Looks great, sounds great, and plays pretty well. It's the best of the PS2 crowd, but can't match "NBA 2K1" for the total hoops experience.

While some who prefer more traditional gameplay might not like Orphen's action adventure twist, it still has a compelling storyline, interesting characters, and a good dose of fun.

Hardly pushing the limits of the PS2, Gradius III and IV is a shooter combo package that will appeal to retro gaming fans.

The much-improved PS2 version flies mighty high with spectacular visuals and improved gameplay.

Despite its averageness, WinBack: CO is fun, satisfying stealth/action fare. If it were the only game you had, it’d be great.

Although you have great control over the type of swing, the swing meter takes some getting used to, and its speed often seems arbitrary.

An intensely addictive, if not particularly innovative, racer.

"SSX" is the better game, but Cool Boarders 2001 has a more lifelike—but still over-the-top—style plus more game modes that should appeal to real and wannabe snowboarders.

The RPG connection here is saliva thin, but if you’re thirsting for old-school controller-bruising action; you should sink your teeth into DA: VP.

It might not strike anyone as exceptional, but with real-world car details, challenging A.I., and a nice upgrade system, 4x4 Evolution is worth checking out, especially if you’re an SUV fanatic in real life.

Clothing rippling in the wind is just one of the smooth graphic touches, and the aggressive punk/hardcore soundtrack matches Palmer’s bad-boy persona—but the sound effects aren’t terribly impressive.

By far the most ambitious and complete wrestling game in history...but its weakness lies in the attention to the game, not to the details.

The excellent tracks alone are worth a look.

The animation is startlingly fluid—game replays are absolutely uncanny—and you’ll spot nice details like tires getting dirty when you leave the track.

A solid, fun mix of mini-games directly descended from Track & Field’s royal lineage. If you think vigorous button-mashing is the lowest form of gameplay, however, stay far, far away.

A refreshing, original, and compelling twist on the 3D platformer, Herdy Gerdy rises above its potentially dull premise.

It doesn’t deserve starter status because its competition has a bigger head start with their titles, but it’s definitely a big step in the right direction.

One humongous drawback to this otherwise seemingly outstanding surf game, however, is the ongoing slowdown.

If you’re looking for rowdy, raucous action backed by unusual staying power and that familiar Midway gameplay, you’ll savor the smell of what Hitz is cooking.

With a better laid-out world, more cleverly hidden treasures, and a great sense of nonlinearity, The Ancient City is a nice bit of evolution for the series.

The missions themselves begin to feel repetitive and some can be overly challenging... Still, with over 25 levels and internet multiplay through Microsoft's Gaming Zone, StarLancer is a great space combat game.

The voice-acting is noteworthy, but there are some just rudimentary audio effects and the music is sometimes dramatic, sometimes just unexciting...Good, basic RPG fare.

In the PS2 version, the game’s depraved humor is intact, and the gameplay is still a refreshing variety of action and strategy, though the RTS aspects of the base-building missions have been simplified.

Casual twitch gamers may be turned off by the flying learning curve and amount of strategizing required to complete each mission, but you can’t deny the hedonistic thrill of buzzing over a desolate desert landscape and letting loose!

Ghost Recon’s in-depth gameplay closely resembles that of the previous Tom Clancy games—but it also has its faults, such as some weak A.I. pathfinding.

Pac-Land has never looked better, cartoonishly but lushly rendered, and full of bright colors and crisp 3D objects.

Despite some clunky combat, Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr is a delightfully spooky game with some clever puzzles and well worth the twenty bucks.

It can't measure up to the likes of "SWAT 3" or "Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear," but Delta Force is a much improved and very fun tactical combat action game.

With some work on A.I., animations, and a deeper Franchise mode, Konami’s game has a shot at spoiling the establishment’s party next year.

While it's not for casual folk, the battles are so addictive that hardcore gamers may never need another strategy RPG ever.

A unique action game that’s repetitive in its style and level structure, Alter Echo is kept from being boring by its over-exaggerated morphing combo system and a wide variety of enemies that adapt to your attacks.

Once the action's underway, however, ESPN NHL is old school all the way in its approach to passing and skating, but it offers the most extensive array of moves, and everything just handles butter-smooth. For sheer playability, its controls rule.

Sooo much to love in terms of graphics, story, and sheer originality, but the endless cycle of insanely difficult die/repeat/whatthehell? gameplay will eventually dominate your experience.

Some of its ideas are brilliant innovations, some are wisely appropriated standards, and some just flop - but the overall result is fun, action-oriented, authentic hockey with a few troubling flaws.

The feel of parody is gone; rather than being a wild action game based on hockey, this year’s edition is a hockey game with some wild action.

Although it’s essentially a port of an arcade game that’s two years old, this is one matchup that’s a pleasure to kill hours with at home.

Ghost Master's truly bloodcurdling flaw is its lack of customization options: There are no character creator, level editor, or multiplayer options.

The two-player mode isn’t all bad, but for such a solid game, it’s a flaw that’s keeping this otherwise plenary racing game below the ranks of "Mario Kart" and "Diddy Kong Racing."

It’s a fun mixture of high-speed racing with a tight balance of racing and tricks.

Navigating through the twists and turns in such diverse environments is exhilarating.

Less enjoyable is the amazingly blatant product placement—bike brands like Trek and Specialized make sense, but while you pedal, billboards for online auction sites and energy bars peddle under the guise of earnable sponsorships. Gamers will tire of it quickly.

While the story line is relayed in a disappointing series of 2D images and conversation captions (no animated cut-scenes or voice acting), and even the fights don't push the PS2 to its graphical limit, the interactive gameplay is entertaining enough to make up for it.

Strong voice acting and sound effects (listen for the subtle heavy breathing when running), and a patriotic score set a believable mood, while the dark, detailed, war-torn streets of New York City are almost too tangible.

Player-movement controls sport a nice pressure-sensitive touch that presents veterans with a good challenge toward perfecting their skills. But the gameplay stills feels a tad slow.

One of the most lovingly crafted games in years, Painkiller looks awesome, sounds intimidating, and controls simply and smoothly.

The single player career mode is surprisingly short, and after a few missions starts to feel repetitive. Though it won't blow many minds, SWAT 4 is a pick-up-and-play tactical shooter with a solid pedigree.

The icing on the cake is the game’s superb production value, which includes beautifully crafted sound effects like devastating explosions and the eerie whistling of radioactive wind, solid voice acting, and copious visual details that flesh out a nightmarish world decimated by nuclear warfare.

It can be tedious to baby-sit both characters, but the game otherwise guarantees hours of enjoyment, even if it’s only to jump and flip around.

Crippling frame rate problems tarnish an otherwise engaging single-player experience. Ultimately, the addictive online multiplayer is the main attraction; without it, there’s not much to see here.

It’s a fun game that slowly grows on you, but like all MMO games, it takes a special kind of gamer to enjoy.

After a few plays, though, the game becomes tiresome—mostly due to repetitive gameplay and lack of balance.

Far from the best entry in the "Resident Evil" series but is an entertaining fright-night nonetheless.

Black & Bruised isn’t "Knockout Kings," but it doesn’t try to be, and it certainly doesn’t have to be. All it has to be is fun and engaging, and on those levels, Black & Bruised succeeds.

Sim fans will be disappointed with the under-powered defense, but for twitch players, NBA Live 2003 is a dream come true.

The controls, however, rain on the parade. They’re too intricate, and their fussy, challenging feel takes a while to master...If you have the option, play the Xbox version - it’s definitely superior.

A "Jedi Outcast" follow-up that feels more like an expansion pack than a whole new game... [It] won't bake your noodle or drop your jaw, but it's certainly a fine answer for those of you looking for more Jedi Knight.

Rise of Nations’ biggest weakness—lack of variety—becomes obvious. Every nation is the same, except for some bonus modifiers; there really aren’t that many units; and in the end, you wind up wielding them as a jumbled horde.

Although graphically underwhelming and gifted with an annoyingly repetitive soundtrack, the depth, balance, and customization make Warlord's Battlecry a keeper.

Ballers’ best perks are its astonishingly hi-res textures (almost too hi-res—seeing the pores in the faces of player models isn’t exactly a pleasant thing), its depth of customization, the wide variety of smoothly animated street moves, and the intriguing 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 mode.

It never really lives up to its title - a vision that could have benefited from a little more focus. It's a tired cliché but one that Beyond Good & Evil exemplifies: jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

Great pick-up-and-play, arcade-style fun.

It’s a topnotch shooting game but hardly one that you’ll play for days on end.

There truly is a deep, rewarding, and splendiferous RPG behind Arcanum’s dated, clunky machina…but only the most intrepid RPG fanatics will have the patience to dig it out.

Arcade racers will be quite challenged by the difficulties of true F1 racing, and may run crying back to the muscle cars in GT3 out of frustration. However, if you already know what F1 racing is all about, then you can expect a well-crafted racing experience.

A light touch on the analog stick will be rewarded with precise control...There’s no multiplayer mode, so the fun doesn’t last terribly long. Worth a weekend rental.

Despite the so-so sounds and demanding controls, Blade of Darkness is an entertaining action/adventure game where it pays to keep your wits honed and your sword sharpened.

The missions are bipolar: either incredibly easy or insanely difficult. Smithers is a boss for cryin' out loud!

If you're patient and spend a good amount of time playing against the AI bots, your enjoyment of Tribes 2 will increase tenfold.

With its fluid gameplay and easy-to-learn controls, Rugby could convert some Yanks to the intriguing world of rucks, scrums, and grubber kicks.

While not the deepest game around, there’s enough here to keep you engaged for weeks, especially in two-player mode.

Yes, this is all very gory, grisly, and absolutely not for kids or anyone with a weak stomach as people are decapitated, disemboweled, perforated, shot, and chainsawed—all to the cackling delight of your offscreen savior (brilliantly voiced by Brian Cox) who relishes each kill.

It’s both fun and immensely frustrating, and it’s so old-school you’d swear you’d have to blow on a cartridge to get it to work, but it’s a very good example of an ancient, long-missing genre.

SledStorm's controls handle well. The only sore spot, however, is that performing stunts can feel sluggish due to the slow button response.

A solid mix of visual flair, musical excellence, and story-driven gameplay.

It delivers more great city building action with enough twists on the genre to keep fans playing for hours on end.

It's fun for a while, but the overly simplified game mechanics and repetitive shoot-and-run gameplay wouldn't amount to much without the extraordinary visuals and awesome concept.

In the end, Dementium: The Ward is a cohesive game with the sum of all of its parts adding up to a frightening whole.

Blows away all other surfing games already out.

This is one solidly constructed action game that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's called "camp" man. Check it out. [Mar 2002, p.98]

While it’s possible the casual gamer may be enchanted by the presentation, Panic’s high difficulty level will delight only hardcore players.

An enjoyable action title that's easy to pick up and play. If you can get past the preachy narrative and dialogue, you'll be immersed in intense combat and cool weapons.

Doesn’t necessarily revolutionize the gaming experience—the game does, however, offer a fine continuation to the already classic series.

One of the better dance/rhythm games out there, and with so many unlockable goodies, it’ll make Britney fans want to consistently play it, baby, one more time.

And the game always feels centered. It has a persuasive, persistent style and each of the missions has a distinct focus. I've played eight so far, and not one felt routine or incomplete. This adds up to fun, and Hidden & Dangerous is beautifully, sonically, tensely fun…for as long as it works.

Newcomers will be pleased, but for rabid fans, this is a mute Roar.

Even though it doesn't push the envelope, X Squad is a unique and very entertaining ride.

A refreshing surprise—it puts back the “miracle” into the Miracle Boy’s reputation by being a top-notch freestylin’ cyclist for the PS2.

All the hours of trial and error eventually pay off since the freedom in creating move animations is immense.

They've definitely provided you with huge maps on which to race and some tough opponents to race against, but the whole city looks drab and plain.

There’s a great side-quest-and-story-packed game underneath the not-so-luscious surface.

A very entertaining "thinking person's shooter" that provides more of the same to fans of the original release. It's tough to learn, but rewards you with an immersive, fun experience.

Offers no major surprises but plenty of refinements to a proven formula. It’s a major improvement over the first game.

Finally, a well-balanced, fun Mobile Suit Gundam game that not only looks and sounds great, but also stays true to the illustrious anime series.

Looks like a shooter, but at its heart it’s a mind-busting puzzle game that transcends its own graphical limitations and delivers an intelligent gamer’s paradise.

MVP executes one element of its game far better than any other title this year: It’s just stone-cold beautiful.

Detailed textures and a fast frame rate let you savor the disturbing damage, and the precise controls never fail.

It's faster and nastier than most of the kindred of "Resident Evil" at the cost of losing a bit of edge. [May 2004, p.71]

Despite these shortcomings, Destination Berlin’s blend of battlefield strategy and sneaky infiltration will appeal to experienced strategy fans. Novices should scout out another battle.

Although the scriptwriters are straight from the show, Marshall and Vaughan's dialogue feels a little forced; otherwise, the large cast of participation and television soundtrack give the game exactly the authentic audio flavor fans would want. [May 2004, p.70]

The resulting relaunched game is worthy of its weighty legacy. "NBA Street" has a better all-around arcade-style game, but if all you care about are big dunks and big points, NBA Jam will deliver you to highlight heaven.

It’s a testament to the strength of Knights’ original design that it manages to be gripping and engaging while in the midst of distracting technical problems.

EverQuest II a metric crapload of game, to be sure-complex, huge, versatile, and lots of fun with friends, but slow-paced and visually schizophrenic. When Norrath calls, you'd better be prepared to give a very long answer.

For many, Final Fantasy XI will be the Holy Grail of nonlinearity: a wide-open RPG universe with Final Fantasy flair, defined by its players as much as its developers, beloved for all its flaws. Love it or hate it, there’s nothing like it on your PS2.

There’s nothing particularly special here for classic TV fans, but classic shooter fans will find a battle worth fighting.

A first-rate challenge for anyone with a mind for military strategy.

Dynasty Tactics makes the sometimes slow and daunting challenge of launching grid-based military campaigns fun and entertaining.

The real fun for many IC players will be the Army Editor, which lets you play with combinations of animals and create your own creatures.

While there aren't as many modes as in a pure multiplayer FPS like "Unreal Tournament," you'll be treated to an intense and thoroughly entertaining skirmish.

It has its faults, and they’re similar to last year’s, but there’s no better game for getting the feel of being a WWE superstar.

Slick controls make piloting your craft as natural as breathing, and performing barrel rolls, loops and toggling through your weapon inventories become pure reflex.

Despite the simple battles and plain story, .hack is addictively fun for the 15 hours it lasts. [Nov 2002, p.182]

An interesting action/shooter and a worthy side story for the series. Forget about the ill-fated "Survivor"— Dead Aim is a first-person Resident Evil game that works.

The strong story and voice acting make the game a must play, but the skimpy replay value leaves something to be desired.

Koei's obviously performed emergency surgery on the AI routines, because everyone's a thousand times smarter now.

BR4 takes the franchise’s wild fighting to the extreme with a massive sensory assault. Every strike rattles the speakers, and lengthy combos are common, all accompanied by spellcasting-like bursts.

Light years better than its ugly-as-sin predecessor and is already worthy to compete against Sony's Offroad Fury series.

What’s really missing is the intense, edge-of-your-seat close-quarter combat that made the first game so arresting.

Only two humans can play War at once and fight up to two CPU opponents. This is a distressing flaw—especially considering how repetitive the single-player adventure mode gets after a while.

If you’re an RPG fan with tons of free time and patience, or if you’re an EQ fan dying to see what Norrath was like hundreds of years ago, EQOA is a great time.

The game’s length, dialogue, and uneven difficulty are this legend’s only blemishes.

Final is a difficult game, even with its multiple skill settings, and it relies on a gamer’s patience for trial-and-error and memorization as it does deft skill and trigger-finger firing.

Has enough variations to satisfy extreme sports fans, and 11 levels, countless goals, and highly replayable two-player modes are sure to keep you busy for a long time. Still, if you’re a gamer jaded by the genre, the game lacks the level of innovation that would have left a lasting impression.

The advances in gameplay, graphics, and features are quite noticeable as GameDay is a solid, enjoyable football experience; however, it’s still not yet ready to take the starter position.

By taking two killer licenses and placing them in a real-time strategy setting, Zono Inc. has crafted a compelling, addictive, and challenging-as-hell game.

The graphic and sound departments could have used just as much depth. Instead, the visuals are reminiscent of how the first-generation PS2 games look—not refined with average detail.

It’s puzzling that this game could look better on the Dreamcast than on the PS2, but it does.

It's somehow not quite as fun as "Gettysburg."

A very fun game whose premise wears thin a bit too fast. However, you’ll have a blast with it before you reach the saturation point.

The addition of two-player modes makes PaRappa more of a party experience and extends the game's life beyond novelty. The story is just plain weird, but it's still a great hoot.

The controls are tight, and the gameplay is on-target even if there’s a slightly frenetic, arcade, unMadden-like feel to player movement.

GGX2’s stunning anime-inspired graphics more than compensate for the lack of a Z-axis.

MG2 doesn’t move the series forward far enough from its PlayStation roots, but if you’ve got a melodic itch to scratch, it’s still worth renting to make your own boogie-down productions.

Sure, crashing is discouraging, but Burnout’s are quite a show, and you can even save your “greatest hits” to a memory card.

Far more frustrating, though, is the pedestrian level design, which delivers frequent ambushes that rely on memorization and replay instead of stealth and skill.

The visuals and sounds keep up with the pace, although you may be too busy with the controller to notice.

Despite its impressive depth, this game is no masterpiece... But if you find yourself intrigued by its premise, there’s enough quality adventuring here that it can almost become an obsession.

Some of Deadly Alliance's game elements are still very arcade-minded—such as ludicrously difficult bosses and schizophrenic A.I.

By far, the best element in the game is the hilarious commentary.

For serious motorcycle-simulation fans only. If you’re not interested in the minutiae of the sport, go dust off "Road Rash" and read no further.

The best way to describe Disaster Report is "Silent Hill without the monsters."

An addictive and undeniably daring game that feels more urgent and less epic than most RPGs, and the battle system is masterful. But it’s nothing like previous Breath of Fire games, and the forced repetition might kill it for you.

Overall, the fielding controls are just good enough for the “Bigs.” As with earlier ASBs, timing buttonpresses for defensive moves like diving to stop grounders or sliding to snare low line drivers to the outfield is more adventurous than it has to be.

The only downer to this great game, however, is that you’re allowed to leave a dead SEAL behind, which in real life would never happen.

Finely crafted and fun.

Unique and engaging in every respect—and for highbrow types who crave a challenge, this is as good as it gets.

The first game’s take on noir was fresh and powerful; the sequel has the same haunted spirit with less surprise value. While Max Payne’s rain-soaked world is a weary one, it’s also undeniably compelling.

How about a Bra & Panties mode where WWE Divas rip off each other’s clothes? It’s the raunchiest Teen-rated action you’ll find anywhere.

Offers true harmony between arcade and simulation football games, but with more attitude than both of them put together. Oh, and it’s fun, too.

Sure, the single-player campaign can be a letdown. Your money's well-spent, however, once you log on and play with other people. [Mar 2004, p.63]

It’s not the dominant game that its NBA brother is, but it’s still very worthy of a look.

Lowrider is sure to hook fans of such games as "PaRappa the Rapper" and k"Um Jammer Lammy" (or anyone with a cursory interest in lowriding for that matter) but—again—this is not a racing game.

Of the three, only the PS2 version seems prone to annoying split-second jitters and pauses that break up the animation.

Despite these minor gripes about the camera and the game's A.I., Treasure of the Sorcerer King is a good gaming experience and an exhilarating encounter for any fan of Lupin the Third. [Mar 2004, p.64]

The controlls are tight with crisp response for the most part...There are plenty of weapon skills and magic attacks to master. [Apr 2004, p.70]

Once you get the hang of the units (which takes an extra-long time) and the tricky camera, Ground Control II can be relentless, fast, and furious fun.

The control scheme is sublimely genius, letting you perform midair attacks and dash around foes with poetic ease. The manual camera is still a bit too loose, though, and leaping and running against walls isn’t as reliable as you’d like it to be.

Smooth handling is complimented by solid physics, while the opponents boast A.I. that is much more balanced than Freekstyle’s rubber-band rivals.

While having its quirks and love-it-or-hate-it cliched nihilism, it's a game well worth checking out, especially for anyone who sucks up Vampire action movie flicks.

MTX's visuals definitely contribute to the fun time. Bikers and their motorized partners look sharp, while the arenas surprisingly offer a lot of detail. [June 2004, p.71]

Although there is still work to be done, Showdown: Legends of Wrestling’s new look and play style is a big step in the right direction. Fans looking for a walk down memory lane aren’t going to be disappointed.

While the visual depiction of the demons is easily Doom 3's strong point, the A.I. driving them is perhaps its weakest -- and the one thing that keeps the game from becoming a true masterpiece. In short, these guys are dumb.

The challenge with Groove is to make it feel less like a mechanical button-pressing game and more like you’re actually dancing, and that, my friends, is all up to you.

While fleeing from ghosts may seem like a small issue, it really does drag down an otherwise brilliant game. [Oct 2004, p.74]

Though heinous sitting-duck A.I. keeps the single-player experience a bit wan, waging galactic civil war over the internet with real live people destroys, despite slight technical flaws and cumbersome aerial vehicle controls.

Darkwatch mixes its Western Roots with gothic horror and steampunk aesthetics, and the results are uniquely engaging...Just darned good fun while it lasts. [Sept 2005, p.64]

Despite a contrived love story, limited camera control, and levels that tend to drag, Konami has provided a refreshing change of pace in this punishing man-versus-nature offering that it requires you to stem the tide of destruction and actually save lives for once. [Apr 2004, p.74]

Though most of the songs are poppy club music, there’s a surprising amount of variety and the tunes serve their purpose perfectly. For the truly extreme, dancing across two pads offers the ultimate challenge for your skills.

The gameplay blows minds. The lush, detailed graphics and driving sountrack are the icing on the cake. [Dec 2004, p.108]

If all you need is a good challenge and you have the patience for turn-based strategy games, by all means, pick up this game. If the inconsistent presentation and lack of multiplayer options have you unconvinced, then it may be a good idea to wait for another one to come along. [July 2004, p.102]

Like any generic Tycoon sim, The Movies gets a bit over-focused on the trivial aspects of simulation, specifically with studio upkeep and playing constant babysitter to bigheaded actors, though while somewhat satirical, is a continuous bother. But the main attraction here is making short movies, which, if you're willing to spend the time, can be oodles of fun.

The gameplay is certainly realistic, but overall, the physics of how the ball moves feel a bit floaty at times. In the final analysis, ESPN MLB trails after "MVP Baseball" and "MLB 2005," making it a good choice for those who aren't satisfied with those league leaders. [Apr 2004, p.89]

Despite its quirks and graphics that fall short of the original's, Naval Ops: Commander packs enough firepower to keep fans of the series stoked. Nonfans, however, may quickly get left in its wake. [May 2004, p.65]

Whether you plan to acquire it as a collector’s item or just want to get acquainted with Mega Man’s past, you can be sure it’s going to be one heck of a trip back into time.

The combat sequences are the undisputed highlight, and much of the game puts on a great show...just be prepared for stretches of frustration while sneaking around. [Feb 2005, p.74]

It's worth going through the hacking and slashing to get to all the winking and nodding. [Dec 2004, p.154]

Some frustrating A.I., however, causes Shrek 2 to suffer badly as a single-player game (or any time the computer controls a party member), and switching between the characters to overcome the menial obstacles feels like a chore when playing solo. [Aug 2004, p.68]

Rogue Agent will leave you shaken and stirred. [Feb 2005, p.72]

When taken as a whole, La Pucelle: Tactics is a great strategy/RPG loaded with hours upon hours of solid gameplay, multiple endings, side-quests, and a high degree of customization. [June 2004, p.91]

The controls are quite responsive, offering a wide assortment of combat moves, but the weak camera hinders them.

The good news is that piecing 'coasters and parks together is easier than ever; between the flexible camera controls and the effortless new terrain-building tools, RCT 3 squeezes tremendous functionality out of its elegant drag-and-drop interface.

Delivers all the requirements of an exciting FPS, and the 20-buck asking price is a sweet incentive. Second Encounter is a shooter with simple requirements: A minimum of brains and maximum of reflexes.

Although the game won't make its competitors sweat, it will definitely make them keep an eye out for future World Tour Soccer games. [June 2004, p.86]

Has just enough new features and improvements to make it the best Hot Shots game yet. [Nov 2004, p.140]

SC isn't easy to get into. Its drawbacks hit you immediately. But after that rocky start, the background art, ingeniously devised monsters, simple interface, and clever combat and magic systems make this a tough RPG to toss aside.

Exigo's multileveled gameplay is a good first step in an interesting direction, but unfortunately, that's not always enough to compete in the brutally competitive RTS genre. With more tweaking, Armies of Exigo could definitely give Blizzard a run for its money. [Dec 2004, p.126]

The great sound effects from the booming explosions and roaring jet engines from above greatly add to the war-torn ambiance, too.

For veterans, it'll feel like the same gameplay found in all previous Ace Combat games--and that's not necessarily a bad thing considering this is a shooter that's still worthy of sitting in first class.

"Outrageously hilarious" were the first words to come out of our mouths when we rolled into town with Katamari Damacy. Filled with a lot of wickedly demented humor, Katamari Damacy is a cure for the dull and ordinary.

Controlling your fighter can become a difficult chore as the characters often feel sluggish and almost unresponsive in heated bouts where quickly moving CPU characters always seem to have the advantage.

One area where Guild Wars sets itself apart from other MMOs are the environments; they are flat-out the most impressive, especially when seeing that even lower-end rigs can run the game at a respectable frame rate.

The biggest issue in the Ocean is boring and repetitious town and dungeon designs...The battle system is out of this world - the rest of the game is a little more grounded. [Sept 2004, p.108]

Urbz offers a nice, fresh twist on the Sims experience, for both veterans and newbies alike. Yet, despite seeing the goofy characters in a new fish tank, there isn't enough freshness throughout to keep you down wid it. It's not bad, it's just not baaad-you feel me?

If there are any complaints, it’s that the range is a bit too wide this time and some crooners will not find as many songs they know. Konami definitely needs to release more song discs to satisfy the fans.

As a conversion, Villains doesn't feel finished. As a sequel, it's simply not enough. But judged alone on its gameplay and design merits, it's a rip-roaring blast.

Not all of the games have aged particularly well. Pit Fighter, Kozmik Kroozr', and Primal Rage are almost unplayable, and the obnoxious taunts of Wizard of Wor will send you scrambling for the mute button. [Dec 2004, p.116]

The most obvious problem is that the system is far too forgiving of dragging a wheel or two off-track. Do that in real life, and you'll easily lose control almost instantly. In Enthusia, you'll barely even feel the car pull in that direction.

The way of the samurai is a lengthy road that rewards those who show patience and persistence. [Aug 2004, p.66]

Packed with a bevy of features, TimeSplitters Future Perfect is a cornucopia of candy-coated goodness for any FPS fan. If you start now, you just might be able to unlock everything by the time "Halo 3" ships to stores.

The auto graphics shine throughout. Whether you're into tuning or just customizing your ride, Midnight Club 3 is more than roadworthy.

While Indigo Prophecy is an intense gaming experience, it's easier to compare the title to a film affair. If you can get past the minimalist game interface Prophecy can be an awesome entertaining play.

A beautiful composition, but restless gamers will have a hard time sitting throught the constant cinemas... Perhaps next time developers will seriously consider integrating the story through an increased amount of real-time gameplay. [March 2005, p.90]

The disturbing visual style and complex play mechanics may overcome any minor deficiencies to result in a game that is surprisingly engrossing. [June 2005, p.90]

If Black was created to produce an adrenaline-induced euphoria of maddening guns going wild, then it is a total success. In the sequel, as the end of the story sets up, let's hope the AI is improved and includes at least some type of multiplayer.

While Battlefield 2 definitely shines as the most impressive in the series, the lack of advancement to gameplay may give it a shorter lifespan than the original.

We praise the designers' decision to make Adol a speedy little devil, so darting around towns and inevitably retreading terrain isn't such a tedious chore.

An excellent offering but is only recommended for the hardcore side-scrolling shooter fan due to the short gameplay time. [July 2005, p.74]

Comes up like the Calgary Flames - a very close second - because "ESPN NHL 2K5" is the better game due to its overall complete package. [Dec 2004, p.146]

A pack that responds to each race's events is an outstanding concept that should elevate the gameplay, but NASCAR 2005's execution of it is too unbalanced to create the hoped-for effect. [Nov 2004, p.142]