Pelican 5-Way System Selector (Xbox, PS2, PS1, GameCube, Dreamcast Review

Customer Ratings:

Good product, I didn't even need a power cable for it, everything switches just fine.

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$150.00 for a switch box? no hdmi, no digital, just a component/ composite switch box. i purchased mine for $20 at a local store.

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Works great, has 5 ports which makes it easier to plug in all my game systems at the same time,

Review of Star Wars Republic Commando - PC

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $5.74
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

This is a game I've had since it came out originally in 2005, and I keep coming back to it. The action is great, the graphics hold up well, and the squad controls (and the squad members themselves) are brilliant and very easy to use. This game also holds the distinction of being the only shooter I've died in because I was laughing at something (fortunately dying is no big deal since your squad members can resuscitate you...unless they go down too)

As a star wars game, it succeeds brilliantly in capturing a much more in-the-trenches feel of the clone wars than the movies even though it takes us to the same places (geonosis and kashyyyk). This is partially because with one small, green exception there are no jedi in the game, which leaves you and your squad to do all the work without any forcepowered cheating :P The other thing that bears pointing out is your squadmates themselves. Despite being clones, they all have a unique character and provide a good amount of comic relief, Sev and Scorch especially. They're very much one of the strengths of this game.

There's a technical problem with nvidia 8000 series graphics cards where you have to set the bump mapping to low or the game won't play. Hopefully that'll be fixed in a driver update sometime soon.

The worst thing about the game is the ending leaves it wide open for a sequel...and three years on, no word of one. Delta squad has appeared in the republic commando novel series, so, their future may play out there. Still hoping for Imperial Commando, though :P

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A really fun game, very well designed.

Three Star Wars locations are explored: a desert planet, a huge spaceship, and the Wookie jungle planet. I liked the environments a lot. I think the sign of a great shooter is how well you remember certain locations, almost feeling as if you've actually been there. This doesn't match the genius of Half Life, but it's quite good.

The enemies are interesting. There are several types of droids, some flying insectoids, and some orc-like creatures. Each is vulnerable to a different type of attack. Animation and graphics are really strong in this game very realistic.

The action is intense, but there are plenty of places to take a breath, too. I consider this a challenging game, even on Easy. There are times when you and your team are scrambling madly to hack into a computer while fighting off waves of enemies.

And speaking of the team, they might be the best part of the game. You get a nice level of control, and it's very easy to designate soldiers to snipe or grenade, or to heal you, each other or themselves. It's a very nice addition of strategy.

Sounds are great, and the voice work (done by the actor who played Jango Fett in the movie) is excellent. He has an Australian accent, which somehow works perfectly in this military sci-fi game.

All in all, this really is excellent, and as of late 2008, you could get this game for about $10. A no brainer a very nicely done shooter.

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I'm not a big fan of Star Wars and I'm only lukewarm to squad based shooters, but this game did a nice job of making the squad a useful addition with a short learning curve on giving them directions. They can revive you if you're incapacitated and you can revive them to keep up team strength.

Many typical FPS weapons were included: Standard was a pistol with infinite energy-based ammo and common through out the game were assault weapons with separate sniper and grenade attachments (which counted as separate weapons with different ammo), rocket launchers, and various grenades. Less common were bigger brothers of these weapons that you usually retrieved after killing certain enemies. There were also turrets that could be captured and used.

Health is available at health stations throughout the game. You can also direct your squad to charge up their health. The health stations do not become depleted with use, so you can go back to reuse them if you need to rather than waiting to come across a new one. They also come in groups of two or three allowing you to restore the health of multiple squad members at one time.

The settings were nicely created, but not stunning. There are a variety of enemies throughout the game, and while some are pretty difficult to kill, there are no level bosses. This game reminded me of Halo in the sense that some of the enemies seemed almost cartoonish. Voice acting was about average, but there were some funny lines that were entertaining even though they were repeated a bit often.

Graphics are smooth, but not particularly demanding for a higher end system (I have a 3GHz core 2 duo and dual SLI-linked GPUs). There were no patches required and I had no problems at all on my Vista x64 system. The game loads quickly and offers manual saves, quick saves, and regularly saves automatically at checkpoints that are fairly frequent. It tells you when you've reached a checkpoint, but it doesn't overtly say on-screen when you hit the quick save key. I would have liked the feedback, but that is only the most minor of complaints.

I found the game to be fun, well crafted, challenging at times, but generally not overly difficult. I thought it was quite long even by 2007 standards, which was also a pleasant surprise. I highly recommend this game especially considering the $8 price I paid from one of the third-party sellers on Amazon. Definitely a lot of bang for the buck at that price.

Honest reviews on Star Wars Republic Commando - PC

I felt myself enjoying Republic Commando a lot more than Battlefront 2 mainly because of the smoother interface, weapon pickup ability, and because it wasn't modeled after a multi-player conquest game or capture the flag. Even the Jedi heros didn't make BF2 a more enjoyable experience. The weapons are more interesting, especially the different grenades the commandos can use. Republic Commando is essentially Rainbow Six Vegas or Call of Duty 4 set in the Star Wars Universe, except you can jump and use a melee weapon. The graphics and music are very appealing, even for a game that is 3+ years old. The action is scripted and a lot of the levels are frustrating wherever there is a major choke point. The Super Battle Droids are extremely tough to destroy without the right weapons. A "headshot" using the sniper attachment doesn't take them out quickly enough. It's bad enough when you encounter a lone Super Battle Droid, but when 5-10 start to gang up on you along with a complement of normal Battle Droids it starts to get hairy. The worst part? (Yes, there is something even worse than that...) The enemy respawns in unlimited numbers if you stay in one spot. If your teammate(s) die in an area, you cannot plow ahead and clear the enemies, then come back to revive them. When you walk back, the same enemies respawn and the whole process repeats. I am not sure how the Republic and Empire ever won any battles but it isn't surprising the casualties were so high. Their weapons and armor sucked the big one. If they re-developed their blasters to kill droids with 1 shot, it'd make life a lot easier. I often wished the Commandos would use lightsabers and just slash through the enemies.

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I originally got this game for my son about 5 years ago on the "Greatest Star Wars PC Game" DVD package Lucas Arts released in 2006. Out of the the 5 games on there this was and still is his favorite game. However in the last year or two when I tried putting this on my Newer PC's with better graphics cards it would install fine and even allow me to go into the intial Title screen but as soon as I tried to start a new game it would go to start and then just kick me back into Windows and from reading some of the reviews there are other people having the same problem.

Anyways, so after my son gave me a ration of crap (I'm a certified MCSA) about not knowing how to make one of his favorite games work on his new school/gaming tower I did some googling and finally found out why the game would pop back into Windows whenever you went to actually go into Republic Commando from the introduction screen. When LucasArts was designing this game the game code made use of a graphic card option called "Bump Graphics", which were available on most of the Video Cards during that time (crica 2004-2005), However starting with the higher end ATI (Now AMD) Radeon HD 3000 series Video Cards that option was removed and no longer supplied on the updated drivers. about a year or two later Nvidia followed suite. However here is how you can circumvent this problem...

Star Wars Republic Commando fix:

The following Fix should work for the following Windows Operating Systems running the newer Video Cards from 2008 on...

Windows 2000 Professional (Have not tested the game on this OS but should work)

Windows XP (32 Bit)

Windows XP (64 Bit, Have not tested the game on this OS but should work)

Windows Vista (32 and 64 bit)

Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit)

1) Run Republic Commando as administrator (If you are not already logged in as one by default).

2) After selecting your profile, click Options > Graphics

3) Set the Bumpmapping setting to "Low", It should have originally been on "High". (Any other option other than "Low" will kick you back into Windows)

Please Note: Leave all other graphic options either in default or high for best game graphics experience.

4) Close Republic Commando

5) Restart Star Wars: Republic Commando and it should work just fine.

The game should start right up and is a blast to play in Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (64 bit), the game maybe a little short but my son has had alot of replay value with it.

System Specs: My Sons Desktop

Intel Core Dou 2 Quad socket 775, 6mb cache processor

Intel DP43TF MOBO

8GB of DDR2 800mhz PC6400 RAM

750W Antec PSU

750GB SATA HDD

24bit 5.1 Creative Sound Card

1GB intergrated Intel NIC

ATI Radeon HD 6450 PCI-E 1GB

Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (64 Bit)

27inch LCD VE276Q ASUS Monitor

Buy Xbox 360 Special Edition 4GB Kinect Sports Bundle

Customer Ratings:

The white version of the Xbox 360 Slim is the same as the black one in all functions, so I will be reviewing the actual package and Xbox 360 itself.

The Xbox 360 Slim is hands-down the best console I have ever owned. (This white version especially looks good.) The main differences between the new Xbox 360's and the older models (Arcades/Elites) are as follows: It has built-in wireless internet capabilities, built-in 4GB memory (via flashed internal memory), a port for the Kinect, and a slightly smaller power supply.

This package comes with all of the hook-ups and a white wireless controller (and let me say, I'm really digging this new white one), as well as a Kinect. Now, if you've never played on a Kinect, you are truly missing out. It makes the Wii (and the PS3 Move) look outdated. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the controller-less gaming actually works pretty well, and the Kinect technology is pretty accurate, which surprised me. Kinect Adventures is a standard (but fun) game to show off its capabilities. Kinect Sports also comes in this bundle and I think it's probably one of the best Kinect games out there, so I am glad it is included. And let me say, my friends who have seen my new shiny white Kinect are very jealous... I think it looks a lot better than the black ones.

Lastly, this bundle also comes with a 3-month Xbox Live gold membership. Generally, a 12-month gold membership to Xbox Live will cost you $59.99 per year, or even more if you pay by the month or every three months. However, you definitely get a ton of features for what you pay for, including ESPN, Last.fm radio, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and multiplayer access. Having a 3-month card included really gives everyone a chance just to see how great having a gold membership really is.

Overall, this Xbox 360 bundle is top-notch since it includes a nice shiny white console, Kinect, two great games, and a 3-month Xbox Live gold membership card. You will not be disappointed in this bundle, unless if you just prefer black over white.

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Spend the extra $100 and buy the Kinect Sports Bundle. The only reason we initially upgraded was so my younger kiddos would have some games to play as most of the non-kinect games were not for younger ages. I had no idea the Kinect was so much fun now all kiddos love this. including the older ones who only wanted it for battle games. Another plus with this bundle is it comes with 2 games that are all family friendly. The only complaint about the xbox is that it only comes with 1 controller. Luckily with kinect you dont need the controllers.

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We got this as a gift on Mother's Day (from the best sister ever!) and we've enjoyed the games immensly. We were thrilled to have a video game system that makes our kids get up off the couch and move their bodies! I played the boxing and beach volleyball games with my 8 year-old and my upper body is still sore...in a good way. It gives a nice workout and is fun for everyone in the family. I wish we'd gotten on years ago.

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WOW I GOTTA SAY, IM GLAD I SOLD MY BLACK XBOX SLIM AND GOT THIS LIMITED EDITION WHITE ONE, IT LOOKS SUPER ELEGANT AND VERY HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE. I GOT IT USED THRU A SELLER AND IT LOOKS LIKE NEW...WOW ITS AN AWESOME CONSOLE AND THE WHITE KINECT AND WHITE CONTROLLER IS AMAZING...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

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A W E S O M E ! But I would highly recommend buying a larger internal hard drive so you can save all of the games you play. It came and only had 1.1-3 gb free but you can delete some of the demo games to solve that problem.

Discount Xbox Controller S

Customer Ratings:

Okay, I was just joking -the original Xbox controller didn't weigh as much as an 800 pound bear. But seriously: IT WAS HUGE. Not for me, mind you, but for almost everyone else I knew, the first Xbox controller was at least a few sizes too large. It hindered the way they, amoung thousands of others, played. If someone's playing badly because of the controller then something is wrong.

Thankfully Microsoft noticed this and created a smaller, lighter, more easily handled controller for those of us who needed it. The Controller S, as it is called has a more even button layout and the A, B, X and Y buttons are not slanted, but have the traditional shape of raised domes. The black and white buttons were moved to below the A, B, X and Y buttons so as to be made easier to reach. However, I personally had more problem pressing these buttons on this model than on the other one. Anywho, the Start and Select/Back buttons were relocated to the left side of the left analog stick. These buttons probably should have stayed where they were or moved to a more convenient spot, like above the Xbox logo.

In any case, this is a massive improvement for the Xbox controller. I suggest that you buy at least two of these controllers, (even if you like the other one better), just in case your friends, etc. want to use them [which they will].

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Some people think the problems with the American Xbox controller have been overly exaggerated. But the truth is, if there weren't major problems with the controller, Microsoft wouldn't have taken the time and resources to bring the Japanese controller to the States. So now, the Xbox Controller S has made it to the States. Does it have what it takes to be a vast improvement over its American counterpart? Sadly, no. While it does improve upon some areas of the original controller, it falls incredibly short in others.

First, the improvements. The size of the controller has been reduced, which is good news for all those people who complained about the American controller's large size. The triggers feel a lot more comfortable and responsive, and the D-pad actually feels better and more usable. But the biggest improvement has to be the face buttons. On the original controller, the colored face buttons were in an awkward, bunched-together set up that made it difficult to find the right button without looking right at the controller. With the Xbox Controller S, the set up is more natural, making it easier to find the right button. The buttons are also more much flatter, which means gamers no longer have to press horrible oval-shaped buttons.

But then there are the flaws. The first is the Xbox logo. Why Microsoft puts that enormous logo there is beyond me. Do they really think we'll forget which gaming system we're playing and need to remind us with a big, round logo that actually makes the Xbox Controller S look even uglier than the first controller? Because of the placement of the logo, the Start and Select buttons were moves to under the first analog stick, which makes it somewhat awkward for most people to press them with their left hand. But the biggest flaw is undoubtedly the black and white buttons. In the American controller, they were placed above the face buttons; they took some getting used to, but were accessible. With the Xbox Controller S, they are placed below the face buttons in a sloppy configuration, and just trying to press these buttons is a pain because they are set deeper in the controller than the face buttons.

With this said, which controller is better? American or Japanese? Truth be told, neither is better than the other. Actually, each controller has its advantages over the other in certain games. For example, the D-pad on the Controller S makes "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" and "Dead or Alive 3" much easier to play, but the analog sticks on the American controller work a lot better on "Halo" and "Project Gotham Racing". If only Microsoft would take these controllers' strengths and place them in a hybrid controller, then they would have the ultimate controller.

Make no mistake, the Controller S isn't terrible; however, it's also not the saving grace controller that everyone wants it to be. It has its strengths and weaknesses, just like the American controller, and it'll hopefully point Microsoft in the right direction for a third and perfect controller for the Xbox.

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Thank you Microsoft! You see? Companies can listen! XBox has been slowly improving since launch. Its games are getting much better, and the controllers have as well. I'm actually beginning to enjoy this machine. While the button placement is not as convenient as the PS 2 Dual Shock, or as comfortable as the GameCube controller, this controller is much less awkward than the original XBox controller. It could still be better, the black and white buttons are not in a place that make them easy to get to, but the other buttons are not as close together, and the button shape make them easier to know what button you're hitting, thus avoiding hitting the wrong button by accident, which happens to me a lot of the regular controller.

Aside from the placement of the black and white buttons one more complaint I have, I can get new Nintendo made GameCube controllers for much less than the Microsoft controllers are going for. If Microsoft could lower the price on these I'd buy three more.

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When I got my Xbox a month or so ago, one of the downfalls of the system was the controller. I am sure many of you agree with me, but in many ways it suffered the flaws of being too big, heavy, and cumbersome. Not only was it tiring on the wrists, but the D-Pad was oddly shaped causing awkwardness in games that used it.

Knowing that Microsoft offered another type of controller (Controller S), I immediatly headed down to the store to grab one as a replacement for the pack in. Let me tell you... it was one of the smartest decisions I could have made with my new system.

With the old clunky original controller out of the way, I tested out the Controller S with both NFL 2K2 and Morrowind. Relaxing. Easier to use. Perfect is all I can say in a nutshell. Ideal for handsizes big and small.

Give the Controller S a try. Your hands will love you for it!

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Remember the Sega Genesis? Remember the first time you got to use Sega's 6-button controller? It was great! A sleek, smaller design that got rid of the bulk and wasted space of the original, while also slimming the buttons down as well as adding a second row of face buttons. It was a tremendous improvement that was very welcome at the time.

Now fast-forward to present day: Microsoft, less than a year after the debut of its wonder-machine, has decided (at the bequest of dissatisfied gamers everywhere) to make the controller originally designed for the overseas Japanese market available in the USA. Enter the "Controller S," a smaller model designed to solve the often cumbersome limitations of the original. And it succeeds, albeit not 100%.

Many people cited the controller as one of the bigger drawbacks to the Microsoft XBox: it was too big, the buttons weren't user-friendly, there was a lot of wasted space (hello, logo!) and people really didn't know what to make of those pesky white & black buttons. The Controller S aims to solve these problems, and does so in most areas. The controller is smaller now, thus decreasing reaction time, the analog sticks are now identical and seemingly a bit tighter with less movement area, the gigantic clear dome logo has been replaced by a smaller button-sized logo, and the Back & Start buttons have been relocated to the left side underneath the left analog.

Obviously the biggest (and best) change is the new "standard" placement of the face buttons. They are now North/South/East/West and also flat and circular, instead of teardrop shaped. This makes finding & utilizing them much easier and intuitive. BUT, we still haven't mentioned the B&W buttons yet, and that's where the design fails yet again. Microsoft acquiesced to the positioning of the main face buttons, and should have just place the Black & White buttons in the same pattern as the C & Z buttons on the old Sega Genesis 6-button controller. But, instead of having them in the awkward yet usable spot of the original XBox controller, they are now recessed and completely below the face buttons. This all but forces the player to use the heel of their thumb to press the B&W buttons, whilst the main portion of the thumb performs the usual face button duty. This isn't impossible, but it's even more awkward and counter-intuitive than the previous awkward & counter-intuitive setup.

No bones about it, the Controller S is the better controller. The new design facilitates faster and more accurate control, which is especially helpful in sports games. I noticed the difference in NCAA 2003 the minute I played using the Controller S. Though others maintain that the slower, more deliberate nature of the original is helpful in games like Halo or Star Wars Starfighter, I tend to disagree but your mileage may vary. So check it out and see how much more precise your gaming experience can be with the superior XBox Controller S.

Cheap D Skin Protective Game Skins 50 Pack

Customer Ratings:

Formerly I gave a glowing review of these d_skins, based upon their performance initially. The DVDs and CDs played well in a DVD player as well as a PC. Having many hard-to-acquire, OOP CDs, naturally I was in favor of a product that promised to protect my favorite music; however....

In time, there appeared rotation marks on the disks covered in d_skins, a pattern I had not seen previously. They differed from random scratches in that they uniformly appeared clockwise to the disks, following the rotation. My $40-plus investment in d_skins came to be questioned.

Having cleaned my disks prior to covering or having covered new disks, I hesitate to believe it is the result of debris between the disks themselves and the skins. Are the skins loose enough to cause friction while playing? Some are quite loose, while others fit well.

Having first noticed this on SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, I was willing to attribute it to a flaw in disk production, but when these marks appeared ON MY BACH SACRED CANTATA DISKS---It was all too much. Without further testing, I abandoned the d_skin experiment altogether, glad to have discovered it before other favorite disks were marked beyond repair.

Other reviews here disparaged the use of d_skins, all of which I ignored. After all, I wanted the idea to work. Better to enjoy an unprotected disk as long as possible, rather than destroy it in an attempt at preservation. I am dying daily, so why must my CDs be preserved until the last day?

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I really wanted this product to work. I have two young kids who seem to find my CDs, DVDs and X-Box disks no matter what I do with them. I bought 50 of these things when Victor Lucas on G4-TV said they work. Victor, you let me down. My X-Box doesn't read through them about 50% of the time, TWO different DVD players have an even worse record and my computer and car stereo won't read through them at all. It's been about two months and I think I've removed every single one I applied. So much for protecting Halo 2, if your X-Box can't read the game.

None of the other reviews here even hint at this problem, but I swear I'm putting them on right (I can feel each "tooth" snap into place around the disk). As far as I'm concerned, this is a great idea that just doesn't work reliably.

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I got a 5 pack of these to test out. I put one on my xbox game that would always stall and crash and it works great now! It's faster and hasn't crashed yet. That was when I went out and got these to protect all of my xbox games and dvds. I love these things. :) (Didn't stop a cd that skipped a lot from skipping, but helped it a little bit. I recommend these as a method to prevent scratches not fix them.)

I think the 50 pack is a great way to go to protect all of your discs at a cheaper price.

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So... ive been wanting to try this product for quite some time... cause i know like everyone else im tired of my cds getting freakin scratched... "Thanks greedy record companies for not making better non scratchable cds so they have to be replaced"... but anyways i broke down and bought a few... and oh my what a waste of money... first off they dont fit right... debri gets in between the skin and the cd and scratches it... it makes funny noises in your cd player and if youre like me that tiny sound will drive u nutz... and not to mention i have a problem with moisture in my car cd player... and it gets in between the skin and the cd, mite as well pour water on them.... needless to say all these problems cause pauses and skips, non play, and even error messages... So if u want My honest opinion Dont Buy them!... just get u some blank cds, make copies of your cds, Put your originals up and listen to your copies... much simplier that way!

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I've been using these D Skins for over a year now and am super happy with their performance! I have read other user reviews and have not experienced the fine clockwise scratches perhaps friction between the skin and the disc while in play. I have noticed a slight variance in fit with different skins, sometimes they're snug enough to snap and lock on, but do have a little air between the disc and the skin, if that's the case, I switch skins and most often the next one fits perfect. Maybe there's a better fit for some discs than others? I purchased these skins at a game store and the clerk told me never to use these skins in a car stereo, they are too sensitive and don't have the clearance for the extra thickness they add to the CD. I've never had a play problem with these skins in my DVD player, no skipping or locking up, just normal uninterrupted play. The sales guy that sold these to me showed me an impressive demonstration of aggressive abuse these skins with withstand, and the damage they are cabable of preventing. He snapped one of the on a brand new CD and then purposefully ground the CD back and forth his tabletop and over objects, he picked up the CD and showed me not only that the skin STAYED ON, which amazed me, but also the skin was lightly scuffed compared to the unscaithed CD. I was sold right then and there. If it is true what the reviewer mentioned about clockwise friction he encountered using his skins, whether caused by finite debris or other, I'm fine with that because light scuffing can be buffed out, it's much better than the alternative of heavy very visable scratches that are on all of my unprotected CD's. They might not be perfect but I still think they're a great investment for my collection.

RECOMMENDED!

Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition -Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:

Again I'm given the difficult task of reviewing a game of mixed renown. In the case of Star Wars Unleashed it is safe to say it did well with its' fan base selling millions of copies but was received with lukewarm scrutiny by the critics. Because of this I did not know quite what to expect. Having just beat the game all I can say is it delivered the goods I expected and was in no way a disappointment. Like many other games that belong to the action platform genre it is a blast while playing but despite the fun you are having it ends too abruptly.

If there is a single crime Force Unleashed is guilty of it is that in some ways it is akin to playing God of War with a light saber. Finishing off bosses or large foes requires button mash mini games. Most are easy enough with the hardest one requiring the player to pull a Star Destroyer from the sky as Tie fighters attack mercilessly. As you swathe your way through storm troopers, rebels, aliens, and walkers you collect points from slain foes which eventually make you "level up" so you can improve force powers or buy brand new ones. There are many epic feats Star killer can do and luckily enough a few special attacks such as "lightning bomb" are brand new to the franchise.

Most surprising is the story line is top notch. Side characters such as the beautiful and resourceful Imperial pilot Eclipse and Proxy the friendly yet psychotic droid are oddly endearing. The voice acting is delivered wonderfully as you would expect from a Lucas arts title. In some ways the plot pulled me in just as much as the one in Knights of the old republic though Force Unleashed should not be mistaken for an rpg.

The only thing Force Unleashed can be faulted for is that you visit some worlds twice. Felucia and Kashyk come to mind immediately though I'm happy to say that the lay out drastically changes for each visit. The environments can be truly breathtaking and I was very impressed by the graphics as a whole.

In my whole time playing I can only think of one glitch. When I fought Vader the second time our life bars froze. Pretty much we were both invincible so I had to start my battle over with him upon resetting my 360. I was glad the same glitch did not happen twice. I should mention though the load times are slow the auto save points are put in good places so rest assured dying does not require you restart the whole level.

On account this is the Ultimate Sith edition you are also getting the Jedi temple, Tattoine, and Hoth levels. Two of these missions extend an alternate history in which Star Killer becomes the new Darth Vader. The Jedi Temple was exclusive to the ps2 version until now.

How worth while this game is depends on two factors. If you've already beaten Force Unleashed I'm hesitant to say if the 3 hours of extra content will be worth it for you. Secondly be forewarned this is a Star Wars game from the action plat former mold thus you can likely beat it in one or two nights if you have nothing better to do.

If however you want to know how The Rebellion got started and be put in the shoes of one of the most epic Jedi/Sith rear kickers of all time Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith edition is a steal at the present asking price!

Pros

+ A plot of romance, betrayal, redemption, and conspiracies delivered with flair and passion.

+ Beautiful breath-taking visuals

+Mostly fluid combat and varied ways of using Force powers

+Game does not penalize you for failing real time event button combinations on the lowest difficulty

+Some of the best voice acting I've heard in awhile

Cons

-It is difficult to lock onto what you want sometimes to target objects or foes with your Jedi abilities.

-The sound track is not bad per se but we've all heard these same tired musical scores thousands of times by now.

-The game is not completely absent of glitches.

-Can be beaten quickly

If you've already beaten the original I cannot in good conscious suggest you trudge through the Ultimate edition for a measly 3 additional hours of play on the special disc that includes the bonus levels. Only the Hoth mission is exclusive. The others can be purchased on Xbox live as downloadable content.

Ending Thoughts: It is hard for me to describe exactly how I feel about Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition. Most complaints I could level at it would also have to be taken up with other games from the action genre. While it doesn't do anything new it does it very well.

Certain people will have a beef with Unleashed merely on account it uses the Star Wars license. Many reviewers are prone to attack a title if it some how connects with a movie or popular franchise. Force Unleashed shamefully draws both those cards.

Yet I never witnessed an instance this game lied about what it was. For those of us that wanted a game similar to Devil may cry or God of war with Jedi, Sith, and Storm trooper it is a dream come true. Had Unleashed been an rpg I would have complained about its' short span. However safe to say most of us know the appeal of this romp is throwing around hapless unfortunate souls with our minds right before we electrocute them with force lightning! On that raw visceral level Unleashed succeeds while offering a memorable tale to boot!

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Star Wars The Force Unleashed was probably the best Star Wars game I've ever played. I didn't actually own it though so when I saw this deal for The Ultimate Sith Edition I jumped on it. For some people it's probably not worth the buy if they already own the 2 maps that were previously released. Disc 1 is the original game with all of the character packs. Disc 2 is the three newer maps and all the rest of the previously released downloadable content. The game is so much fun I say trade in your old one and pick this one up it's worth it too for a cheaper price.

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A great game at a great price, but wait? Is it? Having never purchased the The Force Unleashed when it originally released, mostly due to some game play annoyances, I finally decided to buy it after they decided to release an ultimate collection containing all of the game's post release dlc, assuming this to be the better value. For this better value, I paid an additional $15-20, hoping that they trade of for nearly $30 worth of dlc would be worth it. However, I was very much wrong, a fact I discovered when I received my product. Open opening my game, I found that the game had two discs, one with the original game, the other disc containing the three dlc packs that had been released for the game. Upon completing everything in the main adventure, I had hoped to carry over my game stats to the dlc packs, but unfortunately, that is not allowed. You have to start separate save files for each dlc pack, something that is very inconvenient, but also very annoying after having spent 30-40 hours buffing your character only for it to go to waste. Each dlc pack was no longer than 1-2 hours, and that was playing through very slowly, and overall, did not add to the experience of the original game. So, my advice, just like the title indicates, is to save your money, and just buy the original game.

Honest reviews on Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition -Xbox 360

This is a great game but these Amazon sellers are charging over price for this game. The extra levels you can get on Xbox live Marketplace if you have the regular edition. Don't pay unreasonable prices.

So buy the regular version. Then download the extra levels on xbox live. Have fun and don't let these sellers take advantage of you. They shouldn't be overcharging in this economy ;)

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition -Xbox 360

I'm a total Star Wars nerd...I even like the prequel movies (though I have to plug my ears during much of Jar Jar's dialog). Anyway, I think this may be one of the most graphically polished games on the system. It's just a shame that much of the game play is cheap and annoying. Every time I learn a new power, I'm immediately introduced to enemies that are magically immune to it. Congratulations...you just learned the Force Push...now here's a tall black storm trooper that you can't use it on because he's three feet taller than the others (never mind the fact that I was just pulling Tie Fighters out of the air with the force). Hey! I just learned to shoot lightning out of my fingers! Time to introduce the magical electro-storm troopers that are engulfed in electricity and invulnerable. Clever huh? Also, far too often I'm trying to target one of the 20 enemies attacking me cheaply and the game mistakenly thinks I'm trying to stack crates with the force during the battle so it targets some random piece of debris instead and I end up wasting my lightning on it. The enemies time their attacks so that when you get knocked down (every few seconds) they hit you again as you're standing up. If you die at the end of a battle, you get to start it all over again! Hooray! I've seen the same two quick time event AT-ST animations a hundred times due to replaying the cheap battles over and over. But...the game is pretty and it's Star Wars so I'm still playing it.

Discount 2in1 combo Silicone Skin Military Camouflage Black Green and Sky

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $8.80
Today's Bonus: 56% Off

I bought the 2in1 combo silicone skins for my son as a gift, he loved them! They fit his controller great and they are not too hard to put on. Great product quality! Will buy from them again.

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I was skeptical about ordering this product due to no reviews. I was not sure it would be a cheap knock off of some sort with fake, thin plastic that I would probably end cutting it to size for the controller(s).

But I was wrong.

These silicone protectors fit the controller perfectly! No cutting to size around anything. Either the joysticks, D-pad, buttons, or triggers. I have the black and green one on a silver Microsoft wireless controller with the rechargeable battery pack. The opening for the charging port is outlined wonderfully so as not to interfere with the connection at all. Plus there is a slit for your headphones that is the same way. No hassle connecting anything. I also have the blue, white marbled one on a wired Microsoft controller. It fits the same way, perfectly with no slippage on the controller nor covering anything that it is not suppose to or getting in the way of the wire. I did notice one small tear between the start button and colored (action) buttons, but that might be from the way I put the protector on. I figured a little super glue or something will take care of that. Just watch that spot when you put them on for the silicone is thin there. It only happened on the blue, white marbled one.

The colors are vibrant, but a little darker in real life than the pictures. Which doesn't bother me. They are not faded or badly colored due to plastic issues not accepting color or just poor product in general. They simply came in a white zip-locked bag waiting patiently to be put on. I didn't notice any funny smells when opening the package either, but my nose is not the best smeller either.

Note: I do want to add the reason for me putting 'Microsoft' controllers is because I used these on actual Microsoft products, not the third party knock offs, for fitting purposely. Thank you.

Lowrider Reviews

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The best part about this game is in fact the cars and what you can do to them. I had the best time pimping up my ride for the contest and that is pretty much as good as it gets. They should hook up with the people who make the Need For Speed Games and then make it really about the cars. Give us some more rims to choose from or something. This game looks and feels like something nintendo put out in the early 90's. Lets up the fun and bring the game into 2004. They should re-design the hole thing and re-release it with a bang! They need to do for Lowriding what Need For Speed Underground is doing with those euro cars!!!!!!

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Great game, limited but fun overall. I whish they came up with an upgraded version that had more options but I guess I guess they decided to leave it at that.

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i like the lowrider game because i like lowrider i like being oraund them i have a lowrider myself so having this game its nice too so thank you amazon

Honest reviews on Lowrider

I love this game. Pimp out your ride and hit the strip. Compete with other cars to earn cash to pimp your ride out some more. The only complaint I have with this game is that it is too short. I think more locations across the usa would have been nice. Being limited to the west coast is a mistake. What about the other states? 4 stars: yes. 5 stars: maybe if it had more locations.

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I didnt know what to expect of this game at first. I am a fan of lowriders in general and I wanted to try a game that was dealing with low cars. and after beating the game I can say that the only bad part about it is the length. there are only 5 cities, and in each of the cities you can fly through the stuff you have to do and usually the same on the main events. Overall this game is fun, its simple, and you dont have to do a whole lot. I would have loved to have more cities to low ride in.

Review of No More Heroes

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I just got to the very end of No More Heroes and thought a review was in order. In one word: fantastic. I haven't had this much fun with a video game since I can't remember when. Sure, there are technically better games, but I don't know of any that are as stylish and flashy without losing good gameplay. It's just outright fun and cool. A bit short, yeah, but I managed to stretch it out to over eighteen hours somehow. (By struggling on bosses and buying more stuff than necessary.)

Let me take on the various arguments against the game:

"The overworld is boring and the bike controls suck."

The overwolrd is not meant to be like Grand Theft Auto. It's just a map for you to traverse to get from one place to another. It's not supposed to be fun, it's just there to link the main areas of the game. It's also kind of a way of putting the boredom of the daily commute against the fantastical life of being an assassin. But yeah, the bike does control badly, but if you don't go too fast or use the running dash in stead, it's not a problem.

"The story doesn't make any sense."

You've never played Killer7 if you think NMH's story makes no sense. The storyline doesn't make sense because at first it's not explained all of what's happening. Seventy percent of the backstory comes in the last mission or so. Then it all becomes clear. Well not clear, but mostly understandable.

"The fighting controls are bad."

Not really. You tap A to do normal attacks and B to do a stunning kick or grapple and finish off opponenets with a flick of the Wii Remote. You hold the Wii Remote up or down to switch between a high or low stance. It's like any button-masher of old but more fun and intuitive, and those button-mashers weren't accused of having bad controls.

The game goes at a somewhat linear fashion. You slay your way through a boss's lair or general area, take him or her out, take his or her rank, go to the overworld, earn money through jobs and small-time killing gigs to pay for the next match, and repeat. But the bosses themselves are spectacular. They require precise timing and patience to beat. You can't just rush in and swing your sword wildly. You have to learn all their moves, take advantage of their recovery times, and be like the Samurai Travis wishes he was. The bosses are also interesting and unique from a guy that dresses up as a technologically-powered super-hero to a revolver-toting stadium singer. And some of the fights go completely against everything you expect from a standard boss battle. I especially liked rank number 3.

And the music and sound? It goes perfectly with the type of game. Electric instrumentals and driving beats line the halls as you slay your enemies and almost every boss battle track could be considered a favorite of mine. Much of it is very similar to that type of music used in Killer7.

Content-wise, this game's M-rated for a reason. Characters drop the F-bomb on several occasions and there's blood and lots of it. But the graphics are cell shaded and so unrealistic that the violence becomes almost whimsical and never really borders on the side of gory. Honestly, the stuff you see in C.S.I. is worse. And when every few enemies you dispatch yell "My spleen!" it's hard to take it very seriously.

Overall, as I just said, this is a fantastic game. Some may say it's not for them--that it's just not their kind of game, but it sure is my kind of game. And maybe yours, too. From the killer combat system to the plethora of memorable bosses, the sneaked-in 8-bit graphics to Travis's pet cat, I give No More Heroes a Frank Miller's Sin City out of Viewtiful Joe.

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From the makers of Killer 7, No More Heroes is the anxiously awaited bloodbath that mature Wii owners have been praying for. Playing as eccentric assassin Travis Touchdown, you are armed with your trusty beam katana as you set out to become the best in the business. There is much more to the story than that though, but without giving too much away regarding the game's surprisingly deep and complex story, let's just say that things don't always go as planned for Travis. The first thing you'll notice are undoubtedly the excellent, cell-shaded graphics that No More Heroes sports, along with the best use of the Wii motion controls to come from a third-party yet. The game also features some GTA-inspired free roaming with Travis on a motorcycle, and while it isn't as open-ended as one would hope, the game's serious sense of style and just plain insane story and gameplay elements more than make up for it. The game also has a somewhat jittery frame-rate that can become quite noticable when the action picks up a lot, but this is only a minor complaint thanks to the stylized, over the top action, along with flawless sound design and elements that really take advantage of what the Wii can do, despite the fact that the console isn't a technical powerhouse. All in all, No More Heroes is the absolute best, original third-party title to debut on the Wii yet, and is an absolute essential purchase for Wii owners craving a mature-themed game that leaves a lasting impression.

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No More Heroes is the most stylish game to yet grace the wii. The action is fast,and fun without getting boring. The level design is wonderfully original. And the boss fights are among the best you'll ever have the pleasure to play. The only problem is getting there.

To afford the fantastic ranking missions you have to navigate through a huge,and largely empty,city to complete boring side jobs with no retry option. If you lose these often frusturating jobs you have to go back to the agency, re-apply, drive back to the mission site, and try again. this gets old fast.

But if you can ignore this minor issue you are in store for one of the most hardcore, visceral, and enjoyable games you will ever play.

Honest reviews on No More Heroes

Pros:

+A tolerable storyline

+Fantastic Gameplay

+Beautiful Cel-Shaded graphics

+Good soundtrack

+Good voice overs

Cons:

-Incredibly short game

-Side jobs inbetween the main missions aren't exciting

-The game is on the easy side

-Despite good Cel-shaded Graphics, more detail could've been put into Santa Destroy

No More Heroes is a stylish game. A game that isn't aimed at the kids by any means but the adult gamer instead. It manages to do so. The humor is crude and the game is incredibly violent. Parents, that's your warning.

In No More Heroes you play the role of Travis Touchdown. As Travis Touchdown you are the newest member of the United Assassins Association. After the battle with the rank ten assassin, Travis decides that he has to be number one. Your goal is pretty simple. Defeat all the assassins and become the number one assassin in Santa Destroy.

No More Heroes lives up to its M Rating perfectly well. Much of the core gameplay is centered around slashing through the levels to the boss at the end. Your main weapon is a Beam Katana. Despite how some third party games have faired in the past, No More Heroes makes excellent use of the Wii's controls. The A button simply swings your Beam Katana while B is used to make kicks. Whenever you reduce an enemies life gauge down, the game enters deathblow mode. In Deathblow Mode, an arrow appears on the screen and you must wave the Wii Remote in that direction to execute a killing blow. Despite which way the arrow points you can really swing the Wii Remote anywhere. There's more to the motion sensor controls. You can grab enemies and perform wrestling moves by shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, and you can get into weapon clashes where you must wave the Wii Remote in order to win. These moments are involving. The game has a fine balance between the motion sensor controls and the normal everyday gameplay.

After your first mission and you're officially admitted into the UAA, you'll have to start paying to partake in the games main missions. This is where No More Heroes slows down considerably. The rank missions are expensive. There are ways to make money around Santa Destroy by doing part time jobs for people, but they're hardly fun. They're mundane jobs like collecting coconuts or mowing lawns. You can do assassination jobs for the UAA which will allow you to be involved in more action, but these missions go by quickly. Finally, there are missions you can go to where the objective is to kill all the bad guys without getting hit once. These missions, however, are over in a flash.

Even worse is exploring Santa Destroy itself. You can cruise around on your stylish bike but there's really nothing to do in Santa Destroy. You can go train around or buy some clothes to change into or you can buy parts for your Beam Katana. Unfortunately, Santa Destroy is a pretty boring place. You can't interact with the denizens and the city is actually relatively empty. You can also hang around your apartment and watch videos to learn new wrestling moves or play with your cat and the like.

However, when you get to play the main missions, the game is a lot of fun, and the missions are long and satisfying, especially the boss battles at the end. The bosses are some of the most fun to be had in the game. They aren't really that hard, however. In fact, the entire game isn't that hard. It's also pretty short. Any devoted gamer should be able to finish the game within a couple of days.

In terms of graphics, No More Heroes opts for style over substance. The cel-shaded graphics look good. A few nostalgic 8-bit moments come out as well, which is obviously part of the style. Despite how good the graphics are, much more could've been done with it. Particularly with the outdoor environments. At least the game sounds good. With some catchy tunes and good voice overs. There are moments when the dialog can be grating but it's tolerable nonetheless.

No More Heroes is one of the best titles you can buy on the Wii. While the moments in between missions are slow, the main game itself is fantastic with some good production values. A little more could've been done to improve the game overall, but the end result is fantastic.

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First of all, this is a mature title and it's a welcome change of pace from all the "casual" games out there on the Wii. There is blood and mature language, but it's in the style of of what you may have seen in the Kill Bill films. This game is totally over the top and it's funny. It's all about the intense combat, strange characters, witty dialog, wicked sense of humor and overall visual anime-style look of the game.

There are tons of combat maneuvers you can perform with the Wiimote and Nunchuck. Make sure to do the beginning tutorial as once you are done, you will have the controls figured out. The combat is a mix of sword fighting with wrestling type maneuvers (Suplex, Piledriver, Powerslam, etc). The combat never gets boring due to all the variations and moves you can perform (and upgrades). You can charge up your sword swings, stun, block, evade, grab and throw along with combos. It's incredibly refreshing and fun. When you defeat an enemy using a finishing move, little slots at the bottom of the screen start to spin (like a mini jackpot machine) and if you match three slot icons, you will go into 1 of 5 special uber modes for a short period of time. Very cool and different.

After defeating the first boss (shortly after the beginning tutorial), you won't have enough money to pay the Entry Fee of the next Boss fight. So, you will have to do side-jobs, free fight and assassination missions to earn money. You drive your motorcycle around the city to get to the various jobs and missions and stores. I want to point out that this "over world" is strictly to allow you to get from mission to mission or various shops and it's not intended to be like Grand Theft Auto where it's an open "sandbox" where you can do anything you want. But, after defeating the second and third bosses, you will find that there is a lot to do in the city as quite a bit is opened up to you by then.

You can customize your character by going to the clothing store (named Area 51) and purchasing new T-shirts, Jackets, Jeans, Belts and Sunglasses. You can purchase beam Katana upgrades or different types of Katana's from Naomi's lab. You can upgrade your character by learning new wrestling grapple moves (learn by renting videos). There is even a fitness club where you upgrade your strength, health and amount of combos you can pull off. What is unique is that it makes you do all the training movements like lifting the Wiimote and Nunchuck as if they are fitness equipment (Dumbbell, Squats, Bench Press and more).

There are a few hidden items to find by exploring the environment such as Lovikov Balls (used to increase your abilities at a trainer) and money.

You can go back to your motel and just hang out and put on different clothing and watch videos (first one available is the original trailer for the game). You can go to the video store (Beef Head Video) and purchase other videos.

Definitely check this game out. NOTE: After you defeat the second boss, a lot of stuff opens up for you to do in the environment basically, the game keeps giving you more to do after each boss you will not get bored. This game has style and personality and you will have not played anything like this before. It's that original. You can tell that the developer, Suda 51 put a lot of heart and soul into this game and truly enjoyed making it.

Discount Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition with NFL Sunday Ticket -Xbox 360

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I recently received this item thanks to same day delivery. I just wanted to confirm that the free trial for NFL Sunday Ticket actually works. I do not have an account with Directv. The game will come with a username and password that you just enter in. I did have to download the Sunday Ticket app that was specifically made for tablets as the username/password didnt work on the main Sunday Ticket app. Im using the Galaxy Tab 3 8 inch and everything works fine. Tried it out on my laptop also and everything worked!!!

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Madden NFL 25 is one of the most difficult to evaluate sports games in recent memory. It carries with it considerable value thanks to a deep feature set, distinct improvements to gameplay, and appreciable fun factor. For every positive though there seems to be something dragging it down from potential excellence. Features aren't completely fleshed out, gameplay looks and feels chaotic, and legacy issues remain unaddressed.

*The Anniversary Edition packs in NFL Sunday Ticket access for PC/tablet/phones. At $40 over the game's cost that is undeniable value to consider in making the purchase*

MODES

-Connected Franchise: This is obviously the big one especially with the return of Owner mode and I wrote over 3000 words and posted nearly 100 screenshots regarding it on my site detailing everything from the executive duties of an Owner and how things progressed within the entire Connected Franchise universe having played every game in a season and extended into year two.

Owner mode provides some compelling elements which will be especially fun when joined by friends but Connected Franchise as a whole fails again in tying events from the league into the actual games. That could severely dampen long-term enthusiasm towards the mode.

-Skills Trainer: Similar to NCAA Football 14 the Skills Trainer provides an opportunity to learn, improve, and refine play in very specific areas. It does a good job of teaching things like the option as well as aspects like hot routes and audibles which novices may need explanations on. There are also Ultimate Team bonuses given for getting "Gold" in each of the individual drills.

On the flip side it has the same faults as NCAA. Things that are out of the control of the user can screw up success. It gets frustrating going for the "Gold" and missing out because a receiver drops a pass or a defender sacks a QB when you needed to get an interception.

The Skills Trainer was personally approached with the hope of learning the new "Precision Modifier". Getting to test out the timing and various functions is the valuable thing here. What the Trainer didn't do was explain what "in range" actually means or go beyond just a handful of moves when there are 30 something combos possible.

-Madden Share: This is something that will become valuable as users get the game and start uploading their own personal content. During the evaluation period there were some files there to download but they may have just been tests from other users so it didn't make sense to spend time pulling any down not knowing whether they would make for quality useful content.

Files that can be uploaded/downloaded through Madden Share are rosters, playbooks, and slider sets. Video highlights can also be uploaded to the EA website.

Any roster set can be used to start a Connected Franchise including the user-edited ones obtained through Madden Share. Custom Playbooks can also be taken into CF.

-Ultimate Team and Online Play: Without many users to face online it would be inappropriate to judge Ultimate Team (which brings in the fun Seasons concept) or online play performance in general. Will update this section at a later date.

GAMEPLAY

Many of the enhancements apparent in Madden NFL 25 were first introduced in NCAA Football 14. The two series share a gameplay development team which means Infinity Engine 2.0, work done to the offensive line, enhanced player control, and much more are found in both. It might be the more wide-open gameplay or the lesser talent on the field but NCAA 14 plays a much cleaner game than Madden 25.

Sloppy is the best way to describe Madden's gameplay this year. It feels that way when playing it and it looks that way when watching it. There are glimpses of good things there's no doubt about that and it can still be fun to play but overall it's hard not to walk away and say it's a mess despite that.

The Infinity Engine seems to have been downgraded not enhanced. There is a distinct lack of tackles appearing organic (or any impact between players or gang tackles) and instead you get an overload of frantic collisions and guys knocking into and off one another plus bizarre looking pileups. Everything is much stiffer than last year and even what was played back at E3.

CPU QB's are competent if not unrealistically so. Other than one or two boneheaded throws each game even the highest rated QBs will do that they march their teams up and down the field fairly consistently. Completion percentages in the demo were ridiculously high. They haven't been as bad in the final version of the game. Lower rated QBs might even struggle at times though that usually isn't for the entire game. The one time that happened was holding Brandon Weeden to under 50%. Most other games are around 70% or higher even from guys like Mark Sanchez.

There are a few reasons this seems to be the case. Few throws will hit the ground. They'll more likely be jarred loose in a hit or intercepted. QBs are generally accurate and they find receivers in big space pretty often. Whether poor zone or man coverage is to blame is difficult to determine.

The pass rush is also inconsistent. Most sacks aren't due to immediate pressure but end up as coverage sacks. In my franchise I had some success controlling Cameron Wake and forcing off-target throws. The user shouldn't be forced to play the D-line (and not everyone has a Wake) in order to get pressure on the QB.

CPU running backs can threaten and they tore me up a few times in my franchise season, but that becomes an afterthought to trying to find a way to stop the QB. Heavy blitzing may be needed to push the CPU into third and long situations where their success level dramatically drops. Third and short or mid they probably convert over 75% of the time when the actual NFL average on third downs is around 39%. CPU punters are still idiots and kick it into the end zone at every opportunity. The CPU kickers only missed one field goal against me the entire season (short and off the bar rather than wide).

The "Precision Modifier" is going to have its share of supporters and detractors. On one side it adds more dynamic and exciting events. On the other it doesn't balance out well in terms of risk and in some cases, with the right players and the right timing, can almost be unstoppable. I'm personally not a fan of it in concept or execution.

It's interesting EA made this an option because there is very little reason not to just hold down the left trigger at all times when running forward. In my franchise season there were two fumbles noted while using the modifier with a back or receiver out of 14 total on the season. Of course there were more instances where contact took place without the modifier activated than with it, but that still goes to show there is very little or no correlation to turnovers and using the modifier.

Going up against a shifty player in open space controlled by someone who has the modifier down will undoubtedly be frustrating. Even power guys, when they stiff arm, end up dragging the defender sometimes 10 yards down the field in that animation. There was also an instance where Darren Sproles stiff-armed a linebacker to the ground.

The CPU will use some modifier moves though somewhat infrequently. The over and over spinning seen in the demo definitely wasn't present in any of the games played with the final version. What they will do is awkwardly throw out stiff-arms when no one is even in range.

The read-option is a lot of fun to utilize and is represented well in Madden. While some thought it was too easy in NCAA Football this year there is more balance found in Madden considering the talent of the defenders, the rate of fumbles being higher, and the always looming risk of injury. A fragile quarterback is not going to be able to take hits during a game and survive it. There were also instances where the QB would make the right read and still get crushed by a defender who identified it. The CPU only used it a few times with Cam Newton and Geno Smith running it sparsely in my franchise season.

The one play I may start removing from my playbook: HB Draws. It seems as though the offensive line frequently gets pushed so far back that the runner has no where to go once the ball is handed off. The one I'll be using more frequently: WR Screens. Against a soft defense getting the ball in open space to a quick and agile target can result in big plays.

As was the case with the demo there are issues with catch attempts at the sidelines. Quite often a receiver won't make a concerted effort to get their feet down when they seemingly have plenty of space to do so. Even top rated receivers don't always complete the catch in bounds.

Deep shots downfield can also be troublesome. This is where most of the INTs came off the CPU and in pass breakups by the CPU. In one-on-one coverage on a leading-lob pass the ball rarely gets over the top. User picks are easy to make on those attempts. Even with a step on the defender the ball usually ends up short and incomplete or picked off.

Those looking for more penalties will still not be satisfied. My team committed 12 over the 17 games played in the season. A few of them were self-inflicted (defensive offsides, false starts, late hits on QB) and the others were some for clipping, a few personal fouls for late hits on the sideline, one facemask, and one offensive pass interference that was called on my left guard.

The Hit Stick finally has some use again as big hits do force some fumbles. Holding the stick down also activates "Heat Seeker Tackling" which acts somewhat as a magnet when in range but if out of range results in a big whiff.

I went into injuries at length in the franchise write-up. There are lots of them, which doesn't make it unrealistic, but the same players seem to get hit with them over and over and its usually key contributors.

In fourth and short situations coming out in goal line the CPU does not match unless near the goal line. That makes sneaks essentially automatic. The only thing to worry about would be the QB getting injured.

The booth will automatically review a close touchdown as they should, but never review close turnovers and the user isn't even given the option of manually challenging them. This was something mentioned last year as an issue that apparently didn't make it onto the radar to get fixed. This omission upsets me.

There are five camera angles including "Legacy" which is the standard one from recent years. Considering how many expressed hatred towards the new standard camera angle that was locked in for the demo it's important to note that.

PRESENTATION

Like everything else in Madden NFL 25 presentation has its ups and downs. There are only a few different game openings, personalized celebrations look alright but they're done within awkward cut scenes, the halftime show isn't a halftime show, the lack of ties during games to league events dampen interest in

Franchise mode, and commentary hasn't taken a big jump. The intro videos for primetime or playoff games in Franchise mode though are pretty cool.

Commentary is steady but it's surprising how little has been added or old lines thinned out. If I have to hear Phil Simms criticize a QB for checking down again, the one where he says it's just the QB worried about stats, my head might explode. In general for year two in the booth there is still too much left unspecified in their calls. "What a win for that one team" is literally something that was said after a game.

Danielle Bellini is the new sideline reporter and fits in well but most of what she has to report is very generic and often leaves out identifying the team or player names. Where she's most valuable is reporting on injuries at different points in the game. Unfortunately even with those she's stuck saying something about how the team wouldn't tell her what was wrong with the player. "The team wouldn't say." So then what's the point?

The touchdown and sack celebrations look good upon first viewing. The more they're seen though the more looks wrong with them. Players will show up out of no where to celebrate, it'll happen in spots where the play hadn't ended, the camera view may be blocked by other players, or it's noticed that there are no other people actually on the field. What's worse though is how players just stop and stand there after crossing the goal line or catching a pass for a score before a celebration or replay kicks in.

Auto-replays also have issues with individuals being lingered on from a single camera for too long. In some cases players run towards the camera and end up out of frame as they approach it. The graphics, while still largely excellent, seem far more muddied and flat (the lighting in particular) than recent years.

Rain and snow thin the crowd out to about 60% of capacity. Even in franchise for the Super Bowl fans apparently won't show up due to bad weather. Outside of a few team specific crowd chants or PA sounds the atmosphere in games is uniform from stadium to stadium. Hopefully with the "Living Worlds" part of the next-gen Ignite Engine they'll get some definition to the unique experiences that each fan base and stadium delivers. It should also be noted that the crowd still reacts improperly to the results of challenges. They'll boo a favorable result.

The post-game "Never Say Never Moment of the Game" is almost always a let down. Generally the play of the game is identified as a field goal that didn't actually determine the outcome. Or even worse an extra point.

MISCELLANEOUS

-The wind indicator is reversed. How this seems to happen year after year is beyond me. It can even be seen in how the rain or snow is being pushed one direction and the indicator pointing the opposite way. Keep that in mind with any kicks and adjust accordingly.

-Another release that doesn't include surprise onside kicks.

-Game results can be shared on Facebook but the share to Twitter functionality is gone.

-There is still no screenshot feature included. The next-gen systems will have that built in.

-If a team is running out the clock when kneeling and the opponent has no timeouts can we get a chew clock option for that in the future please?

OVERALL OUTLOOK

Madden NFL 25 feels like a 10 week bridge to next-gen rather than hitting a pinnacle in the way the series did late in the PS2/Xbox generation. It may satisfy many there certainly are improvements over last year both on the field and off despite the gripes that will be had but there will sadly be no Madden reaching "classic" status during the 360 and PS3 generation.

Best Deals for Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition with NFL Sunday Ticket -Xbox 360

Initially, I was going to purchase the standard Madden 25. But then when I learned that Amazon is promoting a 17 week trial of NFL Sunday Ticket for an additional $40, it was hard to pass up such a great deal!

My overall impressions of the game are similar to last year's version. Graphics, presentation, gameplay, etc. are all very familiar and unchanged. I just like the updated rosters and additional tweaks to franchise mode.

I was a little concerned about whether the Sunday ticket code was going to work for me because I am able to receive DirectTv service in my area. However, when you enter the code into the website, you are not required to enter any credentials or location whatsoever. So, pretty much anyone can use the code and get the Sunday Ticket! The great thing is that the trial version is for Sunday Ticket Max (includes the Redzone Channel). I am excited to watch every football game on my laptop (hook it up to my TV via HDMI cable) and iPhone.

I wouldn't be surprised if this deal is endorsed next year also. If it wasn't for the Sunday Ticket deal, then I wouldn't have purchased the $100 version of Madden. But, I did, so I'm happy, and you should too! Enjoy!

Honest reviews on Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition with NFL Sunday Ticket -Xbox 360

First it tricks you to believe you get the full nfl Sunday ticket not true only mobile devices. Secondly, it only works on some mobile devices. The copy, user and password I received will not work on an iPad. Impossible to get support, directv send you to ea sports who give you the run around and will to allow you to talk with a person in support. Would never ever ever trust ea sports and directv with this promotion. Absolute waste of money and time, verging on illegal hw they packaged this piece of crap product, offer.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition with NFL Sunday Ticket -Xbox 360

I paid the extra $50 for the Sunday Ticket pre-order. The directv website has been down the first two weeks of the season at kickoff.

I call support and they tell me to call EA Sports for support of my account. EA Sports website tells me to call Directv. Sat on hold for 30 minutes to be cutoff.

Not happy with Directv. Less likely to ever subscribe thanks to this experience. Will not waste my money next year if they have the combined promotion.

Best AND 1 Streetball - Xbox Deals

Customer Ratings:

It's easy to see the flaws in this game. And it's easy to be less than thrilled by the And1 commercialization that has occurred in the few years of its popularity. But honestly, I've played this game more than any of the other XBOX games I have. It's just fun. Here's the cons:

1) The controls can be intimidating and until you get them can be frustrating; but once you get them, it's easy to pull off the moves you want.

2) Some technical flaws (dunking the basketball nowhere near the rim..and I mean dunking, not taking off). This happens about once per game but I can live with that since there are so many animations that go on.

3) Lack of alley-oop animations...you can alley-oop like crazy and it's a lot of fun, but there's only about three alley-oop animations which is a bit of a buzz kill...where's the behind the head alley-oop and the under the leg alley-oop?

4) Graphics are less than spectacular. Though the animations run the gambit from excellent to disappointing depending on the moves.

5) The story mode is below average. I play it mainly for the quick games and multiplayer...I try to beat my highest trick points score, etc. Just for the fun of the gameplay...

Well, with so many cons, why did I give it 4 stars?

THE PROS:

1) Large variety of moves

2) Lots of blocks once you get the timing down

3) You can put in your own soundtracks (nothing like playing streetball to a Megadeth and Pantera background music...)

4) Create-a-player is pretty good.

5) Create-a-move could have been better but does give you a lot of options, too bad they ALL have to end in dunks.

6) Just plain fun; you can pick it up for 20 minutes and play a game and see some flashy moves and dunks and don't have to worry about salary caps, injuries, coaching, etc, like in most simulation basketball games. However, all the moves are real so it's not over-the-top like NBA Street.

Overall, if you like AND1 you'll like this game; if you enjoyed Street Hoops, but were disappointed in the execution you'll like this game. If you hate Streetball or only like NBA or College games, this ain't for you. You might want to play it first before buying but I highly recommend giving it a chance. I hope they make a sequel in the future where they fix the flaws and add some better graphics, more alley-oops, etc.

My suggestion, skip the story mode, get a cheat code from online for the $1,000,000. Create a bunch of cool players. Ball against the computer or your friends.. Story mode is lacking but you have to play through it to unlock the moves and players...boo...but it's not too hard so it's worth it.

Have fun!

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Star Wars Battlefront - Xbox Review

Customer Ratings:

First off, I would like to say that if you have any doubts about this game..buy the Star Wars Trilogy DVD collection because it comes with a free demo of SW:Battlefront. Let me just say that this game is probably the most incredible game I have ever played for the xbox (except KOTOR). In Battlegrounds you can re-live all of the battles of any of the movies! There are a ton of planets that you can journey to to fight your enemy. Theses planets are: Hoth, Tatooine, Endor, Yavin 4, Kashyyyk (Wookie homeworld, also in KOTOR),Bespin (cloud city), Naboo, Kamino, and others.

Now for the units.. It took me about 25 minutes before I could actually decide what unit I wanted to be. The choices are vast in numbers and all have tons of advantages in their own ways. I wound up picking the Republic Pilot, because I loved flying. My second choice, however, would have been the Republic Sharpshooter. The Classes are: Alliance, Republic, Separatists, or the Empire. The Units for each Class vary greatly, and each one is unique!

There is a single player on this games, and you can go head to head, or do conquer missions. The SP is a good idea to play at first just to get used to the controls and the surroundings at first. However, if you have Xbox Live, things just got better. You thought that you had a lot of choices with the units...well, that is nothing compared to what you can do on Live! You can play your favorite battles with up to 16 other players and customize everything you want. You can chat with your allies or taunt your enemies throught the live communicator.

PROS:

Excellent graphics

tons of worlds to choose from

Tons of units, and space ships available

Excellent depiction of the battles that took place in the movies

CONS:

None (except if you dont have Xbox Live...get it...this game might not be totally meant for Live....but the best battles are fought over Live and you are missing out without it!)

Overall..GREAT GAME one of the best from Lucasarts yet!

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Star Wars: Battlefront for the XBOX is a wargame that can be played from either first-person or third person view. First let me get the bad points out of the way: there are no outer-space battles, you cannot play as a jedi, the A.I. is hard headed, and the maps are too small for flying vehicles. It should also be noted that this is NOT a mission-based game like, "Halo", so stop comparing every game to "Halo" please! Battlefront plays similar to a Pc game called "Battlefield 1942", you CAN compare it to that game. You can win the game by capturing all command posts (territories) or killing all enemy units on the map. You play as a grunt soldier in the frontlines of all the epic battles seen in Star Wars films (including Tattooine, Hoth, Endor, Naboo and much more!) Before you begin battle you pick from four different army factions: Clones, Republic, CIS, and Rebels. Then you pick the soldier type you want to be: rifleman (rapid fire blaster), pilot (can repair and dispense medkits to soldiers), missle launcher (bazooka), sniper (long distance zoom killer), and commando (special unit). Most soldier class carry primary and secondary weapons and a couple of grenades. Everytime you get killed you can respawn and choose a different soldier type. You can travel by foot or ride in vehicles if available. Almost all of the vehicles from the Star Wars universe are in this game! Even the monsterous AT-AT! You'll be fighting alongside an army of A.I. controlled soldiers. There's lasers, missiles, and grenades exploding everywhere! The battles are intense, chaotic and a lot of fun! It looks and feels just like the movies! If you like FPS or wargames, BF 1942 or the Star Wars universe get this game! Its a dream come true!

Pros:

+intense battles

+lots of weapons and vehicles

+lots of maps

+excellent graphics and animation

+excellent sound effects

+excellent music

+co-op or versus gameplay

+xbox live multiplayer

+good A.I. BOTS

Cons:

-you cannot play as a jedi

-maps are too small

-no outer-space battles

-A.I. disobeys orders

-lacks game mode variety

-gets repetative

The Xbox version; the crisp graphics, have a higher framerate and the game loads faster than PS2 version.

Best Deals for Star Wars Battlefront - Xbox

Although, I have read reviews for many games, I have never felt the need to read one...Until NOW!!! This game is addicting and a full on fighting experience. Please note that this is from a casual gamer. Since I have a job and a girlfriend, my game time is limited. That is why this game is sooo great. You can jump in to any battle on any side and just play. No complicated ordering troops about or huge strategy battlefield nonsense. Just shoot-em up fun. Plus, you get to play in environments and outfits straight out of the movies.

Additionally, as an ex-soldier, I like the fact that you really get to be just that...a soldier. Not Han or Luke or Vader. There are tons of games dedicated to the "heroes" of the "force." As most true soldiers know, it is usually the grunts and ground pounders that win the wars. So you get to fight as the fighters do, not behind the scenes directing the battles or leading troops...just fighting.

I know that many full time gamers will disagree, stating that the game is not complicated enough or that the controls weren't exactly perfect, BUT for those of us regular joes who just want to have fun for an hour or so after work or before going out to a club, this is the perfect game.

Of course, it helps the playing experience if you like the Starwars Movies.

Honest reviews on Star Wars Battlefront - Xbox

THE SHORT: Great for pick-up-and-play. Fun and addictive, interesting and strategic without going too deep. This isn't a complex war-simulator, this is a fun action/shooter.

THE LONG: I'll begin by skipping any talk of re-living Star Wars battles and how accurate the scenarios are, etc. Yes I'm a Star Wars fan, you probably are too if you're reading this, and you don't need to worry, this game gets the feel down just fine.

So how is the actual game itself?

Very fun. I played the demo on a rented copy of the SW dvds since I just wanted to see them, having bought a bootleg of the original versions on dvd. Once I played the demo, I was hooked for hours on the one level offered. Getting the full game, I played for days on end and was happy to see that some finishing touches made the gameplay better than the demo with such things as seeing enemy troops on the map and more adjustable options.

In this game, you pick from about 20 levels that range in terrain (forest of Endor, desert of Tattooine, ice planet Hoth, etc) and complexity (open levels, levels with trees and caves for cover, passageways, elevated positions, etc). You'll find several that you want to play over many times. Once you pick a level, you pick a side (Rebels or Empire for the old schoolers, or CIS robots and the Clone Troopers for the new trilogy). Sorry, no way to play the Rebels against the Clone Troopers and mixes like that, but with 4 sides to choose from in almost every battleground and 5 troop types per faction, you'll have a lot of fun messing around.

The game is greatly set up for pick up and play-style action. Once you pick your stage and side, you begin. Just pick one of your bases to spawn your soldier, and you're good to go. Walk through the stage at your discretion, fighting how you want to. Jump into a melee and back up your brothers with blaster rifle blazing, throw projectiles from afar, or do some sniping. There's nothing more satisfying in this game than watching some Imperial drones (or Rebel scum if you prefer) run past your Endor tree and then jumping out behind them and capping a few, only to run back into the safety of the foliage while your comrades engage them.

The controls are quick, easy and adjustable, and there's not much worry involved. Just have fun: When your energy bar runs out, pick a soldier again and hop back into the fray as much as you want until your side dies off or wins. Don't worry about ammo since you have a fair amound and it gets replenished with each respawning or with supply droids that you stand next to. Just fight, run, blast, die, then keep coming back and taking down as many troops as you can. But remember that you can always quietly snipe or jump into the continually respawning rides (Tauntauns, X-wings, AT-ATs) for a change of pace.

The game is engineered for strategy too. On easy you can win a lot of battles with a quick trigger finger. But go up in difficulty and you'll find that quickly overtaking the sniper towers on Kashyyk gives you a huge advantage over just storming the beach Normandy style. You can always throw on "Instant Action Heroes" to spice things up too, giving each side an invincible lightsaber wielding toughie to deal with. Unfortunately no, you yourself cannot play as one of the main people such as Luke or Vader or wield your own lighsaber for that matter. At first, though I knew this was clearly a game more worried about the infantry battles in Star Wars, I still wished I could play as a Jedi. But believe me, the game is just right as it isplaying as a Jedi or using a lightsaber would make you pretty much unstoppable and take out the entire strategic and competitive core that makes this game so fun. A cool unlockable perhaps, but play this game for a day and you won't miss it.

Lastly, aside from the quick play mode there's a story mode that basically follows the events of the films and lets you follow them, playing them as the series' history dictated. That's decent, as is the conquest mode which lets you try to win as many battles as you can until you conquer all of the planets, or lose and watch the opponent try to do the same to you, battle by battle. Unfortunately, these are all only slight variations on the same theme, and it never comes down to more than a different structure for participating in the same 20 battlegrounds. It's funner just to have a friend or go online for more human competition, but even without, the battles that stretch across all of the game modes are extremely fun and addicting nonetheless.

With almost no badly designed or unexciting level designs and coupled with an addictive engine and lots of ways to fight any battle, to me this game is very well made and worthy of a purchase. Non Star Wars fans can probably enjoy it on the same level as a Dynasty Warriors title or similar constant-action game as well. It's a solid title that's easy to pick up and enjoy but deep enough to keep trying new strategies and setups. The negatives are that there isn't much variation on the battle-by-battle theme, and the unlockables are worthless (game design photos, etc). But for a fun action shooter, especially one that's so easy to get into, this one's solid.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Star Wars Battlefront - Xbox

This game is a first person shooter with good graphics and an easy learning curve. You can play one of five different characters. I know it says something like thirty, but each side (Clones, Imperial, Rebel, Droids) has the same units. There isn't really a difference between a rebel sharpshooter and a droid marksmen, or whatever they call it.

The graphics are very good, and the gameplay is easy to pick up on.

The one main complaint I had was the vehicles. Sure you can control a AT-ST, X-wing, Tie fighter, etc.., but they all have terrible controls. If you ever played any of the rogue squadron games, you will be disappointed with the controls like I was.

The multiplayer is fun, because you can compete against your friends. It is cool how you have respawn points that let you come back closer to the action too.

Overall it is a 5 star first person shooter with a pitiful addition of vehicles that I eventually started ignoring.