It's hard but fair, gorgeous to look at and pleasant to listen to (Enya-inspired soundtrack notwithstanding).

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

This is the very definition of 'niche' product, but one with enough gameplay depth (particularly betting on the outcome of races and creation of your own breed of champion horse) and visual splendor to make it worth a trip to the rental store.

The destruction-oriented Hulk levels, killer graphics, good audio and a wealth of bonus goodies, however, make "The Hulk" a blast to complete.

Graphics are decent for a licensed videogame (no clips from the movie though!), but the audio (including sound-alike actors doubling for the film's stars) is so generic and uninspired it hurts just to listen.

Everything the original should have been two years ago but wasn’t: intense, gritty, ultra-violent, stylish and a lot of fun to play through... ONCE!

NBA Live 2002 takes a step backwards in our minds with less of a focus on strict, simulation style play and too much emphasis on flashy, easy broad based play.

A PlayStation generation brought up on a steady diet of "Final Fantasy" RPG's might not be ready for a trip back to the days when an RPG dared its players NOT to get lost within the labyrinth of its dungeons.

The single player campaigns, while engaging, are somewhat lacking in cohesion.

Inspired sports lunacy of the highest order.

The new gameplay tweaks (which I personally dislike) and low retail price (under $30 if you know where to shop) go a long way to lessen the lack of improvement on the graphics and sounds.

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.

A schitzophrenic camera, irresponsive controls, and slow gameplay make Worms 3D nothing more than fishbait in this reviewer's eyes.

There's still nothing here that amazes, just a fun game that is worthy of a Potter fan's attention.

A good game in a genre that may have one foot in the grave. It isn't the most exciting, nor best shooter on the PlayStation but it does have some entertaining areas that might be enough to arise interest.

I hear "SSX" is great, and if you're not getting a PS2, I'd go with the immortal "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2." Skateboarding, snowboarding, same diff.

A looser and slightly more free-wheeling soccer experience than the so-sim-oriented-it-hurts "FIFA Soccer" PSP game.

One of the few PSX racers worth paying top dollar for these days if you love the sport (and don't have access to a Nintendo 64).

Konami’s handful of ideas to make driving sims better (VGS displays, Enthusia Life mode, etc.) are worth sampling despite a handful of odd decisions by the programmers (losing Enthu points to a rear end crasher??!!).

Not as bad as "4x4 Evo" but nowhere near as good as other off-road racers on PS2 (especially Angel Studio's own "Smuggler's Run").

A very good strategy game that could use some better animations and easier control.

The absence of the 2003 line-up of F1 racers/teams, needless ‘dumbing down’ of the prequel’s simulation aspects, average-at-best audio and superior PS2 product (namely Infogrames/Atari’s “Grad Prix Challenge”) bring Career Challenge’s worth down to rental status instead of must-own.

An entertaining but sporadically inept first-person shooter whose shortcomings (crummy frame-rate, lackluster AI, etc.) are slightly outweighed by the things it does get right (intense firefights, great atmosphere, good sound, etc.).

NAMCO is asking fifty bucks for the privilege of having our fingers sore and our pride hurt from playing a virtual masochist's dream come true.

Had Konami not chosen to foolishly peruse an automatic switching control scheme, "ESPN MLS Gamenight" could have snuck into the 'must have' category of a "Virtua Tennis" or a "Fox Soccer '99" (kidding!).

You don't want to spend your hard-earned (or however you get it... don't ask, don't tell, right?) cash on a game that's just "good," do you?

A wonderful mix of ironic humor, classic gameplay and gorgeous graphics.

Those turned off by the awkward controls and odd viewpoint won't like this one either but it's the only game where you can be this bad. Too bad that experience wears tiredly.

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".

Offers mild bang for the buck.

It's got control and stunt/trick issues to contend with as well as a disregard for real-life sim physics, but the European flavor of the racing antics in "MX Rider" are definitely worth sampling.

I found myself enjoying the game most when I would play in 30 minute or so span times. I would get to a place that would frustrate me, turn the game off and then come back later to progress.

From gameplay modes to bonus stuff and graphics, “IndyCar Series” is to the PS2 what “Flag 2 Flag” was to Dreamcast: a forgettable racing appetizer.

Talk about irritating! Keith Jackson spurts out the same few phrases his has over and over throughout the game.

Raw is exactly what the name implies, raw. The game is confusing, boring and frustrating.

The racing in NASCAR Thunder 2002 is solid, fun and deep. Racing a career almost feels like an RPG when you take on the role of NASCAR's most famous teams and drivers.

Zeke is a cool character and the gameplay is enjoyable enough for a good weekend of gameplay.

One tough mother through and through. It's a simpler, tighter, better-paced and more addictive old-school side-scroller adventure than 1997's "Symphony of the Night."

The game looks/sounds/controls remarkably well. Little children that saw the movie will be amused-enough to finish Shark Tale in a rental or two.

What we have here is a great engine and design screaming for some character and story help.

A very average game that is perhaps worth a weekend rental. There's too many other games that are more fun out now to give this game a better rating.

How to put it politely? The music in Silhouette Mirage is utter and insanely crappy j-pop tunes that got stuck in my head in the worst possible way (headache!), almost tempting me to switch the TV's split-screen to get access to the audio of an annoying high-pitch sound of a test pattern in progress.

Even with "Strider 1" as a bonus game, it shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours to complete both games, and there isn't much to make you want to play the games again.

This odd mixture of survival horror, atmospheric visuals, brain-dead puzzles and action clichés manages to come together despite itself, creating a PS2 exclusive that delivers more than the sum of its disparate parts.

The over complicated controls and bland level design ultimately eat away at the rest of the achievements.

From a silly laugh track sound effect playing back when Scoob & Shaggy get into (or out of) trouble to the sight of obviously rubber-suit monsters nearby, “Night of 100 Frights” delivers the sights, sounds and goofy things that made the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon such a timeless hit.

An acquired taste of mechanized action warfare that thrives on narrowcasting its offerings to the select few that buy every installment, Silent Line is ultimately more bark (i.e. rental worth) than bite (i.e. purchase consideration).

Too short, its puzzles are laughably easy, it's too expensive for the limited replay value it offers and it doesn't break any new ground for the survival horror genre.

If you already own “Crash Team Racing” for PSOne then don’t even bother to rent Crash Nitro Kart. Entire tracks (or large portions thereof) and the same quality graphics/controls/sounds from the 32-bit original have been shamelessly replicated on PS2 with the most minute and inconsequential of improvements.

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.

Packs enough personality and otaku-friendly sights/sounds to compensate somewhat for its mindless, button-mashing gameplay.

The improved graphics make this the best-looking DW installment to date. Too bad the tweaks to the time-tested gameplay (smarter bodyguards, more balanced weaponry, etc.) and handful of new gameplay modes (Bridge Melee) are beginning to show more desperation than innovation or creativity.

This so-called RPG (cough- cough-) will be of interest only to young children without GameCube's, RPG newbies or beyond-hope Mega Man fanatics that must own all Mega Man branded items.

If you are able to look past frustrating controls and a poor camera, the game is quite enjoyable. It’s also not one of those games that added a bunch of annoying sidequests to extend its length, and as a result, it can be beaten with a healthy weekend of gaming.

Packed with gorgeous sights, great music and a unique/challenging control scheme. But it's also short, very hard and grows repetitive rather fast.

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.

If you can handle the intense trial and error style of gameplay, you'll more than likely love Rise to Honor.

The atmosphere isn’t scary or dreadful enough to instill fear in players, and the brevity of the experience is only matched by its lack of originality.

Compare it to the user-friendly “FIFA 2004” and the overall-perfection of “Winning Eleven 7" though, and WTS ‘05 comes up way short.

Let's hope Traveller's Tales takes note with Crash 4 and helps all of us forget about Crash Bash.

The "Gran Turismo" of motorcycle sims on PlayStation. It's as simple as that

When the smoke clears, it's just another third-person action game.

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.

A confusing sport that at times is fun. Fans of the franchise who really get this game will likely be pleased while the rest of us simply scratch our heads.

Competent but unoriginal.

Misfires by not tweaking the A.I. and gameplay as much as the graphics or the simplified-to-perfection control.

You’ll also likely be mad and happy that Tecmo added much needed new stuff while also butchering some aspects of its predecessor that should have never been touched.

A nice new fighting type game that is unique and entertaining.

Aside from some moments of fun online, Monster Hunter is a pretty boring game that is at the bottom of Capcom's ability.

The bottom line is, if you liked "Shinobi" then you'll most likely love Nightshade. With more unlockables and selectable difficulty's than it's predecessor (and replay value as well), Nightshade is a good buy.

MegaMan X8's return-to-basics approach makes for predictable but reasonably entertaining gameplay antics IF you're a diehard fan of Capcom's series.

For better or for worse though, "Vengeance" relies on scripted and very linear, boring and predictable encounters with enemies/NPC's to move the game along by fists and kicks rather than thought.

One of the most enjoyable (and expensive!) guilty pleasures of 2003 so far, but one that falls short of its predecessor’s ahead-of-its-time greatness.

Compromises too much of what worked well with "XG3" (graphics and bike maneuverability) for its fans to welcome with open arms the new additions to the series' formula (improved weapon system, wilder-than-ever track design, Season mode, etc.).

Untold Legends’ lengthy single-player campaign and multiplayer options compensate somewhat for its underwhelming sound, forgettable story and mindless hack-and-slash gameplay.

Never has decimating hundreds of undead bad guys with a friend by your side and bad-ass weaponry at your disposal been so boring, dull and depressing.

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

Sure, there are other, better games out there, but for fifteen dollars, Gungrave: Overdose is just too good to pass up. If you like action games and love destruction, then grab this game, gear up, and get ready to overdose.

Don't let the wonky control, atrocious loading breaks and intended lack of direction keep you from renting one of the deepest, most rewarding and mature adventure games to come down the PS2 pike since Eidos' "Soul Reaver 2".

Besides basic online deathmatch options and a new set of PTO locales and situations for new recruit Joseph Griffin to step in and save the day, Rising Sun’s average visuals and linear-to-a-fault level design leave us just as cold as “Frontline” did a year ago.

A good racing game in need of a personality.

Technically-crippled, but inspired and amusing, dumb arcadey fun.

Simply put, Blood Omen 2 sucks (no pun intended) more than it awes, and goes awry with weak puzzles and action-adventure gameplay that doesn't feel as well put-together as Raziel's lesser challenges in the "Soul Reaver" universe.

A sports game on par with Crave's UFC-licensed fighting games. Konami's alternative fighting endeavor will be welcomed by gamers patient-enough to see past the K-1's awkward graphics/sounds and simplistic gameplay.

There’s some fun to be had with Koei’s latest watered-down thinking man’s game, just not as much (or as historically realistic a war scenario) as in “Romance of the Three Kingdoms VII” or “P.T.O. IV.”

Meant more for rental amusement than for full-price consumption.

A very amusing and well-designed first-person shooter that suffers from outdated graphics and an unfriendly control scheme, but also remains surprisingly engaging.

It flirts awfully close with being a mindless button-masher, but Budokai embraces its “Dragon Ball Z” license with a passion and eye for little details that’ll surely make hardcore fans of the series flip from joy.

Mystic Heroes is to “DW 2 & 3” what “Virtua Fighter Kids” is to “Virtua Fighter 2” and “Twisted Metal Small Brawl” is to “Twisted Metal Black”: a Super Deformed take on the same hack-and-slash 3D gameplay from its grown-up predecessor.

Exactly a remix. We are scoring the game the same as the new additions do not change the game's overall appeal. Both titles are equally well done but of course if you never played the first, then skip it and hit this one up.

Harmless and basic in both look and execution, Smash Cars lacks a hook compelling enough to make it standout when compared to already-discounted quality RC videogames like "Re-Volt" and "Stunt GP."

Every bit as good as the recent "Resident Evil Outbreak" game if not better in some ways.

Oh, my how the great have fallen...$50 for Parappa 2 is "highway robbery."

Why Capcom didn’t name this survival horror game "Clock Tower 4" is beyond me. Other than the reduced gore, single location and reliance on canine companion Hewie to save Fiona’s backside at every turn this is basically the same game.

Clever, but not nearly clever-enough to overcome the dull and boring predictability "Tsugunai" [exudes] as it unfolds at a maddenigly slow pace.

Take away the Quarterback Challenge mode and this game falls down into the hellish pit of inconsequentiality.

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

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.