Reviews of Toy Story 2

Customer Ratings:

My almost 5-year-old and I got hooked playing Spyro 3 earlier this month. We've been playing endlessly. To take a little break we tried out Toy Story 2. What a disappointment. I don't think the graphics are that great, unless you're comparing them to a Super Nintendo. And the games are MUCH harder to play. We couldn't figure out what we were supposed to do in some rooms, and the skill required to complete most of the tasks is just beyond my youngster and I.

My other complaint would be with the help/instructions on-screen. In Spyro, the characters read aloud the messages as they appear on the screen. This means he can play the game by himself. But because he can't read, he can't get help or hints on-screen.

While he does seem to like it because of the characters, he just can't play it by himself, and his frustration level is pretty high with this one. Not to sound like a broken record, but if you've got a younger child, try Spyro 3 (or 2 or 1).

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Cheap Authentic Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows

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List Price: $15.95
Sale Price: $15.45
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

I am a recent console gamer to PC gamer convert and was looking for a way to make the wireless Xbox controllers work on PC.

This little gadget does just that. MS only sells the receiver with an additional controller at $60 retail; ew bad deal. There are quite a few knock off receivers on Amazon, so be sure you are buying a legit one. The official one is BLACK with "Microsoft" on top with the sync button in the middle with 3 curved lines next to it like next to the controller sync button as well as "Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows" written on the bottom.

For $18.95, it's cheaper than buying a wired controller and lets you use up to 4 controllers at once for multiplayer. I use this to play Skyrim and Borderlands 2 via Steam's Big Picture mode, among other titles with controller support.

***Make sure you install the driver from the included disc BEFORE connecting the adapter!*** Microsoft also has the driver to download from their site. The included driver on the disc works just fine.

Note: the seller I ordered from was STEALTH GAMER. Beware if it comes from a different seller. Don't be afraid to send sellers an email to confirm if the product is a legit MS product. The knock offs will not work properly.

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Allowed me to use my wireless Xbox 360 controller with my Windows 8 laptop seamlessly. No button mapping was required, and everything functions completely including the rumble feature. I couldn't be more impressed!

Best Deals for Authentic Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows

Bought the authentic Microsoft version thinking it would work even though the reviews were inconsistent. Read some reviews where it did not work in the system's USB port but did work in a separate add on card. It did not work on my system USB so I bought the add on card and it still would not recognize the controller. I have windows 7 64 bit as my operating system. Software loads fine just never recognizes the controller.

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I can't vouch for the authenticity of this product as being an official Microsoft Product. Not because it isn't, simply put I don't know. What I do know, though, is that when I plugged this in, it worked perfectly right out of the box without the need for a driver. I hooked up and was playing video games with my wireless xbox 360 controller in minutes. Is it worth the couple extra dollars for this product versus the fakes on ebay? Yes I think it is.

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just works and that's all I wanted. What more is there to say about a device that allows you to use an xbox controller?

Reviews of NCAA Football 08 - Xbox 360

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $13.98
Today's Bonus: 53% Off

Let me start off by saying that when your playing in a game scenario, this game can be fun, But problems start rather quickly. One of my biggest complaints is in the passing game, the lack of location based passing makes throwing the ball nerve racking, often times on a crossing route your receiver will have to spin around backwards just to make the catch. And if your hoping to throw over your receivers shoulder where a defender cant reach it.... good luck, once again, most of the time he will spin around and try to make a dramatic catch, often times losing the chance to get extra yardage. Then theres one of my favorite pass plays, the deep comeback. This play is insanely frustrating, your reciever will go out the usual 10-15 yards, the problem is, when he turns back for the pass, he comes back a few yards, you throw, he catches, BUT KEEPS COMING BACK!!! It takes him so long to turn back around, that when he gets tackled he has turned what should have been a gain of 10-15 yards or more into a gain of 4-8 yards. And also if your not a fan of using tight ends in the passing game, you better be damn good at this game, because in the harder difficulty levels it is extremely hard to get the ball into your receivers, since the defense is so tough. Make friends with your tight end, he could save you. And also make good use of your hot routes and motions, and remember, just becuase your pass isnt a huge gain, as long as your not losing yards, your doing pretty good. My next problem is the running game in campus legend mode, when you are the quarterback, or any other position, your running back is often a lame duck, unless your on a team with a excellent running back, even then you will have to turn your running backs AI waaayyy up so that he doesnt just do a spin move and get dropped in the backfield. Also in Campus legend mode, when you are the quarterbackback, you want to make sure that you do choose a balanced or running quarterback, otherwise you may be on the wrong side of a sack very often, especially since the offensive line this year is very inconsistant. Now I know that your gonna get sacked sometimes, that obvious, and also part of the game. But what i mean by inconsistant is that, one play the O-line will do a pretty good job, but then on the next two of your guys will grind together trying to pick up a block, and allow the whole D-line to get through and take you down (thats why you want a mobile quarterback). The load times are long, which can be frustrating, especailly in campus legend mode, where the games are considerably shorter since you only play when your player is on the field. But one place the 360 version of the game shines over the ps3 version is the framerate, which is at a lovely 60 frames per second, while the ps3 struggles at 30fps. But so many frames a second can cause some hiccups.

The main menu can be frustrating and confusing at times, but nothing too hard to overcome. i also find myself wishing there was more to do with your player during the week in campus legend mode. Every week goes as follows: Practice, night event (you only read about what you did that night), then comes the next day. You do this all week, then you can play the game at the end of the week. the night event can earn you stats (which will help you for the week), and popularity points (Which will help fill up your legend meter). You cant even do anything during the offseason, no training, no mini camps, not even a spring game. :(

Thats not to say that everythng is bad in this game. Like I said, this game can be pretty fun. The new ESPN.com feature is very nice, and does a good job keeping up with stats, although often I find that a team that was ranked 25th or lower in the BCS one week, is ranked in the top 5 the next, which for anybody who knows college football, can be irritating since this is NOT supposed to happen. To be fair, I have not played on defense very much, so I can't really discuss that. But let me just say, being a middle linebacker is tough.

All in all this isnt a horrible game, its actually very addicting, its just easier to point out the flaws than it is to talk about the good stuff. The frustrating things do happen, but if you love college football, its easy to overlook...Creating your own highlight reel can be fun, but if your like me and dont have box live (at the moment), its just a sad reminder of how you cant show off your skills. The Stadiums are well done, as well as the whether effects, in the winter you could be having a snow shower, then the next thing you know, it has turned into a blizzard that has completely covered the field. Oddly though, you never see a player slip on the slippery surface (as in Madden 08). The Announcers do a good job with the emotion factor. I cant really say much bad about them. They are a little inconsistant though. For example: they will be very excited over the 4th game of the season, but then in the National Championship, they will be very mellow.

If you have a problem with little irritations and flaws, pass on this game, but if you can overlook these thing, trust me... this game makes for a satisfying experience. I just hope this review has helped all who are reading. and i hope it didnt take too much time out of your day.

Thanks for your time! :)

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Normally I just dig right into the dynasty mode expecting to lose a few games learning the particulars of the game engine, but this time I started by trying out some of the other features. First I tried the minigames of Tug of War (you get 1 play to move the ball and then the opponent gets the same, first to touchdown wins) and also Bowling (10 yards to goal, each yard is a pin with two shots at the end zone).

Next I moved on to Campus Legend Mode. And to be honest it is good enough that I have not left it. First you start out by designing a player and picking a position for them. Next you select your home school and state (high school that is) and you get put right into the high school state playoffs. I picked ROLB to start with figuring that defense is a good place for me. So first off, the only person you can control is the player you have created, so many plays are just not going to involve you. Although there is a lot more pressure because when you blow a coverage or tackle you can't switch to another nearby player to make the tackle. Once you have completed the high school playoffs, you have to select the college that you want to go to. In my case I picked Penn State because I would not be a starter, but I also wouldn't be 3rd string.

Your college career consists of 2 things per day. First is practice where you get 10 reps at various plays (coach calls all plays in both practices and real games). When you make a play it is worth points. These points eventually will earn you a spot on the starting line. For me, I earned my starting spot right before the 3rd game in the season. The different strings make it interesting in the game as well. When you are second string, you are hoping for a blow out so that you can get some field time other than on special teams, where as you hope for a close one during regular play.

One of the nice things in this mode, and frustrating is that the games tend to be really short. This gets a tad annoying as the load times in this game are incredibly long. Another drawback to this mode is that you may play your heart out and do an incredible job, but the team could still lose because the other half of the team is unable to get the job done. Besides the long load times, I have also seen a lot of very screen stutters and lots of xbox 360 fan and drive noise. Just seems to be slightly too intensive.

Graphics wise, this game is good, but not really something you are going to shout from the mountain tops about. Sounds are incredible and after 9 games, I can't complain about the announcers yet. So with all the problems, I still give this game a must buy for Football fans. It is just as fun as it's previous versions (I have played NCAA 01, 04, and 05).

Best Deals for NCAA Football 08 - Xbox 360

I've been a fan of the NCAA series for the past 5 years. I owned last year's version on the original Xbox and thought it was great. Now that I've moved to the 360, it feels like the game has regressed (except in the graphics area). There are too many bugs and problems and it really seems like the game was rushed to meet the shipping date. I think it would have been a lot better if extra time were taken to test and work out the kinks. The basic gameplay is still good but the number of interceptions is completely insane. I found I can beat any player on-line by not throwing any passes while my opponent will usually have 5 or more interceptions. Since I don't even take control of the DBs, it's totally the game's AI that's doing it. I hope that next year's version can iron out these problems as it will be the 3rd year on the 360 and blaming being on a new platform won't be a valid argument anymore. With all this being said, I wouldn't recommend skipping the game since it's still plays well overall, but I would be prepared for a number of annoyances and frustrations.

Honest reviews on NCAA Football 08 - Xbox 360

My major issue with this game is the lagging of the gameplay as well as the announcing. It seemed it took a quarter of a second too long to switch between players on defense, which of course can cause undesired results. The gameplay was akward as well especially on defense. I found playing on the defensive line was nearly impossible. I could never get any pressure on the QB. The graphics are out of this world and the game is very nice to look at overall. The football aesthetics is aplenty but the gameplay needs to be fun in order to have a good game. I found the gameplay and the lagging was too much to overcome. I sold the game and have not looked back.

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This year's game is a step ahead from last year's...except for in one (and the largest i.m.o.) category fps. The gameplay is so slow a lot of times, imagine the worst lag you've had playing online in Madden or any shooter game; that's what normal off-line gameplay is like on ncaa '08. If you played last year's title, the offline lag is worse this year...Other than that it's a great game and EA is almost there in terms of a great game. The graphics are wonderful, the gametypes are extremely fun ("You decide to veg out on the couch and watch movies with friends...Popularity +1"), and the achievements are a little more challenging this year (getting six interceptions with one player in one game....grrr).

Overall, it's a fun game to rent and play for a weekend when you have nothing to do, but I wouldn't buy it...next year's should be the one to put the series over the top.

Xbox 360 Slim GhostCase Kit - Clear Smoke Review

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List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $39.98
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

This case is really cool looking on my Xbox 360. The plastic seems to be durable. The only thing that disappointed me about the product was that when ordering it the pictures shows the colors as (blue, green, and red) and you do not get an option to pick what color you want. Mine came with blue thankfully. I think the product needs to say what color lights it comes with. Also, there is NO directions on how to install anything or how to take anything apart. So, if you have never done anything to your Xbox I would recommend watching a video on YouTube on how to take apart Xbox 360 and how to install GhostCase. FYI there are a few things on the Xbox 360 that are tricky to get apart.

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This product is ok, but I don't think its worth the money. As others have said this case states it comes with blue, red, and green LEDs. However it in fact only comes with blue LEDs. Also I would like to state that the pictures show that is a clear case. That too is incorrect, if I had to say it's more of a black case which the inside can't be seen clearly until it is turned on and the LEDs are on. Overall this product looks great and was a fun install. Recommend if you don't mind blue LEDs and a darker case.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Slim GhostCase Kit - Clear Smoke

Great case but it is a bit difficult to install as the screw pegs are not per-threaded to the xbox360 long pin screws. As a result of this it can result in stripped screws. But after the case is properly installed it is amazing to look at and is beautiful to look at when lit up. Also the light kit that is sent with the case could be a but better shielded other then these small discrepancy the case is great.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Slim GhostCase Kit - Clear Smoke

This is an awful product, i wouldn't suggest getting it, this isn't because i'm mad because i couldn't install it, i could very easily, the quality is horrible, since i'm a professional modder and have all the required tools, an average person who has purchased this wouldn't have the proper tools, the tools included are very hard to work with, the screw driver came defective, the quality of this case is horrible overall.

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This kit is really cool it comes with led strip lighting and looks great. The faceplate was a little tricky to install but overall the whole thing is very easy and simple to setup.

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

Customer Ratings:

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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Reviews of uDraw GameTablet with uDraw Studio - Nintendo Wii

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Ours came today. Set up was simple, just connecting it and then putting the Wiimote into the tablet. Mostly it was just doodles but when we started looking at all of the different options and things you can do with it we realized we are really going to have to spend some time with it. I'm going to try to get everyone to draw a Christmas card and then go online to use it as our Christmas card! You can do all sorts of things with saving the pictures you draw. And we played a full game of Pictionary, which we ordered too. We all LOVED THAT. It takes a while to get used to drawing and seeing it on the screen and also the drawing pad is a little small so you have to practice, but part of the fun of drawing is making mistakes and drawing silly things. Our next door neightbor is a graphic designer and I want to have him over this weekend to show us what he can do with it. Great choice and it would be a really great holiday gift. If you're seriously worried about being bored, then know that this is NOT A "GAME." It's a really great drawing/art device and we are really happy we bought it! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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This is much more than "just a game."

So far everyone in the family, from a 3 y/o to myself have had great fun with this.

It is extremely simple to connect and start using it.

The software includes enough tools to actually some nice artwork. The tools are fairly intuitive. Changing between them is a simple matter of pressing a button. Erasing mistakes is also simple. Once you're done, everything can be saved into an SD card and ported to a computer.

This is one of those "games" that are good for the whole family.

As an added bonus, the tablet connects to Pictionary for a few more hours of fun.

Best Deals for uDraw GameTablet with uDraw Studio - Nintendo Wii

Being grandparents of eight, we are always looking for things for grandchildren to do when they visit. I read about this and it sounded interesting. We have had our Wii for over two years. We also have the balance board and a few games.

We bought the uDraw thinking we might give it as a Christmas gift for some of our grandchildren. We tried it and showed it to our son. Our first thoughts were that it was too hard for the kids. Our son did not think so. So we kid tested it. We let three of our granddaughters try it at our house. The 7 and 10 year old fought over it. They had a great time and picked up the basic tools, etc. faster than Grandma and Grandpa did. Then the 5 year old had her turn. She didn't do too much but did have fun.

While we were doing this, another son and his family showed up. Our daughter-in-law was excited to see it work. They were considering buying it for their almost 8 year old son and their almost 6 year old daughter. Those kids tried it, too. They also had a great time. Our grandson is a heavy-duty video game player so we were surprised at his interest. Grandpa had read the tutorials by then and showed them how to do some things. Their Mom tried it later and thought it was great for them. We have saved a picture to an SD card and printed it from our computer. The picture was certainly acceptable for our uses.

In the end, Grandma and Grandpa bought uDraws for both sets of grandkids. We decided to keep the first one for ourselves. We have had fun with it and feel we can learn how to use more of the features and then help the grandkids learn how to use theirs in different ways. We definitely are not artists but this tablet is very relaxing to just experiment with.

We have not purchased any other games for the uDraw yet. We do see how it could be used in many other ways. Hope more games will come out soon.

We have alot of paper, color crayons, play doh, paint, etc. at our house. We have always believed that we would not use the TV as a babysitter and encourage other forms of play. That being said, there are video games, etc. that we do think are excellent for kids. This definitely is one of them.

Honest reviews on uDraw GameTablet with uDraw Studio - Nintendo Wii

First off this review is coming from a 40 year old guy with hardly no artistic ability when it comes to drawing or painting so I have to say that for the "fun" factor this is pretty cool for something that lets you draw pictures on your television. This uDraw tablet is nothing more than an overrated toy however. It is not by any means designed for high quality images. Great for kids, and can be fun for adults.

Three points I should mention right off.....

(1.) I discovered that there is a 35 minute time limit on your drawings. That is calculated by actual drawing time. So a stroke of your brush would only make a few seconds of time into your drawing. This is ok for kids and non-skilled artists, but for true artists looking for something to make highly detailed art this is not going to do it for you. Get a Wacom tablet for your PC. I wish I had done that instead of spending money on this.

(2.) The images produced by this software are very low quality. Yes you can save your images to a SD card but when you get them over onto the computer you will find they are small images (only 576 X ??? pixels) and the colors won't even come close to what you saw on your television screen. In other words if your Wii is hooked up to your HDTV with beautiful colors it's not going to look at all like that on your computer. The image will be drab looking on your computer as compared to what you saw on your television.

(3.) The uDraw tablet and Studio disc is not actually a game. It is just a tablet and drawing software. You have to either buy Dood's Big Adventure or Pictionary seperately to use the tablet in a game.

All in all this is a system you can have fun with but don't expect super high quality images if that's what your looking for. If your just looking for something to draw random things on your tv screen this is will do it for you.

I wouldn't exactly say it is worth nearly 70 dollars. Maybe 45 but not 70.

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First off, let me state that I am an artist, and I've been wanting a tablet for years, but have never had the money. I've used plenty of tablets and borrowed from friends.

Although this product is not without flaw, it certainly is amazing.

The uDraw tablet drawing space is a lot bigger than I thought it would be (most of the pictures were angled, so it looked as if it was only a 3x5 space in the upper right-hand corner). I do wish the cord attaching the pen was just a little longer, but the convenience of being able to lift your pen and appropriately line up the pen to where you ended that line, and begin that same line seamlessly, is priceless.

The performance of it is wonderful and the feeling of it is smooth-not the least bit clumsy or bulky.

The features are amazing, cute enough (you can pick your drawing environment. I tend to pick the Beach, with the seagull sounds, or Art Class with the random ruckus periodically; Which you can also opt to silence altogether) and the tools are awesome, ranging from pen to sponge and down to marker.

Another cool option is to watch you re-draw the entire portrait in a recording, pause it where you would like to go back to, and continue drawing from there. For example, if you drew something, sponged it, and colored it in, you can play back the recording of you drawing it line by line, then sponging it, and watch it become colored. You CAN fast forward it to 2x, 4x and 8x speed, but once you do, you still have to watch it draw the whole thing, because it's loading the entire video up to the point you chose.

Also, another mentionable: "Save" and "Snapshot" are different; "Save" allows you to save it to your uDraw gallery, while "Snapshot" saves it to your SD card. It saves in .PNG format for high resolution images.

Another cool bit, especially for the kiddies, is the Coloring Book. You can pick a page from a couple of genres, such as Fantasy, or Science for instance, and...well...freely color!

For 70 dollars, this tablet is amazing. It's good for artists with an open mind, great for kids (I'd let my 6 year old cousin have at it) and including all the neat games they'll surely release in the near future along with the ones already out-like Pictionary?

This thing is an awesome steal.

Reviews of Ferrari Universal 5-in-1 Challenge Wheel

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I purchased this for my 11 year old daughter, as she wanted a "real" racing wheel with pedals for the Wii. It was easy to set up (just plug it in) and, it worked right away. After launching Mario Kart Wii with the wii remote, the Thrustmaster wheel functions like an additional wii remote for choosing characters and races. The pedals work for acceleration and braking, and, I find that the racing wheel has a nice feel to it. It can be set to one of two sensitivity settings.

I also found a sheet showing the button presets for Mario Kart on the Thrustmater support website. For instance, the brake pedal also functions as a drift button. My daughter loves it. She races with my 14 year old son, who uses the Wii wheel that came with the game. But they both prefer using the Thrustmaster racing wheel, as it is easier to use and more "fun," than the standard Wii wheel.

NOTE: Check the Thrustmaster website: go to "Tech Support--Downloads--Game Settings" for the list of compatible games for this wheel.

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I ordered this last week for playing GRID on my PS3. When I took it out of the box, I was a little worried because the wheel is so small compared to one I had for my Xbox. But after clamping it to a table and firing up GRID, my worries are gone. The choice I had was between this wheel for $30 or a Logitech wheel for $150. I'm not sure what a $150 wheel does for you but this one works well with my PS3, will work with my Wii, and makes playing GRID much more fun.

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Exactly what I was looking for! An arcade style wheel with pedals for my Gamecube racing games to use on my Nintendo Wii. I love the realistic feel of racing, and the Gamecube racing selection. I wanted to find a way to play those games as I would if they were Wii games. And this is it!

It also works with Mario Kart for Wii really well! (This is the only Wii game that it's currently compatible with at this time, because the game allows use of the Gamecube controller.)

Works well straight out of the box. I was able to plug it in, and start playing right away. It does take just a moment to learn where the correct buttons are, like with Mario Kart for example.

I was very impressed with way the controls handled and responded. Not too loose but just right. It was much easier to use then the Gamecube controller on games like Burnout, where you need quick, accurate response, without over-correcting. PC wheels I have used in the past seemed to have you all over the place, and were too responsive, with no tension. This wheel has the perfect balance. It also seems sturdy enough to last for a while.

The size wasn't bad and I found it quite comfortable. It's not the size of a full sized wheel, but it certainly wasn't an inconvenience. I actually liked the smaller size, it felt easier to use. Close to the size of the Wii wheel, so it felt familiar.

It will add a new dimension to your Gamecube racing games, and open up some more fun options for those of us that have Wii, but have limited racing selection.

Honest reviews on Ferrari Universal 5-in-1 Challenge Wheel

I just wanted to make sure everyone saw that! I did NOT see it in the description... maybe I Missed it, I dont know.

But I got it so my husband can play his beloved "Dirt to daytona" On the ps3 (it is a ps2 game in our house) And it does NOT work.. says it right in the booklet that came with the steering wheel.

But it works great on the PC (He played one of the 18 Wheels of steel games) & it works great on the PS3 as long as it is a Ps3 game lol.

We have not tried it on the wii or gamecube yet.

Over all it is a great wheel.

His only complaints (besides the obvious) is :

it is a little small

The pedals are close together

the buttons are not marked.

But he says it is a great birthday present & overall he is happy with it!

Hope this helps someone!!

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I purchased this wheel cuz the description stated it worked with all game platforms and I have a Wii. When I received it and read the instructions this wheel only will work with downloaded virtual games for the Wii with use of the classic controller. Needless to say I sent it back.

Best Afterglow Universal Wireless Headset - Blue - Xbox 360 Deals

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List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $69.99
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

While I neither own, nor play, any of the modern game systems that this device is targeted for, I do have quite a lot of experience with headphones and with consumer electronics. I looked at the sonic qualities of them in use as a traditional headset and I did not evaluate the microphone at all. If you are looking for a review from a gameplayer, this is not it, but if the same level of quality went into the design and implementation of the microphone as it did the sonic quality of the headsets, I think it will be perfect for even the most finicky gamer.

FIT AND FINISH

Physically the headsets have a bit of a Tron-like look to them, which may not be perfectly suited for the average 30+ year old. Thankfully the designers provided several different illumination settings for the headsets. I promptly set the illumination to be disabled -no need to waste precious battery life.

The overall fit of the headset wasn't perfect. Having it be adjustable would be a very welcome feature for those of us that have a bit bigger noggin. The ear cups didn't sit flat because they were a bit on the tight side. I ended up rotating the headband toward the back of my head and thankfully the cups can be rotated to fit your ear angle. This provided a mostly comfortable fit, but still no where near as comfortable as it could be if even slight adjustment was possible.

SETUP

Getting the headsets set up was fairly straightforward. Plug in the USB dongle to the back of your computer or game console, connect the audio output using the 1/8" mini-plug or one of the adapters provided, power on the headsets and let the dongle and headsets pair up. Instant wireless audio. The quick setup documentation left a lot to be desired, but there is a much more thorough user's manual that outlines several key troubleshooting steps as well as how to setup more complex home theater systems should you run into issues.

MUSIC PLAYBACK

THE SETUP: I sat down with a very eclectic selection of music ranging from Classical Mozart (Symphony Number 40 if you'd like to know) all the way through Journey, Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana Unplugged and Disturbed (needed something with some overdriven guitar). I've listened to several wireless speakers and headsets and I was definitely impressed by the quality of sound being generated by this sub-$100 WIRELESS headset. I was listening to uncompressed digital versions of the songs from the original retail CDs and in all cases the Bass was tight and highs were sharp, just the way I like them.

Every now and then with the more "layered" pieces, things got a little muddy with the woofer overtaking the rest of the mix and causing some sharp drops in the mid range. For example during the Dave Matthews Band song "Tripping Billies" the intro has a heavy bass drum hit over the top of the sax and violin, there was a noticeable reduction in the amplitude of the mid/higher end range of the sax/violin to accommodate the very loud output from the woofer. Wanting to investigate this more, I hard wired the headsets into the source directly and that eliminated this problem. It appears that it may be a result of some compression needed to provide enough bandwidth for the wireless connection but only the manufacturers can really confirm that. What I was noticing was something that is commonplace when listening to compressed audio and for most consumers it is a non-issue. I just wanted to indicate here (for those that care about such things) that there are some subtle differences when listening wirelessly compared to listening with a wire but it is very minimal and for casual use won't be a problem.

LITTLE THINGS

The volume adjustment on the headset was a welcome addition as there are times when you do want to adjust that output just a bit and don't want to have to grab a remote or wake your computer to do it.

With regard to the alternate modes that are available on this headset, all of my comparative tests were conducted using the "Pure Audio" setting. There are two other options which the manufacturers title as "Bass Boost" and "Immersive". When Bass Boost was enabled, the bass was sharp and generally undistorted, but overly heavy for music. This might be a desired effect for those who have a particular affinity for bass in their music, but for my tastes the "bass boost" is just too much. As PDP is a gaming centric company, I could see its use in gaming, or movies, but not for music. It is for people that have a need (or just a desire) for heavy bass and don't care about much else. The Immersive option, like the bass boost, would seemingly work better for movie/game play use, not for music. It is intended to create a psycho-acoustic virtual surround sound effect, but again, in my tests, the quality of sound output by the speakers is far better than anything that a circuit can emulate and in Pure Audio mode the headset did a very good job emulating the spatial effects created naturally during recording and intended by the audio mixers of the content. But some users may enjoy it. Thankfully, the manufacturers provided an easy color-coded system indicated on the microphone to tell which mode you are in and made it very easy to switch between them. Try them all and figure out which one works for the content you are enjoying.

WHAT ABOUT FOR JUST WATCHING TV?

For those of you that were hoping to use these headsets for casual television watching, you will really enjoy the volume adjustment so that you can listen at a louder level than your partner might enjoy. Being a closed ear design, you can even be in the same room as your partner and they could be sleeping or reading and you won't be disturbing each other. Of course you can use these headsets with a wire and that will provide the simplest form of connectivity. Unfortunately, the wire that comes with the headset is fairly short (as it is intended to be used with portable gaming consoles or Ultrabooks that may lack a USB port). If you are looking to use them as a wired headset, you will need to get a longer cable. Thankfully, the port that the manufacturer used on the headsets is a standard 1/8" Mini plug available at most local electronics stores. If your TV or amplifier doesn't have a "headphone" out plug then you will need to use the included RCA plug to 1/8" stereo plug which the manufacturer includes.

NOTE: You can only use the "pure audio" mode when using these headsets with a wire.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WIRELESS TV WATCHING?

Wireless from the TV is potentially a bit more challenging. If your TV has a USB port (many newer models do), you may be able to plug the USB dongle into that and then use the included RCA to 1/8" stereo plug (sorry no optical input available) that the manufacturer includes to hookup the audio. Our test TV is an older LCD that doesn't have any kind of USB plug available. In my tests, I discovered one could use a powered USB hub (for example this: ) to plug in the USB dongle and then hook the audio cable up to whatever audio out is available on your TV. The hub doesn't get connected to a computer, the included AC adapter provides the power for the wireless connection and then you can use these headsets without the burden of the wire following you around everywhere. As an added bonus, while using the wireless mode you then regain the ability to use the alternate Bass Boost and Immersive modes (which were not available with the wire) should you be interested in doing so.

A COMMENT ABOUT WIRELESS RANGE

The wireless range of these headsets is quite good. In very non-official and non-quantitative tests I was able to walk out of our suite of offices (about 2000 square feet) and down the hall 20-30 feet before I lost connectivity. This is obviously dependent on location of the source and devices/construction materials between the headset and the source. But in a typical residential environment a user should be able to walk around a 1,000-2,000 square foot house if the source is centrally located without loosing connection to the source.

FINAL SUMMARY

Overall these are a great set of headphones for consumption of multimedia content. Whether it is to be used with a portable device like an iPad or other game platform, or with a home theater so you don't disturb those around you, most users will find the sound delivered by these headphones to be light years beyond what they are accustomed to. Physically, the overall design (a little on the "bright" side for my traditional tastes) and the lack of size adjustment makes them difficult for me to wear comfortably both privately or in a public setting. The alternative modes may work for your particular listening needs, give them all a try and choose what works for you. But all in all, at this price point, it would be difficult to find a better sounding headset that offers all of the features and options this unit includes.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I previously had reviewed the Turtle Beach Ear Force X42 Wireless Dolby Surround Sound Gaming Headset. For a headset that normally goes for a $160, I was expecting a lot from the Turtle Beach...and it did fairly well. I was pretty disappointed by the lackluster bass performance, however.

The mic on this headset performs about as well as the Turtle Beach does. Range is also quite excellent I'm able to walk to the other side of my house and still hear what's going on without interference which is impressive given that I do have a dual-band router plus an assortment of electronics throughout the house.

Where this headset excels over the Turtle Beach, however, is in bass reproduction. For a headset that retails for $90 less than Turtle Beach's X42, it puts it to shame. It's not going to be a contender for a Beats or a Bose headset, mind you, but it really puts the Turtle Beach to shame. Playing Borderlands, I hear the satisfying low roar of a rocket launcher firing and the thud of a far off explosion which sounds puny on the Turtle Beach. The Immersive Audio mode is by far my favorite audio mode for playing games and it sounds great.

And can the X42 work on the PC? Or the Playstation? Or with a mobile phone? I think not this Afterglow actually is compatible with ALL of these devices at a fraction of the price.

Battery life promises 10 hours I have used it for 9 thus far and not a glimmer/hint of the headset's battery life waning. The lithium ion battery appears to work as advertised thus far.

As for build, this headset doesn't feel like it's going to break like the X42 does. It's pretty solid and actually withstands some deformation without breaking (don't push it though the intent is to protect damage from "casual" use, not so you can show your friends how it bends like a reed). The ear pads also feel like they are better quality with a nice comfortable leather feel. The headset does feel a bit on the small side for me, but then size 8 hats feel almost uncomfortably snug on me so I'm sure that it will feel pretty comfortable on the average head.

A brief note on the mic I like the fact that it's retractable. Having the swivel mic on the Turtle Beach set was occasionally annoying; having the ability to tuck away the mic when I'm not using it gets a big thumbs up from me.

This headset will never replace my audiophile headsets, but for gameplay, this set really puts Turtle Beach on notice...Turtle Beach is NOT the company that I remember anymore.

Highly recommended!

Best Deals for Afterglow Universal Wireless Headset - Blue - Xbox 360

This is honestly the perfect headset for me. I have used it for gaming, skype calls, and listening to music and it works great for all of those things. I love how I can walk around my house or sit on my balcony while talking on Skype, the range is great as well. The only time it ever cut out on me is when I tried walking out to my car with them on. They don't have a whole lot of adjustability, but they fit my head just fine. Not to mention that they look better than any other headset available. I got the one day shipping for three dollars with Prime and it arrived in about 12 hours which is quite impressive if you ask me. They seem to be made of quality material, so they should hold up just fine.

Honest reviews on Afterglow Universal Wireless Headset - Blue - Xbox 360

People have had different views of PDP Afterglow's products. I'm not quite an expert though because this is my first product I've bought from them. Might buy a controller later on but anyway;

Sound This Headset sounds great for its cost. The three different audios are clear, The Bass Boost really does add a nice oomph of impact depending on what game/music your listening to. On PC, I use a Equalizer to increase the effect further when I really feel like having my head rattled so much the headset technically shakes itself(though long term usage-wise..it might not be advised to abuse it.)-Another NoteThe've done well to add the Bass Boost without really distorting the Highs of the sound, though you can still notice the difference in contrast though.. The Virtual Surround Sound mode is probably what you will use with everything you listen to. It isn't no 7.1 but it does do a pretty good job of opening the "field of sound" from just your ears to your whole head to give a overall nice richness of sound.. The VSS mode, as it has on the box, will be able to obtain the highest high's out of all 3 modes and it can still capture a nice low to an extent. Technically, it's the Jack of all Trade mode. Then the Pure Audio is pretty much the normal default mode. It will always be set to it when you turn the headphones on.

Value About power usage, well, They certainly told the truth about how long they last. I haven't really ran into a loss of power problem since I've got them. Of course, I don't quite have the time to fully play them for 10-12 straight hours and if you use them in a mobile device, they don't really use power unless you manually turn the lighting effect on(because it's not automatic unless they're used on console or PC)The glow effect is awesome, of course. Some people I show them off to always ask do they sound as good as the look. All I do is let them have a test and they shut right on up lol.

Design The only thing I have a problem with is that the ear cups are quite bulky. Being 50mm drivers though, they do envelop your whole ear. And it will take a little time to get use to the feel. You can rotate the padding though until they feel right to you....and depending on the person, they may slightly squeeze your head when you first put the on. you just have to stretch them out a bit and "break them in" before they start feeling comfortable enough. Until then, you might have to take them off after a little while to give your head a rest.

Overall They sound great, they look great, they're wireless with a nice range to them. -Side NoteThe wireless transmitor has a 3.5mm jack that can go into a mobile device as well, so if you have a AC wall unit with a usb, then you can pretty much turn your mobile device into wireless as well, as sort of an alternative to bluetooth. Anyway, all I can say is that they'll have to survive the test of time of course( months to years) without messing up in some way. The Golden Rule still applies: Take care of your things. Other than that, what more can you ask of in headphones. These are all-around nice.

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After over five months of using the Afterglow Universal Wireless Headset, it's time to find something else.

I purchased these after the battery in my Logitech Wireless Headset H600 Over-The-Head Design (981-000341) stopped holding a charge. The initial reviews, feature set, and reasonable price appeared to be a fine choice. It's also a relatively new offering where the choices that already existed in the category all failed in one way or another.

The good:

Insanely verstile: The headset itself is both wired and wireless. You can plug an audio source and an Xbox 360 controller directly into the headset with wires if that's what you need. It also functions as a wireless headset with its USB transmitter. The transmitter even has a stereo audio cable hanging off of it which can be used simultaneously with the USB audio adapter. In my case, I could plug it into my Mac for game audio and microphone input to TeamSpeak while having the transmitter's 3.5mm connector on my iPhone to listen to podcasts. The headset has a fade control to tweak the mixing of the two audio sources. It does all of these things very well, which is wonderful.

Great sound quality that comes through sufficiently loud: This really says it all. The quality of wireless and wired audio is perfect for gaming, listening to music, or anything else. Other wireless USB headsets I've tested were too quiet to be useful in many situations, but this headset does not have the same problem.

Excellent battery life: I easily got through two nights of hardcore gaming on a single charge. When the battery does eventually run out, you can keep it going by plugging in a mini USB cable to a source of power. You can even use the headset while it's charging. Some USB wireless headsets cannot do this.

Great wireless range: I had no trouble roaming my house while listening on this headset. It's nice.

The bad:

Bright LED lights everywhere: The wireless transmitter has a super-bright LED in it which is always on when connected and blinking when disconnected. I had to cover it up a bit with electrical tape to tone it down. The headset itself is also a beacon of blue light. Look closely at the photo of the item. Anything blue there is a bright light, including the headband.

Ugly: I won't sugar-coat this detail. You will look like an absolute jackass wearing this thing. It's a monstrous blue plastic demon with no fashion sense. It looks worse than basketball shoes. The clear plastic band sits over an inch above your head, and the remaining bulky plastic enclosure lets the world know that you only venture outside of the house when your parents yell at you to go find a job. Believe it or not, I have seen someone out in public wearing these. He did not make the headset look any better than I do.

The horrible:

The controls are digital: The volume and chat/game fade controls are non-stepping dials, but they are not analog or fine. Both jump to different volume levels as the dial is smoothly turned. It would have been better to just make them up/down buttons like an iPhone's volume controls.

The controls are buggy: Have you had your headset powered up for too long? The volume and chat/game fade controls will both stop working. Every once in a while you've gotta turn the headset off and on or you're stuck. This wouldn't be such a big deal if not for the fact that...

The mute button is also the power button: You have to hold the mute button down for two seconds to power the headset off. This is dumb. It should be a switch, or possibly the very bottom of an analog volume dial.

Uncomfortable: The clear plastic band does such a good job of holding the device on your head that it feels like a vice. The design is quite unfriendly to folks, like myself, who wear eyeglasses as it presses the frames into your skill with such force it leaves a mark afterwards. I've had to adjust the headset's position frequently to keep my head from feeling like it was going to be smashed in. As a result, I've discovered...

The clear plastic headband is not shatterproof: The clear band has developed some ominous cracks. I don't think this thing can last for a full year of regular use.

I really wish this headset were more comfortable and with better controls, because it is so perfectly versatile and has such great sound and microphone quality. Alas, it is not so. I only recommend this headset to homebound folks who have very small heads and don't wear glasses. Otherwise, you might want to reconsider your decision to try out a wireless USB headset. There are really no good options out here.

Reviews of Test Drive Eve of Destruction

Customer Ratings:

Test Drive Eve of Destruction is a strange title for a game all about 'contact racing' (demolition derby, figure-8 racing, etc).

There are 3 modes of gameplay: Action, Career, and Dare. All three modes accumulate points to unlock goodies.

Action mode has most of the cars unlocked and a handful of tracks and lets you jump right in and drive whatever car you want in whatever event you want. Pick the school bus, head to the trailer races, and you'll be a school bus with trailer racing a bunch of cars with trailers (how fun is that?).

In dare mode you race in a set of races with a predefined car. You must to finish first in each race to move on to the next 'dare'. There are multiple dare levels with 5 races per level.

Career mode is what you'd expect. You start out with the worst car, little cash, and no reputation. Within career mode you have different ways to race as well. You can race at the various tracks, go to the diner to race the local boys for money, and run time trials at places like the local gravel pit. There is also a junkyard where you can buy new cars, and a garage where you can purchase upgrades and paint your car.

Painting your car is pretty funny. When you paint, it's with spray paint and it looks real...and real bad...just like real spray-painted cars at the derby.

Any given race night is called an 'eve' and there are a number of events per eve. The events are fairly comprehensive and include: Figure-8 Jump (where the cars have to cross an intersection with jumps at high speed), trailer races (trailers attached to the cars), chain races (cars chained togethor), king of the hill, car soccer, flag-pole races (circle a flagpole while racing), the gauntlet (you drive a hearse and try to elude the chase cars), and of course the demolition derby. There are quite a few more race types besides these.

As far as gameplay goes, it's fun but this isn't a driving sim. It isn't PGR2. It's an Atari title and they don't seem to be putting out the top-shelf games these days. The various cars do handle differently and the upgrades to make the cars better. You just have to get the hang of how each car drives and not unlike PG2, the action mode is the way to get used to the various cars.

This is also one of those games that is super fun to play with your friends. You better have a big TV screen though since there's no Live and no system link. The game does support 480p video and Dolby 5.1 audio.

To parents, the only reason I can figure that this title got a T (teen) ESRB rating is because of two fairly common four-letter words (one starts with an H and the other starts with a D) that you certainly don't want your little kids repeating. That inclusion is unfortunate because the announcer is so lame that you tend to ignore him anyway and the context in which those two words are used doesn't add much to the game.

All in all this game is really fun and does a pretty good job at recreating the fun and spectacle of race night at your local full contact speedway. If you've never been (shame on you, you're missing out) the in-game video clips will give you a taste of what you are missing.

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This game is the most entertaining original xbox game that I've ever played. (I own around 135 original xbox games.) Up to 4 players can play at a time on the same console and the game is backwards-compatible on the xbox 360. The only improvements that could have been made are better graphics and more realistic physics. The soundtrack is great, though there are only ten or so songs. There are many, many gameplay modes, tracks, cars, unlockables, etc. This game is a blast! MUST BUY!!!! Also, tremendous replay value. I originally beat the game on the first xbox and then beat it on each of my 3 xbox 360 consoles. Great multiplayer game for friends and family.

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I got this game after my husband and son played it at a friend's house. They play this almost every night. You can play 2 players at a time, so they are able to go against each other. There are many different races you can play. A lot of fun for them to play together and fun for just one as well.

Honest reviews on Test Drive Eve of Destruction

The game is what the description says full of variety of races like figure eights, forward and backward, last man standing and more. One of the better if not the best racing game for the Xbox. Graphics are fairly good for the game and it works just fine for an Xbox 360. There is a career mode where you can race against other drivers, compete in night eves, customize your car with upgrades and spray paint jobs, and the salvage yard where you can buy and trade in your cars for better ones. Career mode is full of 25 events that you can play or skip but you must take first in each eve to advance. The dare mode is full of challenges that in order to unlock the next you have to beat the previous one. Multi-player is a lot of fun where you can play up to four people. You are able to reset your vehicle at almost anytime in the game in case you flip over or are stuck. The game can be saved throughout the game and anyone who enjoys racing or action games should definitely buy this. It's one of those games where you're able to play for hours and hours and still have a hard time putting the controller down

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I was looking for this game for a while. I remember playing it when I was younger. There's nothing better then mashing your car into another and putting them into the wall. Its a great game to kill time or to get some stress out. If you have an orignal xbox or a PS2, I recommened this game in your library

Breakdown - Xbox Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I remember a lil' game that hit stores a few months ago called "Breakdown". The game was suppose to be revolutionary and all that stuff but I see this game didn't get very "great" scores if you know what I mean, and seeing this is from Namco(the same people who braught us the awesome SOUL CALIBUR)I decided to finally buy this game 4 days ago(and man was this a good 14 bucks)and I must say, anyone who didn't like Breakdown for its story or visuals are just plain STUPID!

Lets get to it..

Breakdown plays in FPS mode through out the whole game with no visual cutscenes or nothing like that, it's all in Real time. I'm not going to get into the story but you can just read that for yourself from gamesites or gamemagazines. Besides the fact that Breakdown acctually has a great Story, the visuals were suppose to be like the way they are. I don't understand why it's getting all this bickering over the visuals, what!? Were you expecting Doom3 visuals???..Jeez, other then the superb story and great visuals the gameplay is both awesome......and very frustraiting..

The gameplay is what got this game mixed reviews for most, I must start off by saying you ONLY get 3 weapons, 2 of them are pretty useful(which is the rocket launcher and the pistol)but the most usless and somewhat frustraiting weapon is the SMG, my god...this gun WILL NOT kill the person your aiming for unless you're like 5 feet away from him!!! And maybe it's just me but I want to kill those idiots at Namco for making such terrible controls for the hand to hand combat, you will die so manytimes from the frustraiting learning curve that it's not even funny...There were times(such as the first time I met 3 T lans)were I'd throw my control on the floor in anger, this game can get very, very frustraiting EVEN ON EASY MODE.. And why is everyone complaining about the lengh, the lengh is pretty decent, not great...but decent...same lengh as Halo 2, if you ask me...Other then that...

Good

-Great Visuals

-Great hand to hand combat engine

-Superb Story that is being bashed on by alot of gamers

-Great sound, very detailed and great characters

-Unique, original and very very wierd...

-Decent length, took me about 9 hours and 50 minutes..

Bad

-Terrible, terrible, frustraiting hand to hand combat learning curve

-60% of the game, or even more, is just mostly opening doors, running to the next linear hallway, open the next to door, ect..

-Most people will get turned off by it's extreamly Linear gameplay levels..

-Frustraiting enemies like fighting 3 or 4 enemies at once might push some gamers to throw there controls on the ground in anger...like myself..and trust me, it ain't pretty

Other then that, if you got 10 bucks to spare, get this game, it's not only an awesome game, but it's pretty original and has great visuals, great story and great action....the only bad thing about it is the frustraiting controls. Alot of people will hate this game and Alot of people will love this game...I personally enjoyed this game(but I mainly got this to get my mind of Doom 3 for xbox) Overall...I give this a

4.1 out of 5 stars

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I must be losing my touch; This is the second game in a just a few weeks that I'm accusing of being "too hard" on normal difficulty. To be fair, most of the game is good. It might seem like a first person shooter at first, but it's really more of an action/adventure game. It has far more exploration and environment interaction than most FPSs. Also, in the final analysis the combat system is more geared towards hand to hand combat than shooting.

While the first person immersion is one of the highlights of this game, sometimes it's taken too far, to the point where it inhibits the fun factor. Simply interacting with an object involves up to THREE separate commands: 1) Extend your arm 2) Pick up object 3) Examine/keep/discard object. That becomes tedious very early on. Furthermore, during combat you're often knocked down. While they did a good job of simulating the first person view of someone being punched hard enough to be sent reeling to the ground (believe me, I know what that's like,) the process of falling down and then getting back up takes far too long. Again, realism at the expense of fun. Adrenaline rush subsides into pure aggravation.

Some of the problem solving in this game is completely counter-intuitive. There are occasions when there are simply -nohints or clues as to what you must do in order to progress and you're left to twist in the wind until you somehow figure it out on your own. Example: You're being chased through a maze by an unstoppable foe who will kill you outright if he catches you. Your only hope is to escape the maze before he catches up to you and snuffs you out. When you finally reach the end of the maze, the exit door won't open. Why? Figure it out, stupid. Want a clue? Too bad. Just figure it out somehow. Eventually I got fed up and had to check a FAQ. Once I knew the solution, my one thought was "Now just how in the hell did they expect me to figure that out?" Maybe I've been spoiled by games like Metal Gear Solid that hold your hand through every obstacle in the game, but I think there should have been at least some little hint to point me in the right direction so I could have figured out how to get the door open. Aside from this sort of situation, there are some occasions toward the end of the game where you're expected to fight groups of enemies that just beat the living tar out of you time and time again until you get lucky. I spent over three hours trying to fight my way through the last few sections before I finally succeeded. I had stopped having fun long before I finished the game. To add insult to injury, towards the end of the game there is something you can interact with that will dispense arguably the most important plot information and exposition of the entire affair. This is something I would think most people playing the game will miss. I myself would have missed out on it, if not for a friend telling me to look for it. This is not good game design, Namco.

Frustrations aside, I have to admit that a lot of Breakdown was fun and I don't necessarily regret playing it. As someone mentioned in an earlier review, it's obvious that the creators of this game were influenced by Half-Life and The Matrix. And perhaps 12 Monkeys.

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Give "Breakdown" the credit it deserves. It's a genre-defying first person action game with shooter elements, but an emphasis on hand-to-hand combat. That sounds strange, and it IS strange, but it actually works, if you can believe that! Add to the mix the most immersive 3D game mechanics I've yet seen, and you've got yourself a game that comes recommended despite its disappointments.

The setup is strikingly similar to "Half-Life," with a few twists here and there. You're Derrick Cole, and you come to in a glossy research facility that is being overrun by genetic freaks from another dimension. In fact, you're a bit of a genetic freak yourself, which makes you the only one capable of saving the day. It also means that you'll have to keep an eye out for armed soldiers who would like nothing more than to put a bullet in you. In all truth, the story doesn't make a lot of sense, but the game is so good at inserting you into its nonsensical setting that it becomes sufficiently compelling.

Initially, "Breakdown" feels like a first-person shooter. You must escape the facility, and firearms are in good supply to help you do just that. Things change, though, when you come face-to-face with your first mutant, as they are completely immune to gunfire. Avoidance is the only policy at first (and the game lays on the tension nice and thick), until at last you begin to morph into a being that is physically capable of taking on mutants in hand-to-hand combat. Because the shooter elements are so basic (you have a severely limited arsenal and targeting can be a chore), things start to get really interesting at this point, because, to my continuing disbelief, this form of combat works so well provided you're not juggling several opponents at once. Sometimes the game forces you to take on a handful of powerful opponents, and it just becomes frustrating. Fortunately, in most cases it's a simple matter to lure your stupid enemies from their positions and beat them to death one-by-one. Later in the game this is less of an option, since you're hurled into rooms you can't escape until you've pummeled all the mutants it throws your way. Getting hit in the back and watching a ten second animation of you dropping to the ground is less than amusing.

The early stages of the game are immensely well done, and are complete with some staggeringly cool set pieces. One, which introduces you to the game's appropriately scary villain, a half-man called Solus, is better than just about any scripted moment I've ever seen in a game of this type. There are several moments early on that are worth playing repeatedly, and take cinematic gaming to a whole new level. In particular, Derrick's hallucinations as he mutates are imaginative and eerie. Unfortunately, all of these moments are frontloaded, and there are few such bits as you near the finale.

Speaking of the finale, here's where a great games settles with just being good. It's as though the designers got tired of all the work it must have taken to make the first half of the game so brilliant, and just cobbled together the remaining portion. What's more, you have to go through one large area twice! Nothing changes, it's essentially just the same as it was the first time you experienced it. It's every bit as disappointing as it sounds, and will probably threaten to break the will of many players. It doesn't help that it's the worst part of the game in the first place, as the alien dimension stages are visually unappealing, repetitive, and downright frustrating. The game tries to transform itself into a first-person platformer here, and it's ill-advised.

I've been an avid gamer for over ten years, and I've never seen a game with such potential fall short of greatness by a mere hand's breadth, but that's exactly what "Breakdown" does. The initial game is brilliantly executed, and promises an experience that is not delivered when it's all said and done. Even so, there's nothing out there quite like "Breakdown," and I recommend it highly despite its shortcomings. After all, those shortcomings are only as disappointing as they are because the game is otherwise such a joy to experience. Don't overlook this one.

Final Score: A-

Honest reviews on Breakdown - Xbox

There is only a little in here that we haven't seen before. But it's all the Good Stuff with none of the drek.

The story will remind of Half-Life crossed with the Matrix, with shades of Bio Forge. But it's all presented in a fresh, smart way that makes it all very compelling.

The 1st person view point is also not what you're used to. It's not just the barrell of a big honkin gun sticking up from bottom of the screen. You engage in hand to hand combat with an array of puches, kicks, strikes and latter special attacks and powers (I won't spoil anything here!) and your hands and feet flying into the view frame and upside the enemies' heads puts you firmly in the action.

I am not even a little interested in yet another FPS, but this isn't one. It's a totally new spin on 1st person gaming which I predict will be copied from now on. NAMCO has blended the 3rd person acrobatics of titles like Tomb Raider and Splinter Cell with the shooting action of Quake and the fighting of Soul Caliber (almost). To rip off a phrase first used to describe Battlezone's new type of gameplay, "I weep at the birth of a new genre."

Go buy 2 and give one to someone you love. This is worth buying an XBOX for. No need to wait for Halo 2!

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After reciving this game in the mail and nearly beating it after a straight week of play I really think this first person puncher could start a new trend for the better! The controols though sticky at first get much easier to use as new abilities are granted to you.

The graphics are top of the line and suttle details like rusteling leaves under your feet and nearly perfect shading for all objects give a sence that you are really inside of the head of the character.

The story is enticing and compeling and comes at you from no where. The game seems dull and acts like a normal game untill your execution is upon you then out of no where your partner Alex some how jumps out of thin air, saves you, then vanishes again! Though it has no multiplayer ability, this game just might pave to way for more hand to hand FPS games.

It is a very exciting game that I highly recomed to all people who like Halo, Final Fantasy, and Resident Evil.

Reviews of Just Dance 2 - Nintendo Wii

Customer Ratings:
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The original Just Dance was the first dance video game to feature "real moves" to popular music. Before it, dance games were basically exercises in timing--stomping your feet on a mat or moving your hands to match an on-screen pattern. But with Just Dance, you weren't just playing a video game: you were learning real dance moves that you could take anywhere. And as you played the game over and over, you got a great workout without even knowing it. The game was a smash success, selling over 4 million copies worldwide. The game wasn't without its faults though, the biggest of which was the accuracy of the motion control. Even if you did the moves perfectly, sometimes the system wouldn't register them.

When you start out the game, the starting menu is refreshingly simple. There are three options: Dance!, Store, Extras. When you click "Dance!", you see three options: Just Dance, Dance Battle, and Just Sweat.

The "Just Dance" option gets you right to dancing to individual songs, just like in the original. Up to four players can play, each holding their own Wii remote. As in the original, you try to follow a mirror image of a silhouetted figure on the screen. Stick figures scrolling along the bottom of the screen will help you prepare for the next move, an indicator on the screen will tell you how well you hit your moves, and a "score gauge" will fill up with each correct move you make.

There's a great selection of 44 new songs, with something for everyone. Whether you want to dance to Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas" or Outkast's "Hey Ya". I like Ubisoft's approach; while other music games tend to focus on just one genre, Ubisoft included something for all ages and tastes.

Some of the songs feature "Duet Mode". These songs are identified by circle icon with two figures standing with their back to each other. This is a neat new feature that allows two players to dance alongside each other with each doing different choreographed moves, so you end up dancing a neat little routine together. For example, in Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend", the dancers start by pointing to each other. Then, one makes air guitar-like moves for a while while the other swings her arms. Then, the two go back to synchronized motions. It makes for a cute dance routine.

The "Dance Battle" option takes players through five rounds of competition. Up to four players can compete against each other, and the winner of each round gets a point. The player with the most points at the end of rounds is the winner. You can mix and match from these modes to create different competitions:

Classic: In this mode, players "just dance". The player with the highest overall score gets a point.

Duet: This mode consists of all the "Duet Mode" songs. The player in the pair who scores the highest gets a point.

Simon Says: In this game, while dancing an icon will appear randomly for each play while dancing (Stop, spin around, clap). The player must perform the action accurately to score points.

Medley: In this mode, each player has to dance to five song samples.

Race: This is a frenetic mode where each player has to fill their score gauge to win the round.

"Team Battle" is the same as "Dance Battle", except that it allows up to 8 players to play in two teams (they don't all play at the same time, the system will separate the players in the teams and display the players' names when it's their turn). This is great to have at parties where you have can get lots of people playing together and rooting their own team on.

My favorite new feature, of course, is "Just Sweat" mode. In it, you set an objective of calories you want to burn, and then you just dance away until they're burned off. 30 minutes dancing sure beats 30 minutes on a boring treadmill or exercise bike, as you not only burn calories away, you get practice learning the choreographed dance moves. And after dancing to the fast part of "Proud Mary", let's say I have newfound admiration for Tina Turner!

The new "Store" option allows you to buy downloadable content, which will even further expand the playability of this title.

And now the answer to the burning question you've been waiting for: did they really fix the poor motion tracking?

The answer is, happily, yes! Even though the game still uses only one Wii remote, and still doesn't even need MotionPlus, I'm happy to say that the motion tracking picked up my motions almost perfectly. It was even accurate not just to my timing, but also my arm movements and angles. The game developers made a vast improvement over the original in this department.

Overall, Just Dance 2 is a worthy successor to the original. The improved motion tracking is just what the doctor ordered, and they made the game even more fun for people playing together. Highly recommended.

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I can officially say that this is the first game I have ever pre-ordered and it was well worth the wait! I have been using the first version as my cardio workout for the past four months and was excited, yet hesitant, for the new one to arrive. The dance moves are definitely faster and more difficult than the first version, with a great new mix of songs. I was intimidated at first, but my 12 year-old daughter and I played each song we selected a couple of times to get the moves down. We ended the session with an exhausting two rounds of Proud Mary...WOW...that one will definitely be a part of my daily workout! I can't wait to try more songs and the "Just Sweat It Off" mode tonight to actually measure the calories I'm burning. Burning calories has never been this much fun!

Best Deals for Just Dance 2 - Nintendo Wii

First of all, I'm 40, Mom, I have 2 kids.

I have Just Dance, and I was on the fence about this game until I read the song list.

I LOVE this game. My kids LOVE it. We play "duet" mode constantly trading places on the dance floor.

My kids are between 7 and 10 and the songs have been edited so any inappropriate lyrics have been "omitted". I've only seen it happen on the song "toxic", but I was impressed that they did that. With Just Dance, Katy Perry sings Hot and Cold and a couple of lyrics could have been omitted without losing the song.

I'm also totally impressed with the variety of genres they have covered. We dance hip hop, latin, disco, techno, and electronic... totally made me want to buy some glow sticks, have a rave. Unbelievably fun workout. If we had the space for 8 people to dance, I'd get more controllers.

Honest reviews on Just Dance 2 - Nintendo Wii

Although this movie widely receives great reviews--to address some of the complaints I've seen in the 1-3 star reviews on here:

To the comment that it's "not for sedentary people"... er, DUH! Did you even know what game you were buying? The whole idea of the game is to get up and move your butt!

Alternately, to the person who said it wasn't a workout and they barely broke a sweat, I don't know what you were playing, but this game gets my heart rate pumping like crazy and absolutely makes me sweat--I'm not in tip top shape, but I'm not a couch potato, either. As with anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it. Try throwing some more enthusiasm into the moves and maybe you'll get somewhere.

The same goes for the person who said you could sit on the couch and swing the wii remote around and get all the points... if you're not going to get into it, why even buy the game? Try playing along, you might surprise yourself and *gasp* actually have fun.

To those saying the songs are lame, you can find track listings for every song in the game (along with what's DLC and thus not included on the disc) anywhere online, so to say you didn't know what you were getting is silly... I think Ubisoft was trying to make a "something for everybody" atmosphere and I dig it. Even the songs I'm not particularly into are fun to dance to. I hate Avril Lavigne but the dance in the game is still fun.

To say there are no classics is absurd, as well--Harry Belafonte? Elvis Presley? Kris Kross? Donna Summer? Tina Turner? James Brown?

And no variety? Combine the aforementioned with Ke$ha, Outkast, The Ting Tings, Pussycat Dolls, Fatboy Slim, Beastie Boys and Vampire Weekend. Um, hi.

It does show you the moves on the bottom of the screen (which I didn't even realize when I first started playing and still had a pretty good time and did fairly well); when there aren't stick figures at the bottom, it simply means to keep repeating the move you're currently doing. The stick figures are there to denote a change in dance move, not to hold your hand the entire way through.

In essence: quit being a fuddy-duddy and just have fun with it for what it is. Shocker, it probably wasn't manufactured with your specific tastes and preferences in mind--just find what you like about it and enjoy it! Some people can't be pleased. :p

I LOVE this game and it makes for some of the best times when friends drop over. The duets are really fun and the dances vary in intensity and difficulty, so you can choose your dances according to what you're up for (or, in my case, how tired you are due to how many dances you've already done). It has indicators on the menu to tell you how hard the moves in a dance are as well as how much it will make you sweat. It's a great, fun way to get some cardio in. My muscles will be screaming for a break and I won't want to put the controller down. It's a wonderful motivator for those of us who want to work out but hate working out.

I'm excited to check out the Just Sweat mode. I find the dances to be very re-playable; there are enough songs to rotate between and come back to. This is pre-DLC, in my case.

It is somewhat irritating that they charge so much for the downloadable songs, but they aren't a necessity to enjoy the game, and if you buy an extra song or two every now and again, it's not that big of a deal.

Sometimes the accuracy of the moves don't register, but overall, it's pretty good. It does instruct you on how to properly hold the wii remote to get your moves to take, so often it's user error. Just something to keep in mind. Doesn't make the dances any less fun, but for the points-oriented player, it's worth a mention.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Just Dance 2 - Nintendo Wii

This is the first time I've played any of these types of dance games, no DDR or anything. So when my 8 year old and I busted this out of the box and popped it in, we had no idea what to expect. What we got... tons o' fun and a wide selection of music. Happily, my 8 year old even beat me on a few a of the songs which on most games doesn't happen. This proved to her there are some things that kids are just better at!!

Signed,

A Happy, Tired Mom!!

Best ASTRO Gaming A50 Wireless Headset - Xbox 360 Deals

Customer Ratings:

Let's dive straight into the meat of the review:

PS3 SLIM OWNERS Strongly suggest to not buy the Astro A50's until they release a firmware to fix the connectivity issue that is not allowing the PS3 USB ports to power on the MixAmp ---> Link to Astro's Forum Acknowledging this issue:

(Wish I would've known about this issue before buying the headset, but since it's already here I am currently using a USB Hub to power on the MixAmp from the PS3)

Also, there is the option of powering your MixAmp by plugging it into other ports such as your PC and it will work fine but this will not allow use of your A50 microphone (you'll have sounds, but no voice chat)

XBOX OWNERS Headset is NOT completely wireless since you will have to connect the mic cable from the controller to the headset in-order to use Xbox Live Chat.

Setting up the Astro A50:

Can be difficult since the directions are pictures (not completely in order as well)

Cables that come with the Astro A50 are short and cheap (DO NOT BUY Astro's extended play-and-charge cable, or any cable from them. Just buy optical and longer USB cables from Amazon or anywhere else -a lot cheaper and more sturdy than what Astro's offer)

The stand for the headset feels cheaply manufactured

Takes about 10-25 minutes to set-up the headset depending on your expertise (not difficult, but not easy)

Design of the A50:

Definite feel of high quality headset

Buttons on headset are small and can be difficult to find (at night), but you'll get use to it

No longer able to customize tags (like the A40s)

Very comfortably built with soft cushion padding

Not heavy feeling and rest well on your chest (able to turn the ear muffs)

The equalizer and volume adjustment on the headset are convenient and works well

Performance of A50:

Sounds are clear, loud, and very distinct BUT this can be GOOD AND BAD because the headset literally picks up everything including AMBIENT NOISES such as wind and game music (MW3 not able to turn off music, but hopefully we will in BOP2 just like BOP)

The microphone quality is only OKAY depending on how your settings are and what game you're playing. Mic can and hopefully will be improved by future firmware

Longest use of the A50 was about 6 hours of MW3, CS:GO, D3, DayZ and never did the headphone felt heavy

A50 makes good use of the surround sound as Game effects such as flash bangs, gun shots, monster smashing, blood splatter are amazing

Overall:

Astro A50s expensive and really should be aimed only at SERIOUS/EXTREME GAMERS

If you can get past and overlook some of the preliminary issues of the A50s then you'll be sitting in your room with one of the best sound quality headset for gaming out on the market

Astro supports their products and are releasing firmware updates to fix and patch issues, so I feel that it is a good investment since the headset will constantly be updated

With that said, the A50s are not for everybody. People who are casual gamers mainly looking to enhance the game quality and not their game play can look to other headset brands that offer cheaper headset that will satisfy such needs (TurtleBeach, Triton, Razer) or get Astro A30s as well...

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Look no further, perfection has found a home in the Astro A50's. I have never been more satisfied with a purchase in my life, this headset really has it all.

Before I rant and rave any further, let me delve into my background:

I graduated with a B.S. in Audio Engineering in 2009, and have been working in the game-audio and live-sound industry since then. I may not have years of experience under my belt, but I recently completed an internship with Sony Computer Entertainment America's Music Production team (who set the standard for game audio)... I know great sound when I hear it. This headset will take your game to a whole 'nother level, and will be the deadliest tool in your arsenal. I've owned two gaming headsets prior to buying the Astro A50's: Turtle Beach's XP500, and Tritton's AX 72. Both were great headsets, but the Astro A50's blow them away.

Frequency Response:

Highs are clear and well-balanced in the mix. This makes a HUGE difference when playing games because you can hear enemy foot steps and equipment rattles.

Lows are robust and provide some serious vibration when desired.

These babies BUMP, I honestly don't even know how loud they go because I'm afraid of damaging my ears.

I've turned them up pretty loud, and the mix is retained perfectly.

The first games I played with the A50's were Battlefield 3 on Xbox 360 and Dead Island on PS3. The first thing I noticed when playing BF3 were sounds thats I never knew existed.

BF3's music track always annoyed me, but with the A50's I heard the soundtrack as it was intended to be heard, and I really enjoyed it. Sound effects were terrifying when I first heard them.

I could hear bullets as they whizzed passed my head. I started to feel overwhelmed and literally SCARED when I would get into large firefights. This motivated me to try harder... as if I were fighting for my life.

Dead Island REALLY got my heart pounding when playing with the A50's. Hearing an infected screech it's lungs out before it appears will raise the hairs on the back of your neck. When you start playing in the

main city, the moans and screeches of the undead will test your nerves and put you into a state of shell-shock. This headset is what games were INTENDED to be played on.

7.1 Surround Panning:

Hands down the best surround sound I've heard. Imagine having an IMAX theater wrapped around your head.

The ability of the A50's to replicate directional sound will be a huge advantage when you're playing FPS like Battlefield 3. You'll be able to hear where a tank or helicopter is coming from before you see it.

I was watching Tron: Legacy on BluRay, and I shed a single tear because I had no idea that this level of sound quality could be achieved by a headset.

There's this one scene towards the beginning of the movie where he's driving his motorcycle. He crosses in frame from left to right, and I JUMPED in my seat because it seriously sounded like a motorcycle

was driving right in front of me. (Credit also goes to Skywalker Sound for mixing an amazing fx and sound track).

Wireless Functionality:

One of the only headsets on the market right now that doesn't suffer from clicks, pops, and radio interference.

Astro A50's use a proprietary wireless signal codec that avoids radio frequencies commonly used by other devices.

The range is incredible! I left my room to get some food from the kitchen. The signal would drop out every now and then, but it was travelling through 2 walls over 80 feet.

It eventually would drop almost completely when I walked outside and closed the door. I could get decent audio when I was sitting still, but not when moving (I was probably at 90 feet at this point).

Mic:

The Mic picks up my voice with crystal clarity and isolation.

I can usually hear the background noise from other player's mics, but the A50's do not suffer from this.

I wish that I could hear myself louder in the mix. Sometimes I find myself talking louder than I normally would (usually in a full party) and other players have asked me to turn my mic down.

When I CAN hear myself there is absolutely no distortion, even when I get excited and start yelling.

Isolation:

I like to listen to game/movie audio at a high level. This is why I bought the headset in the first place, I needed to make sure my housemates weren't bothered by any excessive noise.

The Astro A50's have very little acoustical bleed. I was very impressed by this because it sounds and feels like you're in a movie theater when you have them on. These are a must for late-night gamers.

Form:

The design of the A50's stand is intended to display the headset like a prized trophy. The wireless transmitter sits neatly underneath the stand, but is lightweight and portable.

On a comfort scale of 1-10 I would rate the headset as a 9. The ear cushions are soft and padded, and provide ample space for your ears to fit comfortably inside without feeling too loose.

Would have rated the comfort a 10, but the headset is slightly heavier than most headsets. This is probably due to superior quality driver components.

I love the sleek look and of the A50's and color scheme. The plastic doesn't feel cheap like most products made for video games. The form of this product compliments the function.

The bottom line:

You get what you pay for. Everyone from audiophiles to pro-gamers will be satisfied with these headsets. I consider the A50's to be as important as the gaming console itself when it comes to playing video games. Once you

game with these, you won't be able to go back to anything else.

Best Deals for ASTRO Gaming A50 Wireless Headset - Xbox 360

I read a lot of negative reviews comparing the A40s to the A50s which claimed that the A50s are lackluster compared to the A40s in numerous ways. I almost ruled out getting them, despite the fact that I was terribly in need of a wireless headset. I am here to say that as a longtime A40 owner, I adore the A50s and think they deliver in all respects. It's the same quality experience Astro A40 fans are accustomed to but in a highly portable package that eliminates my only complaint with the A40s... the abundance of wires.

I got the A50 because I play mostly on PC and wanted to have surround sound without the 5.1 PC speakers I used to rely on. Frankly, my PC surround sound setup was a bit of an eyesore with it's 2 rear channel stands, which is why I got the A40s initially. I loved them, but found that the hassle of lugging around all the wires whenever I wanted to switch platforms was a bit of a burden, plus the wires weren't exactly minimalist. Also, my cat liked to chew on the A40 cables, which I'm sure any cat owners can identify with.

In addition, I wanted to be able to listen to games in surround sound and chat wirelessly when playing PC games on my big screen TV, which is located in a room adjacent to the study where my PC resides. The router near the TV was creating interference that disrupted things like bluetooth and 2.4 ghz wireless tech necessitating the use of 5.8ghz wireless technology. The Astro A50s fit the bill on paper, but negative reviews had me a bit worried. I was afraid the interference would be an issue, but I'm pleased that the range is fantastic on these cans! The only drop out I've experienced was when I was listening to music and went out the front door to take out the trash, though they work fine on the porch of my 1100 sq ft apartment which is littered with a variety of of wireless devices muddying up the wireless environment.

The features, aesthetics and comfort are all solid on the A50s... the virtual surround sound really enhances immersion in games that support the feature. I also love how easily you can mute the mic by moving it in the vertical position, and the mixer and knob quality is both ergonomic and solidly built. The volume knob in particular feels great and is easy to fine-tune without accidentally blasting yourself into deafness. The headset does create a little bit of discomfort when paired with Nvidia 3D Vision 2 glasses, but only after prolonged use. I experience no discomfort whatsoever when just wearing my regular perscription glasses. PS3 owners can skip ordering the play and charge cable and just use the same cable one uses to charge a PS3 controller (mini USB to USB). The design is terrific, and the drivers boom without sounding 'farty'. Some people complain that the bass is too much on this model, but if you switch it to the 'Pro Gaming' audio setting, it reduces the bass considerably, and should help with hearing footsteps. Personally, I like the 'Core' standard setting as I only play multiplayer casually with friends. It sounds slightly boomier than the A40, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I'm no pro-gamer, though, so take that for what it's worth.

There are a few considerations one must be familiar with in order to take advantage of theis wonderful headset, however.

For starters, PC gamers with on-board audio will also need a soundcard that supports Dolby Digital via Toslink/optical inputs if they expect to experience any kind of simulated surround sound. Don't assume that your motherboard's optical output has this feature... most are stereo only, and a lot of people don't realize this until it's too late. Thankfully, I already had a Soundblaster with Dolby Digital built in, and while the Soundblaster interface took a bit of fiddling to make it work with this headset, it's not really an issue anymore since I am almost exclusively using the Astros for all my sound needs and don't have to switch over to anything else generally. PC users who want to switch between speakers and headphones should be aware that they are going to have to change a few of their PC sound setting every time they want to go from the A50s to speakers etc., which could be mildly annoying. Also, whatever soundcard-based microphone adjustments you used for your old mic solution (e.g. Soundblaster's Crystal Voice Technology) will not work at all with these things. You are limited to the Windows Recording Devices features for any adjustments, which is only a minor loss since the USB-based microphone sound quality seems superior to the 3.5mm mic sound quality I was getting out of my A40s in every respect. With the A40s, my sound quality was terrible using 3.5, with the A50s using USB, my mic sounds perfect. (Though this is due to the quality of my Recon3D PCIE soundcard, which is known to have mic sound quality issues.)

Also, Xbox oriented gamers will have to tether their headset to their controller via a provided cable. You aren't tethered to the console directly, though, so this shouldn't be an issue for most people, but the added wire is going to be a deal-breaker for some. I personally don't see it as a problem since I'm not chanined to the console itself, but I don't play Xbox games much online. I tested it with the PS3 also, and it works great without the need for tethering the headset to the controller. Just make sure and update your firmware when you get it home as users are reporting problems with the A50s and comptability with the PS3 prior to updating.

Which brings us to the firmware. When you get the A50s, you should begin charging them, and once charged, you should update the firmware before putting them through their paces. You will need to make Chrome or Firefox your default browser prior to doing this, or it won't work... IE isn't supported, and if IE is your default browser, it will hang. Once again, a minor annoyance considering the omnipresence of browser alternatives and the infrequency of required updates, but something you should be aware of. Without the firmware update, there are some known issues with PS3 compatability and sound drop-outs.

Also the support for Astro is apparently TERRIBLE since they were purchased by SkullCandy. In the past, Astro has some of the best customer service I've ever encountered. Now, if you have to file an RMA or something like that, I've read that you can expect to wait, wait and wait some more for a reply. Hearing this, I chose to not order my A50s directly through Astro as the return policies offered at places like Amazon sounded like the way to go. Luckily, I don't have to worry about returning the A50s, though. (Knock on wood.)

Finally, the manual isn't shipped with the A50s... just a quick start up guide. This is easily fixed by going to the Astro site and downloading the well put together manual, but it wasn't written until well after the A50s got on the market. You may see a bunch of people complaining about this, but just realize that the new manual is available for download and covers everything you need to know.

In summary, I love the A50s and am really pleased with the purchase and the overall lack of and deal-breaking problems. While it's a shame that the customer service at Astro isn't what it used to be apparently, this is still a dream-product for gamers wanting surround sound without clutter, interference-free wireless or just any hardcore gamer who doesn't want to create noise pollution without sacraficing channel seperation. I rarely review things, but after reading all the A50 reviews I could find online, and figured I'd try to pay it forward by adding my own.

EDIT: Yesterday, on day 12, the mixamp stopped working. The Dobly light wasn't coming on at all, and there was no sound. I made sure the optical port on my PC was fine by testing the A40s I also own, and I tested the A50s on my consoles to confirm that the A50 mixamp was busted. I contacted Astro and heard back from them the next day. They said I need to let it run out of battery completely, then fully recharge, then re-pair, then update firmware. If that doesn't work, they will ship me a replacement and they will pay for shipping. It makes me sad... I gave this thing 5 stars when it was working, but if it breaks after 12 days of regular use, then it's not as great as I'd hoped. Glad that Astro at least wrote me back quickly. I will revisit this review and adjust my rating accordingly based on the results.

EDIT: I decided to just return it to the brick and mortar store where I purchased it for an exchange. That was a week and a half ago, and so far, the unit works fine. I opted for the 2 year replacement plan the store offers considering the fact that my first unit broke, and I would recommend anybody interested in buying these either follows suit at a retail store or at least pays Astro the additional $30 they want for the extended 2 year warranty. I love these things, and I recommend them, but you definately need some sort of insurance on them. I deducted a point from my original 5 star rating due to the issues I had.

Honest reviews on ASTRO Gaming A50 Wireless Headset - Xbox 360

You may know me as Mad Lust Envy on Head-fi and Shin CZ/Raven Crimson elsewhere. Google Mad Lust Envy for my full guide on headphones/headsets for gaming.

The Astro A50s. The first venture into fully wireless headsets for Astrogaming. Prior to the A50's inception, Astro released the discontinued, rare, and very sought out Mixamp 5.8. The Mixamp 5.8's main selling point was that any standard headphone or headset terminated with a 3.5mm plug could be attached to the Rx unit (receiver), essentially making them wireless. As you guys may know, I'm a humongous fan of the Mixamp 5.8, and it remains as my main gaming device when using my audiophile headphones. While it wasn't truly wireless (you still have your own headphone's wires to deal with), it did remove the tether always necessary between the console and yourself in wired setups, making it a more elegant, and cleaner solution than anything else before.

Unfortunately, Astro didn't find the Mixamp 5.8 to be a big seller, and sought out other solutions. This is rather unfortunate, as with more improvement and functionality, future iterations of the Mixamp 5.8 could have been a huge success in my eyes. Ah well, them's the breaks. So now Astro steered their focus away from the 5.8 and towards fully wireless headsets, the first being the Astro A50s.

Upon opening the freshly designed package, you are greeted with the A50, the transmitter (that shares the same body as the Mixamp 5.8's Tx unit, though different inputs/functionality), parts of a headphone stand (which is VERY nice of Astro to supply), and the necessary cables (which I will edit into this review later, as I have a mess of cables from 3 products at the moment).

Now onto the headset itself. Upon first listen, I was immediately attacked by a relentless assault of bass. Seriously, it absolutely surprised the hell out of me. My prior experience with an Astro headset was the first gen A40s, which was anything but bassy. For a $300 headset, I EXPECTED a well balanced, competitive oriented headset with nowhere near as much bass as the A50s have. In truth, I was quite put off by it.

The A50 has 3 presets:

Preset 1: Media (Bass enhanced)

Preset 2. Core (Balanced/flat)

Preset 3: Pro (Enhanced details in the mids and treble)

In reality it sounded more like:

1. Boomy, muddy, and completely useless.

2. Boomy, and veiled

3. Bassy with extra detail

No, I'm not kidding. I found the only preset worth using was the Pro Preset, which wasn't bass light to begin with, but at least I could actually hear the details, and it was quite decent sounding, though ultimately catering more towards fun than competitive, and not exactly sounding balanced. It's honestly not even worth mentioning the other two in this review past this point, because quite frankly, they're quite terrible sounding. In my future review of the Astro A40s (w/Mixamp 2013 Edition), you can see Astro's presets CAN be useful and maintain some clarity. Just...not here.

I'm not even sure whether to fault the presets, the fact that it's wireless, or if it's the A50's drivers themselves. I plugged in the transmitter to my PC in which the transmitter functions as a USB dac/amp (as well as microphone). The presets as well as Dolby Headphone are disabled, allowing you to hear the drivers work at their most natural state. Well, it seems to be the drivers. They are quite bassy. I am quite literally confused as to why Astro decided to use such bassy drivers for their most expensive gaming headset.

The A50s weren't down for the count yet, though. While 2 of the three presets left a really bad taste in my mouth, I still had one functional preset. Firing up CoD4 (and later on MW2) revealed that the A50s were decent gaming performers albeit on the disappointing side in terms of sound quality. It does perform fine when getting down to the nitty gritty, with a little more bass than I'd prefer out of competitive gaming cans. While the audio quality isn't great, positional cues and details were decent to good. The problem is that it's a closed headset, and everything sounds congested. The A40s sound more open, airy, and balanced, even with the speaker tags on. As far as the wireless capabilities, I find it to be great, where it takes quite a bit of distance for the A50's to drop the audio. I didn't notice and snap, crackles, or pops, nor did I get any hiss until you crank the volume quite a bit past the point where I'd say it's humanly necessary.

I'll get to the specifics in the break down.

Build Quality: The Astro A50 shares the same body and aesthetic design of the A40s, which is to say, they look/feel great for a headset. There are a few key differences from the A40s.

1. The microphone is permanently affixed to the left earcup. The A40's is removable.

2. The cups are closed, and unlike the A40s, can't be removed for a semi-open design. They are now fully closed.

3. The right cup can be pressed on the sides to adjust voice/game volume, similar to the Mixamp's voice/game knob, with the exception that it's two hidden buttons you press, not turn. Once you go completely towards the game or voice side, a chime will play, letting you know you're at 100% game or voice.

4. On the rear of the right cup is where the power button, preset slider (EQ), and volume adjustment is placed.

5. On the rear of the left cup is where the mini usb input (for charging), and the 2.5mm controller input (for the 360 controller) is placed.

Build-wise, I felt the parts used were pretty high quality. Astro made a pretty reliable looking headset here. Nothing looks or feels cheap. The plastic used looks high-grade, and looks like it can take a beating. I'd still handle it with care, however. The only area of 'weakness' that I'd be wary of, is the headband padding piece which sort of 'floats' in the center of the headband. Doesn't look like it'd be a problem, but it's the only area I can see that would probably be the first to give out with rough treatment.

The A50s swivel inward, so you can lay them flat if you need a breather. I find them very comfy letting them rest on my shoulders/neck area, which is rare compared to the vast majority of audiophile headphones which have huge cups, won't swivel, etc.

Comfort: I must have a ginormous head, as I have to wear the A50's fully extended. That, or they don't have enough give. On the opposite side of the size spectrum, the PC360 has enough extension to fit the head of a giant. I wish more headphones allowed that much freedom in size. The A40/A50 is comfortable, but they are at their limit with my head. It could use just a bit more extension, in my opinion.

The pads are made of cloth/velour-like material, which is to say, they are quite comfy to my ears, and won't be heat building/sweat-inducing like typical pleather. I've felt better, but they do their job well.

Microphone: While I'm not too experienced with microphones, I didn't have any issues with my tests. It picks up my voice well. The microphone is long, pliable, and one of the better mics I have used. I don't see anyone having issues with this mic. The microphone is muted when placed upright,m similar to the PC360. Much better than having to press a button.

Accessories:

Headphone stand: also has space for the Tx unit.

Tx unit (transmitter): optical input, optical output (passthrough), USB input (to pair and charge the A50), 3.5mm auxiliary input (for future accessories, mp3 players will not work.)

Cables: Optical cable, 2 mini USB cables. One for powering the Tx unit. This one will also feed the voice chat from the PS3 (has to be hooked up to the PS3 directly). The other is for charging the A50s. 2.5mm male/male for Xbox 360 voice chat capabilities, and the only cable you will need to constantly have attached if using voice chat on the 360.

Isolation/Leakage: In terms of letting sound in/out, I find the A50s to perform...decently. I do hear a fair amount of leakage, so I wouldn't crank these loudly if someone is near me sleeping. As far as keeping external noise out, I found that while using the A50s, it did a decent job overall. I wasn't truly bothered by external noise, though it's not particularly great at it. I blame the cloth pads, which sacrifices isolation/noise leakage protection for extra comfort/less sweat inducing.

Bass: As mentioned earlier, the bass is overly emphasized and boomy for a high-end headset. It's enjoyable on the bass light preset, but ultimately too strong to truly make this headset compete with the other, more balanced headsets like the PC360, SLYR, AX720, and Astro's own A40s. On the flat and bass heavy presets, the bass is loose, boomy, and sloppy. It mucks up the detail quite heavily, making these presets worthless. I'm seriously wondering if the default presets are causing this extra boominess, but I feel that if/when the custom presets become available, a lot of bass reduction is needed to compensate.

Mids: Due to the heavy bass emphasis, mids are drowned out a bit. The mids are distant, but not lost. For the purpose of gaming, the mids are fine, but ultimately not forward. The Pro preset brings out the mids a bit more, which is helpful. For the other two presets, the mids are heavily recessed.

Treble: With the good preset, treble is crisp and bright. It can get sibilant, but not many instances where I see treble being problematic. Again, the Media and Core presets place too much emphasis in bass, drowning out everything that isn't bass.

Soundstage: Somewhat closed in. It's not going to win anyone over based on size.

Positioning: Due to the closed sound, and not so large a soundstage, positioning isn't great, but it's not bad. It's passable, and sometimes even good.

Clarity: To repeat what I have already mentioned, clarity is decent on the Pro preset with sparkly details, albeit somewhat artifical sounding. Clarity is just plain lacking on the Core and especially Media presets. The sound turns overly warm and bass heavy, and all details are sucked out.

Amping: No possibility of being amped, as the transmitter can only take a digital signal, with no way to attach an amp. The A50 is fairly sensitive in either case.

Value: This one isn't hard. It's $300. That's a hard number to swallow. The main benefit of the A50 is that it's wireless. You do get everything you'll ever want in one headset, but sound quality is clearly lacking. I prefer the sound quality of the SLYR, A40, AX720, PC360 by a considerable margin. The A50s are left behind on sound quality. If sound quality is important to you, I'd advise you get something else. It's that simple. In good conscience, I can't recommend the A50s based off it's sound quality. For the purpose of worry-free wireless gaming, the A50s are good enough on the Pro preset if being untethered is absolute top priority, though you will be making some sacrifices for the benefit of going wireless.

Final Impressions: The A50's quite honestly make a better stereo headset than a Dolby Headphone one. I find it enjoyable for music off my PC, but not so much for gaming w/Dolby Headphone. Whether it's the drivers, or the internal amp in the headset, or the presets, the A50s put out bass oriented, and muddy sound for gaming.

Final Scores...

Fun: 6.5. Very decent. While the bass is strong, the only preset worthy to be used is the Pro preset, and ends up sounding heavily processed, which detracts from enjoying non-competitive games to their fullest extent. Bass adds to the immersion, but when you can't hear details, it sucks away from the fun factor, so I don't recommend the other two presets even if just for fun.

Competitive: 6.5. Very decent. Again, the Pro preset brings out the detail which helps quite a bit, but the headphone is still on the bass heavy side which detracts from focusing as much as I'd personally like. The soundstage and positional cues aren't great, and the sound overall feels closed in, but for most gamers, the A50s would be at least, passable.

Comfort: 7.5. Very good. A pretty comfortable headset all around. No problem wearing them for hours on end, with just a few occasional times of re-adjusting them. My only complaint is that it could use a bit more extension for larger heads, as I have to wear it fully extended.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASTRO Gaming A50 Wireless Headset - Xbox 360

I own all astros headsets (a30, a40, and a50s as well as the astar in ear buds) and i have to say that these are just as amazing as the a40s. The best headset ever made. The bass in these is much deeper and richer than in the a40s. Sound is just as unbelievable. The freedom of being able to leave my computer chair to walk to the door or get a drink is awesome! The updates that have been put out for them have also been fast and easy to complete. I give these headsets the best review available because they are exactly that. one of the best headsets available even with the tiny problems they had out of the box. That i no longer have because of the updates. I would recommend this headset over all that i have tried. And it is a long list, consisting of: a40s, a30s, seinnheiser pc360s, triton ax pros and 720s. The seinnheiser are good but didnt feel like they had the clarity and direction that my a50s/a40s have. Dont even get me started on how bad the tritons were. They didnt even compare to the Astros or the seinnheisers. Astro = unbeatable! Great customer service as well. Might take some time to get an answer, but you will be happy when you do receive one. Good luck and Good gaming!