Def Jam Vendetta makes its strange combination of license and genre work well. It is a wrestling game done right and a must play for any fan of the scripted sport.

The background graphics, however, ruin the overall effect. The backgrounds, while using very moderate levels of cel-shading, simply don’t look congruent to the car’s graphics.

A gaming triumph and a prime example of the reason we play games in the first place. It instilled in me a sense of awe and wonder with a game I honestly haven't felt in the series since A Link to the Past first hit the Super Nintendo.

Easily the best soccer game I’ve ever played.

With an enchanting soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, exciting turn based combat, and 80 hours of gameplay, there is a lot to like about this RPG.

This is just the kind of flatly tepid, uninspired, marketing department driven pablum I was afraid Microsoft would make upon entering the console wars.

It’s pretty much a given that beating up Nazis is inherently fun, but the developers threw in some truly entertaining wrinkles into the combat to make the Nazi-bashing especially enticing.

The biggest problems with online play are the surprisingly frequent poor losers who will abandon a game at the last second to keep you from being credited with a win.

Beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous. A heart stopping, melt-in-your-pants looker. High resolution sprites and meticulously animated everything combine to make one hell of an enjoyable visual mess.

The story is only average for a RPG (make that above average if you love the air pirates setting), the combat system is mildly interesting but lacks much in the way of depth and the presentation is a bit dated.

This could be the best looking console game yet... Sadly for fans of the sport, the beach volleyball gameplay is just plain lacking.

The efforts put into the acting and story deserve a game with better graphics, less glitches, and more refined gameplay.

With the recent release of the online Sims for the PC, the PS2 port seems to fall short of greatness. Especially when you add in the slowdown issues and repetitive gameplay.

Nearly everything in the game can be beaten down, picked up, thrown or in some way interacted with, and to see the effect this has on a sprawling downtown metropolis is simply breathtaking.

I shudder to think of what it looks like on HDTV... The gorgeous presentation here will likely win all the critical accolades, but there is a tricky genius to Orta's gameplay as well.

A standard expansion pack and nothing more.

In this game a good offense is your best defense-attacking indiscriminately is simply more effective than trying to use the clumsy block button. There is a target button similar to Zelda and Soul Reaver, but the difficulty in selectively targeting a particular enemy is troubling.

The action is heated enough to hold your attention and the cool touches like a fantastic damage engine make it all worthwhile.

It sounds great, as all Star Wars games do, but the graphics are bland at best and nauseating at worst, and the action is a redundant mess of blaster fire and jumping puzzles.

It still has some issues that need addressing for 2K4, but even a flawed NHL 2K3 is leagues better than EA Sports' latest.

It's still not a very deep gaming experience, but this latest installment is clearly the best since "Mortal Kombat 2," and arguably the best yet.

While not perfect, Haven: Call of the King works on many levels—as a platformer, as vehicular racing title, as a centerpiece for fine soundtrack work.

Now that Splinter Cell has arrived all other stealth-based titles should hang their head in shame.

The first person controls work well for the most part, but we just can't ignore a few control issues that crop up at the worst possible time.

A great game... [but y]ou'll need to ask yourself if your attention span can tolerate a game requiring planning and strategy with sporadic action as the payoff.

The control and missions revolve around simply blowing things up, but after the novelty of reducing everything to a cinder fades, what players are left with is an average shooter.

Although the Japanese influenced gameplay is engaging at first, countless deathmatch battles and only three arenas hurt the overall appeal.

Essentially the game takes the original premise, adds a few minor twists, and slaps some mediocre next-generation 3D graphics onto the product.

It gives players a large variety of options for both online and offline play and provides hours of gameplay with two long quests, numerous side-quests and several multiplayer modes. [Import]

Although Sub Rebellion isn't the best-looking game on the block, it is still a lot of fun to play. Huge bosses have numerous targets to destroy and the action can get intense.

The only big complaint to level against Godzilla is that it's a bit too simple...Call some friends over and have a blast with the multiplayer mayhem, but don't expect to be glued to the controller after they leave.

Instead of going back and fine-tuning the game's fundamentals, the developers let the broken stuff stay broken and added in some cheap new bells and whistles.

Full of strategy, tactics, bullets, and explosions, this title is a fun diversion from current squad-based shooters.

Robotech will likely give all players a buzz with the incredible visuals, but ultimately the repetitive play and unrewarding control scheme will leave them wanting more.

A choppy framerate and a low resolution display (for those of us who haven't yet upgraded to HDTV) keep UC from matching its PC counterpart.

Sure, the great graphics and sound and the bonus Tekken Force mode are all good selling points, but the biggest reason to pick up Tekken 4 is that the gameplay not only lives up to the fine presentation; it surpasses it. [Import]

While it may get 10 out of 10 for style, this title is plagued by clunky controls and a rather short shelf life. [Import]

Almost every individual aspect of the game except for the camera is well executed, but the two key components of the title still don't go seem to belong together.

A very solid and entertainingly violent approximation of hockey that has its weak points (sound, fighting) but overall hits the spot just right.

Although the handling is solid, and the visuals sport some cool effects, the inclusion of only 12 tracks does serious damage to the lasting appeal.

An interesting concept marred by a poor save system, lackluster visuals, a frustrating time system, and slow-as-molasses gameplay.

Clever, challenging, unique and packed with things to do. In short, it's what every game should be. Problems with the camera and some potentially maddeningly frustrating points are all that holds it back from perfection.

Every aspect of the game works tightly in conjunction, delivering an enormous amount of gaming.

An intelligent action title that injects some strategy into the usually mindless action genre. Although the graphics are unremarkable, and the difficulty can be unfair, the gameplay has a lot to offer.

There's a nice added tweak in the Head Coach mode...but other than that there are zero improvements on the already deeply flawed GameDay 2003.

It's replete with an array of entertaining modes, it suffers from average graphics and sorely unbalanced gameplay.

The ESPN presence makes the biggest difference...surprisingly, something as small as that goes a long way toward sucking you into the game.

Another mediocre 989 Sports title that just doesn't measure up to its stiff competition.

A game that not only looks and plays better, but also fully realizes the dream of anyone looking to fully manage their own professional team.

With a dismal defensive effort, an occasionally confused bump-mapping system, and unrealistic gameplay physics, Street Hoops puts up a hard brick.

Essential fun and surprising depth combine to make this one of the best party games on the Xbox.

Armchair quarterbacks will find plenty to like here, from the extremely deep, almost sim-like gameplay to the ability to develop a custom playbook, to the new mini-camp, which lets you unlock hidden features and teams as you play.

The multiplayer action and graphics are solid, but insanely repetitive gameplay, sluggish controls, and an impractical utilization of unlockable items handicap the title.

While the gameplay isn't quite as solid as NFL 2K3's, it almost makes up for that with its thoroughly college atmosphere.

The action is solid enough and there's plenty of challenge to keep you busy for a while, but key features of the game were scrapped entirely, and what's present at all is still buggy and unfinished.

NCAA Football, usually regarded as the redheaded stepchild of the sports world, has finally come into its own this year with refined gameplay and jaw dropping graphics to match.

In the form of fine visuals and interesting gameplay, it has some redeeming qualities. It doesn't have the depth or character designs to make it a memorable fighting title.

If you're a gamer with a decent amount of patience and perseverance, Stuntman can definitely be a fun and rewarding experience. It's also rather different from just about any other game out there.

A unique title with controls too complex for an arcade title and action too ridiculous for a simulation.

This marriage of baseball and extreme attitude should be annulled.

What Eternal Darkness might lack in top-notch graphics it more than makes up for with fantastic gameplay and spine-chilling atmosphere.

The action is solid, the presentation is average with flashes of brilliance, and the story surrounding it is alternately fascinating and flat.

Full of unrealized potential and will likely be quickly forgotten as new games succeed where this game failed.

Outlaw Golf's attitude lies solely in presentation, and while some may initially be turned off by the title's seemingly juvenile humor, the game's personality quickly grows on the player.

The only facet of the game that even comes close to satisfying is the abundance of match types.

Character designs are notably generic and boxy. Animation is quite stiff and the sluggish framerate does nothing to help matters. On the plus side, the environments are absolutely massive, and exhibit plenty of variety, creating a cohesive and believable alternate universe.

An appropriately nasty, brutish and short-lived game.

Thanks to a ludicrous save scheme, once you start, you had better not stop until you reach the end.

The most competent Tony Hawk mimic yet.

The gameplay is easy to learn, the graphics are adequate, and the team management system rivals those available in better soccer titles. It's too bad that it's bogged down by dull and restrictive controls on the field.

WSB for the Xbox feels much more like an upgrade than a complete overhaul...This game is easily the best baseball game on the market, but as fans of the genre know, that's not really saying much.

A surprising good dancing game, featuring excellent graphics and motion-capture work.

Unfortunately, this version of Capcom's seminal survival horror title doesn't play as good as it looks. As a matter of fact, it plays a whole heck of a lot like the original Resident Evil.

Simply too great a package for any RPG lover to be without.

A unique title with controls too complex for an arcade title and action too ridiculous for a simulation.

Questionable camera controls, choppy graphics and sometimes frustrating gameplay are all but forgiven in the context of the rest of the game’s charms.

Questionable gameplay and graphics undermine the witty and unique style of this quirky ‘60s spy FPS.

Questionable camera controls and sometimes frustrating gameplay are all but forgiven in the context of the rest of the game's charms.

The repetitive action, repetitive action, bland graphics and most of all the repetitive action will numb you as you play.

A variety of cool weapons and powerups combined with intense aerial battles go a long way to compensate for the graphics.

Put simply, BRPF thrives on button mashing. For those unfamiliar with the term, this means that even the most skilled player can fall victim to a first-timer's frenzied and haphazard button presses.

A problem-solving mission structure that rewards the player for lateral thinking, as well as an immersive world and a great story. I'm not sure if it'll win Game of the Year this time around, but it definitely deserves to be in the running.

Gamers willing to stick it out will be rewarded with a lengthy quest and plenty of challenge, but King's Field: The Ancient City is unlikely to create many new converts.

The gameplay just can’t measure up to the excellent graphics. Each of the huge levels become tedious due to no-brainer puzzles and a poor combat system.

It’s like Tetris, only with... No, wait. It’s just Tetris.

Because it demands a lot of precision during play, sometimes the fun gets lost in the shuffle.

I predict that diehards will cherish this game for ages. Unfortunately novice players will get frustrated after the love affair with the graphics ends and the real challenges begin.

It’s as though Wow Entertainment couldn’t decide whether it wanted the game to be a sim or an arcade-style title. It ends up borrowing elements from both sub-genres, and as a result is decidedly average.

Attention to detail is the name of the game. Despite the over-the-top premise, this is one of the richest titles released in sometime.

The game features the absolute best training mode ever made for a fighting game.

A really fun game with great music, solid graphics, and a good degree of difficulty, but its very basic gameplay and lack of options doesn’t give it a whole lot of staying power.

While containing a wealth of songs to master and many bonus games to unlock, the relatively difficult control mechanics may hamper its appeal.

A top-notch golf game perfect for anyone looking to make some digital divots.

Skill may be virtually impossible to develop in TP2002. The batting interface is so basic it’s nearly laughable.

Imaginative tracks, cool tricks, a real sense of speed, and loads of unlockable stuff all add up to a racing experience that is not to be missed.

The added force powers are handy, but they don’t dramatically change the way the game is played.

Pretty soon you realize that the reason you're so impatient to get out of the levels is because you're just not having fun. And that's when you're done playing for good.

With gameplay as shallow as this, you’d expect it all to work smoothly. Unfortunately, it doesn't.