Dr. Muto's creativity, long length, and variety make it a good effort. [Jan 2003, p.78]

Lips: Number One Hits certainly isn't a full-fledged sequel to Microsoft's singing debut, nor does it come across as a quick cash-in with new songs. [Holiday 2009, p.83]

Mortal Kombat is finally in the Arcade--too bad it's in the form of Ultimate MK3. [Jan. 2007, p.75]

NCAA Basketball 09 is a serviceable showcase for basic hoops traits, but without a flagship feature to lead it, it fels more like a pro-flavored tilt without a few of the raw ingredients that make the collegiate sport special. [Jan 2009, p.76]

All told, the online component has all the right ingredients, and it manages to mix them into a mighty tasty meal. Multiplayer rescues the abrupt campaign from a rent-it-and-forget-it fate, although we can't help but be left a bit disappointed.

A game of great ideas that aren't executed a well as they should be. [Feb 2006, p.76]

This is a game for those who want what Crash has always had to offer – good graphics, jump-and-spin gameplay, and tons of collectible items. Nothing more, nothing less. [Apr 2002, p.74]

If you wish your home had room for a pinball table, put this in your collection. [Feb 2005, p.80]

I love how it combines hard training and unapologetic difficulty with the real-life personalities who serve as your trainers: much like the gymnastics coaches who saw me through days of torn palms and taped shins, this tough-love attitude kept me focused and on track.

The overall package could stand to be more robust, but thanks to Mayday, Devastation still packs a punch. [July 2014, p.77]

If you don't know what a BunGun is already, then Were-Rabbit is best left to the big screen rather than the small. [Holiday 2005, p.68]

While CellFactor is more fun with real humans, it never feels like it'll lure you away from other shooters. [Apr 2009, p.75]

Weaving a complicated tale of murder, industrial espionage, and corporate corruption, its story doesn't always make sense, but it sure is exciting.

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]

Watching friends take a club in the teeth while you rack up a nine-kill-combo is immensely satisfying. [Feb 2010, p.85]

While Pariah tastes fine and won't leave you gagging, it's doubtful you'll be hankering for seconds, either. [June 2005, p.84]

Seeing how the genre has evolved from VF2 is fascinating, but those new to fighting games might find this history lesson a little tougher to enjoy.

Quality standards may have been different a year or two ago, but as a "new release" today, Yager ultimately crashes and burns as a poor "Crimson Skies" imitator. [Nov 2004, p.74]

If you can grab a buddy, you can pass some time in it, but don't expect too much. [Jan 2011, p.78]

Trust us: you won't be worried about the game's shortcomings when you're racking your brain trying to remember the specifics of a scene starring Forrest Gump's momma.

Hopefully, we'll see more expansions like UEFA Euro 2012 in future sports games - they do have the potential to really revitalize the game. But with half-finished rosters, missing features, and a solid-but-not-amazing world tour–style mode, this add-on never fires us up the way the original game did.

Numbers aside, though, the game's old-style simplicity is both charming and, well, kinda boring. Some barely smoothed visuals are the only real upgrade here, so what you get is pretty much the original arcade game.

A decent "Max Payne" clone whose gimmicky kills eventually wear off and yield to the mediocre gameplay. They're on the right track, though. [Feb 2005, p.81]

Drop-in/drop-out couch co-op adds an extra level of value to this extremely affordable game; overall, World Gone Sour is a fairly satisfying, calorie-free way to get a Sour Patch fix.

Addictive, but the gameplay and tired humor makes this series a knuckle dragging Cro-Magnon compared to the telekinetic flying super-ape it should've been. [Dec 2005, p.112]

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

It's tasty and filling, but hardly haute cuisine. [Feb 2003, p.75]

The following is the biggest qualifying statement we've ever made: Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers is a great game, but you will hate it by the time you make it to the end, if you make it at all. [Apr 2006, p.84]