One of the freshest, exciting and entertaining titles we have played in 1999. Reflections has done it again with a title that breaks boundaries and creates a new level of entertainment.

It’s no "Wind Waker" (then again, what is?) but, in its own quiet and subtle way, developer Level-5’s dungeon-clearing RPG is as amusing and polished an entry into the genre as anything Miyamoto has designed for the past two generations of Nintendo consoles.

By far the best espionage title available on any platform.

Intelligent gameplay flows throughout the game giving gamers the ability to use their intuition and instincts rather than some obscure puzzle or scavenger hunt that frustrates to no end.

How willing you are to invest time and effort into mastering Guilty Gear X2’s intimidating (and deep) list of moves and potential combos will determine whether this will be a casual distraction or your next obsession.

A hard, gritty adventure that should be enough to hold off the "MGS" cravings until the domestic release.

There are so many extras, such as collecting new suits, new special powers, and classic comic book covers, that you will play this game for a long time.

With multiple endings, secrets and hidden items you'll find replay value deep within the game.

The gameplay hasn't evolved too terribly much but it has improved.

Short and easy, but also polished and action-packed violent fun for the adult PS2 owners who haven't yet played "Code Veronica."

An RPG geared for the hardest of the hardcore RPG fanatic.

Its deep plot, decent battle system and engaging character personalities make Suikoden III an easy choice for players that value story-telling prowess over flashy visuals.

Seldom has a third-party multi-platform title integrated such a high level of story-telling and character-interaction sophistication with so many gameplay styles (stealth, action, platform, etc.) to create such a coherent and thoroughly satisfying interactive experience.

If you are a fan of the series, NFS: HS is the second best in the series second only to the original 3DO version.

I must say that Dino Crisis 2 is the most pleasing new experience in this whole Survival Genre yet.

With a story that isn't exactly there and a little confusing it's missing the feeling of being a true hero. Still the action is top notch and the missions are fun to boot.

It’s a bit on the short side, but “Sly Cooper” also looks good, controls great and sounds pleasant-enough to deserve its own BGM soundtrack.

A sequel so polished and far-improved over the year-old Burnout that the former looks like a PSOne engine compared to the latter. The music is crap though.

The eye-candy quota is attractive enough to make this a must-own for rally racing nuts (like yours truly), but “V-Rally 3” still holds on to its title as the best racing game of its kind on PS2 (and XBox as well).

The visuals are dated but everything else about Katamari Damacy is too wonderfully weird in its simplicity for anyone to explain.

After playing through the gorgeous levels, I couldn’t help but think that Z-Axis was becoming awfully close to being as good as Neversoft.

An enticing game that takes a lot of patience but also offers hours of rewards.

If not for "Final Fantasy 7" this would probably be my pick for game of the year.

Polished online interface + incredible sense of speed (i.e. bikes out of hell!) + perfect arcade handling (wheelies anyone?) + plethora of modes to tinker with + no "GT3: A-Spec"-type customization or realistic physics = the best PS2 arcade racing ever made.

For its $10 asking price "Stage II" (and Midway's other Psygnosis refugee "Team Buddies") cannot be beat in replayability. Buy with ease.

To say that Tekken Tag Tournament is as original for the PS2 as Tekken was for the PS would be a mistake.

This is the best in the series and my nomination for action game of the year. I loved every minute of the game including finding all of the secrets in the game.

The car sounds are just a bit bland with hardly any exciting over the top effects. The announcer is quite a smartass but not really in a funny way.

A stellar representative of a bygone era of gaming that put more emphasis on skill and personality that textured polygons or sex appeal.

In the end this is THE game of the year as far as I am concerned and even exceeded the amount of fun I had with "Final Fantasy X" a year ago.

A rock-solid Role-Playing Game with a moving story, believable characters, and loads of great humor that keep it from dragging you down...Hands-down the definitive role-playing experience for the PlayStation 2.

The truth is that simulation freaks who want their hockey tough and real could do no better. Arcade lovers should probably look elsewhere.

If you’d rather play a fast and offensive football game over a slower more realistic one, NFL2K2 is for you. It’s the fastest and easiest to play of the big two. If not for the sloppy AI, it might actually be better than Madden.

It's improvements, however, aren't as dramatic or gameplay-enhancing as those that EA's "PGA Tour 2002" has brought to the videogame golf genre.

A textbook case of a videogame sequel done right.

It's not for those seeking deep simulation style 'football' but it will do for everyone else.

You'll be hard-pressed to find another mutiplayer adventure as engaging and addicting as this one on any console, and gamers looking to add to their admittedly slim online collections won't be disappointed in the experience that awaits them here.

Highly addictive gameplay that seems to never end, generally impressive visuals, and a portal designed around an interactive worldwide community all combine to make this the best possible solution SCEA could have hoped for with regards to launching it's new 40GB Hard Disc Drive.

Thunder 2002 comes as close as any NASCAR title ever could to making me a convert to the sport, which is a high complement from someone that finds NASCAR races on TV way too boring and repetitive.

Quite simply the most amazing game I have ever seen, and that does include "Madden 2001"... The real problems appear with the AI which is dumb as can be.

Delivers the goods big time despite not delivering the ‘Revolution’ its title promises.

The closest an interactive experience has come to re-enacting the utter chaos and undeniable fun that is being a part of an ongoing epic battle in which you (alongside either a friend or a complete stranger online) play an important role.

Lacks soul or a reason for being other than cashing on a popular trend. Black Box’s follow-up to "NFS: Hot Pursuit 2" goes through its racing, style, licensing and online motions with a mechanical predictability that wasn’t present in either "Burnout 2" or "Midnight Club II." It’s still a top-notch arcade racer, but there’s definite room for both improvement.

It's still an atmospheric, disturbing, good-looking and scary-as-heck ride, but one too similar to what came before it to stand out from the trilogy.

The control system may be so new and fun that it's masking some of the game's problems. If so, then so be it for now because all we can do is love hitting this way.

If your a hardcore Konami fan you just might like what's here, especially the cool online play.

A visceral and exceptionally well-done PS2 FPS that gets by as long as you haven't played it online.

Gameplay aside, Mercenaries is loaded with tons of unlockables such as the ability to play as Indiana Jones, as well as opening up new vehicles and weapons (like the portable airstrike). Now how cool is that?

A complete package that includes a convincing storyline, likeable characters, solid action, some of the best control ever and voice acting as icing on the cake.

HHB 2003 has it all. Good looks, great presentation, solid AI, fun unique game modes and plenty of style.

Fun but frustrating at the same time and only a few steps from being brilliant, Maximo is a must play.

The greatest Boxing game on the PS period!

The audience of "Jerry Springer" is right: we love lesbians!

The addition of the style system, a concrete storyline and a slick new arsenal of moves makes this entry arguably the best in the series so far. However, don't be mistaken, Devil May Cry 3 is hard as hell.

It’s worth the cash only if you’re an FPS junkie without access to a Nintendo 64 or XBox, where “Perfect Dark” and “Halo” provide everything that Red Faction II clumsily attempts to incorporate.

Incredibly fun physics which give you the feeling of actually riding on a waterbased vehicle.

It’s hard to imagine how the single-player Ace Combat experience could get any better than in The Unsung War.

In the end yours truly would rather park his limited NASCAR interest in Tiburon’s garage than Monster Games'.

Even someone like me, a NASCAR illiterate, has to profess amazement at how much fun running around in circles trying to beat 43 other drivers can be.

With tons of unlockable content, a unique cooperative play mode, a behind the scenes look at the making of the game, an excluisve music video from the band COLD, and an overall gameplay experience that will keep you coming back for more... what's not to love?

Slick interface, colorful graphics that display cool characters/shapes/colors and the best control interface ever conceived for a music game make this $30 PSOne the definite 32-bit representative of Konami’s perpetual cash cow. [12/31/02]

If it were just a little less linear, a little bit longer and a little less unforgiving in some of its latter stumpers (lots of 'littles' for a game trying to compensate for its lack of... well, you know!)

This is by far the BEST. BOND. GAME. EVER. And I say that without a doubt in my mind.

solid game that will get it's deserved audience and hopefully become the blockbuster the Dreamcast kept it from being. Hunt on zombie killer!

What Midway has done so well is to clearly give the gamer arrows and clear circles to help define each goal. Although you can really fly through the levels at top speeds, these help indicators really keep the game moving at a fun pace without making things frustrating.

There’s not much here that will entice replayability once the game’s numerous secrets have been uncovered.

Daxter's shtick notwithstanding (he hasn't made me laugh since the middle of last year's adventure) Jak 3 stands tall and proud as a testament of what polished gameplay and cutting-edge graphics can do when the host system's Emotion Engine is maximized.

The ill-advised addition of needlessly graphic displays of violence, backtracking galore and contemporary music/voices take attention away from Warrior Within's excellent new combat maneuvers, still-outstanding environmental puzzles and lengthier quest. The PS2 version is also saddled with periodic bouts of slowdown and no online support whatsoever (sigh!).

The best tennis game ever to appear on a Sony system...Add online support next year Sega, and you've got yourself a killer-app.

This classic next-generation action experience overflows with class and attention to detail, welcoming 80’s veterans and young newcomers into its pseudo-intellectual (!) interpretation of classic Greek motifs and 3D action platforming.

Control is dead-on perfect, and the gameplay is so polished and fun that it compensates for the somewhat lackluster graphics/sounds and the absence of customizable options.

A steady stream of competent enhancements (especially online) and a return to the original franchise’s goal-based gameplay a fresh experience does not make. Story mode is just plain dumb, and the art design has been needlessly changed for the worse.

This is about as good as most fighters, but it's basketball and it's online too!

Deeper-than-a-Bible-sermon battle commands, philosophical in nature, cinematic by choice and at times infuriatingly self-absorbed (non-interactive 45 min. cutscenes??!!), Monolith Software’s first chapter in what will be a multi-chapter episodic RPG arc has to be admired, reviled and thoroughly experienced from start to finish.

The demonic and fittingly adult storyline goes hand in hand with the updated and modernized look, it's almost as if a Clive Barker movie went RPG.

Live 2003’s identity crisis and average-at-best graphics are inexcusable. It belongs next to “ShootOut 2003” in the rental bin while “NBA 2K3” spins happily ever after.

Though expensive and gimmicky because of its headset peripheral Karaoke Revolution’s pitch/length interface is forgiving enough (depending on the selected difficulty) to let even those of us cursed with shitty voices get into the virtual act and carry a tune.

It's pure FIFA, American style the way I've come to know and love it. Go Burn!

Easily the best NCAA basketball game in ages.

Probably more fun than any other game released in the last half of 2002.

Not to mention, cheap AI, stiff controls, the "I can be beaten in a weekend" story mode, and an overload of psuedo-censored rap music hold this wrestler disguised as a street brawler back from being truly great.

Fast, slick, pretty and still fun despite only being related to the original “WipeOut” series by name, “Fusion” is as good as off-line futuristic racing can feel and play on the PS2 right now.

While I still prefer "Vandal Hearts," this is still the best turn based strategy game on the market.

It may not have the cult personality of the "Dance Dance Revolution" series but it definitely has hooks that are capturing.

The best F1 racer currently available on the PS2. If you’re an F1 nut, we whole heartedly recommend it.

Playing this is the closest videogames have come to perfectly re-enacting the mind duel between pitcher and batter.

Delivers fast-paced combat, platform leaping action, and a decent story to boot. With all this fun, and a forty dollar price tag, you simply can't go wrong.

The intuitive IsoMotion controls, top-notch visuals and dead-on college basketball atmosphere are just better at capturing the spirit of March Madness than the EA Sports game that utilizes that name.

Fans will love its cruelty toward the good guys, but newcomers will want to rent to see if its reliance on "Tomba"-like skill collecting and fishing carry it over its rough spots.

It's meant for those players that can achieve a perfect rating in "Dance Dance Revolution" and are still hungry for more hand-eye coordinated punishment after working out a sweat.

It allows anyone to be a kid all over again and create some imaginary world where everything is to your liking, the place where you would really like to go and have fun.

Mirra stands as the best BMX game on the market.

Cel shading has never been as underplayed and better used in a PS2 game as in this one, and even the English dub and J-pop tunes fit like a glove with The 2nd Runner's anime-inspired universe.

It features one mother of an expanded Create-a-Wrestler mode, a deep Season mode and almost as many gameplay modes as there are wrestlers.

Hard as hell, scored like an epic sci-fi movie soundtrack, tighter control than Billy Joel’s car and more gorgeous than a dozen Victoria’s Secret models put together; Gradius V is a real man’s shooter (sorry ladies).

One of the best action strategy games I have ever played.

The charm of being original is worn off leaving us with more of the same. ATV Offroad 2 is enjoyable but not really much of a change.

I can’t emphasize enough how imperative it is for this game to be played with fellow human beings, since the boring layout of its virtual land and questionable (i.e. retarded at times) artificial intelligence work against the replayability of its single-player modes.