Packs in enough extras to really shine. [Dec 2001]

It's not SSX/ Snowboarders don't like racing/ They crave snow ballet. [Review Haiku - Feb 2002, p.80]

Old-schoolers will appreciate the effort put into Origins, even if it reinforces the progress fighters have made since that late-'90s Silver Age.

Mutant Storm is a lot like "Geometry Wars", but less frantic but more full of power-ups. [Jun 2006, p.62]

By adding muscle and dropping fat, Mortal Kombat feels tight and toned, just in time for the end of the Xbox world. [Dec. 2006, p.74]

Though Devil May Cry 2's faults required more than just an HD makeover, we won't let one bad apple spoil the bunch. For $40, we're finally getting two of the most extensive and excellent action games of all time, with a decent HD makeover. And that's a deal worth smiling about.

It's certainly no "Dirt"--Codemaster's off-road racer is still in a league of its own--but Sega Rally Revo's uniquely interactive terrain and unrefined bounce-me-off-the-walls driving dynamic help compensate for its thin venue count and constrained physics. [Dec 2007, p.73]

A better, more realistic game than last year's, but its still-vicious checking system might turn off hardcore hockey enthusiasts. [Oct 2004, p.80]

Some exceptional next-gen visuals--including complex and intricate terrain graphics, detailed cockpit renderings, and hair-singing pyrotechnics--also help propel Birds of Steel to an unprecedented new altitude for Xbox 360 dogfighters. [June 2012, p.69]

Suffers from linear gameplay, ridiculously difficult challenges, bad graphics, and a lead voice actor who sounds like an utter twit. [Jan 2006, p.75]

So if you pick up Coast 2 Coast, don't expect any sort of significant evolution of the arcade experience. [Jun 2006, p.87]

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]

Shank 2 isn't quite as robust or refreshing as its predecessor, but it's another damn fine (and fun!) downloadable adventure.

While the game feels rough around the edges, the core is so entertaining that such flaws don’t dominate the experience. Whether you play solo or with pals, solving Sanctum 2’s many challenges proves deeply absorbing.

Eets is fun in small doses, and while it's worth the $10 asking price, few will crown it a new classic. [May 2007, p.79]

We'd have welcomed a simplified Arcade version of Risk with open arms, but Factions surpasses expectations. [Oct 2010, p.85]

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

Overall, YSFE 2012 mixes together components from EA Sports Active 2, UFC Personal Trainer, and the first Your Shape mostly well, but its polish and depth can't hide its irksome design flaw.

SoulCalibur V feels new without feeling reinvented. It's not genre-defining and it's not the complete overhaul probably needed to make SoulCalibur important in tournament-fighting circles, but it's still flashy enough to keep fans interested and technical enough to convert some series holdouts.

But none of those gripes can compare to the biggest crime committed here: no co-op! In a game that focuses more than a little on the exploits of two seemingly inseparable brothers, why would we not be able to bring a friend down the dusty trail? That absence is completely inexcusable, and the addition of pointless, paint-by-numbers competitive multiplayer only adds insult to injury.

Controlling Harry is easy enough - however, the in-game camera can be a bit rough. [Feb 2003, p.75]

Varied controls, unique challenges, and kooky characters make this old-timer a worthwhile blast from the past. [Holiday 2008, p.73]

It's all beautifully violent yet terminally one-dimensional once the story wraps. [May 2006, p.73]

An abbreviated runtime (three to four hours per playthrough) and the absence of any new gameplay modes don't diminish the joy of facing RAAM in a boss fight, or of leveling a building to crush a string of Seeders, or of defending against a horde of Reavers. It's these Gears-specific thrills that make RAAM's Shadow a short but worthy co-op–able history lesson told with guns and roadie runs.

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]

Though these simple action relics aren't for everyone, we applaud the respectful approach taken for this reasonably priced release. [Jun 2010, p.83]

All the glitches make single-play stumble, but the game looks good, sounds great, and runs smooth like butta. [Jun 2006, p.86]

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]