Game Informer #105 Jan. 2002: Reviews Look Back

9.75 -The Power of Expression- "Without question, Final Fantasy X is Sakaguchi's most ambitious project yet, and is a radical departure from the formula we've become accustomed to. As you well know, in the past, characters would pantomime to text that would flash across the screen. In Final Fantasy X, every character has a synchronized voice, which in turn presents lifelike qualities and the true essence of drama. Even if you don't approve of all the changes that Square Soft has installed, I'm sure you'll agree that Final Fantasy X is a breakthrough release, a visionary tale, and a masterpiece for the ages." -Reiner- *Second Opinion* 9.75 -Justin-

9.25 -Zelda, Mario, And Crash All Rolled Into One- "Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy feels as though it were shot out of Shigeru Miyamoto's cannon. For those of you who thrive on platformers, or count the days until the next Zelda release, or simply want to play a game that is continually rewarding, Jak and Daxter is the title you've been waiting for." -Reiner- *Second Opinion* 9 -Matt- "I played this one, it was great" -Claude-

9.25 -EA's Got A Brand New Bond- "I hesitate to call any game that bears the 007 logo a sleeper, but with the incredible number of triple-A titles being released for PlayStation 2 this holiday season, it's possible that many will overlook Agent Under Fire." -Matt- *Second Opinion* 9 -Andy- "Cool game" -Claude-

7 -The Slaughter Continues- "Koel's battle cry remains constant. In fact, if the Dynasty Warrior 3 logo ddn't flash across the screen, I'd swear I was playing the previous installment all over again." -Reiner- *Second Opinion* 6.5 -Kato-

7.75 -Welcome To The Jungle- "I think kids are going to find Tarzan Untamed cool enough, but due to its oft-frustrating difficulty, only the most determined will make any headway into the game." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 7.75 -Matt- "Surprisingly fun" -Claude-

9.5 -2K2's Gutsy Road Win- "If you're a Dreamcast owner, you'd have every right to think you got screwed once you play this PS2 version, for here is where the true 2K2 resides. The Dreamcast? It's been left in the dust." -Kato- *Second Opinion* 7.75 -Kristian- "Oh yeah, I ate this one up" -Claude-

7.75 -Gunter Gueben Glauchen Globen- "Aside from this entertaining gimmick, Burnout is a solid driver, with agood control and some decent graphics, but that's about it." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 6.75 -Kato- "I liked it better than these guys" -Claude-

6.75 -Drops A Load- "It doesn't live up to the legacy of the series." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 6.5 -Reiner-

6 -Have and Have Nots- "It's as if developer In Utero was inspired by Conker's Bad Fur Day, but lacks the experience Rare has to back up a solid concept." -Kato- *Second Opinion* 3 -Matt-

5 -Some Things Are Best Left Overseas- Andy *Second Opinion* 4.25 -Kristian-

7.75 -Fear Roger Bacon- "It's no Final Fantasy, but RPG fans will appreciate its peculiar story and gameplay." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 7.25 -Reiner-

7.25 "Atlus has taken this Japanese RPG under its wing, and taken the good and less-than-good aspects along with it." -Kato-

5.5 "...nothing more than a decent-looking puzzle game with a few gun battles thrown in." -Kristian-

2.5 "It would seem this title was created with the specific purpose of torturing those who play." -Reiner-

6.5 "...I'd skip it." -Matt-

4 "Originally destined for the now defunct Dreamcast, ...should have followed poor old Dreamcast to the grave." -Andy-

5 "...the only thing it does is put you in a world of hurt." -Kato-

6 "but this is still a not-ready-for-PrimeTime player." -Kato-

4 -A Bloody Mess- "The Brits have an expression, "bog standard," which basically means that something is average or run-of-the-mill." -Matt- *Second Opinion* 4.5 -Andy-

9.25 -The Cutest Game Ever!- "Although this is essentially a detailed puzzle game, the detail is truly a sight to behold. If you're not having fun within ten minutes of the opening sequence, you probably forgot to turn your television on." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Reiner- "I loved this game and its sequel" -Claude-

9.75 -Anything PS2 Can Do, Cube Can Do Better- "This release had many things going against it. The development team was porting one of the greatest games of the year onto new hardware, and trying to do so before GameCube launched. Despite pressure and forced insomnia for Neversoft, things couldn't have turned out better." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 9.75 -Reiner- "I played it on the PS2, awesome" Claude

7.5 -Four Times Crazy- "This port is virtually identical to both the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 versions," -Matt- *Second Opinion* 6.5 -Justin- "I played it on the Dreamcast. It was fun for a while" -Claude-

7.5 -The Real Ricky Retread- "I'm not sure it's capable of converting the mainstream to its cause just yet, but Xboxers should be happy to get in on the ground floor with this one." -Kato- *Second Opinion* -Kristian- "I played it on the PS2, nice game, enjoyed my time with it" -Claude-

8.5 -Tossin' Balls In The Box- "Live has been putting up big numbers for years, on nearly every conceivable home system." Justin *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Reiner- "I played it on the PS2, it's a basketball game" -Claude-

2 -You Cut Me Shrek, You Cut Me Deep- "Shrek can burp and light his farts!" -Matt- *Second Opinion* 3 -Andy-

6 -Stop And Smell The Green Meteor Things- "For the young kid who's been starved on a diet of crappy kart games, this will seem like a feast." -Kato- *Second Opinion* 6 -Matt-

8.5 -Ride The Zamboni Pony- "If you've got a hankering for some good multiplayer fun or a mindless testosterone tirade, Hitz is your hook-up." -Justin- *Second Opinion" 8 -Reiner-

9.5 -The Dreamcast's Swan Song- "I know that most of you who have stayed faithful to the ill-fated Dreamcast are in an uproar over the cancellation of the DC version of Shenmue II. Still, I urge you to hold off putting the system in mothballs until you've had a chance to sample Tennis 2K2. It's better than the bloated and overrated Shenmue, and an excellent end to the Dreamcast's run." -Matt- *Second Opinion* 8.75 -Andy-

9.25 -Jesse Ventura Not Included- "You get a lot of game for your money with AvP2. I would say go get it before your neighbors." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.75 -Matt-

8.5 -EverQuest's First Real Contender- "Overall, there are so many things to like about DAoC that it's hard not to find the game charming." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 8.75 -Kristian-

6.75 -Dispelling The Myth- "From a storytelling standpoint, this game deserves high praise, but as a PC game it just doesn't cut the mustard." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 5 -Matt-

9 -Hold On To The Knight- "For those who eat, sleep, and live strategic defense design and implementation, Stronghold should be number one on your to-get list." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Andy-

8 -Sim Steam- "Hot Date is another solid release in this ever-growing franchise." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Justin-

6.25 -Almost Famous- "...the game's performance couldn't equal its scope." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 7 -Kato-

8.5 -Good To Be Bad- "It's nothing new to the Wario Land enthusiast, but it's enjoyable nonetheless." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 8 -Reiner-

8.5 -GBA's Golden Child- "Its greatness even exceeds the nostalgia I felt for Breath of Fire's GBA port. We have a new ruler in the GBA RPG realm." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 9 -Andy-

6 -On The Rocks- "Gotta hand it to Digital Eclipse for trying, but maybe 2D would have been the way to go." Kato *Second Opinion* 7 -Reiner-

7 "Bonus points for having legendary Yes artist Roger Dean do the box art." -Matt-

8.25 "As a handheld RTS I have to give this game its due." -Kristian-

7 "Fever doesn't quite equal NES' Punch-Out, but then again, it could teach Midway a thing or two about boxing fun." -Kato-

6 "This game is a shooter." -Justin-

7.5 "Prehistorik man doesn't have an original bone in his body, but I didn't seem to mind." -Matt-

6 "Tomcat just doesn't make a smooth jump from frustrating for its own good." -Justin-

5 "Even with the GBA exclusive levels and difficulty toggies, I found it to be extremely boring." -Reiner-

9.75 -The Power of Expression- "Without question, Final Fantasy X is Sakaguchi's most ambitious project yet, and is a radical departure from the formula we've become accustomed to. As you well know, in the past, characters would pantomime to text that would flash across the screen. In Final Fantasy X, every character has a synchronized voice, which in turn presents lifelike qualities and the true essence of drama. Even if you don't approve of all the changes that Square Soft has installed, I'm sure you'll agree that Final Fantasy X is a breakthrough release, a visionary tale, and a masterpiece for the ages." -Reiner- *Second Opinion* 9.75 -Justin-

9.25 -Zelda, Mario, And Crash All Rolled Into One- "Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy feels as though it were shot out of Shigeru Miyamoto's cannon. For those of you who thrive on platformers, or count the days until the next Zelda release, or simply want to play a game that is continually rewarding, Jak and Daxter is the title you've been waiting for." -Reiner- *Second Opinion* 9 -Matt- "I played this one, it was great" -Claude-

9.25 -EA's Got A Brand New Bond- "I hesitate to call any game that bears the 007 logo a sleeper, but with the incredible number of triple-A titles being released for PlayStation 2 this holiday season, it's possible that many will overlook Agent Under Fire." -Matt- *Second Opinion* 9 -Andy- "Cool game" -Claude-

7 -The Slaughter Continues- "Koel's battle cry remains constant. In fact, if the Dynasty Warrior 3 logo ddn't flash across the screen, I'd swear I was playing the previous installment all over again." -Reiner- *Second Opinion* 6.5 -Kato-

7.75 -Welcome To The Jungle- "I think kids are going to find Tarzan Untamed cool enough, but due to its oft-frustrating difficulty, only the most determined will make any headway into the game." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 7.75 -Matt- "Surprisingly fun" -Claude-

9.5 -2K2's Gutsy Road Win- "If you're a Dreamcast owner, you'd have every right to think you got screwed once you play this PS2 version, for here is where the true 2K2 resides. The Dreamcast? It's been left in the dust." -Kato- *Second Opinion* 7.75 -Kristian- "Oh yeah, I ate this one up" -Claude-

7.75 -Gunter Gueben Glauchen Globen- "Aside from this entertaining gimmick, Burnout is a solid driver, with agood control and some decent graphics, but that's about it." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 6.75 -Kato- "I liked it better than these guys" -Claude-

6.75 -Drops A Load- "It doesn't live up to the legacy of the series." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 6.5 -Reiner-

6 -Have and Have Nots- "It's as if developer In Utero was inspired by Conker's Bad Fur Day, but lacks the experience Rare has to back up a solid concept." -Kato- *Second Opinion* 3 -Matt-

5 -Some Things Are Best Left Overseas- Andy *Second Opinion* 4.25 -Kristian-

7.75 -Fear Roger Bacon- "It's no Final Fantasy, but RPG fans will appreciate its peculiar story and gameplay." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 7.25 -Reiner-

7.25 "Atlus has taken this Japanese RPG under its wing, and taken the good and less-than-good aspects along with it." -Kato-

5.5 "...nothing more than a decent-looking puzzle game with a few gun battles thrown in." -Kristian-

2.5 "It would seem this title was created with the specific purpose of torturing those who play." -Reiner-

6.5 "...I'd skip it." -Matt-

4 "Originally destined for the now defunct Dreamcast, ...should have followed poor old Dreamcast to the grave." -Andy-

5 "...the only thing it does is put you in a world of hurt." -Kato-

6 "but this is still a not-ready-for-PrimeTime player." -Kato-

4 -A Bloody Mess- "The Brits have an expression, "bog standard," which basically means that something is average or run-of-the-mill." -Matt- *Second Opinion* 4.5 -Andy-

9.25 -The Cutest Game Ever!- "Although this is essentially a detailed puzzle game, the detail is truly a sight to behold. If you're not having fun within ten minutes of the opening sequence, you probably forgot to turn your television on." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Reiner- "I loved this game and its sequel" -Claude-

9.75 -Anything PS2 Can Do, Cube Can Do Better- "This release had many things going against it. The development team was porting one of the greatest games of the year onto new hardware, and trying to do so before GameCube launched. Despite pressure and forced insomnia for Neversoft, things couldn't have turned out better." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 9.75 -Reiner- "I played it on the PS2, awesome" Claude

7.5 -Four Times Crazy- "This port is virtually identical to both the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 versions," -Matt- *Second Opinion* 6.5 -Justin- "I played it on the Dreamcast. It was fun for a while" -Claude-

7.5 -The Real Ricky Retread- "I'm not sure it's capable of converting the mainstream to its cause just yet, but Xboxers should be happy to get in on the ground floor with this one." -Kato- *Second Opinion* -Kristian- "I played it on the PS2, nice game, enjoyed my time with it" -Claude-

8.5 -Tossin' Balls In The Box- "Live has been putting up big numbers for years, on nearly every conceivable home system." Justin *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Reiner- "I played it on the PS2, it's a basketball game" -Claude-

2 -You Cut Me Shrek, You Cut Me Deep- "Shrek can burp and light his farts!" -Matt- *Second Opinion* 3 -Andy-

6 -Stop And Smell The Green Meteor Things- "For the young kid who's been starved on a diet of crappy kart games, this will seem like a feast." -Kato- *Second Opinion* 6 -Matt-

8.5 -Ride The Zamboni Pony- "If you've got a hankering for some good multiplayer fun or a mindless testosterone tirade, Hitz is your hook-up." -Justin- *Second Opinion" 8 -Reiner-

9.5 -The Dreamcast's Swan Song- "I know that most of you who have stayed faithful to the ill-fated Dreamcast are in an uproar over the cancellation of the DC version of Shenmue II. Still, I urge you to hold off putting the system in mothballs until you've had a chance to sample Tennis 2K2. It's better than the bloated and overrated Shenmue, and an excellent end to the Dreamcast's run." -Matt- *Second Opinion* 8.75 -Andy-

9.25 -Jesse Ventura Not Included- "You get a lot of game for your money with AvP2. I would say go get it before your neighbors." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.75 -Matt-

8.5 -EverQuest's First Real Contender- "Overall, there are so many things to like about DAoC that it's hard not to find the game charming." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 8.75 -Kristian-

6.75 -Dispelling The Myth- "From a storytelling standpoint, this game deserves high praise, but as a PC game it just doesn't cut the mustard." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 5 -Matt-

9 -Hold On To The Knight- "For those who eat, sleep, and live strategic defense design and implementation, Stronghold should be number one on your to-get list." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Andy-

8 -Sim Steam- "Hot Date is another solid release in this ever-growing franchise." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 8.5 -Justin-

6.25 -Almost Famous- "...the game's performance couldn't equal its scope." -Kristian- *Second Opinion* 7 -Kato-

8.5 -Good To Be Bad- "It's nothing new to the Wario Land enthusiast, but it's enjoyable nonetheless." -Andy- *Second Opinion* 8 -Reiner-

8.5 -GBA's Golden Child- "Its greatness even exceeds the nostalgia I felt for Breath of Fire's GBA port. We have a new ruler in the GBA RPG realm." -Justin- *Second Opinion* 9 -Andy-

6 -On The Rocks- "Gotta hand it to Digital Eclipse for trying, but maybe 2D would have been the way to go." Kato *Second Opinion* 7 -Reiner-

7 "Bonus points for having legendary Yes artist Roger Dean do the box art." -Matt-

8.25 "As a handheld RTS I have to give this game its due." -Kristian-

7 "Fever doesn't quite equal NES' Punch-Out, but then again, it could teach Midway a thing or two about boxing fun." -Kato-

6 "This game is a shooter." -Justin-

7.5 "Prehistorik man doesn't have an original bone in his body, but I didn't seem to mind." -Matt-

6 "Tomcat just doesn't make a smooth jump from frustrating for its own good." -Justin-

5 "Even with the GBA exclusive levels and difficulty toggies, I found it to be extremely boring." -Reiner-