A rare gem of a game, BOB is a beautiful, detailed, yet manageable recreation of the battle for the skies of Britain. Complex enough for dedicated simulation enthusiasts yet scaleable for the novice, this is one simulation done right.

The PS2 accentuates developer Polyphony Digital's extraordinary handling of lighting and textures -- sun rays sift through a tunnel of trees, exhaust fumes spew into the air, and cars glisten like the sweat on La Femme Nikita's brow.

I don't care how it was done, but the results are simply breathtaking.

Besides all of the cosmetic and mechanical embellishments, BreakAway also improved the competency of the artificial intelligence, making Waterloo one of the most challenging historical war games to come out in a very long time.

It offers more of everything you'd expect and then some -- gorgeous graphics, incredible animations, visceral sound effects, terrific cut scenes, wild weapons, unique characters (wise-cracking Brits, a diaphanously dressed magical sea nymph, and a towering giant), and deadly enemies with effective AI.

It's not just vast, but flooded with quests and side adventures. There is always something to do in this game and, after that, there's always something more.

The game is so much fun and has such a great sense of humor that those quibbles melt away like goo off a reactor core. Bottom line: You'll love Startopia.

Echelon is as beautiful as it is thrilling. No virtual space jock should be without it.

Simply an excellent game.

Visually, The Sting is downright gorgeous, similar in many respects to some of the animated cartoons run on Saturday morning TV.

With 10 deliciously complex levels to work through as you alternately take turns controlling each character, MDK2: Armageddon delivers a formidable amount of gameplay depth.

As pure an adventure as you'll find on any console. Apart from a few timed segments, it's completely free of the action elements normally associated with "adventure" games on these systems.

Orion Pirates is still "Starfleet Command II," only this time, for better or worse, it's turned up to 11.

An offer gamers may not be able to refuse.

It looks marvelous, especially the character animations that have been especially tweaked to improve on typical Unreal character performance.

An exceptionally cool game. It's got a fun, interesting story; intelligent level design; and provides a great mix of stealth and action.

Make no mistake, NASCAR Racing 4 is a great game, but if Papyrus would put its experience into something besides graphics and driving models, the next NASCAR Racing would be much better.

This is perhaps the finest use of the PlayStation2's power so far. Twisted Metal: Black represents a superlative combination of frame rate, detail, and gameplay.

Breaks RTS conventions the way the Taliban break Buddhist statues.

This isn't some short, slapped-together final chapter, but a full-fledged game of its own. Clocking in at around 40 to 50 hours, Throne Of Bhaal is easily longer than most other stand-alone RPGs.

A deeply challenging and unforgiving game that rewards perseverance but leaves those looking only for a little diversion writhing in agony.

Whatever American McGee is smoking, he shouldn't lay off it.

Perhaps the most impressive new feature in Volume II -- and the reason you'll want to go buy this game (today, if the stores haven't closed yet by the time you read this) -- is a revamped campaign engine that operates in both the single-player and multiplayer game modes.

We reloaded NBA Live 2000 for comparison, and there's no question that this is a leaps-and-bounds improvement.

An old-school, first-person shooter -- and damn proud of it. That it also happens to be white-knuckle thrilling, spectacularly beautiful, and totally captivating is what makes it so special.

It is eminently replayable. There are so many options -- the island's physical characteristics, victory conditions, El Presidente's personality quirks -- that it never plays the same way twice.

A game that is at once familiar, yet unique, this RPG from the folks who brought you the Rage Of Mages strategy RPGs is a strong, yet slightly flawed plate of gaming goodness.

If stunning, real-time rendered visuals and significantly improved functionality are any evidence, the third time is indeed the charm.