Fortunately, these stumbles won't keep you from enjoying most of Carnival's offerings, especially if you play it with friends. [June 2011, p.83]

As long as you possess ample patience and an abiding affection for mental gymnastics, you’ll still emerge with a smile on your dial.

It seems content to merely bridge the gap between the quirky RPG charm of "Episode 1" and whatever's next without even getting out of the car to stretch a bit. [Dec 2008, p.72]

Even if you couldn't care less how efficiently you put hundreds of drug-dealing scumbags to rest, you may well be surprised by how enjoyable a bit of this disposable ultraviolence can be.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

From its quirky mechanical enemies to its strident strains of deliciously lo-fi music, this run-and-gun platformer honors the 8-bit era.

The Simpsons Game is wittty and well-written, and it intelligently plays into the nerdy sensibilities of gamers; really, only the by-the-numbers gameplay sometimes comes up short. [Holiday 2007, p.68]

Still, this is a smartly executed return to the kind of gameplay that made Castlevania great, and we'd love to see it grow into something more. [Jan 2014, p.85]

Fortunately you can also go online and play against humans in what is definitely one of the Xbox's better poker offerings. [Holiday 2005, p.73]

Following the action and its muddle of player bodies is the only real issue, and a tighter, less far-flung camera could have fixed it. [Apr 2006, p.77]

For longtime gamers and those who can stomach the blocky graphics and touchy controls, it's great retro fun. [Dec 2007, p.78]

The recurring annoyances that result don't bleed all the joy from clobbering, but they do keep this third-person action game from devel¬oping a more natural flow and better exploiting its gruesome graphic-novel aesthetics. Luckily, such issues are diminished when you try to chop down massive bosses inspired by Celtic mythology.

Though the inclusion of sometimes mind-numbing "climb the tower" segments in Story Mode, as well as occasional enemy AI that ranges from stupid to cheap, keep it from mass-scale beat-'em-up greatness, Samurai Warriors satisfies an appetite for destruction in a way that few other games can. [Aug 2004, p.80]

Destruction is simply more fun than obsessive tuning, assuming you've got a few screws loose to start with. [Nov 2007, p.84]

100% exact port of a stellar series. [Aug 2009, p.74]

Great aesthetics and monster designs. [Feb 2010, p.85]

Sure the graphics are dated, but the game is just as fun--and frustrating obtuse!--to play as it was then. [Nov 2007, p.94]

For all the unique thrills and spectacle the series still delivers, Forgotten Sands never quite reaches the dizzying heights you want it to. [July 2010, p.78]

It’s not the most standout piece of work in Xbox One’s launch lineup, nor does it pull off any amazing technical tricks — but it’s a fun, cheap ride busting at the gills with an absurd amount of charm.

Stoked is priced at a sweet $40. So even if a tricks-splosion isn't your personal boarding nirvana, there's enough great stuff in this game that you'd be crazy not to check it out. [Mar 2009, p.82]

The new Killer Instinct succeeds at stoking nostalgic fires while updating the action. However, a piecemeal season-based approach means that the initial incarnation is extremely light on content, revealing a fighter that’s as packed with vibrant combos as it is unfulfilled promise.

If only the title had been given a full HD makeover instead of sticking with its decade-old graphics, more players would've been turned on to this lost gem. [Oct 2009, p.82]

With WWE 2K14’s comprehensive roster and WrestleMania fan service, it’s hard not to find something to dig your teeth into à la George “The Animal” Steele on a turnbuckle. Still, we’ve seen the series tell better stories and work better between the ropes, making it tough not to notice the flaws in what might be the last dedicated current-gen match.

But it's certainly easier to grit your teeth through some frustration when almost every level has an intriguing new wrinkle.

Between the stages' constantly changing art style, the strange story, the unforgettable cast, and the novel take on action combat, this game is definitely worth checking out for people seeking something new. [Sept 2011, p.74]

Still, the big missions get a bit too big by the end, especially when you keep thinking you're going to fight the last guy, only to be forced to endure one tedius jumping puzzle after the next. [Jun 2006, p.83]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Sure NCAA is prettier on 360 (the stadiums and crowd atmosphere are particularly sweet), and hey, we love racking up Achievements as much as you do, but the vastly deeper Xbox 1 version (OXM score: 90) is really the only serious option. [Sept 2006, p.81]