Cheap Guitar Hero 2 Guitar Controller

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I own the PC version of Guitar Hero III. The game comes with one guitar and I wanted another to hook into the multi-player option. This guitar has a USB connection and was recognized by Windows XP with no trouble.

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I bought this guitar as a second guitar so we could play multiplayer Guitar Hero. The guitar itself works great and the game is a blast. My only complaint it that I have to sit closer to the TV then I would like because of the cord length. They really need a wireless version of the Guitar. My kids are always running around the room and trip over the cable as well. That said, it's still a great guitar for the game.

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This is one of my favorite guitars to use for guitar hero as well as rock band. The strum bar is right on as well as the notes. The only downfall that I would say is that it quit working after a year of some really heavy playing.

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Of the seven guitar controllers I have used, this one, even after four years, is still number two on my list.

The reason this guitar really works is the same reason that newer models of guitar controllers don't: nothing fancy was done. The guitar is hard plastic, single body construction. No detachable neck, overly large whammy bar, long or wide neck, silent strum bar, loose frets, too heavy, and so on.

This and the controller that came with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (my all time favorite) are both about the same weight, but the GH:A controller was wireless, and when it finally gave out it just became too expensive to keep buying it on its own to justify using it as my primary controller. So since that one isn't economically viable, I have gone to my number two to fill the void, and it does so beautifully.

I think the state of current guitar controller models can be summed up in a short story that took place a couple weeks ago. I had recently purchased the Logitech Xbox 360 Wireless Guitar Controller, and when I showed the couple of friends I frequently play Rock Band with, they were both blown away at its beauty and realism. But over the next few hours (I brought the Logitech and the XPLORER) over which both were handed around and used quite a bit, the unanimous conclusion was that the white XPLORER guitar controller was far superior. And so my conclusion is that if what gamers wanted was the heft and look of a real guitar, they would learn to play a real guitar (or try out the upcoming Pro Mode in Rock Band 3 using a MIDI guitar controller). All the bells and whistles and wirelessness in the world can't compete with results.

And this is the original Guitar Hero 2 controller at its core. It can handle the beating I give it (I play on expert), where other guitar controllers can't really cut it. This controller takes some time to break in, maybe a couple weeks or so to loosen up the strum bar and break the frets in, but once you do it is completely worth it. The two biggest things that completely ruin guitar controllers for me are:

1. When you down-strum and the controller reads it as two when it snaps back into place.

2. When the frets are too loose and the controller doesn't read that you are pressing a button down.

This guitar controller has neither problem. Well, for the most part. Over the few years I've been playing I have probably gone through about six of these XPLORER's, which isn't too bad considering they get a couple hours of use a night on average.

The XPLORER is wired and doesn't have any show, but it works a lot better than the glitzy controllers being produced currently. What good is realism if it's going to negatively affect your playing?

Eventually you realize that it isn't worth a thing.

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Great game but guitar quit working after one use. The button started sticking and I had to return it. Charlie's house of discount was great and didn't give me any problems over the return. Guess I should have bought something that they still make...

Discount Battlefield Heroes National Army Large Starter Pack

Customer Ratings:

The $20 kit offer is a great deal in terms of P4F funds. The same $20 will only get you 15000 funds if you buy directly from the P4F store as opposed to the 24000 offered here. 9000 extra is pretty significant! Plus you get some clothes and what-not too. The transaction was quick and hassle free. Over all I would highly recommend the Large Starter Kit. Can't go wrong.

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P.S. The Small and Medium kits don't offer nearly the value in terms of funds as the Large Kit does, so I would not recommend those. ...Unless you REALLY want the outfit.

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p.p.s. Why would you really want THAT outfit?? Just get the Large Kit...

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For 20 bucks you get more funds than you would if you bought the 24.99 deal on their main site funds page. Plus you get an outfit and a weapon. This is the only way I buy funds.

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worth the dough everytime best deal out thier for this game! although BFH has new top up prize this is still better deal.

Honest reviews on Battlefield Heroes National Army Large Starter Pack

Excellent! A marvelous offer, this offer is certainly worth a spot in your budget load, forget EA's bonus sale, get this starter pack.

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It gives you a ton of points to get a variety of different weapons on the battlefield. I'd recommend it to people who have no idea about it because it's a great thing to have.

Cheap FPS Freek by KontrolFreek (Classic)

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $11.99
Today's Bonus: 40% Off

I hate to sound like a broken record reviewer, but like many others before me, I was REALLY skeptical when I discovered these here on Amazon. And like a smart buyer that I am I did my research before taking the plunge. I discovered that a majority of the reviews online were mostly all positive the build is good quality and for the most part, it improved accuracy across the board for a majority of the buyers. Reading that, I pulled the trigger... (YES, that was a pun)

So like many millions of gamers out there, my latest FPS addiction is Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) for the Xbox 360, and the FPS Freeks promise to deliver on higher/better control and accuracy when you put these on. You get TWO per package so I just used one for the right thumb stick only. As promised, the build was solid and snapped on to my controller nicely. **NOTE However, if you have a controller with a WORN thumb stick (yes, you know who you are and what it looks like) then you might have to buy a new controller to take full advantage of these, as THEY WILL slip on worn sticks.**

Now that the build promise is pretty solid, what about the control/precision promise....?

Let me explain my gaming with MW2 for a bit. I'm not MLG pro material, at all, mind you. But I LOVE to play MW2. I have my hot and cold days and I'm certainly not a dominating "beast" when I play. What I can tell you is that my strength lies in my SMG and Close Quarters Battle (CQB) combat. When it comes to Sniping I rate myself as OK. But when you put a Assault Rifle in my hands, I downright SUCK!! I'm not afraid to admit it too. The most powerful arrangement of guns MW2 has to offer, and I have no skills to play them. Somehow everyone else can get a "bead" on me and kill with a single burst or head shot (maybe they're using FPS Freeks!) with little effort. I, on the other hand, seem to ALWAYS overcompensate, even when I'm LDS (Looking Down Sights) I seem to always miss my target. I've even experimented with multiple sensitivities to no success...

Fast forward to my new experience with the FPS Freeks:

Assault Rifles ---> HOLY CRAP YES, with assault rifles I can honestly say I've gotten better with it on. I'm still in the process of finding my new "sweet spot" with the sensitivity but what I like the MOST about having them is the sheer precision that you get by having your sticks extended with these. Now when I gently/slowly move (or flick) the sticks, the targeting overcompensates WAY LESS than before, which usually overshoots the target. I ALWAYS fought with the sticks on being subtle, now its so much less effort. Pick your poison gun at this point!! Hmmm Scar-H or ACR?? It didn't matter, my Kill-Death ratio (with assault rifles) dramatically improved. Again, not pro status, just better. ALREADY worth it at this point.

SMG/CQB (Close Quarters Battle) ---> Already my bread-and-butter setup, I noticed I had to up the sensitivity by a couple notches...and this was a good thing! I'm pretty good at the snap-shoot hipfire kills that CQB brings, but WOW, I can whip 180's in a sec and get my knife or SMG kill on with so much more precision and accuracy it seems illegal! Loving my FPS Freeks even more!!

Sniping/Long-Ranger ---> The MOST noticeable improvement thus far. Key word noticeable -. I'm a tried and true "hard-scoper" (not a cheap quick-scoper) and is ALL ABOUT subtle precision. Holding my breath, leading my target, and taking that headshot has NEVER felt SO EASY!! I'm dead serious!! (pun again) Sure anyone can kill some dummy standing still, but killing a flagrunner from across the map multiple times in a match is sheer brilliance! Again, you may brag on your skills being godlike, but for us "common" gamers, this is an experience that cannot be described. Man oh man, the FPS Freeks have made things crazy!

CONCLUSION: So let it be said. I wanted to buy these to enjoy MW2 more than I'm already doing now. I honestly don't care about KD Ratios and Win-Loss ratios and I don't obsess over it like a lot of my friends do. NOW, I can say I am a more flexible MW2 player and having a boat load of fun doing it even more. FPS Freeks has passed with FLYING COLORS. If you're expecting to be "FPS God", NOTHING can guarantee that. Just like anything else, a tool is only as good as its handler. If YOU want to become better, by buying these, I believe you will. But if you need help getting there (or at least have some fun doing it), then I'm 100% confident that these FPS Freeks are the way to go!

Great job Kontrol Freeks!! Keep up the good work!!

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Initially when I saw these, I was skeptical that they would stay on the controller. They snap on very tightly and haven't fallen off in the 2 months they've been on. I got them for my birthday in July and they haven't been off my controller since, other than to see how much they change the way I play. They are awesome. Within one week of having them, my accuracy on COD4 went up .5%. I know that doesn't sound like much, but considering that it has never improved in the 30 days playing time I have amassed, I think speaks for itself. On their site, Kontrol Freek recommends taking them off to see just how much they change the gaming experience. I took them off for a total of 45 seconds while playing COD4 and discovered just how much they change the way you play. I couldn't hit a thing.

I'm 35 and I consider these to be one of the best birthday presents I've ever received. I've changed my 360 profile to be a billboard for Kontrol Freek in my bio. Totally worth the money. 5 stars isn't enough to completely describe how I feel about these.

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These have exceeded all expectations for such a small, inexpensive item. I bought these specifically to gain an advantage in COD MW2. My accuracy has increased dramatically; fewer wasted bullets and faster kills. I actually sped up the control speed, because these enable me to move slowly and accurately. I'm able to consistently nail headshots on running targets using assault rifles from a distance. Awesome! Definitely worth it... I just don't want to tell too many people!

Honest reviews on FPS Freek by KontrolFreek (Classic)

BEFORE:

While playing Call of Duty, Halo 2 and 3, and any other competitive first person shooter I would always struggle with the balance of the look sensitivity. For exmaple since Modern Warfare 1, I played with a look sensitivity of 4. This setting was great for me and I excelled at it. I could aim accurately but was not able to scan an entire room or quickly glance behind me an then snap back to the front again. To remedy this problem I did experiment with higher look sensitivity settings, like 6 or 7, I loved the ability to snap look around, but alas I lost my precision accuray, finding myself looking way to far past my target and then trying to correct it swinging past the target again, and then I was dead! So frustrating.

TESTING THEM OUT:

So now I tried the FPS thingees, and I have to say look sensitivity level 4 is way to slow, in fact I tried 6 and was pinpoint accurate and able to snap look around, again still under complete control of my character movements and aiming. So I was blown away by these, I had to put them to the test. I joined a Free For All game on Modern Warfare 2, and put my look sensitivity up to the "level 10 Insane" setting. Man, I was striking down foes with ease and spinning on a dime accurate. In fact I won the game! While 10 was sllightly a little too fast, I turned it down to 7 and found my sweet spot.

Testing My Skills without them after a week of using them:

Ok, so I take these FPS thingees off, to tet out my old skills.

Guess, what? I could still play on look sensitivity 7! I was like wow, these have trained me to be able to use this high look setting of 7. The only thing is that the nubby joysticks are actually ncomfortable on my fingers, yea that's right they feel "blocky" like a plastic lego. Another thing is that I actually went back to a level 4 after a week, because it was a hassle to try to aim long distance with pinpoint accuracy without the lower setting of 4 and without the FPS thingees.

One thing I liked about them not being on is that I can more easily hit the "back" button to view the score, which really isn't a big deal.

So I kept the FPS thingees off for a week, and I just had to try them again.

Guess what back to level 7 accuracy.

PS> You can still knife just fine with these on.

OVERALL:

Cheap.

Worth the money.

Improved my gameplay. i.e. accuracy, mobility, and scanning a room quickness.

Was not disappointed.

Still use em, still prefer em.

Highly recommend them!

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I was skeptical about these at first. They take some getting used to, and I only use the one on the right analog stick. But once you get used to them you will wonder how you ever played without them. I play COD MW2. You must also remember to crank up your sensitivity a couple of notches when you use them.

Discount Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: First Contact (Greatest Hits)

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List Price: $19.99
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I don't know what they did to the Ghosts, but I want my killers back. I was a HUGE fan of the original GR games for the PC, but I decided to give GR2 a try on the PS2.

A typical Clancy squad-based shooter, a cross between Rainbow Six 3 and Ghost Recon, but losing the good stuff from each. Missions are incredibly linear one route to the objective, one way to get the job done, end of story. Your squad from GR has been reduced in size to a Rainbow Six fireteam of three AI teammates. Your teammates lack the skill and efficiency of the Rainbow operators, though. You've heard of the new "Army of One?" Get ready to be one these soldiers can't shoot, can't move, and can't make a decision. A watched two of them blaze away for twenty seconds at a North Korean soldier standing up in the open and couldn't hit him.

The story is weak. The pre-mission brief and planning are non-existent. Play is clunky, and you have very limited commands to issue your troops. Your own Ghost moves very clumsily.

I want to stay a fan of the GR series, but they're making it hard...

Attention design team! 1) More tactical options 2) Better command interface 3) Better pre-mission brief 4) Teammates who ACT like special operators 5) See Rainbow Six 3 for details

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The graphics in this game is the ONLY thing in it that's better than the original. Everything else is somehow worse.

The biggest problem with this game is that it forces you to complete an entire multiple stage mission without being able to save after any part of it. I completed the first part of mission #1 and was unable to save after this stage which should have been a save checkpoint. Once I completed this part, I promptly got shot in the head on the (harder) second part of mission #1 and was forced to try the entire mission over.

The aming with any of the guns is absolutely horrible as well. The orders you can give to your teammates is restricted to covering fire, taking point, throwing grenades or coming back to your position. Your team also won't engage any enemy they see on their own either without you firing or directing them to provide covering fire.

Ordinarily, an enhanced enemy AI would be a good thing, but even during the first mission, the enhanced AI is a disaster. I have yet to have been wounded, I simply get shot in the head and die immediately. I'm not getting close to the enemy either and am prone on the ground behind foliage, yet I get shot in the head during a firefight every time. This doesn't make any sense.

Also, what made the original Ghost Recon unique has been taken out of this game. You are one character in the game, you cannot switch to different soldiers on your team like in the previous GR PC and PS2 games.

Save your money! I'd only buy this game if it was severely discounted.

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The reviewers for the ps2 version of ghost recon two arent really seem like they have no knowledge of games at all. They exaggerated every con in the game, and left out every pro. IF YOU WANT A REAL REVIEW, READ THIS. Most websites are usually biased for xbox. I think it is quite odd when I see Ghost Recon 2 for xbox get an 8.8, and ps2 get a 6.6, I tried them and they both look, and play the same to me. If you see a low score for this game on ps2, you should question its legitimacy.

Now for the review...

Ghost Recon 2 poses an interesting story about a war sparking with the US, and North Korea. The Ghosts are sent in to investigate and to take out any threats. It could have a better story, but this is good enough to make an exciting game. The game gets annoying at times when you have to restart mission because you got killed, sometimes theres some trial and error in it. The Graphics are way, way better than the reviewers say they are. The characters and enemies are in very good detail. Better than the smeared faces and mish-mashed graphics of jungle storm. I played this game with an open mind, (like I usually do with games, instead of finding every last flaw like websites and certain reviewers on amazon) and found it fun, but not as fun as MGS3, or KillZone, or Socom II. There are some pretty intense firefights in levels sometimes, you need to direct your team to throw grenades, provide cover fire, or move in on them to win these battles, or you'll get wasted.

Run and gun does not work well, you need to take cover, and move from cover to cover to survive. The game is like Socom a lot. The graphics are good, the gameplay is fun and if you like Socom I or II, you gotta check it out. You really feel like special forces at times, sneaking in on them, and getting past the enemy with ease. I shall end this review with pros and cons

Cons

-The AI could be better, but hey, the game is still kick ass.

-The game doesn't suck you into the battle as much as Socom 2, or Killzone.

-The bullet affects are choppy at times, but it doesnt destroy the game.

Pros

-The ragdoll physics are perfect, no twisting body parts, and no flipping around from a gunshot like in Shell Shock.

-The gameplay is fun, and it can get pretty intense sometimes

-The sound and music is great, one of the best I've seen for a game lately

-You really feel like special forces when your fighting an enemy sometimes

I conclude that this game is worth being on your wish list for the holidays. If youve never played or really got into Military games like Socom, KillZone, or MGS3, you should rent it. Even rent it if you like those kind of games just to be sure. Thanks for reading my review, and Happy Holidays! :)

Honest reviews on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: First Contact (Greatest Hits)

Me and my son have been playin this game and love it. Has a good theme and has a real war machine type feel.

You dont have to move in silence and sneak up on the enemy. Just use military tactics, ambush the enemy and

shoot em all up.

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If anyone ever compares the Ghost Recon series to SOCOM they are completely insane. SOCOM is so far and away the better game, Ghost Recon 2 is so linear it forces you to play every mission the same way. Your teammates are useless and will actually grenade themselves more often than not. At least in SOCOM they would follow your orders once in awhile. Ghost Recon just has you in front all the time getting shot at while they wait behind. You're forced to run into ambushes constantly and you can't leave certain sections of the map to try different attack angles. There are invisible walls set up to keep you trapped like a rat. Please pass on this series and stick w/ SOCOM 1, 2 or 3

Review of Xbox 360 Media Remote

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List Price: $19.99
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Today's Bonus: 27% Off

I like the look and feel, but didn't realize until afterwards that there is not a media center "green button". I liked that button on the other media center remotes because pressing that one button would turn on the XBox and launch Windows Media Center. Also, once you are in Media Center watching live tv, there is no single button (that I can find) which takes me to the main landing area of media center (pressing the back button a couple of times can usually get you back there). The "LAST" button doesn't do anything, but you can still use the center "OK" button to go to the last channel. MENU doesn't do anything either. Actually, pressing the MENU button plays the "you're trying to do something that is not available" ding...so I guess it does do something. Y and B do nothing in media center and X and A changes the channel up or down? I can't tell what the intended function of the remote is? Media Center or strictly XBOX guide? Perhaps it is intended to work better for the new upcoming updates (HBO Go, etc). All that being said, I would still buy another one.

Pros:

Sleek look and feel

Can control the TV (limited but functional)

Cons:

No "green button"

The LAST, MENU, Y, and B buttons don't function in media center

No back-lit buttons

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I've had maybe a half dozen xboxes and xbox 360's, and used 2-3 of them to play movies off my home server, off my windows media center (as an extender), off netflix, and heck, even from a DVD popped straight into the drive.

Pro:

+ More compact, more solid feeling than the old remote

+ I don't have to aim as precisely to control my xbox with this one as I did with the old remote (Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote)

+ works great as a universal remote for what I need it for. I *don't* need to change channels.

+ no confusing 'TV' mode, as compared to the old remote!

Con:

no media center button. It was handy but certainly not required. Just a few more steps to start up the extender.

no back-lighting on the buttons. Better know where they are!

I used the old remote (Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote) for years. I bought this replacement it and tried it out. It took a little fiddling to get the batteries in (look for the arrow on the bottom of the case, and slide the bottom that direction. The ENTIRE bottom slides to open up the battery slot).

The buttons feel better than the old remote: they have a more solid activation feel, and are less squishy. The remote's got a nice feel to it, and I like the more compact size. It's got separate power buttons for the TV and XBox, in addition to the 'X' button, which I like. It also has a much bigger sweet spot for controlling the xbox. I used to have to aim carefully, and even then try a few times for many of my presses on the old white remotes. This one works first time, every time.

The 'search' way of programming the remote to work with my TV worked great, even though my TV is an old insignia (best-buy store brand) LCD. The new instructions are (from the xbox support site):

1. Turn on your TV and point the media remote toward it.

2. Press and hold the Mute and 5 buttons simultaneously for two seconds to enter TV programming mode.

3. Press the Channel Up button repeatedly to send one code per button press from your media remote to your TV. By pressing Channel Up, you advance the code each time.

4. When the correct code is sent from the media remote to your TV, your TV will turn off. Press the Select button to confirm your code.

Good remote! The 'con's I list above are actually consequences of the design decisions in making the remote, and I think they're the right decisions. Overall I think this remote is an improvement over the old one.

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The Good:

This is a vast step up from using the xbox controller to play movies.

This is smaller than the old remote and finally matches the color of most other accessories.

The Bad:

The channel selector doesn't work for the TV. This is used for something on the xbox instead. And since there are no longer TV and xbox modes for the remote, there is no way to use this to switch TV channels. At least the Input button works, so I can get to/from the xbox channelbut for my spare room where I have just a TV and xbox, I still need the TV remote.

The backlit buttons are gone. And now that I'm using two remotes, it is more important than before to be able to see the buttons.

The TV programming codes don't match the old remote, so you have to start from scratch to figure out which one works for your TV.

The Odd:

This isn't really a significant issue, but I've never seen a remote before that is front-heavy. The batteries in most remotes are toward the bottom, and they balance nicely in the hand. But this one has the batteries shifted slightly forward of center, and it feels like the thing wants to tumble out of my hand.

If you plan to use another remote for your TV anyway or use the TV exclusively for the xbox, this would be great. But for me, I'm probably going to go out and get another of the older remotes for my second xbox.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Media Remote

I owned one of the original white Xbox Media Remotes Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote for years before purchasing this upgrade to match the color of my new console and controllers (A trivial reason to upgrade, I know). I found, though, that the older remote had a better range, a more powerful transmitter, and a heavier/sturdier feel to it.

PROS:

-This matches the color of the new Xbox consoles, the new controllers, the Kinect, and virtually all other accessories. Makes everything look "pretty".

-It controls the console well, when it works (See Cons)

-The batteries seem to last quite a while

-The battery door was an interesting design that looks designed not to break

CONS:

-This remote has to be pointed almost exactly dead-center on my console to even be picked up, which makes this remote a difficult one to use if the remote is not in front of the TV (I have limited space to it stands behind the television)

-It feels slightly flimsy, and it much lighter than the original white remote

-No Media Center button: This was one of my favorite buttons on the original. It's not too much more work to get to WMC, but it would be nice to have the button back.

Summary:

It really all comes down to personal preference. This is a decent remote, but I for one prefer the original. However, if you HAVE to have every accessory match, and don't really mind the cheaper feel, this is the remote for you! If you prefer a solid-feeling, non-color-matching remote, go with the White original.

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We bought another XBOX 360 and put it on our basement TV, and purchased this remote for using it as a 2nd Windows Media Center extender. It works flawlessly, of course, but this remote is a huge downgrade from the original white-colored XBOX 360 remote control. The remote itself is built fine, and would be absolutely awesome were it to simply include a Media Center button ("the Green Button") and a stop button! These are two heavy use omissions. On top of the "missing" buttons, the play/pause button combo is very strange. When rewinding or fast forwarding in Media Center, it pauses first if you hit "play/pause" and you have to hit it again to get it to play.

I realize they are trying to take things another direction with this remote, but it is a miss. Enough of a miss that I put it away in case of emergency and found another "proper" remote. I highly recommend you hunt around for the white remote and buy it. It does everything this remote does and more. This remote is more like taking the ignition out of your car and arguing that it is an option 3 levels deep on the radio menu, so you'll be fine.

Review of Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad - PC

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $27.07
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Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad is the successor to Red Orchestra: Ostfront. It keeps to the theme of the titanic and most important battle front of WW2. More men fought, died and experienced the brutality of total war on the Eastern Front than in any other theater of the conflict. While Ostfront spanned the whole German-Soviet war, this game focuses just on the immense struggle for Stalingrad.

The Good: The depictions of the battlefields are very well done. In fact if you look at wartime photos of the battlegrounds, you would see the stunning effort Tripwire developers went to, to ensure accuracy. When you are fighting at Fallen Fighter's Square or Pavlov's House, it looks like you are really there. The weapons are pretty well modeled and deadly. The game doesn't give your character health points. Although you can bandage a minor wound, the majority of hits by a rifle caliber bullet will kill you. The lethality of the battlefield may be a turn off for some but for those more interested in authenticity, this will appeal. There are several different modes of play from the basically free for all to the slower paced count down mode where you get one life per objective. Considering the instant death awaiting around every corner, this particular game mode makes one very cautious.

Each map has a certain load out of soldiers/weapons. This is to keep the teams balanced and offers some historical authenticity to the teams. Not everyone will be getting an automatic weapon or smoke grenades. Commanders can call in artillery. Those toting a light machine gun can be resupplied with ammo by their teammates. The majority of troops will however, be your basic rifleman with a bolt action rifle.

Some more good news is this game is produced by Tripwire. This company has a history of supporting their product, and allowing modders to make new maps and the like. They have already released several patches to correct various problems and I have complete faith that they will continue to do so and have already been working on additional free content such as new vehicles.

The Bad: The game like many these days, was released too early. There are many bugs and performance issues that detract. Although I run the game pretty stable and smooth, many people with high end systems are getting sub-standard performance. Tripwire has been working hard to squash the bugs though one of the new features of the game was saving stats and being able to upgrade your basic weapon. This system is currently horribly bugged. It is not saving stats properly, and is awarding Steam achievements and scores that are quite impossible. I don't personally care much about the stats but for some, this is a big turn off. It IS being worked on though at the time of this review. I do have faith that Tripwire will stand by its product and keep working to make the game run like it should have.

Another bad feature for those that enjoy historical authenticity is the addition of some weapons into the mix that were basically prototypes. And not only were these weapons rare and their use in Stalingrad questionable, they are available in numbers far too many. Although the numbers have been reduced, many feel that they are still too prevalent.

Recon planes....the commander can call in a recon plane. Although this plane can be shot down, it provides far too much information and really, shouldn't exist for the level of combat represented.

The Summary: Buy this game if you like WW2. Buy this game if you like FPS games. But have patience for the eventual bug fixing, additional maps provided by the community, and new vehicles and weapons that will be coming. I fully suspect that in time, this game will span all of the Eastern Front once more with the help of the dedicated modding community.

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I like WWII shooters and I like games that aim to be more realistic. I played the original Red Orchestra, didn't buy that one, but decided to give this one a try. The trailers made the game look pretty fun, and it is, but it requires more patience and craftiness than the typical run-of-the-mill shooter.

The game looks good first of all. I play with the graphics on the highest settings and it looks like a war movie. I also tried toning them down to get the frame rates higher in multiplayer. The game still looks decent on the medium graphic settings.

I'm most interested in the controls because that is the part of the game that you must deal with to get your character to do what you want. In a game that requires quick reflexes, the control scheme is very important. I custom mapped some of the keys to make it easier for me the game lets you do this in the "controls" section of settings. There is one key used for three important functions (get behind cover, pick up items, and bandage yourself), which I'm not too thrilled about, but I'll probably get used to it after a while. Also the mechanics of getting behind cover can be awkward in the game. The game prompts you whenever you may take cover, you can't use just anything, but most walls let you. Also your character has trouble jumping over certain things they should be able to jump over and trouble climbing over things that shouldn't pose a problem.

You have to use the sights of the gun to aim properly at distance there is no painted on crosshair in the middle of the screen. When you bring up your iron sights, your character moves much slower, so it's best to lean around corners before charging out. If you run around like its Call of Duty you will be shot and you will die, sometimes slowly while you frantically hit the medic bandage/cover/take items button.

The single player AI is not too bright. Your comrades have mastered the art of taking cover on the wrong side of a wall, running around in the open, and getting shot. In general, they do not behave like a human and I'll leave it at that.

The multiplayer is where the main focus of the game is. I haven't played all the maps yet as I just got the game yesterday, but the ones I played were fun. Lots of places to hide out and pick off enemies. The mixture of tanks and men is really cool. Also I'll just mention that the bullet ballistics are there and are very welcome for the realism. For all the realism though, bullet wounds should have been in the game. There is a little blood when you shoot someone, but you should be able to put a literal hole through their body before and after they die.

Overall, its a fun shooter. Takes some patience, but it's satisfying when you break through the enemy lines and drop a few before going out in a blaze of communist or fascist glory. By the way, I have this on Steam so that takes care of the updates for me.

Best Deals for Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad - PC

I hope I am not the only one in that I miss the feel of an authentic WW 2 shooter, or the multiplayer feeling of the first time I played the original Call of Duty. Where you have to work as a team to overcome impossible odds and still win the battle. Where you are in a building and your buddy just took a bullet through the head and falls to a pile at your feet. You hear the enemy downstairs and you are alone or might have one other battle buddy with you and your heart starts to race because you know what is about to come. Or pushing back the bad guys and when you look left to right you see your team giving each other cover fire and putting the baddies to sleep. Red Orchestra 2 brings all that back to life.

Red Orchestra 2 for me is a breath of fresh air. The way your character moves and you are running to cover. The way it feels when you pull up your iron sites on the enemy, hold your breath, fire, and watch him fall head first into the dirt for a forever sleep. This game just feels so good with the way you move and fire. The new cover system adds more immersion and works well.

Graphics are to my eyes look great, the way the sun creeps through the cracks of a half demolished building, the way shadows over cast the battlefield, the spray of red mist after a successful shot, how the characters move and take cover, everything about it brings it to life and feels like you really are about to die and this world of war. The maps are a lot of fun and I love how they are laid out, very entertaining.

CONS: Now I came from the beta, yeah there are a few bugs and hiccups, but it's still very playable and is minor issues that will be ironed out with soon too come patches. Don't let all the negativity about it steer you away from this amazing title, we are talking about a lower end budget gaming company that put this together and they did a amazing job with it and you will be having a blast and will easily look past them.

All in all, this game is amazing, I love the feel of this great WWII shooter and will for sure be playing this for a long, long time. Do yourself a favor, give yourself some fresh air and pick this title up, you wont regret it.

Honest reviews on Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad - PC

When this game was first released there were quite a number of problems with it. The game wasn't well optimized and ran pretty bad on my system that was well above the recommended settings. In May a giant patch was released that pretty much fixed everything and now the game really shines. I would rate this game as currently my favorite fps game in the market along with dayz. Initially, I bought this game in September to pass the time while waiting for BF3's release; however, this game feels superior to BF3 to me. I guess I came into BF3 with the idea that it would have the depth of BF2/2142 with battlefield commanders and so forth, but quickly realized how consolized that game was to appeal to the cod crowd. RO2 feels like a true PC game that has such great depth with battlefield commanders and limiting the number of snipers that it is a breath of fresh air. My first online game that I got really into was RTCW and this game reminds me some of the aspects of that game.

RO2 is the one game that I have played where I actually feel that war is hell. Playing as a Russian soldier running through an open field under heavy German fire is intense. When I see a few guys running with me die and I manage to get to cover alive, I actually feel lucky and am reminded very much of a quote from one of my favorite movies, The Thin Red Line. "It makes no difference who you are, no matter how much training you got and the tougher guy you might be. When you're at the wrong spot at the wrong time, you gonna get it." This game definitely has a large skill gap which will cause some people to move away from it; however, the large skill gap is what has given this game such a nice niche community that continues to play the game each day for nearly a year. I find this community is definitely mature and won't bother new players as long as they are playing the objective and trying to contribute to their team. If you are looking for a game not about K/D and a lot slower paced with extremely intense moments in between the slow moments then I would definitely recommend it.

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Red Orchestra 2 is wonderful.

The "psudo-realism" setting that most Modern-era FPS have taken is vexing. A gaming experience shouldn't require much suspension of disbelief.

Team Fortress 2 is a great game for its cartoon fantasy setting, allowing us to imerse ourselves in the gameplay world.

Call of Duty on the other hand takes a "realistic graphic/settings" approuch, but keeps gameplay highly casual (i.e. health regen, invincible humans, no recoil, unbelievable events, ect.) and fails utterly!

RO2: Heroes of Stalingrad on the third hand upholds a deep commitment to realistic gameplay to match its unique real-world setting, the bloodest and most interesting infantry conflict of all time, the Battle of Stalingrad.

The game was pushed out early which means lots of bugs and critic reviews that are less prasing than it deserves, but Tripwire has proved itself to be a company commited to ongoing development with loads of free content and performance improvements down the line.

Cheap Sharkoon X-Tatic SR Gaming Headset with Dolby Headphone Technology

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List Price: $139.99
Sale Price: $129.99
Today's Bonus: 7% Off

I went ahead and took a chance on these headphones as I was looking for a viable replacement to the Tritton AX720's I had previously owned and given away. As with most gaming headsets, I was going to expect something bulky, yet sturdy since that's kind of the status quo with gaming headsets in general. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of both the headset and the SCU (sound control unit). I was surprised in the sense that the headphones were light, compact, yet appear to be sturdy (no I will not "drop test" them). The SCU likewise is compact, so if spacing is an issue for you, trust me it will not take up much space.

Now to sum up the acoustic quality? It's simply ravishing. I am using this with an Xbox 360, and tested it with games such as Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Medal of Honor. Audio plays a big part in the multi-player gaming experience, since in both games, I was able to hear others try to flank me and I was able get the drop on them first with my team. The sound is crisp and realistic, and supports all the current Dolby platforms, with the exception of Dolby 7.1. Gaming chat is good, if not better than with the standard headset that came with the console. The mic is detachable, flexible, and appears to be quite durable.

Setup of the headphones was really easy, since all the connectivity goes directly to the console. I was also pleased with the fact that it is USB powered, so no need for an additional AC adapter. Thank goodness since all of the outlets on my powerstrip are all occupied.

In conclusion, this headset has got the essentials to meet and even exceed most gamers expectations. It's got a sophisticated/streamlined look and feel, the acoustics are impressive, the setup was a snap, and the overall experience with them thus far is a great one.

Give it a shot sports fans, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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I really love this headset so far. Purchased and received last week.

I have been using a pair of Sennheiser HD555's with a 1/4" f to 1/8" m headphone adaptor and plugged into my speakers (setup via stereo). Mic solution: wrapped the standard XBox mic around my neck. Good sound, chat worked after adjusting in-game volumes. Basically it worked and sounded good enough, but the transition to a proper, solid gaming headset is night and day.

PROs:

-The first thing I noticed is how lightweight this headset is. It doesn't bear down on you and the cups don't press on your ears too hard. The cups also do a good job of encompassing your ears.

-Fantastic sound. After a few adjustments (in-line volume lower, SCU volume up), I managed to get this to an appropriate sound level. I did a few Wager Matches in Black Ops to break them in and further configure them. Worked great. Tried Bad Company 2. Wow. Just awesome. Crisp sounds and the bass booms when it needs to. This set has also proven that I will never be able to go back to regular stereo sound, either. Digital is phenomenal.

Side note: I found that turning off the "3D Sound Expander" makes it sound muuuuch better, in my opinion. Perhaps I'm using it wrong, but it was disorienting at times and seemed to create unnecessary echo. Might be better for movies perhaps.

-Configurable to any set up. Has a nice set of manuals for anything you may want to connect the headset to. Plenty of adaptors and the main cables are plenty long to connect with most setups.

-Sturdy design. Even though it's light, it doesn't feel cheap. Mic is tough and flexible as well.

CONS

-Lots of cables. My setup right now has three cables coming out of the SCU and three out of the in-line box (one connecting to the XBox controller for voice). This is probably a product of being so configurable.

Side note: This is actually still a pro for me because I don't want to deal with wireless shenanigans (mainly staying on top of rechargable batteries)

-Mic sensitivity. I haven't done any in-game chatting yet, but I have tested it out in party chat to see when it picks up. I noticed that I had to have the mic pretty close to my mouth for it to register. Again, this may bug people, but personally I do not find it bothersome.

-Also, be sure to know that if you want to use Digital, you will need some sort of Optical output on your Xbox. I was lucky enough to already have the VGA adaptor to game on my PC monitor and that has an optical output.

Just love this headset thus far.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I ave actually had several different gaming headsets. I have played on or owned the following headsets.Tritton TRIAX-180 AX 180 Universal Gaming Headset, Tritton TRIAX-720 AX 720 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, Turtle Beach, EarForce X31 Wireless Chat+Gam (Catalog Category: Videogame Accessories / Headsets & Speakers), Ear Force X41 (XBOX LIVE Chat + Wireless Digital RF Game Audio with Dolby Headphone 7.1 Surround Sound), and Ear Force PX5 Programmable Wireless 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Headset with Bluetooth. So I have a little background on gaming headsets.

The first thing that struck me about this headset when pulling it out of the box was the sheer volume of the number of chords included in the packet. Granted, this headset is billed as being versatile and usable on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC but I would have hoped for a much more streamlined set-up across all devices.

In regards to connecting to an Xbox 360. If you have the original 360 design you will need one of two things. Either the AV cable that has a built in Digital Audio Optical Out port or if you are using HDMI you will need a RCA Audio Cable Adapter for XBOX 360 + Slim. If you are using the new Xbox 360 Slim model this won't be an issue as there is now one built into it.

Now, that all that information is out of the way, what do I think about the headset? I actually used it on my 360 and my PC to see if there was any difference.

While using the headset it I noticed right away it was light, but the ear cups seemed just a tad on the small side and didn't allow a lot of breathing room. Sound quality was good but it didn't blow me away. Chat quality on the Xbox seemed to be lacking a little bit. You need the mic very close to your mouth so your friends can hear you. One complaint I have is when game volume goes up (think explosions and such) chat volume does not compensate for it making you need to ask friends to repeat what they said or wait for the game volume to go back down.

At the end of the day you're reading this review to influence one way or another on purchasing this headset or another. So'll I'll give my opinion on that.

If you are looking around this price point for a gaming headset (at the time of writing this review it's over one hundred dollars) then I would like to recommend either the Turtle Beach X41 or the Tritton 720. They both are a stronger quality headset and offer a better gaming headset.

The Sharkoon's have potential to be a decent option but when they are the same price as other headsets that do more and are easier to hook up it doesn't make much sense. If you want to splurge then really take a look at the Turtle Beach PX5. They are programmable and have blue tooth support. It's my current headset and I love it.

This one is just average across the board. It doesn't really disappoint, but it never wowed me either.

Honest reviews on Sharkoon X-Tatic SR Gaming Headset with Dolby Headphone Technology

SCROLL DOWN FOR JUST FACTS IF NOT READ THE FOLLING ALSO.

well for those who compare them to other headsets such as trittons and then complain about wires, well makes me wonder if you have ever owned trittons because they also have wires "everywhere" so i must discredit any review when i see any kind of review which is tainted by an issue which is also apparent w/ headsets that same reviewer is praising. fact is that these actually come with one less wire, the external power supply, and it just bothers me when someone can rate someones review as helpful when it starts off with discreditting info,

HERE ARE THE FACTS AOUT THESE HEADSETS. for the money they are the best. i have been around a long time, i must say that if i were to pit these against higher end heatsets then the score would suffer a bit but those headsets are more of a "competitive lass" and also range from 250to 600 plus so with that said im basing these on the item itself as well as items in the price range (109 bks for these right now). well to start off i must also say that if i had an extra few bucks i would get the tritton ax pro's which are not insanely priced but also have good speaker config as well as power, but they break.. alot.

when im mgaming at home i use the tritton ax pro's, anything else i will bring my astro's w/me or the "howza's" and funny thing is how i discovered the sharkoons, was gaming at home and yes the trittons pulled a man down, so much that i have a pair of chepo's laying around. but when i got these my first impression was "wow they freakin copied trittons look in every way!!" the 5.1 box was almost identical save color, and the hook up was almost identical.. well i noticed one wore thing which was almost identical, the sound. keep in mind im an old school gamer who likes his comfort zone and his certain products so these were intended to just back up my trittons, but i have found myself using them more the the pros.. not the ax 720's the ax pro's black ops edition. which at the time set me back just a bit over 200.

comparison to all in this class, well ive tried the turtle beach alpha, bravo's and charlies which are just make overs / special editions for the px5 being alpha and the delta's being the "starters", well you got the idea. anyways they blow the sony set's out the water and keep in mind that turtle beaches are marketed and designed for the xbox 360, and then they made other set's which were compat with both, well these can be used on p.c as well. in my honest opinion they are better than the px5's and heres why, wireless sucks when it comes to 3 main items of gaming, mice, keyboards and HEADSETS. the freq unfortunately will interfere with the sound, meaning the sound will drop/cut out here and there, and gamers law is they usually do when its at crucial points of a game, lol.. but seriously i would have to sit directly in front of my 50 in to min the drops, so the whole idea of the headset being bluetooth and it being on different channels etc, bull crap. the box it connects with is the problem. and yes the sound was good, and it does come with a way to download and create presets but many being useless i.e superman hearing and if you are willing to spend 250 then get the astro's.. 30's or 40's will do the job.

the sharkoon is a headset which is in the mid range of headsets, and as much as my midrange must haves/own are the ax pro's these have been a delight to own and use, and yes they have wires. go to a lan party and see how many "pro gamers" are using wireless. anything wireless will have the game lose precision, control, have delay (even if its mili seconds for mouse type devices, it is everything when playing against a person with no delay) so try and stick with wired, console controllers are something else entirely and i enjoy using frags. i will not have it any other way, wired or the highway. yes ive used some very high end devices which do in fact work well, but prepare to pay extra.

the design is nice w/ these, they are not bulky and do not give you red ears of death, game for bout 6 to 8 and your good. the sound quality is not the best ive heard, but again there are crap end, lower end, midrange,high end, higher end and money is no object end. well these fall into lower to mid end as far as the price as it is today, and as far as im concerned they are better or as good as any headset in the under 200 class. but it has flaws, one being with xbox 360 and a mic issue, which has been resolved by investigation aka googling. so everall these are not true dolby 5.1 they are simulated, but they do make a 5.1 and i like these better. the ax pro's also are true 5.1 having 4 speakers in each ear. but i have always been one to say "7.1 simulated? bullcrap" well that was when the 7.1 was a newer breed but i have heard some 7.1 simulated which gave my ears a soundwhoring bomer. bottom line is do the headsets sound good, are they worth the money and are they sturdy and comfy? yes yes and yes. also they are not very heavy and ive used them w/ p.c. and they work well there too. i have used them w/ ps3 and 360. but more or less more with the ps3, but they work well with any gaming device i mention as well as a music player, and they look pretty cool..

for the money these can be argued to be the best or almost or just as good as some which cost more and better than some which cost more..

so what does that say for these?

BOSTONJOHN32 PSN, STEAM bostonjohn617 and 32, company of heroes bostonjohn32, xbox live H4LOG0D 9this one may be in banned state)

happy new year to all

didnt check my spelling, yes it does suck, thats why i dont review spell hecking software or e-readers. trolls would be all over me, lol

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sharkoon X-Tatic SR Gaming Headset with Dolby Headphone Technology

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Just received these headphones, had them hooked up to the TV in the den (wife reading book close to me). I will say the sound was awesome like surround all around, great base etc.....great! Next chapter, the grandson comes over with his Xbox, I think that thing is welded to his hip, hooks it up to play for awhile. He spots the Sharkoon headset, as you might expect he conned me into letting him use it, Grrr. He, being a lot younger than I and has much better hearing, was totally impressed with the sound. He thought I would let him borrow it----wrong! I later hooked it up to my wife's laptop, did a little conversation with a friend----no comparison to what I was using. Tried music, oh yes, terrific! I will have to say with my very limited knowledge of electronics and components these are wonderful. I have tried using his Xbox but feel like a total dork, so I will not play with any kid around (I would be the entertainment).

If you are looking for a higher end headset I would absolutely recommend the X-Tatic. I really would like to be a little more technical in this review, but feel that is beyond my scope. I just cannot see how anyone would be disappointed as these are beyond anything I have previously put on my old ears. Tonight I plan to watch a movie in the front room after my wife goes to bed and enjoy not having to hear that the TV is too loud.

LATER:

Watched the movie, unbelievable sound, so much better than the TV---It was like I was right in the middle, hearing sound all around me. Added tremendously to the movie. I enjoyed every minute!

Final fantasy Protector Skin Decal Sticker for Xbox 360 Slim (1 Reviews

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This item was easy to apply and made on great quality thick stickers so if you messed up it would be easy to pull off and re apply. It did not leave many air bubbles and the ones it did where easy to get out. The image quality was nice and it turned my xbox into another item for my final fantasy collection.

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Discount Transformers: War for Cybertron Autobots - Nintendo DS

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List Price: $19.99
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If you have played Transformers games for the DS, other than War For Cybertron, than you will have noticed certain traits that create a pattern, that pattern is not a very flattering one. They have a tendency to have horrible graphics, a flimsy to non-existent plot, horrific voice acting, and bad gameplay, that usually consists of time trials near impossible to complete, running in circles shooting or hitting the enemy. The games are either so easy its boring or so hard its almost impossible. Usually the impossible comes from vehicle missions. That's other Transformers games. War for Cybertron is the exact opposite. The graphics are decent for a DS game. The gameplay is fun. The voice actors are very good. The plot is great. All I can say is get this game. You can almost never "win" the game. There are many many characters to unlock, play as, level up, play different missions, and try different pairs. There are many missions to get 100% on. And dozens of data disks to unlock. It took me a month to win this game, while switching it out of my DS for it counterpart. Its great. Get it. You will not be disappointed.

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My youngest son has to have what his older brother has but he says it's a great game, so I guess you can take his word for it.

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We have a long commute to and from school, and we play games in the afternoon to unwind before homework. My son prefers the autobot game to the decepticon one, as it is a bit easier for him.

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He enjoys playing it and has fun unlocking all the characters, graphics are pretty good and since he's been playing w/ it for over a month now I'd say it's well worth the cash.

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My son is really enjoying his new game. He had lost his first one and this one was a great price

Review of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Xbox 360

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For many real time strategy (RTS) games, the Command and Conquer franchise is something akin to Final Fantasy of the RPG genre or how Madden is to sports; they ARE the standard in their respective genre. Since the mid 1990s Command and Conquer set the bar high on how RTS games should be with building menus, console interface (ever tried to command whole units with just a cumbersome controller?), cut scenes, and story. Command and Conquer traditionally also have a stellar cast of characters played by big Hollywood actors including James Earl Jones, Michael Beihn, Michael Ironside, Billy Dee Williams, etc.

That said, after finishing up the last of the Empire of the Rising Sun (Japanese) campaigns, I am happy to say that Red Alert 3 lives up to the tradition set forth by its predacessors.

For those of you, who are not familiar with Command and Conquer or are a casual gamer, here is what you need to know. Red Alert 3 is a real time strategy game where you, utilizing a bird's-eye-view, build a base for your faction, raise an army and quell your enemies into proverbial dust. Simple enough?

Well, RTS games are typically for more advanced players (unless you're playing Starcraft j/k) but Red Alert 3 has an easy enough interface and, better yet, a multi-part interactive turtorial where the tanks from each faction teach you how to play. Despite being an avid RTS gamer, I thought I'd utilize the tutorial to see the new changes made to the interface (that and you get a gamer score for completing all tutorials) and it was worth it. Between the witty banter between the tanks (I swear, the Allied tank sounds just like Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear) and the gamer score, listening to what they had to say was worth it.

Once you have memorized how to play, you'll realize that Electronic Arts really improved the console interface. One of the largest problems with RTS games on a console as opposed to a PC is a loss of control. Ever tried to simultaneously command numerous units with a cumbersome controller? It can turn a great game into a nightmare and by that I'm refering to Supreme Commander. You feel like a lobster with oven mits on as you would traditionally try to carefully select the units you want, which would necessitate you move individual units first into a staging area to be selected in one group. Meanwhile, some 14-year-old in Germany is kicking your backside and cursing at you like some demon child in a foreign language.

EA considerably simplified the interface by allowing the player to hold down the "A" button and a small green circle appears that the user can move around the battlefield and select any units he or she wishes. Now, if you want to control a specific kind of unit, while having the units selected you hold the right trigger and a menu pops up allowing you to only select that kind of unit. As opposed to other interfaces, this makes things a LOT less cumbersome.

*On a side note, I have not yet played Kane's Wrath so I am unfamiliar with their interface so anyone feel free to correct me if they did it first*

To makes matters more simplified, EA fixed several issues that have riddled RTS games for well over a decade. One of them was that in many RTS games if the unit is moving to a location they will blatantly ignore everyone firing at them or plow clean through them. With Red Alert 3, a player can select a fire-move order that allows the unit to engage any unit they encounter along the way but continue once they have eliminated said unit. This makes a bounding overwatch movement (one covers while the other moves than roles are reversed) and other movements MUCH easier.

So, the controller interface is very much improved for console systems and makes commanding individual units and smaller squads MUCH easier. The next interface issue is the balance of power between the three factions. In Red Alert 3 you have the option of playing as the traditional Soviet Union or the Allies but EA has introduced the Empire of the Rising Sun or the Japanese. This makes the game much more interesting as you now have to rotate your tactics MUCH more now although I anticipate more gamers will play as the Japanese given their unique nature (that and, for some reason, gamers are obsessed with that bloody island of copy/cats).

Normally, RTS games with more than two factions fail due to a lack of balance. Even Starcraft possessed balance problems with the three factions they had. For once, the balance seems almost perfect whether it be the advantages and disadvantages of how buildings can be placed or how some weapons have secondary weapons. For instance, the most basic display of balance is how the construction yards work. For the Allies the construction yard takes a traditional method as buildings are built out of site, then you can place them on the field but they take a while. Meanwhile, the Soviet buildings are built out in the open but take less time. Lastly, the Japanese buildings are transported using core vehicles that unfold and deploy the structures. As such, they are highly mobile but also highly vulnerable.

Without going into insane detail, here is the basic run-down on all three factions. The Soviets have brute force power with cheap mass production, the Japanese are an expensive lot with highly technological equipment that requires a mastery to utilize effectively, and the Allies are a decent in between mixture of firepower and technology.

Now, there are some hilarious cultural, but not racial, stereotypes played out in all three factions. No where is this more noticable than the Japanese side. The Japanese have mecha and giant robots. The Mecha Tengu ships have a striking resemblence to Veritech fighters from Robotech and even transform into two of the same modes (Guardian and normal mode). Their giant robots are... well, giant samurais and their doomsday weapons are even larger giant samurais that feed on tesla coils. While this may seem silly, EA does do a good job of balancing the unit's abilities. Not to mention Red Alert 3 is known for its over-the-top nature. Even the units say witty things such as, "beats being in a gulag," or, "I heard the emperor's geisha girls will be there."

On to the more aesthetic elements. Graphics wise, Red Alert 3 is nothing truly remarkable but nothing to sniff at either. Good graphics on RTS are fairly few and far in between and for good reason as you don't want to slow down the console to a crawl since there can be up to hundreds of individual units doing their own thing on the battlefield. Unit animation is very smooth though with one exception. When the commando or spy goes from the water to the ground they can get glitchy and require the player to move them twice. Nothing truly annoying but a glitch all the same.

Next is the music. Marvelous! It inspired the title of this review! Between the heavy guitar music during battle sequences, that isn't overbearing, and the heavy Soviet chanting music I was very much impressed. The only song I did not like was the building music in the Soviet's New York mission. Saxaphone?! Give me a break!

Lastly are the cut scenes with the big Hollywood actors. There are a lot of them and the casting is hilarious. Between Tim Curry as the Soviet Premier, J.K. Simmons as the American president, Peter Stormare (the Russian astronaut in Armageddon) as the time scientist.. and Star Trek's George Takei as the Japanese Emperor, it's just priceless. Aside from the hot girls, who obviously were NOT chosen for their acting abilities (and by that I mean Jenny McCarthy), all the cast members really got into their roles. Heh, the game even includes a poster of all the pretty ladies. Gotta love fanboy service!!

My only beefs are that the endings are too ambiguous. Nothing truly amazing. Red Alert 3 was a very impressive game in terms of evolutionary innovation but still is nothing remarkable. Nonetheless, the beefs are very few and ranks this suck among some of the greater games this year. A must buy for any RTS fan.

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I have been a long time RTS player on the PC and played and mastered skirmishes in games like AOE, AOM, Star Wars RTS, Red Alert 2 among others. This game stands its own among these. I would say compared to these games on the PC, options like number of factions, or unit types, or even buildings are few. Also resource collection in the Red Alert series is lame (have only one type of resource and an ore collector most probably there will be a resource crunch throughout). Having said that I would still highly recommend this game for the skill level and the fun factor. The factions are very well thought out and designed. The graphics are great too. This game requires channelling all the resources to the war! So beware and be ready...

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C&C RA 3 returns you to the battlefield in the franchise's latest fashion: a 3 way showdown. In C&C 3 it was the GDI, Brotherhood of Nod and the Scrin; in this warfare you find yourself with the forces of the allies, the soviets and the new empire of the rising sun.

Almost every unit has a secondary attack which is conveniently accessable via a hotkey option so you don't have to go hunting in sub menu's in the heat of battle. The command stick control returns from C&C 3 with little improvement but this is because it was so well handled last game there isn't much need for more.

The controls are great and in these battles you need it. Each side has very unique units with interesting abilities; for example the Soviet anti-air vehicle can also cross water AND shoot soldiers out from within to parachute to other areas. The land of the rising sun has units that can transform on the fly so your attack chopper can land and become a battlemech of sorts.

The acting in the game is the classic cheesy yet you-got-to-love-it style from previous games. The visuals are done very well and the in battle graphics hold up amazingly. The heat of battle is quick paced and you should be warned: within seconds your entire army can be wiped out. The superweapons are a huge game maker (or breaker) and while the computer can use them with uncanny accuracy you will find they dodge your super weapons with the same skill, putting you at a total disadvantage at times. In player vs player however, the superweapons are on equal ground.

If you are a fan of RTS games I highly recommend this title even though my personal top choice for RTS on the xbox360 is still Universe at War.

Honest reviews on Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Xbox 360

Like the other command and conquers on a console , you use the command stick . There are 3 campaines , and each faction gets many units . Unlike other RTS titles water combat is well implimented . Fans of the series should recignize the trade mark silliness and the silly acting . The special powers , are aquired like in Generals .

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As a big fan of Red Alert 2 and the Yuri's Revenge expansion pack, I was eager to try out Red Alert 3 when it came out. I played it on a friend's PC in Fall 2008, but wasn't too impressed by the overt use of multiple commands. Also, a major factor in putting off the purchase of the PC version was the SecuROM issue as mentioned by other reviewers.

However, after a friend loaned me his XBox 360, I decided to take the plunge and picked up the XBox 360 version of the game. Needless to say, I had a blast playing the game. Red Alert 3 uses the CommandStick interface, which basically allows you to access all the game functions from a rotary menu which pops up when you hold down the right toggle. It does take a little getting used to, but the tutorials presented by the Guardian Tank, Hammer Tank and the Tsunami Tank make it easy to learn the controls. Not to mention, you get a few points, and an achievement for completing the tutorial.

Red Alert is known for its over-the-top acting and fancy units, and Red Alert 3 is no different. Use the tutorials to get a feel for all the units and factions and get an idea of how to play the campaigns.

If you have played Red Alert 2/Yuri's Revenge, bear in mind that the technologies used by the different factions are quite different. Without going into too much detail, the Allies use a similar build technology as in Red Alert 2, the Soviets: something like what you'd find in an Age of Empires game, and the Empire "don't need no stinkin' build radius!". Each faction also has different methods of upgrading their technologies.

The campaigns (which I'm in the middle of), are challenging, but so far I haven't found any situations which were impossible to beat. The units seem more balanced than those in Red Alert 2 (at least, I can no longer execute an effective tank rush with just Guardian Tanks). One new (and odd) feature is that if your commando unit is killed on the field, you can simply retrain her. With Red Alert 2, if you lost your commando, the mission was a failure. I don't know if this is the same case for the AI commando. Regardless, this doesn't take away any of the fun.

I did try a skirmish mission but lost almost immediately to an easy AI. I'd probably chalk that up to my inexperience with the new units, but I did read an earlier review which blasted the AI. With that said, I can't say I know enough about the skirmish AI to complain about it. I'll update this review after I play (and win) some skirmishes.

Overall, Red Alert 3 is a good (if campy) game for the CnC enthusiast.

RHYTHM MAKER DRUM PEDAL FOR ROCKBAND 1 & 2 Review

Customer Ratings:

Same issue as other reviewer. After about 6-8 months of heavy play the plastic around the center metal piece cracked and eventually it just broke in half. The adjustable spring is really good and I play a lot better with it. I liked it enough to replace it, but if it breaks again I will probably just go higher end. If you are a light to medium use player, this is definitely the peddle for you.

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I got this pedal after the one that game with Rockband (special addition) broke. It has a much nicer feel than the original pedal and my kicking improved. It is definitely of higher quality, but the plastic part of the pedal cracked after about 9 months of heavy play. The metal piece still holds it together, but you can feel it bend where the plastic cracked, so the feel isn't as good any more.

Update: OK, 5 more months have passed, and now the plastic is cracked in multiple places and the pedal no longer registers most kicks. I will need to go purchase another pedal.

Best Deals for RHYTHM MAKER DRUM PEDAL FOR ROCKBAND 1 & 2

works well, even better along side a second one. Played a lot with dual bass drumming so it really does help.

Honest reviews on RHYTHM MAKER DRUM PEDAL FOR ROCKBAND 1 & 2

The Bass Pedal alternative for the DD-55 is too expensive for me. I took a chance on the BlockHead Pedal at Goodwill, and it works! It isn't perfect, but neither am I.

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I could not get the pedal to work with Guitar Hero Drums, or Rock Band Beattles drums. And the back part of the pedal broke within those 5 mins of testing. Seems great if you could get it to work...

Reviews of Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green

Customer Ratings:

Fun and engaging at first the damn game never changes! The first level is the same as the last with no variety to the type of zombies or the weapons you use. Without variety this game gets old and you probably will not be inspired to finish it.

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Fairly straightforward affair, as its very linear. Take about a day or two to finish it, their's no really end level boss its just a stand off (spoiler!). It feeds that part of your brain that whats you to kill zombies, but it don't last long enough and their's virtualy no replay value. Not a bad game just not great.

Best Deals for Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green

I'm not a "seasoned" vet like some, but I do know a great game when I play one. Graphics are excellent (for the time it came out), music superb, and a story line that will keep you up all night. And oh yeah, it WILL make you jump out of your seat at times, so be prepared!

Best Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World - PlayStation 2 Deals

Customer Ratings:

I got this game the day it came out, and even sold my original Budokai 3 and Tenkaichi 3 for it. And i'd have to say it was worth it. On the back of the box it says "The Best of the Budokai Series"....it is! I loved the original Budokai 3 and played it for 2 years straight never getting tired of it. And this game is pretty much that game with added bonuses such as mini games and Tenkaichi quality cut scenes which are pretty good. Infinite World uses the same capsule skill system as past dbz games where you can purchase your skills, characters, stages, and etc.

The fighting system is the pretty much the same as Budokai 3, not the over-the-shoulder system used in the Tenkaichi series. So 2 players would NOT use split screen which i prefer cause that just got annoying. Everyone that i've played with so far has their own ultimate moves which most the time have animations with them which is fun to watch. I haven't got to play with every character yet cause i haven't earned or bought them yet, but according to the box there are over 40 characters. One major thing that is different from the rest of the budokai series is that you are able to perform your ultimate without going into hyper mode, which makes ultimates more consistent to pull off during a fight.

The music in the game is one of the reasons that i gave the game a 4 star rating, its just kinda annoying and repetitive to me. I usually just go to the options menu and turn off the music. Another reason for the 4 star rating would be the beginning publisher screens that you can't just skip through when you first turn the game on. There are like 6 screens, its just annoying to me.

The mini games are the main difference in this game. I haven't played them all yet, but the ones I have played were very entertaining. These are only found in story mode. My personal favorite so far would have to be trying to catch Bubbles (king kai's monkey) on King Kai's really small planet. It is not as easy as it looks, trust me, the monkey is always throwing bananas at you, lol. Another example of a mini game is running along snake sway (very easy to fall off) with limited time.

Overall, its a great game to add to the DBZ series, and a good finisher for DBZ games on PS2 (actually not really sure if it is). Basically if you liked playing Budokai 3 and just love the DBZ series, then this game will be good for you. Even though I'm not finished with it, I love it already.

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The game arrived without a problem, and on time. Great game by the way, peoples reviews of this game were way off!

Thank you very much!

Cheers!

Best Deals for Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World - PlayStation 2

Infinite World is an excellent addition to the DBZ series of games. Budokai 3 was an excellent game that came about as close to the series as any fighting game could. Then Tenkaichi came out and they somewhat dropped the fighting aspect and moved onto the series simulation aspects. Don't get me wrong, those games are excellent too, but it can be a little difficult to have good matches in those with other people. Infinite World, on the other hand, is somewhat of a return to form.

First off, Infinite World was made by Dimps and feels alot like Budokai 3. That said, it's very different too. It seems that they recognized that Tenkaichi was the series simulator, so they moved on to making a better fighting game. That said, they did so using mechanics from the series as well! Essentially, this is Budokai 3, with strategic uses of Ki, Fatigue, Juggles, Teleport Counters, and Combo Cancels. If you can't master every single one of those aspects, the AI will tear you apart on any difficulty.

All in all, this is one of my favorite DBZ games. It's very difficult like many games of olden days, but it does so fairly. If you master the game, the difficulty won't be an issue. I suggest you pick up this and Tenkaichi 2 both. If you can't stand hard games, then get Budokai 3 instead. These three games represent the pinnacle of DBZ.

Honest reviews on Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World - PlayStation 2

This is the best of the Budokai series. It came out on 4th November and before I could say T E N K A I C H I my nephew was busy ramming his strategic mind into this superb game with his hands-on as if blowing up worlds isn't too big a deal!

Watch out for the release of the film by 20th Century Fox releasing on 8th April 2009 directed by James Wong with Justin Chatwin as Goku and Chow Yun-Fat as Master Roshi.

All you Goku fans and Dragonballz buffs, go for this game! It is the best of the series.

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I always and still do love the DBZ ❤ series also their awesome games. I got this for my bro and he loves it. I had expected it to come in three weeks like it said, but I got it in around a couple of days after ordering it! The game was in excellent condition like they said and its my first amazon order so that really impressed me😃I thank the senders for bringing it in early saved me a lot of time!!!😊