And then there's Xbox Live play, which functions shockingly well under any circumstances. The game has singlehandedly shown the console world online fighting games need not be plageud with lag of the likes seen in "Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO." [Sept 2004, p.96]

Despite its additions to the canon, Lords comes up short. It's not a farce by any means. It's just less forceful than expected, love's equivalent of perhaps a shot in the shins. [Feb 2005, p.98]

The game achieves excellence through realism, feel, and transparent interface. [Mar 2004, p.88]

If you're looking for a flawlessly executed version of one of the coolest motor sports on earth, this is well worth checking out. [Feb/Mar 2003, p.85]

Pound for pound, it's gritty play - and experience points - propel NHL 2004 to a hard-fought win [over "ESPN NHL Hockey"]. [Oct/Nov 2003, p.97]

If there's ever been a better basketball videogame than NBA Live 2004, it resides on the Planet Degloop, yet unavailable for human pleasure. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.84]

The most impressive element of the game is its level design: The enormous locales allow for hours of exploration and trickery. [Fall 2002, p.119]

If realism is the ultimate goal of the game maker, then World Series Baseball is the Mona Lisa of games. [June 2002, p.84]

The game's impeccable control blends arcade sensibilities and simulation accuracy into a smooth, silky cream. [Jan 2002, p.87]

Fable both soars and sinks. It's wondrous and wearisome, a great step forward in the development of heroes in RPGs and a tremendous stumble over its own two feet. And in the rising and falling, it finds itself. [Oct 2004, p.88]

The game's biggest asset is its viscerally thrilling slam dunk contest...The arcadelike nature of dunking makes it an addictive element in an already solid title. [Nov 2004, p.98]

The on-foot play mechanic and the expanded story mode stand as the game's weakest elements. [Mar 2004, p.85]

One kick-ass game. If you're a fan of NASCAR racing, you've never had it so good on a home console. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.97]

It's dense and intimidating, and it demands practice; give it time, and button-mashing will no longer seem relevant in boxing games.

The first thing you're going to notice about this game is how unbelievably gorgeous it is. [Dec 2004, p.94]

Overwroght melodrama and third-person-persepctive gunplay make for an excellent mix. [Mar 2004, p.81]

If you have an active imagination, you might want to avoid this game. You can play it if you want, just don't plan on getting any restful sleep. [Dec 2004, p.83]

On the strength of its online options, Wolfenstein's multiplayer is on par with the best on the Xbox. [June-July 2003, p.86]

With only a couple of exceptions, every assignment can be tackled in a dozen different ways. [Winter 2002, p.100]

Gorgeous to behold, boasting dynamic lights, shadows, and interactive environments, making it relatively easy to suspend disbelief. [Mar 2004, p.64]

The game provides a unique feeling of authenticity and a depth of gameplay to a genre all but buried in a glut of car-based racers. [Summer 2002, p.93]

Car handling and physics are spot-on, and real-time damage has been enhanced to the point where you wince every time you hit a rock or other obstacle, as the dents and dings rack up.

Everything – even the most innocuous thing in SH2 is scary. Want to read a note on the wall? It’s written in scratchy, scary letters. Even the doors are scary looking. [Jan 2002, p.92]

A glorified mission pack... [but i]ts flawed but compelling single-player and addictive, feature-packed multiplayer component (both online and now offline co-op) guide this Arrow directly to its mark. [Aug 2004, p.78]

Basically an all-you-can-kill, hack-and-slash buffet from start to finish. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.82]

Although it's by no means a cakewalk, Ghost's single-player campaign works as sort of a live fire exercise for the real deal on Xbox Live. [Winter 2002, p.101]

While "NBA 2K3" is a tighter (and perhaps better) game from top to bottom, it doesn't have the same energy, rabid fanbase, or guts as NCAA. [Feb/Mar 2003, p.86]

The rush and stress of sprinting both teams from cover to cover in the midst of this chaotic bombardment, knowing that any random high-pitched streak or painted contrail could take out half your team in an instant, is unprecedented in military games to date. [Aug 2004, p.85]