Pacing becomes an issue too, as you see a conveniently placed line of goodies on the ground that can literally take a minute to retrieve as you sigh, watching the animation. Same goes for opening doors. [Apr 2004, p.59]

I'd still kill for a lock-on or strafe but one out of two isn't bad--especially given the quality of the acting and story arcs Untold has on tap. [Apr 2006, p.73]

What I liked most abou this title was how it managed to improve the already perfect control system from the original - especially with respect to Style Moves. [Feb 2005, p.79]

As digital comics go, I had a lot of fun with Miami Law. Though it's a little rough around the edges at times and could have been longer, it has a lot going for it and doesn't let up once the story kicks into gear.

A mostly successful game that feels like it's simply bored of its own existence. [Aug 2005, p.47]

Whether you've seen the movie or not or love or loathe the sweet smell of Lucha; you must do the honorable thing and feed your NDS this spicy burrito. [Nov. 2006, p.102]

Whether you live to jump or not, if you can stifle your inner graphics goblin long enough to get a sense of what Brave has to offer, you might be surprised at just how engaging a well-polished PS2 port can be on 360. If only there could have been a 360 or PS3 version, Brave might have soared considerably higher.

Borrowing some of the better elements from other games in the genre, Fossil Fighters manages to make it all fit together like T-Rex skeleton on display at the museum. Only with the game, you're encouraged to play with the exhibits.

Gameplay in NFL Street is fast and furious and, at times, unrelenting. [Mar 2004, p.70]

To say Ty 2 is big would be an understatement. Krome has Super Sized it, spreading their funky animal kingdom as far and wide as the outback itself. [Dec 2004, p.81]

To say Ty 2 is big would be an understatement. Krome has Super Sized it, spreading their funky animal kingdom as far and wide as the outback itself. [Dec 2004, p.81]

Why risk changing an already perfect passing sytem? I guess when you're the only game in town, you can do what you want. [Oct 2005]

Jagged Alliance marks the beginning of a new renaissance of turn-based modern warfare, then I will be the happiest gamer in the world. Militaires Sans Frontieres!

Beyond the titillating visuals, Rumble Roses also packs a punch in the gameplay department. [Jan 2005, p.82]

One-on-one combat truly doesn't work here, but Unreal Championship 2 seems to delight in replaying this unpalatable scenario time and again - with each new stage requiring more kills, more wandering, more exposure to the incessant narrator's bleating until Unreal's reality bites becomes the great truth of the day. [Apr 2005, p.56]

While playing B2 on PS2 makes you appreciate the Xbox version all the more, by PS2 standards, TR has done a great job of cramming it into the PS2 shell. [Dec 2004, p.81]

The visuals have their respective platforms humming at their storybook best. [July 2004, p.72]

There's no better fodder for the boneheaded premise of old-school RE... than the high school slasher flick, and ObsCure serves it up right. [May 2005, p.50]

The game can be thrilling, poorly executed, compelling, expertly crafted and everything in between. [Apr 2004, p.54]

The presentation is handled so well that you end up disregarding how ultimately arbitrary the setup can be. [Aug 2004, p.58]

Additional story elements and their accompanying stages mesh very nicely into the movie framework as well. [May 2005, p.69]

Unlike "Yoshi's Touch and Go" and "Kirby: Canvas Curse," I found myself growing tired of moving Pac-Man along in this fashion. Maybe I'm just lazy. [Sept 2005, p.62]

If you’re cool with just the DLR years and you can hang with the weird faces Dance the Night Away, but if you’re looking for a comprehensive VH compilation and accurate portrayals you might as well Jump, back into GH5.

The interface has been vastly improved over the original "Treasures", but unfortunately the bonus interviews suffer from unintelligible audio. [Nov 2004, p.75]

The beauty is in the execution. They've elevated the experience with better production values and a more integrated story, a seemingly simple tweak that goes a long way in a genre plagued by repetition. [Oct 2003, p.69]

Would the game have succeeded on a much higher level had the focus been placed completely on either a one-player campaign or just the multiplayer? In the end, I feel like the experience was diluted for unnecessary reasons, with the game appearing to walk the fence, trying to offer a compelling foundation spread across two different modes of play. [May 2004, p.51]

Spy Fiction is meant to be fun rather than realistic, but there's a line between playful and head-scratchingly ridiculous. Oh well, at least the flashback aspect of the story works. [Sept 2004, p.64]

It’s hard to go wrong with a formula that was already well built to start with. Mario VS. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! is a welcome addition to the DSiWare store with a nearly endless supply of puzzles.

I really like the look of the game, with its rich color palette and vivid lighting, and the presentation is top-notch. [July 2005, p.79]

I'm certain there's a niche that will appreciate KD's low-key visuals, warped sense of humor and slightly Monkey Ball-ish gameplay. [Oct 2004, p.76]

This is a game for tinkerers, where what you purchase and equip is every bit as important as how well you play. [Mar 2007, p.62]

With the bump mapping, dynamic shadows and water reflections swtiched on, it's a step beyond console well worth investigating. [Nov 2003, p.94]

Like the show it's capably siphoned from, 24: The Game rides on a breathless urgency, folding its events around a condensed 24-hour hunt for terrorists. [Mar 2006, p.41]

For people new to the game, or those only with arcade experience, this will be a great home version. [Apr 2006, p.62]

Relentlessly entertaining, finely crafted and smartly engaging. [Oct 2003, p.73]

The speeds are insane, the courses almost incomprehensible and the immersion factor deep, provided you have patience and surgical analog skills. [Oct 2003, p.72]

Things start off a little dodgy, but in the end this is a fitting game for a film that has so very much to live up to. [Dec 2005, p.64]

AH is a manic, rock-hard, 2D assault on your motor skills that may lack the polish of the best of this mighty genre, but gets a pass for being the coolest homegrown game ever. [Nov 2004, p.75]

You can only take so much away from FLOW before the effect wears off, but until then, it's a treat that hopefully will inspire more for the future. [Apr 2007, p.47]

There's no better fodder for the boneheaded premise of old-school RE... than the high school slasher flick, and ObsCure serves it up right. [May 2005, p.50]

Granted, the game can be horribly frustrating and it's still constrained by the fairly simple nature of pinball, but Flipnic sets a new standard nonetheless. [July 2005, p.78]

Exactly the game I wanted, delivered right when I needed it most...a great time with a great character in a great genre - plug and play, instant fun. [Apr 2004, p.56]

The visuals have their respective platforms humming at their storybook best. [July 2004, p.72]

Though some may be turned off by just how much of a dungeon crawler the PSP version of Dungeon Explorer ended up being, those willing to hike up their boots and wade into the game's darks depths will be well rewarded. [Mar 2008, p.66]

It's a great little free game and a good excuse to try out the GBA link. [Feb 2004, p.47]

The control is simple yet fun and the tracks, consistently impressive. [Aug 2003, p.75]

The visuals have their respective platforms humming at their storybook best. [July 2004, p.72]

If you’re cool with just the DLR years and you can hang with the weird faces Dance the Night Away, but if you’re looking for a comprehensive VH compilation and accurate portrayals you might as well Jump, back into GH5.

I haven't enjoyed a hockey game this much in a long time (it's just cheaper on the original Xbox). [Jan 2006, p.48]

There's an aura of nobility, barbarism and mysticism at work here that places you in the world and makes you care about the characters, and that's what it's all about. [Nov 2003, p.72]

Look past some simplistic visual designs and enjoy the bright, unique style the artists have worked into Whiplash and you'll find a solid game that entertains after you've had your fill with the holiday A-lists. [Jan 2004, p.66]

While it's not exactly triple-A, Alter Echo is one of the most innovative and all-around interesting action-adventures you're likely to play this year. [Oct 2003, p.73]

Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles is a game that tried very hard to do something different for the franchise, but falls a bit short in a few key areas. [Dec. 2006, p.84]

It's a prime example of the modern brand-endemic video game, focus-tested to death and then some. Whether you hold that against it or not is an individual decision. [Nov. 2006, p.83]

True to its unrefined hero, THe Bard's Tale could use a little more class, depth and sophistication. Which certainly doesn't mean they're still not entertaining company to keep. [Nov 2004, p.50]

Apoplectic shooting action that doesn't let us catch our breath till the hard-fought score is tallied up at the end of the level. [Nov 2004, p.48]

If you're new to this slick brand of futuristic racing, WipEout Pulse has the potential to really impress. [Mar 2008, p.67]

Use of certain weapons and locomotion across the map can be cumbersome, and the game just doesn't have that same pendulum energy of before in the fights. [Apr 2004, p.64]

If you’re cool with just the DLR years and you can hang with the weird faces Dance the Night Away, but if you’re looking for a comprehensive VH compilation and accurate portrayals you might as well Jump, back into GH5.

The fantastic level design, precise control and underlying weapon-swiping game theory are second to none. [Aug 2004, p.53]

It pulls you along with unwavering RPG depth through the mire of unfortunate execution blunders and it succeeds, despite itself. [Jan 2005, p.78]

Very beautiful. How disappointing, then, to learn that the entertainment factor is only mild. [Sept 2006, p.54]

So if you're looking for some bone-chilling survival horror that's a horse of a different color, tuition is only $29.99. [Apr 2008, p.63]

The controls may be simple, but the game is not. Between fighting, gunplay, stealth an dexterity challenges..., repetition is kept at bay but do-overs aren't. [Mar 2004, p.56]

Dungeons and Dragons Online will provide a nice vacation from the epic raid game and a great alternative for players that prefer regular grouping in their online RPG's. [Apr 2006, p.77]

The one area that has improved tenfold is the visuals. Running at a smooth 60 fps, the players and arenas never looked better. [Nov 2003, p.104]

The level design and enemy placement at work here are simply brilliant, and if the devil is in the details, Return From Darkness is evil to the core. [May 2004, p.54]

A dose of high-quality gaming fast food that tastes fine but leaves you wanting something that sticks. [Oct 2004, p.77]

One of the prettiest games I've ever played...With any luck, the role-playing elements in "Sudeki 2" will match the integrity of the battle system and visuals. [Sept 2004, p.67]

There's no better fodder for the boneheaded premise of old-school RE... than the high school slasher flick, and ObsCure serves it up right. [May 2005, p.50]

Together with a narrator that truly enhances the experience (making this the polar opposite of 90 percent of games with narrators), Freaky Fliers is like a comedy album, cartoon and racing-shooter, all wrapped into one tasty toon tortilla. [Aug 2003, p.70]

Some dull environments and lame voice over, as well as steep hardware requirements, might chase you away to... whiter pastures. [Jan 2005, p.76]

The game shows high points of inspiration and technical achievement, but there is a pallor of inelegance and flat artistry that too often leaves the work in the hands of the gameplay. [Sept 2003, p.76]

A fine, if not predictable, bit of movie gaming. [Jan 2006, p.49]

The engine is one of the best, and the presentation is getting there. All it needs is some depth and long-term replayability, and the series could move from contender to main-event attraction. [Oct 2003, p.81]

Control is still a tad clunky but a super fun game nevertheless. [Nov p.94]

Things start off a little dodgy, but in the end this is a fitting game for a film that has so very much to live up to. [Dec 2005, p.64]

The game is designed in such a way that it behooves the player to not just pass levels but excel at them. [Jan 2005, p.69]

If only more games attempted to create such a smart, bold place of fantasy. [Jan 2004, p.46]

Though not as slick or elegant as the classics it emulates, Dungeon Fighter Online is absolutely worth downloading, even if you only drop in for half an hour a day. The game’s cash shop items are certainly useful, but you’ll never have to spend a penny on DFO. Call a friend, smash some goblins, unlock new 2D fighting skills.

What really makes this one tick, though, is a level of creativity imbedded into each scenario that makes it impossible to put down, regardless of your maturity or lack thereof. [Nov 2003, p.80]

A wondrous adventure filled with great gameplay. [Jan 2005, p.68]

The animation is sweet, depth of faces and places deep like Def Poetry, the play mechanics are superb and the controls are nicely laid. [July 2003, p.79]

Still a blast to play, but it's not as impressive as it once was and the controls suffer (specifically, using turbo doesn't always work) due to the GBA's reduced-button setup. [Sept 2003, p.80]

A solid sci-fi themed RTS with a few really great ideas, but it lacks the extra layer of refinement that would allow it to join the upper tier. [July 2004, p.75]

The game can be thrilling, poorly executed, compelling, expertly crafted and everything in between. [Apr 2004, p.54]

Overdose looks and plays great, the anime-style cinematics reek with personality, and there's a big, meaty bonus in the form of two unlockable characters: Rocketbilly Cadillac and Kabane Juji. [Oct 2004, p.66]

Capturing images of the dead is the name of the game in Fatal Frame, but it's not as easy as it sounds. [Dec 2005, p.63]

The combination of fighting game accoutrements such as combos, psych bursts, and overdrive attacks coupled with traditional arcade action gameplay is surpisingly appealing on a portable system. [Sept 2006, p.64]

One thing I didn't expect from such a mainstream game was intense boss battles, but they're in here too. The first few are easy enough, but they're in here too. The first few are easy enough, but the last couple are a real bitch. [July 2003, p.70]

Hits the mark as a sparkling XBLA action game, but misses the target as a Super Metroid/SotN-level experience.

I narrowly recommend it for series die-hard, unless it keeps you from buying "Rush", in which case you should opt for your DS all the way. [Dec 2005, p.58]

Why risk changing an already perfect passing sytem? I guess when you're the only game in town, you can do what you want. [Oct 2005]

The most underrated of all the launch titles, Excite Truck takes some getting used to(all of the tilt style racers do)but once you're in the zone, this is an adrenaline-charged racer with a lot to offer. [Jan. 2007, p.76]

Despite its noxious flaws, the game offers great amounts of logic-based puzzle solving, intrigue, and investigation. [Dec. 2006, p.88]

Relentlessly entertaining, finely crafted and smartly engaging. [Oct 2003, p.73]

Gameplay in NFL Street is fast and furious and, at times, unrelenting. [Mar 2004, p.70]

A mostly successful game that feels like it's simply bored of its own existence. [Aug 2005, p.47]