The high watermark for hockey games on next-generation platforms, and has set a standard that will be hard for competing products to match...it's damn close to NHL '94 for addictiveness.

Stands apart as the best soccer game on the PC, and one of the best footy games on any platform, period.

NBA Street has taken the rock and seriously posterized NBA Jam and EA's own NBA Live 2001 on PS2. NBA Street has beaten down all other basketball games on the market and told their mothers to their faces.

First Person Football is the monster addition though. With everything in the gameplay that was updated for 2K4, I don’t know how they found the time to add this big of an addition. First Person Football is a game unto itself, and you get it for free.

Possibly the best-looking PS2 game EVER! The character models are intricately detailed to show facial grimaces, wrinkles on clothing, and wonderful animation throughout the entire game.

Make no mistake about it, this game does not trounce, destroy, walk all over, or replace "Grand Theft Auto." It is a better game though, as it is more refined and makes a nice addition for those who like the genre and are looking for more.

The graphics have been improved, the physics have been improved, more cars and tracks have been added and there is even a B-Spec mode that lets you manage a racing team and a photo mode that lets you take ultra realistic photographs of your cars and print them using an Epson printer. It’s hard to believe but they’ve done it again.

The game looks great, sounds better, and has more depth than 3 fighting games put together.

From the huge open mountain to the convincing radio station to the numerous events, this is one cool experience.

I can't imagine the series, or video game golf for that matter, getting much better than this (of course it will).

It succeeds in presenting a believable story with likeable characters in a world that is far more detailed than the original. If I had to pick an RPG of the Year, (or hell Game of the Year) right now, Icewind Dale II would be it.

One of those games that will be remembered years down the road for anyone who plays this fine title.

Where it goes beyond a typical first person shooter is in its story telling. The graphics engine is so realistic that you feel like you are participating in a movie. The character's facial animation is incredible. It's done so well, you can get a sense of how the characters are feeling.

FFXI manages to mend the idea of a persistent online community with a story, graphics, and an intuitive interface that begs to be played when other responsibilities rear their ugly head.

Silent Hill 2, ICO, Devil May Cry, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 are all must have titles in their own right, but with that said, I've had the most pure, unadulterated fun with Grand Theft Auto III than any other title this year.

Superior to the original in every way, and retains its charm while creating a new direction for the series to follow. It is without a doubt one of 2003's best titles, not only for PS2 but across all platforms.

Great thing number two...is the ability to switch your characters in and out of battle at will. This is a tremendous step forward for the series as it fills in holes that we gamers had to come up with workarounds for previously.

Xenosaga has that extra special something that has been missing from RPGs for the last couple of years, an enthralling, profound story that leaves you truly wanting more.

You can combo off of everything in this game. Seriously I mean everything! Cars, people, sidewalks, buildings, rails, ramps, stop signs... The list goes on and on. The funny thing about all this is Neversoft's Highest Score screen shows a high score of 9.4 million. Yes, my jaw dropped too.

Gameplay in a word, is phenomenal. You may ask, how is it different from other FPS? The answer I come up with is that it gives the player a sense of reality, but not to a point where it gets ridiculously tedious (see: "Operation Flashpoint").

The difficulty ramps up perfectly, and the game does not rely on a typical lives/continues system.

Arguabl[y] the best 2D fighter on the planet... Mind you, the difficulty is high-high-high. The computer, she can be a cruel mistress, and there's no shame in getting frustrated about it.

A highly polished and much improved product that gives longtime fans, and especially newcomers, a fantastic diversion to enjoy and become addicted to all over again on a shiny new DVD-Rom disc.

It has beautiful graphics, eerie music, and a very low learning curve. Each level is different enough to keep the gamer interested.

Not only does this version of Dark Cloud look beautiful, but it has a little something for everyone, action and exploration, character customization and development, magic and technology, city building, and a wonderful captivating story... [and] it does them all exceptionally well.

If you like a good story, mixed in with breathtaking visuals, magnificent audio, and extraordinary game play you’d be a fool to miss out on this sleeper hit of the year.

The graphics are quite incredible and makes great use of lighting, using bright, white-washed colors outdoors and dark, dingy ones inside.

Incredible amounts of detail and animation fill Devil May Cry, and even some of the simplest effects (such as the humble lens flare) are put to jaw-dropping use. The frame rate is constant and solid 60 fps, with almost non-existent slowdown.