Not a poorly constructed game at all, but more of an esoteric offering for the console gamer with exceptional patience and desire for a game that demands meticulous strategy. [Nov 2002, p.90]

A game with gorgeous models, intense combos, magic-driven action, and a cast of characters that make character selection a really tough decision. [Oct 2002, p.84]

The animation is a tad stiff, and the control takes some time to master given the state of the characters, but GGH is surprisingly addictive. [Dec 2003, p.85]

Fantastic atmosphere, setting and story will chill your bones and nerves. But spotty controls and some tedious pacing keep Cursed Mountain from reaching its full potential.

My feelings are a lot less mixed about the fact that the Anniversary project is basically just a PSP post of "Dawn of Souls" with the two games sold separately. [June 2007, p.83]

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

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]

There's more than enough here to luv for Sega fans big and small. [Apr 2008, p.64]

The enjoyment is in the details; it's just that here, the details rely on skilled understatement. [Oct 2004, p.77]

This is one club people might not want to join. [Mar 2008, p.58]

You want Bikes, ATVs, Muscle Cars, SUVs, Buggies, Trucks…they’re all in here, along with every conceivable type of race set across thousands of miles of populated ultra-realistic topography, complete with dynamic weather. And it all looks and plays spectacularly. Unless you’re looking for an authentic hard core sim, there’s no reason you shouldn’t leave right now, and even if you are, a little FUEL might just change your mind.

The game isn't perfect. For starters, the AI could've been more challenging - I was able to break it down fairly easily and score at will. [Nov 2003, p.105]

This is, simply put, a great tennis game in the vein of Tennis, where it's all about intuitive control and fun. [Oct 2003, p.83]

The intimacy, the almost Zen-like relationship with the track is not here. Even so, I would be a fool to call this game anything other than great. [Jan 2004, p.60]

Add visibly better AI, crazy new multiplayer modes, new moves, the freedom to rip your own sounds, and a 20-dollar price tag, and you've got, guns down, the single best value available for the Xbox. [May 2003, p.61]

Experiencing Haunting Ground, I felt something new and bold as much as traditional and expected from the horror genre. [May 2005, p.46]

There's an inconsistency to the overall design quality that really kept me at a distance while playing Kane & Lynch. [Dec 2007, p.75]

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

The isometric level design is once again pretty dull. [Aug 2005, p.56]

Not a poorly constructed game at all, but more of an esoteric offering for the console gamer with exceptional patience and desire for a game that demands meticulous strategy. [Nov 2002, p.90]

A stilted story of amnesia, magic, and finding the meaning of existence plague the more positive points, the highest being, once again, the entertaining battle system. [Nov 2002, p.96]

This one is designed from the ground up for Wii and it really shows. [mar 2008, p.57]

The game is far too linear. [Oct 2004, p.68]

Though the action is on the repetitive side, unique aspects help the game rise a notch above average. [Nov 2003, p.73]

The game contains bits of combat, Tomb Raider-ish puzzle solving, and environmental hazzards. [JPN Import; Mar 2003, p.63]

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]

Who knew kicking arse with a chicken (wielding a yo-yo, no less) could be so super-cool? [Nov p.93]

The intimacy, the almost Zen-like relationship with the track is not here. Even so, I would be a fool to call this game anything other than great. [Jan 2004, p.60]

With any luck Krome's overhaul will prove lucrative enough to warrant them continuing the brand, flying Spyro into next-gen skies and who knows, perhaps a veritable rebirth. [Oct. 2006, p.54]

As a slightly improved sequel to this year's car-carnage racer on Xbox 360, the Playstation 3-exclusive Full Auto 2: Battlelines looks better, plays better, feels better....just enough to please current fans of the series, yet further bore the haters. [Jan. 2007, p.64]

You want Bikes, ATVs, Muscle Cars, SUVs, Buggies, Trucks…they’re all in here, along with every conceivable type of race set across thousands of miles of populated ultra-realistic topography, complete with dynamic weather. And it all looks and plays spectacularly. Unless you’re looking for an authentic hard core sim, there’s no reason you shouldn’t leave right now, and even if you are, a little FUEL might just change your mind.

One of the richest, well-laid and detailed action games to come outu of Japan in years. [Nov 2004, p.68]

Taking out the trash, I kid you not: 30 minutes of mundane pre-scripted yawn inducing tedium. They even mark where to go to on the map. [May 2007, p.65]

Admittedly, I may be partially swayed by the HD graphics, a pair of new mini-games, and lightning-fast load times, but even though the game remains the same I found the localized familiarity of my 360 buttons slightly more appealing than the Wiimote and Nunchuk. [May 2007, p.65]

There's more than enough here to luv for Sega fans big and small. [Apr 2008, p.64]

I can't see shelling out $59.99 for such a poorly designed game unless again, you just love all things Harry Potter. [July 2007, p.66]

I can honestly attest that Circus Maximus does for racing what "Mortal Kombat" did for fighting – before it got pimped out like a cheap hooker. [Apr 2002, p.54]

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]

Unfortunately, there isn't a Franchise mode in MVP, but there is a great season mode, as well as an addictive Homerun Showdown. [May 2005, p.71]

With MAT 3, the definition of treasure is stretched thin enough to cover the distance from, say, New York to Disappointmentvile. [Oct 2005, p.70]

Even with a weak script, Turok's flexible play mechanics, strong level designs, and high production values make the story mode alone worth the price of admission. [Jan 2008, p.49]

Touch Detective 2 1/2 really feels like the game that the original should have been, providing for an experience that I'm sure more people will enjoy this time around. [Nov 2007, p.78]

Game Arts’ new team has mad skills, Smash-Up is among the top three best Wii fighters going, and Karai is the best thing to happen to body armor since Samus took her helmet off. No bustiere though...but she sure looks good in gold!

"The old cart racing mold has (finally) been broken...make that shattered" [Nov p.87]

You'll be capping scumbags left and right in a fireworks display of flesh and blood, going after the town prostitute's heisted jewelry or collecting giant scorpion tails for some much-needed extra cash, and things of this nature. [Feb 2004, p.42]

It feels like you're constantly going through the same motions - although there are some really cool sequences. [Oct 2004, p.75]

Injects skillfully deployed melee combat infiltration, platforming and a wealth of well-honed play mechanics into a sortie-based operation that puts the player on the receiving end of intel direct from Section 9 itself. [Nov 2004, p.74]

The decision to go stealth was a good one and even though scripted and prompted, the gameplay hits the broad mark.

The game can be a murky, sloppy mess, and even when it's trying something interesting, comes off incomplete and badly implemented. [Sept 2005, p.57]

Radiant Mythology will likely disappoint anyone expecting the intense storylines, vast worlds and well-designed dungeons of a "real" Tales title. [July 2007, p.68]

With 16 players and 16 guns blazing, the game is violent bliss, and certainly a war demanding to be fought over and over again. [Apr 2006, p.58]

It's the exact same game, which by last year's standards is still good, but couldn't they have at least added some bump mapping or something while we waited? [Sept 2003, p.81]

These games are just fun. Short, but fun. [Nov 2004, p.76]

MediEvil is ultra-polished, filled with wonder and brilliant level design and set to a soundrack I'd put up against any cosole game on the market. [Sept 2005, p.61]

The game might provide a fun, visceral thrill, at first. But by the end it becomes to mind-numbingly repetitive you may as well go gnaw on some flesh yourself.

"The old cart racing mold has (finally) been broken...make that shattered" [Nov p.87]

Features all of the prowess allowed by improved technology: better physics, graphics, sound and control, while keeping it real with simple, fun, back-and-forth tennis action - only harder....much harder. [Apr 2002, p.67]

One of this year's biggest and most pleasant surprises. [Oct 2005, p.64]

In a world where death is as temporary as heartburn, nothing is out of bounds. [Dec 2005, p.62]

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

Samurai Champloo is by no means perfect--the repetition bug nibbles away now and again and the characters lack subtle animation nuances such as walking--but for what it is, and more over what its fans expect, it smells pretty damn sweet. [Apr 2006, p.47]

A leaden feel of backtracking and other nags here and there tie the game down from anything memorable. [May 2005, p.54]

This RPG is brilliant, taking me back to the good old days when games like FFVII and Vagrant Story were king. [Nov p.101]

Creating a gamer's game through and through, Traveller's Tales has delivered a 60 fps cartoon epic without sacrificing expanse, dwarfing boss encounters or vivid effects by skillfully balancing model and environment integrity with performance. [Oct 2004, p.69]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

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]

Although the worst soundtrack of all time and less-than-stellar visuals conspire to keep it from reaching its full potential, ST is a fresh racer nevertheless: fun, mode-packed and above all, beefy, especially at 20 bucks. [Nov 2003, p.93]

It's nice to be able to save high scores in this version. [Dec 2004, p.100]

The action is always set on high and the immediacy of the appeal lends itself to strong replay. [Dec 2002, p.86]

With apologies to Quiet Riot, this metal health may well drive you mad. [Nov p.102]

If drinking out of a giant-size Taco Bell cup that displays The Missing Link and his big sweet smile doesn’t sound like a completely humiliating experience to you, then MvA might make a decent addition to your game collection. But for the hardcore gamer - pass.

Even the greatest hockey player ever couldn't help 989 find its much-needed groove. [Jan 2005, p.85]

As movie games go it's rare that we get anything original, so Arthur and the Invisibles is a welcome commodity even if the movie is getting unjustly hammered by critics. [Feb 2007, p.38]

If you'd have told me back then that in 2008 (nine years later) I'd be able to buy both, arcade perfect, on a Nintendo console with a two-handed controller for under $30, I'd have figured you for a loon. [Apr 2008, p.62]

Earth Assault does a fairly good job of translating a PC real-time strategy's mouse-and-keyboard controls to the Xbox 360 controller, but players should be aware there's a lengthy tutorial required to get them up to speed. [Apr 2008, p.48]

You want Bikes, ATVs, Muscle Cars, SUVs, Buggies, Trucks…they’re all in here, along with every conceivable type of race set across thousands of miles of populated ultra-realistic topography, complete with dynamic weather. And it all looks and plays spectacularly. Unless you’re looking for an authentic hard core sim, there’s no reason you shouldn’t leave right now, and even if you are, a little FUEL might just change your mind.

Online play proves more challenging and, without the poor voice work, certainly easier on the soul. [May 2006, p.45]

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

Blame slightly unnatural control and a rather generic feeling. [Dec 2003, p.84]

A smorgasbord of visual bliss, superb animation and a level of arcade-style design that channels the spirit and fun of Smash TV, bringing that stickiness into the modern era - and what could be cooler than that? [Dec 2003, p.82]

It's big, deep and dripping with rhymes. A few framerate hits aside, it looks good, too, if not a bit excessively neon. [Oct 2004, p.75]

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]

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]

Takes the shallow one-on-one fighting action of its predecessor and repackages it with essentially no noteworthy enhancements to the fighting engine or visuals... Disappointing. [Dec 2003, p.82]

It may be chock full of farm animals in space but Ace in Action deserves a spot alongside the DS's top shooters. [Jan. 2007, p.84]

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

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]

While each individual boxer's signature music is entirely in tune with their caricature, the stage music is mostly limp and repetitive, a strange turn of events in an otherwise nicely polished game. [Mar 2003, p.50]

The models and animation capture the look of the short films, yet look rough around the edges; the camera is decent, but fights you when it really matters; and the music is quite good but strangely out of place. [Oct 2003, p.73]

Just pretend it's seven or so years ago when all US localizations were crap and you'll be fine. [Dec 2005, p.61]

All is not perfect in Enter the Matrix, but for its few flaws, the game delivers what it is meant to: a very convincing experience inside The Matrix that looks, smells, and feels like... The Matrix. [July 2003, p.76]

At least this port is enhanced over the PS2 version. [Oct 2005, p.69]

The intimacy, the almost Zen-like relationship with the track is not here. Even so, I would be a fool to call this game anything other than great. [Jan 2004, p.60]

Of all the launch titles, while it may be the most basic visually, I find Ape Escape the most entertaining. Once a great game, always a great game. [May 2005, p.68]

Izuna, like all Rogue style dungeon crawlers, takes patience, dedication, and the type of gamer who is a glutton for punishment. [Jan. 2007, p.83]

Easy to pick up, hard to put down. [Nov 2006, p.82]

The isometric level design is once again pretty dull. [Aug 2005, p.56]

Delta Strike goes for a story-driven approach to its presentation, which ends up crippling the better moments with vapid dialogue and off-putting anime-style character drawings. [Feb 2004, p.47]