The greatest boxing game you've ever played - but not the great boxing you will ever play. [Apr 2004, p.71]

Ballers aspires to be about street culture and cred, but it has all the authentic urban flavor of Jamie Kennedy. [May 2004, p.81]

The problems start with control. The response isn't razor sharp, the special moves aren't spectacular, and the Netbuster specials are too easy to pull off. [Jan 2004, p.73]

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

Superior to the original Splinter Cell in every aspect: gameplay, graphics, sound, presentation, and to a degree, innovation. [May 2004, p.70]

The showdown between pitcher and batter just isn't deep enough...Ultimately, ASB is an average game. [Apr 2004, p.74]

The entire point of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise is to incite adolescent jealousy, gamesmanship and spending, and while fans of the series might find something to appreciate in this title, casual gamers will not. Skip it. [June 2004, p.80]

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

For a game that challenges you to outthink and outmaneuver your opponents, it's a shame that Tenchu's enemy A.I. is so awful and the camera control so twitchy and unyielding. [May 2004, p.83]

Mafia's real crime, though, is that it's a very good game wrapped in an absolute technical mess. [June 2004, p.74]

Straighforward, visceral fun that may not be Oscar-worthy in the plot department, but provides plenty of popcorn-munching matinee-style entertainment for the over-17 crowd. [May 2004, p.72]

A landmark videogame baseball achievement. The lack of online play notwithstanding, it's brilliant. [Apr 2004, p.76]

Racing fans interested in a quick fix of adrenaline probably won't find what they're looking for in McRae 04, but autophiles will adore the game for its physics, handling, and depth of play. [Apr 2004, p.81]

It feels less like a lost Sergio Leone classic than a simple coin-op shooting gallery. [June 2004, p.82]

What it has to offer is quite possibly the purest, deepest, most rewarding single-player action experience available on this current generation of hardware. [May 2004, p.66]

May not be as challenging as "MX Unleashed," but it's definitely more polished. [May 2004, p.76]

Cost notwithstanding, Line of Contact further adds to the most unique gaming experience in the world today. It's beautiful, immersive, and just plain fun. [May 2004, p.74]

The AI can be pretty mechanical, the courses get repetitive, and the waves don't have the dynamic feel of games like "Splashdown," but at least the soundtrack is filled with a surprisingly great selection of garage rock and club music. [Feb 2004, p.81]

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]

Just like a Bond girl - incredibly pretty, smart (but not too smart), entertaining (but not too entertaining), and good for a couple of great surprises. And just like the movies, you're left salivating for the next one. [Mar 2004, p.76]

A well crafted and challenging motocross game with tons of options and minigames to explore that'll have you kicking up mud for hours on end. [May 2004, p.76]

What's in the game is pretty compelling for the right type of gamer who knows exactly what they're in for and has buddies well versed in the same type of gameplay. Too bad, because with a little Live play this could've been a contenda. [Feb 2004, p.74]

A welcome change from most lightgun games that stress "spray and pray" techniques because precision and skill are needed instead of mere blasting. [Apr 2004, p.82]

Blame it on bad porting if you will, but "Unreal" has yet to make a name for itself on Xbox, except as a graphics engine. And sadly, Unreal II won't do much to change that. [Apr 2004, p.73]

Without the nine keypad buttons, many of these games become unplayable. [Mar 2004, p.81]

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]

The most glaring fault is that the twitchy controls and the sometimes less-than-perfect camera angles can lead to frustrating falls, especially on the vertigo-inducing rail levels. [Feb 2004, p.80]

It's hard not to be pleased with these improvements and additions, but when it comes to BGDA2's plot and level design, it doesn't quite match up to our expectations. [Feb 2004, p.72]

While the game deserves kudos for its trippy and 'toon-y visual style, the hard reality is there's no compelling reason to give up the 800-pound gorilla that is "PGR2" to adapt to Auto Modellista's driftacular controls, especially since the game's Xbox Live implementation is fairly bareboned. Kee-rash.[Apr 2004, p.80]

As with all action-RPGs, Fallout's best played with a friend. It's not the deepest dungeon crawler, but it is among the most fun. [Feb 2004, p.76]

Inertial dampers prevent a sense of speed, and our comm link forces pilots to endure commands repeated endlessly in battle. [Dec 2003, p.100]

Not on quite the same quality echelon as "Madden" or "NBA Street Vol. 2," but it's the exact shot in the arm that the state of arcade football genre desperately needed. [Mar 2004, p.82]

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]

Features the ability to visit other locales. This is huge...Sims fans, get ready to kiss the next month of your life good-bye. [Holiday 2003, p.104]

Car models and framerates are superb, and some of the courses look great, but overally, you could be forgiven for thinking you'd turned on your PS2. [Jan 2004, p.60]

This isn't a horrible game, but with the movie long since forgotten and better games ("LOTR") out there, we can't recommend it to anyone but the biggest of Crouching Tiger fans. [Mar 2004, p.80]

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

Despite the visuals, slow pacing, clunky camerawork, and somewhat unsatisfying controls, this is a generally solid pool game. [Jan 2004, p.79]

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]

The design has managed to capture the essence of the genre while making everything contextual to your controller, an impressive feat. [Jan 2004, p.84]

The game plays well, handles easily, and provides plenty of slapstick humor. It's just too bad that its flaws restrict it to a merely enjoyable distraction. [Jan 2004, p.84]

What makes matters worse is the bizarre targeting scheme: there is none. Players merely steer their car in the right direction and hope their reticules cross over an enemy. [Feb 2004, p.78]

It may be an obvious clone (of "Splinter Cell"), but it's incredibly well done. [Jan 2004, p.72]

Technical quibbles aside, Deus Ex is a brilliant RPG that manages to pull off freeform gameplay without a hitch. It's as smart as you want it to be, and cuts no gameplay corners. [Holiday 2003, p.72]

The most surprisingly addictive shooter of the year. [Holiday 2003, p.84]

The fact is that there's no other Xbox game that offers you the uniquely multi-layered experience that BG&E does. And isn't that what gaming is all about? [Dec 2003, p.98]

A prettier, better-playing sequel that fails to make any new gameplay strides but is an incredible thrill ride for the all-too-short time it lasts. [Jan 2004, p.68]

At a mere $20 it represents impossible value and is probably a must-have for crusty old gamers. [Dec 2003, p.92]

The main problem with Spawn is that it's simply dull... The entire game feels as though it was just phoned in. [Jan 2004, p.82]

It's more like a frenzied full-body execution of the instructions on a binary punchcard, but it's addictive and fun. [Jan 2004, p.83]

Jedi Academy was a solid game on PC, but sadly, the Xbox version falls far short in nearly every regard. [Holiday 2003, p.85]

What's here is only half a game. Live play may be brilliant, but the single-player experience is sorely lacking. [Jan 2004, p.78]

It's a stunning achievement in design, playability, good old-fashioned fun, and in my humble opinion the best Xbox game this year. [Dec 2003, p.82]

A stunning and rare achievement that makes you feel happy to be a gamer. [Jan 2004, p.56]

The biggest fault in Rivals is the A.I. - your teammates seem terminally lost, neglecting to chase loose pucks or go after rebounds. [Dec 2003, p.106]

All of this action and adventure is brought to life by a combination of tight technology and superb control. The graphics are colorful and do a great job tapping into the Xbox GPU while maintaining a great frame-rate throughout. [Nov 2003, p.100]

Bunny + Weasel is a whip-smart idea. Too bad the joke gets old fast. [Jan 2004, p.74]

Deep, wonderfully balanced Magic battle system. [Dec 2003, p.100]

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

An excellent game that earns bonus points for doing something new, but it ultimately falls just a splinter short of greatness. [Dec 2003, p.102]

As you progress through the game's 15 missions (and 20 challenges), the action often deteriorates into essentially chasing giant icons as opposed to enemy aircraft. The monotony isn't alleviated by anything innovative or daring the gameplay. [Jan 2004, p.83]

That customization model is simply the most robust we've ever seen... The game's only real failing is in its comparative lack of [track] variety. [Dec 2003, p.108]

Despite the inexcusable omission of Xbox Live support, this is the best college basketball game on the Xbox. [Dec 2003, p.94]

A near-total package, but when compared head-to-head with "March Madness 2004," it doesn't feel as exciting or addictive. [Dec 2003, p.94]

Best Xbox Live game ever made? Yeppers. Best first-person shooter this year? Indeed. [Dec 2003, p.54]

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

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]

Easily the best original console RTS out there in a market that relies on, usually, not-so-good ports from the PC. If Jaleco adds in Live play for next year's release, RTS fans may just find a new addiction. [Jan 2004, p.77]

While it's cool to watch John get wacked in one of the nice CG cutscenes, the actual six hours of gameplay leaves much, much, much to be desired. [Feb 2004, p.82]

What really makes Crash Nitro Kart worth playing is the solid control and innovative boost system. [Dec 2003, p.106]

Defiance's story and visuals really shine through. The combat may be repetitive, but it's solid and fun and the well-paced plot does a great job of tying the knot with the long paths of Kain and Raziel. [Jan 2004, p.80]

The game's real genius is in its presentation - mega options and a clean interface are backed up by mostly cool and occasionally superb, graphics. [Dec 2003, p.146]

A very satisfying experience. [Holiday 2003, p.85]

The second major problem is that the game is unbalanced. [Jan 2004, p.63]

The result is a brutally slow pace and a game that doesn't pack much of anything for anybody. The AI is horrendous, the control is abysmal, and the announcing... [Jan 2004, p.73]

Satisfying, challenging, and more importantly, fun. [Jan 2004, p.80]

Players simply watch the drama unfold with no interaction at all, making Maximum chase a boring plod at best. [Mar 2004, p.81]

Mindless shooting of repetitive baddies and unlocking doors across 10 practically identical levels is not fun, and that is pretty much all you do here. [Feb 2004, p.82]

If Dr. Seuss made Xbox games, they'd certainly be more creative than this factory-issue snoozer. [Jan 2004, p.73]

Whether you've played them or not, the pair of masterpieces contained in the Grand Theft Auto Double Pack are too good to pass up, especially when it's a two-for-one deal. [Holiday 2003, p.97]

A brawler at its heart, Gladiator is not short on blood or action, but it is lacking somewhat in depth. [Dec 2003, p.92]

The high degree of difficulty is one of the few problems with this otherwise brilliant game...Still may be the best movie license game ever made. [Jan 2004, p.81]

Graphically, FIFA charms, but the gameplay is sublime. [Dec 2003, p.146]

The heart of Crime's problems: the driving is OK, but the shooting interface manages to be worse than "GTA's"... You'll spend more time in L.A. frustrated than having fun. [Jan 2004, p.64]

Even at $20 it's worse than dull - it's unoriginal. When the loading screen is prettier than anything in the game, then you know you've got problems. [Jan 2004, p.70]

The structure isn't terrible, it's just not very good...same goes for depth and the game as a whole. [Jan 2004, p.63]

The facts remain: it's nicely crafted, fittingly visualized, and undeniably entertaining at times. [Jan 2004, p.74]

The deep storyline and character development system, seemingly endless quests, and miles of detailed, highly interactive locations to explore all amount to more than 200 hours of gameplay for those attempting to see it all. [Jan 2004, p.76]

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]

Repetitive battle music and minor camera issues aside, if you can stand the slow, turn-based nature of Gladius, you'll love it. [Dec 2003, p.154]

The graphics look great (special nod to nice lighting), and the animation is outstandingly lifelike. [Dec 2003, p.130]

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]

Solid, entertaining, and graphically attractive, without ever leaping into risky territory. Unfortunately, that's exactly what's keeping the series from being truly great. [Dec 2003, p.150]

A fun, if slightly flawed, space shooter that expands on the mythos with a decent story. It's not going to win any awards, but should satisfy fans of the show. [Jan 2004, p.82]

There is still plenty of variety in gameplay and the AI makes for a more than decent opponent. [Dec 2003, p.92]

While Rogue Ops isn't quite up to the level of "Splinter Cell," it's pretty close. And Nikki's hot. Mark this one down as a big surprise, and pick it up. [Dec 2003, p.132]

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]

We didn't get the "face in the game" feature that the PS2 has, which admittedly sucks, but this is still the best out there and it keeps getting better. [Jan 2004, p.66]