
NCAA Football 2000
Grade: C-
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1999)
Reviewed: 2019/12/1
Rating: Everyone

NCAA Football 2001
Grade: C+
Publisher: Electronic Arts (2000)
Reviewed: 2019/12/1
Rating: Everyone
NCAA Football 98
Grade: A-
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1997)
Reviewed: 2018/11/17
Rating: Kids to Adults
NCAA GameBreaker 2000
Grade: B+
Publisher: Sony (2000)
Reviewed: 2016/9/4
Rating: Everyone
NCAA Gamebreaker
Grade: B-
Publisher: Sony (1996)
Reviewed: 2015/11/8
NCAA Gamebreaker 98
Grade: D-
Publisher: Sony (1997)
Reviewed: 2015/11/8
NCAA Gamebreaker 99
Grade: F
Publisher: Sony (1998)
Reviewed: 2015/11/8
Publisher: Midway (1998)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Everyone

This is hands-down one of the most fun and addictive sports game I've ever played. Why? Because there are no rules or lulls in the action! Leveling other players before they can make a catch is part of the game, and it's a blast! When the play's over, you can drop a knee (or elbow) on the down player for good measure. This game is a trip! The controls are simple and responsive, and the crisp arcade graphics are outstanding. The wacky announcer tosses out hilarious lines like "That was totally uncalled for ...but alot of fun to watch!" The game's torrid pacing is key. A single contest takes less than ten minutes to play, but those are ten minutes of non-stop action!! NFL Blitz is to football what NBA Jam was to basketball, effectively emphasizing the best aspects of the sport. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Sony (1995)
Reviewed: 2012/1/14
Rating: Kids to Adults
Publisher: Sony (1996)
Reviewed: 2012/1/14
Rating: Kids to Adult

I'm not sure what the developers had in mind, but they
wrecked this game. The intro gets you psyched by showing real footage of bone-crunching hits, but the actual game is disappointing. The first thing you'll notice is the graphics, which are
severely degraded from the previous year. The animation is smoother and faster, but everything is lower in resolution. It doesn't help that the game zooms in very close, exposing you to an alarming degree of pixelation. The "total control passing" needlessly complicates the controls, and the "improved" AI can be obnoxious. Defenders blanket receivers so closely that you really need to get rid of the ball extra early to complete a pass. The play selection screen now shows four plays at a time (instead of three) but looks ugly and it's hard to make out the symbols. Diving tackles are still fun on defense, and the running game is easier so you're bound to pick up a yard or two even after being stacked up at the line. The stiff-arm works great in the open field, and during one play I effectively
punched out a would-be tackler. Two issues they really needed to address were left unchanged, namely the touchy kicking meter and the inability to throw a hard pass. The PA announcer is new, but he's very dull and sometimes wrong ("A 10 yard gain on the play. Second down and one.") There are a few new cosmetic tweaks like nets behind the goalposts, banners in the stands, and cheerleaders on the sidelines. GameDay 97 made a lot of changes to the original game, but most were not for the better. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Sony (1997)
Reviewed: 2012/1/14
Rating: Everyone

This 98 edition marked the year that GameDay traded in its pixelated sprite graphics for boxy polygons. I think it was pretty much a wash. The angular players seem ugly in retrospect, but at the time they were pretty amazing. Their movements certainly look more fluid and natural, and you can even see the numbers on the backs of their uniforms. It's cool how they "wrap each other up" when making tackles, and runningbacks will sometimes even
drag tacklers (it looks like defenders are
gnawing on them when this happens). The camera zooms in close whenever possible, but that makes it hard to survey the field before the snap. The polygon graphics definitely benefit the instant replay function, which lets you smoothly rotate around the play. It seems easier to run between tackles this year, but receivers forget how to catch when there's a defender in the vicinity. At least you can now put a little mustard on your throws. The lack of a half-time show is disappointing, but I guess it would be hard to create curvacious cheerleaders out of such angular polygons. The play selection screen is better this year, but it can be frustratingly hard to find basic plays like "punt". I hate the quarterback's high-pitched voice, and the pixelated crowd looks awful. The PA announcer is back, and he still has no idea what the hell is going on. GameDay 98 took a few steps forward, but the franchise still had a ways to go. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: 989 (1998)
Reviewed: 2012/1/14
Rating: Everyone

Unlike the previous edition, GameDay 99 made substantial improvements to the series. The players look
ten times better, with polygons that look more rounded and less angular. Actual player photos are displayed between plays, and I was surprised to see Jim Harbaugh quarterbacking my Ravens. The two-man play-by-play is a terrific new feature. Dick Enberg and Phil Simms provide interesting dialogue that can be unintentionally funny. Phil: "You know Dick, I get the feeling that any moment now they're going to
bust a
big one."
Quick - cut to commercial!! Other welcome additions include drive summaries, celebrations after big plays, and support for analog control. Penalties like pass interference are called, but they are few and far between. The kicking meter is much easier to use, and I love the new camera angle that gives you a clear view of the ball sailing through the uprights. GameDay 99 isn't without its growing pains however. The confusing new play selection screen displays two plays in the foreground and two in the background. Before each snap the quarterback moves slowly up to the line, so you'll need to hold in X to get his lazy ass moving. Stadiums like Mile High have plain blue backdrops that make them look as if they're floating in the sky. The game tends to cut away from passing plays too early - sometimes before you even know what happened. Despite its flaws, GameDay 99 is a well-rounded football game that gave Madden a run for the money. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.
NFL GameDay 2000
Grade: B-
Publisher: 989 Studios (1999)
Reviewed: 2012/1/14
Rating: Everyone
NFL GameDay 2001
Grade: B-
Publisher: Sony (2000)
Reviewed: 2012/1/14
Rating: Everyone

It's nothing spectacular, but GameDay 2001 did smooth out a few of the wrinkles that plagued last year's game. A much-improved play-calling screen proves the adage "less is more" by limiting your selection to three plays at a time. It looks a
hell of a lot better. The audio quality of the commentary is much clearer this year, and the licensed songs have been mercifully axed. One new feature is "new player models" that are supposed to be scaled to the height and weight of the actual players. Frankly I would not have noticed if I hadn't read about it on the back of the box. GameDay 2001 is very offensive-minded with runningbacks who shed would-be tacklers with ease and receivers that make a lot of leaping grabs. There were a few times when I witnessed a receiver shove a defender out of the way, make the catch, and take it to the house. Not cool! In one game there was a particularly heinous glitch where I couldn't see the plays on the selection screen! It shook my faith in the game, but I'm hoping it was just an isolated incident. GameDay 2001 isn't terrible, but it could use some fine-tuning. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.
NFL GameDay 2002
Grade: A-
Publisher: Sony (2001)
Reviewed: 2012/1/14
Rating: Everyone

I wasn't expecting much from GameDay 2002, but this is probably the most satisfying edition since the original 1995 title. It's definitely the best looking. The screens are clean and attractive, sporting a new "glossy" look. On the field the player animation has been tightened up so there's less sliding around. The game has good balance, so both running and passing are equally fun. I like how runningbacks will sometimes fall forward for that extra yard instead of being stopped dead in their tracks. I noticed that if you hold in R1 before the snap, you now get a nice wide view of all of your receivers. Another notable improvement is the ability to call a timeout by simply pressing the select button. When the clock is ticking down, the last thing you want to do is fiddle with the menus! I love how in Ravens stadium you can see Jumbo-trons on each end which reflect the action on the field. One change I have mixed feelings about is the new kicking meter. It's a lot harder to use than the previous one, but it does add to the challenge. Speaking of kicking, why is it that the CPU always nails his field goals with perfect accuracy and power?
Bogus! During one game the "chain gang" was called in after a third-down for a measurement, and the tip of the ball was clearly past the chain. You can imagine my dismay when my quarterback lined up for
fourth and inches! I guess no football game is perfect, but on the Playstation, this is close enough. The GameDay series would continue through 2005. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1999)
Reviewed: 2008/1/30
Rating: Everyone
Publisher: Sony (1995)
Reviewed: 2008/1/30
Rating: Everyone
Nagano Winter Olympics 98
Grade: C
Publisher: Konami (1998)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Kids to Adults

Nagano Winter Olympics plays like a winter version of International Track and Field, and that is a very good thing. The events include Skiing, Speed skating, Short Track, Bobsled, Luge, Ski Jumping, Curling, and Free Style. While fun with four players, this game does have some glaring issues. First and foremost, the difficulty between events is
wildly uneven. Qualifying for the ski events is an exercise in frustration, and it's worse in the multiplayer mode, since the runs are long and only one player can ski at a time. In fact, the only event that supports two-player simultaneous play is Speed Skating. The most oddball event here is curling (similar to bowling), but it's strategic quality provides a nice change of pace. I love the variety and winter scenery, but Nagano plods along too slowly and lacks the excitement of International Track and Field. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Namco Museum Volume 1
Grade: B+
Publisher: Namco (1995)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Everyone

This fine collection of old arcade favorites includes Pac-man, Galaga, Pole Position, Bosconian, Rally-X, New Rally-X, and Toy Pop. Yes, these are exactly the same as the arcade versions. Pac-man and Galaga are true classics with endless replay value. Pole Position is fun, but the control is lacking without the steering wheel. Rally-X is an underrated maze game, and Bosconian is a generic space shooter. Toy Pop is a bit of a dud. The virtual museum feature is interesting at first, but the actual content is disappointing, consisting mainly of instructions, tips, and Japanese ads. Even so, this is one of the better editions of the Namco Museum series. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Recommended variation: Galaga
Our high score: ER 99,060
1 or 2 players
Namco Museum Volume 2
Grade: C-
Publisher: Namco (1996)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Everyone

The second Namco collection is seriously lacking in big-name titles. It includes Xevious, Gaplus, Super Pac-Man, Mappy, Grobda, and Dragon Buster. Xevious is by far the best title here, but it's still a "semi-classic" at best. Mappy is a mildy entertaining, cutesy platform game with a trampline-jumping mouse in a police uniform. Grobda is a fair third-person tank shooter with laughable voice synthesis. Gaplus, the alleged sequel to Galaga, is entirely too hard to be any fun. Super Pac-Man is probably the
least fun Pac-Man game of all time, and Dragon Buster is an interesting but hard-to-control early D&D-style game. There's not much to get excited about here, but completists will still want this in their collection. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Namco Museum Volume 3
Grade: B+
Publisher: Namco (1996)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Everyone

Namco really got back on track with its third collection, which features a number of bonafide classic arcade hits. Galaxian, Ms. Pac-man, and Dig Dug need no introduction - these games are incredibly fun and madly addicting. Pole Position II is a decent sequel to the venerable racing game, and it features multiple tracks. The last two games however are extremely lame. Phozon features strange build-an-atom gameplay that's not the least bit compelling. Tower of Druaga is a
slow Dungeons and Dragons maze game that will make you want to play Wizard of Wor instead. On the strength of the first four games however, this is a disk worth owning. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Namco Museum Volume 4
Grade: C-
Publisher: Namco (1996)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Everyone

Namco appeared to be running out of titles with the release of this fourth compilation, containing Assault, Pac-Land, Ordyne, The Return of Ishtar, and The Genji and The Heike Clans. To be honest, I've never even
heardof most of these games! Out of the five, only Assault stands out. Supporting dual-analog sticks, this tank game is an absolute blast! With scaling graphics and challenging gameplay, this amazing shooter practically justifies the whole disk! Pac-Land is a departure from the previous Pac-Man games, playing like a second-rate Mario Brothers. Ordyne is a side-scrolling shooter with excellent cartoonish graphics and multiple weapons to choose from. The final two titles try to combine arcade action with RPG strategy, but fall flat. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Namco Museum Volume 5
Grade: D+
Publisher: Namco (1997)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Everyone

For completists only, this fifth Namco collection contains five little-known games: Metro-Cross, Baraduke, Dragon Spirit, Pac-Mania, and the Legend of Valkyrie. In fairness, none of these are particularly bad, but none are particularly good either! Metro-Cross is a decent skateboarding-thru-obstacles type game, and Baraduke is a bad maze shooter with corny, low-quality voice synthesis ("I'm your friend!"). Dragon Spirit is an extremely difficult vertical shooter with small, pixilated objects. Pac-Mania is a 3-D version of the original Pac-Man, and the only thing the new graphics add is the ability to jump over ghosts. The Legend of Valkyrie is a arcade/RPG game which didn't hold my interest. For this fifth edition of Museum, Namco was clearly running on fumes. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Virgin (1997)
Reviewed: 2002/5/5
Rating: Kids to Adults

In this third-person space shooter, you guide your ship around the inside or outside of a giant tube, firing at cannons and enemy vessels while dodging and jumping over barriers. Naturally you can pick up power-ups and new weapons along the way. Nanotek boasts great 3D visuals, with a smooth frame-rate and outstanding explosions. You'd think that someone who grew up with Tempest would appreciate the old-school nature of this game, but I'm really not too crazy about it. Maybe it's the complex controls that turn me off. You can fire in three directions, bank, strafe, jump, climb, dive, accelerate, brake, and fire a special weapon. That's too much for an arcade-style game. The challenge is immense and you really have to stay alert. Another issue is the monotonous stages. Flying in or around tubes is a rush for the first few minutes, but wears thin in a hurry. Nanotek's sound effects are impressive, and its pulsating soundtrack will get your adrenaline flowing. It didn't win me over, but for shooter fans looking for a real challenge, Nanotek may be just the thing. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1996)
Reviewed: 2005/4/12
Rating: Kids to Adults
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1997)
Reviewed: 2005/4/12
Rating: Kids to Adults

I'll never forget how
disgusted I was upon purchasing Need For Speed 2 (NFS2) in 1997. I was especially bitter because I had just sold the first one back! The original game took its racing seriously and tried to be as authentic as possible, but NFS2 totally compromised those principles. Instead of realistic tracks, you get fanciful wonderlands with castles and psychedelic tunnels. Not only are these courses annoyingly unrealistic, but most are butt-ugly to boot! The gratuitous scenery also takes its toll of the frame-rate, which only rates as fair in the single-player mode and unacceptably poor in the choppy split-screen mode. Case in point is that pathetic bridge on the "Outback" track, where you can see the arches being rendered
as you're driving over the freakin' thing! Even back in 1997, my friends mocked this game to no end. Adding insult to injury, NFS2 tried to overcompensate for its stiff controls with an "arcade mode" which has the cars sliding all over the road! At least the car showcases still kick ass, featuring cool videos of the cars cruising around town to pulse-pounding beats. NFS2 was apparently trying to appeal to both the car purists and arcade crowd, but fell short on both counts. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit
Grade: A-
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1998)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Everyone

Redeeming itself after the disappointing Need For Speed 2, Electronic Arts has managed to deliver a racing game that's both fun and graphically impressive. Need For Speed 3 (NFS3) features attractive tracks that are attractive but not too far "out there". The analog control is tight, and the game has an arcade feel which I like. The two-player split screen mode is compelling, at least until someone pulls too far ahead. NFS3 has a load of options including varying weather conditions and police cars which make the races a lot more interesting. The pumping background music is outstanding. If I had one reservation, it would be with the so-so framerate. Even so, Need For Speed 3 did a fine job of rejuvenating the series. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
Nightmare Creatures
Grade: B
Publisher: Activision (1997)
Reviewed: 1999/7/15
Rating: Mature

I really enjoyed Nightmare Creatures, if only on the strength of its creepy atmosphere. This game is right up there with Resident Evil when it comes to creating a tense atmosphere straight out of an old horror movie. Its stages tend to be dark and foggy with old, decrepit buildings. Zombies rise from their graves and werewolves leap out of the darkness. There's plenty of fun to be had as you battle weird creatures and large bosses. Unfortunately, the frantic action is marred by an overly-complex control scheme which is condusive to mindless button pushing. Nightmare Creatures is no classic, but it's certainly a good Halloween game. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.
No One Can Stop Mr. Domino
Grade: C+
Publisher: Acclaim (1998)
Reviewed: 2003/10/12
Rating: Everyone
Publisher: Psygnosis (1995)
Reviewed: 2014/2/9
Rating: Kids to Adults
Our high score: 11680
1 player