The bottom line is that its disparate parts don't combine to make a better whole. [June 2009, p.76]

If you want a challenge, World Tour will still rock your world. But a joyous homage to the music you love? Not so much. [Jan 2009, p.80]

Building on that solid foundation, its more polished sequel gives armchair athletes another great reason to get off the couch. [Holiday 2012, p.76]

We found the added button-press a bit cumbersome. [Jan 2012, p.87]

While NBA 09 doesn't transform the franchise into a dynasty, it's still playoff worthy. [Dec 2008, p.96]

Motorcycle-specific racing fantatics will lose themselves in MotoGP's depth of details, but most gamers will find the practice-requisite experience an oddly passionless grind. [Dec 2008, p.89]

Online action offers up to four-player wars or free-for-all skirmishes, while the Battles and Operations modes allow armchair generals to take a breather from the WWII campaign and rattle off rounds at a more leisurely pace. [Nov 2010, p.82]

Bloated, Armageddon loses its luster...For our money, Armageddon needn't linger but rather leap at us with tooth and claw, tear, and then depart. [July 2011, p.78]

As dungeon crawls go, it's unique. Just don't expect a Silent Hill 2 level of scary. [Holiday 2012, p.77]

Story aside, however, Manhunt 2 is an important game--not because of the controversy surrounding it, but because it is one of the final few original PS2 games. [Holiday 2007, p.81]

While the brainteasers and competition are addicting, there's not enough substance to make Smart As worth the price; it'd be better off as a $15 download. [Holiday 2012, p.76]

Despite her considerable charms, this Lara is best experienced alone. [Nov 2010, p.84]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

2K11's got game, but The Show is deeper, prettier, and more fun. [May 2011, p.79]

Thanks to the splitscreen and online with up to four people, it's easy to recommend this budget-priced title that aims low but hits hard. [Sept 2011, p.87]

Still, this minimal-frills two-pack is definitely entertaining while it lasts. [Holiday 2012, p.76]

Handsome-looking. [May 2009, p.83]

That said, Clone Wars remains a finely crafted and worthy romp through LEGO land, even for veterans of the series. [May 2011, p.77]

It may not be a truly heroic experience, but Manhunters and the Green Lantern movie would make for a fine weekend double feature. [Sept 2011, p.85]

While it's not quite a perfect package, there's a lot to love about the way the open-world craziness unfolds despite the game's oddly self-aware inclusion of some of gaming's more annoying, antiquated mechanics. [Holiday 2012, p.80]

The cast is another pack of pastel-colored munchkins from anime central casting. [Apr 2012, p.77]

The game doesn't always succeed, but the fact that it tries--and is largely fun, engaging adventure--makes it worth a look. [Sept 2011, p.85]

The simple but fun RPG-lite adventure gameplay is still great for parent/child co-play, but we had no problem blowing through the campaign in a single weekend. [Holiday 2012, p.81]

A strict focus on simple level survival might have alleviated frustration, but Swarm still provides a surprisingly challenging--and splattering--good time. [April 2011, p.85]

While F.E.A.R. 3 is at its best as a solid(and fun)co-op shooter, it stumbles as an addition to the series. [Sept 2011, p.82]

The same fast, tough, silly run-and-gun you'll find in nearly every other Slug. [Apr 2010, p.79]

While it's still a solid sequel, Shank 2 may have benefited from a less-is-more approach. [Apr 2012, p.81]

Overall, a wholly competant game--but persistent performance issues prevent it from being anything more than that. [Jan 2009, p.74]

Though Gods Eater Burst is an enjoyable romp, be prepared to go on this hunt alone. [April 2011, p.83]

Yes, the game may have some uncreative genre trappings, but the great combat and interesting map structure are fresh and even the established parts are still what fans look for in RPGs. [May 2010, p.80]

Despite bringing a few fresh nuances to the table, Revolution doesn't exactly live up to its name. [Holiday 2012, p.80]

The campaign feels awkward and unfamiliar and the multiplayer doesn't allow for direct head-to-head competition (oh well), but the game still manages to fuel our competitive juices. [Apr 2012, p.82]

If you're only planning on buying one hockey title this season, unless you're a diehard 2K fan, we'd recommend at least checking out NHL 09 first. [Nov 2008, p.87]

But for hardcore Yakuza fans, the schizophrenic game design is secondary; it's the engrossing characters and storyline that matter most. [April 2011, p.80]

Green Day: Rock Band is essentially a less ambitious and less extensive version of the game Harmonix built for The Beatles. [Aug 2010, p.82]

Both Ys i and II are relatively short and light on story, but played in succession, they form a very decent retro RPG package. [April 2011, p.81]

It possesses an undeniable charm that its intended audience will embrace. Who exactly that audience is...well, we're still trying to figure that out. [Apr 2012, p.86]

For those who don't mind slogging through the story, though, there's plenty of comfortably familiar adventuring in Trinity. [Feb 2011, p.85]

It's stylish and striking--a compelling visual complement to the 10 hours of enjoyable sleuthing and puzzle-solving on offer here. [July 2011, p.82]

Role-playing elements and a bizarre karma system lubricate the works, and its easy to get sucked into completing one more challenge, getting one more promotion before quitting a session. [Holiday 2010, p.74]

While it's far from an essential download, this beat-'em-up offers old-school fun to the hands of Simpsons fans. [Apr 2012, p.87]

For a game with "revolution" in its title, there's not all that much radical innovation going on here. [Jan 2010, p.81]

Anyone craving a fresh take on the stealth-action genre should sniff this one out. [Dec 2012, p.83]

Throw in the original two Doom games, some online multiplayer, and a handful of extra content that fans of the original Doom 3 may have missed, and suddenly the $40 price tag seems pretty reasonable...as long as you don't expect too much. [Holiday 2012, p.82]

If you're a fan of the "S" in SRPGs, then XF comes recommended. [June 2008, p.80]

This lack of mercy had us cursing the game, but it also made every completed puzzle a truly satisfying victory. [Apr 2012, p.87]

But there's no denying that the highlight is the Attitude Era mode, and though it has its flaws, it's a dream come true for children of the '90s. ]Holiday 2012, p.83]

It's beautiful and soothing. [Nov 2009, p.76]

Not based on any particular Sherlock Holmes story, this is a throwback to the point-and-click adventures of old, but with the clue-finding mechanics of L.A. Noire and puzzles that feel like old-school Resident Evil games. [Dec 2012, p.85]

An acquired taste. [Feb 2011, p.86]

The frenetic action and controls really capture the essence of the anime, and even is DBZ isn't as spry as it used to be, this is a nice reminder of its heyday. [Holiday 2012, p.85]

Exuberantly colorful and open landscapes blend with platforming puzzles to form a union worth getting excited over. [April 2011, p.75]

That said, 40 bucks is pretty steep for what's basically an arcade action game. To a certain breed of driver, though, the stress relief might be worth it. [Holiday 2012, p.85]

Fast fun for fans of ridiculous racing. [Feb 2011, p.87]

Accessibility is the game's strongest sell, however, and everyone from drunk uncles to tween cousins will find a song they enjoy. [Holiday 2012, p.85]

Stormrise's innovation is heartilly applauded, but basic gameplay glitches and flaws weaken the experience. [June 2009, p.74]

Pangya should provide golf fans (and RPG fans mildly interested in golf) dozens of hours of entertainment with its several modes, gentle learning curve, and unlockable content. [Aug 2009, p.73]

Fortunately, the design is still fun, even if it doesn't quite hold up against modern FPS fare. [Dec 2012, p.86]

After three games, you should know by now that this series is primarily for longtime fans, and they have plenty to like. [Holiday 2007, p.82]

Unfortunately, Confrontation still isn't exceptionally compelling, thanks largely to the technical letdowns and its niche appeal. [Jan 2009, p.74]

Vague disappointments aside, Rock Band Unplugged offers a clever portable twist on the music game formula that is mostly engrossing and fun...even if it can be damned frustrating. [July 2009, p.84]

Shaun White feels like a great foundation for a snowboarding game that needed another year of develop tweaks to infuse more structure, refine control tuning, and attend to the details. [Feb 2009, p.70]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a strange footnote in the history of classic fighters, making this HD release a niche game directed at fans of the anime series and nostalgic lovers of offbeat 2D fighting games. [Dec 2012, p.87]

Oddly immersive. [Feb 2012, p.84]

Avatar is lush, beautiful, and distinct looking, and in the unlikely event you actually own a stereoscopic TV and high-end 3D glasses, you can play in full 3D. [Jan 2010, p.78]

The gameplay is as addictive as ever. [Feb 2012, p.84]

FIFA 08 delivers a pretty complete soccer package that we still hope will improve as the specter of pressure from Konami's "Pro Evolution Soccer" looms on the horizon. [Holiday 2007, p.84]

Fo us, the downsides weigh more heavily than the ups on this one. [Feb 2008, p.80]

Thankfully, developer Avalanche gets it at least half right in Toy Story 3, an adventure that's of two minds on how to do a movie licensed game. [Aug 2010, p.86]

It just lacks a certain freshness. [Dec 2009, p.78]

Eternal Poison is built around three separate campaigns, each with their own leading characters and unique encounters, so there's plenty of built-in replay value. [Jan 2009, p.82]

Delivered exactly the fun, casual experience we expected. [Feb 2012, p.87]

An impressive port that will satisfy seasoned fighters. [Apr 2012, p.61]

Younger kids will likely be enthralled by the game as well, but some of the unique control interactions (motion, sound, etc.) will require parental intervention. [Feb 2012, p.87]

Relies a bit too much on the players to make the game fun. [Apr 2010, p.70]

When cheesy '80s action flicks dream of being chaotic top-down, twin-stick shooters with motion-comic cutscenes, they dream about being Renegade Ops. [Nov 2011, p.87]

It's an uneven experience that's better with friends and more memorable for its massacring elements than its story and characters. [Nov 2011, p.82]

I Am Alive is a near-perfect, gritty struggle to survive. [June 2012, p.78]

It's definitely clever and fun, though, and Inferno's raft of improvements is enough to finally make Alone worth your attention. [Holiday 2008, p.81]

Its detail-starved environments and lackluster narrative can't compete with its contemporaries' richly rendered worlds, but Bodycount's back-to-basics approach shines like a welcome beacon of simple fun in a sea of increasingly complex shooters. [Nov 2011, p.81]

For fans, Legends is a diverting interactive museum and an interesting expansion of the legends included in more recent Smackdowns. [June 2009, p.78]

Still, minor annoyances keep Driver from being stellar: some areas of the city must be unlocked via story progression, fishtailing is occasionally over-the-top and loathsome during races and chases, and Shift is inexplicably limited during certain missions. [Nov 2011, p.81]

Both the story and gameplay arcs seemed pedestrian with the story focusing on character development and a revelation that wasn't particular compelling, and the gameplay never cresendoing to a big payoff ending. [Dec 2008, p.74]

A game this pretty should be a no-brainer, but as soon as the characters open their mouths, your beleaguered brain will ache for a return to the action. [Holiday 2008, p.78]

Capcom comes off like a crotch rocket vet with MotoGP 07, even though it's the publisher's first foray into the breakneck franchise since snagging the PS2 rights from Namco. [Holiday 2007, p.75]]

The six missions, while short, are gorgeous to look at, and our heavily armored protagonists rank right up there with the baddest-looking dudes of all time. [May 2008, p.78]

This is a game that definitely rewards exploration. [July 2008, p.76]

If you never understood the Twisted Metal phenomenon, Head On won't recruit you to the choir, but everyone else will get more than their money's worth. [Apr 2008, p.77]

It's just not satisfying enough to be worthy of a combat commendation for serious flight combat fans. [Nov 2009, p.74]

It may look harmless enough, but that colorful candy shell - which, admittedly, is delightfully goofy - disguises the ashen heart of a hardcore fighting game that, while occasionally quite frustrating, offers a satisfying challenge and an unexpectedly deep and demanding combat system. [Oct 2008, p.84]

If you and a friend have an afternoon to kill, you could definitely do worse than stomping sandcastles with Fiddy. [Apr 2009, p.84]

Still, the simple, accessible premise produces plenty of fun, especially when played with friends. [Holiday 2011, p.74]

A dude can abide with this bowling. [Nov 2010, p.72]

The problem here are the game's actions are not wholly engaging for both parties. [Nov 2010, p.72]

The game's only major flaw is it's length--the single-player can be completed in a paltry four to six hours--but still, it's definitely worth purchasing for the kids. [Sept 2008, p.78]

Ultimately, if you find yourself firing up the previous Battlefront for online skirmishes, Elite Squadron should satiate your need for something slightly new. [Holiday 2009, p.82]

The graphics, exploration, and swordfights all feel dated, but those with patience and a love of story will find this immensely rewarding. [Jan 2010, p.85]

Disney Universe is a nostalgic trip through Disney's history that should provide a fair bit of enjoyment for all Disney fans, small or large, and promises of DLC have us eager for more. [Holiday 2011, p.79]