Cheap Chromehounds - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

The servers for this game have been taken down. The single player mode is little more than a tutorial for the online multiplayer. With the servers down you cannot play multiplayer. So essentially this game is unplayable. If you buy the disk you will be buying little more than a demo.

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Chromehounds is a mech simulator. It may sound obvious, but a lot of people seem to think it's the next Mechwarrior. Mechwarrior (for x-box) was an arcade game that was simple to play and easy to learn. Chromehounds is much more difficult to play and the learning curve is very steep.

The single player story mode is shallow and really nothing more than a glorified trainer for the x-box live version. In fact, if you don't have x-box live gold, this game isn't even worth renting.

The graphics run from very good to pretty poor. The mechs look great and are highly detailed. You can customize your mech with a ton of camoflauge patterns and decals. The environments, on the other hand, are pretty sappy. Buildings, grass, and sand look pretty bland.

The mech customization is really the key to play (otherwise equally powered mechs would just be strafing each other and whoever has slightly better aim would win). You can load up on weapons and armor, at the expense of speed. There are TONS of weapons, legs, and cockpits. You can carry missle counters, thermal vision, night vision, and other "assist" parts.

X-box live featurs a "war" with three warring nations. Every player must pick allegiance to one nation (though you can change allegiances) and you can go on missions for your country. The goal of each mission is to destroy the enemy's HQ while defending your own. You also win, but get less points, if you destroy the other team's mechs.

X-box live also features ranked and unranked games so you can just try out your mech against other players before taking it on the campaign.

This game is complex and it takes a while to figure out how to build the right mech for the right mission. My only real complaint is going on missions requires you join up with your squad. If you've ever been in a "clan" on x-box live, you know how hard it is to link up with your team to play other teams. Overall, this game offers a unique mech simulator that assures players won't necessarily be beaten by trash talking 13 year olds with excellent hand eye coordination.

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Sadly, this was an acceptable game with many flaws that was sort of fun. Until they crippled it completely by shutting down the servers. Now it's completely unplayable. You cannot even use the mechs you built with online parts because now all your parts are gone. You can't play with friends, because there is are no servers. You can't even host your own game because they didn't think that far ahead. You can't get 1000 gamer points because there is no online service.

It was maybe 2.5 stars before. I'd give it 0 stars if I could

Honest reviews on Chromehounds - Xbox 360

As of Jan 6th, 2010, all online content has been shut down. All that is avalible is the single player campaign wich is only a very long tutorial for playing the online portion, which of course is no longer avalible. This was my favorite game of all time, but now it is worthless without the online multiplayer.

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ChromeHounds is the first Mech related adventure for the XBox 360. A little bit combat, a little bit strategy, this provides quick, easy missions and then involving online gameplay.

If you've seen mech games before, you know the basic idea. Big, plodding robots with legs, tracks or wheels. Lots of weapons and armor to plunk onto the mech in lego-like fashion. Enemies and buildings to blow up, while staying alive.

Where other mech games go for arcadey non-reality, ChromeHounds tries to keep things real. Your mechs don't zip along at 100 miles an hour. They stomp with realistic weight and speed, leaving behind footprints and track marks. The detail on their glistening metal body is quite impressive. With the incredibly huge amount of customization available for your mech, you can spend hours honing the exact perfect mech for your gameplay style, and really care about its survival.

The world you inhabit didn't get this same level of loving detail. The missions are all very short and really don't need a plot. You are blowing things up while trying not to be blown up yourself. The environments you stomp through are almost an afterthought. Don't look for waving fields of grain or purple mountains majesty here.

As in many modern combat games, the basic mission tree is really all just a training mission for the *real* challenge facing other human beings. You want to replay the local missions several times, tuning your mech movement skills and your weapon / armor combination to get ready for the team based online gameplay. That is where the real fun and skill-testing begins. Can you coordinate your efforts with your friends to ward off attacks from other skilled players from around the world? You can't just run and blast away that technique will get you killed quickly. You have to know your mech's limitations and advantages, and then plan joint attacks to achieve that victory. It really is a fun combination of hand-eye coordination and tactical intelligent planning.

Well recommended for people who have online gameplay and enjoy that level of thought. For someone just wanting an arcadey fly-fast-and-blow-things-up-locally, you might want to rent this first to see if the realistic mech functioning will keep you happy.

Buy 1942: Joint Strike

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I'm a big fan of these old school shooters and this one is a great remake. Feels like the old arcade, but with a nice twist, and has co-op play too. A definite must have for Xbox Live Arcade!

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Reviews of Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock - Xbox 360

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This is probably the most solid track pack out there. Most quality songs cost $2 a piece, so 20 for $20 is a great deal. Just don't buy it used, there's a one-time code in these that will allow you to import the songs into Rock Band for free (after the cost of the pack). If it's used, someone has used the code, and you're stuck with a lower-functioning version of Rock Band that's on the disc.

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I own just about every Rock Band and Guitar Hero title available. Sure, they're fun -especially Rock Band Legos which the whole family will enjoy -but let's face it, most of these titles are chock full of bands you don't know, and even after being forced to play their mediocre tunes, you still won't care.

Which is why I'm so glad I picked up the Classic Rock track pack. It's more than just a set of great songs -EVERY track is solid gold -it plays all on its own. No need to have anything but a guitar and this disc.

If you grew up in the '70s and '80s you will bang your head and rock out to every single track.

And now that it's priced at a very reasonable $20ish, you've got no excuse to dive right in.

Rock on!

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I bought this as a gift for my father. High speed internet is not available where he lives, so this was an awesome way for him to get new songs for Rock Band. He really enjoyed it.

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Wanted new songs for rockband and most of these were good. If you were to buy each song individualy thru microsoft it would cost $40.00. Cheaper to by the expansion pack.

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Although this works as a standalone Rock Band game, you shouldn't get any of these track packs as a replacement for the main games. They have a quarter of the songs and half the features. You won't be able to play online or make your own characters. Furthermore, all of the songs on this pack can be bought individually on the Rock Band online store through the main game in either part 1 or part 2, so you won't be missing out on anything to pass this by.

The #1 selling point and the reason I am giving this 5 stars, though, is because this game is supplied with a code on a piece of paper that anyone can use one time to allow them to download all 20 songs for free. That means you can buy this pack and then e-mail the code off to a friend. You can still keep the disc for yourself, too! The code makes a great gift for anyone you know who's too cheap to buy songs for themselves. Maybe you're never going to get your buddy to decide on which songs to buy, and even if you give them points they "save" them "just in case". This code will force them to finally expand their library so you're not always playing the same tired songs when you visit or play together online. As for the quality of the tracklist, these songs are, for the most part, some of the better downloadable classic rock songs. Harmonix have a vast library of songs for Rock Band, so they have an easy time assembling 20 good ones.

You don't need a paid subscription to XBox Live to download and play the songs with the code. You just need an ethernet connection, which I'm sure 99% of gamers do have at this point.

As a less important point of interest, these track pack discs all have 250 points of achievements tied to them, for those of you who just can't get enough of the gamerscore.

Although this disc is not going to appeal to the vast majority of people, for those who want to surprise a friend with 20 songs, it serves its purpose.

Best Adrenalin Misfits - Xbox 360 Deals

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This is my fifth Kinect title and is by far the best yet. The controls are very accurate and game play is lots of fun for my entire family. The half pipe event and big air events are fun and spur on lots of competition. Performing different combinations of tricks while in the air and landing them for points is well done. I'm impressed with the two player split screen options (easy to track where your play space is defined) and the kinect tracking seems to be flawless. This has been more fun than Kinect Sports for my family.

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first of all, when you are playing, this game is fun, just plan fun.

why it got 4 stars and not 5 is because a couple of the actions (forward footstomp) does not pick up that well and it is a very important part of the game.

also gettting to the game, you have to go through a lot of screens and fairly boring screens.

overall though, once you get to the courses and are playing the actual game, like i said it is just fun, which is what it is all about anyway

info on me:

casual gamer, not hardcore

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Amazon was offering a buy one game get one 1/2 off deal. Adrenalin Misfits was one of the choices for 1/2 off, we took a gamble and love it. Lots of fun and a great workout, these games that work with the kinect provide a lot of action and a fun time has been had by all. One of my sons favorite games.

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I read the reviews given here which are probably mostly by parents who bought this for younger kids. I bought it largely due to these positive reviews but I really should have checked IGN.com first (5 out of 10). I can certainly echo the common complaint about always having to go through the same menus over and over. It should allow you to choose a character and a board and stick with it unless you actually ASK to make a change. But instead it forces you to tediously choose these things EVERY time you play a course. I didn't have as much problem with the foot stomp to activate an item, but doing so successfully is kind of hard to notice anyway. It's not like a cart game where you know you're targeting someone with an item, and they know they've been hit.

Anyone who's played any other skate/snowboarding game knows that turning can often be difficult in some situations. I find myself regularly and frustratingly turning 180 UP the hill while trying to collect items, get on a rail, or pop balloons. There's not a lot to do in this game which is common with a lot of Kinect games. At least some of the other games give you a bit of a workout, this one kind of gives you a pain in the back and neck due to the required stance, and it doesn't get your heart rate up.

Youth (~6-12): probably fun

Teens (~13-17): maybe fun for a short time

Adult Gamers(~18-30s): quickly lose interest (my demographic)

Oldies :) (~30s): probably fun IF playing with their kids

Sorry I just expect a little more out of even a simple game like this. (Simple is ok as long as it's done right)

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The initial reviews for this title were poor across the boards. Upon reading positive reviews on Amazon, I decided to give it a try after finding a seller that offered it new for $16. I am pleased with my purchase.

The tracking works fine. A few times I have seen the often reported problem with uninitiated board stopping. Otherwise, the boards are responsive and the interface, while different, is intuitive. I take issue with the "soft" physics. I have seen a couple of occasions where I initiated a big-air trick too long and landed on my head, but conveniently ended up on the board without losing time or points. I personally would prefer more realism.

Having said that, the characters and environments are definately more fantasy than realistic. Thankfully, the characters are edgy and unique. The "X-TREME" theme is certainly dated (late 1990s), but I guess I give it a pass as a period piece.

The game types are varied, and there seems to be a good deal to unlock. I found the narrator's (DJ) voice to be incredibly irritating, but you have the option of turning it off.

I would be upset with this title if I had bought it at full price, but from a discount seller it is a fun way to pass a little time. I would love to see a more realistic snowboarding game with unforgiving physics and a huge mountain to explore, but you can definately see the Kinect's potential with this little game.

I put the fun to dollar ratio at $25.

Review of Two Worlds Collector's Edition -Xbox 360

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I waited and waited AND waited some more for this game to arrive. After logging 220 plus hours with Oblivion, games after that just didn't hold much appeal for me. So, I had some very high hopes (as did many of us) for Two Worlds.

For all the release delays this game offered us, it's engine was a buggy mess. The graphics were very poor, mostly they seemed to have a very jagged appearance reminiscent of older,low polygon count games. Many of the light effects were VERY obnoxious. Flames looked very unrealistic, light gradients were very mis-colored. Example; you would be walking through a otherwise dark cave, when suddenly the passage is a light blue color. No blue flames indicating the presence of supernatural activity, nothing. Just blue.

Shadows were very jagged looking as well. At times the shadows of a tree would make me wonder if I was interacting with some "Thing" instead of a shadow. Water was like a wobbly mirror.

One of the most annoying and near laughable features in the game was the "Inability" to control a horse. I soon discovered that wasting earned skill points points on my horse riding skills was...well a waist. If you had to stray from the beaten path, what so ever, your mighty stead was bound to get completely immobilized by a shrub or tree. Slight embankments and hill sides were also a major "No-No" for our stead. I can't imagine what the team involved in the actual design of the horse in Two Worlds, was thinking.

I'm thinking malt liquor and bong-hits were the sole inspiration for this one. Next was the (Now Legendary) horrific voice acting. The voice actors themselves sounded as if they had to perform nude in front of a stadium of giggling onlookers. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SOUNDING. Not only did the characters sound scared, but there was simply not enough variety in the actual voices. You could speak to a close group of three people who all shared the exact same voice and greeting.

The A. I. was very funny. Very bad, but at least it made you laugh. For instance, I could interact with a character who absolutely hated my character and made it known by cursing and threating me. However, as soon as the interaction was over they would say in a totally different voice; Grand Day! Or Greetings Tall One! Or A Fine Day Indeed!

The menu looked a lot like the old Diablo menue system, right down to the barely readable fonts. It wasn't until my wife and I bought a HD t.v. that I could even read what some the menu items or instructions said.

The travel log was the worst I have EVER seen. It's crammed way over to the right side of the menu screen and written in tiny, black letters with some words being separated by an entire line width. It was absolute torture to try and follow.

The title music was also the cheesiest music I have heard in a long, long time. Anyone here remember that old song called "A total eclipse of the heart" by Bonnie Tyler? It sounded like that but with some generic, wannabe operatic woman singing. The in-game music was very unbalanced as well. It was either very quiet or VERY LOUD, so adjusting it in the controls menu was pointless. Not to mention, most of the time the music itself (When you could hear it) didn't fit the situation.

Now there were (Believe it or not) some redeeming qualities to the game. combining similar weapons to make a more powerful version was great. I had some massive sword called the Dragons Jawbone, that had a slashing power of over 3000. Basically I had a one hit wonder. One hit and most everything went flying across the screen and laid on the ground twitching . That was pretty satisfying.

Creating you own spells and so forth could have been cooler if you had some sort of guide to help you. Since you didn't, it was more or less a way to make room in your inventory or power up magical attributes for a weapon. Mostly it was just cumbersome. I beat the game without ever really using any magic.

I threw a few fire balls but why bother when you can smash the tar out of anything with a giant jaw bone? lol The Bow was great to. Once you got your skill level with the bow up to ten and it's damage abilities really high, you could wipe out an entire Orc Camp with it, no problem.

Sadly though, the game just ends up being a decent way to relax before bed, cracking Orc skulls and flinging Bandits into the weeds is alway's a joy.

For $60.00 to $70.00 though, it's just not worth it. Rent it, borrow it or wait until it's in the clearance bin. Whatever you do though, don't waste your money on a brand new copy and especially the Collectors Edition.

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...then Two Worlds is the game for you! I see and hear many people trying to compare Two Worlds to Oblivion and frankly, I just don't think that's a fair comparison to make. When it comes to western RPGs (by western, I mean those that don't have a real Japanese flavor to them, like Final Fantasy, Blue Dragon and Infinite Undiscovery), I like to view things as being on one of two extremes: tactical RPG (like Oblivion and Morrowind) and experiential RPG (like Diablo and RuneScape). Reality Pump took Two Worlds in a different direction; they attempted to blend the two styles, and for the most part, I'd say it works. You still have the 3rd-person (and occasionally 1st-person) view of the character. You're directly in control of swinging your sword and casting spells. Unlike Oblivion, though, you have more of a Diablo-like inventory system and can stack items to improve them (which, albeit less realistic, makes collecting items a lot more fun).

Graphically, Two Worlds is up to par for what you should expect from the 360 at this point. It's not earth-shaking (even though it does look beautiful in HD), but you can still tell you're playing a 360 game. I'd say it at least matches the graphics of Oblivion, for the most part.

The audible aspect is a bit of a touchy issue for some people. Yes, the dialogue can be laughably bad at some points, but I personally view it as a welcome comic relief. It's humor seems unintentionally tongue-in-cheek. (Think of it like Mystery Science Theater 3000 or The Bard's Tale for original XBox.) Allow me to illustrate:

True Story: I'm playing Two Worlds and my character is running through the woods when he comes upon a guy standing outside a cottage. I run up to him and enter into a dialogue that goes something like this.

Man: "I have the finest horses in all of (such-and-such a place). Would you like to buy one?"

I didn't, at the time, so I exited dialogue... but accidentally pressed the button to draw my weapon (which is X, by the way. I'll never forget that now.) My character says something to the effect of "IT IS TIME TO DO BATTLE!" ...and that it was.

I tell you that to make one point the dialogue is unintentionally funny, and if you can accept that, you'll enjoy the game and segway to my next point. Your enemies are TOUGH in the begining of the game. In this instance, because it is similar to Oblivion, I will draw a comparison. Two Worlds doesn't level enemies up with you, like Oblivion does, meaning that when you're level 1 in Two Worlds, a villager will WHOOP YOU. (I got mine handed to me by the horse guy.) On the same token, once you've level up sufficiently, you can return and exact your revenge like the barbarian you are! I deffinately found this to be an improvement over Oblivion's system of leveling up enemies as you leveled up. (It felt like you were never getting anything accomplished.)

I will admit, I haven't tried the online mode yet. I'm waiting for a friend to make some money and buy the game as well. I hear it's a little buggy online, but hopefully it's only minor issues that can be worked out with updates via XBL.

Overall, my experience with the game has been positive. I think Diablo fans who would like a little more control over their character, or Oblivion fans who really wanted to just hack and slash, will really enjoy this game. It's not brimming with excitement for the first half hour or so, but if you give it a little time, it really becomes quite fun. :)

I hope my review has helped. Sorry for the less-than-formal style.

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This is truely one of the best RPGs I have played in a while. This game should go up on the wall with Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and the Dungeon Siege Series. The game puts you as a mercenary looking for his sister whom he hasn't seen in 3 years whilst the world's major factions are in an uproar looking for the fallen god of war. Like Oblivion or Mass Effect you can go off of the main quest and do whatever you want to do, if living up to the mercenary part of you is your thing you can go slaughter Orc Tribes, blast Bandits into zapor with your magic arsenal or travel the vast terrain the game can offer. The game is pretty balance, you have four major attributes governing what your skills do and a variety of skills like magic, thievery, melee combat or ranged combat. Your only restriction is level which is not really a problem until you get to the higher levels.

This game is not without errors though, if you have a 20" or smaller TV or wear glasses/contacts you will have trouble reading the text, it is probably in what would be Times New Roman size 10 (or maybe Arial) and the names have different colors which can get a little annoying. One thing that will show are the leaves, they are very blocky and look like 2D blobs of feces instead of a leaf. The blood is cartoon-like it is 3D and all but it is rendered really strange but is quite funny. There is not a great amount of voice actors but the punch-lines and phases your character mutters such as "prepare to meet death" or "drip, drip, drip...its raining" or a grunt when he jumps in water. This game runs smoothly and there is no problem with it, for that real cinametic feel you can hookup your Xbox 360 Elite to a 1080i HDTV with Verizon FiOs which is not really necessary but makes a great picture!

The combat is actually quite intricate, your enemy seems to learn as you attack. If you like jumping back a lot (hitting the B button) they will press attacks, they will chase you if you retreat and will try to unhorse you if you charge at them on a war steed. You will find you self mashing the health potion button at bigger fights and running. The medium and hard difficulties should be remaned Psychotic and Apocalyptic, it is that hard especially when you get up to higher levels. If you like button mashing something to pieces this is not your game

The levels are not hard to get unless you want to press the 100s (yes its possible) if you can get a couple million XP you can get their. You get skill points for combat achievements like killing intervals of enemies (10, 25, 100...) or picking pockets, opening locks, riding horses or casting spells.

All-in-all this is a great game, from the leveling/skill system to the great terrain that ranges from dark dungeons, to sprawling plains, dry deserts and icy mountains and in addition with the funny lines NPCs and your character make this game is very enjoyable

Honest reviews on Two Worlds Collector's Edition -Xbox 360

First off I'm going to say that I found this game to be strangely entertaining.

For the bad, this game has horrible graphics, poor frame rate, laughable voice acting...no, im serious, there were times I was rolling on the floor...very poor story. the ending was horrible nomatter if you were evil or good. control was a pain. horse was the worst by far. and the game froze at least once every time i played it. the only game ive ever played on my 360 that froze. one of the selling points that they use for this game is the changing environments without loading, i.e. walking into buildings. what they dont tell you is that the game loads at extremely inopportune times. i.e. in the middle of battles or there was this one small house that the game loaded 3 different times because i walked into different sections of the house.

This game could have been one of the best rpg games to date if the creators had actually spent a little time with the engine and story.

now, for what i found entertaining. i liked how you could upgrade your weapons and armor by adding 2 of the same type together. you can get some fairly ultimate equipment by doing this. making potions was also fun. especially when you could make them that do permanant effects to your stats. My character had over 800 strengh by doing this. Its not even a cheat. basically this games whole point seemed to be upgrading your character. i never played the game for the story or anything else. it kept me addicted and entertained by finding weapons and armor (and there are very many) and combining them to make better than i think the creators even intended.

as for the online. its nothing. i went online several different times, and never found anyone.

if you like treasure hunt games this one is fairly good, but thats all.

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This game surpasses any expectations I had. I had been devoted entirely to Fable, but this game is simply ADDICTIVE! I have developed a nasty habit of staying up sometimes all night playing this game! Usually I spend at least 5 hours solid. BUt it is never the same game twice and full of quests and challenges. I love it!!

Discount Turtle Beach Ear Force Xbox 360 Talkback Cable

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Been using this for a few months now, and I've had no issues whatsoever with it. I would definitely buy it again if needed.

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Works as directed, let's see how long this one lasts under a teenagers demands. I will purchase another if it lasts more than a year this time.

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It works it was cheap and it came on time. I recommend you buy it if your looking for a cord.

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I bought this as a replacement for the original which had started to go bad. I have the Ear Force XL1 which has a separate control for volume and mute on a lengthy cable which can be annoying to reach when I have the cords bundled. So I like the volume and mute controls right on the talkback cable which makes it very easy to control in game.

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the turtle beach talkback is good and at a great price, but it is not compatible with all turtle beach products.

Pokémon Y Reviews

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My son is OBSESSED with pokemon and his birthday just happens to come about 3 weeks before Poke-day.... last year, it was Pokemon Black and White... not knowing much about Pokemon and having 2 sons, I bought both games and both kids have loved them. They have turned out to be very "complimentary" in that they can share pokemon from one version to the other.

So back in February -just as the glow of Pokemon Black and White was beginning to fade, my younger son caught wind of Pokemon X and Y and he has been OBSESSED waiting for it to come out. I pre-ordered it for his birthday and POKEDAY is finally here...

I have NEVER EVER waited in line for anything in my life... until how. Our local game store was open at midnight to hand out Pokemon to the die-hard poke maniacs. Fortunately (for a number of reasons) the lines for the new Pokemon games were nothing like the throngs you hear about for the Harry Potter series or the iPhones (I don't do well in crowds and frankly, I'm glad more people are excited about reading a book than playing a video game ... though that is probably just THIS particular video game!).

The crowd was small and most of them were college students. Some of them were a little surprised to see their friends there and as they greeted each other, they said "You never saw me here!" -being embarrassed to admit that they are waiting in line for a "kids" video game. I (being the only card-carrying AARP member in the crowd) was definitely the odd-person out. I was number 16 -and that was with letting some high-schooler "cut in front of me"... (so much for respecting your elders)

So what about the game itself?

I'm happy to say that it has been well worth the 6+ months of waiting, youtube watching, speculating, and daydreaming about the game.

Just like last year where I purchased both versions of the game -this year I purchased Pokemon X and Y. X is a "happier gentler" pokemon. Y is a dark "we will DESTROY YOUR WORLD and everything in it" version (frankly, I'm a little worried about the son that chose that one... I'm sleeping with my doors locked from now on!

The graphics make this the most significant upgrade ever. Instead of pixelated antiquated graphics where you can only move like checkers on a chess board, you can climb on your favorite pokemon and fly around in circles. The square pixelated renderings of the pokemon have matured to more sophisticated and realistic (as realistic as anime can get) forms.

Both kids love the fact that you have old and new characters together in one big pokemon family reunion of sorts. Both had their teams picked out for weeks and instantly started in on their Poke-domination. Both have not been heard from since the game was inserted in to the DS consoles -I have spare battery packs lined up in case of some catastrophic power failure that would prevent recharging the 3DS.

One of the things about this game is that it truly brings the players INTO the game. You don't just direct your team... you can actually interact with them. An added bonus is that since they both playing the different versions of the game in close proximity and the consoles can "see" each other, they can see each other's characters. The level of "community" and interactivity is substantially higher ... a good thing to me since they would normally be playing independently... however this makes it a much more collaborative activity.

If you aren't already aware, you must have a 3DS or later console in order to play this generation of the game. Both of my kids consoles are 3ds and 3ds-xl... Anything older than that won't cut it. Response time is a bit sluggish and I think Nintendo is going to have to up the specs of their consoles to keep up with the new resource intensive renderings.

This particular version of Pokemon is based on Norse mythology and based heavily on Paris (not sure what the 2 have in common)... Since both of my boys have loved ancient mythology (greek and Norse, in particular, this was a big selling point for both kids... it also provides some slight educational redeeming quality to the game (though truth be told, I still wish they were more interested in reading books!)

All in all, if you have a Pokemon fan, this is a must-have upgrade as it brings pokemon into the next generation of video gaming where it has lagged significantly behind other newer games. I suspect that this version will also be successful in attracting a whole new generation of Pokemaniacs -which seems to be Nintendo's ultimate goal since the original Pokemon demographic is now apparently embarrassed to be seen at the midnight launch of their games. Old Pokemon lovers will love this version because of the nostalgia factor. While newer ones will be drawn into the stories and strategy and battles that created the original Pokemon fans.

BTW, a word about the educational value of Pokemon... some would say there is no redeeming educational value about this video game. However, the game does teach critical strategy and problem solving skills. AND it actually helped me teach my son multiplication. If you search the inter webs, you will find the actual mathematical models for calculating the catch rates associated with various pokemon. These mathematical models are quite complicated but (being a math geek myself) by holding several of the variables constant, you can actually create a times table based on the catch rates for various pokemon characters. So if you have a kid who is a pokemon fan but not a fan of math -do some googling and you may wind up turning your poke maniac into mathematician. Any game that can bridge that gap is PURE GENIUS, in my humble opinion!

[NCJAR]

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I've been a fan of the Pokemon franchise since Blue Version. I was pretty disappointed with the Pokemon in Black/White and the games have seemed to be getting worse and worse. That being said, Pokemon X has been quite amazing so far.

Although I haven't gotten very far in the game yet, it's a completely different feel from any of the past Pokemon games. The battles are very reminiscent of the console versions, which brought back a lot of nostalgia. The graphics are very crisp, and the towns are beautifully designed and very different from Pokemon towns that you might be accustomed to. The new Pokemon are actually interesting so far, and I haven't come across any poorly-named ice cream cones or garbage bags.

Definitely happy with my decision to buy it, and a good step back in the right direction for Pokemon.

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To put it simply maybe! Read on to see why, but be warned of some minor gameplay spoilers. To avoid them skip down to my "bottom line" section. Also, make sure to check there for the latest on the "save bug" that may temporarily break your game!

To those familiar with the series, you'll recognize the old familiar pattern right away. Receive Pokemon and Pokedex and then fight your way to the top, beating the bad guys along the way. For those new to the series however, Pokemon X/Y offers a more than adequate introduction, though because of this gameplay exposition, conversation is just a little bland for the first few towns. On that topic, while newcomers will find these games entirely accessible and enjoyable, there are several friendly nods to eras gone by placed with in the games, as old familiar faces make appearances. Further, you'll get to pick a first generation starter right off the bat to augment your team, a touch that I absolutely loved.

Speaking of familiar, the story and its baddies are nothing really new starting with Black and White, Pokemon started making more of an effort in that department, but plot is still not is strong suit. That said, some of the cast members do manage to stand out, especially a couple of really unique gym leaders and other NPCs. Most, however, are fairly cookie-cutter. Still, where this would ruin most RPGs, it's not a huge concern for Pokemon, where the goal is always catching em all and being the best.

As for catching them all, I confess myself slightly disappointed there are significantly fewer new Pokemon than were introduced by prior generations. However, the lack of quantity is neatly compensated for by high overall quality prior generations have seen some serious "dud" Pokemon, but there don't seem to be any this go-round. (Addendum: Found the dude Pokemon. Klefki, I'm looking at you!) The new additions are, fortunately, well-padded by five prior generations, and so you never run out of things to catch.

Next up is gameplay. While the basics have remained the same, Game Freak has, as always, tweaked the balance just a bit in fact, they've done rather a lot this time. Introducing a new type for the first time in 14 years is a bold move, as was retconning a few Pokemon into the new type. Fortunately, it seems to work out no doubt it'll give the hardcore metagame analysts something to chew on for a good long time, and for the rest of us, the game is more balanced than ever. Next in line of gameplay changes is the well-hyped "mega evolution" mechanic, and YES, it is exactly as cool as it sounds. I'd hate to spoil anything, but I will say that some are game-dependent, and overall X seems to get the "cooler" end of the stick in that department.

Additionally, "Pokemon Amie" is an entirely endearing side-game that I think really adds an extra dimension to Pokemon interactions. While it may not do much for some audiences, for those that really enjoy bonding with their virtual pets, this really takes things to new heights. Again, I don't want to spoil much, but there are some Pokemon that it is just endlessly entertaining to pet.

As to graphics, well, screenshots obviously don't do the game justice. Pokemon in 3D is reminiscent in some ways of the console games, especially with the exciting dynamic camera movements and attack animations. The sheer amount of "stuff" going on in battle makes it very exciting except for when it causes a bit of lag. This is mainly an issue in larger-scale battles (horde battles are also an exciting introduction!), but a slight disappointment nonetheless, since it's precisely those big, epic moments that would be most impressive in smooth, 3D glory. On the other hand, the world is absolutely gorgeous running your customized character through Kalos is a real treat, especially with all the ways to get around. Having played since the first generation, jumping up a ledge for the first time was an absolute joy.

Sound effects are, as usual, a bit outdated. The music however is gorgeous not quite a match for the second generation (in my own opinion) but beautiful nonetheless.

Overall, X and Y are fantastic additions to the Pokemon family. They shake things up in exactly the right way while maintaining the philosophy of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Hardware limitations can sometimes put a damper on things, but they hardly dim the brilliance of a very exciting sixth generation.

**UPDATE ON THE SAVE BUG** Nintendo and Game Freak are aware of a game-crashing bug that may occur when saving on the outskirts or some inner avenues of Lumiose City. A patch has been released for both the downloaded and cart version, and can be downloaded for free from the 3DS eshop. There are different downloads for versions X and Y, be sure to get the correct one!

Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them below, or to contact me at SeanOnAmazon@gmail.com.

Honest reviews on Pokémon Y

I won't bother by giving you a synopsis or details about the game that can be easily found in a general review. Instead I will list a few details why, even with only 20 or so hours into the game so far, that I believe that X and Y are the best installments in the series. In no particular order:

1) The boring guided intro is gone and you are almost immediately on your own catching Pokemon and exploring.

2) Many old favorites from generation I and other fan favorites are featured almost right from the beginning. This is in stark contrast with B & W, where only new unknown pokemon are featured initially. This should appeal to gamers who are fond of the first games form the 90's.

3) No more waiting for powerful pokemon in the late-game, formerly only really usable in post-game. I caught a Bagon by the second gym and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

4) Mega-evolutions bring interest back to fan-favorites, showing younger gamers the great pokemon they are not familiar with and, again, appealing to gamers who played the original games.

5) "Super Training" makes EV training (competitive training) fun, easy, fast, and accessible for anyone. You can fully EV-train pokemon in less than an hour, and undo it all with a special item, and redo it as you change your strategy.

6) Trainer customization and online features make this feel more like an RPG.

7) The shiny encounter odds are reasonable now.

8) Perfect IV pokemon are a few breeding steps away with the new "Friend Safari" and new breeding mechanics.

9) The graphics are stylized just like the anime now. It REALLY looks great.

10) Now that Game Freak has tweaked the game to be more reasonable, competitive pokemon can be trained in a reasonable time, therefore cheating/hacking is not even necessary (it is blocked for the foreseable future anyway).

Now if I had to give it a few negative points: the 3D is only active in single battles and only certain parts of the overworld because the framerate is low when 3D is on and would probably become terrible with more action, the dialogue is still a bit childish and boring for the most part with bland side-characters, the difficulty needs to be higher (although they did make is accessible for all ages at least), and the 3DS really needs a cellular card in it or something because WIFI is still not consistent enough when going various places to take advantage of the new online features. I am sure if Nintendo had an online service for the 3DS like the Amazon Kindle does, even for a low cost, that many would subscribe just for this game.

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Let me begin by saying that I am a long, die hard, Pokemon fan. I began back with Pokemon Ruby, and subsequently moved to play the first and second generations. I was absolutely and completely mesmerized by the amazing fun and thrilling rush of playing any Pokemon game. I still remember skipping middle school to stay home and train my Larvitar in Pokemon Silver. I still remember bringing my Gameboy Advance everywhere to try to find Surf in Pokemon Red. I vividly remember beating the Elite Four in Pokemon FireRed for the first time and maniacally pressing A in hopes of catching Mewtwo with the UltraBall.

However, things have changed. I am a college student now. Pokemon Black and White, was for me, a major disappointment. I logged over 100 hours in Pokemon Pearl and Platinum and barely even got my 7th badge in Pokemon Black before completely quitting and never touching it again... I feared the worst, oh god, did I outgrow my childhood? Was I becoming more cynical, more serious, heaven forbid, more mature?! No!! Where was my childhood thrill that I got from training my Dragonite, capturing Lugia, and chasing down Mesprit?! I feared the fun would never return and I was just another grown up...

Well, Pokemon Y brought it back... and during midterms week.

I have logged in more than 20 hours with Pokemon Y so far, (who needs microecon anyways?) and I barely got my 8th badge, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS GAME. I feel the same rush I felt when I was in middle school training my pokemon! This game is great! It fixed all of what was wrong with Generation V such as boring and lackluster Pokemon interactions, and revamped the system without taking away my beloved formula of capturing Pokemon.

My Charizard, Raichu, and Greninja are all ready to tackle the Elite Four and I feel like a Pokemon Master again! DEFINITELY BUY THIS GAME IF YOU LIKE POKEMON. Even if you were disillusioned with Pokemon Black and White, give XY a try. I did, and I do not regret it. The graphics are amazing, and the magic is certainly there.

Pokemon Y brought some well needed air to the franchise and I can say that I am a Poke Maniac, once again.

This game feels a lot like Generation III and IV! This feels like a TRUE Pokemon game!

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I feel like the king when im playing with my Tennessee titans with madden. good controller but noticed there could be voltage issue when its somewhat windy where my house is. Caused the controller to act funny and not function right because of the static. fine since the winds went away.

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God of War III - Playstation 3 Review

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List Price: $29.99
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Thanks for reading my first review here on Amazon. I normally don't review stuff like this online but I can't get this game out of my head. I've had my jaw hit the floor more times in the first couple hours than I've ever had in an entire game before. When people describe this game as epic, they are not just using some cliche word everyone on the internet throws around. The cover of God of War 3 should be in the dictionary next to the word.

First, I highly suggest anyone new to the series to go ahead and pick up the God of War Collection. It is some of the best the PS2 has to offer for only $30. It will bring you up to date on the story and help you get aquainted with the combat system so you can jump right into part 3 no problem. This brings me to my next point, difficulty. I'm hearing the term "button-masher" thrown around quite a lot in regards to this game and while this might be true for the easy and normal difficulties, it couldn't be further from the truth on Titan (hard) mode. Having beaten the two previous games recently, I started GoW3 on Titan difficutly. There is no way you can spam the same combos and expect to make it anywhere. For those familiar with the previous instances of God of War, or for you hack-n-slash pros out there, I highly suggest starting off on Titan mode. This will provide a much greater challenge and get you ready to play on Chaos mode after you've unlocked it.

For the most part, the gameplay remains unchanged from the previous titles. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? However, there are a few differences that greatly enhance the experiece. For starters, the QTEs now put the button prompts in relation to their location on the controller (triangle appears at the top of the screen, X on the bottom ect.). This allows the player to view whatever violent act Kratos is performing at the time without having the button prompt cover it all. Another great change is the ability to switch weapons on the fly, mid combo. This allows for a lot of creativiy to be used in how you dispatch each enemy. Lastly, one of my favorite additions to the combat system is the combat grapple. Kratos will fling both blades into an enemy and pull himself towards them. This greatly increases combo variety and makes it easier to string together lots and lots of hits.

When it comes to presentation in video games, God of War 3 takes the cake. You can tell a lot of work was put into making the game look amazing. I must have spent the first 10 minutes just staring at how detailed Kratos looks. The boss battles and level design redefine what scale is in games today. Some people might be put off by the fixed camera, but this allows the directors of the game to give you breathtaking views and truly show off all the hard work they put into making this one of the most visually pleasing experiences you will ever have. All the trailers and screens you could watch won't hold a candle to how this game looks live on a nice 1080p TV set.

In closing, God of War 3 is one of most amazing experiences you can find in gaming today. Other games might have a little more depth to their combat systems, but none of them put together the entire package of gameplay, graphics, sound, story, and overall fun. If you've been on the edge about picking up a PS3, let Kratos make that decision for you. Do yourself a favor and BUY this game!!!

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If you don't then you will be missing out on, easily, one of GREATEST games of all time! I thought I was blown away by Uncharted 2. I was but I am even more so with God Of War 3. Unbelievably, God Of War 3 floored me from the 30 minute opening sequence to the mind blowing finale. How did Sony Santa Monica pull this off? The SCALE of this game will boggle the mind and make your jaw hit the floor! When I first played the demo some 3 months ago I was in awe. After having played through every luscious drop of GOW 3 I am spellbound beyond belief. If I could only use one word to describe this game: EPIC! Remember the old home arcade system Neo Geo and SNK's motto for it "Bigger, Badder, Better"? This applies to GOW 3 in spades.

Upon first sight of GOW 3 you'll notice that the high def graphics are probably the best, on any system anywhere, computer gaming rigs included. Sony really tapped into the "true" power of the PS3 with this one. Some of the things I saw in this game is making me think it was all a dream because it just isn't possible in games, right? Wrong. Seeing the gigantic titans filling up the whole screen in perfect graphical splendor, on a 50 in. plasma, all the while Kratos is scaling it, and fighting a boss(Poseidon) on it, is completely amazing. Gamers, this is what we live for! The detail of not just the titans, the environments, and the Ghost of Sparta himself, but the minor enemies, such as the skeleton warriors, is astonishing. And seeing 15 or so of these skeleton warriors pile on Kratos and then seeing him violently power them off is unbelievably cool and empowering. It almost makes you feel like a god! The sheer power you feel controlling Kratos and watching him annihilate everything in his path in the name of vengeance will cast a spell over you.

The combat control is much the same as before, if not better. In other words, the control is flawless and if ain't broke don't fix it philosphy applies here. There are timed button presses for the boss battles(quick timed events). And bosses there will be. Some of them are absolutely enormous, such as Hades. Dealing death to the bosses is quite a sight. Impale them. Check! Rip off body parts. Check! Let blood and guts flow like a river. Check! This is one of the goriest and most violently graphic games I've seen. EVER! Kratos can still have sex in GOW 3! Always a welcome addition. Even one scene with a goddess! I think what might impress me most besides the scale of the game, is the number of enemies that can be on screen at one time. At times, there had to be close to 50 or more on screen. That is incredible considering it's running at 60 FPS the entire time with no slowdown. All of that even when there are cyclopses and minotaurs on the same screen, along with a titan in the background. Ridiculously amazing!

The story, sadly, was the most disappointing part of the game. It seemed a bit convoluted; like too much was going on with too many different characters. The story is not bad mind you and it`s easy to follow, it just feels like it's taking a major backseat to everything else. Still, it takes nothing away from the greatness of GOW 3. The puzzles in the game are challenging without being overly so and some of them very clever and ingenious. More than a few I was a bit stumped by. All in all it took me about 10 to 12 hours to roll through this masterpiece. I don't really remember how long it took me to go through each of the first two, so I can't compare length. While a bit short, for my taste, it was still one hell of a magnificent ride! The camera still can't be controlled by the player, but that has never bothered me and I think it was put to even better use this time around. It seems the angles and various shots are Hollywoodesque, if that makes any sense.

Weapons! The Cestus easily steals the show of the several new ones that you'll earn. The Cestus is completely WICKED! The combo moves are spectacular and more so than ever before and you can now swap weapons on the D-pad in the middle of one. When surrounded by a bunch of baddies and knowing you have different button options to pound the pulp out of them is especially gratifying. The use of the bow and arrow is easy and very useful. Very cool shooting the harpies with it and grabbing on to them to further your progress across chasms or to the top of places well out of your reach. I like the fact that now the bow quickly recharges after each use. I love being able to pick up enemies and charge with them, using them as a battering ram on other baddies. Completely awesome! Controlling the cyclops is amazing as well; swinging him around and pulping your enemies is gleefully sadistic. It must be experienced! You level up your health and magic much the same way as the two previous GOW's via feathers, stones, and now, minotaur horns.

The music is excellent! But hasn't the music always been excellent in the series? The voice acting IMHO is top notch. Seems even better than before. The action and pace of the game are relentless. Something new(and amazing) and unique is always happening to keep you glued to the screen; even if it happens only once. There is so much more I could go on talking about with this stunning, amazing, and breathtaking game known as God Of War 3, but I`d be here for a while and then you`d be bored;)

I don't care what genre of games you like or whether or not you even like GOW 3 type games, this is a game that absolutely MUST be experienced. I won't say this is my favorite game of all time, but it's right there at the top with Uncharted 2, Modern Warfare 2, Metal Gear 4, and Resident Evil 4. I don't care if you have to get an extra job(gulp), rob a convenient store(gasp) or steal if off your friend(yeah!) you have got to get this SOON! I've been playing games for 30+ years(since the days of Colecovision) and I've never been this AMAZED by a game! There is so much diversity, so much to see, so much so tightly packed in such a spectacular game that it will make you wonder how they pulled it oof. Folks, the next generation of gaming has arrived and I am stunned, blown away, mesmerized and spellbound by what Sony Santa Monica created. My hat goes off to them for they are a TRULY talented team! Kudos of accolades go to Stig Asmussen for his brilliant direction of this game and for making it so much more than I thought possible.

This seems to be the end of this GOW saga and I hope we'll see more of Kratos in the future, because this is only a scratch on the video game surface of the great things the future could hold for the Ghost of Sparta. I am truly moved!

It's a 10/10 experience!

ARE YOU GOING TO JOIN THE SPARTAN ARMY NOW?

SIDE NOTE(or bottom note) I'm not sure why this game was released earlier than it's scheduled March 16th release date. I had originally preordered GOW 3 on Amazon, but after I found I could get it nearly a week earlier on eBay I cancelled my Amazon pre-order. Not that I'm complaining about any of that. The same thing happened with Modern Warfare 2. I'd like to know how people are getting these games so early. The guy I bought my copy from on eBay said he'd had his copies since March 6th,. He wouldn't elaborate as to where he got them. I received mine on March 11th. I had to pay and arm and a leg for it, but it was worth every dime.

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I have seen my share of games throughout my life. I'm almost 30 years old and video games have been one of my life's greatest hobbies. I have enjoyed playing video games more than anything else. But never did I dreamed more than 15 yrs ago when playing in an Game Gear from Sega that I would experience such a thing.

God of War 3 is simply breathtaking. It is as epic as any movie. It has no equal in the video game world.

The graphics, the music, the superb gameplay everything combines into a massive juggernaut that will rock you to the core. GOW3 deserves its place among the all time greats like Tetris, Super Mario, etc.

In the hack-n-slash genre, it reigns supreme. In the all-time great, it can be debated if it takes the top spot, but no one will leave this game feeling the same.

We live in a truly amazing World where a treasure such as this can be purchased for such a paltry sum.

Honest reviews on God of War III - Playstation 3

I got a PS3 for this game, great investment; reality i am just starting the game, but man in the first chapter is bar none the best graphics i have ever seen in a video game, yes even Uncharted 2 and Mass Effect2 ; and the gameplay is godly smooth, well i will update the review later on , but until now is incredible and awesome, i never thought i will see this types of greatness in my time. Buy it guys , if you dont own a PS3 is about time you get it , you are missing one unique experience.

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BEST GOD OF WAR GAME / BEST PS3 GAME

SONY, we who are about to play, Salute You. For taking a legendary amount of badassedness, and cramming it all in one game. No one else in the market is giving us naked 1080p nipples, just because it's sexy funny. Another game maker would have taken the Greek Mythology idea and given us a PG-13 experience with casual puzzles and no blood. But GOD OF WAR became HARDCORE. You could have dumbed it down like Halo to get super mass market sales... But you stayed true to your Ambition. Because you made this game with your balls, I'm buying it NEW, at LAUNCH, with MONEY. Please accept my cold hard cash, and my thanks. GOD3 is another reason why I'm a Playstation fan-for-life.

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Discount Mad Catz Gears of War 3 Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset for Xbox

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I have been using these for about a week. I originally just needed a mic since my son broke mine. I purchased the Gears of War throat mic, and that thing is a pile, not even sure how it made it to market with the below sub-par sound quality. So I retuned it and after mulling over the options I decided on these. They are a bit pricey, but I paid $200 for the Tuetlr Beach x41 and those were worth the purchase a couple years ago. My main complaints with the x41s is that they don't go loud enough for movies, and they do burn through batteries, and you get the occasional interference noises from the wireless. That is the main reason I went with these. They are corded so you don't need batteries, and they go louder than I need them too.

The only faults I see with them are these, and they are more of a personal issue than anything else. First is it is corded, cordless is really nice for obvoise reasons. The main cord on these is quite beefy, so it is a bit heavy to be hanging down in you lap. Also the mic/mute control is also beefy. And you also have a small cord plugged into the controller which can be removed if you are not gaming. The controller on the cord is nice as it has a mute, and separate game and chat volume so you can dial them both in. But once I am playing and I am zoned in I don't notice the cords at all, and it is a welcome trad off to not have to use batteries.

The sound on these is really good also, they are a bit bass heavy which is nice when gaming, especially in Gears. I had the the x41s were a little light in the bass. Would be better if it had a dial to adjust to your liking. Hearing "Boom" from the Boomer really sets the tone and grabs you in. I can't say if the 7.1 is better than 5.1, but the surround is better on these than on my x41s. You

can really track the movement of characters in the game. Watching some movies the bass is a bit much, but I would prefer to

much than to little. It is not over whelming, but it is noticeable.

I have put many hours on these this week and only had two times when there was sound issues. One match I had terrible echoes and heard everything I said repeated, which does happen with every other mike I have used. And in one game the bass got extremely overpowered and was distorting like crazy. Was fine in the game till that level, and was fine the next time I turned them on, so I assume it was a fluke.

Comfort on these is pretty good, but after a couple of hours they do start to get uncomfortable. The cups could have been a little wider in my opinion. Not so noticeable when gaming, but movies watching when you are not so focused I did notice it more.

I would totally give them a try, they are the best all around set in my opinion. If they were wireless I would give them a 5 no problem

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I got these to replace the Turtlebeach x4's that I had. They finally gave out so i figured that these would be a great replacement. I got these a few days before Gears of War 3 was released. They have worked great. I hear everything just like I did with the x4's. The only thing that i don't really like is that they are wired. I'm not a big fan of that. I get tangled in the wire and so does my child which is very annoying. I worry that one of these times its going to pull my xbox and everything else down. They sound good, and i can hear all my buddies well. About a week ago the chat cable gave out on me. I could not hear anyone, and they could not hear me. I can still hear the game sounds, just not chat. When I went to order a new cable from Mad Catz they are sold out in the U.S. I ended up going to the local electronics store and getting a cable that works but it cost me $20. Not what I wanted to do after spending almost $200 for the headset in the first place.

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I purchased this headset a few months ago and have never looked back. It was my first gaming headset and I love it. The sound quality is superb and the fit is just right. Voice quality out and in is great.

My only complaint was the cord that runs from the controller to the headset cord (this allows for voice communication in games) went bad after less than a month. I wrote to Mad Catz but it took them over a month to respond, so I ended up getting a replacement through Amazon (which was painless and easy). Mad Catz finally responded saying they would ship me another cord, but that the specific cord I need is on back order. Other than that, this is a sturdy great headset. If you have the cash to splash, I recommend it highly.

EDIT: Originally I said these were not adjustable to bigger heads, but I was wrong as I found out this weekend. It actually will adjust, they are just really tight initially.

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Amazing headphones, worth every dollar. Only thing is they aren't wireless, but the cable is pretty long. LED's look kick ass in the dark.

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I got these last week, tried them out on GOW3 for a whole week. There ok but the bass is a lot and they are heavy. I think there ok, not the best but worth the money if your a gears fan and have the money like me.

Cheap Blue Wired USB Pad Joypad Game Controller For MICROSOFT Xbox 360 PC

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This item looks appealing from the website and for the price you can't beat it right? Well once you get it there are 2 BIG Issues, For one the wire comes in loose and 2nd the joysticks are not responsive at all.. Bare in mind I'm using it on my PC and it is horrid. So if your buying it for xbox i can't say whether it works or not.

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Reviews of SMART-Tech vinyl SKINS Sticker f. XBOX360 SLIM Valhalla HALO3 X048

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THis was VERY easy to apply to my XBOX and my son LOVES it. Our only complaint is that we were looking for a Halo 4 skin but this one is Master Chief (HALO 3) and looks very nice on the console.

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A definite buy for halo fans . It was easy to install and looks great literally! I can't take my eyes off of it! Seriously folks buy this product you won't Regret it!

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Went on pretty easy on my kid's xbox 4gb

Looks great.

Looks durable.

The best decals ever.

I am going to buy some for mine.

Cheap Saitek X45 Digital Throttle & Stick ( Windows PC )

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This product is quite fully featured for its intended use. The three major axes of motion (x,y and throttle) were rather stiff, but are adjustable to the users preference!

The unit is also programmable from a "button" point of view (i.e. keyboard macros) *and* from an axis point of view. This is important because it incorporates three additional axes that can be used (two thumbwheels and mini rudder "pedals" built-in to the forward side of the throttle handle). These other axes can be mapped to various features in your game software as well. In addition to that, there is a tiny "hat" switch that can be mapped to operate the mouse cursor in game... this truly means you never have to remove your hands from the controls...

Now, for the "not-so-good" stuff. IF you are running WinXP and IF you install the drivers right out of the box, you are in for some trouble and inconvience. At the end of the install from the CD, it mentions downloading a newer version of the drivers and to be sure to "un-install" the current ones before loading the new ones. Unfortunately, complying with these instructions also unloads your regular mouse driver as well. This is where you learn how to shut down your system using strictly the keyboard. Fortunately, once you reboot, XP re-installs your mouse driver and all is well.

One last thing: If you are using a USB hub that derives its power from the computer, your new Saitek joystick WILL NOT FUNCTION when plugged into that hub. I have a good Linksys USB hub that says it derives power from the computer, but also comes with an external supply. The Saitek would NOT work unless the external power was plugged in. Just a word to the wise.

Overall, I am quite pleased with my Saitek X45.

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I have had good luck with this throttle/stick combo. I am using it with Windows XP without any problems. Using the basic driver software provided by Saitek for XP, all buttons and axes are recognized and work properly. I can't get the advanced programing software from Saitek to load properly (allowing more specific button programing for use with older games and sims) but this may be due to a conflict with my sound card (SB Audigy), and it isn't necessary with newer sims, which allow you to fully configure the controller through the game program, anyway. I haven't had a problem with buttons sticking. I agree that the "Safe" cover over the "launch" button is a bit hokey, but it looks like it would be fairly easy to cut off if it really offended one. The throttle action is very smooth and both the throttle and the stick fit my hands comfortably. The stick has a rocker lever that substitutes for rudder pedals. This isn't quite as nice as a good set of rudder pedals, but I find it is good enough that I usually don't bother to hook up my CH pro pedals anymore. The spring at the base of the stick that centers it and provides resistance to its movement offcenter makes the stick movement just a little "jerky" and provides a little bit too much self centering force for my taste, and this is not adjustable. That and the lack of Force-Feedback capability I would say are the only real drawbacks to this controller, but I would certainly buy this again and would recomend this device to anyone looking for a good (and economical) alternative to a non-Force-Feedback throttle, pedal and fighter-stick Hotas combo. By the way, I was amazed what a difference having a good throttle makes, especially in combat flight sims, compared to using the little throttle axis lever provided on most all-in-one sticks (such as the Microsoft Force Feedback controller).

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This HOTAS has more promise than any other joystick or gaming peripheral I've used so far. The programmibility of the stick is awesome by itself. I love the look, the price point, and the button placement design of the hardware. It doesn't work for everyone, so test drive it first before you buy. I've been using this setup for about 5 months now...

When I took this thing out of the box, installed the software (use the saitek site, not the CD!!!) and loaded Mechwarrior 4, I was somewhat dissappointed. The weight of the joystick and throttle cause them to slip and silde with stronger game movements. The rubber pads on the bottom don't really work all that well. With this setup out of the box, in spite of everything I love about it, I give it an unremarkable 1.5 stars.

However, EVERYTHING changed when I decided to mount the two pieces to brackets I fashioned for desk or chair use. By using the mounting holes below the stick and throttle, the x45 became a serious gaming peripheral and buttons that were hard to use before (rudder rocker switch) became easy and almost effortless! The biggest shortcoming of the x45 for me is stability. The mounting bracket solved this.

This is not a joystick for everyone. My hands are a bit smaller, so I had a reach a little more but not uncomfortably for certain buttons. Out of the box, this piece is something of a letddown because of its instability for practical, more aggressive gaming. Slap the HOTAS on a wood and steel bracket, you're ready to rock.

Just don't forget to make a hole for the tension screw on the throttle! I had to take my bracket apart last week to make this change and it's a pain.

Saitek x45 out of box == 1.5 stars

Saitek x45 mounted on bracket == 4.75 stars

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This is the best fighter throttle and joystick combo out there. The product is easy to install (follow the directions, the throttle plugs into the joystick and the joystick plugs in to the computer.) and the configurability is excellent.

I am a GA pilot and use this for both combat sims (IL2, LOMAC, Aces High), X-Plane and FS2004. The construction is rock solid (it is not made of cheap plastic like most joysticks on the market) and the ability to change the tension on the joystick and throttle are an added bonus.

Bottom Line: If you're an avid flight sim fan looking for a joystick, skip the rest, buy the best.

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Day 3 since I received this Joystick throttle pair and I already am a much better pilot. First impressions :

1. The joystick and throttle feel a little stiff, but this may solely be because they are new. I saw one unit on Display at BestBuy and it was much easier because of all the use/abuse.

2. The friction on the throttle seems adequate, it however creaks a bit when you try to use it.

3. I love the number of buttons on this joystick, there about 8 buttons , plus 4 POV buttons .

4. The base isn't as heavy as it looks. When you try to push on the throttle, because of the stiffness, the whole unit just moves. There are rubber stoppers on the bottom, but they arent very good at gripping the surface. I like to see tiny suction feet on the bottom for a better grip. For now I push down on the throttle and push forward at the sametime.

5. The overall feel is good and I am pretty happy with the purchase and for its price its truly a good buy.

I would have loved to see force feedback on the stick, for the same price of-course :P .

Big Buck Hunter Pro - Software and One Gun - Nintendo Wii Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Big Buck Hunter Pro (BBHP) gets 4 stars overall. It is a great game with only a couple drawbacks. Starting with the negative: No gun calibration mode (not that I found anyway--please let me know if you find one). I had to literally move 15 feet away from the screen in order to get the crosshairs to line up with my 32" color TV! I was just on the fringe area of my sensor setting for the Wii, but it still worked/works. Number 2 complaint: No individual replaying of problem screens. By that I mean if you do terribly on a screen, you have to play that entire area (again, unless someone knows differently) over again to get to that particular screen and play it over. I just finished Top Shot Arcade with all gold medals (see my review), and I really like the fact that you can play screens over and over until you are satisfied with the results on that game. Now for the good: The graphics, sound, and screenplay are excellent. The announcer cracks me up, too. I think he's a little over-complimentary at times, but he makes up for it when you shoot a doe, believe me. I really like how you can adjust the brightness of the game with 3 settings. Some games are so dark. By the way, this actual stand up arcade game sells for between $4-$5000 if you want the original. I just got this game with the gun on sale for about $40 delivered. Absolutely worth the money. The gun that is included with the game is a pretty good gun. Had I not already had a Top Shot Elite (TSE) gun, I would say the BBHP gun was the best, but the trigger on the BBHP is a little sticky sometimes, and will not always engage the button on the nunchuck smoothly. I do prefer the pump on the BBHP gun over the TSE gun, but trigger on the TSE gun is much, much better because you are engaging the trigger directly on the TSE gun. So, if you have a TSE gun, definitely use it for this game, and don't pay the extra for the BBHP gun unless you can get a really good package deal like I did. I would like to see the screens last a little longer and have more targets to shoot, however, this being like the original game, you only have what seems about 20 seconds to do what needs to be done, and then that screen is over--just like the original. I think this game is pretty difficult, and I've played a bunch of hunting games. On a scale of 1 to 5, and 5 being impossible, I'd give this an 4--just like my review. Overall, this game is awesome. Well worth the money!

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I've spent more money playing the arcade version of this game than I'd like to admit.

That being said, I own both the "plugs into your TV standalone" game and "Wii" game alike. I'm comparing this to the arcade version & standalone, not to the overall gameplay (i.e. not for those who haven't played before).

Pros:

Has all the maps, animals, etc. (the standalone version only has whitetails)

Graphics are great, pretty much every aspect of the game is true to form if compared to the arcade version

Control is far better than the standalone version

Cons:

Big con the cursor and subsequent lag in controlling the gun

Much more difficult timing is different than the arcade game. Perhaps it takes a learning curve?

Screen Edge Wii seems to lose your gun location at the edges of the screen. This is big for your 3rd shot for those wounded bucks, so you're much more likely to lose the buck than clip the edge (compared to arcade).

Overall:

I bought this on Woot, with the gun, for $30. Well worth the price to play at home, especially if you put the time in to get good at it.

The BBH gun for Wii is very sturdy and handles much like the arcade. It's a whole different game if you play without it. No big complaints there.

I've considered buying the arcade version for home use, in excess of $2k. At a little over one hundredth the price, it's worth the effort, but by no means a substitute for the *phenomenal* arcade version of the game.

Enjoy!

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the gun broke in less than 5 hours of use the game is fun, but the loading times are the pits

Honest reviews on Big Buck Hunter Pro - Software and One Gun - Nintendo Wii

Awesome fun game until the trigger on the gun broke on the 3rd day. Unfortunately I can't buy just the gun either... So I guess now it will sit on my shelf to collect dust til they sell just the gun, cause I ain't buyin the whole damn package again!!!

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This game is awesome just a straight up arcade-style shooting game with animals running all willy nilly across the screen, which is what I was looking for. You have a variety of treks to choose from deer, moose, big horn sheep, elk, and antelope, and there are some fun little bonus games between each trek. The pump reload gun works great and really adds to the experience. Fun to play multiplayer and try to beat each other's scores (you can do multiplayer with one gun).