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when i bought this game..i gritted my teeth at the counter when i purchased it, i was actually feeling a little embarrased that i was buying a game based on a movie..which we all know 95% are terrible..BUT...i was surprised to find out..it is one of the better games made from a movie..there are plenty of flaws yes...the combat ..the lighting..(hard to see at times)..repetitive puzzles..BUT..i couldnt stop playing, it was fun..addictive..i wanted to see what happened next..the other reviews explained this game rather well..ill cut it short and say, if you like saw movies and if you like survival horror, silent hill type games,you will enjoy it..the ending was cool..passing grade from what i expected..

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Let me start off by saying that I am only about an hour into the game, but have so far been pleasantly surprised!The controls are very good and the puzzles are interesting (if not a little bit simple at times, mind you I started on the easiest level...there are only two). What surprised me the most was the fact that the game is not simply puzzled based but rather includes a bit of platforming and combat.As far as the games relationship to the movies, it has the same gritty feel and sense of urgency (when it comes to the traps and devices) that the films have. So far I am loving it!

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The Saw franchise and I have a long history dating back to before the first Saw film was released. I had seen the trailers for it on Bloody-Disgusting and thought it looked awesome, so opening night I was in line, 16 years old, for the movie that redefined torture movies for many.

Now Saw is far from original, of course. If you look at the big picture, the story was already done many years before (and done better) with David Fincher's dark, gritty, and amazing film, Se7en. But Saw was welcomed into the world with open arms and for what it was, it was good. In fact, I walked out of the theater almost blown away by what I had just seen.

Come six years and five (almost six) sequels later, the Saw series is now looked upon as a joke by many. For instance, in an episode of Two And A Half Men there is a sequence with one of the characters dreaming of the future out front of a movie theater and there is a poster for Saw 27. Hilarious. But the films have been getting gradually gorier and gorier, so the fact that a game was made and ultimately released was really no surprise.

What was a surprise, however, is that it's actually a DECENT game.

Now of course this game has it's huge flaws. The biggest one would have to be the combat. It's absolutely terrible. The buttons are unresponsive and for controlling an ex police officer, you would think that he'd be better at using a firearm. Heavy weapons are pretty much useless to even attempt, because by the time you swing you're already half dead from attacks from your enemy. If they needed to improve on at least one aspect of the game, it's this one.

The second bad part would have to be the irritation that the game will induce. The puzzles are often on a timer, but the solutions are often very, very difficult and nearly impossible at times to do in the time limit, which will cause many deaths and many retries and only mount the frustration the player feels at the game. There have been several times that I have shut the console off due to irritation, and it makes it really hard to really want to keep playing the game when you can't get anywhere.

The voice acting is also pretty bad, minus of course Tobin Bell as Jigsaw. None of the other actors returned to reprise their roles, and it shows. It's not a pretty voice soundtrack at all.

The graphics aren't terrible, but they're not wonderful either, but they are passable. I rather enjoy them.

Now with all the bad, there is some good. The story is captivating and regardless of the irritation that the puzzles offer, it still makes you want to keep going just to see what happens next. It's worth it in the long run if you're a fan of the films as I am, but if you're not, it's not worth your time.

Honest reviews on SAW - Xbox 360

While I eagerly awaited the Saw video game with baited breath, whats come out, while decent, is neither enthralling nor original.

The graphics are alright, though considering Konami had three years of Silent Hill under their belt, they'd have been able to make the game scarier. While I was expecting mostly startle scares, even those are few and far between. Some parts of the building are good and well polished, but after you see the same medical cabinet four hundred times, you wonder why it took so long to pop out this puppy.

Audio is also rather sad. While some environmental effects were well done, the voices were not the original characters, and they couldn't find decent replacements, with the exception of Jigsaw. The tapes are delivered in the familiar gritty monotone. NPC voices are a bit better, and the enemies who want to avoid you even more so, they're not enough to make up for the main cast.

Gameplay is extremely hit and miss. The game helps you out periodically by making it rather easy to avoid combat, either through initiating traps of your own, or bolting enemies into locked areas. Both rather slick, but delivered too blatantly. You get forty lockpicks and health packs, but can only carry three of each. While its nice that they don't make you comb earlier portions of levels for hours looking for the lone missing nail you need, it doesn't sit well that you can only swing three. The puzzles are rinse and reuse, basic tracer games and a few gear boxes, but nothing you haven't seen before. The few unique puzzles thus far are strange and overly simplistic. There are too many deus ex machina moments as well. After getting grabbed by pighead 3 times, you'd think you'd be ready the fourth and fifth time.

Combat is also a real let down. Given the plethora of weapons and health items, you'd think that this game would really put you through your paces, but enemies are made of spun crystal. This is countered by you apparently having polio, or bags of sand tied to your hands. Your attack speed is pathetic, and its almost easier to fight hand to hand than risk picking up a weapon.

Overall, if you like the movies, you'll like the atmosphere and the spin this game tries to evoke. Why they handed off some of the most crucial elements to the interns I'll never understand though. Between Silent Hill and a handful of other gritty horror games they had to choose from, they decided to try modeling it after RE 4/5, which was an awful setup the first time it was tried.

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The game is really detailed. Great scene design and really makes you feel like your playing one of the movies. It's like a really long haunted house.

The only real difference in setting between the game and the movies are 2 things:

1) You are in an insane asylum with multiple people after you.

2) There is not the typical "start as a group to escape and only 1 or 2 survive" there is no group it is just you.

The biggest problem with this game can be found in:

1) The traps and such are great, but the deaths are not very realistic or graphically committed and compare to the 1990's Doom.

2) There seems to be a delay in response time when you press a button; the first 5 times you run into an enemy and try to shut and lock a door you will be surprised when the enemy magically floats through after you no matter how hard or fast you mash the X button.

3) The above same mentioned delay can be felt in combat mode, when you try to use a weapon (and there are weapons all over) to fight an attacker, it is like you are underwater while the enemy is hopped up on crack and mountain dew. It's better to use your fists than a weapon as you most certainly will have your ass handed to you unless their back is turned.

*Overall it's a great game and I'm happy I gave it a chance.

Alan Wake: Limited Edition -Xbox 360 Review

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I decide to make a quick unboxing video to show exactly what you get in this Limited Edition version of Alan Wake. Check out my video review to see it all with your own eyes!

Here's the quick rundown on Limited Edition bonus features:

Cool 'hardcover book'-style slipcase

Bonus disc.

CD soundtrack.

Free DLC

Avatar unlockables.

Hardcover book/novel

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I got my copy of the game yesterday and have been playing it non-stop. First, let me say that if you have the money to spring for the limited collectors edition it is worth it. You get a very well written book, the soundtrack, a bonus disc that includes themes and avatar items, etc. And the case that holds it all is a book. It is a surprisingly well crafted edition of the game. Also, if you buy this new (you might get lucky if the person you are buying this from doesn't use the free token when the DLC comes out) you get a code to download a free add-on for the game to be released in the following months.

Now to the game. I'm not going to reveal any spoilers but rather comment on the gameplay and mechanics. First, the two things that bothered me, but did not take away from the experience and pull me out of the immersion. There is some screen tearing, although it's not much it is noticeable. And the other thing is the mouth to voice sync. A character will be talking to you and sometimes the mouth expressions do not match up to what is being said. It doesn't happen too often, but it makes you wonder why a game in development for so long would have this problem.

Now the good. The graphics are amazing. The developers make the best use of motion blur and focus that I have seen in a game as of this date on a console. The use of dark and light is almost perfect and the atmosphere is even enhanced by this fact. The controls are tight and not complex. It might take you a few minutes to get used to the flashlight and gun combo but you will learn quick. My problem was that I thought I would only hit the target if the flashlight was aimed at the bad guy, but it seems that you will still hit the enemy even without the flashlight on them. I'm used to first person shooter games where you have a cross-hair to help you aim so I was using the flashlight beam as the cross-hair. After I learned that I didn't have to do that it was awesome and much easier. Also, the flow of the game is very well suited to the episodic nature. I think if they tried to tell the story like a start to finish movie it wouldn't have had the level of immersion that it does. When an episode is over and the next one is starting I really felt like I was excited to watch a new episode of my favorite show. Kudos to the developers for trying something that few others have in this genre.

The sound is also superior. You could have the best looking game in the world but one of the foundations that you need is good audio if you want the player to be immersed in the game. I played this game with a 7.1 surround and it was great. The creaks, chirps, grasshoppers and all the little sound effects seem to be in the right speaker at the right time. I'm not sure if they are using compressed audio, but from my experience with sound in most games you can tell the difference in the sound quality when you have your system blasting full surround. The sound and music did not sound muffled or of a low frequency sample rate.

I hope I didn't confuse too many of you with my review and I tried to get my opinion across as simple as I could. Simply put, this game is very good if you are a fan of the suspense/horror genre. Another good thing is that it is rated T, which means that it can appeal to a larger group of gamers under 17. You want to play this game with the lights off.

At the moment you can also download the six episodes entitled "Bright Falls" (each episode has it's own subtitle) that is the prequel to Alan Wake on Xbox Live! It is live action and the run-time if you put all the episodes together is about 37 minutes so you get a pretty good look of the mysteries and people of Bright Falls.

As always I make it clear that this is only my opinion of the game and should not be taken as a fact, but rather a small consideration if you are wondering about the game or wanting some small tidbits of information if you are planning on buying it. If you do plan on buying it you won't regret it. Even if you aren't a fan of the genre I think this game could get your attention and give you an enjoyable experience.

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Not much to be said that has not already been posted. I have been anticipating this game for some time simply because the plot looked very interesting and it just seemed like my kind of game. When my release day package arrived via UPS along with RED DEAD REDEMPTION I was extremely pleased to see the level of quality that went into making this LIMITED EDITION COPY. Comes with Avatar unlockables, a hard cover book as well as CD audio soundtrack (how many games offer that) as well as a bonus (content) disc including several themes and gamer pictures, as well as AVATAR unlockables and a code that allows you to download the upcoming DLC coming out in July? for free provided your XBOX LIVE email address is current so they can send you the code. I think it's an awesome game and the Collectors edition is one of the best I have ever seen. Right up there with the Gears of War Limited Edition. Super worth the money. Gameplay is what I expected and I have already been frightened a few times and I am not that far into the game. Seems like a great game with a great story. Look forward to playing through a couple times. Highly recommended.

Honest reviews on Alan Wake: Limited Edition -Xbox 360

It seems that David Lynch missed the boat somewhere. With the current rush of thriller style horror games hitting the market, he could have produced a game of epic proportions. In his absence, however, Remedy Entertainment has stepped up to the plate. If Deadly Premonition managed to capture the quirky characters and almost farcical style of Twin Peaks, Alan Wake has nailed the foreboding, fear-filled side of the series.

Author Alan Wake is trapped in a story that he doesn't remember writing and his wife's life is at stake. Armed with his trusty flashlight and an assortment of weapons, he must stave off the forces of darkness lurking throughout the town of Bright Falls while uncovering the clues to his own memory loss, his mysterious, new novel Departure and the location of his abducted spouse. And it all plays out as cinematically as any game has ever managed to do.

The Story

Penned by the deft hand of Sam Lake, there are definite echoes of Max Payne within this game--primarily the ongoing introspection and voice-over that narrates the story as it unfolds before the gamer. Otherwise, Alan Wake is a completely unique experience. Twists and turns in the plot manage to keep the story within grasp while introducing new and interesting tidbits throughout the game.

Game levels are scripted as 'episodes'--much as they were in Deadly Premonition--beginning with flashbacks of what has happened previously in the story/game. It gives the game a television-like vibe that brings to mind series like Lost and the X-Files--and is spoofed by the game itself with glimpses of a popular program (called Night Springs) that resembles the Twilight Zone on in-game televisions. In addition to the 'what happened before' flashbacks, gamers are also treated to a unique song between each of the episodes (such as the eerily appropriate In Dreams by Roy Orbison that also made an appearance in David Lynch's Blue Velvet).

Admittedly, the game is a little long on cut-scenes/cinematics--but they are absolutely forgivable within Alan Wake as they enhance the game experience and almost give the gamer the feeling they are 'playing within a movie.' Don't ignore the cut-scenes in this game; they are as beautiful as they are relevant.

Sights and Sounds

If Alan Wake is not the most gorgeous game ever released on the Xbox 360, then I don't know what is! Daytime in Bright Falls reveals a rustic Pacific Northwestern town that has been exquisitely detailed and constructed--but when night falls, the game is drenched in some of the best uses of light and shadow ever included within a game. Seriously, just watch how the flashlight bursts through the mists rising from the woodland trail in front of you, and take a peak at the white-capped mountains in the distance rimmed with moonlight and dare to disagree with me.

The sound design of the game is equally evocative; choosing to feature ambient music and sound effects for the background pays off with a steady build of fear and dread throughout the game. Enjoy the 'between the episodes' music for what it is: A break from the tension!

One last thing I want to mention in this section is the fine detail of facial expressions and character mannerisms throughout the game. They give a uniqueness to every person you encounter and make interactions throughout Alan Wake a pleasure.

The Game Play

Alan Wake's game play is structured much like other Third Person Shooters, so if you have fears of the tough-to-handle style of movement associated with other horror games (think Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark), you can rest easy. The mechanics involved with using the dual weapon system (flashlight/gun, etc.) are extremely user-friendly as well: Point the light at the enemy and that's where your bullets will hit.

In addition to the main storyline of the game, there are other, ongoing mini-missions as well--though they are mostly of the 'collectibles' variety. So be sure to pay attention to your surroundings and don't be afraid of leaving the well-trodden path to search for hidden caches of ammo, manuscript pages or the occasional thermos of coffee.

While the vast majority of this game is a pleasure to play, there are a few short comings that I would be remiss in not mentioning. The driving element of this game is mediocre at best; the drivable vehicles (not every car/truck is available to Wake) are a bit sluggish and handle a bit clumsily--though this, admittedly, does add to the tension of the game when bad guys are swarming you. But this is a minor thing since Wake is rarely forced to use a vehicle.

The continuous navigation of woodland paths (with the occasional handful of enemies jumping out) can also get a bit repetitive--though the game does manage to stay (for the most part) fun. And it would have been nice to have had a bit more of a map, rather than a simple GPS dot to follow--especially when you are trying to navigate through some of the more open areas of the game.

Summation

Though no game is perfect, I have to admit that in a lot of ways, Alan Wake is damn close! I give it 4.5 stars out of 5 (due to the minor shortcomings already mentioned). Alan Wake is the perfect mix of story and game play--and a fine example of how applying cinematic film techniques to a game can give it a depth that other titles can only dream of achieving. Do yourself a favor: Buy Alan Wake, fire it up and turn down the lights. Just don't forget to catch your breath during the musical interludes...

You can check out more of my game reviews on my Amazon Author's Page (http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JRWEAC).

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I got the original game back when it first came out in May. I got the collector's edition, as I was chomping at the bit to finally play this game ever since I first heard about it in 2006. Like most collector's editions, the extra material isn't really worth the trouble, but that's par for the course with most games. I later got the first downloadable pack when it became available during the summer and the second when it released a few months ago. I've cleared the game's full gambit of achievements, part of which involved finding stuff (damn you, thermoses!) listening to radio and tv shows, shooting piles of tin cans and of course, manuscript pages. I've gone from one side of the Dark Presence to the other and back again to help the eponymous character regain his fractured sanity and face the demons that he created for himself.

You'll probably notice that I don't focus a lot of time on the graphics, sound and controls; my main emphasis is on the story and the characters. There's a reason for that. Even if I didn't already believe that story and characters are the most important aspects of a video game after gameplay, Alan Wake is story-driven game. If the story falls flat, it doesn't have the crazy, over-the-top gameplay Gears 2 has to fall back on. Nor does it have the branching gameplay decisions that you'd have with a Fable or Mass Effect game. It's a very linear game; you go from point A to B to C to D and the game will pretty much play the same way out each time. Perhaps worst of all, it doesn't have a lot of replay value (more on that later.) So, without the story, it's really not much of a game.

So how was it? We all know how the game didn't sell too well, but was it good?

It's best for me to get what I don't like out of the way first. Like with a lot of games, it's short. Even when taking into consideration the amount of time it took to collect everything and the few extra hours the DLC packs added, Alan Wake is a short game. It's also not a very difficult one, even on the hardest mode. The mechanics for the game are very simple. You're going through the dark, and you need light. This works out in many interesting ways for the puzzles you come across (especially in the DLC packs) but fights are pretty similar to one another. Point your flashlight, wait for the darkness to burn away, shoot the enemy, dodge the attack from the other enemy, point your flashlight at him, pop a battery or two in, and you're good. Once you have these basics down, there aren't too many encounters that will prove difficult. And you probably already know about Verizon. It was bad enough that they had billboards, but an actual achievement to watch a Verizon commercial? Seriously guys? Also, the second chapter could've really used a start point after the scene with Mott, given the number of collectibles in that part of the chapter. And the third chapter was long. Really, really, really long. More than once I found myself saying "Are you effing kidding me?" as it became obvious that I *still* wasn't done with that chapter. Yeah, the game as a whole is short, but this chapter went on a little bit too long, especially since the latter half of said chapter had very little story development. Fortunately, when you do get past the third chapter, that's when the story starts to pick up. Ultimately, though, once you've collected everything, there's little to come back to, as, again, the game is so very linear.

Remedy was clever when it came to roping in us completionists, as some of the manuscript pages can only be found on the hardest mode of difficulty, and this can only be unlocked after playing through the game on one of the two easier modes at least once from start to finish. There is no shortage of people who criticize one of the plot twists towards the end of the game. I would ask that those critics play through the DLC packs, as a dialogue in the second makes it clear that there's more to that twist than what meets the eye, which ties in with the fact that Remedy from day 1 has said that there's a larger story than just the one game. The story itself is a very unique video game story, and the voice acting is very good. Alan himself is a conflicted man who wants to do the right thing and loves his wife, but fights his temper, alcoholism, fatalism, depression, insomnia, self-loathing, fits of rage and just in general being a bit of a donkey. His wife is on her last nerve trying to find someway to get Alan to snap out of his rut and return to being the man she married, which leads to them going to Bright Falls. I enjoyed listening to him narrate his story as he fights against the darkness as well as his own personal demons. As he's a writer, he's used to getting in the heads of his characters, figuring out what makes them tick. Now, he's the character in his own story and he's got to find a way to finish it.

The stock game ends on a cliffhanger which has polarized the gaming community. I personally liked it, and to those who don't, I also suggest playing the DLC, as the story truly finishes. You can complain all you want about Remedy "forcing" you to pay to get the real ending, but let's not forget these facts:

1) Remedy is a business. They're not your spouse, your friend or family member. Remedy is a business, and businesses are in it to make money. This notion that you've somehow been "betrayed" by them because they want a little more money for the fruits of their labor is far more asinine than Wake could ever hope to be.

2) We have at least one thing in common; you didn't make the game. Nor did you put any of your time, money and energy into it; instead, you're enjoying the finished product that other people, not you, made.

3) You're *not* being forced to pay for it; either don't buy it, or find a friend who did buy it and play it on their system.

4) Finally, it's really not that expensive, anyway. Especially if you got that token that let you get the first pack for free.

The DLC is truly bizarre. The stock game takes place in the real world (even though there isn't an actual Bright Falls) and many references to the real world are made. Alan, his wife Alice and best friend/agent Barry are New Yorkers through and through. Stephen King is mentioned in the opening scene. There are also references to The Shining, other authors like Dan Brown, James Elroy and HP Lovecraft, etc. The DLC, on the other hand is in this weird zone known as the Dark Place, and reality there is as steadfast, reliable and reproducible as that of a dream. It's always shifting around, and the further Alan goes into it, the more bizarre it becomes. Early on in the first pack, Alan finds a page, but reading it doesn't net the same result as one of the real pages in the real world does. Instead of reading a clear, coherent page, Alan hears himself saying disjointed, seemingly random fragments. This is to be expected to some extent, though, because the Dark Place is presented as a dream-like realm, and the part of the brain that you use to read is shut off while you're asleep. It also gives what is from that point on the main gameplay mechanic (aside from the light/dark aspect) the proper introduction it deserves. While introduced at the end of the main game, the whole concept of shining the light at a word to have it create and/or do something comes to the fore here, and this is where the interesting light/dark puzzles come into play. That's not to say that they're complex; it doesn't take a whole lot to work out how to move forward. But they are interesting and I look forward to seeing what else Remedy can do.

Ultimately, Alan Wake ends on a high note. The main game and especially the first DLC pack end on low notes, but the end to the second pack is very satisfying. Alan's journey isn't over; far from it, but he is bound and determined to do what he must to survive and rejoin Alice's side. He now knows just how far he fell from being the man he once was. He's been at rock bottom and is now going to use that rock to stand back up so that he can climb out of the hole he's dug for himself.

Humor is sprinkled in rather well here. Most of it comes from Barry. He has a monologue that simply cannot be missed in the latter part of the game, and I nearly peed when I saw him after he left the general store to met up with Alan and the sheriff. There's a line not long after this that Alan gives that's also great.

Graphically, the game has a very unique feel to it. This is definitely a Remedy game. The shaking of the trees, the darkness looming, the active cameraman, all of comes together quite well. And I couldn't help but love how towards the end we see the actor who provided Wake's likeness on a mock TV show; thought that was a nice touch. The soundtrack is simply amazing. My favorite song is War by Poets of the Fall, who also provided the music for the game's fictional band. There's even a radio broadcast that pokes a little fun at this. I get goosebumps every time I hear that song. The controls are pretty easy and straightforward; the only thing that takes a little getting used to is the fact that Alan couldn't do a marathon to save his life. He can run for a little bit but gets winded easily. But as long as you shine the light on your pursuers before taking off again, they'll get stunned for a moment, giving you a window of time to get closer towards the light.

So all in all, I don't regret purchasing this game and should Remedy proceed with the sequel I'll probably get the limited edition of that too. I know, I'm a glutton for punishment; what can I say? So give it a rental, it's a real love it or hate it kind of game. Now, if you're excuse me, I have some more thermoses to find.....

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Reviews

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Okay, this is a awesome game. It has wonderful graphics, the airplane details are superbly represented, and the sound is really good. One of the signature differences between this new title and the previous Ace Combat 4 is the addition of the CGI cutscene movies, whereas the Ace Combat 4 used the storyboard type representation. If you have played Ace Combat 4, this game is easy enough to pick up and jump right in to the action. Minor changes have been made to controls to allow for the "wingman" control scheme with the D-pad. This enables you to direct you wingmen to either cover, attack, disperse and use their special weapons on a target. You can also use the dpad for the standard yes no reply to questions that your wingmen will ask you throughout the game. It does add a nice touch of realism to the game with all the chatter you hear over the radio.

Now, since it has been 3 years since Ace Combat 4, I must say that I really did expect more in the way of advancements, but it truely feels like the same gamestyle, typical storyline, and overall general feel. Of course that is not berateing this game one iota. The graphics are much sharper, the land elevation scenery is much more detailed with trees and brushes now visible. The buildings are also nicely detailed with a higher polygon count. Perhaps the best change made for me is the missile animation you now see when you launch a missile. The missile stream is now much more realistic with the way it curves and actually winds through the air.

If you enjoyed Ace Combat 4, you won't regret buying this game. If you never played Ace Combat 4, then you will truely love this game moreso than the typical veteran Ace Combat player. Great visuals, good storyline and good sound design make this a winner in anyone's book.

Just to mention that you can either play the campaign mode or arcade mode. Arcade mode will have you reprise your role as Morphius from the Ace Combat 4 game. The campaign will carry you in the role of flight leader and allow you to fight with and control your wingmen. Enjoy.

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The only other Ace Combat game I've ever played was the first one for the PlayStation. It was impressed with the look and feel of the game. Ace Combat 5 effectively helps me to relive the same enjoyment I had playing the first game.

AC5 does a fantastic job of putting you in the pilot's seat of a fighter jet. The realism is astounding. Plane models look just like real jets, with good detail and believable movement. There are multiple viewpoints available both inside the cockpit and out that can be adjusted. The landscapes in certain missions are stunning to see from 2000 feet in the air. Finally, instant replays with adjustable angles appear after the completion of a mission (or in the event of the player's untimely death). They're reminiscent of the cool-looking replays in Gran Turismo 3.

The music is movie-quality and suits whatever action is taking place. As for sound effects, I don't think they could have been any better. For example, the farther away you are from an enemy when it's destroyed the longer the sound from the explosion takes to reach your ears. If possible, use a 5.1 stereo system with AC5. It sounds awesome.

There's a nice variety of missions, and none are excessively long. Once the campaign mode is complete you can replay any mission from that mode singularly. With 50 models of jets to unlock and use there's plenty of reason to keep playing.

As if all these pros weren't enough, AC5's story isn't bad either. How rare to witness a well told, positive moral in a video game. Communication between pilots during missions adds character depth and makes the gameplay more involving. Some players have complained about the audio chatter being annoying but I didn't find it bothersome.

At it's core Ace Combat 5 is a game with heart. I wholly recommend it.

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Better;

* Excellent graphics, particularly the aircraft models, weather effects and cutscenes.

* The same great gameplay as AC04 with some nice tweaks (e.g. enemy stealth planes are actually harder to detect).

* Lots of missions with a choice of paths through the game (though not as many as AC3), plus refuelings and carrier landings.

* Well written and absorbing plot.

* Numerous and varied aircraft and special weapons, including a fun new super plane and a kill-based 'evolution' system for unlocking improved variants of planes.

* Greatly improved arcade mode, again with a choice of paths, making for a nice half-hour blast.

Worse;

* Ropey mission design. Targets constantly pop up out of nowhere and you get teleported around the map after every cutscene. The action feels more scripted and less like you're flying around a real battle. This is reinforced by the fact that while the target areas are highly detailed, the rest of the maps are quite empty.

* Some of the missions feel like pale shadows of AC04 missions.

* The dialogue is often whiney, unprofessional or just annoying, and often gets out of sync with the action.

* The stats on the aircraft seem to be made up at random, and don't have that much affect on gameplay anyway. The missions aren't designed to make best use of the available weapons, and hence players will never use most of the basic planes and will have little incentive to unlock most of the improved variants. The loss of selectable secondary weapons is a shame.

* Rare but highly annoying bugs; planes fly underground and through buildings, missiles sometimes mysteriously fail to track.

* For the most part the difficulty curve is smooth if a little too easy (even on ace difficulty), but there are a couple of missions that are just unnecessarily frustrating (White Noise and Four Horsemen).

* The two player mode and target shooting range have been removed.

Missed opportunities;

* Fewer targets and no re-arming, making things less frantic. This is a shame as there are some missions where landing and rearm without leaving the battlefield would've worked well.

* The medal gallery is nice, but more unlockables (e.g. rendered beauty shots of aircraft) would have provided more motivation to get those special rankings.

* Giving wingmen orders is fun, but they don't seem to do much or need your protection. Similarly the interactive dialogue could've been cool, but doesn't actually seem to do anything and is hence just distracting.

* No bombers, choppers or VTOL aircraft, to fly or give orders to.

* Music is generally great, but the score for the final missions don't quite have that spine tingling thrill that AC04 had.

Ace Combat 5 is great fun and a high quality title in its own right. However while the graphical tweaks and new features are appreciated, it isn't a major advance over AC04, and the niggling problems prevent it from delivering the same outstanding all-round experience that Shattered Skies provided.

Honest reviews on Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

I'm updating my review because I have now gotten all the planes--every last one--and must declare it well worth the effort. When I had only 'the best' planes, the missions were not nearly as interesting and oftentimes very difficult to do a sortie at Expert or Ace level because the plane I was using was too fast, didn't perform well at low altitudes, or featured weapons that were only really good for dog fighting. I could be flying the Falken through a mission and my wingmen would get the most kills because I would overshoot my target before I had a chance to lock on and fire and therefore have to go at it again, and the enemy aircraft would shoot me down as I literally jetted past them. The Falken is a great example because, unless your targets are all out in the open, you likely wont be as successful as if you flew something less 'super.'

Which plane you chooose is as important if not more than how you fly it or what kinds of weapons it features. For comparison, if you wanted to play a really great game of golf, you would need a full set of clubs--not just a driver and a putter. Likewise with planes--and I imagine this absolutely must be so in the real world of jet fighters--there is no one super plane that is the absolute best for all situations.

The best thing about this game--even more so than with Ace Combat 4--is how it demands you use strategy in addition to making appropriate choices in which planes your team flies.

Unlike Ace Combat 4, you can't just pick the right plane for yourself and finish the level or all levels practically solo. You need not only the right plane for yourself, but the right plane for your wingman and sometimes a complex combination of plane capabilities for the three other pilots at your command in addition to yourself. And then you have to give them appropriate commands--or you'll fail. Sometimes you even have give the most important strategic role to yourself while giving the more exciting dogfighting role to one of your other pilots.

You can't just have your team cover you and blast away at everything--you'd likely run out of missles and/or time--and even when the software suggests other choices of commands or planes, you have to take command and make the real decisions.

So what I wrote about Ace Combat 4 is far more true of Ace Combat 5. This isn't a game for dummies, and the amount of choice making you have to do in addition to outflying your opponents is what makes this an intelligent game.

They even included a bit of flight school in this one--nice.

My only complaint is about the Arcade Mode. You have to do it all the way from beginning to end. You can't save and finish it off later--which is no good for those of use who don't have hours at a shot to sit there and play video games. I'd rather be able to do a few bits in arcade mode, save it and do more later.

Campaign Mode is just perfect though. Sometimes you're stuck having to do more without saving after a really long and hard level, but it's not over the top difficult or lengthy. Even this adds to the challenge though, as you have to choose planes that you can succeed with in a variety of situations.

Great game; much improved over its previous version without losing anything in the process.

I do wish the playback at the end of each mission showed the weapon strikes at Ace Combat 4 did.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

I had long been waiting for this game to come out and now that I've played it; I could have waited longer. Yes, the backgrounds look amazing and the detail of the planes killer, but it was not what I expected.

The contsant chattering from your squad gets very annoying during the game, to the point that I just turned the voice off completely and put a CD on.

I played the game on Hard/Expert/Ace, and the Arcade Mode on all levels. After playing on Expert I really had no desire to play it on Ace, besids that fact of just wanting to beat it on that level. I did not find the game all to hard. I currently have no intension of playing it again. The replay need for this game is simply not there. Its too bad that they took away the VS Mode. Thats one thing that made Ace Combat 4 really fun.

Now we get down to the fighters. In this game you are provided with 50 aircraft from around the world. Most are the same from AC4, but look much better. A bad thing that I found was that you were unable to pick the weapons load for your plane via Ace Combat 4. The need to have to gain experience with a plane in order to get it upgraded model was not worth the time. Planes like the the French Rafael are only allowed to carry their Sidewinder variant for AA Combat and the Exocet Anti-ship Missile for ground targets. Where as in Ace Combat 4, you could load her up with medium ramge missile or air to ground. The same thing with the British Typhoon, nothing but air to air, and no waepons for ground operations. Air to ground missiles on the A-10 & SU-32 have no range what so ever, so why even bother putting them in.

In my opinion the upgrade was interesting yet could have been better,EX: The MiG-29 is not only a bomber but also a Fighter. Plus there is a Carrier version of this plane the MiG-29K as well a Carrier version of the SU-27, the Su-27K. The Britsh Tornado GR4 in Ace Combat 4 is more interesting than the ones in this game. They could have gotten rid of some of the upgrade versions and added more fighters in, Example: A-4 skyhawk, SU-22 Fitter, F-111 Ardvark, SU-24 Fencer, & SU-25 Frogfoot to name a few. Also, what is the point of in-flight refueling when you never run out of fuel?

If your a die hard fan of the series as I was then you'll love the game. If they would have left the VS Mode in then Iwould probably still be playing the game. Also, the ablitly to choose payloads. I guess I'll go to PC Games for a better flight game. If they come out with a # 6, I'll wait to rent it before I get it. Yet, remeber guys this is my opinion, its up to you to make your own. Laters

Buy Yourself Fitness

Customer Ratings:

I am a WAHM of one 14 month old; I gaining a LOT of weight during my pregnancy (no thanks to the women who kept saying "You're too small!" as they shoved cake and chips in my face!) and I've had a heck of a time getting it off (even though I eat VERY healthy). I used to be VERY active and loved running and/or going to the gym, but we can't afford a gym membership (or a babysitter on a daily basis so I could actually GO to the gym and I'm too tired after my husband gets home to go to the gym anyway) OR one of those outrageously expensive jogging strollers (for those prices, they should get better ratings!). I've tried baby & mom yoga (a book)that didn't work for me. I purchased a DVD on Amazon, Pilates for Everyone I think it was calledthat was better than the yoga book, but I found that the gap between the beginner and intermediate workouts was WAY too wide for me (the beginner workouts got too easy and the intermediate workouts, yeah, I couldn't even make it through the first five minutes of one). This is the BEST thing I've found so far and I am LOVING it! :-)

So let me break it down.

Things I LOVE about this:

1. Custimizationyou enter your weight, target weight (if you need to), resting/active BPM, flexibility, etc, even the excersize equipment you already own and it will tell you what your MAIN goal should be (mine being weight loss, obviously). You enter days of the week you can work out and how much time you can spend working out on those days.

2. TempoIt doesn't seem to be repetitive at all, like my Pilates DVD was, it never got boring.

3. Scroll barThere's a scroll bar on the bottom of the screen as you do a work out that tells you what you're doing and shows you what is up next as well. For example, it shows a picture of two free-weights before the next segment if you need to use them during the next excersize. And there is a clock counting down the time (which I REALLY need, I need to be able to see that the time is going DOWN and I'm making progress) and it tells you the level of difficulty of the exersize that you're doingboth under the time and on the scroll barone line for level one, two bars for level two, you get it.

4. TutorialYou can pause and review the tutorial at ANY time, as needed.

5. The Personal InstructorShe virtual and she doesn't look like freaking Barbi, THANK GOODNESS! :-) (In fact, she looks a lot like me BEFORE I had my daughter :-) )

6. ReinforcementBefore you start your workout for the day, you can change what the personal instructor has chosen for you (if she recomends cardio, and you aren't feeling up to it, you can change it to some other area of focus). She asks you how you're feeling both before you start your workout and in between at intermitent points so if you need MORE positive reinforcement, she will do more "rooting". :-)

7. Recipes and meal plans and shopping lists, oh my! I don't use these, I'm vegetarian, no sugar, and I'm decreasing my intake of dairy products so I have my own healthy recipes customized to fit MY life and budget, BUT these are a great idea and I may actually flip through the 4500 (gasp!) recipes for something new.

8. She KNOWS if you missed a day! Yup, I guess if you miss a day, it will show up on your "progress", which may annoy some people, but I feel guilty VERY easily so if I miss a day I'd feel guilty because not only would I know, the virtual Personal Instructor would know it too, so she'd remind me of it. And that would work to my advantage so I wouldn't skip a day unless I was really sick or something.

9. The "LEVELS" I think this is so cool. Like most other video games, the more time you spend doing it, the more levels open up to reward you. In this case, the "levels" are the spaces where your personal trainer works out (yeah, I'd like to work out in a field surrounded by green grass and waterfalls for REAL!) but it makes for a nice change of scenery.

10. Calories At the end of your work out, it tells you how many calories you've burned! That is SO important for me because I need to see improvement.

11. Workouts I get bored easily, and my target is weightloss so when the personal trainer recomends I do cardio, it's not just cardioin my cardio workouts there are some cardio weight training exersizes too, which is nice so I don't get bored! There are also water breaks after strenuous steps and stretch breaks after each cardio weight set and the workout time includes stretching at the end. ALSO even though my main goal is weight loss, the personal trainer doesn't suggest that I do just cardio for every single workout. For example, if I do a 30 minute workout, the first 10-15 minutes will be cardio, and the remaining workout could be upper/lower body strength, flexibility, core body strength, etc. So I end up with a very well-rounded week of workouts.

12. The "camera angle" changes throughout the workout so you can see what it should look like from different angles and it changes the back drop behind the personal trainer too, so it's not boring.

13. In addition to the daily workouts, you can also chose "Meditation Garden" and do a roughly 20 minute yoga session. I've been doing this at the end of the day before bed after my daughter is asleep and it's WONDERFUL! It's so great to have yoga in this "game" too! It's like having everything I need in one place!

Things that I would improve:

1. Ok, this is silly, but it'd be fun to change her body type or even her weight, and her clothes/hair color/eye color, etc. But that's more play and less workout and I guess that's really not the point of the "game". :-) That's just the child in me.

2. During the cardio, while you're doing any type of work with reps and weights, I wish that the number of reps would count down on the screen as you are doing them with the personal trainer, because again, I like to see results.

3. I think this is mainly geared towards women, for the very fact that the personal trainer is a woman. But my husband is going to use this as well (for improving his core strength) and he said he'd rather have a male personal trainer than female.

4. When I was setting up my customized section, after I plugged in my height and weight, the personal instructor instructed me that I was over the weight range for my height. Now maybe this is just me being uber-sensitive, but DUH! I'd rather just have it just state at the end that my target goal is weight loss so I will be doing a lot of cardio in my customized workouts.

5. Although I don't have a problem with this because my husband already had an x-box, it would be more versitile if they came out with one that can be played on regular DVD players OR one that can be played on BOTH an x-box AND a DVD player (and for the x-box, they could just have you use the x-box remote that plays movies instead of the controller).

6. Although I LOVE the Meditation Garden yoga sessions, I would like to know how many Calories I've burned at the end of each sessionthe "game" only tells you how many Calories you've burned at the end of each "Workout" session.

I was a little apprehensive about this at first, I'll admit, I thought it was a silly idea, but I LOVE it now! Once I got into it and started the workout, it was fun and not boring at all! This is perfect if you are a mom (or a dad, I know some dads stay at home or work at home too)/ hate the gym/ don't have $ for the gym AND a personal trainer AND a nutritionist/ get bored easily/ need positive reinforcement/ need a schedule/ need something different in each workout/ need custimization... ENJOY! :-)

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I was taken back when I noticed this on the shelves of my local gaming store. So I read the back, came home and did a little on line research.

It was less than 24 hours after that, when I decided to purchase this product.

This is a great "game" that takes getting in shape very seriously. You answer some questions at the beginning and do some exercises to allow the trainer, Maya, to get a feel for your overall health.

Once you've done that, Maya has created your personalized training schedule, eating schedule and I was ready to go!

During my first workout, Maya gave plenty of encouragement (based on how I was answering questions throughout the workout)to keep me going. The bottom of the screen displays the workout that you are doing along with the next one coming up, including rests and water breaks. She can incorporate a stepper, flexibility ball, hand weights and a heart monitor in the workout.

The variety of the workout was AMAZING and I sweating more after 30 minutes with Maya that I ever have doing other videos.

This is definitely worth the $34 price tag just to have your own personal trainer in your Xbox whenever you want one.

Overall, this is only a 4 star product since it doesn't really tell you how much you "need" to lose and how you are going to get there. I also would have liked a BMR calculation with calories taken in so I can see what I need to burn off to lose some weight.

Best Deals for Yourself Fitness

I'm a single male in his late 20's who one day kind of by accident found this game here on Amazon. So I went out and bought it and I have just finished my first workout tonight. I have to say that I am very impressed because this game is a workout and not really a game at all. I broke a serious sweat the first workout that I took. They even have yoga on there and I think that is one thing that I will be doing more of because it teaches you the positions as you go. This game may be targeted towards women which I think is great because not many games are. But, I think that men can even benfit from using the game too. I really like the concept and I can't wait to see what the developer responsdesign does next. They really do make as their motto says "Games that are good for you". I think any game that can make you get up off the couch and get involved physically is a good game to begin with. It's a really groundbreaking concept because Maya the trainer seems almost human at times. This is why I play video games not just to pick up a controller but to become involved with the action physically. I can't say enough about this title! It may not be the best selling or best looking XBox game but it's the most inovative concept I have seen since all the dance pad games came out and before that all the old NES games with the pad. So check this game out and this is coming from a hard-core gamer here.

Honest reviews on Yourself Fitness

Definitely not. After reading all the rave reviews this "game" is getting, I decided to be a sceptic and buy it for the sole purpose of finding it's flaws.

Then I met Maya, and she showed me all of my flaws instead. And then I started to hate her perfectness even more, because she showed me my flaws nicely!

I had no idea how out of shape I truly was until my fitness evaluation. I rolled my eyes and trudged through it, saying aloud that it was so lame, but secretly thinking it was the coolest, most innovative thing ever. I looked at Maya, and sad, "Seriously. Jumping jacks??!! Puh-lease. Are we in third grade gym here?" Then I began doing them.

So after I regained consciousness, I huffed and puffed through the rest of the evaluation. Then I was given a workout schedule recommendation, and a plan for healthier eating. I was happy with how thorough it was. And the food is very simple, yet extremely yummy! Nice, normal, healthy choices. Things I actually have in my house!

RUN, don't walk, to go buy this right now. It's wonderful for beginners, or even the advanced who is looking for a change of pace to get away from their latest plateau. The Yoga Meditation Garden is wonderful, the workouts are wonderful, Maya in wonderful, the food plans are wonderful. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's truly that impressive. My entire body aches so bad that it's painful to type this review. Who knew I had muscles in there somewhere?

A thousand times cheaper than a gym membership and a personal trainer, even if you have to buy an Xbox for it. They are planning to release a PS2 version in January, so it would be a great gift for the New-Years-Resolution-to-get-in-shape person. There is also access to a wonderful, supportive companion site where you can post a journal if you'd like, or just share your "war stories" about Maya.

All in all, this is the best thing I have ever bought for our Xbox. Besides Halo 2. ;)

I am editing this review today, Friday March 4, 2005 (originally written in Nov. 04) to add that with the help of this game, I have gone from a size 20 to a size 14. In 4 months!!! I follow Dr. Phil's food plan, and use this program 5 days per week, and the pounds have just melted off. Not a week goes by that I don't see improvement.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Yourself Fitness

You can read other reviews for the good things about this title. Here are a few problems:

1) Sometimes the program just won't do the workout you select. Three times today, I tried to make it give me a core workout and it kept doing upper body (which I just did yesterday and didn't want to repeat so soon).

2) I use other programs or running for cardio, so I'm already warmed up when I start YF. There's no way to tell the program to just get to the exercises. And there's no way to input workout data so the program knows you're doing cardio elsewhere. It will keep suggesting you need it.

3) There's no way to tell the program to not use a particular exercise. If you're bored by a move or it exacerbates an injury, too bad. Chances are, it's a move the program will use over and over for minutes at a time.

4) There's no option to build your own workout. I really wish the program was more customizable, giving me a list of exercises to string together to work the muscles I want to work on any given day.

5) It asks how groups of exercises made you feel, but there's no option to indicate a particular exercise is too much. You can make the whole workout easier, but that's not necessarily a good thing. For example, yesterday's upper body workout kept hammering me with pushups. I simply couldn't keep up. Telling the program to ease up only meant the next few exercises were shown without weights...but those exercises were for my biceps. I needed to tell the program enough already with the pushups.

I haven't decided if I'll keep using the program or not. It's definitely good to have some variety in my workout, but it's not good to feel frustrated by limitations and glitches.

Best Rock Band 2 Triple Cymbal Expansion Kit (PS and PS3 compatible) Deals

Customer Ratings:

Second Update 12/16/2008: UPS just dropped a package from Mad Catz. They didn't fix my broken cymbal, they sent me an entirely new package, cymbal, mounting hardware and all.

No note included saying what was wrong, or anything, just a new cymbal. It looks like it's been handled, which probably means that someone tested it out to make sure it worked right, before they sent it to me (or that it's a refurbished.)

I tried it out, and all seems well. Kudos to Mad Catz for the excellent customer service. Their site says 4 to 6 weeks, and it only took 12 days from drop off, to return. I'm psyched.

Update: After playing for an hour or so this afternoon, it's evident that one of my cymbals is defective. It's sometimes registering two hits, instead of one. I called Mad Catz, and the guy I got was super friendly, extremely understanding, and set me up with an RMA. He said the website suggested 4-6 weeks, but realistically, it's more like 2 to 3. I'll update again when I get the new cymbal to see if it's working properly. I'm glad I didn't just try returning it to Amazon to get another, they appear to be completely sold out everywhere I've checked today. Glad I pre-ordered mine 3 months ago.

My three pack finally arrived last night, and I was psyched to get them. Ever since they were announced, I've been excited about them. The way I assumed they worked, was actually different than how they do work. More on that later.

First, some images, to show how freaking cool they look:

The whole kitHi-Hat CymbalRide Cymbal

The cymbals certainly give the drums the look of a real drumkit (okay, at least a real electronic drumkit,) but how do they play?

They take some getting used to, that's for sure. I just got them last night, so I'm still in the adjusting phase. But right from the get go, my wife said "You look like you're having more fun." Which I totally was. It felt like I was playing more realistically than I had without the cymbals.

When I first bought the cymbals, I assumed that they would just act as extenders of their respective colors. So when you'd hit the blue, it made whatever sound the blue one should at that specific point in time. As Rock Banders know, the drums pretty much all double as cymbals or drums, depending on the part of the song. I was pleasantly surprised that the new cymbal pads are dedicated as cymbals. So, if you hit the "ride" cymbal, it makes the ride cymbal no matter what. Same for the hi-hat, and crash cymbals.

It may throw your brain off, when you hit the cymbal when it's a tom-tom in the game, and you hear the wrong sound, but it won't break your streak, or count against your overall score. As long as you hit the right color, the sound that the game makes doesn't matter.

My favorite thing about the other game, you know, that one I returned already, was that there were dedicated cymbal pads with their drumkit. The Rock Band 2 drumkit, with the Mad Catz add-on cymbal pack (a measely $29.99) is 100% totally, absolutely better than GHWT's, hands down.

The game is more fun when playing drums, with the cymbals. It's more realistic, and more creative. I especially dig that during the "Overdrive fills", you can be a lot more musical with the drums, with dedicated toms/cymbals. If you're a die hard drummer for a Rock Band band, you absolutely need to spend the $29.99 to get these cymbals, pronto.

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First of all the Mad Catz Triple Expansion Cymbals works like a charm. It adds great depth of play when playing as the drummer in Rock Band.

I've seen several reviews here that says that the cymbals slips when it was hit too hard and sometimes the cymbals double-hits when hit too hard.

Well I found a fix for these problems.

Cymbals Slipping:

You must ensure that the plastic locks that holds the aluminum tube snaps 'locks' into place with the other half of it. There must not be a space in between the two plastic locks other than the circular areas which hold the drum aluminum tube and the cymbal aluminum tube. But be careful once they're locked it can be very difficult to separate the two plastics.

Cymbals Double-hit:

I noticed that one of the three cymbals I got was too sensitive. When I hit it hard, the game registers two hits. You can try this by going to the main menu and assigning the sensitive cymbal into the BLUE (ride) port. Try hitting it hard and you will notice that on the Menu selection screen it will go down from QUICKPLAY -> TOUR -> TRAINING. This is clearly a double hit because it skipped the TOUR on the menu. And for the fix, try loosening up the wing nuts in such a way that the cymbals will bounce a little when hit. This would transfer the bounce force into the foam and not the cymbal sensor. After trying this and testing with songs with lots of cymbals (Dead on Arrival) I noticed that I never missed a note again when hitting the sensitive cymbal.

I hope this helps lots of people having problems with the Mad Catz Cymbals Triple Pack.

Best Deals for Rock Band 2 Triple Cymbal Expansion Kit (PS and PS3 compatible)

I think it's great to expand the RB2 kit--just four pads and a pedal--using cymbals to add some variety to playing the tracks, but these come up a little short in that area.

Admittedly, they're something of a bargain when you compare them to real electronic cymbals, so the question becomes whether the shortcomings are worth the price.

Ultimately, I'd say these are for two types of player:

1. people who are really starting to get into drumming and are wondering if they'd want to take the big leap into the Ion Drum Rocker.

2. people who want to expand their Rock Band gameplay.

In the end, I'd say they really don't serve either group completely. They're a lot louder than the standard RB2 pads and have a tendency to come loose if you hit them a lot, so they're not really comparable to the sort of professional experience you get with the Ion.

The other aspect is a bit trickier to explain. While the cymbals add a lot of flash to fills and free-form playing by being mapped to their own sounds (Yellow Hi-Hat, Blue Ride, Green Crash), giving you eight total sounds in those modes, that flash doesn't carry over to the songs themselves.

In the main of the song, the game only knows you're playing Yellow, not that it's the Hi-Hat. As a result, you end up listening to the song while you play to determine if you're on the "right" target for the sound that's coming out...is that green note a Tom or a Crash? This adds an extra layer of complexity to playing and requires that you learn the song a bit differently from if you're just playing the drum pads.

The volume of striking the cymbals is kind of a turn-off, too: now that Harmonix has delivered a much quieter drum kit, adding the cymbals suddenly makes it about as loud to hit as the RB1 kit had been. It's not bad if you've got the volume up, but if you're playing at night and trying to keep the noise down, you may find yourself hearing the tap of your sticks against the cymbals and little else.

The last minus is the way they mount. The hardware is secure enough, though a bit difficult to assemble exactly as directed and very difficult to disassemble, but the design of the cymbal mounts doesn't work quite the way the instructions imply. Supporting the cymbal is a wedge that serves the dual purpose of keeping the cymbal's active edge turned toward you and which also allows it some tilt. The problem is, to get it to tilt, you need to loosen the nut that secures it in place. Given that that nut likes to ride the vibrations and unscrew itself while you play, getting it loose enough to allow for significant tilt can be pretty frustrating.

As a result, they end up mounted more-or-less horizontally, which takes away from the "real drummer" experience they're supposed to be providing.

Honest reviews on Rock Band 2 Triple Cymbal Expansion Kit (PS and PS3 compatible)

UPDATE: See the pictures I added at the top to get an idea of what the kit looks like, and what the clamps should look like when properly installed if you're having trouble.

I've has this set almost two months now and they still work and look perfect. No problems at all, and well worth the $. These have been played by both of my teen aged boys, and a professional drummer, and they all love them!

I bought these on release day and have not had the slightest regret.

My biggest gripe with the basic drums you get with Rock Band 1 and 2 is that they have no cymbals, and the pads aren't laid out like the real deal. It's not as big of a deal when you play the guitar parts, you expect them to be a cut down version of the real thing. It doesn't matter how much you play the guitar parts, it's not going to help much when it comes to playing a real guitar. The drums are different. If you actually learn the tempos, and get good at your timing, this will transfer to the real thing.

If you use these in practice mode they will output the sounds of a real set of electronic drums, including the bass, snare, toms, and floor tom, as well as the high hat, crash, and ride cymbals. You can play this set in practice mode, and accompany any song you choose to play through your system.

Are they as big a deal in the game itself? Not quite. But it's better to get used to playing on something laid out like a real set and a lot more fun. If you just want to play the game and aren't interested in getting good at drumming they aren't as big of a deal.

These are velocity sensitive and will react with more volume the harder they're hit.

These DO NOT work with the Rock Band 1 set of drums. They do work with all sets of RB2 drums as well as all game systems.

This set is very well constructed and well worth the money. If you like to play the drums on RB and GHWT, and want the extra challenge of playing with cymbals, don't pass up either this three piece kit, or the two piece kit.

For some reason the picture shows the cymbals really close together. If you set them up right they can be positioned like a normal drum and cymbal set. Not the bunched up mess the Madcatz picture shows.

See my photos at the top to get a better understanding of how the clamps work, and also how they can be spaced out better.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Rock Band 2 Triple Cymbal Expansion Kit (PS and PS3 compatible)

Cymbals work, as advertised, and are a great supplement to the overall drum system.

I am a little bit perplexed about the negative reviews stating that they are "too sensitive" or that it was difficult to put together.

After reading said reviews, I timed myself to see how long it would take to put all 3 together. The result was 9 minutes and 23 seconds with no difficulties.

As for the "too sensitive" part, I tried 5 different songs and alternated between drum pad and cymbal use. Both pads and cymbals still responded with single hits, no missed hits, and no "double" hits. I suggest that if you are experiencing double hits, it might be that the cymbals are not screwed down tight enough and the wobbling could introduce more than one hit.

As for my own personal experience, the product is well-made and has already enhanced the overall experience. They are by no means a necessary addition, but they are certainly a fun one. What makes them even more fun is that they can be used in the drums' "free style mode" where all 4 pads play as different sounding drums with 3 different sounding cymbals. It's not a professional drum set, but you can certainly play it like one and it sounds great. Hit the "-" sign and you can play different drum kits programmed into Rock Band 2.

From an experienced gamer, I highly recommend this product and rock on!

Best Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy - Nintendo Wii Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $43.95
Today's Bonus: 12% Off

Brake your self...or at least others.

The game is in the vein of the show so if you like the destruction and absurdity of the show you'll enjoy the game. This is a button masher game, but it does have a little skill requirement as it uses just about every part of the wii remote. Worth it for anyone who wants a party beat 'm up game. A little boring in single mode. It's a battle game threw-n-threw.

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It's the hit show on Cartoon Network like you've never seen or played before !

The "Billy and Mandy" video game may look like your garden variety multiplayer combat game with weapons and destructible environments, but this has some of your favorite characters from the show such as the hapless Irwin, the chaotic Eris, the sinister Nergal and Nergal Jr., the prank-pulling Jack O. Lantern, the annoying Fred Fredburger, and much more. Each character has a special power move and alternate costumes that you can unlock. There are various modes of play including a "Mission Mode" that unlocks characters and other neat extras like a sneak peek at a brand new "Grim Adventures" special coming soon ! Plus the Wii exclusively has a SIXTH tier of missions that unlock even more cool stuff !

So if you like "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" on Cartoon Network, and if you like no-holds-barred fighting games, then this is definitely the game for you. You know you want it !

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Billy and Mandy prove to be quite fun for children. The graphics are quite good. I find the game fast paced and hard to follow but the kids love it! It has some qualities that remind one of days gone by with atari and nintendo at their earliest.

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I bought this based on the good reviews. My 9yo son was very disappointed in the game. It sounds way more fun than it actually is. Glad I bought it cheep!

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I bought this game because i once played it at a friend's house, it was fun, although characters dont move fast its still fun to kick and punch and throw stuff at other characters.

Buy Gal*Gun

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Heheh. I don't think anyone would even admit to playing this game. Perverted premise aside, the game functions as a "rail shooter": it looks sort of like an fps in that the screen shows a first person's perspective, but the player cannot control where the protagonist ("Tenzou") goes. There is a target that you control with the left analog stick on the controller and the "A" button is for shooting. Once in a while, you can zone in on a character and press the "Y" button to activate the " 'dokidoki' field." When you're in this "field," you can press the "top right" button to zoom in. It's fairly simple in that the play mechanics are kind of rough (i.e., the target isn't accurate), so missing targets isn't a big issue.

The game itself is also somewhat simple. However, you should be proficient in Japanese in order to understand the dialogue and options given to you. This is important if you care about getting the "good ending" and the game achievements that come with them. Otherwise, anyone can play this game as a shooting type of game. It's kinda fun, a bit addicting, and perversely funny. Since there are four "heroines" the protagonist pursues, the player has to play the game four times. The game itself should take about 90 minutes to 2 hours per heroine to beat depending on whether you're reading/listening to the dialogue. The complete game should take a few hours to beat.

Graphics are alright. The characters look like a mix of 2D and 3D polygons. Whether this is good or bad is a matter of preference. I tend to gravitate towards the flat, two-dimensional, "cartoon" look rather than the pseudo-realistic style of today's popular games; so, if you like Japanese cartoons and/or animation in general, this should look good. One of the downsides I noticed was the music: I think there were, maybe, three or four songs for the entire video game soundtrack/album. Yeah, kinda repetitive, but inoffensive.

Since this is an import, prices for it can be quite steep. I would not recommend paying more than 80 bucks for this game. The game should cost between $70 to 80 new and less than that if it's used. There's an extensive free demo available on 360 live, so players can see for themselves.

Lastly, as odd as this may sound, the game is censored/edited. This was done early on in the game's release. The game developers decided to take out certain game camera angles that used to allow the protagonist do upskirt zoom-in shots. Hahah. I'm not making this up it's as embarrassingly-perverted and juvenile as it sounds. This game edit does not affect the gameplay at all, but I suppose those who wanted to hit pay-dirt may have to look elsewhere.

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Buy Fallout 1 / Fallout 2 Bundle (Jewel Case) - PC

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I just finished both games, and I highly recommend this bundle set to anyone who likes (1) RPG games, (2) Post-apocalyptic themed anythings, (3) games that don't make you do anything or (4) science fiction in general. The basic premise of both games, as recounted by numerous previous reviews, is that you have to make it in a world defined by the typical nuclear fallout (ahem) disaster. However, there are so many ways to make it, and they're all such fun, that these games should appeal to most people. Fallout 1 is a shorter game but in many ways is more elegant; if you play it conscientiously you'll have a feeling of satisfaction at the end for having seen and done most of it. Fallout 2 is much larger in scope and in time commitment, and unfortunately suffers a bit from it.. there are more bugs, more 'dead' items and quests that were intended to have some purpose in the game but never did, and so on. Some could argue this, in fact, merely adds to the gritty reality of a game where everything doesn't end up in a neat little package at the end, and there aren't answers to all the questions. Or maybe the programming staff was just overworked. In any event, the games are addictive and reward curiosity. High points:

1) Emphasis on character development. A karma counter keeps track of your overall good/badness, and as you progress you are offered various 'Perks' that enhance or define your character, such as Salesman or Demolition Expert or Kama Sutra Master. Others you earn through gameplay itself. Multiple avenues of play exist for any type of character..while your first character in both games is probably going to emphasize gunplay and high Agility, later on you can try a diplomatic or manipulative or pure thieving character as you see fit, and play what amounts to an almost completely different game.

2) So many explosions. These games have lots of fighting, on a turn-based system allowing for micromanagement of both yourself and your 'friendly' NPCs. Use burst fire to take out packs of charging wolves, aim your scoped hunting rifle at someone's leg to keep them from chasing you, send a rocket down a corridor into a pack of unsuspecting guards. It's all there..and the death animations are not for the faint of heart.

A few negatives:

1) As is typical in RPGs, making 'bad' or 'evil' decisions or dialogue choices tends to screw you. If you want, just pretend your evil character secretly enjoys the hypocrisy of agreeing to rescue someone's orphaned kitten with a boo-boo on its paw; it would be nice someday if RPGs rewarded evil characters for doing evil things.

2) Armor. Basically the goal of both games is to get your first suit of Power Armor. This transforms both games from a grueling, constantly-reloading ordeal of random accidental deaths and burst-fire horrors to a breeze. This, of course, makes perfect sense...once you're a walking tank, most things bounce off. However (although Fallout 2 handles this a bit better) there is very little middle ground..even with Combat Armor II (the next step down) you get mauled a lot.

3) Uncontrolled NPCs. Sure, by definition you shouldn't be able to control an NPC, but it can get truly annoying when one of your NPCs blasts something, and then moves 1 space directly in front of your other NPC for no reason, and then that second NPC, naturally, fires a machine gun directly into his head. It makes you wonder if 'friendly fire accidents' are really accidents. Depending on your party size, you can spend a lot of time watching your allies gun each other down like post apocalyptic three stooges.

Those aside, the games are very detailed and can be played as quickly or as slowly as one wishes, with numerous subplots branching off the main plot. The first game does have a timer for the completion of the main task, but that can be extended during the game, and in fact the game goes on (sans timer) once that task is completed. Fallout 2 does away with that completely, allowing you effectively all the time you want to explore. So if you always wondered if how Mad Max would have done if he'd had more ammo for his shotgun and access to the occasional flamethrower, pick them up.

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Fallout, originally released in 1997 by Interplay, shook the world of computer roleplaying games. Quite simply, it redefined the structure of the computer RPG. Most CRPGs followed simple linear scripts: King Groo needs the Sword of Spork. So you go to the Cave of Fear to get it... et cetera, et cetera.

Fallout shattered all preconceptions about story progression. In Fallout, you can go where you want, do what you choose. Unlike other CRPGs, you don't spend your time playing "delivery boy" for other characters. There is a guiding storylinean extremely good onebut how you accomplish your goals is entirely up to you. The plot will change and adapt based on your actions in-gameit's like a new story every time you play it.

Every obstacle in the game has numerous possible ways to surmount it. Need a nice gun from a local arms dealer, but can't afford it? Do the gun merchant a favor and he might let you have it. Sweet-talk him into giving you a discount. Or steal it when he's not looking. If all else fails, blow him away and take the loot from his steaming corpse. Fallout really IS that open-ended.

The possibilities for character creation are extremely broad alsoinstead of a rigid "race/class" system, you can create your character from an incredible range of Skills, Traits, and Perks. Want to talk your way out of problems? Give yourself a high Charisma and the "Good Natured" trait. Prefer more direct solutions? Put extra skill points in Big Guns, and pick the "Fast Shot" trait for extra stopping power. Or create "combination" characterslike a friendly doctor who just happens to be a crack shot with his .44 pistol.

While Fallout 2 doesn't break any really new ground, it is almost three times as long as the first Fallout and takes place in a much larger game world. It's more of the same, but better. Getting BOTH of these excellent games for one super-low price is an incredible bargain. If you like science fiction, or you like RPGs, buy this software. You absolutely will not regret it.

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Fallout is one of the few games that is worthy of being made into a full scale movie, simply because it has the few ingredients that most other games lack, namely a realistic, utterly immersive setting, a powerful storyline and, more so than anything, pure class. Fallout is rather irritatingly addictive simply because the world is so vast, so varied and with so much to do. The game has character you can taste, it has a personality that is strong and only gets better as the bold storyline, which takes risks that most other games would never dare take, progresses. Fallout FEELS real, the characters in the game, as far as you are concerned, are real people, the world acts and REacts to you. I ask you... Give me a game that left you breathless at the end, sad to see it end, yet proud, amazed at what you have seen. Give me a game that, in its every niche and pore, shows just how moch love and soul its creators poured into it. Give me a game that YOU feel, should be made into a movie and spawn countless sequels NOT because you want more of the same, but because there is far too much potential NOT to explore the possibilities in a world as rich and tangible as this. Give me a game that you think about, reminisce and dream about years after you last played it. When you do, I will die happy, but for now, I give you Fallout. Full stop.

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The fallout series of games is the best computer role playing game I have ever had the pleasure of playing. One the greatist things about the game is it's setting. If your tired of fighting orcs and exploring castles let this game take you away from that. How about a tour of secert millity bases and burned out cities? Fallout does a wonderful job of taking role playing and setting it in a post nuclear-world. the fallout games really gives the player the feeling of advancing in power and maybe more importently of discovery. One of the things that kept me hooked was uncovering old secerts and visting long lost places. You really get the feeling of exploring and uncovering a wonderfully created world full of detail. The game also provides lots of quests and options. You can play how ever you like. A hero or a villain with out getting locked out of places because of your choices. The game also plays very well. the fire fights you get into are fun. You have a lot of control over how you want to fight. For example you can even chose to fire your weapon in diffrent ways depending on what it is. All in all this is a great game for anyone who enjoys computer roleplaying and would love to explore a post-nucler world filled with mutants, lasers and power armor

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Only**** for 2 excellent games. Fallout won Role-Playing game of the year back in 1997. With fantastic graphics, a good story, and good game play, this was very enjoyable to play. In this game, you learn about the Vaults that were built when nuclear war became imminent. Years after the war, you are sent out as many others were to find a water chip as your supply depleting. You have a time limit to find the water chip, but when that task is done, the game is not. There is much to do in the Fallout world where you will find friends to help you out and will have many weapons at your disposal. Fallout2 take place 80 years after the first. You are the Chosen one. A descendent of the original character from the first game, you are sent on a mission to find the Garden of Eden Creation Kit which will restore the land in your village. This is a very large game. More area to cover, more missions to accomplish, more weapons, and more enemies to thrash. The gameplay and graphics are slightly better than the first, but this is also a very enjoyable game. Both games are turn based when fighting and you can create your own character. There is lotsa blood and very graphic when killing an enemy and there is plenty of adult themes and adult language, but you can tone it down with the adjuster. Overall, you will not find a better value and will be hard pressed to find games that are much better than these.

Reviews of eForCity Compatible with MICROSOFT XBOX 360 Xbox One Sony PS4

Customer Ratings:

It's a cable that works. What else can I say? Lovely black color motif. Plugs exquisely manufactured in a robotic factory somewhere. Halo Reach never looked so good.

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some places try to get $40+ out of your pocket for the same thing. I bought one of these and use it for my 360, I've used it for other devices to and it works great, looks great and sounds great on our 42'' 1080p LCD.

other thoughts: Could be longer. but is good enough

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I was refusing the pay the ridiculous price for the HDMI cables that they sell in stores, so I turned to Amazon. This cable was extremely cheap to pay for and ship, and already had good reviews. It was also labeled to work exclusively with my 360 (although, I'm sure it would work with other HDMI hardware). It took a bit for it to arrive, but I'm glad I bought it. It was cheap, works well, and seems like a sturdy cable. I highly recommend it!

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I bought this for my Xbox 360 a while back. When it arrived, i plugged it in (correctly!) and as expected, it worked perfectly. Until 15 minutes later. All of a sudden, the screen blacked out. I didn't understand what was going on, and i took it out and plugged it back in. 10 minutes later, the screen blacked out again. It never came back on no matter what i did (switched the ends of the plugs from the tv to the xbox and vise versa, blew on the slots to clear possible dust, etc.). A few weeks later, one of the kids i babysit was messing with it because I told him it didn't work. Expecting nothing to happen, I just sat back. I was shocked to see my game pop up, and I asked him what he did. He said he actually placed the two plastic covers of the plugs under neath the plug that connected with the xbox, causing it to be forced up while plugged in. The feed was perfect then, which concluded to me that the cord was built poorly. It stopped working a few weeks later, so i bought a cord from best buy and it worked instantly when i plugged it in. I don't know if I was just the unlucky customer who got the faulty one or if they are all poorly built, but thats what happened to me.

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The HDMI cable is so great because all you have to do is set it up and it will configure its self.

Rock Band Bass Drum Pedal Plate - PEDAL METAL BILLET- FACTORY Review

Customer Ratings:

I know some people will have a hard time ponying up yet more $$$ for their $170 game investment but Pedal Metal isn't to blame. EA is. This is just one of those facts of life, the Rock Band drum pedal will break even if you're careful. After a month in a half mine finally bit the big one.

EA requires currently you send in your pedal and they wait until they receive it. Then and only then will they send you your pedal. This process takes about 3-4 weeks. If you're feeling ancy (such as myself) you can opt that they send you a replacement pedal, then you send in your broken pedal after you receive your new pedal. There's a catch. There's a $150 hold placed on your credit/debit card. If you send it in within a month, its waved and EA will remove the credit card from their system. If you don't, you my friend are now the proud owner of a $150 Rock Band drum pedal. Previously the only offered option B, but without the money hold. However too few customers were returning their old pedals according the rep I spoke to.

So what was to stop my replacement from breaking and repeating same annoying process? Luckily while reading about others experiencing the same problem I discovered that someone had devised a clever solution. For those who haven't had a pedal break, the break in a particular manner as the Pedal itself breaks; between the plastic plate underneath and the toe. The actual springing mechanism and support is fine. Such a break is easily preventable, if the foot pedal were to be made of a more durable material. The solution? If you're a logical person, its a no-brainer to reach the conclusion that the pad needs reinforcement, preferable metal like a real kick drum pad. It's a great idea but if you're like myself you don't happen to have access to metal fabrication tools nor really the experience to manufacture such a piece of metal. However that's where Pedal Metal comes in. Its elegant in its simplicity. For the non-technical, there's even a pictorial instructions included with the pad. I'd even deem this easy enough for a particular ex-GF to follow. The Metal Billet is simply a stylistic choice, as diamond plate just doesn't move me. I doubt there's any difference between the two. Either way, props to Pedal Metal for giving the consumer choice.

I imagine in the future EA may offer the pedals for sale separately but who would you rather give your money to, The tyrant corporation or the guy who was clever enough to capitalize on a poor design? I choose the later.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you! After our drum pedal snapped in half TWICE, we found this item. Not only does it repair the broken pedal, but it give us much assurance that this will not be an issue again! The directions are very accurate and thorough, leaving no mistakes to be made if you read them! The delivery was super quick! The pedal plate was easy to install. I recommend this to everyone that has a Rock Band set. I plan to tell all of my friends BEFORE their pedal breaks! Excellent seller, this product is well thought out in its design, sturdy craftmanship, and appearance! BRAVO!

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The original plastic pedal has to much flex in the middle. When you play your foot is not always pressing on the very top. That resulted in breaking my pedal twice at that flex point. I superglued and added some rubber stops in the middle of the pedal to help the problem but cracking and messing around continued.

Then I found this product. YES!!! PERFECT!!!

I installed this fine aluminum, brushed finished, counter sunk screwed plate on the top of my multi-repaired plastic stock pedal.

YES!!! PERFECT!!!

Buy it! Pedal to the metal!!!

Note: I did pre-drill the screw holes with a 3/32" bit instead of trying to bore the self-tapping screws (provided) through the plastic by hand. Install the screws by hand in the pre-drilled holes to avoid stripping the threads. The screws seat nice and tight.

Shall I say it again? - YES!!! PERFECT!!! -Enough Said!

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Stock pedals snap. That's just a fact of life. Try Blackend on Hard or Expert and tell me I'm wrong. This is the best thing you could ever purchase to protect your RB drum kit. I ordered it on a Friday night and it was waiting for me Monday when I got home from work. If you have problems turning screws, the install might challenge you. Not buying this product is just plain silly.

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This product is a great investment saver, i like others have had my pedal break how could u play hard rock songs with a breakable plastic pedal. add this to your cart and u wont regret it. comes with easy to read instructions

and shipped way fast.