Alfa AWUS036H Upgraded to 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g High Gain USB Reviews

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Nearly all Amazon.com reviewers agree, the Alfa AWUS036H is the long range WiFi antenna on the market. But with 3 antenna options to chose from, which is the best setup?

I own the all 3 wi-fi antennas from Alpha: 5dBi omni-directional, 7dBi panel, 9dBi omni-directional. The Alfa AWUS036H with the 7dBi antenna is the best performing set up: Alfa AWUS036H Upgraded to 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g High Gain USB Wireless Long-Rang WiFi network Adapter with 5dBi Rubber Antenna and a 7dBi Panel Antenna for Wardriving & Range Extension *Strongest on the Market*

With the 5dBi omni antenna, I can get 2-3 bars from a public wi-fi signal a little over 1 mile away (direct line of sight).

With the 9dBi omni antenna, I get only 0-1 bar with dropped signals.

With the 7dBi panel antenna, I get 3-4 bars with the fastest data transfer rates.

I have even tested the 5dBi and 7 dBi side by side and the 7dBi loads web pages in less than 1/2 the speed as the 5dBi antenna.

I have done a fair amount of research before purchasing the Alfa AWUS036H unit. The general consensus is that this unit has much better performance for B and G networks than the newer Alfa AWUS036NH model. But for accessing N networks, the newer model is necessary.

Although I still own the 5dBi and 9dBi antennas, I only ever use the 7dBi panel antenan. It's actually shorter in size and easier to transport than the 5dBi model. Go with the 7dBi you'll get the best performance.

***** UPDATED COMPARISON *****

Aug 25, 2011: Using Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor software, I compared the signal strength of this Alfa AWUS036H with the 7dBi panel antenna Alfa 2.4HGz 7dBi Booster SMA Panel High-Gain Screw-On Swivel Antenna or to the new High Power USB-Yagi Plug and Play directional WiFi Antenna 802.11n 2200mW / NextG USB-Yagi Plug & Play 11N Long Range WiFi antenna 2200mW. In nearly every test location, the Alfa rated 1 bar better and -10 RSSI (Receiving Signal Strength Indication) better (with RSSI signals negative numbers are better).

Although the 2200mW Yagi antenna is much larger and twice the power, it pulls in a weaker signal and slower data transfer than the 1000mW Alfa 7dBi panel antenna.

Still this Alfa AWUS036H is the best performing wi-fi antenna on the market. Thank you Alfa!

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I purchased this item because I live in the country and the cable company refuses me service. I recently purchased a laptop and was able to pick up a weak signal from my neighbor's router (with their permission) so I bought this in hopes of boosting the signal. I immediately went from 1 bar to 3 and sometimes even 4. They are also selling this same adapter with a bigger antenna and I am thinking about trying that one out. I have used this with Vista and XP and it works great with both though I did have to download drivers for Vista off website but it was no big deal. I am a mom and no computer whiz and searched the internet for the best adapter and a decent price and was a little weary about this but it is working great so far.

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I had this booster to increase the receiving signal from one bar to 2-3 bars. It was function as promised. However, something you need to know which does not explicitly explain in the manu. Signal dropped from weak 54MB/s to strong 10MB/s for steadly receivig signal (can not stay with 801.11G and switch to 801,11b speed), second when you use the enclosed software to install proper driver as suggested. My original wireless driver was removed from the laptop without warning. When I tried to use my laptop at other strong signal place without using booster, I could not connect to any wireless access point , and original wireless driver can't be found and need to reinstall original wireless driver again. It took a while to find out why laptop won't work anymore. This is good stuff but it took over the system and install it own with unwant consequence.

KK

Honest reviews on Alfa AWUS036H Upgraded to 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g High Gain USB

This gadget is a truly amazing device for picking up WiFi signals from a lot further away than is normally possible. WiFi is a wireless internet connection technology which normally works over a maximum distance of 100 200 metres (300 600ft). Due to the fact that this device features a much more sensitive aerial receiver, as well as a much stronger transmitter, it greatly extends the distance you can connect to a WiFi hotspot. Most laptops have a built in 50mW WiFi transmitter, so at 500mW this one is 10 times as powerful. With the Alfa, you *might* expect to still be able to connect to WiFi hotspots 2 3 km (1 2 miles) away, sometimes further. For the process of 'wardriving' (connecting to free WiFi hotspots on your travels), this device would seem ideal.

It connects to your computer using a standard USB cable, which means you can keep your laptop in a convenient location, while clipping the adaptor somewhere where the reception is better such as next to your window. Assuming that you already have an internet connection, it will automatically find and download it's own drivers (It identifies itself to the computer as a Realtek RTL8187 Wireless Network Adaptor). There are specialist drivers for many different operating systems (Eg. Mac / Linux) available from the Alfa website at , and you should definitely consider using one of these drivers if it fails to automatically install.

I work on a cruise ship where the only standard connection is via a satellite, and the internet is correspondingly very expensive. I bought this WiFi extender to see if I could connect to free WiFi hotspots in our ports of call without leaving the ship!! I've previously tried to connect to WiFi hotspots using my laptop's built in WiFi, but the distances are usually too great and connection is usually very slow (or drops out completely after a few seconds of use). I've only been using the Alfa for a couple of weeks, but it has completely revolutionized my browsing habits. My cruise ship goes to 8 different ports of call in 2 weeks, and I am now able to find free WiFi hotspots in 7 out of 8 ports. Often I am able to connect whilst still inside my cabin, by placing the adaptor next to the cabin porthole. If that is not possible, I go to the front of the ship and sit on the deck-chairs.

Browsing performance is usually fast and responsive, more so if there is a single obvious hotspot to connect to. If you are in the centre of town where there are many different hotspots available, you will need a good strong one which stands out from the crowd. A clear line of sight to the WiFi hotspot is also useful, as buildings and/or mountains will usually degrade the signal significantly. My cabin on the ship is 20 metres (60ft) above the sea, so I usually get a good line of sight. At this slightly raised elevation, the performance of the device is usually good, and sometimes exceptional. I have easily connected to WiFi hotspots 2 3km (1 2 miles) away, and browsed with broadband speeds. At its most breathtaking, the ship was cruising up the east coast of Mexico, and I was able to connect and (slowly) browse some of the free beach resort WiFi's in Cancun and that was at least 12km (8 miles) away.

I did mention that you needed a good strong WiFi signal which stands out from the crowd. Not all hotspots transmit with the same power some are weak and some are strong. Grand Cayman is a good example of why you can still have difficulty finding a WiFi hotspot when there are still loads of them around. Cayman is well developed and there is a WiFi hotspot on every corner and hotel. Using a WiFi sniffing program (InSSIDer) and the Alfa, I was able to count more than 200 WiFi signals probably covering the entire west of the island. Normally, with the WiFi signal degrading beyond 100 200 metres, the different hotspots don't interfere with each other. With the Alfa able to find literally hundreds of hotspots, and with those hotspots using the same channels and frequencies, I think there is a lot of interference with each other and this slows the internet connection and makes it difficult to connect. In Grand Cayman, 500 metres away from about 20 30 relatively weak hotspots, I had difficulty connecting to any one of them. So, rather counter-intuitively, in a built up area with multiple weak hotspots, you might be better off walking closer to a hotspot you know, unplugging your Alfa, and using your laptop's weaker built-in WiFi.

Hints & Tips... With the WiFi signal travelling over such long distances, and with the greater possibility of signal interference or dropout, there is likely to be more variability in your browsing experience. Sometimes you will be able to connect; Sometimes not. Sometimes you will be browsing at broadband speeds; sometimes at telephone dial-up speeds. The message to take away is to keep persevering. Sometimes a hotspot will appear to reject your connection, but try a few more times and eventually it may connect. Sometimes waiting an hour will make all the difference.

Are there any disadvantages? It's difficult to think of any, but at 500mW, you have to presume that it eats up your laptop battery much faster than the built in WiFi adaptor. Another thing: Just because you can connect to a WiFi hotspot, doesn't mean that it will be free !!!

Anyway, I believe I can wholeheartedly recommend this device, especially if you are trying to connect to a WiFi signal which would otherwise be too far away.

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I'm a Mac user who purchased this as an enhancement of and backup to my Macbook's Airport capacities. The device does do a good job of detecting available wireless signals, and the fact that it clearly identifies networks as encrypted or open is a considerable time-saver. However, there are times when the Alfa cannot connect to a certain network that my built-in Airport can. Such occasions entail a lot of repeat attempts and switchings between Alfa and Airport (and general frustration) that, in turn, prove this product less than entirely dependable.

A few other things to note:

1) You must download the correct drivers from the Realtek website -that is, the exact download corresponding to your OS version -or else your machine may not even recognize the adapter enough to acknowledge anything has been newly connected via USB.

2) The first product I received (from this Amazon seller) did not work, but I sent it back and upon request received a prompt replacement, which turned out fine. Just be aware that there may be defective versions out there -but do make sure it's not a problem with the drivers before you decide the device is defective.

3) I must say that I was extremely wary of buying this product, given many reviews here by people who, despite having met Amazon's 'realname' qualification, seem to have had a very short history on Amazon and/or have reviewed only this one product. This fact still puzzles me, even as the product works better than I expected (if not as well as I'd hoped).

White Wireless Gaming Receiver For Microsoft XBOX 360 Review

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i don't know why people say it does not work with it but after following the instructions correctly i got to work.

1. plug in device (it won't be recognized)

2. download Xbox 360 Accessories Software 1.2 from Microsoft and install.

3. now go to start right click computer manage

4.find the device-right click update driver

5. click browse computer for driver softwareclick Let pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.

6. finally pick Xbox 360 wireless receiver for windows

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The handler was good on shipping time and on product quality, when i got the wireless receiver i was instantly able to play many of my pc games on a console like setting (which for some games is much more comfortable). This product has opened my ability to enjoy gaming at its finest on a pc and has also saved me money from buying just a normal wired controller from microsoft. i highly recommend this product for anyone looking to get into pc gaming from console gaming!

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had to install drivers like said in previous comments works perfectly fine. not much else to say here. would recommend

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Be sure to follow the directions to get it installed. I was frustrated it didn't work out of the box, but after reading through, it works great with my wireless xbox 360 controller. I haven't tested multiple controllers yet.

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I'm running Windows 7 64bit on my 2011 Macbook Pro and it works! Sorry no simply plug & play, but more like going through Control Panel & installing the driver yourself. Connects up to 4 controllers and the wire length is perfect for playing wirelessly far away from the receiver. It works and saves you money!

Review of Skylanders Giants Single Character Pack Core Series 2 Double Trouble

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The game is awesome for anyone of any age. The characters to choose from are great. Get it for you or your kids!

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Bought this item for my children. It was a perfect stocking stuffer. Their faces Christmas morning was worth the price and effort.

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Not sure what it is about the "crazier" Skylanders, but this guy (as well as Pop Fizz) have quickly become my daughter's favorite! She upgraded him to summon three of his duplicates (she loves making them), as well as the Pow Wow all in one day! She especially gets a kick when he uses his staff and has this "bewildered" look in his eyes...she had to show me a few times....too funny! Love these figures!

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My grandchildren love the sylanders game and were very pleased when this new character arrived for them to include in the game.

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Kid-you-not... this was a better buy than Wal*Mart.

Be sure to have the rest of the Skylander gear for your gaming console to enjoy this fantastic character.

Discount Xbox 360 NFL New York Jets Controller

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After about a month of solid use the stick began to screw up and some of the buttons started to stick. I go it for $15 at the time, but it still wasn't worth it.

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My Daughter is a Die hard Jets Fan and wanted this controller so bad I just had to get it, she loves it and It goes with her room. I am glad Amazon had it and was able to get for her.

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I really like this control. I sit close to the console so the wire is not a problem. They fit my hands well and the reposition of the xbox button and start button works well with the RPG's I play

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

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Somehow this gem of a game seems to have drifted under the radar, which is a shame because it is one of the best games of the year.

The game plays out as roughly a videogame version of Clue. After you select your detective (which doesn't change anything but the one liners thrown out during turns), you are settled with a mystery to solve. You can move your character through multiple rooms looking for clues which are shown with big question marks. Searching around the rooms can also find you bonus tokens which can be used to move through more rooms or investigate more items.

Each clue generally launches a minigame, some difficult and entertaining (such as picking locks and breaking combinations), some painfully easily (the bribing minigame is a waste). After you get the clue you try to determine whether it helps identify one of four characteristics of the villian, which can then make a sketch of as you go.

After each turn, suspects move from room to room and bad guys may make things more difficult by turning off lights or locking doors. Playing cards that you earn every turn can help get past such problems.

It can be competitive or cooperative, but the cooperative story mode, which features great and funny dialogue is my personal favorite.

I literally have trouble thinking of a person that wouldn't enjoy this game for a short or long session with others (it could get a bit dry alone). A hearty recommend from me.

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Just got this game yesterday and there has been plenty of playing time since then. I have a before and after school daycare and played this game last night to check out how to play. I have to say, it kept my interest long past just trying to get my bearings. The kids are playing now and they love it. You can play the game cooperatively so I have a brother and sister who disagree on everything working together to solve these mysteries. It's stimulating and the mini games are great as well. For me my biggest challenge is finding activities that everyone wants to participate in. I feel like there is a wide range of ages this game appeals to, it is not gender specific and it makes them use their brains. Thumbs up!

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Bought this game a day after it came out, could not find any reviews. Played it with a 13 yr old and 5 yr old GREAT GAME! Both kids love it. The only complaint we have is that it does not seem to save our place in the game. Which means each time we start the game again it makes us play the same scenes over somewhat frustrating but otherwise a great family game.

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I bought this yesterday the day it came out ! I usually think Wii is good for the kids but I'm never that engaged and they are for a short timethis had the whole family enthralled for ages! It had us on the edge of our seats as we all worked together to try and identify the culprit! Wow what a game, I can't wait till they're home from school tomorrow so I can play again! Kids are 7 and up! Buy it you won't be disappointed! FYI I never write reviews but this was so good I had to tell you!

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I am a 20 year old college student and I thoroughly enjoy this game. It's fun, just challenging enough to make you think, and has a cute storyline. I especially enjoy playing it with my friends on co-op mode. DEFINITELY a must buy for any family with a Wii, and anyone in search of a good party video game!

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Over 12 Hrs of Gameplay for $15...how can you beat that!! I found Blowout to be a great chance to go back to the days of no nonsense, no story, just kill everything games that we grew up with. The company that made it is the same ones that did BloodRayne and Roadkill and it really shows that they have some talent. I also wanted to mention that my Blowout box has a TEEN rating not mature as it says on this site.

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When I saw this game in the store, I insantly wanted to get it because it is rare to see non three d games now a days. I like three d games but it is cool to see a modern one dimentional game to be released. Like one reviewer said there isn,t much of a story line but it is a fun game. But the graphics could of been a little better being on ps2. Not to mention it isn't a very old game it was released in 2003. But that is the only reason why I didn't give it five stars.I know they could of made the game with better back ground graphics with the technology they have now a days. But other than that this is a very fun game and if you like one dimentional games this would be a good choice for you.

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Fun game no real story, but who needs one in this action packed shooter. The main character is cool, the enemies are not as cool, but heck you are splattering them all over the ship, so who cares. Ahh.. the days of just plain fun games is back!

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This is one of the PS2 launch titles, an early first-gen PS2 game that can be evidenced by the purple color of the underside of the game disc itself. Oni was another such game but its much better then this steampile of crap.

Don't expect much from the graphics, and try not to laugh as you realize this is a PS2 game and not a PS1 game. Honestly, I can't tell the difference as it seems this was ported from the PS1. Even many PS1 games look better then this!

The sound is forgettable, turn it off and enjoy your own music. I have to say the 'opening theme' music that plays during the initial CG cutscne is adequete if repetitive (a looping heavy-guitar riff). Almost as if they tried way too hard to be 'cool'. There's no environmental audio and the 'ambient' sounds of the enemies growls/snarls nearly always play even if you're nowhere near them so you aren't missing much. The enemies appear (and reappear) without rhyme or reason around nearly every corner (even areas you've been to) so you don't have to listen for any audio cues to shoot anything that moves.

In-game, you're constantly interrupted by 'Mr White Nerdy Guy' and you have to listen to 'Mr Tough Black Stereotype' talking like something out of a comedy movie-parody (like 'Not Another Teen Movie'). I mean you had 'Barret' from FF7 that had a similar stereotypical personality, but even then you could at least be distracted by the story.

The controls are absurd, either you can 'move and aim' with the same joystick or you can seperate them both between two joysticks (which takes a bit of getting used to) but neither format really seems comfortable even after several hours of play.

The storyline seems like it was written by a 3rd grader, and even they could write better stuff then this. However, you don't really play a shooter/action game like this for the story, you want to have fun!

That's where the real faults lie. The gameplay is generic, uninspired, and a very poor 'run around to find the key/throw the switch/unlock the door' maze game. Unlike the much-superior Metriod series (ANY Metriod game is better then this, even the GameBoy ones!), this game fails to provide meaninful powerups (several of the weapons are near-useless even if ammo is plentiful), you run around aimlessly throughout the level without much of a clue where to go (and by the time you find the 'map console' that opens up the entire map you might as well have explored everything yourself). The 'destructible environment' is a misnomer, as you can only blow away walls/ceilings in very specific areas to create pre-defined shortcuts that don't really make that much of a difference. The enemies repeat themselves and 'respawn' fairly often whether you've been through an area or not. They show no intelligence whatsoever and are pretty much gun/flame fodder.

The 'Boss Battles' are pretty much a very confined one-screen-width room without any 'safe areas' (so you have to keep running/flying back and forth) with bosses that follow a preset pattern that takes all of a minute to learn and 'beat' them.

The 'description' of the game says you're leading a platoon but that's misleading as you are always by yourself and the only other person you talk to is the annoying 'Mr White Geek Guy'.

I'd say you should probably go get the original Doom on PC rather then play this. Doom was fairly simplistic but the first-person perspective (as well as the puzzles) at least elevated it above this wannabe.

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Thought this would be a fun old school 2D scroller. Well its a scroller at least. Jerky game play that is disrupted by an off camera voice. It really tries to add depth and plot to what should be a shoot em up. Yeeeessh, unless you're in the market for a DVD coaster or simply need a gag gift, avoid this one.

IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 - PC Review

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I've been a pilot for over 40 years and have flown everything from '20s biplanes to Navy carrier jets...and this sim is awesome.

Note: it is on DVD not CD as stated here. And it is NOT a game. There is a significant learning curve involved to successfully fly these aircraft in full-on realistic mode. It does have 'simple' modes that make it possible for anyone to fly, but don't think of this as an arcade game in any sense.

Trust me, if you can fly these birds in full realism mode, with a little time flying under the supervision of an instructor you can fly the real thing. Here there are fewer cues (just sight and sound), but in real aircraft you also have so-called proprioceptive sensations too (the seat of your pants, for one), among others.

Buy it, you'll like it! The graphics are gorgeous, the scenarios are amazing. You won't find modern airliners, but you'll find most of the WW2 machines (Russian, German, Japanese, British and American).

A flight over the cliffs of dover at sunset in a Spitfire may bring tears to your eyes...it did me.

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Out of the box to playing within 20 minutes. Very simple install into my 64-bit Vista Ultimate PC. Works great with my old MS Force feedback II joystick. No bugs or problems I can find.

The game is just beautiful. The physics are awesome and the whole experience is just as advertised. Seldom do I enjoy a game as much as I love this one. Situational awareness in a sim can be difficult sometimes. Not so much with this one. Compared to CFS3, this is miles ahead in quality of experience. This game is a time machine. Every time I start it, I find myself losing hours immersed in the game.

Simulations are challenging. This isn't something for the impatient type. Joystick is a must.

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for some one like my self who actually has flown ww2 planes. il 2 1946 does it again . it is similar to the previous games . however i own just about every flight sim out there and have fould that il 2 il2 sturmovic , and pacific fighters are about the best. it may sound silly but when you sit in this cockpit and look around its very similar to the real planes a lot of other flight sims offer a lot and do not deliver . il series is anout the best you can get i recommend this . christian j nielsen

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First, my qualifications: I've got about 3000 hours of real airplane flight time, and I've wasted roughly 10,000 hours of my life playing PC-based flight sims, starting with MS Flight Simulator 1.0 on a green-screen Apple IIe, and playing pretty much everything worth flying between there and Falcon 4.0 on my current multi-GHz Dell. I've played extensively online with several different sims, and aviation has been one of my lifelong passions. For whatever it's worth, folks, I'm an expert on this subject.

I had put off buying IL-2 Sturmovik for years, mainly because I couldn't see myself getting that interested in flying a Russian attack airplane. But the online accolades just kept piling up, and so I started doing some reading a few months ago and discovered that this game has over 250 flyable aircraft. What the h&*l, I thought, and I ordered IL-2 1946 two weeks ago.

This sim is very deceptive. When you finish installing it and the start menu appears, you immediately think you've been had. Lord knows, I've installed enough bad sims over the years to know what crap looks and sounds like, and IL-2 1946 sure gave me the first impression that I was going to want my money back. The main menu looks like something out of a learning game for kids, and the music sounds like something from "Wallace and Grommit." I clicked straight into "Quick Mission Builder" which looks like it has been taken directly from "Jane's WWII Fighters" and put a single P-51D in the air with no enemies and no ground fire. I wanted to start with simple, exploratory aerobatics, and I also have lots of flight time in the TriSynergy P-51D "The Flying Undertaker," which is a great FSX add-on, and I wanted to compare this P-51D with something I already knew was great.

At first, I wasn't that impressed. The cockpit looks beautiful and accurate, but it isn't mouse-clickable. You have to do everything with keyboard commands. The flight characteristics seemed to be a little off for instance, after diving to 450 mph, pulling out and chopping the throttle, the airplane seems to hold on to its speed for a long, long time. I was prepared to discover that this sim really wasn't going to be very satisfying.

But then I started dogfighting, and the sheer craftsmanship of this simulation soon became apparent. The enemy AI, like all flight AI, can be slightly repetitive, but they are still very good. The game does seem to be slightly biased in favor of the German fighters, but you can still blow FW-190's out of the sky in your Mustang if you are a savvy, experienced fighter pilot and know what you're doing.

And here is the real praise for this game. At some point, you forget on some level that you're playing a sim, and you begin to get sucked completely and fully into the illusion. The only thing missing is blood-sucking G's, and the blackout feature is very convincing and realistic.

The airplanes are not locked onto invisible rails the way arcade game airplanes are. They are machines held loosely in realistic airflow, with three axes of control and with a realistic "feel" and "heft" to them that is indescribable, but that you recognize if you are a real pilot. If there is one thing IL-2 will teach you, it's to be SMOOOOOOTH. Yanking the joystick around and whacking it up against the stops like a seven year old playing Pac Man will just have your plane snap rolling and falling out of the sky in a flat spin.

And that brings up an important point. If you have zero or minimal flight experience, you are going to find this game to be very frustrating on its "realistic" setting. To be an ace in IL-2 1946, you are going to become an expert in smooth energy management and planned maneuvers in realistic fighters that require a lot of experience to get deep them into the enemy's six o'clock.

On the other hand, if you are an old PC ace from the golden age of PC-based flight sims, you are going to regret that you've waited this long to buy IL-2 1946. Quite simply, it's the best WWII era flight sim ever made, bar none.

Is it perfect? No. Your wingman, for example, is as dumb as they are in every PC flight sim ever made, and today I watched a Bf-109 roar up on my tail while my wingman, who was flying along in echelon right formation behind me, simply ignored him and kept holding formation. (Maybe I needed to give him a "cover me" command or something, but shouldn't that be automatic?) I still haven't figured out how to zoom the map in and out, and the German planes seem to have slightly more horsepower than they should. I didn't realize that a Bf-109 could simply climb slowly away from a P-51D at 20,000 feet, but that just means that you need to be planning ahead to have an altitude advantage and the ability to dive on him.

But the thing to understand is this: all the craftsmanship, beauty, accuracy and (of course) flaming pieces of Zero that you want in a WWII flight sim are here in spades, and all beautifully crafted beyond anything I've ever experienced before. You won't be disappointed.

BTW for those who don't think that the .50 caliber machine guns on the American planes are powerful enough, I disagree. I've watched a lot of WWII era gun-camera footage, and you really have to hold the trigger down and spray tracer right into most German fighters to get a kill. The Zeros are a little easier to light up, since they have no armor, but .50s don't have near the punch that cannon do and that's just the way it was. Get into kill position, pull your sight into lead, and hold the trigger down. If you do it right, his wing will come off or his motor will burst into flames, just like in the movies. Tally ho!

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If you know IL-2 from the previous versions of this great WWII flight Sim, then you probably are going to get "1946" either for the new aircraft, to stay with the latest version on line, or just to have it all in one easy to install DVD.

If you don't know IL-2, then this is the version to have. If you have an interest in WWII aircraft, combat flight Sims or just want a good single player/LAN/On line flight game, then "1946" is probably the best choice around. All the previous IL-2 games are in here, plus some new content.

IL-2 has been around a while, and the developer will soon release a new WWII Battle of Britain Sim with some state of the art improvements. So why should you get "1946" when it's at the end of it's development life?

Well, because it's still a fantastic game, it covers all the theaters of WWII, there is a ton of user made content to be had, and your PC doesn't need to be bleeding edge to run it, but if you have enough graphics power to turn up the eye candy to the max it is almost a work of art in motion. The game is deep enough to delight the enthusiast, and yet is still accessible for the casual gamer to enjoy.

Installation of all the versions and patches for IL-2 used to be a daunting task, but 1946 makes it a snap. Sadly, there is no printed manual included, but there are .pdf versions of a manual and aircraft guide. There are lots of resources on line, most of them fan made, to help the novice pilot.

If you have "1946" and a joystick with twist rudder control and a throttle like the Saitek PS33 Aviator Joystick you have all you need to enjoy what will likely be the benchmark in WWII combat flight Sims for years to come. A joystick is almost mandatory. You can play "1946" with only a keyboad and mouse much like a dog can walk on it's hind legs, more as a stunt than a practical matter. If you become an enthusiast, there are more advanced controllers you can delve in to, but they aren'r really needed, but the joystick certainly is.

"1946" is a great game, a great simulation, and the ticket to a vast on line community of IL-2 content and fan support. I'm the merest duffer when it comes to mastering IL-2, and have yet to play the game on line after years of off line play, but I still enjoy it immensely, and recommend it fully.

"1946" might represent both the pinnacle and the sunset of a classic game, but it will be continue to provide great gaming for many years to come. Climb in and enjoy the ride.

Cheap FIFA Street 2 - Xbox

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This game is like the soccer version of nhl hitz, except one of you main goals is to trick out your opponent and make them look stupid. instead of the regular old soccer, with strict rules and penalties, this is a total free for all to get to the ball and maintain control of the game. This game is full of big hits, trips, and slide tackles. Fake outs are a key part of this game, and if you don't use them your done for. The ai can be very tedious at times and complete roll over you as their opponent. The main mode to play in is "Rule the Street" where you bascially try and become a well known and amazing street soccer player. You upgrade your skills and are allowed to go to different levels. There are a few different matches, one in which you have to score goals and nutmegs to win. However, the worst part about this game is the trick em out matches where all you do is go for combo tricks and try and trick out the other team by reaching a certain score. Some of these scores you have to reach are just insanely high and one match can take an hour. Otherwise, this game is alot of fun and is great for all sports preferences. This time soccer is a full contact sport!

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There are just so many people who definitely love the feeling of sports games. Nevertheless, they aren't alowyas as good as they claim to be in the gameplay. That has been the case with games like Madden '06, and NBA 2K2. While all that seems to be proven that way, the soccer games also don't have the actual feeling of a goal either, most of the time. While there have been some well-received decent titles like the highly acclaimed Super Mario Strikers for the Nintendo Gamecube, other haven't made the way to a goal. For EA's FIFA Street series, that also didn't actually have a perfectional method either in gaming. Now that there also happens to be a sequel out, can it do just better than before.

FIFA Street 2 for the Xbox, is a game that tries to deliver well with soccer fans. There are several teams from all over the world who are trying to make it to the world championship of street soccer such as the U.S.A., thelegends from England, Japan, and Italy to name a few. The graphics for the game are just crisp and stand out through each of the courses and stadiums from all over, while the music delivers what EA's Street series games have always showcased the most was through the great mixes of gaming melodies. The control however does lose out a lot. Although it is fairly easy to manuver your players to score goals, the use of the trick stick can be frustating at times, especially when you try to build up your gamebreaker power at the same time.

All in all, FIFA Street 2 is a fairly welcomed game, but does miss out on quite a lot for Xbox owners. I really doubt there are any over the top other options for gamers to make their own exciting goals out there. I suggest you rent this one before considering this as a add on to your video game collection.

Graphics: B

Sound: B

Control: C+

Fun & Enjoyment: C for solo players; C+ for muliplayer

Overall: C 1/2+

Blade Kitten Review

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Due to some limitation with the engine, this game is capped at 30 frames per second. Normally, 30fps isn't so bad that's more or less what I get in Crysis, yet Crysis looks and feels fantastic on my machine. But on this game, 30fps feels WAY too low and makes everything feel blurry and choppy whenever you're moving, which is basically all the time. I gave it a few tries, but I eventually had to stop because of eye strain. The gameplay didn't seem particularly fun either (and I've read several reviews that say it's lacklustre), so it just didn't seem worth the trouble to plug through this blurfest and give myself a headache.

Maybe it looks great on a CRT monitor, and maybe different people's eyes have different sensitivies. But on my LCD monitor, it just looks horrible. I've played loads of games, and this is the the first time this has happened to me.

There's a free demo available on Steam (and no doubt elsewhere too) so I urge you to try that before you buy. I wish I did.

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I have the same problem as reported earlier the game does not activate even though the key supplied by Amazon is accepted by the game installer.

I will update if anything changes.

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Wish I could review the game itself, but all I get is the demo. It's the activation keys. Tech support at Securom tells me the key Amazon gave me wasn't valid. Try contacting the publisher. So I thought I'd try emailing Amazon instead, since I'd been working with Atari support already, and they were somewhat clueless. The nice folks at Amazon apologized for the problem, and gave me a different activation key. Unfortunately, it also doesn't work. Clearly there is some breakdown in communication between Atari, Securom & Amazon. Who, what or why that is, I can't say. What I can say is, do not to waste your time or money on this game. (purchased as digital download from Amazon)(Non-Steam version)

Honest reviews on Blade Kitten

Graphics look great, but its hard to enjoy this game when you are getting sick every 15 minutes. Don't know if the colors in the game are too bright or all the movement in the game thats causing it. I gotten sick playing First person shooter games and I never thought I'll get sick playing Side Strollers... Heard from friends they also gotten sick playing this when even though they never gotten sick before playing other games..The gameplay is not really fun either with the difficultly and frustration of fighting enemies with a floating sword...

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The game is short, the combat is simple and easy, and occasionally you will get stuck in a wall.

However, the game is a nice 2D platformer where you can go almost anywhere in the level. The focus is on exploration and gathering secret items, though you can just run through, sword swinging (which does earn an achievement if you're fast enough). It's a $5 game with a catgirl as the main character. It even has a good bit of humour. And when you inevitably end up stuck in a wall, it will move you out soon enough.

Discount POWER A Skylanders SWAP Force Travel Tote

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List Price: $19.99
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thought it was going to be alot bigger than what it was. Sure you can get 20 skylanders in the bag if they are all small and packed in a certain way

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This is a great carry all for children who collect both the figures and video games. I purchased this for my grandson and he uses it when traveling with his DS.

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it holds about 15 skylanders but you could use it to hold the games and portals or if you want if you have two of the same guys you could put one of the two if this and if you get more of the same people from other starter pack or triple packs with someone you already have you could use this to store him

Spider-Man/Spider-Man 2 Bundle Review

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This is a great idea! We are so happy that they released both games in one pack! My 7 year old son received his first Gameboy for X-mas 2004, at which time we'd had problems locating the first Spiderman GBA game. Then the second game sold out locally as well. My son had played both games and had individually rated them about a 7-8 on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being Excellent. But with both games in the same game pack he gives it a 9, overall. He's completed both games and tells me he can find little or no difference between the single game pack and the dual game pack. We hope they release more of the older games on dual packs! It's a great value and helps keep gamepak clutter down. If you're looking for a more intensive review of the individual games: we've found that Gameinformer is consistently accurate in their reviews. It speaks for itself when your child owns approximately 70 games and spends most of his gameboy time with his Spiderman dual pak, Wolverine dual pak, Metroid (all), and Ultimate Spiderman. We actually wanted to give it 4.75 out of 5 stars.

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I purchased this game for my grandson and he started to play it almost from the moment it was unwrapped.

Cheap 20G HDD Hard Disk Drive For Microsoft Xbox 360 with USB 2.0 AGPtek

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i loved this company because they sold a really good harddrive i will certainly buy from again

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So far so good. I've had it for a few weeks now and it seem to work fine. Great buy for the money. Enough memory for my gaming needs.

Reviews of Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce - Xbox 360

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List Price: $29.99
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Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce has to be one of the most slept on games in today's market. With advertising constantly pumping big name games, DWSF is forced onto the back-burner. Not to mention Koei did not advertise the game in the US.

For long standing fans of the series, there is a bit of a change, but in my opionion still equals a good time. DWSF has a more fantasy feel to it with the introduction of "Fury Mode." Fury Mode allows your character to transform in a manner such as a Saiyan to a Super Saiyan. This mode allows for increased damage, speed, jump, etc. and can be followed by an ultimate musou attack.

Another change to get use to is the lack of mounted animals. When I say lack, I mean complete dismisal of the idea of riding a horse. You will ride/control no animal in DWSF (you can jump on giant dragon's backs however, as well as other crazy boss')as there are no animals to mount. This however makes perfect sense once you see the speed of the game and character abilities, riding a horse will simply slow you down.

Another major change in the series is the RPG type elements & upgrades. Past games threw experience at you and it was all clumped up in one category. In DWSF you can now level specific weapon types, as well as your characters abilties such as speed, strength, defence, attack, etc. You also can create weapons and add upgrades and abilities to increase weapon strength and effectiveness against certain enemies.

There are also no one on one duel challenges issued in game-play, something I personally miss but is acceptable with the new style of action presented in DWSF.

Koei still has issues with slow-down/lag even on the Xbox 360. You'll find yourself in a battle against several officers, surrounded by fire and you'll notice it takes 30 seconds to swing your weapon, not to mention jump or simply move. Slow-down is not terrible, it's definately playable and is experienced only in specific corners of certain areas and stages. Once you step to the left of change your camera angle, everything will return to normal speed.

There is no split-screen play as the game supports only one player per console. Thankfully Koei has finally brought co-op multiplayer back to the game (as well as multiplayer duels). In multiplayer you will be able to trade materials to create weapons, orbs, and other items with other players. If you're having an issue locatiing an item you can simply ask for the item from another player. You can also trade Officers with players online. This allows your traded officer to upgrade Chi abilities and gain experience at a faster rate ("Chi" is a power or attribute that aids your officer(s). Any one character can have up to five different chi abilities.).

As of now those are the most noteable matters I can think of sharing. I loved DW:4 for Playstation 2 and found myself quite disappointed with DW:6 due to no multiplayer/online support. DWSF however, is quite fun. It takes a bit of getting use to even for veteran DW players, but it's well worth the money. I'm into 102 hours of gameplay and as far as I can tell I've got many more hours to go.

**Notice**

The DEMO available on Xbox Live is quite misleading and does not represent the full game accurately. It will give you only a slight taste and will restrict you from customizing anything.

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Ok I played the DW series since DW 2 and loved them all. I love the hack and slash games against a crap load of enemies. Strikeforce, however, has changed the game that I loved and turned it into...well, let's say they had good ideas but never seemed to follow through and perfect the idea. First of all, the aerial combat just plain sucks...why? The camera never stays on target for more than a few seconds...and half the time im trying to find my flying enemy who goes off screen and disappears. Further more. you don't really fly but dash a little in the air... Another is the targeting system. It seemed difficult to target a specific enemy if he isn't right in front of you. Even if he was in front of you, it was still difficult to target a specific enemy. Doesn't sound too bad but try targeting a enemy when you have like hundreds of lackeys and 2-3 boss types attacking you at once. Gets old real fast. Another issue i had was the giant animal bosses like the lion, demon unicorn, and others. The problem i had was once again the damn camera made the fight difficult and awkward since it seemed to zoom out every few seconds making me trying to locate my character. really annoying after like the fiftieth time. I was expecting an epic game but instead koei comes out with a game full of flaws and annoyances that prevent me from really enjoying the game. This is probably one of the worst DW game to come out on any system.

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its a great game but its also one of those that if u play just a little to much it gets boring pretty easy. still recommend it though for the price and fast delivery

Honest reviews on Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce - Xbox 360

Ahh Dynasty Warriors. If there was a good example of a mindless beat-em-up game, the Warriors/Musou series would easily define it. Any Warriors/Musou game you find from Koei will follow the formula of a one-person army that aims to turn the tide of battle by defeating many enemies and a handful of officers. To some, this is all you really need to enjoy yourself after a nice rough day. To others, there's not a lot of depth involved in these games so one may prefer something else for their time.

Then comes in Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce. Taking a huge departure from the Warriors/Musou series by adding different concepts, Strikeforce aims to provide players with a few mechanics usually seen in other RPGs. Borrowing a lot from the Monster Hunter series and the Phantasy Star Online/Universe games, Strikeforce is a multiplayer orientated game that focuses on gearing and leveling your character while taking on battles against opposing armies. Unlike the traditional Warriors/Musou games, the game is much slower pace with less enemies but more focus is on the officer battles that you encounter, including some big fantasy monsters that you normally would not see in these games. Instead of a huge map, each battle is divided into smaller zones.

Of course, this all sounds a bit boring if it wasn't for the fact that characters from the Dynasty Warriors series were amped up with a special "Fury" mode. As you're fighting, you can transform into a powerful version of yourself where you will do more damage, be able to sustain yourself in the air longer and overall, look very Dragon Ball-ish like in fancy armor. This adds a bit of depth in the game as you will be trying to maintain this "Fury" mode as much as you can. You will be needing this more often than not as the enemy officers that you encounter will do the same as well.

Each battle is like a mission that you undertake. You can invite other players (Online for Console versions, Adhoc for Playstation Portable) to undertake these missions in an effort to level up or obtain spoils which can be used to create more gear. As this is a mutliplayer orientated game, trying to solo the later missions end up being very very difficult and even just down right frustrating to attempt alone. This is also unfortunately setback by the fact that for the console versions, there is no local multiplayer and the PSP does not support infrastructure mode for true online play.

So, who is the intended target for this game? Long time fans of Dynasty Warriors might end up disappointed on the slower pace of the game and the lower enemy count on average. Each boss is also very difficult to kill in some cases and unlike the other Warriors/Musou game, there are less methods of breaking out of long combo attacks that the bosses do. Because of all this, a lot of patience and persistence is required for this game, something that most Warrior/Musou games don't really require all that much. As for those that enjoy games like Monster Hunter, might be turned off on the fact that the game is one that requires you to grind a lot as most of your victories will usually involve the gear and items that you have equipped.

All that aside, this game was originally made for the Playstation Portable as it is a game that you can take with you and play anywhere with. Because of that, I do recommend this game if you travel a lot and Monster Hunter wasn't up your fancy or you need something different and same as well. The console version does have the added advantage of having online multiplayer, which is a plus for the later missions. In both cases, having someone to play with is an added bonus and probably even a necessity. Which is why I gave this a 3, it is a very niche game that might or might not good for your typical gamer.

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The whole series is awesome, the characters are great, the weapons, the battles, wonderful! Hope the creators keep putting out more of these.