As long as you're willing to explore the city's nooks and crannies, drive offensively, and take a hell of a lot of risks, you'll find it supremely rewarding. [Feb 2008, p.70]

The two-player co-op game makes for mild (offline) fun, but the too-short music loops will drive you crazy and your teeth will hurt from the sugar content. The game’s biggest sin? These Bunnies are boring.

While you'll miss the novelty of a glowing blue joystick and an analog spinner, setting the controls to "Absolute Aim" (preset C or D) gives you enough precision to do battle on the Game Grid. [July 2007, p.79]

Playing with a buddy in same-screen co-op is your best bet to enjoyably sate your shooter lust. [Holiday 2007, p.70]

Though the combat grows repetitive, the game manages to look lovely while you slap around your foes. If you’re a fan of large-scale battle games à la Dynasty Warriors but prefer to play solely as one character, Circle of Doom makes for a great after-holiday snack.

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.

Jump on Live for a two-player co-op romp and let the old-school arcade love flow freely like so many unspent quarters. [Mar 2008, p.91]

While both adults and children might enjoy the silliness, the simple hop-and-bop mechanics grow old immediately, and the camera's a mess. [Mar 2008, p.92]

The fast pace, aged artifacts, and new online multiplayer functionality might make Sensible worth a peek for the curious, but only the truly devoted will even consider purchasing it. [Feb 2008, p.80]

Only hardcore retro addicts should drop the five bucks. [Nov 2007, p.94]

Our advice: just save your money and pop in your old copy of "Unleashed". [Jan 2008, p.64]

The frenzied pace makes for a pleasant enough co-op diversion, but it's also one that's devoid of meaning or longevity. [Feb 2008, p.79]

GripShift includes a ton of new tracks and a brand-new deathmatch mode--which lets you face off against your pals on Xbox Live--but this game isn't worth the points. [Jan 2008, p.65]

The online quickplay is pretty slick and there's even(gulp)online leagues, which will give this baller more legs than the normal yearly update that NCAA hoops games often are. [Jan 2008, p.67]

There's no reason to play The Golden Compass unless the movie or book absolutely monopolizes your imagination. [Jan 2008, p.62]

When a game's only achievement is that it's a better World War II shooter than "Hour of Victory"--and just barely--it's time to pack it up and just go home. [Feb 2008, p.79]

For DDR newcomers, then, Universe 2 is the complete and definitive package. Longtime fans, on the other hand, will be left wondering how so little extra content can justify so full a price tag.

You can also play with the old graphics and relive that '80s charm. [Oct 2007, p.74]

Spend your 800 Points with a smile, and dive deep. [Oct 2007, p.70]

Personally, it's the best game I've ever played, but even if you're not a hardcore sci-fi nerd like me, Mass Effect is a transcendent experience, the new standard-setter for what a game can be. You have to play it, and that's why we're kinda jealous of you. Even if you memorized all the previews and trailers, you're not ready for how awesome this game is. [Holiday 2007, p.58]

Rock Band is the ultimate role-playing game - the only way to win is to completely commit as a guitarist, bassist, drummer, or singer and do your part for the fellowship of meta-musicians sharing the virtual stage. And if you can lower your shield of shyness to let the game in, you're richly rewarded as the collective joy of making music pours back out. Unlike other games, the Rock Band payoff isn't visceral or technical; it's emotional. [Holiday 2007, p.34]

If you're a veteran player, you're probably already grinding away at the new jobs. But for those of us who are sitting on the fence, there's enough here to make the jump worthwhile. [Feb 2008, p.77]

For our basketball dollars, pound for pound College Hoops 2K8 is the sure-fire way to tip off the '08 season. [Jan 2008, p.67]

If you played last year's "Avatar: The Last Airbender", you'll know pretty much what to expect from this sequel, although this time around the game looks cleaner, offers new combos, and has a larger list of characters, including Appa, Jet, Toph, Zuko, and Uncle Iroh. [Holiday 2007, p.82]

ProStreet might feel a bit thin without the open world and impulsive attitude of "Most Wanted", but it's still and exciting distillation that adeptly mixes arcade pleasure with realism for an absorbing day at the races. [Holiday 2007, p.72]

It's simply too tedious to work as either a game or as propaganda. [Holiday 2007, p.78]

Local co-op play requires constant communication and generates some small excitement, but isn't enough to make Shrek-n-Roll more than an overpriced novelty. [Jan 2008, p.69]

With better tuning, this could be a much more fun game. As it is, we'd strongly advise you to check out the game's finicky controls for yourself in the demo before you commit. [Jan 2008, p.66]