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]

I'm totally open to a game like this working off a solid simplicity, but ultimately Fifa Street 3 isn't strong enough at its core to keep the reward of play on a fever pitch. [Apr 2008, p.61]

Barbarian wasn't all that I expected it to be, in terms of intelligent in-game evolution, but it delvers a lot of freshness never the less. [May 2002, p.50]

A cartoon as cool and stylized as Samurai Jack deserves a game to match, and Virtucraft Studios deliver. [May 2003, p.63]

Any hint of challenge, even in hard mode, is also gone. Magical Quest 2 isn't bad, but should have been better. [Oct 2003, p.72]

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]

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 missin objectives leave no room to breathe and take in all the loveliness; the physics on the robot are too floaty given its awesome scale; and the difficulty becomes insane too quickly. [Aug 2002, p.70]

The stealth in Rogue Ops is serious business, residing somewhere between "Metal Gear" and "Splinter Cell" in terms of mechanics, i.e., not at all passive. [Nov 2003, p.79]

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 the kind of game that once you pick up, you aren't going to want to put down until you find out what happens next. [June 2006, p.55]

Enjoy the missions, the options, the achievements and the story, but you'll always return for the flight, and the size of the world. For once, bigger means better. [June 2007, p.71]

What makes Red Steel shine is a mixture of slick graphic novel-style cut-scenes, deft use of the hardware(reflection maps abound)and its wonderfully orchestrated gun and sword play. [Jan. 2007, p.48]

I would've enjoyed more variety in the enemy fodder, but what's available is certainly creepy and intense. Clive Barker should develop more games. [Nov 2007, p.65]

Caution and calculated planning provide the most satisfying rewards, taking the single-player experience into some unexpectedly satisfying territory. [Jan 2003, p.81]

The deeper you go, the better it gets, until it pretty much blows you away. [June 2003, p.58]

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]

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

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.

The shoulder button helps cornering by speeding up the rate at which the background turns, but ultimately these ATVs feel more like semi trucks. [June 2005, p.86]

I’d have enjoyed movie tie-ins as well, like Michael Ironside barking out the mission briefings. [Feb 2002, p.62]

You'll field baseballs, put an infinite number of pen caps on an infinite number of pens, and generally marvel a how tedium becomes fun here. [Nov. 2006, p.104]

I would've enjoyed more variety in the enemy fodder, but what's available is certainly creepy and intense. Clive Barker should develop more games. [Nov 2007, p.65]

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]

Crafted by hard-core gamers - its strong point in terms of sheer satisfaction - and it shows. [Mar 2003, p.56]

It's not the kind of party game that lasts well beyond the immediate draw. [June 2002, p.63]

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]

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]

Grand Phantasm is capable of scratching that RPG itch with its enjoyable Afterworlds, innovative battle system, and exceptional soundtrack, but its thin quest won't linger in your memories for long. [May 2007, p.64]

The models up close are unsightly, the cinemas grainy and the music has all the luster of a Tide commercial, but the game on the whole is entertaining by game standards. [Aug 2005, p.50]

Enemy bots explode in a single chunk of shrapnel, the collision is sloppy, the action is mostly repetitive and there's no sign of the WB animation. [Mar 2006, p.44]

Once you synch up with Vanessa and the rhythm of the game, it's impossible to put down and clearly meant to be assailed three times (or more), which is also the only path to unlocking every suit and the secrets within. [July 2003, p.16]

Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War allows players to win most, if not all, of its battles solely by holding down the right bumper button on the Xbox 360 controller. [Nov 2007, p.73]

A cyborg action-adventure bursting with great gameplay. [July 2002, p.82]

What I don't like is the ugly non-Namco designed interface and screwy button configuration when plaing with the stylus, which makes it literally impossible to play with the manual transmission. [Jan 2005, p.85]

Ooh baby, baby, does this game get old in a hurry, with only five songs. [July 2002, p.82]

Enemy bots explode in a single chunk of shrapnel, the collision is sloppy, the action is mostly repetitive and there's no sign of the WB animation. [Mar 2006, p.44]

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

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

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]

Repetitive dungeon schemes and three-year-old technology. [Dec 2002, p.86]

It fails to add up to a truly compelling racer, lacking the graphical polish, deeply sorted physics and versimilitude of McRae. [July 2003, p.79]

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]

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]

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]

If you’re not already familiar with tactics games then the beginning will seem unnecessarily difficult.

Briefly interesting, until repetitive, unimaginative mechanics make the experience more closely resemble prostitution than actual gameplay. Ok if you’re looking for a cheap thrill (or a rental)...for everyone else, you’re advised to look elsewhere.

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]

Given the complexity of a lot of what's out there, it's always nice to just sit back and beat on things, and when it looks this nice, well, if you're so inclined, this is one of the better pick-up-and-play games around. [Aug 2004, p.54]

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]

If this was simply a run-and-gun action game, Conflict: DS wouldn't survive its mediocre moments, but the presence of units of up to four who require steady management carry the game. [June 2003, p.57]

As always, it's a fairly simple affair but fun and addictive all the same to tear through scores and scores of enemies using basic combos. [Apr 2005, p.70]

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]

There are better titles on the shelf(and on this page)for fans of the form to be spending their money on. [Apr 2007, p.64]

You'd be hard pressed to find better cartoon fodder. [Oct 2005, p.68]

Aedis Eclipse has the shine and sparkle of a great game, and the battle system of a bad one. [June 2007, p.85]

The graphics look great and feel slick, giving you the ability to flesh out some of the film's more memorable sequences. [Jan 2005, p.70]

This is easily the best WB-based game to come down the pike yet. [Sept 2002, p.69]

It's a blast at first, but as the game progresses, you really feel like you're just going through the motions. [Sept 2004, p.65]

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]

It's thorny, to be sure, and the caveat remains: handle these roses with care. [Apr 2006, p.59]

In the fusion of strategy and action, the game proves itself worthy of continuing the Dynasty. [May 2006, p.53]

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]

The fighting manages to feel nimble while still providing a sense of awesome scale, which had to be an extremely hard balance to strike. [Nov 2004, p.60]

Where the game lacks is in the repetitive nature of the battles and enemy types, but the beautiful locales, spectacular animation, diverse gameplay, and 1080 degree high-def TV option, more than bring up the rear. [Dec 2002, p.77]

There just isn’t anything about this game that excites the way a jet-ski racer should. [Feb 2002, p.62]

There are some good ideas here, but the lack of detail, soft collision (Wolvie sinks ankle-high into any raised surface), murky control and low poly counts make Logan a dull boy. [June 2003, p.58]

One of the prettiest games ever and wall-to-wall arcade fun. [Jan 2005, p.58]

Not quite as impactful on PS2 as it was on Dreamcast. [July 2002, p.82]

Tube Slider (insert sexual pun here), jumps directly to the head of the GameCube racing class, placing itself firmly in the pole position waiting for F-Zero to take it on. [Apr 2003, p.51]

This truly is a shell of the other two console versions, so I beg you to pass. [Oct 2002, p.84]

The models up close are unsightly, the cinemas grainy and the music has all the luster of a Tide commercial, but the game on the whole is entertaining by game standards. [Aug 2005, p.50]

Expressionless faces, pale skin and similar body types - all of the athletes in the game have a very generic look about them. A little more detail would've made the game that much better. [Sept 2004, p.83]

Even though the game is not as pretty as "MVP" or "2K3," MLB 2004 shows great promise for next year. [Apr 2003, p.71]

The cutscenes are better off skipped and there's nothing mind-blowing at work here, but the levels are clever, the bosses nicely creative and the mix of thinking and skill-based gameplay fun. [Dec 2003, p.85]

In the fusion of strategy and action, the game proves itself worthy of continuing the Dynasty. [May 2006, p.53]

If you've come for heavy tactics and deployment you will be disappointed. But if you come for epic battles, inspired visuals, soaring overtures, and gorgeous medieval design you will be overcome with joy. [Aug 2006, p.54]

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 complete adventure package and then some, and it's not as sticky-sweet as you might think. [Jan 2006, p.48]

A competent game, but it's also thoroughly forgettable. [May 2005, p.73]

A linear approach to design and the tired reliance on ubiquitously placed exploding barrels will raise red flags for some, but I'm always down for an intense march through a shooting gallery. [July 2004, p.73]

I've been here and done that. While still nice-looking in the grand scheme of things, the technology is somewhat behind the times and I still have mixed feelings about "zoanthropes". [June 2003, p.57]

Rianna's a refreshing refrain from the traditional light-saber-wielding goon. [Mar 2007, p.66]

You'd be hard pressed to find better cartoon fodder. [Oct 2005, p.68]

TMNT does only 2 things--platforming and fighting--but it does them so right that the replayability is off the charts. [Apr 2007, p.38]

It's packed with missions and objectives, clever yet straightforward level design and delivers co-op and single player switch-on-the-fly movie derivative critter-foolery. [July 2006, p.72]

Ultimately feels like it is a year old, and its technical limitations hurt the finer parts of the game. [July 2003, p.72]

With a total of seven playable characters, ten scooters and eight levels, there's enough shredding for the long haul. [Nov 2002, p.92]

You find yourself waist-deep in a Zelda-style action/adventure, with a larger emphasis on stealth and platforming. [Oct 2003, p.65]

Stripped down and limply recycled from the already lackluster PS2 version of From Russia With Love, this latest Bond action title is crippled by more than inconsistant designs; the control scheme just never feels passable. [Jun 2006, p.57]

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!

Briefly interesting, until repetitive, unimaginative mechanics make the experience more closely resemble prostitution than actual gameplay. Ok if you’re looking for a cheap thrill (or a rental)...for everyone else, you’re advised to look elsewhere.

Repetition aside – and there's lots of it – this is like those Neo Geo games of old where it's so beautiful you just deal with it to see the next level. [Apr 2002, p.62]

It's Gauntlet through and through, packed with switches to be thrown, puzzles to solve and medievil overtures that compel you to gnaw on large turkey legs...only polished to a glistening sheen. [Jan 2006, p.47]

DJ exemplifies the maturation of handheld gaming - full-fledged console quality in a smaller, more approachable package. [Aug 2005, p.52]

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]

Precise aiming on the run is a little dicey on the PSP, and the loading times can be extraneous, but it's a small price to pay to get Motoko and company into your mobile unit. [Oct 2005]

The production's decent enough, but there's such a sense of mechanical design, with flat personality and little flair. [Jan 2004, p.67]