Nintendo 64

Game Description: Enlist some of your favorite characters from the Mario universe for a game of doubles in Mario Tennis. Boo, Daisy, Bowser—even new character Waluigi, brother of Wario—and more are here for a game that sets accurate tennis physics in an unpredictable fantasy world. Where else could you play tennis on a court surrounded by lava? Play solo or with up to three friends simultaneously. Exhibition Mode provides a friendly, straightforward game, while Tournament Mode will settle the bets. There's also a Ring Shot Mode, a tennis variant that has players trying to send balls through as many golden rings as they can.

Game Description: One of the most anticipated sequels in recent memory, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 builds on the addictive gameplay of the original by adding many new tricks and features. The idea is still to perform complicated tricks for points, and players can still ride as Tony or any of an expanded roster of pros in the new game. Now, though, players can create their own skaters from scratch, selecting appearance, gear, clothes, and more. Players can also create their own ideal skate park by instantly building ramps, rails, pipes, and other challenging obstacles. All of the old tricks remain, with hundreds of additions. Of course, with all of those new tricks to master, there are also more detailed accidents: scraped knees, broken boards, and wall and (ouch!) pole collisions.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Animated Violence, Mild Language

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.

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.

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.