Fans of the original Shenmue will be delighted with the sequel while gamers new to the series should be able to get into the game's deep atmosphere with little difficulty.

When you’re talking about a Miyamoto launch title, "pretty good" just won’t cut it.

Here’s a lesson in elegant game design...as pure and enjoyable a game as any in the GameCube launch lineup.

The control is perfect. Deathmatch standards like circle-strafing are a snap, and pretty much every common FPS convention from crouching to secondary fire functions is supported here.

Easy to get into and with a boatload of options, it provides a worthy alternative to the status quo, although hardcore ballers might scoff at the game’s arcadey nature.

With its frantic pace and gorgeous visuals, it’ll have everyone in the room clamoring for a shot at the action.

Once you grow accustomed to the style of play you will be treated to a racer with depth and a remarkable presentation.

MGS2 includes all kinds of incentive to play the game again and again, including the new collectable "Dog Tag" feature, but to be honest the real replay value lies with the beauty of the game.

A puzzle/action game with depth, humor, and charm.

The best soccer game available. Despite the control flaws and graphic blemishes this game is a marvelous presentation of soccer, albeit slightly watered down for the masses.

Fans of the original will enjoy the game, but there is the danger that this Hostile Territory will seem more like Familiar Territory.

The graphics and sound are excellent, but the most constricting drawback is the extremely long gameplay-disrupting load times.

A leaden interface almost completely nullifies any enjoyment one might derive from this otherwise unique blend of action, adventure and puzzle elements.

The incredible versatility of the gameplay, coupled with stellar sound and visuals, make this game nothing less than sheer bliss on a DVD.

Features the same ingredients that made the original delightful, but with new villains and a well thought out story.

The awe inspiring graphics, excellent music, intuitive gameplay, and replay value round out an excellent game that will rival "Metal Gear Solid 2" as game of the year.

Makes enough nods to the uninitiated that it is an accessible game, but at the same time it retains the depth that diehard NASCAR fans demand.

The game succeeds on so many levels that the flawed gameplay borders on tragedy. The only reason I felt compelled to play the game was to enjoy the graphics and sound, but unfortunately that isn't enough.

The slammin' soundtrack and an engaging trick system overcome a somewhat inconsistent framerate to make Kinetica more interesting than most its competitors.

Great course diversity and a choice of four vehicle classes should motivate players to ignore the initial frustration and get to the good stuff.

Gameplay is pretty shallow stuff, but it's also somehow more intense, and much more challenging, than recent games in the series.

It's always interesting to have the option of being the bad guy, but truly bland gameplay and a relatively short quest sap the fun and make this a rental at best.

If you like F1 games than you will cherish every moment spent with this title.

Features fine graphics, a unique backstory, and atrocious controls.

Though it has plenty of rough edges, the wacky cartoonish graphics and the bizarre sense of humor compensate nicely. Excessive loading is obnoxious.

The same flaw that haunts every other light gun game on the market. After an hour or so of practice, most gamers will be able to complete the game in just under twenty minutes.

The most serious complaint comes from a lack of options...Despite this, Guilty Gear's aesthetic beauty and rich gameplay are more than enough for fighting fans.

Just as "Devil Dice" and "Intelligent Qube" showed that originality can still flourish in the puzzle genre, One Piece Mansion provides a welcome respite from the newest "been there, done that" version of Tetris or Bust-a-Move.