Oddworld: Munch's Oddyseeis primarily a puzzle game, with some action and adventure thrown in. The puzzles are great brainteasers that require players to use the special abilities of the two characters, know when to switch between them, and know when to guzzle performance-enhancing SoBe beverages. Several of the game's best puzzles get the player so caught up in their conventions that they overlook much simpler solutions.

This curious world seems totally believable through the power of Xbox. The mountains, water, caves, and factories in this foreign world are extremely detailed and lifelike. The in-game cutscenes are comparable to Pixar movies. Although the Oddworld games for the PlayStation had spot-on personality and gameplay, the Xbox has truly brought the developers' visions to life.

Oddworld Inhabitants has crafted a captivating experience that's imaginative, clever, and beautiful. Simply put, this is a must-have Xbox title.--Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Unmatched uniqueness and personality
• Awe-striking cutscenes
• Addictive brainteasers

• Might not have enough action for impatient gamers
• Quite possibly, too strange for some

DOA3offers eight modes of play, including story, team battle, tag battle, and sparring. Sparring mode is customizable and is a nice way for new players to learn how to play the game, while story mode lets you take one of the 16 available characters through a series of matches culminating in a fight against theüber-powerful Omega. Once you defeat Omega, a short movie specific to your character is unlocked. The story mode doesn't make a lot of sense (and the dialogue is laughable) but the end movies are pretty cool, and it's fun playing through the game as each of the characters.

The real meat of the game, though, is its combat, andDOA3delivers in spades. Each character has specific attacks, such as Zack's Devil Elbow or Bass Armstrong's Stun Gun Chop, and once you get the moves down, the entire affair can unfold like a carefully choreographed ballet as combatants block blows, counterattack, and land devastating punch and kick combos. Adding to the game's appeal are the massive and detailed multilevel arenas (introduced inDOA2), in which a precise kick or punch can send a combatant plummeting through the air down to the arena's next level.

It's obvious thatDOA3was designed as a showcase for the Xbox's graphical prowess, and it shows--the game's graphics are awesome. The character models look amazing and feature highly detailed clothing and accessories, and the animations are extremely smooth. The environments are also outstanding, and feature tons of little touches such as fluttering leaves, snow-covered ground that can be torn up during the course of a fight, and great-looking water. Even the background structures are highly detailed.

DOA3doesn't rewrite the rules of the fighting genre, but its great graphics and intense fighting--especially in multiplayer mode--make for an enjoyable gaming experience.--William Harms

Pros:

• Brilliant graphics
• Lots of gameplay modes
• Multileveled arenas keep the fighting exciting

• Story mode makes no sense
• Few unlockable extras

The game parallels the motion picture's story line, steering you through a progression of challenges that begins with the hunt for Uncle Ben's murderer and ends with a final showdown with the Green Goblin. You begin as Peter Parker dressed in his wrestling costume and must defeat a variety of thugs throughout each level before advancing to the next set of challenges. The game gets progressively tougher as you encounter, in turn, Shocker, the Vulture, Scorpion, and, of course, the Green Goblin.

Visually,Spider-Manis a treat: cityscapes unfold in realistic detail and are enhanced by sunlight shining between buildings; cutscenes offer seamless animation; interiors are painstakingly re-created; and Spider-Man and his enemies are well rendered, moving about the screen in clean fashion. As an added bonus, most characters are voiced by their movie counterparts, and the training mode features the sarcastic wit ofEvil Deadstar Bruce Campbell.--Larry White

Pros:

• Detailed controls bring Spider-Man to life
• Challenging gameplay enhanced by numerous fight styles
• Stunning visuals at every level

• Camera angles slow to respond at times
• Some interiors too dark
• Repetitive one-liners