Nintendo 64

The original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater arrived on the scene and did the impossible. Not only did it bring skateboarding to the videogame masses, but it also did so with such proficiency that it immediately became the industry standard—a standard as yet unmatched by its competitors.

I can't see too many gamers being disappointed with the sequel. The game is definitely successful as a solid and enjoyable title, but personally, I needed the game to take more of chance to be considered something truly amazing.

After playing Madden 2001, I am in agreement with Ben on almost all of his points. Naturally, the Nintendo 64 Madden leads in graphics, but its high-res graphics are simply too choppy to go unnoticed. The PlayStation version on the other hand, lacks any sort of graphical punch at all, but plays more smoothly.

Madden NFL 2001 is a better football game than NFL GameDay 2001, but only marginally so. It has a better visual polish (especially in the Nintendo 64 version), loads of options and gameplay that's easier to live with, but I still found it every bit as frustrating to play as every 32-bit and 64-bit football game before it. What's the point of all the extra features that 989 Sports and EA Sports have been cramming into their football games if every contest feels like a chore?

Game Description: John Madden is back and, again, he's brought the entire NFL with him into your PlayStation with Madden NFL 2001. The game includes the updated rosters you'd expect, but new this season is the addition of coaches on the sidelines to give you specialized advice. They also often "encourage" the players and shout "helpful advice" out to the referees. Finer details for this version include wristbands, visors, facemasks, and turf tape—specific to what each player favors in the real NFL. Collisions now factor the weight and height of players, making for more realistic hits. EA has even gone to the trouble of replicating some of the touchdown celebration dances and taunts of real players.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence

Like any red-blooded, American boy, I was drawn to the superheroes that filled the pages of Marvel Comics and DC Comics. While I was a follower of the likes of Batman, Superman and even Wonder Woman, I would say that Spider-Man was my hands-down favorite. I made it a point of getting up at 5 a.m. every morning to catch the latest adventures of Spider-Man on TV. I was pretty much obsessed with anything Spider-Man related. I had a Spider-Man lunchbox, notebook, pencils, action-figures and coloring book. I even followed his adventures in the newspaper comics. As I grew up, I slowly put away my Spider-Man obsession only to engage in it again—albeit fleetingly—years later with the launch of the, then new, Todd McFarlane Spider-Man series. Looking back, I always though it strange that I never played any of the Spider-Man videogames with much interest. After playing Activision's Spider-Man, I can only surmise it was because those games were nothing but one-dimensional fluff; because this game is the one Spider-Man game I've played that got it right.

In his opening paragraph, Dale said that this is the Spider-Man game that "got it right." While I don't doubt this is probably the best Spider-Man videogame ever made (though the old Atari 2600 one was pretty awesome for its time), I still think the developers missed the mark ever so slightly.

Game Description: Take a look overhead—Spider-Man is arriving to the PlayStation just in time. As the beloved photojournalist-cum-webslinger, you'll freely explore New York's skyline, sewers, and hideouts to fulfill several missions. Use Spider-Man's superhuman strength to fight such notorious foes as Scorpion, Venom, and Rhino. Use his spider abilities to spin webs (any size) to disable and detain bosses, swing around buildings, and creep along walls and ceilings. And thanks to your spider-sense, you'll detect impending danger from a distance. There is no wealth or fame at the end of this game, however; action is your reward.