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

A solid game with tons of depth and the best volleyball game ever made. [Sept 2003, p.80]

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

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]

The defensive side of EA Sports' game is like the St. John's men's team: weak and vulnerable. [Holiday 2004, p.82]

Surprisingly fun. [Nov 2003, p.130]

A surprisingly entertaining, blissfully uncomplicated shooter... But it's not the kind of game that you'll absolutely fixate on finishing. [Apr 2005, p.80]

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]

Although it's worth the 5-10 hours of your time that it will take to complete the main game, we honestly expected a little more. [Dec 2003, p.80]

Doesn't feel as complete as it should. But the sheer intensity and scale of the battles, as well as the expertly crafted environments and diversity of characters, make it work better than you'd expect. [Nov 2004, p.86]

Some innovations (like the group combo system) work well, while others don't (the out-of-place cel-shaded characters). As an addictive substance, Legends is pure X-tasy. [Dec 2004, p.94]

Another gem in a surprising embarrassmenet of [Xbox] brawling riches. [Aug 2005, p.85]

Desite this strictly linear gameplay, there are still times when you'll be confused as to what you're supposed to do next. That just doesn't equal a fun gaming experience by any stretch of the imagination. [Jan 2005, p.82]

If you can get over the graphics and little glitches, High Heat is an exceptionally deep and fun baseball game that will please baseball purists more than any other baseball game. [Apr 2003, p.81]

It's hard as hell, partially because it's meant to be, partially because the complex, non-adjustable control scheme is completely non-intuitive, and partially because the camera is simply too twitchy...[yet] we love the strangely gorgeous Gunvalkrie. [Apr 2002, p.72]

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

Quite possibly the most inventive, accessible, and incredibly fun surfer ever. [Dec 2001]

Weird AI and incomplete NASCAR track selection don't hold back this racer. [Dec 2001]

The most polished and enjoyable hunting game ever made. It's surprisingly well-designed, with graphics and environments that actually make you feel like you're roaming the great outdoors. [Dec 2003, p.130]

The heart of Juiced is the pedal-to-the-medal street racing. And that's where it shines like a freshly buffed coat of pearlescnet paint. [June 2005, p.83]

Surpisingly but appealingly worth your time and money. [Nov 2004, p.84]

The Xbox equivalent of "War & Peace." [August 2002, p.77]

You'll want to spend a lot of time immersed in these worms. [Apr 2005, p.81]

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]

Crisp visuals, smooth control, and hours of gameplay. [Jan 2003, p.76]

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]

But by releasing the same core game three years running and refusing to incorporate other games' innovations, ESPN is content to take its single, rather than go for extra bases. [Apr 2004, p.75]

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]

The addition of the classic SpyHunter game from '83 kicks the game's score up a few notches just for the cool bonus. [May 2002, p.78]

The real strength of this game is the bounty of narrated, interactive tutorials that effectively demonstrate strategy, tactics, and psychological analysis of your opponent. [Jan 2005, p.82]

Racing fans are going to eat it up hook, line, and sinker. [Sept 2003, p.82]

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]

Its engrossing multiplayer modes make Judgment easy to recommend, even if we found its main story campaign weaker than its predecessors’.

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 lost gem. [Aug 2010, p.78]

Oodles of action that feels like "Riddick" in all the right ways. [Sept 2007, p.72]

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!

While Flock isn't the incandescent flare of pure awesome we'd hoped it might be, it's still a terrifically enjoyable, lusciously good-looking, and admirably original Arcade game. [May 2009, p.79]

Even with a new action-oriented emphasis, the game's targetting system, spotty collision detection, and lead-footed "companion" in the game's second half means it doesn't exactly handle like a dream. [Oct 2004, p.72]

This NFS definitely isn't in the same league as last year's superb Most Wanted. But despite its misfires, Carbon has a lot of great action and intriguing ideas that, with properly calibrated expectations, will be a blast for fans of the series' trademark arcade racing. [Holiday 2006, p.72]

For a game that's meant to be a goofy and irreverent take on the usually stuffy golf world, Outlaw Golf 2 is a surprisingly good golf sim. [Nov 2004, p.77]

If you're already on the booty-shakin'-wagon, all the Live options make it worth a spin. [Holiday 2004, p.68]

From Dust's malleable world is intoxicating to wield power over, even if your control feels more like work than actual fun at times. Juggling resources and racing against the cycles of nature isn't for everyone. Though stages grow progressively harder, the game doesn't really have a climax to break up its even-keeled rhythm, making it less of a thundering ride and more of a blissfully Zen, workman-like process.

Fight for NY was a critical success, so EA has taken a curious risk by remixing the game's features and flow. [Apr 2007, p.84]

The new missions are the highlight here, especially the two "Lost Expedition" levels, which toss you into secret Japanese World War II facilities (one in the process of self-destructing) filled with retro sci-fi tech and abandoned except for hordes of pirates.

The simple rules and appealing storybook presentation are wonderfully captivating for the two hours it takes to play through all 27 main levels. [Holiday 2009, p.81]

And however you play each story, Telltale’s seemingly simple presentation reveals its writers’ skill in surfacing humanity in even the most inhumane acts. (After all, in the zombie apocalypse, does “doing what’s right” even matter anymore?) Action segments come slightly faster and more furious in some of these stories than they did in most of Season One, with rudimentary gunplay and weapon-handling conveying a more grisly side of survival, but decision-making remains the game’s biggest challenge — and draw.

Even in its best moments, Dead Space 3 never quite reaches the highs of Dead Space 2: there's nothing as unforgettable as the gym battle, as beautiful as fixing the solar array, or as jaw-dropping as watching a mother and her necromorph baby explode. But this sequel's pulse-pounding action, epic scope, clever co-op play, and (mostly) absorbing story still deliver hours of fun.

So Legend on the 360 remains an 8.0, just like the Xbox version--there's no other game that gives you quite the rush that Tomb Raider has in the past and does now with Legend. [Jun 2006, p.85]

The revolution, this year, belongs to EA's "Skate", but evolution remains Proving Ground's domain. [Holiday 2007, p.76]

For such a worthy successor, it's online quirkiness is a Blob-sized disappiontment. [Holiday 2005, p.93]

An outstanding meal for one. [Feb 2011, p.72]

If you held off on Xbox and you dig the college game and atmosphere, this is your best(and only)bet on 360. [Apr 2006, p.81]

Besides delivering the roots-respecting experience seasoned demon-slayers demanded, it’s brimming with enough replayability (via Chapter and Tests of Valor challenges, competitive Clan Battles, co-op Ninja Trials, and all of Ninja Gaiden 3’s DLC) to keep players butchering away long after the blood’s dried in the main campaign.

It all feels rather complicated at first, but you'll quickly settle into a satisfying groove.

Whether you work together or dive in solo, this unique journey is worth taking. [July 2011, p.79]

NHL 12 is an improvement over last year's game, but hardly a revolutionary title. It's the best hockey game on Xbox 360 - though, of course, it's also the only hockey game on 360.

Even with the occasional framerate drops(particularly in co-op games), the sheer number of levels plus a deep level editor will keep hardcore shmup fans puzzling their way through for ages. [July 2011, p.79]

Otherwise, though, this breezy shoot-'em-up is five-plus hours of mindless fun. [Aug 2011, p.85]

A fine translation of last year's PC adventure. [June 2005, p.82]

[A] few soft spots are what keep Kingdoms of Amalur from being truly dazzling. It's a great RPG - one that gives you an almost Bethesda level of freedom - and it has so much content that you could be playing the game for a couple of months. [Mar 2012, p.72]

Visually, the game looks pretty darn snazzy--it's better than "NHL 2K7" by a country mile--and it plays much better, too, though it's nowhere near as deep in the features department. [Nov. 2006, p.82]

Though its mix of strategy and simulation is something of a console rarity, this franchise endures, thrusting you into a new dictatorial power trip over the burgeoning populace of a Caribbean island. [Nov 2011, p.83]

Though Prejudice repeats what most of us missed in the first go-round, it's still an original, must-play multiplayer game, and we'd love to see it take off this time. [July 2011, p.80]

The refined physics mesh with the superbly slick controls to create and authentically challenging racing experience, chock full of wicked-fast wheeling. [Nov 2008, p.61]

It's a genuinely great football game, but this edition delivers the kind of small-scale updates that only a paints-his-chest-and-face-on-Saturdays fan could love.

Super Soldier never hits with as much force as Arkham Asylum, but for superhero fans, it's a worthy adventure.

Entertaining, but hardly groundbreaking. [Holiday 2004, p.64]

The goofy ending shenanigans are worth the trouble, of course, but it’s always a shame to see a runner stumble just before the finish line. Luckily, the rest of Deadpool is so light on its feet and so steadfastly amusing that you’re bound to remember all of the pleasure and none of the pain.

The campaign simply drags on far too long. Well before the end, you've already nailed all of the skillshots you're likely to achieve and have had enough of the game's bromantic dialogue.

Four-player co-op is crazy amounts of fun. [Dec 2009, p.83]

The Broken Bond provides a similarly potent blend of action, adventure, fighting, and puzzling--all supported by light RPG addictiveness--while also cranking up the nine-tailed-demon-fox fun with some strong additions. [Jan 2009, p.79]

Kinect responsiveness can be spotty, especially jumping, but it works well enough to keep kids (and adults) grinning ear-to-ear while playing.

Shadows of the Damned saddles itself with too much fetch-the-widget downtime to be the wholly unpredictable thrill-ride it aspires to be, but it is stuffed full of boisterous personality and pulse-pounding bloodshed.

Terrific character-unlock system. [Oct 2009, p.82]

Same great gameplay, now with more immersion and no delays. [Holiday 2005, p.92]

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.

Ghostbusters combines a tried-and-true structure with a familiar but fresh license, filling that game with personality and panache - and that's what really raised our spirits. [July 2009, p.72]

Though what's on offer isn't necessarily robust - nor does it pony up any additional Achievements - for Bastion devotees, this DLC serves to deepen the game's already-irresistible mythos.

The Moon Knight and Ghost Rider tables are definitely our favorites here, but all four are fun enough and replayable enough to make this DLC pack well worth the $10.

A space-station--building sim? It's not for everyone, but it's a hoot. [Jun 2006, p.64]

It's straight out of 1989, and that makes it either archaic or retro-cool comfortable. With Capcom's steady attention to polish and presentation, Lost Planet falls into the latter category more often than not. And even if it's familiar, it's definitely not repetitive. [Jan 2007, p.48]

WWE '13 is another great match from Yuke's, but calling it better than WWE '12 is tough. If you're hoping to re-ignite a wrestling addiction, WWE '13 is a great gateway, but the organization's more ardent fans (like us) will enjoy this year's effort while still clinging to their copies of WWE '12 like an Anaconda Vice.

Considering you're getting two good mecha shooters at a reasonable price, we heartily recommend this package.

It's an amateur music maker's tool, but a very potent and easy-to-use one and everyone from hardcore wannabe producers to b-boys sitting around Mom's living room really should have it in their library. [Aug 2004, p.84]

With mostly excellent pieces, this seven-pack is an easy pickup for anyone still playing Modern Warfare 3 with pals - or seeking a good reason to dive back in.

Diamond Mine. This enticing new mode has you catching gems atop gold deposits and untilled earth to earn bonuses and dig ever deeper before time runs out. Don't surprise if you awake in a slack-jawed daze to discover that dawn has come and gone.

Awesomenauts' peculiar mix of fast-paced 2D action and ever-shifting strategy plants it in a strange niche, but it also rewards adventurous players with hours of warfare and entertaining experimentation. [June 2012, p.74]

Sim or no sim, it's a kick-in-the-pants ride. [Aug 2006, p.81]

This whole setup would fall apart completely if the red-headed Capell weren’t so freakin’ likeable. It helps that despite the fumbling voice-acting, each character’s lines — as well as the story itself — are well-written. Every new discovery pulls you deeper into the mysteries and personalities that keep Infinite Undiscovery so involving.

Punishing but fair, Trials Fusion is a fast-paced platformer with fantastic level design and a few new ideas. It’s just a shame that the new ideas aren’t implemented better.

Super-addictive twitchfest with a terrific theme. [Sept 2008, p.74]

We wish Infinity Ward had been bolder with their design decisions, sure, but everything from the campaign to the competitive multiplayer to the alien-battling version of Treyarch’s zombie mode remains outright fun. Imperfect and unsurprising maybe, but fun nonetheless.

Like the New Orleans Hornets of the videogame world. It performs surprisingly well this season, and with a little more experience next year, it could be a title contender. [Nov 2008, p.70]

Glitches can sully the fun--an if you've finished the main game, you're forced to load an earlier save(pre-endgame)--but Dead Money is still a grim, well-wrought challenge. [March 2011, p.85]

While we can't ding EA for extra content, we wish that content had come in the form of more co-op! [Feb 2010, p.80]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Feels slighly unfinished: the load times are long, the camera hiccups and stutters on occasion, and some of the onfield play should be tighter... but the game's bright spots are so good that we're still enthusiastically playing. [Sept 2007, p.82]