A huge improvement from NBA Live 2002, bringing back the enjoyment that had been missing before. Obviously the FreeStyle Control has a huge role in this revival.

It's the best-looking NASCAR racer on any of the next generation consoles...The AI is solid most of the time, but there are instances where you get clipped for no known reason.

The selection of courses is excellent, and the outdoor Enduro environments are packed with tons of thrills and secret locations.

If you can handle the twitchy racing style of the expert mode, the tuning options are numerous. The game features a good damage model, and the support of the Logitech force feedback wheel adds to the realism of the game.

MLB 2K5 is not the best baseball video game on the market, but that does not mean its bad. The presentation, graphics, and audio, as well as improvements in the online mode help overcome the game's weaknesses.

I just wish that the details of NH were as good as the foundational components such as the physics and graphics engines. The yellow flag bug will ruin a great offline race.

The gameplay really hampers the overall score of the game and probably prevents it from achieving what it is capable of.

Essentially "SSX" on dirt with a couple of obvious and notable gameplay differences, plus more adrenaline and attitude.

While the stronger features like the new pitcher/batter interface are outstanding, I'm not sold that this is the king of the mound. The major problem is with the defense, and I think defense wins championships.

The game is virtually a carbon copy of the PSX version. However, the AI and control was tweaked just a wee bit in the positive direction.

One of the best action-sports titles available, rivaling the great Tony Hawk series. Granted, the audio-visual presentation could have been better, and many bugs and glitches were left intact.

While it's merely decent as a single-player game, it absolutely shines when played with friends. Regrettably, EA has once again denied Xbox owners online play, preventing the game from reaching its full potential on the Xbox.

BBCF has made an excellent debut, bringing a game that blends a deep recruiting engine with an unparalleled breadth of team playcalling control.

Without a doubt one of the best console racing games I have played in the past few years and deserves to mentioned in the same with the likes of "Gran Turismo," "Ridge Racer" and "Sega GT."

If you can get past some of the sloppy control and strong defensive qualities of the game (including a too-effective poke check), you'll find a game completely opposite all other arcade based titles on the market.

The AI, which is the weak point in this game, can be a bit cheeky at times and will often wreak havoc on the course. If you can manage the AI, you'll find a game with plenty of passing and quality racing.

It is the best handheld baseball game I have played. This is due in large part to the easy pickup and play nature of the game.

Whereas most types of gamers are likely to enjoy "SSX 3," only those with an interest in snowboarding will fully appreciate Amped 2.

It's time to forgive Acclaim for the sins of "QB Club." Vanishing Point makes forgiveness easy. This is one dandy racer.

The best modern F1 racing sim to date.

It fails to fully address some of the graphical problems in the game, but it does improve the depth of this single player only title.

Like many of the also-rans, it failed primarily to the questionable secondary AI. There are some bright spots in the game.

As the parity of sports games increases (almost all games have the same game modes and similar solid graphics), the difference comes in the A.I., and this is the one area where ESPN truly shines. This is my pick for the strongest PS2 baseball game on the market for this 2004 season.

The sound package continues to be exceptional in this series. But the camera work is atrocious. There's simply no good camera in the game.

Online play is definitely the main selling point of MTX: Mototrax and what sets it apart from other motocross titles. Other than that, though, the game does not deliver anything terribly new or innovative.

While it lacks freshness, a combination of colorful graphics and realistic ball physics gives it broad appeal.

With a graphics overhaul (989 Sports: think louder and brighter with your color scheme) and more forgiving gameplay, MLB could be comparable to High Heat Baseball in its depth.

Unfortunately, the game lacks significant depth and as such doesn't grab your attention for extended periods. The difficulty takes a giant leap near the end and may frustrate gamers more than endear them.

The 43-car field in the Xbox version compared to 25-car field in the PS2 version is by far what makes the Xbox game better.

Although the AI isn't very good, the game still plays fine. Blitz 2k1 is so entertaining it becomes easy to overlook some of the downfalls.

The game becomes nothing more than a button masher.

EA Sports is headed in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Despite the lacking legacy mode of the game and some issues in the running game, NCAA 2K2 is an incredibly fun play.

Personally, the game started out enjoyable and still is, but I have a feeling I will start to get frustarted with the rebounding and missing short shots too often in the near future.

It really is a shame that Midway and Black Box included such blatant computer assist since it ruins the longevity of what would otherwise be a solid game.

Overall, even despite some of its shortcomings, this game is a good enough improvement over last year's game to warrant a purchase.

A modest improvement over the previous title, but it's still lacking as a single-player game.

ASB04 has made some very good strides on the graphics side, but I have to admit that, for me, the hitting is still too much of a chore.

The recruiting systems are addicting and there is enough glitz and glamour to establish a college environment. The gameplay, in both of EA's college games, needs some more work, especially with A.I.

It is fun. I looked forward to each game I played and enjoyed every minute of it.

Newcomers to the Tony Hawk series will receive the most enjoyment and challenge from THPS2x, but fans of the series may want to take a brief trip down memory lane, courtesy of the Xbox.

No question about it, Amped is the most addictive snowboarding title on the market today for any system.

If this game had come out 4 years ago, it may have been worth purchasing. It's in desperate need of a patch to fix the controller and menu issues.

If you liked Fifa 2001 then I'm sure you'll like this year's incarnation; however, those who've found the Fifa series disappointing in recent times should steer well clear.

A new, non-Fifa (i.e. non-totally crap) soccer experience for North American soccer fans and, as I said before, it's not a horrible game - on the lower difficulty levels it's reasonably fun and it also has a ton of teams and competitions.

This game takes the Steve Spurrier/Mike Martz offensive philosophy - PASS, PASS, and PASS again - and mixes it with a lethal combination of steroids and fire in order to give the most barbaric fan what they want.

The graphics are clean, but camera flaws ruin the fielding in the game.

Unlike other racing games that offer the same type of race mode over and over again, Demolition Racer offers a collection of modes that will keep you interested and busy.

If it weren't for the remarkable performance of the play-by-play duo this score would be much lower. If you can somehow master the entire manual switching and controlling, Slugfest might be a fun game. I just can't get over how frustrating the game was.

Assigning a final overall score for this game is quite difficult. A score of 78 seems low for a game that is easily one of the best sports games on the PS2.

A decent game that makes you crave more. More AI riders, more options, more depth. If it had these things it would be a must-buy title.

The gameplay is solid, despite the Pro Tour mode's complete lack of originality.

A very challenging game with the computer constantly hitting clutch shots when the game is on the line.

The game becomes nothing more than a button masher.

If they fix most of what's wrong above, I'd estimate the actual Overall score would increase to somewhere in the 94-97 range. The game is THAT good and, unfortunately, THAT buggy.

Apart from having cool flatland tricks and an interesting road-trip theme, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 is rather stale.

Suffers from a poor control scheme and sketchy fielding. This arcade title lacks the depth of simulation-based baseball games and ultimately strikes out.

Clearly the first impression High Heat makes is one of an ugly girl. It's ugly. Real ugly. But once you get into the game you'll uncover a pretty good baseball game.

Too many quirks in the AI to be considered an accurate simulation of basketball. However, NBA Live 2002 does give you an enjoyable multiplayer game with friends.

DICE has done a respectable job of transferring the Midtown Madness experience to the Xbox.

Apart from having cool flatland tricks and an interesting road-trip theme, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 is rather stale.

NHL 2005 does have many things going for it, but it just is not as good as "ESPN NHL 2K5." There are no glaring problems with EA's game, but it just was not as fun as it had the potential to be.

Fans of arcade style games, such as myself, will appreciate the game. Its gameplay is fun, and the graphics are wonderful.

VB may fall short in terms of graphics and options, but the bread-and-butter of any game, the gameplay, is outstanding. You won't find a better, more enjoyable boxing game than this.

"Swing Away Golf" may lack the visual realism and quick load times of TWPT2001, but it offers more bang for the buck, with crisper, more detailed graphics; more replay value; and ball physics that are about as accurate.

Lack of a decent replay, lack of injuries, the occasional quirky fielding, and squatty player models. But honestly EA and Treyarch have put forth a nice product, making several improvements over the PSX versions of the game. The implementation of the pressure-sensitive buttons adds a whole new dimension to the game.

A bare bones arcade basketball game short on simulation elements and long on minor flaws.

The atmosphere is there, but the game style, more so than a lack of animation or AI, is not correct.

The stereotypical supermodel would be a good way to describe this title. The first few moments spent with Wreckless will really impress, but once you start investigating a little you'll notice a lack of substance.

A game that does its license proud. It's the most complete boxing game to come out recently.

The overall gameplay feels almost unchanged from the previous NFL Fever games.

Well below average when compared to other all-text sports games. The interface is too multilateral, while there is a feeling that you have little impact on the simulated games.

While EA Sports' F1 title has better graphics, sound, and features, Formula One 2001's superior driving and racing model make it the PS2 F1 game of choice in my mind.

A truckload of fun to play and a must-buy for hardcore rugby union fans (who aren't exactly spoiled for choice in this genre). Casual fans of the sport may want to rent first, and see if they like the control scheme.

What's the difference between EA Sports' Fifa series and a dairy cow? A dairy cow is only milked for 3 years...

The cure for your sim racing obsessions -- smashing through junkyards and leaping over freight trains in a single bound will put a smile on even the most dedicated simulation junkie's face. It's not a great game, but you'll have a great time.

For me, I will stick with "Madden." "Gameday 2001" is still stuck in training camp.

Despite a small field of cars, NASCAR 2001 gives the virtual racer a sense of the thrill of NASCAR racing.

A game with so much potential, Supercross 2001 is ultimately disappointing, and hopefully EA Sports can fix the framerate and some of the other problems for the next incarnation.

The online capability is a step in the right direction, but I think the game needs a complete overhaul of its interface and feature list to once again recapture its spot on the top of the hill.

The new addition of the lengthy franchise mode along with the addicting create-a-player portion of the game certainly makes the game more enjoyable.

If you are looking for a football game that will entertain you for the long run, NFL Blitz is not a good choice, especially with games like "Madden 2001" out there.

Unfortunately, MS Golf 2001 Edition is marked more by what is missing from previous versions of the game than it is by anything new that has been added.

For a first year title, the learning curve is somewhat excusable, however, you have to draw the line at repeating those same mistakes the second time around.

It's not as user friendly as MVP, nor is it as realistic as ESPN. Still, it's a worthwhile purchase if you like simming games and take on the front office duties.

Besides a few cosmetic changes, nothing appears to have changed from last year's game. People buying MM2K1 who own MM2K are probably being suckered into purchasing a $40 roster patch.

While Shootout 2001 is not a bad game, it's not as good as "Live 2001" for the PSX.

Great graphics, boring commentary, good sound effects, good gameplay with a few major problems in the game play and ability to run online leagues. I would only suggest this game if you plan to play the game online if you can overlook some of the stuff I mentioned.

While the graphics hold up their end, the gameplay just isn't there for simulation fans to keep them satisfied for the long haul.

Hardcore racing fans might get a kick out of it, but the rest of the crowd would get content just beating it over a couple day rental.

The real gem of the post game is that as your player nears the basket, the AI team eventually double teams him. When it does, you find the open man for a mid- or long-range jumper. This is basketball 101, and I love it.

Acclaim's "Freestyle Motocross: McGrath vs. Pastrana" has a better freestyle mode, but the racing in CM2K1 is a lot more exciting and if I wanted to do spectacular tricks and stunts I'd just play "Dave Mirra" or "Tony Hawk 2."

The limited number of race modes and rudimentary career mode limit the replay value of the game. So while the game is fun, its fun is limited.

The AI flaws and problems with vehicle control bring the title down. The career mode is an interesting but not enough to maintain the title.

Incredible, and if you buy one live-action soccer game this year, make it either "ISS Pro Evolution" or ESPN MLS GameNight.

The lack of USB wheel support and no mirrors bring the ranking down significantly. Every time I gear up for a race I think of how much better this game could have been.

Although the game is lacking in the audio department, the game's depth is what makes it special. For die-hard Nascar fans, I would give two thumbs up in buying this title.

One of the neatest extreme sports games I have played; sadly, it is also one of the most stale, gameplay-wise.