Makes a fun game of pick-up-and-play pigskin with some extra depth, but it could've been even more fulfilling. [Dec 2005, p.104]

Heroes manages to build complexity while increasing the fun in so many ways that we're anxious to see what's in store for the next iteration. [Dec 2005, p.119]

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 gameplay is great throughout, even if the graphics and A.I. don't quite live up to the standard set by "Call of Duty 2" for 360. But it stands up really well among the existing Xbox library. [Jan 2006, p.58]

When you consider what you do get for your $15 - a beautiful, darkly humorous game with one of the most well-made, finely tested fighting engines around, plus great online play - fighting-game aficionados have plenty of reasons to hang out with these dysfunctional damsels.

Although it can get repetitive, the overall feeling of zooming around on perfectly realized waves, complete with foam and spume, is mindlessly addictive. [Sept 2002, p.96]

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

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.

These small potholes aside, you won't find a better two-wheel racer on any gaming system. [Oct 2007, p.79]

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]

The online options are still a little wonky in that they work, but with the Champions League license, we'd like more depth and options in how fans can compete with each other. Nevertheless, the style and impressive ball-movement physics help PES maintain its impressive fidelity.

Naturally, this mortality will drive some players nuts, while others will relish the undeniably heightened sense of danger.

Ultimately, the promise of Far Cry's early enjoyably beachy facade doesn't entirely pay for the derivative sins of its latter half. [Jun 2006, p.83]

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]

Not only is the couch-friendly design a big shift for Rock Band, but so is the newfound emphasis on score rather than accuracy.

At only 10 bucks, Charlie Murder is both a killer game and a solid value for solo artists; for anyone with a few friends willing to join the slaughter, it’s damn near mandatory.

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]

Jump on Live for a two-player co-op romp and let the old-school arcade love flow freely like so many unspent quarters. [Mar 2008, p.91]

Grid 2 might not be quite up to the lofty standards of an all-inclusive open-world competitor like Forza Horizon, but it does more than enough to carve out a comfortable niche worth exploring.

The do-what-you-like pacing, charming presentation, and endlessly addictive nature of tackling increasingly complex structures in an effort to ultimately erect an impressive castle, mirrors an addiction we haven't experienced since the last time we preened in our pretty pinata gardens. [Dec 2008, p.88]

A handful of heinous difficulty spikes will try your patience - especially when you're protecting something other than your own backside - but even in the game's roughest moments, its unexpected diversity keeps you engaged.

Delivers lots of slick new ways to prance with the pigskin, but over time, the experience lacks the feeling of next-level evolution that defines a great sequel. [Feb 2005, p.72]

Dead Rising 3 is undoubtedly fun, and cleans up a lot of the messiness found in previous Dead Risings, but it’s still not the complete antidote to the series’ slowly decaying zombie antics. It also doesn’t take much advantage of the new hardware. Don’t blame the Xbox One, though — this launch-day release is limited primarily by the constraints set by the original’s creaky mechanics and gameplay clichés way back in 2006.

This is the kind of game Xbox Live Arcade was made for. [Holiday 2007, p.73]

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]

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.

Playing against other people online, you'll have a decent time, but solo players will miss out entirely on the sense of satisfaction that comes from outwitting another person. [Nov 2010, 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]