Wii Sports

BMX XXX is more than just a freestyle extreme-sports game. Along with eight BMX levels where players compete for points on grinds, jumps, and other tricks, the game boasts scripted comedic events by Hollywood writers and unlockable footage of dancers from New York's Scores nightclub. The third-generation BMX engine features more than 2,000 different tricks, split-screen multiplayer games like Paintball BMX and Strip BMX, and a create a rider feature.

The main thing this game has going for it is speed--pure speed. And that's really the most important thing a racing game can have. Unlike so many racing games that throw a hundred options at players and then offer lame, slow-motion action, ATV more or less says hurry up.
The fact that the vehicles of choice are ATVs is almost unimportant, except that, like a cat, they can catch huge air and always seem to land on all fours. And though these machines go fast, there's really little reason to slow down. In fact, players won't even have to brake on the first three tracks, as power leans and a slight easing of the accelerator can satisfy most turning demands.

Of course, all this speed does have its costs, especially as far as graphics go. It's not that the tracks are ugly by any means; they hold together with little polygon breakage. It's just that they're entirely generic. You've got your desert track, your snow track, your forest track, and subtle variations of the aforementioned three. Also, there's very little a player can do besides race--in other words, no tricks. Obviously, this can get pretty boring after a while, but for those who just want to race, ATV makes a decent showing.

Sponsored by sportswear company Adidas, Adidas Power Soccer kicks its way onto thePlayStation. You are given a wide variety of gameplay options to choose from, such as season and tournament modes, single games, and multiplayer.

When going through the season mode, you can play either a shortened season or an official full-length season. Your team, as well as your opponents, are taken from all over Europe and other countries. If you're interested in reaching supreme glory at a quicker pace, there is an option for cup battle. Like it implies, you'll have to beat a certain number of teams in tournament fashion to claim your prize.

Fans of past installments in the Knockout Kings series will be surprised by several changes to the 2002 version. Previously, you had to fight your way up a list of 20 challengers and fine-tune your skills by training between bouts before getting your shot at the champ. But Knockout Kings 2002 scraps all this in favor of a four-tiered pyramid system in which you need to beat just 11 out of 14 challengers before fighting for the title. While it doesn't feel as hard-earned, it's still satisfying to advance your boxer out of dingy gyms and into major venues such as Caesar's Palace. Career mode still offers the opportunity to create your own boxer or choose from the 45 available (21 past and present, 24 fictional). Inexplicably absent, however, are such greats as Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMotta, Larry Holmes, and Marvin Hagler, all of whom appeared on past versions of the game.
Also surprisingly absent this time around is the ability to throw body punches. While some boxers have this punch in their repertoires as a body combination, the best you can do with others is slug away at your opponent's head with a multitude of hooks, jabs, straight punches, low blows, or illegal backhands. And slug away you must if you expect to hold your own against stiffer competition, as finesse options are limited.

Where Knockout Kings 2002 truly shines is in its graphics, thanks to the combination of boxers' well-sculpted physiques and EA Sports's face-mapping technology. The eye-catching detail of the various arenas and rings further enhances the realism, right down to the excitable fans in the seats and the blood flying from fighters' mouths. Satisfying smacks of gloves to the face and thuds of bodies hitting the deck can also be heard in abundance