Combat animations could still look a bit more fluid, and the tactics of foes should probably be a little tougher to suss out, but Way of the Samurai 2 is still a solid experience and a must-play for samurai nuts. [July 2004, p.28]

Infuses even more fun and cartoonish, over-the-top action into the pro wrestling genre, but the single-player action is, unfortunately, short-lived. [July 2004, p.34]

Although the more mundane tasks get tiring by the end, the boss battle rock, and the joy of simply cruising from building to building is a thrill no gamer should miss. [Sept 2004, p.25]

On the realism side, SlugFest makes huge strides this year. Stat crunching is ably handled by the "Basebll Mogul" sim engine, and gameplay is easily tight enough to compete with PS2's second tier (i.e.: non-"MVP") baseball series. [July 2004, p.26]

The pacing just drags. [Sept 2004, p.24]

Mega Man fans and experienced gamers will love this massive collection of old-school goodness, but we'll admit it does little to attract new followers. [Aug 2004, p.28]

A music-editing tool that is both powerful and easy to use, MTV Music Generator 3 is a likely hit with all music lovers. Too bad there isn't more variety in the song list, though. [Aug 2004, p.30]

DRIV3R is a mess, little more than an unfinished recycling of GTA cliches, both sterile and juvenile. [Sept 2004, p.25]

You're getting two incredible games that, while vastly different in terms of mechanics, maintain a cohesive theme: stealth. It just doesn't get better than this. [Aug 2004, p.26]

It's ridiculously satisfying taking out a bunch of missile-slinging enemy troops with your perfectly geared up wanzer unit - no question. [Sept 2004, p.18]

The premise is priceless, but the game is so overly simplistic that it can't hold your attention for long. [July 2004, p.30]

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

Pool Paradise not only destroys all previous PS2 pool titles - which really isn't that tough - it's legitimately good. [Sept 2004, p.22]

The Havok physics engine lets players defeat enemies in ways only limited by their imagination. [Aug 2004, p.22]

This is, hands down, the deepest tennis game available for PS2, so only professionals need apply. Those pros, however, will looooove this. [Aug 2004, p.24]

Enemy AI is practically non-existent, but combined with the mostly straightforward level designs, it all plays reasonably well and slips by painlessly. [Sept 2004, p.26]

The tri-character gameplay really adds some depth, but Harry Potter newbies will still be left in the dark when trying to follow the narrative. [Aug 2004, p.25]

While the game is substantive enough for everyone, it is the fans who will really appreciate it. Fans, rejoice - this is the best Transformers game yet. [July 2004, p.22]

Twitchy targeting and basic camera flaws hurt Future Tactics, but we have to admit the game has a certain charm - and it's cheap. [July 2004, p.27]

Ultimately, Strike Force Bowling rolls about a 160, offering bargain basement bowling, but very little flair. [Aug 2004, p.30]

While there are a few flaws, they do not ruin the overall game. The game is just a lot of fun to play. [June 2004, p.25]

The real problem is the mediocre gameplay. [Aug 2004, p.25]

Plays as though its developers were simply going through the motions. There are better third-person military shooters out there...lots of them. [June 2004, p.27]

A solid overall game, but it doesn't feel like it every really gelled. [May 2004, p.36]

Pucelle's rather excellent localization brings the game world to hyper-kinetic, over-the-top life and that, (coupled with many, many gameplay hours), is more than enough to entice RPG fans into Pucelle's worthy fold. [July 2004, p.32]

A well constructed, well presented compliment to "FIFA." [July 2004, p.30]

There's no doubt that Red Dead Revolver comes off as a classy Western, but underneath the high production values is a game begging for more depth and balance. [July 2004, p.23]

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]