Arctic Thunder Review

Customer Ratings:

If you have played Rush or Rush 2 for the Nintendo 64 then this you have an idea of the feel of this game. Gameplay focuses on fast pace and quick decisions. Learning the tracks is a must and there is a training mode designed to help do that very thing.

The thing that makes this game different from Rush, other than the fact it is snowmobiles, is the addition of weapons. The weapons add interest and frustration at the same time. It is fun to knock other players off there rides, but not as fun as it seems like it would be. Also, the computer is always better at knocking you off at the critical moment than you are.

PROS:

1. The tracks are different, interesting, and fun.

2. Unlocking new tracks and characters, modifying your sled, and upgrading your racer are all fun features that add endurance to the gameplay.

3. The variety of things you can do (Race, Shoot, do Tricks) means that there is always something different to try.

4. Shortcuts are great!

5. 4 player multiplayer race or battle.

6. Sound is pretty good.

CONS:

1. The graphics leave something to be desired. They aren't awful, but they are not the high point of the game.

2. The weapons lack the punch that you want them to have. Shooting someone with a rocket is not even as satisfying as a turtle shell in Mariio Kart. (I think they toned it down to get a "Teen" rating)

3. It would be nice to be able to just race with no weapons or bonuses. There might be a code that would allow you to do that, but I don't have it yet. (They give you codes when you get a gold medal on a race)

OVERALL, I have not been disappointed in this game, but I did not have high expectations. This is a good game for what it is. It is not an exceptional game; it doesn't break the rules or raise the bar, but it is fun.

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I was looking for an Xbox game that my 6 year old niece and 7 year old nephew might like when they came to visit me and I picked this one up. We had a great time with it, playing it over and over. The game play is easy enough for youngsters, though I'm not really sure my niece ever knew exactly what she was doing, and collecting points to upgrade the sleds and unlock new tracks and characters was a lot of fun. When they all left, I kept playing until I had it all unlocked. The game play does get repetitive and it is a bit limited--you can only replay the same courses so many times before you get tired of them. But it was a great choice for that weekend when they all came to visit and I'd recommend it!

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Arctic Thunder is an arcade gameplain and simple. It can be a lot of fun if you are playing with 2 or 3 others. Aim for the green turbo icons at all costs or you probably will never win. It is a blast when you hit these because your snowmobile takes off like a rocket.

Gameplay (7.0):

Easy controls, fun multiplayer, and stuff to unlock.

Graphics (6.5):

It is arcade-style all the way, so they are not that bad when you consider that. Could have been better.

Replay (7.5):

Very fun when playing with others and can be fun for a single player if you are into unlocking stuff. Will bore you after you have completed everything.

Overall (7.0):

I would love to give this one 3.5 stars, but since I cannot, I chose to round up because of the multiplayer fun.

Honest reviews on Arctic Thunder

This is not a simulation game by any means. But the action is fast and smooth, there are tons of bells and whistles and the feedback in the controller is great! It's not particularly challenging in racing mode, but it's still fun!

For those put off by framerate concerns with the PS2 this game runs as smooth as silk on XBox.

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This is the game that i have been waiting for. It features all of the characters from the arcade version. Thank you midway.

Buy Gold's Gym Cardio Workout - Nintendo Wii

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $16.74
Today's Bonus: 16% Off

If you enjoy cardio boxing and want to work up a sweat, then this Wii game is for you. After doing the basic lessons and moving on to the regular ones for only a couple of hours my arms and shoulders feel like I can't lift them anymore. I'm pretty sure I'll be sore tomorrow morning.

This is basically a cardio boxing game. The rest of the exercises are short games and workouts that are unlocked as you progress through boxing exercises. It looks like there are 6 regular ones and 4 that use the balance board. This is the extent of the balance board usage. None of the boxing exercises use the balance board. This is a little disappointing, but since you can't jump on the balance board it would be a little difficult to do the boxing footwork which is bouncy, without damaging the board. Still, I thought the description of the game was a little misleading since the use of the balance board is limited to leg raises, push ups and a couple exercises that are already included with the Wii Fit.

Still, I think this is a good addition to my Wii Exercise list because it's engaging and holds my interest and I like games where I can build up the score and compete against my past scores. Here are a list of the pros and cons that I've discovered so far:

Pros:

Choice of music. There are several different music choices that you can preview and play during your workouts.

Choice of settings. You can choose a gym, forest or seaside setting.

Lots of movement and easy to understand instructions.

You acquire points which you can use to buy things at the gym store, like different outfits.

You can pick your trainer (male or female) and there are several different training levels so you can play according to your abilities at a pace that is good for you.

Great response time on the controls and great sounds. "Pow! Crunch! Wham!" The movements and clicks of the Wiimote register right on. You can also click through scenery pans and other peripheral scenes to speed the game. (Thank you, UBI Soft!)

Cons:

The graphics are a little ragged on an HD TV with component cables and 480p settings. Wii HD Link Component Cable

They are also a little simplistic compared to other Wii games, not bad, just simplistic.

The balance board is used in only 4 of the side workouts, not in the main cardio boxing.

All in all, I still think it's a good addition to my Wii workout collection and it's one that's fun enough that it'll get used often. It's good arm and shoulder exercise that will compliment my We Cheer Wii game and a good way to work up a sweat without getting bored.

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I actually got my copy a couple of days before it was supposed to be released from a video game store. It's mostly cardio boxing, although there are other exercises including Punch Dog, reverse sit-ups, back strengthening and squats that utilize the balance board. There are 4 other exercises that have to be unlocked as you progress through the game. (I just unlocked Jump Rope today, on my 4th day.) Gold points are earned to be spent in the Shop on gear, and additional items go on sale as you go.

After initial "registration", you choose your trainer, either Alex or Nina. Other trainers are unlocked as you progress. (I just unlocked Brenda.) Each day, you have a choice of doing a prepared workout or an ala carte workout. After the prepared workout, you get to leave a punch stamp on the calendar, indicating that you've completed that day's workout. There are Boxing Examinations you can take to test yourself.

As of yet, I haven't noticed the scale feature and I had to enter my weight manually when I first set up my profile. All in all, it's a great workoutmore interesting and interactive than Wii Fit (which I still love). I was sweating after about 5 minutes, and I'm STILL sore from my first workout! There's less jumping and hopping around than My Fitness Coach, which, with my bad knees, is a big plus. I look forward to unlocking more of the features of this game!

Update: 4/12/09I've unlocked a couple of the "Special" workouts in the Shape Boxing, but only done Dodging, which is really tricky because you have to throw punches at the same time! I've unlocked all the locked excercises in Exercise and they are "Roadwork" (running & boxing a bear that crosses your path), "Sandbag" (punching 10 sandbangs in the allotted 3 minutes), "Log Chopping" (using the remote to saw through a log in 3 minutes), and "Jump Rope". I've unlocked another trainer named Bob, who looks like the BIGGEST guy on Muscle Beach, and a two new outfits for the trainer I've chosen (Brenda), as well as a few new items that were given to me for reaching a X amount of punches. I'm still loving this game and have lost about 4 lbs since I've been playing it (along w/Weight Watchers). It's not hard on my bad knees and I feel the burn where I should.

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I review Wii games on YouTube. If you want to see more of my reviews go to youtube.com/wiiviewr.

Honest reviews on Gold's Gym Cardio Workout - Nintendo Wii

I've had this for a month now, and I have to say I've really enjoyed myself. I got bored with the Wii Fit within a few weeks; my biggest complaint that other than the Hula Hoop, nothing really gave me a good workout.

Can't say that for this "game." I've worked out every day, and look forward to getting on it first thing in the morning. I do the prepared workout, and every other day will supplement it with some a la carte shape boxing or exercises. I like my trainer, and the little rewards are nice eggs to work toward.

I drip like a sieve, and my muscles are sore. That's a good thing.

I like that you can pick three different levels in the prepared work out (light, regular, hardcore), or just do a la carte if you want more or less.

However (and there's always a however), there are some flaws.

1) Not everything registers. Be it squats, upper cuts, ducks, or dodges, sometimes you have to REALLY exaggerate your movements to get it to register. It's very frustrating to throw an uppercut and nothing happens, or to throw a punch and it registers a duck simultaneously when you're doing ducking combos.

2) As noted by others, it doesn't weigh you. Missed opportunity there by Ubisoft.

3) The English translations on screen ain't such be good done right. ;)

4) On the sandbag exercise, it's too easy to knock the bags out in 45 seconds. I haven't unlocked all of the elements of the game yet, so I'm hoping there's a "free" mode where you can do the side exercises for as long as you like.

5) Sometimes it doesn't register the "up" on squats. You have to really "bounce" (again, exaggerating motions) to get it to register, which takes away from the work out intent. I don't want to exaggerate my motions; I just want to work out and get my sweat on.

6) The "training" mode on the side exercises should be the default, and you unlock the "challenge" mode. Seems silly to challenge someone who hasn't even trained yet.

7) After a prepared work out routine, my trainer tells me that I really kicked butt (nice encouragement) and that I should try a harder work out next time. Um. You picked the work out, Alex, not me. Why don't YOU try a harder work out next time. Maybe in time it will get more difficult (although I'm not complaining. It's working me out as is!).

I know these sound like a lot of gripes, but they are minor compared to the overall positive impression of this game. It's a good work out, and I'm really enjoying myself. Beats a membership to one of the shape boxing gyms that are popping up all over the place. Seems to be ahead of that trend a bit, and is something you can do at home at your convenience.

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Got it today and it may be considered too soon to give a fair review, but truth be told I've been duped. I was expecting a well rounded cardio workout but from start up you have to focus on boxing. Don't get me wrong, if they called it "Cardio Boxing" I would have understood, but I was hoping for something my wife and I can use. She has little or no interest in cardio boxing.

For myself I enjoyed the cardio boxing and I intend to use it as often as time allows. I was able to work up quite a sweat from it and I'm in pretty good shape to begin iwth.

They should have called it cardio boxing or something similar. In that case I would have judge it for what it is.

If you like cardio boxing and are looking for a different and fun workout, give this title a shot, but don't be fooled into thinking you are getting something you are not.

I have to admit when using two controllers, the boxing is challenging and fun. The boxing tips are authentic and I would even suggest this to amateur boxers or martial artists looking to hone their reflexes.

Best Surf's Up - Xbox 360 Deals

Customer Ratings:

This is one of the last video games I ever would have thought to buy. I usually stay away from video games based off kid's movies, especially ones I didn't like all that much. However, while shopping, my wife and I found ourselves playing the game on an xbox 360 demo unit. We had just gotten xbox 360 (as a wedding gift lol) and I told my wife, there are probably much better games 2 player games for us.

Well, I couldn't find much else I thought she'd like, so I bought her Surf's up. I thought it'd be fun for an hour and they we'd both get bored of some glitchy controls or lack of any fun. Surprisingly, the gameplay, while simple (afterall it's for little kids), is great. The controls are tight and the different characters have varied if not distinct feels to them. With a few different goals to reach on each level and over a dozen levels, we're still enjoying the game. The tricks and scoring are a little simple and too easy for most kids even. However, completing a course with a high score and all the gates gets pretty challenging (though you only have to do one or the other).

Besides having more levels, characters, modes, etc. The one thing that really could have made this game 5 stars would have been more complex tricks, ones that don't just require a button press or two and to give extra points for varying your tricks. Then they could raise the highest scoring goal and give the game a little more depth and challenge.

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"Surf's Up" was a surprisingly great movie and my daughters and I loved it. Typically, games based on movies (especially animated features) can be really lame. Fortunately, this one is as terrific as the movie, and a whole lot of fun! It's easy enough that my 7 year old picked up most of the controls right away. But it's got enough challenges and unlockable characters, boards, environments etc. that we're still playing it and finding it exciting weeks after we first got it. I would say that this is not only how a movie game should be done, it's how all games should be done. A great game all around. "A+"

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I bought this game so that my son would have something to play. What I didn't expect is how much I was going to enjoy it. Easy enough that a 5 year old can understand how to play and have fun with it without getting frustrated, and fun enough that his mom will keep playing after he goes to bed.

You really can't ask for much more.

Honest reviews on Surf's Up - Xbox 360

Very entertaining and fun for kids about 8 to 12. My 9 year old grandson enjoys it tremendously.

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This is a five star rating because this game is fun filled and exciting. It's a "E" for everyone to play and enjoy.

Discount Assassin's Creed III Encyclopedia Edition -Xbox 360

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List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $89.73
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

I will focus on the encyclopedia edition first and then comment on the game.

My encyclopedia edition came in the mail safely and undamaged with the normal retail version of the game, the hefty encyclopedia, and the graphic novel. If your edition was damaged from shipping I believe that is worth noting in a review but NOT worth taking off stars for.

Now, regarding the encyclopedia, it is gorgeous. It is a high quality hardcover edition with an exquisite dust cover. The binding seems to be solid so I do not anticipate the book wearing out from excessive use. Speaking of excessive use, the encyclopedia covers a lot, including summaries of events and characters. Spoilers are present so finish up AC 3 before gazing. There is also much high quality art. I would say approximately 40% of the book is art and 60% is wording. It is easy to look up a video of someone flipping through the pages online so consider doing that before investing. For me, as someone who ordered this edition to better understand my favorite storyline of any video game I have played, this was a real treat.

Next, the graphic novel: _Assassin's Creed Subject 4_. It is a combination of the AC comics series _The Fall_ and _The Chain_ which tell the story of Daniel Cross, an important character in the AC world. I was surprised at the quality of the book. It is soft cover, but the binding and the covering is very durable. Ubisoft did not spare any expense in producing these. I will say I am disappointed that Ubisoft did not include the original covers for each comic, but that is a small issue. Regarding the story, at first I thought that it was merely a way to make money by promoting a side story, but it is interesting in itself and it also covers some important information not available in the game series. In particular, knowledge of it will give you insider-knowledge in regards to a particular part in AC 3. ;)

Regarding the game itself, I do not see what all the hate about AC over the past few weeks has come from. I just finished it as I write this review and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having played the entire series I can say that AC 3 is one of the best. The story, both past and present, was satisfying, and, of course, the ending is a cliffhanger (go figure). But does that mean another AC game?? Hopefully not for at least 2 years. Many have complained about bugs in the game: I experienced very few and none were game breaking or overly distracting. The graphics are delightful, a serious step up from Revelations. The music is fantastic and the voice work is exceptional. The gameplay has changed from previous AC games. For example, it took some time to get used to the "not holding A to run" and to press "B" to block. I was still not entirely comfortable by the end. There is plenty to do throughout the many locations, although I avoided the hunting, the minigames, and the investing, because they simply did not appeal to me. Surprisingly, I entered a shop only once in the entire game, purchased NO additional weapons than the ones I started with, and I had absolutely no trouble as a result of not "upgrading" my character.

The missions of AC 3 are mostly thrilling. Not perfect: there are too many chase missions, the full-sync bonus objectives often clog the screen and pressure you during a mission, and there are many surprisingly frustrating bits. You can participate in several historical events (ex: the midnight ride of Paul Revere) which is exciting for any history buff.

Here are my complaints about the game. First, I did not feel any obligation or desire to do any side missions. There are a lot of side missions. The controls were somewhat difficult to get used to. The game starts a bit slow (but it is worth it). Connor is a total jerk at times. The ending is one of the worst cliffhangers in the series. There are occasional bugs. Finally, and most significantly for me, who am very interested in the story, the events that happen in AC 3 feel a bit disjointed. I occasionally had trouble figuring out why I was doing this or why I was killing this person or why this was significant. Also, there are some jumps in the story that lead to a, how shall I say it. . . less than seamless story.

In the end, AC 3 may have been slightly rushed, but it is an exciting addition to the series and, as you will find out, is by no means The End. Be wary of people who give this game low reviews: look for their reasoning (hint, they are often whining about bugs or cliffhanger endings). The encyclopedia edition is for hardcore fans only. AC 3 is not exactly the game I was hoping for but I am still very pleased with it. Of course, you should also check out the most popular AC 3 review for the normal edition of the game. The person who gave it 3 stars has many good points to make. I agree with some points and disagree on others. Consider renting or purchasing cheap on Black Friday if you are wary about this game.

And remember, the unexamined life is not worth living.

EDIT: Update

I have had time to reflect on my experience in AC 3 and find myself agreeing more and more with people who were disappointed with it. The story AND gameplay was slightly lacking and the game could really have done with several extra months of development. I have settled on a score of approximately 8/10. That is not to say that this 5 star review is inaccurate. The encyclopedia has turned out to be very informative and pleasing to read. The graphic novel was also excellent, though I do not have a desire to read through it a second time. However, the price of AC 3 is decreasing, and you can purchase the encyclopedia for $40 on ubiworkshop (usually with added shipping of up to or approximately $10). Let me emphasize you renting this game before purchasing it. Even the most ardent AC fans (such as myself) have been -at least slightlydispleased with the overall product.

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This encyclopedia edition is one best edition yet. I like the fact that has all the information in the AC Universe. A recommended buy for everyone who wants to know more about the AC and to the Veterans of the saga.

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I think Encyclopedia Edition is the best edition I ever had in my life time. It came with two books comic book and encyclopedia. When you read about comic book then play game. The story line is easier to understand. It about Daniel Cross (Subject 4) about his life and his ancestor. The encyclopedia has really awesome illustrations and stories lines about different characters.

Honest reviews on Assassin's Creed III Encyclopedia Edition -Xbox 360

Playability is good. Graphics are great.

I have to suspend playing it as I got to go back and finish the previous titles for the storyline.

1 star off only because Boston looks and feels soo dreary, like if the artists painted mud on the buildings to make them more so. The Frontier seems so much chipper. Big difference from the streets of Renaissance Italy. I can only hope New York feels livelier.

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This encyclopedia edition is just GREAT! I remember when I got the firs Assassin's Creed, got it because the gameplay that I saw on youtube was just something entirely new. But when I got the game, the gameplay was the last thing on my mind. How the story line of this game gets you attatched to it is amazing! This is HISTORY with a little twist (a great one) that makes any gamer of any age wanna get more of it. The second one, Italy, Leonardo, Rome, Vatican city... WOW! Ubisoft got how we (the gamers) got attatched to Ezio and his travesy and the gave us Brotherhood and Revelations also killing tittles that will always be classic. Now They bring the story closer in time, but here! in America, making the game more interesting of knowing how assassins from different centuries connect and act for the same purpose.

Now, The Encyclopedia.

I got the first one and it was remarkable. Giving every detail of every key caracter and every move by Altair and Ezio. Now this one, the updated version including Assassins Creed III content is just amazing. Got it as a gift from my girlfriend (yes, I'm lucky) and is just something every AC fan should have, so much info from our 3 favorite Assassins and the ones between them makes it just the best AC experience.

Strongly Recommend

PS2 USB Energy HD 1" Foam Deluxe Dance Pad 4 in 1 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $61.95
Today's Bonus: 11% Off

Purchased mine from amazon in December 2007... It still works just fine.

Pros:

-Great quality (obviously 2 years and it still works)

-Does exactly what it advertises

-Mega simple to use

-*Proven*Works VERY WELL with step mania and FFR (but beware of some lagging issues when using vista)

-*Proven*Works with DDR on ps2 and X-box

Cons:

-$$$ when i bought it, it was $84

Aside from that, there are no other cons with this product. It's awesome and if you're looking, you should probably buy it.

___

*Update* 4/3/2011

Positive: Product is still in excellent condition and works fine with windows 7.(Even after 4 years!) I cannot confirm if this product is compatible with next gen systems.

Negative: I can see that support for these thick old foam insert pads is starting to get phased out. Dance-pads are a bad investment if you aren't already an avid Dance pad user. Basically if you even sorta think its going to collect dust, you shouldn't buy it.

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The pad is great. It works with my dell pc running windows xp. I put the foam in, zipped it up, and plugged in the usb cord that came with it and it was working in 5 minutes with stepmania. 1 week of strenuous use and still perfect recognition of steps. No lags whatsoever. If you want cheap and best, this is it. "

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My old dance pads were wearing out, so I did some research and found these. Everyone said they were the best soft pads, and for once, everyone was right!

The foam on the bottom *really is* non-stick on carpet. I don't know if it would be on hardwood, though. The 1" inserts are a little difficult to put in, but if you're patient, they fit. Just be careful not to get anxious and rip the bottom foam trying to push the insert in farther. The insert makes jumping a lot easier on the knees. I do worry about wearing "dips" in the foam, but since it's replaceable, I'll just make sure to keep this company's address on Favorites.

Putting the unit together took me about 20 minutes, but I was being VERY careful not to tear or bend anything. The unit itself unzips all the way around, you construct the foam insert puzzle pieces, stick it in and zip it up. It takes a bit of maneuvering to get it to fit, but I think the tight pull on both sides helps with the accuracy and stability. Once you zip up the foam, it's literally plug and play.

I couldn't believe the accuracy of this thing! I've been struggling on Light Mode to get mere A's, and with this I could hit AA within one to two tries on a song. It won't be long until I"m trying a few of the harder settings...maybe even Oni mode, which up until this point has been impossible to try. The raised arrows and the different "feel" under your feet between the arrows and the shape buttons helps, too.

Short of shucking out several hundred dollars for a metal dance pad, I think this is the best value. We'll see how it performs after six months of abuse from a 200 pound woman.

Honest reviews on PS2 USB Energy HD 1" Foam Deluxe Dance Pad 4 in 1

As an experienced player of Dance Dance Revolution, Stepmania, Osu, and other rhythm games, I find it only fitting that review the dance pad that I personally use.

Dance pads are a product category where there is a stable supply of uncomfortable, easily torn, or downright useless models. After having played on a variety of plastic pads, a few foam pads, arcade machines, and even my own personal metal pad, I have found that there is one pad that I outright prefer to play on.

The Energy Foam Deluxe Dance Pad

Durability: 7 out of 10

The durability of a product like this is extremely important. When you are banging your feat on something day in and day out it is easy for a non-metal product to tear. This is where a Energy Metal Arcade Dance Pad generally wins out. I have bought two of these pads in my heavy conquest into Stepmania pad play over the last one and a half years or so. The first one eventually lost sensitivity in one of the arrows after around nine months of play. The second one is still in use today and works perfectly. This product can get cosmetic tears and rips from time to time but it takes quite a while to cause it to stop being fully functional. For a dance pad, it is relatively sturdy and reliable but it is not indestructible and may have to be replaced.

Comfort: 8 out of 10

The Energy Foam Dance Pad adds a lot over a Energy Non-Slip Dance Pad through the foam insert. You can use this pad to place on hard flooring with little trouble. It takes about an hour of play a day over a week or two to notice stress in my legs and feet. In that sense, I would compare it to be on par with running around in a decent pair of shoes intensely and every day.

Usability: 10 out of 10

After having used other dance pads, none come close to this one in note accuracy, responsiveness, and easy of moving between steps. Playing in socks is something you generally cannot do safely with metal pads but it works perfectly with this pad. I have reached difficulties as high as thirteen and fourteen using this pad and I believe one day I will be able to manage a fifteen. On my metal pad, I struggle with twelves (Which could be a good thing if you're just trying to work your body out). This pad has worked perfectly for me until death once properly setup.

Design: 7 out of 10

The overall art style of the pad is pretty much fair enough for what it is but it doesn't stand out above other pads. A large plus of this pad is that it has plugs for most consoles and PCs. Compatibility includes Playstation, Playstation 2, XBOX, and PC/MAC. I have only personally tested it for Playstation 2 and PC via USB and it worked perfect for both. However, the area where all the plugs are is shaped like a squid with all the plugs randomly flying out of the main cable. This gets in the way of trying to set other things on the table if you are playing on the PC and the like but that is a fairly minor gripe.

Difficulty of Use: 9 out of 10

It's plug in and play. Once the device has been recognized, I've really only had user error problems in using it. If you are playing Stepmania then you will probably have to go into the game's keybinding configuration and setup the keys to play. I use the "Select" button on the pad as my back button and everything else is as intended.

Overall: 9 out of 10

For a serious player of any pad based dancing game the most important things are how well you can flow between areas of the pad to hit notes, the comfort over long periods of time, and the reliability of the product. This pad does all of those fairly well. Pads are notorious for eventually breaking so the fact that this one lasted upwards of a year at my level of play during the first purchase is actually rather good. Aside from that, the levels of performance I've been able to reach with this pad make it speak for itself. It is a great product in a market saturated with easily broken or malfunctioning garbage so I am happy to have found it and I also heartily recommend it for anyone interested in moderate to heavy play for Dance Dance Revolution or Stepmania.

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I've been using RedOctane pads for about three years now, but when I needed a new one recently, I found they no longer made dance pads. I tried this one as an alternative, and it's decidely mediocre. I regularly play songs up to 200 BPM or so, generally playing 7-9 step songs. With that as a background, here's how I felt about the pad.

The good:

* Fantastic foam insert; solid but not hard.

* Doesn't slip much, even on the carpeted floor that I play on.

* Very responsive sensors; if you hit the step at the right time, expect to get the best rating.

* Works well with Stepmania.

The bad:

* Smaller sensors than RedOctane pads; probably sufficient for most purposes but more restricting than I'm used to.

* The padding that raises the arrows is inside the top of the pad, and is not at all secure. At the time of this writing, three of the raised sections have migrated halfway to the center of the pad, making it very annoying to play on.

* Sometimes the pad just simply stops working for a second or two, and I'll miss several in a row (not even Bads or Poors, but complete misses).

This isn't a bad pad by any means, but I'm not sure it's the best for the level that I'm used to playing at. I'm actually going to try to return the pad because it just doesn't work well enough for me.

Reviews of Drop shot, Auto-aim, Jitter Xbox 360 Modded Controller COD Ghosts

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List Price: $209.99
Sale Price: $99.99
Today's Bonus: 52% Off

Everything is working great and hes found other uses for his mod. Overall a great buy and considering picking one up for myself.

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The controller is really cool, although the controller you actually get may be slightly different from the one in the picture. Mine had matching blue triggers and a plastic blue guide button, although I'd prefer to have the default guide button. Also, the controller works pretty good mostly. Except sometimes I'll be playing Black Ops 2, and there will be an enemy right in front of me and my gun won't shoot because of the mods. And then I get killed. It's really frustrating. And also, if you press the left trigger and then the mods button, it will make the player four light come on, and I don't really know what it does but it sure as heck messes me up in the middle of the game. Oh, and then there are the messages I get from angry players, complaining about my mods. And lastly, the LEDs could be better...mine are uneven and they get dimmer when the controller needs charged.

Overall, I DID get the controller at a good price ($85) but sometimes it gets screwed up in the midst of a game and renders me gun-less.

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My remote was sent to me with a broken battery pack which was annoying and it over heats quite often

Honest reviews on Drop shot, Auto-aim, Jitter Xbox 360 Modded Controller COD Ghosts

Me and my kids play Black Ops 2, and this controller works great. If I play with mods and they have their mods turned off, I actually stand a chance against them! We play video games together as a family quite a bit, and we own a set of a few modded controllers. The tiger ones are my personal favorite, something about them just stands out from the others.

The rapid fire is very fast, and has never let me down. We've played it online and have had no issues. Everyone online seems to have modded controllers now, so we got some modded controllers to keep up with everyone else. Now I know how everyone has been dropshotting so good online.. these controllers make it so simple to do so.

Highly recommended.. Geniusmods will not let you down. Everything about them is professional. The manual was easy to read, came in full color with plenty of photos. Packaging was great, very professional, quality product.

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This controller is great I love it. It shoots fast and its not made cheap if you want a controller i would get one from genuis mods their cheap and great. Thank you Genuis Mods.

Review of Viva Pinata: Party Animals

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Okay. I'll admit it. When Viva Piñata first came out on the Xbox 360, I didn't think there would be much to it. Then I started playing the game and it quickly became my guilty gaming pleasure. I couldn't stop obsessing over these candy-filled critters.

So, when E3 rolled around and Microsoft announced a new Viva Piñata game on the horizon, an inner voice squeaked with joy. Then I heard that the game wasn't being developed by Rare, and that the game was going to be a new party game title cashing in on the franchise's popularity. It was about that time, my inner child cried and started to throw a tantrum.

Here we are now, months later, and Krome Studios' Viva Piñata Party Animals is finally hitting store shelves. While the game isn't a proper sequel to the addictive original, I've got to admit my inner child is happy once again.

First off, it needs to be said that Viva Piñata Party Animals isn't actually based on the original Viva Piñata game. Instead, it's based on the Saturday morning animated show that was based on the video game. Instead of random pretztails, fudgehogs, fizzlybears and horstachios, we've got Paulie, Fergy, Franklin and Hudson taking the spotlight. These stars of the animated series, along with their various female counterparts, are competing against one another in the biggest show on Piñata Island, the Party Animals Championship Challenge. Billed as the most unpredictably exciting--and not to mention uninsured--sporting event ever created, the Challenge pits contestants against one another in a series of chaotic races and minigames in the quest to be named top piñata.

Viva Piñata Party Animals can be played with up to four players, either on the same system via split screen or over Xbox Live with other piñata pioneers around the world. Players choose one of the eight selectable characters to take through a gauntlet of minigames. There are multiple rounds of competition, each beginning with a Mario Kart-style racing game. Races are single-lap free-for-alls, complete with hidden shortcuts and an arsenal of wacky firepower ranging from beehives (which litter the track with sticky honey) to water bombs (which soak the opponents' screens and obscure their vision for a time). These races prove to be extremely important throughout the rest of the rounds' minigames, as the winners get bonus candy points tacked on to their scores after each minigame event. The racing aspect of the game is a lot of fun, and something which I can see fans itching to see get the full video game treatment. C'mon Krome. Where's our Viva Piñata "Kart"y Animals?

...And I must admit that the online version of this game is one of the funnest online multiplayer games I have played on xBox 360!

Aside from some minor gripes here and there, it's hard not to like Viva Piñata Party Animals. Whether you're a kid or just a kid at heart, there's something special about the franchise that is almost as addicting as the sugary goodness that packs every one of these creatures. The wide range of minigames almost guarantees everyone will find at least something they like in the title, and I've yet to find anyone who didn't get a thrill out of the game's fast paced racing. Despite the fact I'm still waiting for a true sequel to Viva Piñata, in order to feed my gaming sweet tooth, Viva Piñata Party Animals does an excellent job of filling in as a between-meal snack.

The International Themed Mario Party Gem That Was A Reward To Find!

BUY THIS GAME!

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Cheap Wipeout 3 - Xbox 360

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Was Wipeout 1 a good game?? Personally, when I read a review that someones kid liked the game or they got a good deal, that doesn't qualify as to me as a legitimate review. YOU have to play the game to review it effectively. I've played mostly every Kinect title and reviewed most. Wipeout 1 suffered from a serious motion control issue. The controls were horrible, and if you have played the game and didn't have an issue with getting past the big balls, you have achieved more than 5 of my friends and myself have.

Fast forward to Wipeout 3. Motion controls fixed. FINALLY! PLUS, a big PLUS, you don't have to run. You can just use your arms as you would as if you were running. To jump, you lift your hands up in the air. You can tilt your body backwards or forwards to adjust or when you're in the air to go further or shorter.

It's the same Wipeout, that had the horrible controls with FIXED controls. In the original Wipeout, if you couldn't get past an obstacle, you'd use an arm motion, and you'd be docked a certain amount of penalty time. With the current Wipeout, you have 3 attempts to master that obstacle. At that point, if you failed the game would advance you past that obstacle.

I'd like to thank the developers for ignoring the glowing reviews from a broken game, and get down to work to fix the issues that they knew existed. Great job! Third times a charm!

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My family has so much fun with this game. Its a workout and a laugh a minute. We highly recommend this for family fun

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Great fun family game. Very entertaining, all the family can play graphics are very good. All age groups can play

Honest reviews on Wipeout 3 - Xbox 360

I bought this game for myself hoping to get some sort of workout. Most of the moves can be made by simply raising your arms to jump or moving your hands to run. Can be hard to manipulate the characters for me, but my 9yo enjoys this game, so it was not a loss.

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I don't know maybe it's how we have ours set up, but this game doesn't seem to respond very well. It doesn't recognize us all the time; or it'll switch who is who. I told my boyfriend I think it's 'cause we have it set up so close to us but our daughters Disney game works just fine, but that game doesn't require near as much movement as this game so who knows. It works pretty well with one player but we got this game as a family game and if we can only play one person at a time it defeats that purpose.

Reviews of Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition - Xbox 360

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DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS will probably go down as one of the best games that I've ever played. It's an RPG of a dying breed. Your character is silent, the lore is extensive, and success only comes about after trial, error, and numerous deaths. A game that all but demands that you invest yourself emotionally and fill your character's shoes as much as possible. It follows the classic D&D tradition that few games submit to these days (not even DRAGON AGE II will be in the same vein) and a masterful story that only the good writers at BioWare could deliver.

If you haven't had a chance to play this game, start with this "Ultimate Edition." No question about it. DA:O is certainly good enough as is, but BioWare released a series of add-ons since its release that aren't quite worth the price tag they were given. This collection, on the other hand, is a great deal. Buying DA:O, its "expansion," and every piece of DLC at release would have cost you a grand total of $160. Unacceptable and insulting, especially considering the quality of some of the DLC. On the other hand, the cost for the "Ultimate Edition" is a fine price for you to enjoy the heck out of DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS, and make up your own mind about the add-ons without conflict.

NOTE: The package includes two discs. The first contains only DA:O, while the second is an installation disc for the add-ons. You WILL have to install the DLC from the second disc to play them. They're not terribly big files, but people with limited HD space should take this into account.

-DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS (5/5 Stars): In my old Amazon review, I gave this game 4/5 stars because of its difficulty, but that was nearly a year ago...and I'm still playing. If the sheer amount of content doesn't keep you playing, then maybe the fact that merely playing as a character of a different gender will dramatically change the way the story progresses. You will never play the same game twice. This is fantasy fiction at its best, and one of the best fantasy RPGs in years and years.

The writing is great, the lore is perhaps TOO detailed, and the characters are extremely likable. If you love in-depth or classic RPGs that stay away from modern trappings, this is the game for you. Perhaps one of the LAST games for you.

(The DLC reviews are in the order I think they should be played for full enjoyment. The first three, you should play before you complete the game.)

-THE STONE PRISONER (3/5 Stars): The quest itself is largely uninteresting, but it unlocks a new party member, Shale. It's a well-written character to be sure and is sure handy in a fight, but don't expect to get a ton out of its backstory.

-WARDEN'S KEEP (4/5 Stars): This has a nice little storyline that's only about an hour in length (as is most of the DLC). You are tasked with helping a descendant of a Grey Warden clear his family's name. To do so, you must clear out a place called Soldier's Peak, which, afterward, will grant you a place to store your goods. For the impulsive looter, this is a gift, though I think it should have been a part of the actual game. Having a guy in your camp asking you to buy Xbox Live content doesn't do much for immersion.

-RETURN TO OSTAGAR (5/5 Stars): This one worked so well on account of its emotional significance to me. Ostagar is The Place where your adventure begins, where you become a Grey Warden, and lose quite a bit. To come back to it was a heart-wrenching experience. It won't take you very long to hack through it, but the items that you can find throughout have great meaning, and the ending brings with it a satisfying sense of closure.

-DRAGON AGE: AWAKENING (4/5 Stars): Without the outrageous $40 price tag attached to it, you can now enjoy this in full confidence. This is a 13-15 hour adventure through the Arling of Amaranthine, which will give you new locations, party members, armor, and an opportunity to rule over the land. It's definitely the best out of all the add-ons, but it probably won't sync up very well with your ending from ORIGINS, which is definitely a downer. And the ending was a bit rushed for my taste.

-GOLEMS OF AMGARRAK (3/5 Stars): I liked the idea of my Warden answering a call for help, but I DREADED going back to the Deep Roads again. AGAIN! There are other places to explore in Ferelden, BioWare...Anyway, this wasn't bad, but there just wasn't much to it. You explore an old dwarven thaig, uncover a few ancient secrets and fight a boss. If it takes you more than two hours to complete, I'd be surprised (that goes for most of the DLC).

-WITCH HUNT (4/5 Stars): The infamous Morrigan romance. If you felt it didn't end the way you'd expected in ORIGINS, here's your chance to get that feeling back again. The story takes place a little over two years after the end of ORIGINS, and your Warden is searching for Morrigan (your intentions, good or ill, are up to you). There's quite a bit of lore to be found here, some humor from your party members, and it provides you with enough foreshadowing to make you remember DRAGON AGE II is right around the corner. Beyond that, Witch Hunt is little more than a fine way to kill an hour, but I liked it. NOTE: This DLC will pretty much serve as the end of your Warden's story until DA2, so plan accordingly.

-LELIANA'S SONG (2/5 Stars): This DLC didn't serve much of a purpose to me. Leliana told her story sufficiently enough in ORIGINS; there was just no reason to play through it. It actually made her character all the more confusing because it doesn't really give you a good, meaningful reason as to why she joined the Chantry. It almost makes it sound like she joined "just because." Way to take a neat story and make it boring. Also, the almost French accents were terribly annoying and poorly done here.

-THE DARKSPAWN CHRONICLES (1/5 Stars): Another pointless piece of DLC. It basically shows what would happened if you, the Warden, had never been found. You command a Hurlock and a party of other Darkspawn through the final battle, killing all of the Warden's companions along the way. This would have been a neat little "what-if?" story, but there is absolutely no voice-work here. Not one word, so it just amounts to an hour of killing things with no real purpose. And all the locations are recycled, let's not forget that.

So, in closing, I do want to reiterate my love for this game and how much of a true RPG experience it is. BioWare might have gone a little crazy with the DLC, but this is a truly great package when everything is said and done. This is my second time buying DA:O (my copy was throughly abused and broken after my friend and I were done with it), and it was my first time playing and of the add-ons with the exception of AWAKENING. I had a lot of fun, despite the questionable quality of a few of them.

This really is as good as it gets. And judging by the current "simplified, modern, give-a-voice-to-the-main-character" trend in RPGs, this may very well be one of your last opportunities to enjoy a game inspired by the classics of the genre.

See you at the Joining, Warden.

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I have had a great deal of difficulty getting into any given game recently, and it has often taken some pretty impressive games for me to put in more than a couple of hours. I started by getting the original Dragon Age: Origins preowned, and within a week, I knew that I would be purchasing this copy. It simply offers too much downloadable content and expansions at too great a value to pass up. I will rate the game as a whole, for those of you who don't know about Dragon Age.

Graphics: I have often heard people speak ill of the graphics of Dragon Age. I suppose the graphics are only slightly better than that of Xbox 360 games that came out on release day, but definitely not as poor as PS2 graphics that some people claim it sports.

Considering what they have done with the game, I can't say I would complain about the graphics. Every single piece of armor shows on every character on every cut scene. Cut scenes change based on what you have done and who is in your party, and every dialogue piece changes depending on who is in your party. It is remarkable to see little details such as what boots a character is wearing showing accurately in every scene. I consider this to be an impressive game. And it may not be FF 13 graphics, but it does some far more impressive things than FF13 ever attempted.

Glitches: Yes the game consists of glitches, are any of them game breaking? I haven't run into any as I had with Fallout 3. The glitches are sometimes audio fails to properly trigger, some characters outfits or beards tend to fall into each other, there was one scene where my character performed the killing blow on thin air because the monster had already fallen, so glitches exist, and they can be distracting. Once again, I point to the shear magnitude that this game accomplishes, and can forgive that some dialogue doesn't match up right, or a codex is inaccurate, given how much the game possesses. Compared to shorter games like Gears of War, Halo, and Darksiders, the game has considerably more glitches, and you will run across them. However, other than being minor inconveniences, I haven't experienced anything. Just follow the rule of save frequently, especially since the games autosave feature isn't quite as frequent as you would probably prefer.

Environment: This might be some of the reason people hit so badly on the graphics. The environments are pretty bland. You aren't going to see very much in the ways of surreal, artistic, landscape. Once in a while you might see something pretty cool, like in the deeproads, but for the most part, I have found the landscape to be relatively bland.

Appropriateness: Most people are curious about the content. A lot of games are labeled M for mature, but that can go in a lot of directions. In general, there is no swearing in the game, the characters rather using the softer words like "Sodding" when they swear. With regards to nudity, there are various enemies that will be fairly bare. Desire Demons typically where nothing but a loin cloth and some "nipple covers". A certain monster shows more boobs, but there was nothing sexual about a broodmother. You can have sex in the game, but it is done fairly tactfully, and every character wears underwear, the loose, unexposing kind. Homosexuality, threesomes, foursomes, and more stuff can occur in this game as well. With regard to violence, the game revels in how it shows blood. Your characters will become covered in blood after fights, and certain items have the unique ability to be "messy" and have more blood. Enemies will have pools of blood around them too, and will quickly decay into skeletons after a kill. So violence is a yes, although you can't just attack and kill anyone like in oblivion... in this game you would have to challenge and threaten to get into fights, and even then it doesn't always work. So yes, a violent, sexual game with surprisingly decent language. The environments are typically OK, I didn't see too many scary environments or inappropriateness like in Fallout 3. In one or two areas, you might see a few people hanged from hooks, but nothing like Fallout 3 does. There was one area that freaked me out and was scary, but that was the only area in the game I found to be that way.

Difficulty: I found the game to be pretty easy, but I suppose that depends on your experience with RPGs in general. I play on normal mode and might crank it up for my second playthrough. There were some challenges, but the more I play and get used to the controls, the easier it gets.

Variety: The game offers a fair variety of gameplay. Most of the time, it is simply clicking A to kill all your enemies, but there are plenty of ways to shake things up. If you are a mage, you will need to balance and run through your spells constantly. You can lure enemies into carefully constructed traps if you would like, causing them to fail miserably as they charge you. A boss or two require unique strategies to kill. So if you want to just hit A until it is dead, you can, or you can use your abilities strategically, the choice is yours.

Other characters:

You have the ability to fully control any member of your party, so don't think you are going to be helpless like in some other games. You can create fairly complex AI controls so that your ally acts exactly how you want him to. Learning to set these up properly is essential to the game. The redial menu is your friend, and while I originally tried to get away without it, I eventual realized it is a necessary part of the game. You will quickly learn that you can't learn everything, so you are going to have to give some of the slack to your allies. One of them will need to learn herbalism/trapmaking/lockpicking ect... you can't depend on the warden to master them all, making teamwork in your party essential, something I have not felt in any game for a while.

Improvements: My only two improvements that I think would have added greatly with the game is 1) allowing a second player to take control of one of the allies, which would have been remarkably easy to set up and 2) Perhaps a few less glitches would have been nice.

Overall: Other than that, I found this game to be the best game I have played in some time. It is fun, giving you an open game feel without the "I have no idea where to go, what to do" feel oblivion sometimes gave. Most of your paths are linear, and I can't say I felt like I missed too much without a strategy guide, but it still gives you options and multiple paths in any given dungeon/city. The additions were all great, and I enjoy awakening just as much. The addons are definitely fun and worth adding on, although I don't expect many of them are worth it to buy individually, they are a great deal within this edition.

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Now before I get into the game im going to state this. To enjoy this game to its fullest there is alot of reading. The game plays like a classic rpg some what similar to that of guildwars and it requires alot of patience and if you dont have any of that you will not enjoy this game.

Now to the main review this game is simply amazing. There is so much depth in it you will spend just as many hours in this as you did in fallout 3. Alot of games you dont know a whole lot about the universe you are put into well thats not the case with dragon age. All around the game there are codex entries that you add to a journal and they describe in great detail of the world around you. You may even get so into it you feel like you are part of the game.

On my first play through I managed to beat the game in 20 to 25 hours and thats only because I didnt even come close to everything there is to do in this game. I mostly focused on the main story and ignored the codex entries. This is definitely a game that requires multiple play throughs to understand it.

The most interesting thing about dragon age is the origin story. There are 6 different origins you can chose from and each one has their own impact on the game and how people around you react to you. Like I said this game is going to take some time and if you want to see all the different ways the game can play out you are at least looking at 6 play throughs.

Whats great about this package is all the dlc you get with it. Theres probably around $80 worth of dlc that I paid and you get for free with the game. Now there are a few DLC's you that you really shouldnt touch until after you play the game. As they could spoil the main plot for you.

If you like old style Rpg's and a vast story you will fall in love with this game, it's simply a master piece. There is just so much with in this game I really dont know where to begin to sum it all up in a review but its deffinatly worthy of being in your collection.

Honest reviews on Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition - Xbox 360

I hope to eventually write a real review, but for now I just need to warn you: I think it is a very bad idea to install the "feastday" DLC pack. Install all the others, but this one is game-wrecking.

One of the great things about Dragon Age is the approval system -your game choices and your dialog options and you use of various "gifts" will influence how much esteem your party members hold you in. Earn their loyalty and you'll unlock special skills, and maybe even romance. Alienate someone too much and they might outright leave.

This nuanced system replaces the literally one-dimensional morality mechanic in games like Mass Effect, Fable, KOTOR and others. I find it so much more realistic.

Here's what the feastday DLC pack does: it takes this innovative game mechanic, and completely destroys it. It gives you abundant access to cheap gifts that *hugely* pump up the loyalty ratings of everyone in your party. If you want to keep everyone at max approval, it's just too easy. It'd be really hard not to.

For each character there is one special gift that gives +50 approval, and one "prank" gift that gives -50. Here's how it went down for me. I had a character who I'd worked hard to get up to, say, 80. Not knowing what the gifts do, I gave her the "good" gift. Her approval maxed out at 100. Then I gave the prank gift. It went down to 50. I thought, "hey, I got robbed! I should get it back to 80 again." Well, this is easy: you just buy three copies of "Thoughtful Gift" from your local merchant. (I'm serious.) That's it. Only once I'd done that, I was drunk on the whole idea, long story short, five minutes later everyone in my party had max approval. Yeah, I'm weak.

Ergo, the whole interesting and motivating game mechanic of the approval system was just tossed out the window. I've never had a DLC actually ruin part of the core gameplay experience of a game before.

I cannot fathom why BioWare made and released this DLC. I say: just don't install it. If, halfway through the game, you decide that you hate the approval system and you wish the game didn't have that aspect to it at all, then go for it; this DLC pack will wipe it off the face of the map for you handily.

Sorry that this wasn't a real review. The core game is 47 kinds of awesome.

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First off, probably the only RPG I've played where I didn't want to viciously murder at least one of my companions by the end of the game (I'm talking about you, Neeshka and Qara of Neverwinter Nights 2). Every character has a great personality, and your companions will engage one another in (often hilarious) dialogue. The graphics look great, and there is a good sense of the benefits and shortcomings of each weapon style and type. Item creation is much easier than in Neverwinter Nights 2, where you have to go all over the continent to search for the required materials. Sometimes you will have to make decisions on whose word to trust without knowing who is being honest with you (ieMorrigan or her mother)

Now for the bad part. Visibility and targeting make absolutely no sense. Enemies would at time appear out of thin air. This could make sense if the enemies were being stealthy, but they're not. I once stood on a hilltop and could not even see the army of Undead that the villagers were fighting. Keep in mind that higher elevation should IMPROVE your visibility. At other times, I could clearly see an enemy but the game wouldn't let me target him until I moved the character slightly forward or to the side.

Additionally, I didn't feel like the mage class contributed enough to the game. All of the spells that end up doing damage to a large number of opponents end up screwing over your melee characters via friendly fire. Some spells such as mind blast and mass paralysis are useful, but you can stun multiple enemies simply by having an archer with scattershot or a bard use Song of Fascination.

Also, merchant stores were kind of limited in some areas, such as health potions. Although you can also get healing via spells, random health potions by looting carcasses, or making your own health potions, it was still rather irritating that I managed to buy out every health poultice on the continent.

I was kinda disappointed to find out that some of the battles prior to the final boss were tougher than the archdemon himself.

Buy Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Amplified Universal Gaming Headset

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have been a gaming headset user for quite some time now. From the moment I got my first headset I knew I'd never go back to a normal headset or ear buds. Just no where near the same quality. I have always opted for the more expensive models such as Turtle Beach Ear Force XP510 Premium Wireless Dolby Digital Gaming Headset, but I understand that type of budget is not for everyone.

Enter the Turtle Beach PX22. It offers an affordable price, but doesn't lose any of the solid Stereo sound quality. This is not a Dolby Surround sound model, but it doesn't have to be. It offers solid volume control, bass and tremble sound is clear and crisp, Chat quality is also really good with controls on the control box.

Easy to hook up and painless to understand. Sometimes, well most times really, simple is good and that's exactly what the folks at Turtle Beach have done here.

This headset is the obvious successor to the PX21 and is better in every way. The PX22 feels much more sturdy than the PX21. A larger headband, more comfortable ear pieces, more crisp sound, and better chat quality. All wrapped up in a reasonably priced package.

A feature that may be missed by some, unplug it from the little mix amp toggle thing and it's a standard headphone jack usable by MP3 players, phones, Playstation Vita etc. Sound quality doesn't suffer at all.

Bonus for reading this review. If you are new to Turtle Beach headsets or just unsure about how they name their products. Anytime you see PX or a combination of that the P stands for usable on Playstation, X for Xbox so PX means it will work for both systems. I only bring that up because I didn't know that until a couple months ago. :-)

Regardless, the PX22 is a fantastic headset and one that should certainly appeal to gamers on a budget that don't want to sacrifice quality.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program First a quick PS3 game system use review:

I love this headset! The cable is a total of 17 FEET from the USB end to the headset, plenty of room to either sit as far away from the TV as you want, or to hide the cables to keep everything neat.

The unit looks nice, black with blue stitching. The ear pads are nice and comfy AND vented(the blue plastic has tiny holes in it).

The top of the headset is cushioned and thinner than PS one, it also has a nice tilt it so it doesn't lay on your head if you don't want it to -even after several hours playing Borderlands 2 I barely noticed them on.

It has separate bass and treble controls so you can tailor the sounds to just the way you like and it. These have a nice sound to them it sounds clean and crisp and you hear a nice *thud* when you expect it really really nice. Besides a master volume, On the chat side it has separate chat/game volume setting and also "Dynamic Chat Boost" that raises the chat during loud gameplay (explosions firefights, etc..)

The unit is 100% powered by the USB, no extra batteries/charging, it uses the PS3 Multi-cable (or the Xbox 3609 Audio adapter cable).

another cool point -The RCA jacks allow the headset to put them INLINE, so you can hook them up AND still have the sound running to whatever they were running to previously (the TV, sound system, Surround sound, Amp whatever...)no need to have set up for either one or the other.. nice touch!

Basically once you are set up, you are good to go!

Basically many people love wireless headsets, (I do also, and have the Basic Sony PS3 Model) but they do seem to have a bad habit of dying at *just the wrong time*.

These are a great addition if you already have a cordless set.. and if you don't have any headphones? Get these first! :)

Really nice!

*****

Jim

More detailed review w/iPod use reviewed:

As stated above, these are very comfy and sound GREAT. I had these on (playing Borderlands 2) and totally was immersed in the game.

I have a pair of PlayStation Cordless Headphones (the 7.1 virtual surround model) and they work fine, but the battery dies after a while.. nice to have a cabled model to just plug in and not worry about it, so that's where these come in.

Last night I was on for a pretty long time, was also online in coop mode so I was trying the chat also. The Mic is on a swivel with a goose-neck. You can control your volume as well as others as on other models, but on this one it's pretty cool how the voice levels adjust to when the gameplay is quiet, but when it is loud (during firefights or other loud sequences) the chat volume also gets louder, so you aren't yelling, (and you can still hear others clearly). I tried it on Borderlands 2, there isn't as much talking as in other games, but I am sure you will find pretty cool also!

Sound wise, these have more of a "left/right" sound compared to a surround model, but these have a better *sound* to them since you can adjust the boost and treble. It just sounds clean and crisp and You hear a nice *thud* when you expect it really really nice.

The cable from the USB to the controls is 14 feet, then you plug the headphones into it, and that is another 3 feet (of much thinner cable) so yeah, you have oodles of cable. I use it with a PS3, I also tested it with an iPod (7th gen Nano) for this all you do is unplug it from the control and plug it into the iPod like any other headphone. You use the iPods equalizer & volume and it sounded great, no problems no over-driving. (I may be wrong but I think the Headphone's amp is stronger than an iPod, so I doubt you can over-drive the speakers.)

You can also use this with your phone by having having the control box/amp plugged into a USB, you then you hook your phone into it.

this way you can listen to your music and still take calls (with the headset's mic) I haven't tried this, but figured I would toss it out there. Finally you can use this with our computer with the USB and audio out jack.

The unit comes with a Xbox 360 Chat Cable, RCA Splitter Cable, 3.5 mm4 Pole Aux Cable and even Turtle beach stickers.

Let's see I think that about covers it, this is a REALLY nice headphone setup and here are 6 reasons why I like it:

1)The cable is super long (major plus in my book).

2)The sound is VERY crisp, with separate treble/bass.

3)The unit can be VERY loud without breaking up.

4)Really Cool chat controls

5)Versatile not just stuck using these with a game system.

6)RCA jacks allow the headphones to go inline with your existing setup if any.

7)Comfy with vented earpieces and they look nice!

Five Stars :)

Jim

Best Deals for Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Amplified Universal Gaming Headset

Let me just say this, if you are considering the PX21's, don't bother. These are far superior. I bought the PX21's and the Tritton AX180's to test out first. I didn't like the Tritton's at all, so I used the PX21's for about a week. The mic on the PX21's broke after a week so I returned them and found these PX22's. They had just come out, and they were $30 more, but they were worth every penny.

The overall construction is much better than the PX21's. They are much more comfortable and you have more audio control options on the controller. You can adjust bass and treble as opposed to just bass on the PX21. You can adjust the volume of your own voice in YOUR headset. You can even hook up a phone or ipod and listen to music while you play. You can control the game, chat, and music volume all independently. And the cable is longer than any of the others I tried, so it reaches my couch!

Even the packaging on the PX22's were much better than the PX21. It's like they hired a new company to do the packaging. That means something when it's not falling apart after you open it.

Honest reviews on Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Amplified Universal Gaming Headset

The PX22 headset is possibly the best headset you can get for the price. I've had it for a week, and it's downright amazing. It has a bass/treble booster, adjustable mic monitor/chat booster, and game booster. You can take phone calls with it, listen to music too. If you're looking at the PX21 verses this, buy this. It's worth the extra $30 and I feel like it's a lot more durable than the PX21. It has huge 50mm speakers which can be great. The only downturn to it, is that it hurts my head/ears after awhile because it's so tight. I don't think it's a big enough problem not to rate it 5 stars.

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I was looking for a headset that was compatible with my consoles and pc. I first tried the Turtle Beach PX5. The sound was great on the consoles and the headset was very comfortable, but the sound on the PC was hollow. I decided to give the PX22 a shot.

The headset was easy to set up. I wouldn't say the sound is mind blowing, but its very, very good. Deep bass, good mids, and high highs. They sound almost identical to the X12, from what I remember. Folks said they could hear me loud and clear on the mic.

I really like the inline amp. It makes it a breeze to find a good mix of voice chat and volume and its easy to adjust on the fly, as opposed to changing the mix in the control panel.

The only negative that I have is that they're not as comfortable as the PX5. The PX5 feels like its barely hugging your head, whereas the PX22 has a bit of a tighter grip. If you had your eyes closed, there's no doubt in my mind that you would choose the PX5 over the PX22 for fit every time.

If you want a universal headset with nice audio range, its a great value. If you want a headset you'll only use on consoles, I would also consider the Turtle Beach PX or XP family geared towards consoles. They have a few more features, but more importantly, they are a little easier on your head. However, the value that the PX22 brings tips the scale in its favor, in my opinion.

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase and am keeping them and selling my PX5.

Cheap Logitech Gamepad F310

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $19.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

-Nov 2012 update below-

EDIT: I have now acquired a F710 and will also do a brief review on that which will add on to this a bit further in the future.

I mean that title in a good way really. The Logitech F310 is actually a pretty nifty controller at a price of $25 or less. The best way to sum it up is an Xbox 360 controller meets a PS3 controller and yeah... things happen. You have the familiar shape and layout of the PS controllers with the exact face buttons of the 360 controller. Also, the little Logitech logo is actually a home button reminiscent of the 360 controller's.

The F310 (and 510 and 710) literally function like a 360 controller in games that accept 360 controllers (which are many these days.) If you play a game that accepts 360 controller layouts they are immediately adapted to the F controller series. But what about games that don't want to recognize 360 controllers you might wonder. The brilliant thing about this controller is that it can use X-input (the 360's interface) or direct input (the input of standard PC controllers and even the PS3!), this is adjusted by a slider on the back. X-input is standard for modern games but if you need customization then direct input (particularly for older games) helps in some cases. The F controllers come with a software that allows you to create and use profiles to map button layouts to do other things (similar to Logitech's gameboards like the G13) which can come in handy if you choose to learn the software.

It's worth noting that if you wanted to you could also use this controller on your 360 or PS3, not just your PC. On the PS3 the Logitech button sadly doesn't work like the PS button (because you're in direct input mode and the PS button doesn't exist to this thing) so that's the only con for using it on the PS3. For the 360 in X-input, I imagine you'd be right at home.

Of course I do see one flaw that is a bit annoying in all the greatness. The triggers on the controller aren't the most comfortable due to feeling like they need a little more forced input from the user to depress inward. I'm not sure if this is something one would adjust to over time or would "break in" over time but it's worth noting since it's made me a bit uncomfortable in a few titles.

For $25 the cons are very small on this controller. I took off a star for those triggers but they're really not a total deal breaker and Logitech really did try doing a lot for your $25. The ability to function as a 360 controller without the $40+ expense (including the wireless adapter in some cases), the ability to switch input modes on the fly, a profile button mapping tool and a fairly solid build all push this thing a long way. If you're not vouching for the 360 controller on your PC then the Logitech F series is a solid way to go. The 310 mainly ditches the rumble and wireless features but for $25 or less those losses don't feel glaring one bit. If there was a way to rate it 4.5 it'd be totally accurate because it's close to excellence. Overall it's classic quality Logitech.

Update: So it's been a a few days over a year since I wrote this review and I can safely say I stand by it still. The controller's functioning well as ever still and it's versatility has come in handy in a myriad of different PC titles from several genres here's just a sample list of a few titles it works great on:

Assassin's Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood

Bastion

Batman: Arkham Asylum

BlazBlue -Calamity Trigger-

Blur

Burnout Paradise

Cave Story+

Darksiders

Devil May Cry 4

Guilty Gear XX #Reload & Isuka

Gundemonium Collection

Hunted: The Demon's Forge

Jamestown

Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light

Prince of Persia (2009)

RefRain -Prism Memories-

Saints Row: The Third

Sonic CD & Generations

Super Meat Boy

Ys Origin

Pros:

Familiar shape and design

2 modes of input cover the gamete of modern and classic PC games

Very versatile controller capable of functioning almost flawlessly on 3 platforms (PC, 360, PS3)

Solid build quality and very price efficient, you're not giving up absolutely significant features by not going for the 510 or 710

Excellent D-Pad, beats out the 360 and PS3 ones with ease

Cons:

Trigger buttons are a little odd and seemingly require a little more force feedback

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I was looking to grab a second controller for my computer, as I had just ordered my dream laptop. I'm a pretty big fan of Logitech's gamepads, so I looked into that before anything else.

I have a Dual Action from them at the moment, and I really enjoy it, the only problem being that the analogs are surrounded by a square instead of a circular shape, making going completely straight take a bit more effort. I saw the F310, and noticed it was essentially the same, with circular surroundings for the analogs. So, I decided to take it for a spin.

I received the product, and ripped open the box, and after noticing the switch on the back (I'd forgotten about 'game' modes while waiting on the product to ship), I read through the directions. I apparently, it seems to be that 'Xinput' mode is useless on XP. In fact, the controller is essentially not recognized in Xinput mode at all. Took me about an hour to actually realize that was the problem, and thought it was just a faulty driver issue.

After that however, I tried out a few games I've got on my computer, seeing as I'm waiting on the laptop, and: It works great.

It's extremely responsive aside from 2 buttons. I've had no issues doing combos or whatnot in any of the fighting games I regularly play. My only gripe is that the L2/R2 Buttons are actually triggers. Well, not that they are triggers, but rather, triggers that require a bit more effort to push. Other than that, it's a great product, with a good, simple design, a nice, responsive d-pad and face buttons, but a little bit more info should be put into that instruction manual about Xinput/Direct Input Modes.

Overall, a great buy, and I really suggest reading this before purchasing just so you aren't wasting time trying to get it to work.

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What initially sold me on purchasing this controller was the fact that all games that have Xbox 360 controller support will also support this gamepad out of the box. However once I received it I discovered a whole host of problems. Read on below

The good:

XInput compatible (plug it in and functions as an Xbox360 controller)

Action buttons

D-Pad that is actually better than the god awful 360 d-pad.

Start, Select, home, & Mode Button (which allows you to swap the d-pad and left analog stick)

PS3 layout (which I personally prefer over the 360 layout)

The average:

The feel of this gamepad is less comfortable than the one it emulates: The PS3 gamepad.

But even with that said the overall feel of the controller is comfortable enough, and I can

reach all the buttons fine without problems.

The Bad:

Analog stick deadzones have an absolutely enormous deadzone (20-25% of entire sticks movement) making aiming in games and precision steering almost impossible. It feels like its somewhere in between an analog and d-pad.

Analog triggers also have a large deadzone, but it doesn't cripple gameplay as much as the analog stick deadzones. The triggers also function on a single axis instead of two, which might hinder some players. Also bit stiff and clunky feeling but not something that bothers me much; might bother others more.

Shoulder bumpers will disengage if you aren't holding them down hard enough, even after you've clicked them in. The bumpers will engage fine if your only pressing and letting go for a quick action, but for any game that requires you to hold down the bumpers you will constantly have to be conscious about holding them down hard enough.

Analog sticks clicking function also suffer the same problem as the bumpers; it will disengage if not pressed down hard enough, even with the button "clicked in".

most other reviewers of this appear to be smoking some type of crack based product, which is

bad for their health

Note: Logitech has stated the poor analog controls are intentional, and that they have absolutely no intention on fixing them via a firmware update. There is a very long thread about this problem on the Logitech forum that's been going on for nearly a year. Unfortunately it seems that if the problems are ever fixed it will likely be in a new product they want people to purchase.

Avoid this product.

Honest reviews on Logitech Gamepad F310

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Most of the time that I play PC games I'm playing games that were designed to only use a keyboard and mouse. However, there are some games that practically demand a console gaming pad. Many of the PC games that were originally developed for consoles like the Playstation 3 or XBox 360 are simply difficult to play unless you're using a console gaming pad. Likewise, if you're playing "ports" of older console games on your PC or Mac then chances are you need a gamepad.

The Logitech Gamepad F310 feels like a hybrid of the PS3 and XBox 360 controllers with a little bit of Logitech flare thrown in for a hint of style. Like most USB game pads, the F310 is automatically recognized by most PC games that are compatible with USB game pads. The buttons are automatically mapped out by default in most cases, but you have the option of customizing each button according to your gaming preferences.

The buttons and direction pad all feel quite durable and I'm not really concerned about this controller breaking from strenuous gaming. My only minor complaint about the buttons is that the left and right trigger buttons are "hinged" at the top and "swing" in when pressed rather than being plain buttons. I'd rather have plain buttons that press inward rather than swing in on a hinge/pivot, but some people like that type of action on the trigger keys.

Bottom line, the F310 is a simple and fun gaming pad that gets the job done at a fair price. If you just need a basic console gaming pad for your PC then this one is probably a very good choice.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program There isn't much really to say about this controller. It has two analog sticks and buttons that mimic the layout of the current gen console systems. It doesn't have fans, has an affordable price, and works out of the box. What more could you really ask for?

Although I've only had a chance to really use this recently I'm noticing no signs of stickiness or wear down on the controller from some tough usage over the past few weeks.

If you're in the market for a high quality, low priced generic usb game controller then this is a safe bet.

Project Runway - Nintendo Wii Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $9.80
Today's Bonus: 2% Off

Yep, save your money. I love fashion, Project Runway, Games and a combination of them sounds like a dream. It didn't work.

1)First of all, the game looks horrible. The images of the models and the garmets look like they're from a PC game that came out 10 years ago. There are no fine details whatsoever. Everything has sharp jagged edges and the jewlery looks like globs of pixels.

2)There is no creativity involved. You have hardly any imput, the game tells you exactly what to do. The premise of the game follows the show, each challenge is considered an episode and you "work" with a Project Runway alumni. Basically, they just tell you what to do, if you don't do it, you don't score any points. I'd hardly call that customization. The only thing you can customize is the tint of the color for your garmet. Everything else...the color, pattern, length, makeup, hairstyle, ect. is given to you and required to win the challenge. For example, there is one challenge where you have to make a cheerleading outfit. Sounds fun right? Well...with three or four clicks you're done. There are only 3 or 4 choices total but you have to do specifically what is on the list. It hurts sometimes to put together such ugly outfits, but you have to do it or you won't win.

3) After you follow directions and produce some HIDEOUS looking design (that would NEVER be on the show), you do the most boring runway walk ever. Basically you can use the balance board and walk, or you can move the wii remote and nunchuck left and right. That's all there is to it. Just keep in rythm with the music that never changes. Left, Right, Left, Right, Up. EXCITING!! You're supposed to "pose" but really you can just flick your wrist, which in fact works better. You dont even have to stand up to do it, but even if you did, half of the movements don't register anyway. "Make it work". I dare you.

4) The judges say one of two things every round no matter what you do. They say one of two things if they like it and one of two things if they dont.For example, you could be doing pants and sweater and Michael Kors will tell you that "Your dress is chic". Oh really? Because it's not a dress. Thanks for noticing, Mikey.

5) The load times are LONG. Like...over a minute kind of long, and they occur after every move you make. So, each challenge you do ends up being 2 minutes of following simple directions and 5 minutes of waiting for the boredum to continue.

The game sucks. Period. It's obvious someone was trying to make a quick, cheaply made game for a certain target audience of Project Runway...let's say... 6-12 year old girls. Those are the only people who could possibly give this a positive rating. If you're above that age and actually into fashion and design, FORGET IT. I was so bored. Sure after you unlock all of the clothing you can customize your own nasty a** outfit, but why? I'd just LOVE to design a t-shirt with a seashell decal, wouldn't you? Yawn.

I could continue but you get the picture. I know, I know...I'm just as sad as you are. But, take it from me, save your money. Oh! I can't forget the exciting extras! Which include...still pictures from the show!!! YAY!!! Really? That's it?

In closing I'd like to add that this game is actually a total ripoff of a much better game, "Imagine Fashion Designer". That game has the same premise but is much more challenging, WAY more fun and provides a lot more choices. Oh, and oddly enough, despite being about 6 years older than this game...it has better graphics.

Heidi, give me my money back. Seriously.

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My niece and I love Project Runway (the show) but after my niece tried out the game, she told me it was extremly BORING! It is a rip-off of the much better Wii game Imagine Fashion Party which allows you to be much more creative unlike the Project Runway game. This game could be 100 times better than it really is. We were both very disappointed with this game. DO NOT waste your money on this game, there are so many other things (i.e., graphics, outfits, challenges) that could have been done to make this game better.

Best Deals for Project Runway - Nintendo Wii

Got this game for my girlfriend, who likes the show, as a joke. However, I ended up playing it more, as she was too embarrassed. The bad reviews prepared me for a less than perfect experience.

Well, I didn't think it was that bad. The music and graphics are pretty good. The game plays like the show were you compete in an elimination fashion design contest. The game features some still pictures of the TV host and judges, as well as some very short audio comments. The biggest problem with this game is that it lacks creativity, which is the opposite of fashion design. You are given a style and the game only gives you points if you follow its stringent design plan. I still found the game fun (or funny), but I can see how many people were disappointed. If your thinking about buying, don't pay too much. You will have a better experience, knowing you didn't pay too much.

Controls: 3.5 stars out of 5

graphics: 3.5 stars

gameplay: 3 stars

re-playability: 3.5 stars

Sound/Music: 4 stars

Honest reviews on Project Runway - Nintendo Wii

I got this game for my 13 year old daughter for Christmas. She wants to become a fahion designer and loves the show. She has only played it once. The biggest let down of the game is that it tells you EXACTLY what clothes to pick out (not make) and styling choices to make. It presents the challenge but then gives you a checklist of what to have. It's like taking a test with the answer sheet. How much fun is that? The only upside is that when styling, there are lots of details to choose from.

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I don't realize how long I am playing this. You change the models, outfits & the more you modify the outfit for that certain challenge the better your points. BUT don't go all crazy or you loose points it is so much fun to play.