Strania isn't horrible, but its garden-variety blasting is too many light years away from memorable. [July 2011, p.77]

This three-player scrolling shooter has that old-school, spray-and-slay mojo that your inner rageaholic craves. [July 2008, p.62]

It's truly a surreal (and kind of sleazy) videogame experience to be watching a scantily-clad, silicone-enhanced woman gyrating on-screen as a reward for your racing skills. [Oct 2004, p.82]

If more attention was paid to the actual mutant -fueled action, it could have been a heck of a lot of scary fun. Instead, it hardly elicits a goose bump. [June 2005, p.81]

The game is one long rush that comes from plotting against a worthy adversary. Lost Cities absolutely nails the right combo of gambling and card-counting skill and counts as Live Arcade’s latest gem.

With clunky controls and no real deterrent from dying--for a Game Over, you simply lose all the points gained so far in the current level--Shred Nebula seems a bit too easy. [Dec 2008, p.73]

The entire career mode can be beaten in a single sitting, and the AI offers little or no threat from its racing skills or its use of the game's fifteen weapons. [Dec 2003, p.160]

The game is solidly entertaining, especially when four competitive players get to whacking each other, racing for powerups, and tossing each other off ledges.

Exactly the kind of experience we were hoping to play in this game... too bad we only got to watch it. [Aug 2003, p.79]

The absurdly named 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures takes the "sport" to extremes that should delight the kid in everyone. [Apr 2007, p.87]

Even though the visuals look just past their sell-by dates and the game stubbornly refuses to truly distinguish itself from the rest of the series, there's no denying that it's gameplay formula still works. [Nov 2005, p.114]

Though we question these changes to the tried-and-true gameplay, the majority of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD works as well as (or better than) the originals did when they first captivated us nearly 15 years ago. This update isn't all it could have been, but it's the best take on those early games we've had yet.

Throw in groan-inducing power-ups and uninspired graphics, and you'll be bored before the weekend's up. [Feb 2006, p.79]

The price is also particularly cringe-inducing: $15 for a product with precisely one game mode(quick play)? Yikes! [Jan 2010, p.69]

TMNT 1989 has its share of problems...Nevertheless, the game remains a solid thrill. [June 2007, p.76]

Skip all that and go straight to the Facts & Friends mode, a madcap battle where you share one wheel and take turns competing for wedges. It’s too complicated to fully explain here, but there’s betting, mini-games, cool power-ups, and a duel-to-the death finish. It essentially modernizes Trivial Pursuit in an ingenious way, and it’s really the only reason to spend an excessive $40 for this game now, instead of waiting for the inevitable Xbox Live Arcade version.

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.

With 30 tracks and only a few dance locations, The Black Eyed Peas Experience feels lightweight compared to the similarly priced Dance Central 2, plus it's not breaking much ground. But once the beat dropped, we couldn't help but dance like fools and have a lot of fun. And damn if those songs aren't catchy.

The biggest problem is that (with very, very rare exceptions) you can only save at the end of a level...Imagine "Halo" without a recharging shield or checkpoints, and you'll start to get the idea. [Sept 2002, p.94]

Dedicated fans of punishing classics like Mega Man might’ve relished the sense of accomplishment, but even they’ll grow tired of the drudgery, despite some tense boss battles against huge machines.

Gearbox piles on the wit and humor more thoroughly than it has with its other holiday-themed DLC, but the lack of Valentine's Day-themed environs leaves it feeling too much like the base game. [May 2014, p.77]

Stick with "Smash Tv" for similiar action with more thrills and better co-op play. [Jun 2006, p.64]

Obvious problems (the shaky camera, poor targeting system, and inconsistent frame rate) match up with sheer annoyances (the 25-second-long, unskippable death sequences) to degrade the expectedly repetitive experience, but that’s not all that stuck in our craw. Capping the enjoyable online co-op at just two players (with no local play) seems ludicrous in this day and age; even PSO was rocking four players on a 56K connection in 2001!

Like Dawn, Contrast sometimes misses the leaps it strives to make, but when its simple, quiet story and uncomplicated platforming perform in balance, it transforms into a beautiful indie experience that manages to stand on its own. [Feb 2014, p.71]

Eutechnyx's third kick at the NASCAR can keeps hitting singleplayer and multiplayer speed bumps that diminish the overall racing experience. [June 2014, p.81]

Newcomers will find its plodding pace and lifeless visuals tedious, but old-school tacticians will happily breathe vintage moon dust for days. [Holiday 2009, p.81]

Three deal-breakers emerge in this weak pool game. [Jun 2006, p.62]

It's one of the brighter spots in this somewhat patchy DLC set, but serious online players needn't shrug off a welcome injection of variety. [April 2014, p.73]