Great speed, perfect control, gorgeous/detailed visuals, plenty of licensed cars, well-designed locations, customization options galore and a menu/option interface to die for easily make V-Rally 3 the best rally game of 2002.

Though not as polished or fun as “Spy Hunter,” Defender”will entertain middle-aged men/women that grew-up with the original coin-op as much as younger gamers open-minded enough to give this 3D remake a shot.

What it lacks in flash, longevity and accuracy to the “Contra” universe (no weapon pick-ups??!!) Shattered Soldier compensates for with old-fashioned, thumb-blistering, bang-your-head-against-the-wall hard shooting antics of the 2D and 2.5D variety.

Only its short length (a meager 7-8 hours) and lack of multiplayer support keeps The Two Towers from overtaking Koei’s “Dynasty Warriors 3” as the system’s best mindless hack-and-slash action/adventure.

Too bad the ultra-colorful saccharine graphics, marching band music, lack of difficulty and three-click arcade set-up reduce Disney Golf’s appeal for those of us that were never enchanted by the Magic Kingdom.

A solid fighter that just can't quite climb up to what "Tekken" and "VF" have offered.

Worth the forty bucks IF “Legaia 2” or “Suikoden III” left you hungry for more.

Shame that the outdated graphics, effective-but-simplistic (i.e. recycled) sound effects and still-awkward Dual Shock 2 control relegate Silent Scope 3 to the realm of rental material.

Lacks the longevity, punch, fun factor (grows too boring and repetitive way too fast) and replayability that separates the best free-roaming hack-and-slash games from the rest.

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.

One boring, predictable and by-the-numbers attempt to cash-in on the popularity of Peter Jackson’s movies.

It may grow a bit tired deeper into the game but the formula works well.

Proves that quick knockoffs suplemented by cheap tactics will usually result in mediocrity.

Offers mild bang for the buck.

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.

From its robust Franchise mode to its peerless graphics engine, and from the intimidating control options (I’m still finding new stuff to do as I write this!) to its mostly lag-free online playability, NBA 2K3 redefines and expands the genre to new heights.

Whether it be blasting gun-toting monkeys or zombified idiots, Timesplitters 2 has awesome AI. I just cannot say enough about how well done the enemies are in the game.

Though its graphics aren't as pretty as "Burnout 2's," HP2 delivers the goods: intense races, cool real-life cars being driven at law-breaking speeds, hundreds of virtual miles of terrain over which to race, a pumping soundtrack.

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

Only hardcore fanboys (and girls) of the 32-bit prequel are likely to be impressed-enough with the battle pyrotechnics to overlook the outdated engine and other negative aspects of its game design.

If you liked “NHL 2002” then NHL 2003 is almost the exact same game.

A Grandia worth playing, it just fails to reach that level of Square.

The dead-average quality of Desert Storm’s gameplay doesn’t help make the cause for realistic-to-a-fault military sims any easier to abdicate.

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.

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.

ShootOut 2003's outdated graphics, mediocre controls and workmanlike gameplay have some merits as companions on a road trip spinning in a PSOne w/LCD Screen. $29.99 is a bit steep a price to pay for a roster update though.

If you purchase/rent “Run Like Hell” fully aware of its quirks (repetitive gameplay, iffy control, passable-but-not-extraordinary visuals) then some fun can be had with its “Aliens”-meets-“The Predator” shooting antics and awesome Dolby Pro Logic II-coded sounds/voice-overs.

It’s a FUN and tight-controlling sim, whose full impact is held back by the awkward animation routines of the players on the court and the inane Waltonisms Mr. Bill gets away with uttering.

The plainness of its visuals, the flatness of its dialogue and the linearity of its gameplay, however, leave Shadow of Apokolips near the bottom of the PS2 superhero pack.

This Robotech virgin is sad to report that playing Battlecry without candy-colored nostalgia clouding one’s judgment will result in satisfying, but ultimately unfulfilling, mechanized shooter frustration.

The low asking price and endearing charm of the Rayman universe prevent this decent attempt at a story-less “Rayman 2” spinoff from completely bombing out

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 diamond in the rough... The dreadful Saturn-caliber graphics and crappy sounds are tolerable once the fun of exploring other character’s dreams (ala the 3D free-roaming portions of “NiGHTS”) is experienced.

Deep-enough to pass itself as a sim but accessible-enough to be considered arcadey, Bass Fishing Duel manages to walk the fine line between both without alienating either camp.

STILL a force to be reckoned with, it's just not the must have game of the year it has been in the past. Namco needs to focus heavily on "Soul Calibur 2" for a while and let Tekken take a vacation.

A prettier and slicker version of the same old “Myst” you’ve either loved/hated for close to a decade now.

Some of the directions, which are given to you via an arrow that points gamers in the direction of the next clue, can be too confusing for the younger gamers. Sometimes the arrow points to go right through a wall!

Continues to uphold Infogrames’ tradition of low-key but fun Looney Tunes videogames that do justice to the license.

If “PTO IV” and “ROTK VII” rock your boat then this is a must-own PS2 DVD.

There’s still room for a more user-friendly control scheme and fun virtual surfing experience to come down the pike.

A solid realistic arcade experience that has surpassed any of the other sports titles Midway touches.

Sounds are OK and some (repeat, SOME) of the graphics are decent, but Dawn of Fate isn’t worth the gas money disappointed customers will spend rushing back to the store to beg for a refund.

Playing Gungrave is like having great sex: an intense and thoroughly enjoyable experience while it lasts and you’re in the right state of mind (right B?). Unfortunately the experience isn’t too fulfilling and doesn’t last long-enough to justify paying $50 for it.

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 pleasant surprise that is faithful to the movie without compromising the game.

Gets brownie points for being curious and backing up that curiosity with a shoot-a-thon conventional-enough to be otherwise average-at-best.

It’s closer to a ‘65’ for those of us that don’t care about or follow the TV series’ characters or TV plots, but it lacks the polish and proper balance (the Zeon side is heavily favored) to merit receiving the ‘70’ we were thinking of bestowing upon it.

One of the best PS2 mech titles in the market today, one that stand head-and-shoulders above better-publicized competitors like TDK Mediactive’s “Robotech: Battlecry” and Bandai’s “Gundam: Federation Vs. Zeon."

Mindless action/adventure fare of the wrong and ill-conceived variety.

The very definition of ‘AVERAGE’ (which is what the number ‘5’ represents in our review scale), “Pac-Man Fever” neither diminishes or improves on the “Mario Party” formula set in stone back in ’99 by Hudson Soft.

Frame-rate and control issues are too overwhelming a couple of strikes for yours truly to overlook.

Oh well, at least the flawed PS2 ports of "Max Payne" and "Blood Omen 2" now have something else to point at that has just as much unfulfilled potential as they did when they were released.

Just doesn’t have the visual gloss or sounds to compare to "GT3: A-Spec," Namco’s "Moto GP 2" and a dozen other top-notch PS2 racers.

Worth playing only if you have time and are a diehard fan of the military strategy genre.

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

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.

Demands an almost religious knowledge of its source material to be fully enjoyed (in-jokes and quotes from the movie are spread throughout the game)...One heck of an action-packed, scary and violent videogame.

Too bad the flawed AI of the CPU opposition, choppy graphics and lack of customization keep it far below the excellence of EA's and Sega's PS2 college games.

If you own the Dreamcast version of this game consider yourself lucky and treasure it, because this PSOne port is an adequate but ugly and muffled-sounding facsimile of the genuine article.

Damn if it isn’t the most complete and up-to-date pigskin simulator $40 can buy. For traveling NFL fans with access to a portable PSOne this is a mandatory upgrade.

Not even at the reduced price of $25-30 should you waste your time and money on such a rehash.

There’s no other arcade sports title that comes even close to matching the fun a 2-4 player Blitz match can deliver.

As of right now (9/10/2002) there isn’t a better-playing and more rewarding NFL football videogame experience on the console market than this one, on or off the net. “Madden” is soaked in more gravy (AKA gameplay modes), but I’d take a stab of NFL 2K3’s stylish ESPN-soaked raw meat anyday, anytime, anywhere.

It’s also a pretty damn good piece of extreme sports interactive heaven, with sweet graphics and tight control at the service of one heck of a well-coded engine.

Not even the usefulness of ‘hot routes’ and a lean (but lonely) online mode can keep this horse from being dead last on a three-way race.

Madden 2003 is the best overall football game ever made, period...Denying it the perfect score it so richly deserves just because "NFL 2K3" comes soooo close to unseating it would be a crime.

A good-looking college football title that, despite being high on gameplay modes and playbook strategies, isn't quite as fine tuned to the sport it portrays as "NCAA Football 2003".

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.

Awesome combat and a beautiful set of landscapes to do it in put the beat ‘em up back on the road to recovery.

It can be really fun when the wonky camera and the troublesome lock-on control don’t get in the way, but once the ride’s over there’s no incentive to go back (i.e. no multiplayer mode).

Best college football game on PS2 this season? Hey, is the Pope catholic?

Stuart Little 2’s pleasant combination of smooth control, decent graphics, above-average FMV breaks and passable music/audio effects hits the mark for the target audience it’s intended for.

A poor-man’s 32-bit alternative to the fun Gundam antics recently unleashed on PS2’s the world over via “Federation Vs. Zeon.” It’s not a bad game per se as much as a generic and uninspired one.

Complex control schemes and generic (but well-integrated) military storyline cut-scenes aside, this game's a blast to play provided one is in a patient and forgiving-enough mood to forget momentarily about "Red Faction" or "Half-Life".

Just like its motion picture counterpart, MIB2 is a rehash of ideas and concepts from other media forms without an identity or personality of its own.

Midway’s first crack at the extreme sports genre has some of the biggest, best-designed and most challenging mini-worlds I’ve ever had the pleasure of cursing at while trying to link BMX tricks/stunts over them.

Much like the original "Legacy of Kain," this title's quest mode has a really cool, creepy story that kept me wanting to see more and more as I took my little demoness through.

I tried to warm-up to "ROTK VII" but, as soon as I finish this review, I'll do my darnest to forget it ever existed.

Solid action will pump you up and the storyline will keep you involved.

Not since "Baseball Stars" have I enjoyed an arcade Baseball game this much.

An arcadey boxing game that doesn’t measure-up to Midway’s years-old "Ready 2 Rumble Round 2."

An admirable, but ultimately misguided, attempt to try to do something more than a mindless rehash of the characters/settings from the movie on which its based.

A game I expected to match or exceed "Baldur's Gate" doesn't even come close.

Wastes its Lego license on a simple and kid-friendly soccer engine that offers zero appeal or incentive for anyone old-enough to watch “Scooby-Doo” reruns to come anywhere near it.

I had some fun playing among the incredible amounts of both confusion and boredom.

The first PS2 motocross game that can actually go head-to-head with Nintendo’s “Excitebike 64” and challenge its unquestioned supremacy in this videogame genre.

Points off for the annoying sound package and the use of cheap ‘rubber band’ CPU A.I. to keep the races competitive... A rewarding experience. Best EA Big title to date, hands down.

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.

Being the only 32-bit baseball title with up-to-date rosters, however, doesn’t mean a heck of a lot when everything else looks like the rehashed and barely-improved years-old product that this title actually is.

I enjoyed the control, graphics and missions designs but ultimately felt the game grew a bit repetitive.

Recommendable brain-dead fun provided those buying/renting it know what they’re getting themselves into: fictitious F1-like racing antics with believability and care thrown out the proverbial window.

Inspired sports lunacy of the highest order.

Devoid of the humanity and humor of its motion picture counterpart, the leads of Lilo & Stitch on PSOne might as well be item-collecting and enemy-hopping albino alligators or mentally-challenged snails.

It's a fun game that I enjoyed playing but it just doesn't bring anything new to the genre that make is memorable several years from now.

The very definition of interactive mediocrity: good while it lasts, but hardly worth remembering ten minutes after the game’s been shut off.

There is none of the user-friendliness and open-ended approach that made "Super Smash Bros." clone "Digimon Rumble Arena" such a pleasant experience.

A quality interactive representation of a legitimate fighting franchise, brought down only by its lack of gameplay modes, inconsequential audio and too-close-for-comfort similarity to its two-year old Dreamcast cousin.

Suffers from the duplicity of being designed as a mindless arcade shooter (the linear paths to solving a mission's objective being the biggest giveaway) while being curtailed by restrictions of control and ammunition limitations that seem designed for a simulation.