The game ultimately boils down to mindlessly shooting everybody in sight, which is only compelling for so long. [Sept 2005, p.85]

Jennifer Garner is hot - sizzling hot - to be exact, but sadly, her game is just lukewarm. As a result, even die-hard Alias fans may be let down by this game. [June 2004, p.29]

The custom characters and supposedly unique environments offer too little variety, and the commentary ranges from cheesy-bad to flat-out useless. Thankfully, it's still a good, if uninspired, pool sim at its core. [Mar 2004, p.38]

Shows promise, but it's not yet enough to win over serious fans. [Dec 2002, p.52]

Fans of Chicken Little might get a kick out of this game; everyone else, don't bother. [Feb. 2007, p.85]

The perfect example of a decent game with a lot of wasted potential. [Dec 2002, p.52]

The series' charm is pretty intact, and the random game generator gives it legs (so to speak), but there's no online and the switch to 3D is really ragged. [Apr 2004, p.383]

The biggest problem is that it's just very simple and easy - proabably a side effect of being made for a broad audience. [July 2004, p.27]

The lack of any camera control can be frustrating at times, leaving you with a less than optimal view of the action. [May 2006, p.78]

Not perfect, but solid portable fun. [Holiday 2006]

It's just too bad the game is so repetitive--even if you buy all the combos and upgrades, the gameplay quickly grows repetitive. [May 2007, p.84]

Overall, it's fun and somewhat novel, and there's quite a bit to discover, but there's not enough substance to keep most gamers occupied for long. [May 2007, p.85]

I enjoyed this game up until the halfway point. Then, the sheer lack of any really new gameplay mechanics and the amazing repetitiveness of collecting really got to me. [July 2002, p.40]

A few more months and it really could have been something. [Dec. 2006, p.84]

Just doesn't quite provide enough bang for your buck. [Iss #54, Jan 2002]

Its biggest fault is the fact that - underwater setting or not - it's very plodding for an action game, due in large part to some overly cumberson controls. [Nov 2002, p.54]

Fans may find sentimental value here, but Jam just doesn't have the depth, features, or ambition level of its decendents. [Dec 2003, p.46]

The game seems a bit slow in the response department. [May 2002, p.26]

While the environments are nice, animations are weak, but the hunting is as good as it gets. [Nov 2004, p.94]

Graphically inferior to glitzy modern day racers, and nowhere near as fast as it should be. [Oct 2002, p.40]

Another strange weakness is the storytelling, which glosses over key events and explains itself so poorly that if you don't know the story already, you might not figure it out. [Jan 2003, p.36]

A decent game for players new to the genre, but there is little to be found behind its shiny façade. [Oct 2003, p.38]

Hunting games are still niche titles, but this is a really good one. [Nov 2003, p.48]

Now that NBA Live's out and on fire, this one's on the trade block. [Holiday 2005, p.100]

Overall, Parallel Lines is a step in the right direction for the series, but it ultimately feels like it's setting its ambitions way to low. [May 2006, p.73]

The speed-impaired gameplay, a problem that hampered last year's version of "NBA Live," can lead to some considerable frustration. [Oct 2002, p.35]

Ultimately, it starts to feel repetitive quickly. [Dec 2005, p.116]

On the one hand, you have these lightning-fast bikes to ride; on the other, you spend most of the time making them slow down. [Mar 2002, p.30]

Definitely a cut or three below usual Square Enix standards, but hack-and-slash fans will still find plenty to love. [May 2004, p.39]

The execution of individual events is spotty, unpolished, and sometimes very blandly thought out. [Sept 2004, p.26]

The original "Lumines" is one of the standouts of the PSP's game library; however, like "Lumines II," we're suspicious that Lumines Plus is simply a quick way to cash in. [Apr 2007, p.87]

Unfortunately, the fun factor is only so-so. [June 2007, p.84]

Enemies fight identically; thus, so do you. [Aug 2007, p.86]

Delta Force is ugly, outdated, and derivative. [Feb. 2007, p.88]

There's a multiplayer versus mode, but the combat system is so broken, it's barely worth it. [Aug 2005, p.78]

Too short, simple and shallow for the serious gamer, and without multiplayer, its party appeal is minimal. [Holiday 2005, p.92]

It's a compelling concept, but the slow loading times, chunky controls, lackluster graphics, and easy puzzles sap the adrenaline right out of the game. [May 2007, p.85]

The game doesn't look bad or play like a PS3 title shood, and is barely an upgrade over "NASCAR 07." [Nov 2007, p.87]

It looks okay, and it has some fun, but you've played it before, with more polish. [Dec 2005, p.112]

Abhorrent AI, limited saves, and sluggish pacing generate frustration. [Apr 2005, p.77]

Oh, it's a fun game for a while, but it quickly becomes monotonous. [Nov. 2006, p.82]

Would have felt dated even before "Resident Evil 4" redefined the genre, but now it seems downright antique. [June 2005, p.78]

The cameras are lousy, the Gunam move too sluggishly, and there's very little depth. [Dec 2004, p.84]

Often tedious and can be a little unfair. [Dec 2004, p.82]

While the cutscenes look amazing, in-game graphics and environments are subpar. It's just disappointing. [Oct 2006, p.84]

Thankfully, Eragon on the PS2 is an entirely different game than on its portable counterpart--a better game, to be sure, but not enormously so. [Feb. 2007, p.85]

There are more stages and enemies the second time around, but this somehow actually adds tedium rather than value. [Dec 2004, p.92]

Only the truly hardcore are going to be enthralled. [Holiday 2005, p.94]

Or maybe this is just a buggy, shoddy port...probably the latter. [May 2007, p.83]

Problem is, the gameplay is about as deep as your average bottle cap, with tiny, tiny movie lists and not much character balance. [Nov 2005, p.82]

You're better off sticking with GTA. [Aug 2007, p.87]

Underneath the goofy, low-brow humor is a wide load of too-sedatedly paced driving and surprisingly thin gameplay. [Oct 2005, p.55]

A button masher that doesn't really live up to the best of the genre. [Jan 2006, p.78]

Fans of the program may be able to stomach the shallow, repetitive combat and confusing enemy targeting, but everyone else can avoid it with a clear conscience. [Jan 2007, p.88]

What saves the game from being completely mediocre is the story. It’s not particularly compelling, but it does have some entertainingly postmodernist moments. [Mar 2006, p.88]

Acme Arsenal has its fun moments, but only if you don't think too hard. [Dec 2007, p.89]

The all-important create-a-wrestler is rather lackluster - which, sadly, also best describes the game as a whole. [Jan 2005, p.73]

The physics on the basketball are too floaty, and player control is wonky. [June 2005, p.84]

Tries hard to replicate Final Fantasy X's grandeur and elegance but fails badly. [Holiday 2005, p.78]

You're repeatedly fighting the same old bad buys and backtracking through the same old areas, which gets old quickly. [Oct 2006, p.85]

And since you're getting the same basic experience for the premium price of $60, there's simply no reason to buy this lackluster game. [May 2007, p.82]

Enemy AI that changes with the wind and level design that's inspired by tunnel vision drops this game into the lower echelon of military shooters. [Feb 2005, p.83]

Should be enjoyable for hardcore RPG gamers or longtime fans of the series. [Nov 2007, p.88]

A plain vanilla shooter dressed in authentic-smelling military gear. [Nov 2005, p.94]

It's a shame that between this and "Shadow the Hedgehog", our blue-haired buddy has been driven into overkill hell. [Apr 2006, p.80]

Still if it's a mafia game you're after, give Mafia a try. If you want the true Godfather experience, just (re)watch the film. [May 2006, p.72]

You'll have a tougher time fighting your PSP than the Third Reich. [Mar 2007, p.87]

Only decent multiplayer saves this one from being completely awful. [Nov 2005, p.86]

Assuming you played the first Eureka Seven game--which was long on convoluted story and bloated text-box dialogue, and short on fun--don't expect any major differences this time around. [June 2007, p.84]

Gameplay is nothing but slippery physics and monotonous driving around Hazzard County through 15 different "Driver" knockoff missions. [Holiday 2004, p.96]

The games all blur together, and many of them are so similar that it seems like there are more like 20 or 30 games rather than 200+. [Nov 2007, p.90]

Too convoluted and mechanically routine to recommend to anyone except the most subbornly devoted. [Aug 2005, p.84]

Painfully average... With the trial-and-error gameplay, lack of very much innovation, and the occasional annoying bugs, it might just require more patience than you have. [Sept 2003, p.36]

A near disaster. [June 2005, p.80]

Overall, HSX isn't too bad, but it's definitely behind the times in terms of polygon count, special effects, control, and other such things. [Apr 2003, p.42]

Ice is cold, but this game is colder. [Dec 2005, p.110]

Strip away the graphics and novelty controls and Lair is exposed for what it is: an average shooter the likes of which we've all played before on two earlier PlayStation iterations. [Oct 2007, p.74]

The problem with Lupin is that the game is incredibly rudimentary: the control is slippery, the camera is frustrating and the AI leaves a great deal to be diesired. [Feb 2004, p.36]

The horrid loading times, surprisingly linear levels and mindless enemies hold back any ambitions this title ever had for greatness. [Holiday 2004, p.82]

Series fans may enjoy the returning stunt mode and the local wi-fi multiplayer, but Rush is too uneven to really recommend. [Feb. 2007, p.83]

Unfortunately, this mode gets mind-numbinglly repetitive, and gameplay is still awful. [Nov 2005, p.98]

There's hardly any creativity to hold it together. [June 2002, p. 40]

Another title that virtually defines the word "mediocre." [Mar 2002, p.30]

While the improved handling has bettered the console game experience, the limited movement of the PSP's analog stick will have you swerving all over the track, and playing bumper cars at 185 mph. [Holiday 2006, p.86]

Lara Croft's PSP adventure is surprisingly close to the PS2 version in many respects. Unfortunately, where it differs, the experience really suffers. [July 2006, p.86]

Rather short, but it feels like an eternity when you have to plod through bland levels to fetch items and you'd literally rather be watching the cutscenes instead. [Apr 2005, p.74]

What ruins TMNT2 is the game's abyssmal control. [Dec 2004, p.79]

What it lacks is craft. Kay feels like the thesis project of a recent game school graduate, with haphazard, connect-the-dots levels filled with an endless parade of breakable pots. [Oct 2005, p.90]

You know something's wrong when the most interesting character is the nerdy scientist with knee-high socks. [Sept 2004, p.26]

The great physical satisfaction from the arcade game is lost without the honking-big sniper rifle. [Dec 2002, p.60]

Worst of all, the gameplay is annoying, with shabby controls and an oddly high difficulty curve. [Oct 2005, p.92]

An under-responsive combo system and jerky character animations give the impression that this was pushed through production before being finished. [Nov 2002, p.54]

We'd rather play the bonus game: the original "Turtles in Time." [Dec 2005, p.112]

There was definitely potential here; it's just hampered by its short game length (you can beat it in one sitting) and lack of compelling characters and storylines. [July 2003, p.33]

This speed-hampered racer doesn't have a whole lot under the hood...Doesn't come close to touching the supreme "Midnight Club II." [Oct 2004, p.35]

EA Replay is a sloppy, slapdash production, and if you like some of its games, you'd be better off tracking down the originals. [Feb. 2007, p.86]

It is nearly impossible for the player to fail on any but the hardest level of difficulty. [Jan 2003, p.26]

No longer an utter mess, but it still isn't in the same league as the top PS2 football games. [Oct 2002, p.30]