Metal Gear Solid Vs. Splinter Cell

They’re both cold, calculating superspies, but in the world of solo espionage, there can be only one. So which stealth stud reigns supreme—old-school soldier Solid Snake or next-generation operative Sam Fisher? Let’s just say that hiding in the shadows is fun, but we’ll take a cardboard box any day of the week.

Average score for the eight Splinter Cell games reviewed by EGM: 7.98 (out of 10)

Average score for the eight Metal Gear games reviewed by EGM: 9.15 (out of 10)

greatest hit or miss?

Zelda: The Wind Waker

GC

Released: March 2003

Original Scores: 10, 9.5, 10

Although people initially bemoaned the childlike appearance of Wind Waker, their mouths were shut (or more accurately, left helplessly slack-jawed) when they finally played the game. Easily one of the greatest titles to ever grace Nintendo’s latest console, Zelda is now a steal at $20.

GAME SYSTEM VERDICT AWARD SCORES (out of 10)

Ace Combat 5 PS2 Soar in supersonic fighters so real, they could fool Uncle Sam. But why no online? 8.0 8.0 8.0 Silver

Advance Guardian Heroes GBA Old-school bash-em-up brawling from fan-favorite cult developer Treasure 6.0 7.0 7.5

Alien Hominid PS2/GC The 2D side-scrolling cartoon action thrills; the cheap one-hit kills...not so much 8.0 8.5 7.0

Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed PS2 This party game is only slightly less fun than hurling feces at friends 5.5 6.5 5.5

ATV Offroad Fury 3 PS2 Enhanced online options and deeper customization flesh out the four-wheelin’ thrills 8.5 7.5 6.5

The Bard’s Tale PS2/XB This action-RPG’s satirical humor and repetitive gameplay’ll make you laugh and cry 6.5 6.0 9.0

Baten Kaitos GC An RPG with totally innovative card-based fighting and a totally crappy story 8.0 7.5 6.5

Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space XB Janitor cats and fabulous, leather-clad pigs! What doesn’t sound fun about that? 7.5 6.0 6.5

Blood Will Tell PS2 Handi-capable hero quests for lymph nodes, an esophagus...and justice 8.0 6.5 6.0

BloodRayne 2 PS2/XB Be a busty vampire beating on baddies in this hyperkinetic action game 7.5 7.5 4.0

Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django GBA Stock up on SPF 45 before going outside with this solar-sensor-equipped action-RPG 8.0 7.0 7.5

Call of Duty: Finest Hour PS2/XB/GC Engage in the time-honored tradition of Nazi shooting as an American, Russian, or Brit 8.5 7.5 8.0 Silver

Capcom Fighting Evolution PS2 Capcom Fighting Evolution? More like Crap-com Fighting Evolution! Zing! 4.0 5.5 5.0

Dead or Alive Ultimate XB The bouncing boobs of DOAs 1 and 2 look way nicer revamped for Xbox 7.0 7.5 7.5

Donkey Konga GC (Mostly) great songs and a quality bongo controller make for a lively party game 8.0 7.0 7.5

ESPN College Hoops 2K5 PS2/XB Too many on-court mishaps keep this baller on the bubble 6.0 7.5 8.0

EyeToy: AntiGrav PS2 Wave your hands like you care in this body-controlled hoverboarding game 8.5 6.0 7.0

Fable XB Hack-n-slash action-RPG with Sims-style dollhouse elements 7.5 8.0 9.0 Silver

Feel the Magic: XY/XX DS A stylish mix of romance and minigames that takes advantage of the DS’s abilities 8.0 9.0 7.0 Silver

Fight Club PS2/XB Browsing the IKEA catalog is more fun than this crappy cash-in fighter 2.5 3.0 2.0

Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls GBA Spectacular remakes of the first two Final Fantasys shoved into one tiny cartridge 9.0 8.5 8.0 Silver

Ghost Recon 2 XB Nothing remarkable about this military squad shooter, save its solid online play 6.0 6.0 7.0

Godzilla: Save the Earth PS2/XB Then save us from having to play another Godzilla brawler 6.0 4.5 5.5

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent PS2/XB/GC Not quite the killer app GoldenEye 007 (N64) was, but single player is still fun 7.5 7.5 7.5

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PS2 Three massive cities and hundreds of diversions make this sequel larger than life 10 10 10 Platinum

Growlanser: Generations PS2 Sure, the visuals are cutesy, but this RPG will test the hardest of the hardcore 7.0 7.0 8.0

The Guy Game PS2/XB The game part sucks, and the naked chicks, well, that’s what the Internet’s for 1.5 1.0 0.0

Halo 2 XB The second coming of the Xbox’s savior lives up to the hype, both online and off 10 10 10 Platinum

The Incredibles PS2/XB/GC A superhero game for the little ’uns, but with a decidedly adult difficulty 5.5 6.5 7.5

Jak 3 PS2 The jack-of-all-trades gameplay keeps this duo among the platforming elite 8.0 8.0 8.5 Silver

Killzone PS2 A good (if a bit choppy) attempt at a Halo-style shooter for Sony’s system 7.5 8.0 7.0

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories GBA The cards say you’ll be experiencing a bit of action-RPG déjà vu...which isn’t so bad 7.0 7.0 7.5

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude PS2/XB You won’t find penis jokes this unfunny outside of Spencer Gifts’ naughty aisle 3.5 2.5 1.5

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age PS2/XB/GC High production values don’t make this RPG the greatest show on Middle-earth 7.0 7.0 5.0

Madden NFL 2005 DS The best handheld football game ever. Problem is, that ain’t saying much 6.5 7.5 7.5

Mario Power Tennis GC Mario packs so much fan service, you won’t want to return this ace of a game 9.0 7.5 8.0 Silver

Mega Man X8 PS2 Mega Man takes another shot at the third dimension and gets it right this time 6.5 6.5 7.0

Men of Valor XB Decent multiplayer saves the day in this otherwise blah Vietnam-era shooter 6.0 7.5 6.0

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater PS2 Venture back to the idealistic ’60s for Snake’s most ambitious stealth-action epic yet 9.0 9.5 10 Gold

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes GC Samus looks smokin’ hot even in the dark...world, that is 9.0 9.0 10 Gold

Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits DS Simple, addictive puzzle-action that truly shines in its wireless multiplayer mode 7.5 7.5 7.0

Need for Speed Underground 2 PS2/XB/GC Brooke Burke as a street-slangin’ race queen? Eh, the game’s good, so whatever 8.0 9.0 8.0 Silver

Neo Contra PS2 Konami has another decent Contra sequel in this short (but sweet) blast-em-up 8.0 7.0 7.0

NCAA March Madness 2005 PS2/XB Solid play, true-to-life ambience—this one’s headed to the Big Dance 8.0 8.5 8.0 Silver

OutRun 2 XB The graphics say 2004, but the arcade handling still says 1986 6.5 6.0 8.0

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door GC Nintendo’s much-needed GC role-playing game is flat-out fantastic 9.0 9.0 9.0 Gold

Ping Pals DS Be a pal and tell others to not waste an Andrew Jackson on this poor text messenger 1.5 0.0 0.0

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within PS2/XB/GC Boy, is this Prince in a bad mood. Maybe it’s because adventure #2 isn’t quite as fun 8.5 8.5 8.5 Silver

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal PS2 PS2’s best mascot-platforming game...with guns. Lots of guns 9.0 9.0 10 Gold

Ridge Racer DS DS Six-player wireless LAN races (on one cart) good; bad graphics and bad control...bad 6.5 6.5 2.5

Rumble Roses PS2 Luscious ladies lock limbs in this wonderfully smutty (yet bare-bones) grappler 7.5 6.5 6.5

Sega Superstars PS2 This EyeToy game collection is moderately entertaining for the hour it takes to beat 5.0 7.5 4.5

ShellShock: Nam ’67 PS2/XB Boom-boom with the ladies after boom-booming the enemy in this grim shooter 7.0 6.0 4.0

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne PS2 A dark RPG that’s as archaic as it is excellent 8.0 9.0 8.5 Silver

Spider-Man 2 DS If your spider-sense is on the fritz, let us warn you to avoid this ho-hum adventure 6.0 5.5 3.0

Sprung DS Hook up with young hotties at a ski resort. Slightly more fun than chlamydia 4.0 5.0 1.0

Super Mario 64 DS DS It’s-a remake of one of the best platformers ever! Only it’s-a much harder to control 8.0 8.0 9.0

SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom XB SNK and Capcom go at it again, this time with spotty online and mediocre gameplay 6.0 6.0 3.0

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 PS2/XB/GC With four-player brawlin’, the half-shell heroes are half-baked, -hearted, and -assed 3.0 4.0 2.0

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 PS2/XB/GC Par for the course just isn’t good enough for this excellent golf simulator 8.5 8.0 9.5 Silver

Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 PS2/XB/GC Not a revolution, but Tony Hawk fans won’t mind, and it’s newbie friendly, to boot 9.0 9.0 8.5 Silver

Tron 2.0: Killer App XB The more apt name Tron 2.0: Better Than Average probably wouldn’t have sold well 7.0 6.0 7.5

The Urbz: Sims in the City PS2/XB/GC The Sims’ suburban theme gets kicked uptown and outside but loses something 7.5 5.0 7.0

Viewtiful Joe 2 PS2/GC More of what you (hopefully) know and (should) love from Joe’s first outing 8.0 8.0 8.5 Silver

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw PS2 SmackDown! goes online and adds voice acting. The rest is basically the same 7.5 8.5 7.0

X-Men Legends PS2/XB/GC Four mutants take on a sea of baddies in this x-cellent action-RPG 7.5 7.0

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.