

Problems — like a confusing camera (which, for whatever reason, is significantly better in mega-fun split-screen play), slippery vehicles that clip through the ground, and a mere five arenas on which to destroy opponents — make Vigilante 8 a questionable $10 purchase. But competitive smack-talk-athons and co-op multiplayer are a blast thanks to the diverse array of attacks.

A mighty bleak way to spend quality time with the future's most loveable cast of screw-ups. [Oct 2003, p.84]

At the beginning of the tediously unchanging Adventure Mode (the only mode in the game), you have nearly unlimited time when choosing where to drop a block. That removes any sense of urgency…and you really don’t need to employ any strategy to succeed anyway.

Like in the movies, not even an appearance by super-hottie Elektra can save you from the frustration and repetition. [Dec 2005, p.108]

Still, hardcore nostalgia buffs will re-discover a deceptively simple addiction that's worth a five-spot. [Jan. 2007, p.75]

Arkanoid is Breakout without the boredom. Well, without as much. [May 2009, p.83]

It does handle incredibly well, and the never less than lowbrow humor vaires from hilarious to so-stupid-it's-still-kinda-funny. It ain't perfect, but it's worth the ride. [Feb 2003, p.64]

There's a split-second delay between button-press and action, and Wolvie is as agile as a sack of potatoes. Enemy AI is spotty, there are no in-level saves, and boss battles can be puzzling. [July 2003, p.78]

Even with the grisly and serious subject matter, Shellshock doesn't add up to anything more than a by-the-book shooter that completely relies on trigger elements to keep each action sequence fresh. [Oct 2004, p.84]

An experience that is haphazzard at best, and incredibly mediocre at worst. [Jan 2003, p.80]

Most disappointing is that unlike previous Rabbids games, most of the mini-games just aren't fun without multiple players. And even with them, bland activities aren't always enjoyable. With no basic story to hold everything together, anyone besides Rabbids fans will have no motivation to keep going.

We believe Duke still has at least one good game left in him, but regrettably, this DLC isn't it.

All in all, Raging Blast 2 aims low and hits the mark for lovers of Goku, Vegeta, and the rest, but those looking for a great fighter won't have their wish granted this time. [Jan 2011, p.73]

Although the drift is especially forgiving, as is the collision penalty, the lateral sway on the vehicles is some of the best ever put in a game. [Sept 2003, p.84]

Adults will blow through Space Chimps in under three hours. [Oct 2008, p.85]

We enjoyed Special Forces’ team-focused tweaks, even with the game’s dull maps and balance inconsistencies, but this multiplayer-only shooter doesn’t make a very strong impression. It’s a couple of ranks below the genre's best — and that’s something a $15 price can’t fix.

My 4-year-old said the worst part of the game was "having to turn it off," which probably tells you all you need to know! [July 2008, p.64]

Only satisfying for those gamers eager to take a trip back down memory lane. [Dec 2003, p.100]

Want a way to reap the benefits of multitasking physical and mental activity? Read a book on a treadmill instead. [March 2011, p.80]

All we're left with is an arena full of great classic wrestlers, still wishing they were in a better game. [Aug 2004, p.83]