It's hard to fathom how a game that speaks through elementary text, not voice, with characters that look like the once I drew on my Trapper Keeper in fifth grade (barking such eloquent lines as "Link, did you defeat that giant stone eye-thing?), can still hold me captive. But, somehow, it does. [Aug 2004, p.55]

When compared to its crossover cousin, "Spyro Orange," Crash Purple is clearly a superior game...It still feels cheap, but it's much easier to stomach. [June 2004, p.72]

Instead of proceeding to that final stage, I was told to backtrack through the entire game, beat every minigame two more times, and then trudge all the way back. Sorry, but that's not fun - that's lazy desing and artifical lengthening through tedious repetition. [June 2004, p.72]

Ironically, some of the most enjoyable levels were the sub-missions, where just your heroes and a small band of troops must crawl through monster-infested caverns. [July 2004, p.75]

This shooter is absolutey brilliant, literally offering a layer of depth rarely seen in this genre. [Aug 2004, p.61]

The custom course editor is still a highlight, and better yet, now you can even save your courses. [Aug 2004, p.61]

Still infinitely playable and impeccably designed. [Aug 2004, p.61]

More than any other game in the Classic NES series, The Legend of Zelda is just as good now as it was back in the '80s. [Aug 2004, p.61]

Due to adjustments made to the diagnosis, vertical movement is often an exercise in frustration. [Aug 2004, p.61]

A drop-dead gorgous game. If eye candy had calories, this game would make you fat...And then I beat it in four hours. Cue the crickets. [May 2004, p.44]

I only wish they didn't vocally prod you to death to such a mind numbing degree. [July 2004, p.73]

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

This game is everything FPS and movie games need to be, chewing up and spitting out the vast majority of the competition. [July 2004, p.68]

Hits all the right notes with the same simple stay-alive-power-up-kick-ass formula that always brings me back for more. [July 2004, p.73]

This is a case where the synergy between compelling gameplay and environment design, enabled by great technology, is too important to compromise. [July 2004, p.74]

With hundreds of items and RPG-like stat-tracking, side-scrolling beat-'em-ups just don't get any deeper than this. And with tons of options and new features like CPU allies, this version is even better than the endearing original. [June 2004, p.73]

The way the AI reacts to your specific presence is eerily keen. [Aug 2004, p.56]

A fresh take on an old premise that's impossible to put down, filled with old friends (Shy Guys, Boos, Ram-Rams, Monchees...), crisp, vivid graphics and sound, and osme yummy cinemas. [July 2004, p.71]

While better level design and improved pacing could have made Transformers even better, what's here is nothing if not enjoyable, and the unlockable bonus features are especially nice. [June 2004, p.55]

The targeting system, offensive and defensive balance and especially the design are all surprisingly adept, as is the integrated story, about nomadic Earthlings on the run from alien hordes. [June 2004, p.61]

The targeting system, offensive and defensive balance and especially the design are all surprisingly adept, as is the integrated story, about nomadic Earthlings on the run from alien hordes. [June 2004, p.61]

Graduating from story mode into Grand Battle, you can lost yourself in the game's meticulous art of fighting if you so desire, via a level of give-and-take that knows no bounds (this game could last you months.) [July 2004, p.73]

The targeting system, offensive and defensive balance and especially the design are all surprisingly adept, as is the integrated story, about nomadic Earthlings on the run from alien hordes. [June 2004, p.61]

The developers deserve credit for tons of on-screen foes, good aesthetics and a nice, high frame rate, but for me, the gameplay grows too stale too fast. [May 2004, p.56]

This is a repetitious, laborious adventure, riddled with poor character models (what they've done to Kate Beckinsale is a crime...that hair!), shoddy collision and sub-par animation. [July 2004, p.73]

This is a repetitious, laborious adventure, riddled with poor character models (what they've done to Kate Beckinsale is a crime...that hair!), shoddy collision and sub-par animation. [July 2004, p.73]

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]

The story centers on wall-to-wall teenage girls of the squeaky kind, but La Pucelle certainly delivers as advertised. [June 2004, p.61]

It's astonishingly detailed, wicked fun and the music streams non-stop to drive it all home. [June 2004, p.61]

Seldom have I been so invested in an overal premise; and what beter than a down-and-dirty Western? [June 2004, p.54]

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

Seldom have I been so invested in an overal premise; and what beter than a down-and-dirty Western? [June 2004, p.54]

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

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

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

Even if you only play CoH for the duration of the first free month, it's well worth the purchase. Chances are you'll be sticking around, though. [July 2004, p.75]

A classically charged action game. [July 2004, p.73]

A lack of variety hurts in the end, and while the visual style is enjoyably simple and nicely handled within its constraints, you start to want more meat on the bones. [May 2004, p.56]

It takes patience and tremendous dedication to learning new ways to draw on instinct for progression. Even when it's not all clicking, Siren's a rare breed of new imagination. [May 2004, p.48]

It's a shame he's such a one-dimensional character, wasting an exceptional opportunity for a compelling psychological backdrop to join the pervasively strong imagery. [June 2004, p.56]

It's a shame he's such a one-dimensional character, wasting an exceptional opportunity for a compelling psychological backdrop to join the pervasively strong imagery. [June 2004, p.56]

Even though the 20+ songs are all good for dancing, Groove only feels like a fraction of a complete game. [May 2004, p.56]

The gameplay that's presented is fun, especially with the variety of weapons and upgradeable skills, and the ability to play with four players is much appreciated, but I really wish they'd added more depth and diversity to the experience. [Dec 2003, p.97]

It's a shame he's such a one-dimensional character, wasting an exceptional opportunity for a compelling psychological backdrop to join the pervasively strong imagery. [June 2004, p.56]

While World Tour Soccer 2005 may not play better than "Winning Eleven 7," it's certainly a nice alternative to EA's "FIFA." [June 2004, p.71]

The striking image quality of this absolutely gorgeous pastiche of tainted purgatory is a big factor in Painkiller's appeal. [June 2004, p.66]

A lack of variety hurts in the end, and while the visual style is enjoyably simple and nicely handled within its constraints, you start to want more meat on the bones. [May 2004, p.56]

Franchise mode is by far the deepest of any baseball game out there - including"MVP." [Apr 2004, p.73]

A gorgeous game, painstakingly detailed and lit, and the deeper you go, the better it gets. [May 2004, p.52]

It's rather disappointing how little this game has changed compared to its handheld cousin - all the minigames are identical to the GBA version, right down to the graphics and sound. [May 2004, p.55]

Phatty houses, cars, jewelry...women - if you've seen it on MTV Cribs, you're going to see it here. [May 2004, p.68]

But what's truly astounding about Fight Night is the damage inflicted on the Boxers...Using state-of-the-art facial mo-caps, players will see a boxer's face bruise, swell and get cut during fights. [Apr 2004, p.72]

But what's truly astounding about Fight Night is the damage inflicted on the Boxers...Using state-of-the-art facial mo-caps, players will see a boxer's face bruise, swell and get cut during fights. [Apr 2004, p.72]

Phatty houses, cars, jewelry...women - if you've seen it on MTV Cribs, you're going to see it here. [May 2004, p.68]

The physics on the cars are kept too simple and there's too much of a reliance on power-ups, but go online and the energy level doubles. [May 2004, p.56]

A lot of what you can do in this game - help the injured, trade items, interact more with the environment, use weapons in more unique ways, like boarding up doors with a nail gun - is more fantastic idea than really effective execution. [May 2004, p.50]

It's all carefully honed and balanced...and, furthermore, harnessed by elegant controls that are adaptable for any combat situation. [Apr 2004, p.58]

As pretty and nice as the surface is, the gameplay beneath is surprisingly shallow. [Apr 2004, p.60]

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]

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]

I can honestly say that I have logged more hours playing Final Fantasy XI than any other game in my life. [May 2004, p.46]

The game consistently looks and sounds incredible. [May 2004, p.60]

The epitome of a solid game: smooth engine, well-balanced gameplay, slick interface...My only real problem with the game is the amount of backtracking involved. [Mar 2004, p.59]

Digging into the online experience can take hours, simply becoming accustomed to the deep strategy of play, which sizzles in the three modes pitting spies against mercenaries. [Apr 2004, p.53]

Franchise mode is by far the deepest of any baseball game out there - including"MVP." [Apr 2004, p.73]

Animations are silky smooth and the over 3,500 personalized animations put the realism over the top. [Apr 2004, p.73]

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]

Exceptionally well produced - almost seamless segueing in and out of spoken dialogue and story breaks - and has a strong script brought to life by seasoned anime and voice-over professionals. [Apr 2004, p.64]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

Just like in real life, the Corvettes on display possess wicked oversteer and, adding insult to injury, grace some of the most lackluster course designs I've ever traversed while good-'ol-boy rock and swanky sax music crackles in the background. [June 2004, p.61]

Very creative bosses and a worthwhile back story make Firefighter well worth checking out for anyone with the slightest interest in teh premise. [Apr 2004, p.64]

With a revamped Dynasty mode, a new batting system, and my favorite feature, Big Play Control, MVP Baseball 2004 is the complete package. [Apr 2004, p.73]

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

With a revamped Dynasty mode, a new batting system, and my favorite feature, Big Play Control, MVP Baseball 2004 is the complete package. [Apr 2004, p.73]

It's too bad that The Twin Snakes isn't the perfect update of MGS it could have been, but this game is still packed with quality, providing a great experience to MGS rookes and Fox Hound veterans alike. [Mar 2004, p.54]

With a revamped Dynasty mode, a new batting system, and my favorite feature, Big Play Control, MVP Baseball 2004 is the complete package. [Apr 2004, p.73]

The best game ever launched at $19.99? Most assuredly. [Apr 2004, p.63]

I suppose MMBCC pulls off the light strategy it's attempting well enough, but I'm afraid that doesn't make it any more fun to play. [Jan 2004, p.76]

There's a cartoon approach to the combat and presentation that kind of works at first, but again, it all comes to a halt once the old-school charm wears thin. [Dec 2003, p.83]

Where Left Field shine, and do they ever shine, is in course design, AI and control. MTX is a gas to see and play. [Mar 2004, p.66]

The voice recognition just isn't up to par - it's frustrating during exploration and infuriating during battle. I often found myself begging to just be playing wiht a standard controller interface. [Mar 2004, p.59]

The main problem with the game is that it gets old really fast. [Apr 2004, p.64]

Mystery Mayhem offers ex-stoners and kids of all ages a multi-episode mystery for the ages by pretty much reinventing the old Genesis "Ghosbusters" in 3D, only with all the extra refinements 3D affords. [Mar 2004, p.59]

What Team Ninja have achieved is no less than a modern miracle, a game that somehow conjures the same stickiness and addictive spirit as its 8-bit juggernaut. Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox is, quite simply, a perfect video game. [Apr 2004, p.53; Grade = A+]

Where Left Field shine, and do they ever shine, is in course design, AI and control. MTX is a gas to see and play. [Mar 2004, p.66]

I love the way it advances the story and expands on the world of PSO, and I love the card battling itself. It's basically a strategy game with the tension and excitement of a good poker hand. [Mar 2004, p.58]

Carve's saving grace is its online, multiplayer, handset-compatible, team-based play. [May 2004, p.56]

A free-form action-adventure spilling over with platforming goodness, depth and originality. [Apr 2004, p.61]

The challenge can be steep. Running and gunning without taking cover and finding calculated ways of clearing a path is death. [Mar 2004, p.52]

Tearing a page from their old Motocross Madness tome, they've inserted a beefy mission-based free-roamer into the mix, allowing you to essentially go f'ing bananas between venues. [Mar 2004, p.69]

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]

Without a doubt, the most definitive soccer game ever released. [Mar 2004, p.70]

The challenge can be steep. Running and gunning without taking cover and finding calculated ways of clearing a path is death. [Mar 2004, p.52]

Tearing a page from their old Motocross Madness tome, they've inserted a beefy mission-based free-roamer into the mix, allowing you to essentially go f'ing bananas between venues. [Mar 2004, p.69]