The triggers control the flippers, and the ball physics are outstanding - every hit feels like it has real weight. [Nov 2004, p.77]

As any gamer will tell you, it's not necessarily about the innovative pathways a title forges, but in how it handles - and Tork handles the curves smoothly. [March 2005, p.79]

There are plenty of great moments, but the complete package falls a bit short. [Nov 2002, p.112]

While Tak 2 won't score points for innovation, it delivers enough humor and action to satisfy your platforming desires. [Dec 2004, p.82]

This has never been a game for just anyone. It takes a specific type of gamer to be able to wade through the seemingly mundane tasks and details. [Dec 2002, p.112]

It's a tasty appetizer that, while offering plenty of meat for the $10 asking price, only serves to intensify our hunger for the real thing.

It's fun, just not next-gen sparkly. [Jan 2006, p.62]

It's a bit rote, and dealing with the same two basic guard types (swordsman and crossbowman) for the bulk of the game doesn’t help. The repetition is slightly offset, however, by the wealth of tools at your disposal for staying hidden.

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 game still has looks to kill for and offers up the identical Xbox Live modes and challenge of the 360 version. [May 2006, p.71]

But what's really a labor of love is all the bonus material - historical info, original poster and advertising art, and behind-the-scenes videos with the games' creators. [Nov 2004, p.85]

What The Pinball Arcade set out to do - lovingly and accurately re-create true genre classics - it does very well, and pinball purists won't be disappointed.

So sure, Lips doesn't offer the challenge of other music games, but the presentation is incredibly slick. [Feb 2009, p.81]

Definitely worth at least a rental, Shattered Dimensions has its charms: quality writing and voice-acting, inventive set pieces, and, yup, four different Spider-Men.

Packs each and every turn with extreme imagery and wickedly macabre imagination. [Apr 2010, p.82]

Though it deftly combines action, strategy, and resource management, Godfather II simply never evolves. [May 2009, p.74]

The game's mission objectives shouldn't be this frustrating, but much of that aggravation washes away when your limping, cracked-visor, ammo-depleted mech fires off a miracle shot to live another day. War has never been this intense, and you should try to take part.

Driver: San Francisco hasn't got much in the way of cutting-edge visual pizzazz or precision physics, but it gets enough online mileage out of the body-snatching gimmick to make up for some offline disappointments.

Sliders compensates with stupid-fun multiplayer. [June 2009, p.75]

It's all mildly entertaining but utterly disposable. [Apr 2010, p.86]

Played out against a great backbeat with tracks from San Quinn, Turf Talk, and Rhymefest, And 1 reminds us that basketball isn't just a game; it's a way of life. [Aug 2006, p.78]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Even with some less-than-thrilling scenarios and its failure to reward player choice, Sleeping Dogs ultimately delivers a very good open-world action experience. It hits enough high notes to warrant the trip to Hong Kong, even if the route there feels a little too familiar. [Oct 2012, p.64]

It's a solid package, but we have some gripes: ship movement often feels slightly oversensitive, and it's sometimes difficult to tell why you took damage, especially if the environment isn't clear on what is and isn't a hazard. Dropping powerups when you take damage is also incredibly irritating, as you'll likely take more hits struggling to retrieve them.

The rough edges of 11-year-old game design will keep you from losing yourself in the experience, but there's more than enough substance to make this acclaimed adventure from another age worth a fresh look. [Nov 2011, p.85]

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]

NFL Tour doesn’t go to cartoonish extremes, and its self-imposed limitations send some long-term potential off the field on a stretcher, but the smooth play and slick presentation keep it a worthwhile sport.

Technical problems aside, The Raven’s three chapters are charming and sincere, with a knack for breezy puzzles, punchy dialog, and memorable characters.