Discount Rapid Charge Induction Station Black for Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

Works great, even after the length of time since I bought it! The batteries don't seem to work very long for over-extended playing (as in more than 3 hours) but switching between two controllers doesn't bother me too much. :D definitely saves on the AA battery costs though!

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Works extremely well. Never have to worry about batteries again! Induction charge is nice, but you still need to place in the cradle ... So not a distinguishing feature. Still, gets the job done fast and simple.

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Bought this induction charger after reading the other reviews which were good, but realized immediately one of the batteries was lasting only about 20 to 30 minutes after the first charge. I tried resetting the system to see if that would correct the problem and...no luck, still dieing in 20-30 mins. Emailed tech support and all I got was "return it to the retailer"(I would think since they make the product they would just replace it and get rid of the middle man)...poor costumer service and poor product.

Honest reviews on Rapid Charge Induction Station Black for Xbox 360

We were just looking for a 2-station charger with batteries, and found this. I didn't even realize until it arrived that it was induction charging! It's pretty cool. No plugging in controllers, etc. just set them on the base and they charge. Light is red when charging and blue when its done. Works great.

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Items were received in good time and in good order. It was all as advertised and works wonderfully. It is very handy!~

Xbox 360 S 4GB with Kinect Nike+ Bundle Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $249.99
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

Be aware that this bundle comes with only composite video, so you'll need to invest in either an HDMI or component cables to get high-definition output. The Kinect also doesn't come with a clip, so if you don't have anything to put it on except the television itself, you'll need a clip-on stand.

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I have already lost five pounds and I have been doing this since last Friday. It will have you sore but it is well worth it. I do the cardio portion of it once I get home from work. It is only 20-30 minutes but it makes you feel like you've done hours at the gym. Good luck and hopefully this helps.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 S 4GB with Kinect Nike+ Bundle

I am a 45 year old woman who is out of shape I bought this because i did not want to join a gym. The workouts are tough but worth it. It comes with a controller, something that is missing in description. The kinect is great and really motivates you after seeing your outline or as i call it my blob on screen. After doing my assessment and picking number of days to workout an exercise program was designed for me. I made it through my first week. My husband who runs half marathons tried it out and he felt the burn. He was sceptical about my purchasing it. This is helping both of us getting our workouts in during frigid winter weather.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 S 4GB with Kinect Nike+ Bundle

I got the Xbox Kinect on the suggestion of a friend as a way to improve my reaction time and coordination. The Nike+ bundle was a nice bonus. I have worked out regularly with it since I got it. It isn't perfect on tracking my movement, but for the most part, it is a good alternative for working out on my own schedule. Very convenient to run down to the family room whenever I have a few minutes.

I am a 53 year old woman, so maybe not the target market for Xbox. My adult sons were very surprised when I got it. But it is useful for my needs and I have recommended it to friends.

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Just so you know, it DOES contain a remote control, which I thought was unclear in the description. Great bargain.

Review of Xbox 360 PC Headset Adapter - Use PC Headset with Xbox 360 Live

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this device for use with the Ear Force DSS 7.1 Channel Dolby Surround Sound Processor. I also use the Mackie 802-VLZ3 8-Ch. Compact Recording/SR Mixer, an Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone (connected to the Mackie mixer, not the microphone input of the Headset Buddy), and Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones with my setup. Instead of explaining how everything is connected, it would be best to view the diagram that I added to the product information (hopefully it appears). With my setup I can control the volume of other users' voices in relation to game sounds (with the Xbox 360 set to output to "headset").

The product works fine. However, the "genuine" Xbox 360 wired controller I was using produced noise through the Headset Buddy. I replaced the Microsoft one with a GameStop model, and the problem went away. Users with wireless Xbox 360 controllers should experience no noise issues with this device.

Please note that some microphones may not work connected directly to the Headset Buddy due to impedance mismatch. Also note that the headphone output of this device only sends chat voices; for game sounds you'll need a device such as the aforementioned Ear Force DSS 7.1.

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It was very helpfully getting this accessory. The regular Xbox 360 headsets are not made with quality. It was nice getting a very good headset and using it with the xbox using the accessory. Now the boys are very happy to have a good headset! This accessory was very helpful!

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I can hear it crackling when the jack is rotated while its in the controller, and it only sends my voice over Xbox Live when I jiggle and mess with it. That means that unless my hand is manipulating the device, it doesn't work. I would expect this kind of quality from a cheap accessory from DealExtreme, but not something I payed over $10 for. I am disgusted that I have to go through the trouble of returning this.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 PC Headset Adapter - Use PC Headset with Xbox 360 Live

This is exactly what we needed for our Grandson to use our PC headset on his Xbox 360. Well worth the purchase price.

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At first it worked OK, but after about 2 uses the plug that goes into the controller started to get loose and it didn't work period after about the 3rd use.

Not worth the buy.

Discount World Tour Soccer 2005

Customer Ratings:

dude fifa is so slow and theres no juke moves how stupid.this is this years 989 soccer game dominates the others whit so many teams i cant decide what team to choose you can also play euro cup ,mls and even for us latinos they have copa libertadores,they even have teams from pakistan i swear lol.anywho go buy it its the game

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The fight is between FIFA and WS7. In the recent years this small company is getting better at making this soccer game yup in one more year 989 sports is going to eat the other soccer selling video games. I is way much better for beginners and for the advance people. Plus the stadiums look cool. Another thing is the the play is much more real the the winning series. But this is me, so go out and rent it fist. The graphics is not lagging although the controls seem pretty wierd at first.

WTS2005 is now Fighting for a spot in the soccer game world and if they get the permission to get all the culb it will so cool.

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This is one of the best soccer games I've seen. The graphics are excellent and so is the gameplay. You should check it out!

SBK 12 Generations Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $7.99
Today's Bonus: 60% Off

I enjoy the game but the developers could have done much better. I'm a fan of the older motogp and sbk racing games like MotoGP 2008. Altough there are similarities, the handling is much different. I disagree with a lot of the handling characteristics and what the programmers believe is the best racing line on the track.

Racing online can be kind of a joke, but sometimes fun. The main problem with games like these is that the developers and programmers need to set the game up so that people can't cheat, or find alternative routes through grass or wherever. Most people online (which is mainly people in Europe and Asia) don't know how to race, or don't race properly. They will try to run you off the track or run into you from behind forcing you off the track.

The campaign is fun, practices and qualifying. They could go more in depth with the storyline and campaign though.

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The game is awesome, but the mode gererations don't run in my computer.

I recomende to all fan or motorcycle races.

PlayStation 3 40GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Gray Kojima Bundle Review

Customer Ratings:

Necessary disclosure: I do not own this model but do I own the 60GB model, recently upgraded to 320GB. I am also very familiar with the latest 80GB model (which is basically this one with a larger disk) because one of my neighbors has one and I am the neighborhood's unofficial and unpaid 'computer' consultant :). I did some research in anticipation of us purchasing a second unit because I promised the kids 'their own' if their grades were going to meet a certain standard.

As compared to the 60GB model (see this model's pluses and minuses and what all PS3s have in common):

______________________________________________

+ Less expensive (I paid $599 for my 60GB PS3)

+ Improved power efficiency 110w vs. 180w for my old 60GB

+ Dual shock controller (rumble)

+ Bundled MGS4 game and extras

+ Amazon Blu-ray movies promotion (buy 4 movies from list and get $100 off through end of 2008)

+ Mate, easier to maintain finish (can't see the fingerprints)

= Wireless Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network connections

= Bluetooth for controllers, keyboards, earpieces, etc.

= Controllers charged via USB wires

= Free, unlimited access to the PSN network, including online play

= Full PSOne compatibility

= Blu-ray player

= DVD player

= CD player

= HDMI, component video (component wire included)

= Surround sound

= Internet browser

= Allows for installation of third-party operating systems such as Linux

= Disk is easily upgradeable without voiding warranty

= Quiet operation

No memory card interfaces

50% less storage (not really a problem if you upgrade)

2 USB ports vs. 4 USB ports on the 60GB

No PS2 compatibility

No chrome trim

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STORAGE and STORAGE UPGRADE:

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This model comes with an 40GB drive. As crazy as this may sound, this is the best machine your money can buy today IF you are planning to upgrade and IF you dig MGS4. On the other hand, DO NOT buy this model if you do not consider upgrading the disk because 40GB won't take you very far.

To give you an idea of the amount of storage you may need on your PS3, I recently checked the status of my 320GB disk and I found that I had 198GB free. That means that, one year after purchasing my (then) 60GB box I was using 122GB already. The space is taken by family pictures, a little music, lots of demos, many 'disk' games that dump gigabytes of data to the disk to improve performance, many videos the kids are making with the 'Eye' camera, game saves. I suspect that 'Home', when it becomes available, may require a few more GB's for its own use so 320GB may be what you need if you don't want to constantly worry about deleting old stuff before you run out of space.

If you are on the upgrade path, $100 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself. 1TB drives are available these days for a few $$ more and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 40GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. I am using the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Upgrading the disk is (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice on the Net. Search for "PlayStation 3 Hard Drive Upgrade (HOWTO)" for a nice video so you'll decide if you are comfortable with it. If upgrading is the first thing you do, everything becomes very easy because you need not worry about backups or restores. I upgraded my box in a couple of hours WITH the backup/restore steps.

MEMORY CARD INTERFACES:

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The lack of memory card interfaces is annoying but you can get around it. Copy your stuff to a USB drive or flash drive and... problem solved. You can then upload your things through the USB. It's somewhat inconvenient but it's no big deal.

USB PORTS:

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My old 60GB model has 4 USB ports and I am using all of them. One for the PS3 Eye (camera), a second has a wireless keyboard dongle, the third is where the racing wheel plugs in and the last one I use to charge controllers. Of course, you can and you WILL be able to live with 2 slots but it is likely that you will be doing some plugging/unplugging if you begin adding peripherals. One way around it is to get a USB port multiplexer. Another solution is seek Bluetooth peripherals (wireless) if you can find them. Bluetooth keyboards, for example, are available.

PS2 COMPATIBILITY:

------------------

This model does not support PS2 software. Since the original PS2-compatible PS3's are hard to get, this has to be accepted as reality. I assume that Sony, after polling existing and future PS3 users, found that most users don't need PS2 compatibility. Soon after we upgraded to a PS3 my kids were playing Kingdom Hearts and Destroy All Humans but I haven't seen them doing so in quite a while. It is nice to have PS2 compatibility but its lacking would not stop me from buying a PS3.

PSOne GAMES:

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The PS3 has full PSOne compatilibity. Lots of them are available for download at the PSN store. They are quite inexpensive and some of them are still fun to play.

SUMMARY:

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If you like MGS4 and you consider upgrading, buy THIS model.

If you are planning to upgrade regardless, you're better off with this model because you can use the $100 you save to upgrade, you get the MGS4 and you should be able to get Drake's Fortune (new) for about $40 from Amazon. Not to mention that you don't have to wait for 3 more weeks.

If you don't care much about MGS4 AND you feel that you can live with 160GB AND you think Drake's Fortune is a cool game, then wait for a few more weeks for the 160GB bundle.

Get yourself a USB port multiplexer if you need more than 2 ports.

Transfer your photos to flash drives to get around the missing memory card interfaces.

Keep your PS2 if you have one and still wish to play PS2 games in the future.

Enjoy your new PS3.

_____________________

Note: I am not taking off one star for the lack of PS2 compatibility. I understand that Sony must compete on price and make a profit and times are tough. However, I simply can't see why Sony cut the number of USB ports from 4 down to 2 and this explains why this unit gets 4 stars instead of 5. This is a relatively significant inconvenience and I can't see how it would cost Sony more than a dollar or 2 if it provided 4 ports instead of 2.

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This model is different from the current 80 gig playstation 3 in the following ways: it has a 40 gig HD, it is gun metal instead of piano black, and it includes a limited edition copy of Metal Gear Solid 4.

If you plan on using this system as a true media center, than the HD is probably too small. This would most likely be the case with an 80 gig HD as well. Fortunately, the PS3 uses laptop HDs which are plentiful and cheap. Another reviewer has already addressed this.

The system itself is beautiful and the production run of this package is supposedly very limited. This means you will have a unique PS3 many will envy. It also means that many accessories (ie: additional control, headset, etc.) will not match the color scheme. If you have never played MGS, the series is very engrossing; this game was created to sell systems. Despite the smaller HD and the lack of matching accessories, I am very pleased with this purchase.

Best Deals for PlayStation 3 40GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Gray Kojima Bundle

I had a PS3 before but it was too noisy and overheated so I sold it. I read that they had fixed the problem. I wanted this Grey PS3 when it first was offered by Konami. I couldn't pay $600 so I stuck with my PS2 until the right time. I just lately typed in "Playstation Console Metal Gear" in the Amazon search thinking I was going to get the 80gb version and this popped and I couldn't believe that this was still for sale and for $400. I grabbed it as fast as I could. I've heard that this is basically the same as the new 80gb version, I don't care about storage that much and I don't like the Piano Black the only other color for me would be the Ceramic White but they never have sold it in the United States.

The Grey is very nice and I got MGS4 with it. I am very satisfied!

Honest reviews on PlayStation 3 40GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Gray Kojima Bundle

I ordered this through Amazon and they shipped the next business day. Got the item very fast, even when I picked "Free Shipping." Now on to business....my initial impression of the item was just...WOW. The system looked awesome when I took it out of the box (it still does). The gray finish went well with the system. What's best is that you won't have to worry about finger prints showing up all over the system nor about visible dust particles. It came with all the regular wires which it normally comes with (no HDMI cable which you have to buy seperately). The bundle came with Metal Gear Solid 4 and two bonus disks (one BlueRay with the background story of Metal Gear and one music CD). They included a cool case for the DVDs (you can see the picture of the case on the snapshot of the PS3 box). As for performance...it's really quiet when I was playing the BlueRay disk. It didn't make any sound at all. It took pretty long to upgrade the system software though (it was upgrading from 2.30 to 2.52 or something like that). Overall, I am extermely pleased with the purchase of this special edition. Not only it's in different color but also MGS4 and bonus contents are included. It's 40GB and the price is the same for the 80GB system. But the bonus contents and the different color of the system more than makes up for the hard drive space difference. And the PS3 box looks really cool as well. In conclusion...if you're a Metal Gear Solid fan (I wouldn't consider myself as a fan as I've played only a few games of the series, none for the PS2), thinking of buying a new PS3; now's your chance to get the "limited edition" for the fraction of the price for which it was being offered earlier (this is the main reason I bought the system).

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I have one of the original 60GB PS3 systems but always wanted the gunmetal gray. Unfortunately the crazy price this was originally selling for through Konami was not justified based on the specs. The amazon price is a great deal love the gunmetal color. The fact that it doesn't retain fingerprints is a real bonus.

The biggest upgrade in my opinion is that this PS3 system is so much quieter than my old 60GB. The fan is nearly silent whereas my old system would ramp up to a level that was VERY audible in quiet parts of movies.

The 40GB was not a drawback at all in my opinion. Just swap out for a bigger one its easy to do and the drives are not that expensive. I already had a 160GB 7200rpm drive that was waiting to go.

Since I already had MGS4 game I didn't need the LE version, but since it is going for big $ on auction that will further offset the cost. I don't care about being able to play PS2 games cause they look like bad on the big screen anyway. The memory card slots were used a total of 1 times on my old system so I don't think I'll miss this either.

Buy Test Drive: Ferrari Legends - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $13.80
Today's Bonus: 72% Off

I was really looking forward to this title, but I now have the biggest case of buyer's regret that I think I've ever had with any game. I play a lot of racing games, and I think this is the biggest ripoff I've ever experienced in a game purchase. Understand that I'm playing on the "Easy" difficulty setting and "Novice" driver setup with all assists on, and I've still only been able to get through about 8% of the campaign, and unless Atari comes out with major update to either dial back the difficulty and/or fix the really bad, twitchy handling, this is probably about as far as I'll ever get. I wouldn't mind so much if you were given unlimited access to all the tracks and cars in Arcade and Time Trial modes, but the vast majority of the game's content is locked until you unlock them in the campaign. So as things stand right now, I only have access to 9 out of 36 tracks (nothing from Nordschleife) and 12 out of 52 cars.

Atari, you are hurting yourselves and gaming in general when you make games this inacessable and frustrating. I applaud your choice to have selectable difficulty settings in the game (ALL GAMES SHOULD HAVE THIS), but if you're going to have an Easy setting, IT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE EASY. By all means, have a Difficult setting for hard core gamers who want to spend hundreds or thousands of hours pursuing a near impossible goal if that's what they really want. But for the rest of us mere mortals who want to have fun, and not another freaking job, please give us (and yourselves) a break.

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i have been playing race video games for over 35 years and have played most of the top rated arcades and sims from the genre...and preordered game with high expectations...unless you want to pay 50 bucks to be frustrated keep your money in your pocket...this game is the king of restarts...the creator has only given one path in each of the eras to follow..whether you like it or not you have to complete each of the events in order for era...unlike other top games that will allow you to choose which races you want to run and which order you want to run them in...this is a very frustrating game to play...sometimes requiring a dozen or more restarts to complete the event even on the easy setting...i am very proficiant at racing games with more than a thousand hours on forza 3 and 4 alone...this game needs a menu revamp to allow user to choose his or her own path through events...until then don't waste your money.

Best Deals for Test Drive: Ferrari Legends - Xbox 360

I was desperately hoping this game would be one of those under the radar titles that turns out to be way better than anything might suggest.

Instead we're presented with an ambitious idea, that falls way short of what it could been. It's a shame because there are plenty of things the game does right, that are lost in what it does wrong.

Let me start off by saying that this game is difficult. Several other reviews have made mention that even on easy, they are struggling to get through the game. I opted to play the game through on hard difficulty. It is challenging to say the least. The real meat of the game is the campaign mode where the game is broken down into 3 different segments: Golden Era, Silver Era, and Modern Era. The Golden and Silver eras have 10 missions in each, and each mission has a different number of events that one must complete. The Modern Era has 15 missions instead of 10. It's a simple idea. However, where the problem comes in, is that the developers made it so you cannot skip around to different missions or different events in missions. You have to go through each one to unlock the next. In the Golden Era, you have the opening mission, no other mission is unlocked. You can only access the first event. Upon completing the main objective, the second event then unlocks. So you must play each event while successfully completing the main objective in order to unlock the next mission. It's tedious and unfortunate they chose to create the game in such a manner. About the only freedom one has, is that they can go into any era they would like. You do not have to start out with Golden, and then beat that in order to progress to Silver. While it might not sound particularly bad, the bulk of the tracks and cars in time trial mode are locked, and the only way to unlock them is by beating the Campaign mode. For anyone hoping to use classic cars such as the 1979 Ferrari F1 car right out of the gate, you will be disappointed. Not until you complete the mission and all the events in the Silver Era where the car is, will it be unlocked.

Now, if this game were easier, it's possible this could have been overlooked to a degree. The game has little flow in terms of difficulty. Some events are easy even on hard, others are brutal and enough to induce rage in the most calm gamers. The problem with the difficult arises mostly in the time trial events. After speaking to several others who have this game, we seem to have reached a general consensus that the time trial events are the absolute worst thing in this game. On hard difficulty, there were some time trials I did think were able to even be completed. You have to be capable of pulling qualifying pole position laps, lap after lap, much in the way Michael Schumacher did in his prime with the Ferrari F1 team. You also have to cut corners without having your lap time disallowed, as I cannot find any conceivable way of beating certain time trial times on hard without cutting corners. Some times are not too difficult, but if you are trying to reach the Legend rank, it appears that every main and bonus objective will need to be beaten. The bonus objectives tend to be where the more difficult times are. While beating the bonus objective times may not be of importance to those who do play the game, for anyone seeking to get the full 1000 gamer score will find it essential. On the other side of the coin, when events are actual races, these are incredibly easy for the most part. The only difficult aspect of races is avoiding the AI cars. Any contact with them whether your fault, or their fault, results in your car likely spinning off the track. It's easy to find yourself constantly restarting races because of contact early on that throws the pace off. Once you get past the AI cars, the race turns into a joke. They aren't capable of keeping up at all save for a few races where they appear to learn to race just for that event. That's not the norm. In one Modern era event on the Imola 1981 circuit, I found myself in a 10 lap race, lapping half the field before the final lap. The difficulty is probably the biggest drawback from this game, and is not for those who are just ok at racing games.

The controls are another issue. The handling can be downright awful. Certain cars can be incredibly twitchy. Too much back and forth to try to straighten a car out can cause a loss of grip with the track, and you'll find yourself smashing into walls/barriers/other cars. Most of this has to do with the car physics themselves. Some cars actually do feel like they have weight when you drive them. Other cars give a sense of weightlessness when driving them. If you learn to be smooth with turning the cars, it becomes easier to have better control over the cars. Do not expect Forza 4, or Gran Turismo 5 handling with a lot of the cars, more in the case of the older cars. From what I can tell though, the cars as they get newer do begin to handle much better. If you stick with the game, you'll likely develop a great feel for what you can, and cannot do with the cars. I found one of the tricks with the earlier cars is to get them to slide through turns as it makes it easier to handle them. The other trick is to learn to turn in on corners early because there are a lot of corners that can be taken much faster than you may think, but it is all dependent on turning in at the right time. The earlier versions of Monza are a great example. With some of the Golden era cars, I found if I turned into the Curva Grande at the right time, I was able to add 20+ KPH to the car speed through the corner. When you can find 20-30 more KPH on corners, it makes a huge difference in the time trial times you will set.

The graphics are a bit disappointing. They would have been acceptable around 2007, maybe 2008 at the latest. I have found pop-up to occur on certain tracks when you look into the distance. In 2012, there is no reason for pop-up in racing games. I lived with it in Gran Turismo 2 in 1999 on the PS1 when console hardware was not capable of what it is now. I expect a bit more from my games on the graphics front nowadays. The tracks themselves do not have the "pop" that you get from Forza 4. They are rather sterile in comparison. But this has more to do with the dated graphics than anything. The car models themselves are actually nice, still not up to Forza 4, or even Forza 3 levels, but it seems to be where the bulk of graphical development focus was spent. All Ferrari cars do have interior cockpit views, which is actually a nice touch. I enjoyed seeing it more for the F1 cars than anything.

If you like the sound of Ferrari engines, you'll enjoy the sound of the game. If you are expecting anything beyond engine sounds, such as an actual music soundtrack, you will be disappointed. There is no soundtrack for this game. The only "soundtrack" are the sounds of the engines. For me, I have absolutely no issue with this because Ferrari cars are known for their distinctive engine sounds. In other racing games that use real world cars, I turn the music off just to listen to the engine.

One of the things I do like about this game are the inclusion of certain tracks that to my knowledge have never been included in a regular console racing game. I know all of the tracks in the game do appear in the PC racing sim rFactor. For anyone who has played rFactor, the included tracks won't hold much value. For others, they may. The inclusion of the Imola circuit as it existed from 1981 till the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in 1994, is fantastic. I absolutely adored Imola in those days. I was never a fan of of the redesign that took out the Tamburello Corner, and reworked both the Variante Bassa and the Acqua Minerali chicanes. While I would have much more enjoyed the original 14KM Spa Francorchamps circuit, we get the 1980 version, which includes the Bus Stop chicane, as well as a lot of missing parking lot-sized runoff areas. Spa is always a fantastic track for everyone. The old Hockenheimring is here with the long straights through the forests. One of the more curious additions was of Rouen-Les-Essarts. It was the host for F1 back in the 1950s and 1960s, and it wasn't a track I would have expected to see in a modern racing video game simply because F1 last raced there in 1968. It's actually a fun track because of the elevation changes involved. Overall, while I do like some of the tracks included, there is not enough variety in this game. During the Campaign, racing the same few tracks over, and over again, in an Era grows very repetitive. The developers could, and should have added more tracks to this game. It's amazing that so many racing game developers make the mistake of not adding a lot of tracks to their games. The worst thing you can do is cause a game to feel repetitive due to a lack of track selection. There are more than enough cars in the game, but not enough tracks.

What is my final verdict on this game?

The truth about this game is it is geared mostly towards the tifosi (diehard Ferrari fans) who bleed Ferrari. It's not worth buying for more than $19.99, and even at that it may not be a good bargain if you are not able to handle the difficult level of this game. I actually have had some fun with the game, so that's why I rated it 2 stars. The other reason is because as a huge F1 fan, getting to drive the F1 cars such as the 312 F1-67, 312 T4, F1-87, and the F1-90 were actually a lot of fun. The F1 cars actually do handle much better than a lot of the cars in the game, and have a fantastic sense of speed. I was rather disappointed that for some inexplicable reason, they did not include the Ferrari F2004 in the game. The F2004 was the fastest F1 car Ferrari ever built, and absolutely dominated the 2004 season, yet they did not put it in the game. Beyond that, it's a niche game for a niche audience. If you aren't sure about the game, either rent it if possible, or wait till the price drops. If you still are not sure, ask yourself how hard you want to work at a video game. If you want to just put a game in and play it without too much frustration, avoid this game. If you absolutely need a challenge, then consider playing this game. As mentioned earlier, it's a good concept for a game, that unfortunately has just enough wrong with it that keeps it from being a good racing title.

For the achievement hunters: This game is not an easy 1000/1000. The achievement list is straightforward, but the difficulty can be such that it may deter you from ever finishing the game.

Honest reviews on Test Drive: Ferrari Legends - Xbox 360

Ok, I have to start off and say I am a big-time Forza fan and even have a Fanatec Forza racing wheel. (Best Wheel I have ever owned ! ) Anyway, there is no comparison to Forza but I enjoy a variety of racing games. This game so far is enjoyable. The Graphics are just OK and the sound is just OK but here is my biggest problem with the game. I am racing in the Golden era and being that I am a mediocre racer I set the racing options at Novice and it makes it fun for me. The problem is if I choose the Modern era I am screwed. It is if they forgot to apply the Novice settings to this era because I get left in the dust every time no matter how hard I try !!! I am hoping they do an update and fix the problem otherwise it is not playable for me. Just playing in the Golden era I overall rate it as pleasent and enjoyabe but Not Forza. Being I pre-ordered it and only paid $37.00 for it I am going to keep it. If I had paid the $49.00 they are charging for it now I would return it as so far 2/3 of the game for me is un-playable.

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Neat start, thought I was with the program, later difficulty prevented me from getting to the tracks I wanted

. The setup options brought some drivability back but the AI keeps killing your efforts!

Take the last lap slow if you have a lead as the AI will make your car un handleble.

Summary: Good staet but really bad later chance to un lock tracks. Would bet most buyers don't get to all the tracks (i.e. nurburgring)

Best Afterglow AP.1 Controller for PS3 - Purple Deals

Customer Ratings:

I got this controller because I couldn't find the color I wanted around town. Yes, I ordered online, just for the color, but why not? It was cheaper online than going to the nearest Gamestop, or something. The Afterglo series has good quality products. They're unique and fun. The only thing that throws me off is that the D-pad and analog on the left side are switched, unlike a PS3 controller. However, it's still a great product and I use it everyday for my PS3 and computer games. I love it! RECOMMENDED!

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First of all, I want to say that I am a pretty hardcore gamer. I'm a level 17 on Metal Gear Online, and if you were familiar with the game, you'd know that being that level means that you're a pretty good player. I bought this controller because I was tired of wearing out the Dualshock 3 analog sticks by playing that game. Now, onto the controller.

This controller is alright. The buttons and triggers feel kind of cheap. The analog sticks don't have evenly distributed resistance in all directions, as compared to the Dualshock 3, but it's fine. When using this controller to play Metal Gear, there's a noticeable reduction in control with the analog sticks. However, with that said, I find that I enjoy using this controller. The Xbox 360 controller layout is fun to play with. There isn't any lag, as far as I can tell.

For the price, I'd say this controller is decent. I think if they improved upon the design of this controller, adding non-plastic-like buttons and making the analog sticks as responsive and resistive as the Dualshock 3, then they'd have a winner. I'd pay $50, or even more, for something like that. (I'm talking to you controller designer!)

Best Deals for Afterglow AP.1 Controller for PS3 - Purple

I bought this new from GameStop for $30. Everything worked perfectly. Then it started breaking. The vibrator only worked on one side of the controller and a piece of plastic chipped off the bottom of the controller. Now the afterglow doesn't even work any more. The controller itself still works and I use it as my second controller but beware before buying.

PS: It is a lot like an XBOX 360 controller shape wise

Honest reviews on Afterglow AP.1 Controller for PS3 - Purple

I love the glow effect of this controller. Reminded me of the wireless afterglow controllers I bought for my PS2, but some games are not compatible with the wired controller, which is a downer for me. It feels good in your hands when you use it, but only being able to use it with some games is a turn-off for me.

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I got this just because it's the only purple option for dual shocks. It is wired, make no mistake about that. I normally sit 4 feet from my console, so wired is fine. The controller is actually clear, but it lights up inside with a purple light.

I like this because it's smaller than the standard dual shock. So perfect for gamers who don't have giant man-hands. And they put in these little protrusions that your fingers rest against on the back side, to prevent slippage. I wish Sony would use that idea in their proprietary controllers. Also, the triggers are extended, so no need to buy add on trigger extenders. And, it has vibration but you can choose to disable it.

I really like this controller and use it all the time.

Best Ratchet & Clank Collection Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
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Ratchet and Clank is probably my favorite franchise of all time, and certainly my favorite Sony franchise. Of all the great titles from the PS2 era, this is the one series that I still return to. The gameplay, the humor, the art direction, the creature and robot design, the characters... it all just comes together perfectly in the strange, whacky universe that Ratchet, Clank, and Captain Quark live within.

Now, I can finally play those PS2 classics in HD format, and boy, does it make a difference. I was reserved about the graphics, based on the available photos, but the pictures look nowhere as good as the actual games when they're in action on your HDTV. It's great to see the visuals so crisply sharpened up, and tailored to fit a widescreen. Understandably, these games look nowhere near as good as "Tools of Destruction" or "A Crack in Time", since those were developed from the ground up for a more sophisticated console. But that's okay. The gameplay is so rock solid, and the improvement to the visuals is so significant, I quickly lost myself in these adventures once again... it was like a reunion with a great friend. Insanely addictive and enjoyable, I immediately resumed trying to scoop up every last bolt, and acquire every last, whacky weapon and gadget. The mechanics/controls have aged remarkably well (even with the lack of strafing in #1), as have the storytelling and voice acting aspects.

The addition of trophies, along with the ever popular "skill points" that the series is known for, is a huge bonus for players who want to reinvest time exploring these fantastic alien worlds. I obviously have not had time to explore every nook and cranny of this enormous collection, but so far, so good, and I'm looking forward to every moment of revisiting these adventures. It sure took a while, but it was worth the wait. My one minor gripe is that "Deadlocked" is not included, making this one title short of a complete R&C collection from the PS2 era. Insomniac, if you're listening... please consider adding "Deadlocked" as a DLC to reward your loyal fans. Thanks!

Update: Some have commented about the Sly Cooper demo. It comes in the form of a "voucher" code, which must be redeemed on PSN.

Update #2: Maybe somebody at Insomniac heard us, because they just announced that "Deadlocked" will be available on PSN later this year!

Update #3: After thoroughly putting RC#1 HD through its paces, here are my further thoughts (all good):

I picked up RC for the PS2 when it was first released in 2002. At the time, I was wowed by the game. It seemed to take platformers to a whole new level, and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I ever had with the PS2 console. It combined great humor, storytelling, platforming, combat, weapons, gadgets, and variety. The variety came from a number of tastefully implemented elements that broke up the gameplay, including using your Trespasser gadget to crack hi-tech locks, using Clank to control miniature "Gadgetbots" and solve puzzles, piloting starships in intergalactic battles, and even transforming into a gigantic robot to get into some arena-style combat.

More than anything else, this game got me HOOKEDI had to play it right to the end, and after that, I wanted to uncover all the hidden bolts, skill points, weapons, and gadgets. Never did I imagine that I would have as much fun when I went back to revisit RC with the RC Collection on PS3. But I'm happy to report that I did!

I CANNOT believe this game is TEN years old! It's true that it's been given the "HD makeover", but the content and gameplay mechanics are identical to the original. Even though this was the first RC entry, and improvements would slowly occur over time (such as strafing and an enhanced "quick select"), this game has aged remarkably well, and it's still as gripping and fun as it was ten years ago. What's just as impressive is how incredibly GOOD this game looks. Nothing was "rebuilt"; developer Idol Minds simply enhanced the resolution to HD and fit it to widescreen format. Yet, this game looks better than most PS3 games... and it's only a PS2 game! That speaks volumes about the fantastic, cartoony art direction that this series has always embraced, and the wonderful passion with which developer Insomniac poured into this game.

Ratchet and Clank fans, and newcomers alikerejoice!

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I didn't really start gaming again until I bought a PS3 back in 2010. At the time, I wasn't sure what to get so I curiously perused IGN's TOP 25 PS3 games and saw that Ratchet & Clank Future Tools Of Destruction had made the list. With its tantalizing Pixar-like imagery, I was intrigued and purchased it.

And played it to death. I immediately followed up with Quest for Booty and A Crack In Time.

I was hooked. Then, my 8-year old daughter and I saw an opportunity in Ratchet and Clank All 4 One. Was it Ratchet and Clank Future? No, but it allowed the father/daughter team that had previously bested Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 to play again and we enjoyed it despite the sneers that some greeted it with.

Then I learned that the original Ratchet and Clank trilogy was being re-released on the PS3 in one collection. My daughter and I traded a look and the pre-purchase was instant; our PS3 slim model won't support PS2 disc-based games so we knew that this was going to be our one and only shot of experiencing how such a remarkable game series that ensnared us both got started to begin with.

Of course, I was a little apprehensive. Some HD updates have worked and others haven't (Silent Hill anyone? although they DID finally patch it on PS3). Was a PS2-era game going to wow me?

Unequivocally, yes yes YES! The work is phenomenal. An IGN reviewer stated that the controls were "buttery" (extremely smooth) and OH, they ARE! You can tell that the games were from a PS2 era, but you can also see how Insomniac must have definitely and quite fully utilized the PS2's potential just as much as the Future trilogy used the PS3. Gameplay levels are beautifully remastered. Cutscenes do show their age, but it's not as bad as some of the others that I've seen out there.

If you're familiar with a number of the Future controls, you'll almost feel instantly at home from the startup of the original and it won't take long for you to work out the few controls that are different. The 3D is also quite well-done, although it will drop to 30 fps instead of the 60 fps that you'll experience without it. That said, it's still pretty smooth and if 3D is your thing, then you don't have anything to fear. If it's not, you still will be quite pleased with the work done on this title. This is a remaster that was done RIGHT.

My daughter and I are loving it immensely and if you've never played Ratchet and Clank before, you should...now! Insomniac's beloved duo has made a much welcomed return...and, in our case, a welcome first-time arrival. Fully recommended!

Best Deals for Ratchet & Clank Collection

Ratchet and Clank are my heroes. They are the stuff legends are made of. Ever since I popped the original "Ratchet and Clank" game into my PS2 I've been hooked, and the series just kept getting better through the course of the three games that make up the original trilogy. Yes, Insomniac's epic saga of a lethal but lovable Lombax and his diminutive but dedicated robot sidekick, though it has had its rough spots (Ratchet: Deadlocked, Size Matters, All 4 One), has never failed to remind me why it is that I love it so much. The series' near perfection in its dynamic characters, epic storytelling, endlessly fun gameplay, eye-popping art style, and witty adult humor long ago made it my favorite videogame series of all time.

Just like any good legend, Ratchet and Clank are alive and well years after their maiden voyages took place. And now fans new and old can experience these voyages in HD. I am blown away by the improvements in all three games' graphics, but especially by those of the original game. Being ten years old, this title definitely needed a graphical upgrade and it certainly got it. "Ratchet and Clank" now looks as good as or better than anything on the PS2 and that is very gratifying. The same goes for R&C 2 and 3 as well.

Another thing that I noticed was the very welcome addition of trophy sets for each of the titles. Personally, I would have bought this collection even if trophies had not been included because I have never needed any extra incentive to immerse myself in these stellar games; however the trophies are a nice touch, giving me just one more reason to keep playing.

The bottom line is all three games look excellent with noticeably improved graphics. The games, as far as I can tell are not changed in any other way (good thing). And the experience is as exhilarating as ever. What more can one ask from an HD remastering?

Rather than prolong this review with more praise for my most beloved game series I will end by saying that for fans like me there was no question of whether or not to buy this collection. These classics are worth every penny. And if you, like me, have nearly worn out your PS2 copies of each of the three games included, this collection is not just a desire, it's a necessity. Lastly, to newcomers to the series I would simply say that I have never enjoyed three videogames as much as I have enjoyed the Ratchet and Clank original trilogy, and at the amazingly low price of 30 bucks these gaming gems should not be missed.

Honest reviews on Ratchet & Clank Collection

When the whole "HD compilation of last generation games" move began a few years ago, the question on many people's minds was when the @$#@#! Sony was going to release a Ratchet and Clank HD collection. After all, Ratchet and Clank was one of the few franchises identified with Sony that had successfully transitioned to the PS3, and was one of the few surviving, somewhat traditional platforming franchises with some degree of critical and commercial success. The PS2 adventures of the mechanically inclined, tabby cat-like Ratchet, and his somewhat nerdish, diminutive robot companion Clank still remained absent, even as God of War, Metal Gear Solid, Sly Cooper, and Jak and Daxter collections all were released for the PS3. In 2012, Sony finally relented, and has released the original PS2 trilogy of Ratchet and Clank games for the PS3, in high definition. The question, as is the case in any of these HD re-releases, is whether games released so long ago, and in a lower resolution, can retain the same magic under the stark light of modern gaming conventions and high-definition expectations.

The good news is that the Ratchet and Clank games do stand up to that scrutiny. The collection includes the self-titled debut (RC1), Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando (GC), and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (UYA). The franchise is essentially a mix of Super Mario Brothers style platforming, the over-the-top gunplay of Contra, and the cartoon aesthetics/sensibilities of Looney Tunes (Duck Dodgers in particular) mixed with Pixar films, all in 3D. Unlike Jak and Daxter, the core principles and approach of the games have remained relatively consistent (more on the differences between the 3 games later). In terms of how this collection is put together overall, I have to admit that, like many of these collections, there's not a lot of polish. The title screen has artwork obviously ripped from 2011's Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One, the skimpy digital manual (there's no physical one) fails to retain all the detail and charm of the original PS2 manuals, and there's no extra features to be found. As is the case for almost all HD compilations, some of the in-game movies are either sub-HD or have had their aspect ratios altered, and switching games requires exiting entirely back to the PS3 dashboard.

That being said, I was shocked at how much care they put into restoring the first Ratchet and Clank game. Despite the general conventional wisdom that RC1 was inferior to its successors, I always felt that it had the strongest level design and best aesthetics of the series, and as a result, liked it a bit better than the others. The planets are memorable: the lush, open plains of Novalis, Eudora's forested greenery, the night-time desert frontier of Aridia, Hoven's wintry chill, the vast skyscrapers and hovercars of Metropolis, Pokitaru's blue water, and Gaspar's vivid red and orange lava fields all made quite an impression the first time around. Each of the many worlds also felt fairly busy and filled with things to do; there were usually at least a couple of distinct main paths to take. I'm not sure if it was due to the game possibly being originally designed at a higher resolution than its original PS2 release, but the HD version seems to be significantly more detailed and cleaned up than one would expect after playing the original on a PS2. Textures mostly seem more detailed than before, and the colors really "pop". The gameplay in RC1 is very much focused on "meat and potatoes" platforming and 3rd person gunplay, with a few diversions (hoverboard racing, turret gun sequences, one-off starfighter sections) thrown in to keep things fresh. The Clank solo sections provide an interesting change of pace, as the focus shifts from shooting and jumping to managing herds of robotic helpers, a la Lemmings. The gunplay is solid and very entertaining (Contra fans should note the probably unintentional tribute to the game's influence when on Batalia), albeit with a slightly wonky auto-aim mechanism, made up for by the sheer variety of crazy weapons. The platforming is pretty good, too, with rail-grinding sections that acknowledge that sometimes you just want a Sonic-esque roll-coaster ride, and magnet-boot sections that confound the player's orientation. Perhaps most importantly, RC1 has a camera-centering buttonsomething that Naughty Dog never implemented to the detriment of its Jak and Daxter series.

GC was developed well within the timeframe of "Grand Theft Auto fever", when focus group testing pushed gaming towards "grittier", less cheerful fare, and "open world gaming" became the new bandwagon to hop on, even if the concept of a game didn't mesh with that. Insomniac mostly stuck to their guns in terms of developing GC, but some of the new sensibilities still crept in. One thing that sticks out is that the worlds in GC were gloomier than those in RC1, with duller color palettes. The level design also felt somewhat stripped down and simpler as well. With that being said, Insomniac also took cues in terms of making the gameplay broader in scope, in line with the GTA games. Hoverbike racing challenges were made deeper than the prior game's hoverboard races, space combat/fighter racing took greater prominence, and the series' signature arena combat was introduced. RPG leveling aspects (for both Ratchet's health and his weapons) were worked in as well, while new gadgets such as the glider, and 2 distinct hacking mechanisms (each with its own minigame) further varied things. Targeting and movement were improved quite a bit, and RC1's unforgiving checkpoints were replaced with something a little more palatable. And despite the more spare aesthetics, GC had its share of memorable locations, including a desert world and a tundra world with large open sections for harvesting crystals while fighting enemies. Let's not forget the escalation in weaponry from the prior installment (you'll be tossing portable mini-nukes, unleashing balls of plasma-lightning, and spraying enemies with lava on a regular basis before all is said and done).

By the time UYA was released, the "next big thing" was the rising popularity of linear, accessible shooters, even as open world gaming was still settling into its place as a genre that was here to stay. UYA shows that influence, even if still within the stalwart Ratchet and Clank approach. UYA returns to a more vivid art style, while the wide scope of GC has been scaled back a bit for something more focused on set-pieces and visceral combat (with yet another bump in the arsenal providing the player with plasma whips and a space-rift creator). Gone are the racing aspects, and rail-grinding is a no show. Instead of space combat, UYA introduces sets of military-style "missions" on certain worlds, with both ground combat and gunship sequences. The arena combat does return, while the spherical moon sections from GC (years before Super Mario Galaxy hit the shelves) also return with more polish (check out the vista on the Obani moons!). UYA is probably the quickest-paced of these 3 games, and weapon-leveling has been segmented further so that you see more immediate improvements through continued use of any given weapon. While my game's save file clock indicates I've put in something like 16-17 hours to finish UYA, it feels like the "shortest" of the games. I should also note that UYA has the distinction of being one of the few platformers to have an online multiplayer component, which has been included here.

Overall, the games themselves are fantastic, with each bringing a distinct enough strong point to the series, so that it's hard to say which is "the best". Unfortunately, there are a few odd glitches here and there (Ratchet's space helmet in cutscenes from GC and UYA, some players having occasional freezing at points, issues with how meters appear on the screen, and whatever you do, don't go right back into single player after playing multiplayer in UYA, unless you want to permanently disable the weapons wheel pause). In addition, there are a couple points where for some reason, the graphics look a bit....unpolished (notably in UYA, where the very first world of Veldin has a grotesquely fake-looking sun-glare "ring"). This, however, may simply be due to higher resolutions drawing attention to the occasional lapse in fidelity that was present in the originals. All told, the diligent gamer will get 40+ hours out of this compilation on the first playthrough (there's also a "new game+" challenge mode for each game), while the obsessive player could tack on another 10 or more hours before revisiting the games via challenge mode. While all 3 of Sony's platforming collections are, in my opinion, essential PS3 purchases, this collection is the best of them, simply due to the consistently high quality of all 3 games.

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I've been known to get my hands on a lot of games and play them. During the PS2 era I managed to get my hands on a ton of games. Strangely, however, I never actually picked up Ratchet and Clank. Despite the games being one of the biggest selling franchises on the PS2, I never got around to playing them. My first foray into the Lombax's universe and the little robot backpack was playing Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Upon playing that game, I was in pure awe of everything it had to offer. As I planned to dust off my PS2 and find the previous three games used, I was told by the clerk that perhaps I should wait, as an HD collection was right around the corner. Sure enough, that collection hit and I got to experience the first three games for the very first time in splendid HD.

It has been ten years since Ratchet and Clank debuted, and as I sat there playing the collection I found myself in awe. They were amazing games. Games that, with each installment, actually got better and better. And what was remarkable about this progression was that at no point in time did I ever feel one game had to "fix" the flaws of another. No, rather each new game just adds the right amount of new stuff to keep it interesting and make the experience more rewarding.

HD Collections are slowly being debated about in the gaming industry. But Ratchet and Clank is most certainly one of the better ones. When it comes to gaming and graphics one little known aspect that is hardly talked about is the aesthetics themselves and how sometimes that is what makes a game hold up. During the Playstation 2 era a lot of games tried to do character models that were closer to looking photo-realistic or something along those lines. This makes HD Collections like Metal Gear Solid look great, but their age shows a little bit more. A game like Ratchet and Clank, however, uses incredibly vibrant colors and cartoon like qualities. And one thing seems to be certain: These kinds of aesthetics most definitely age better than the ones going for a more "realistic" look. Case in point, if you didn't know the Ratchet and Clank games were originally Playstation 2 titles you might not assume they were right off the bat. There's A LOT of detail put into these games and they've actually aged rather well. No, they've got nothing on say... Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, but it's still admirable the amount of detail put into these games. In crisp HD they're amazing on the eyes. It is by far one of the best looking HD Collections you can find. It made that transition smoothly.

There are moments where the aspect ratio is still 4:3 and, of course, that can't be helped. They're pre-rendered cutscenes. But at the very least these scenes were updated as well. This is really only noticeable in the first Ratchet and Clank, however. The sides of your television will be black for these scenes. However, it's a step up from some HD collections that left their pre-rendered stuff untouched. There are moments in game, however, where it's still kept at the 4:3 ratio when it could've been stretched. Again, this mostly noticeable in the first one, as it has a lot of those moments.

Gameplay wise, Ratchet and Clank is familiar. You usually play as Ratchet, running around with Clank on your back. You'll be able to buy and find an assortment of weapons throughout the entire experience of all three games. In the first game it's merely finding and equipping them. But in the second there is more variety and they level up. By the time you get to the third you'll have a whole host of weapons to play with. As you move from one game to the next you can also carry over some weapons from one game to the next. Although with some weapons there isn't much point to carrying them over. For instance, in Going Commando, you start off with a Gravity Bomb that has a huge blast radius as it is. There's not much reason to carry over the original Bomb Glove from Ratchet and Clank in this instance. Often you'll find the new arsenal in each new game better than the last.

As with most HD Collections, however, you begin to see how some games have really aged. Despite just being ten years old, it may take some gamers a bit of time to adjust to some of the controls. In the instances of swimming it took a moment to adjust. It also took a moment to adjust to the camera controls and to the idea of pressing the O button to fire when most modern day games rely on using R1. These are, of course, minor complaints. Namely because the Ratchet and Clank games were state of the art. It's just how games were made in 2002. The controls, for the most part, don't really improve much as you go from one game to another. This is actually not so bad as once you settle in you'll pretty much be okay for the whole set. The games aren't long either so you'll easily pass through all of them. There is trophy support added for those who want it, though, and some of them are quite fun to try for while others just seem silly to go for (collecting 1 million bolts in the first game is just tedious without exploiting a well known glitch).

That's not to say everything about the collection is perfect. There were times when there was some noticeable frame rate issues. And normally this happens when a game is overcrowded with a lot of data on screen, but this wasn't the case here. Sometimes the frame rate seemed to dip for essentially no reason. Likewise, sometimes when the audio would loop it would hiccup for just a second or two.

It's actually quite amazing how well the games have aged. I am sitting here playing these games for the first time after having played Future: Tools of Destruction and it's hard not to be impressed. Certainly the controls aren't up to speed, but they're still solid and tight that learning them is all that is necessary. It never really trips you up. The progression through each planet is also simply amazing. It's also nice to see how the games evolved in every standpoint. The production values in the first one are stellar as it is, for instance, and jumping into Going Commando once I was finished with my first adventure showed a major step. Simply put, each game just kept getting better in every sense of the word. More weapons. More variety of levels and exploration. Other aspects just simply got better. The cutscenes in each game looked and sounded better. The voice acting got better with each game. The writing got better with each game. The humor got better with each game. And most important, each new adventure was better.

It's hard not to recommend the collection. All small hiccups aside, these are phenomenal games. There are hardly any platformers out there that can best Ratchet and Clank. Many come close but few truly eclipse it in terms of quality and substance. Not to mention it has moments of just pure action and amazement. To revisit them in HD or (as is my case) to discover these gems for the first time is well worth the investment.

Reviews of Medal of Honor Airborne - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

I know a lot of gamers are getting tired of the same old and oft-repeated WW2 shooters. But the criticisms I've heard about this game hardly seem justified. The graphics are crisp with good frame rates and smooth play. The AI soldiers seem to react in a far more efficient and realistic manner. Also there are some great new wrinkles.

Two new features I love are the character and weapon development. The idea of incorporating character skill development into a WW2 shooter is fantastic, and while things like weapon upgrades aren't--of course--very realistic, they add an enjoyable new dimension to the gameplay. Also, parachuting into combat is really cool.

So far, I've found the control layout to be smooth and efficient--not always a given with this series. Another plus is the far less linear nature of the missions and combat. Instead of simply moving from point A to B and so on, you're generally just given a set of mission objectives and then left to work them out on your own--with far more opportunity for using terrain and flanking options to achieve success.

All in all, a very satisfying purchase and the first true next-gen WW2 shooter.

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Medal of Honor Airborne for the Xbox 360 is a WWII First Person Shooter (FPS). I have been a long time fan of the Medal of Honor series ever since I played the first one on the old Playstation system. I even enjoyed the European Assualt title and thought that the fire fights were a lot more intense than the ones in Airborne. Don't get me wrong this is a next gen game, but the matter of fact is that WWII games have been done to death. With so many great titles out there within the same genre, Airborne does not push the concept far enough to win over the competition. You are still fighting on with the same assortment of weapons (pistols, submachine guns, assualt rifles, sniper, bazzooka and a few others) you are still fighting the nazi regime, you are still running through houses for close combat and fighting outdoors in the countryside for long range combat. You are still fighting inside trenches and on top of bridges.

In order to bring something new into gameplay the creators of Airborne made the game into "open world" level maps. You begin each mission with a briefing of objectives, weapons selection followed by you jumping off a plane with a parachute. And this is where the open world concept is used; you can land anywhere on the battlefield map and engage the enemy in close combat or snipe them from afar. It is not linear like most FPS that force you to go along path to advance through the level. The way to advance in Airborne is to kill enemy germans in any of the battles taking place at the same time. If you leave an area of battle and head to a different part of the map, you will encounter more enemies and alllied bots engaging in battle.

Since there are mini battles taking place all over the map, this lets you devise a strategy for flanking enemy positions and sometimes even coming up behind them to gun them down. You can also land on roofs of houses and go jumping from one roof to the next while shooting down at the enemy positions on the ground levels. You can pick up ammo and switch to weapons dropped by dead enemies. Although you use the same basic WWII weapons found in most FPS, Airborn lets you upgrade your weapons the more you use it by killing enemies. You can get faster reloads, steady aim, bigger ammo clip and a few surprise attachements.

I know that I will get a lot of flak for this (pun intended), but even with its open world design and upgradeable weapons, MOH Airborne, did not meet my expectations for a next gen title. There are no destructible objects, multiplayer is boring, and the missions do not get my adrenaline pumping up. There is just nothing remarkable about it to justify me purchasing yet another WWII shooter when, Call of Duty is still more intense and immersive than Airborne. And consider the fact the COD is an older title.

Pros:

+open world maps

+excellent controls

+excellent music

+cool weapon upgrades

+ragdoll physics

+detailed statistics and leaderboards

Cons:

-Not as intense as COD

-another WWII shooter

-no vehicles to drive

-boring multiplayer

-weak missions in single player

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Medal of Honor: Airborne is the latest game in the Medal of Honor franchise and ever since it was announced, I was looking forward to it and now that it's out, was it worth the wait? It depends on weather or not your into WWII games.

There is a new twist on this as you jump out of a plane and land wherever the hell you want. Of course, this is a good and bad thing as you control where to land(always try to lend near the green smoke) though if you don't, you might be DOA because if you want to be a daredevil and land in enemy territory, the Germans will shoot as soon as you land(botched landings won't give you time to fire).

As for the gameplay itself, the AI is pretty smart. They will come chasing after you even if you cower in the corner like a little girl. There is a new way of destroying tanks as well. Gammon gernades must be found and they do A LOT of damage to the tanks but also to any German who might be in your way as well as your own men.

Airborne is not an easy game even with the easy difficulty. Prepare to die many times. The AI is smart as are your men(though sometimes they don't follow you).

Overall, there are a total of six missions including once again Operation Market Garden and the last part of this mission is a direct rip off of Call of Duty: Roads to Victory (if you played it you know what I am talking about).

All in all, Medal of Honor: Airborne is a game you should get if your a fan of the series or just plain WWII games. And though it is fairly short, it should keep you busy until Call of Duty 4 is released.

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Medal of Honor: Airborne was supposed to be released over a year ago! After the unsuccessful Rising Sun and European Assult, I honestly was not expecting much from EA Games, though I purchased the game because I'm interested in the series.

From the get-go in the plane before the first mission, one notices the superior graphics and attention to historical accuracy and detail. The ability to jump out of the plane and choose where you start the battle is simply awesome. The artificial intelligence is of the highest caliber. The game advertises that you never play the same mission the same way; they're right. You may land in the same spot twice and find that your enemy has changed position and can flank you. What's nice about this is you're actually thinking rather than automatically moving through the map shooting helpless opponents.

My only "problem" with this game is that later in playing, one opposes a "Nazi Storm Elite" soldier who is dressed in the black Schutzstaffel uniform, wearing body armor and is walking around with a MG-42 in his hands! While elite troops within the ranks of the S.S., called "Viper Troops", wore armor and were far superior to their Werhmacht counterparts, they become too frequent in the final mission and unfortunately resemble the "bosses" in either Wolfenstein 3D or Medal of Honor: European Assult. However, the satisfaction of overcoming them is quite enjoyable!

This game is terrific! The graphics are unbelievable, music is from Michael Giaochinno from MOH: Frontline, so there is that connection between the two strongest games in the series. I can't reccomend this game high enough. It's a must have!

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Forget Call of Duty 3. Forget scripted blah blah blah missions. Forget endless waves of drone enemies who will let you destroy divisions of them if only you had the ammo. Airborne is fantastic! Non linear boards, intelligent enemy, great weapons, beautiful looks and sound...this game has anything you would want in a WW2 shooter. I was hesitant on the upgradeable weapons, but the upgrades are all genuine components like forward pistol grips (we call them "Ghetto Grips" in the Army today), improved muzzle breaks, better sights, larger magazines, and the ability to fire a limited number of rifle grenades off some. No death rays or anything stupid like that. Very well done game. It can be quite challenging, and patience is a must in this. You can't run and gun your way to Berlin. Ill make the suggestion right off, jump with the 1903 Sniper Rifle on every mission, ditch it for a Garand or whatever else, and come back and get it when you need it. That was the only way I could get through some of those boards. Really though, it was an excellently done game that reminded me quite a bit of Band of Brothers. No moronic squad stuff, no linear missions, no "I didn't want to be here" feeling sorry for myself garbage like in the Company of Heroes. Great and challenging shooter that will not disappoint.

Reviews of Diablo III - Xbox 360

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Diablo 3 is way better on consoles than the PC. First there is no always online DRM. You can play offline single player, plus 4 co-op local. Second, the surprise for me is the control system of your character. It is way better than the mouse and keyboard on the PC. You have the left stick to move and right stick to evade (you step back or sideways to evade enemies). You must play it to realize that Blizzard did a very great job with the controls. Lastly, the looting that is the heart of the game is right and not broken like the PC version, because there is no auction house. You gain items every time you complete quests and not only money and experience.

Coming from a PC player to a console player, the controls and differences are noticed right away and are so much better than the PC version. Hats off to Blizzard to finally getting Diablo III right!

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For those of you who enjoy a coop style game with multiple friends or a spouse on the couch, this game is for you. Since I have been married (~4 years), I gave up PC gaming, it felt like I was putting my wife aside to play games...it is a different feeling on the couch when you can game and converse in a living room...don't judge, it just works for us.

AnywayI look for games like Borderlands or Diablo to play with the wife since you can have coop experiences where you work together to achieve fun and exciting outcomes! (keep it clean:))!

The game is super polished, and easy to pick up. You start off with only certain spells/abilitiesas you gain levels, you unlock more and more. Eventually you will have each button bound to a certain spell/ability. Doing so enables those (like myself) an easy learning curve into the Diablo world. There are 5 different classes with 2 genders each, all with their own unique sets of skills/abilities.

The graphics seem great, the sharing of the same screen works out well which and reminds me of the old days of Gauntlet (haha). It is a fresh game to play in the midst of the FPS battles btw BF3/COD/Halo/etc..I guess Diablo 3 was ruined with an AH of some sort on the PC? Well it is of non existence with the console version and is a load of fun to playso grab your friends, spouse, controller and kick the forces of evil out of Sanctuary!

Game on!

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I am not a Blizzard fan. I am not a Diablo fan. I've tried all of Blizzard's previous games, including World of Warcraft and Starcraft II, and I don't like them very much. I am not a big fan of their art style nor of their game play. Having said that, I tried Diablo III and I really like it (on Xbox 360).

If you are a fan of games like Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance of other console-style dungeon crawling RPGs, you might like Diablo III. It has great animations, generally great art, lots of content in terms of quests, loot, and skills, and has a user interface that works well on consoles. The combat systems are simple but flexible, with new skills added over time that change the flow of combat significantly.

The quest system, dialog, and all story elements are handled really nicely. You talk to characters, get some background info, accept and complete quests, and it's all presented like a "real" RPG. The actual questing is basically a dungeon crawl, where you slay horses of enemies, including boss types, collect loot, and once you're told you've completed the quest, you return to town.

Dialog III has lots of conveniences; ways to teleport to town, autosaves, ways to teleport back to the quest location when you resume a game, auto-equipping of items, and more. None of them get in your way though, and the game rarely makes you feel stupid. In fact the game makes you feel like a bad-ass and makes it challenging but not overly so to accomplish the task of killing the seemingly endless foes you encounter.

I am surprised at how good the game is. I bought it simply because I didn't have anything else to play, I was expecting a so-so experience, but found a game that stands up as a pretty great RPG. I'm playing it single player and unlike other games that offer co-op (I'm looking at you Monaco and Payday 2!), Diablo III is actually balanced and tailored to the number of players currently playing.

Honest reviews on Diablo III - Xbox 360

I just picked this up today at the famous big box store today. I never played Diablo 3 before today because (1) I am not THAT big of a fan of the series to get the PC version with it's over zealous, online mandatory DRM. And (2) I've gave up years of PC gaming in favor of console gaming.

So far I've put in a few hours and here's what I think.

-When I bought the game today, I honestly was expecting a 'meh' experience. However after a few hours of smashing enemies and collecting new armor and weapons for my Barbarian, I'm loving it and feel hooked already.

-The controls are great. I've played point and click games on PC, but here having a controller in hand is a lot more casual and feels better. Some games like Starcraft or other strategy games are undoubtably better with a mouse and keyboard, but it seems like a game like Diablo is made for kicking back on the couch, in front of the big screen, with a friend/significant other and having fun. You also don't have to keep pressing the attack button for each attack you do, you can hold the button down and your character will keep attacking. The right analog stick is used for dodging, but honestly I haven't had to use it that much so far.

-The graphics are smooooth as butter, and seems like it's getting excellent framerates. I'm not a graphics snob (gave up that ghost a long time ago), but this game does look great and hold up to the art style.

-Multiplayer. This is another place I think the console version outshines the PC version. Not only can you play online with friends, but you can also play with friends on the same Xbox/TV.

With the local and online multiplayer, lack of online auction house, being able to carry your character on a USB drive, better controls(IMO), and the fact that you can play this offline unlike the PC version, this feels like the definitive version that everyone has been waiting for.

So far, it's exceeded my expectations in the fun department. If you have this game on the PC, obviously there isn't going to be much new here for you. If you've never played Diablo 3, I can honestly recommend it, even more if you have people to play with.

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The most satanic fun you can have without a Ouija board and a basement of virgins! Plus it is a lot less messy. Great for the whole family, Manson or otherwise.

Inuyasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I must say, Bandai does have my interest. A game that lets you create your own character and meet the Inuyasha cast, building relationships with them? Sounds pretty good. The story involves the original character you can control, who you pick is male or female, winds up getting transported to the feudal era and encountering none other than everyone's favorite dog-demon. Shortly afterwards you team up with the regular cast of the show, including Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango. Having played the demo, I can confirm the game will feature the English Dub cast, such as Richard Cox, Moneca Stori, Jillian Michaels, and the rest. Inuyasha also follows you around on the game map, similar to, say, how Pikachu follows Ash in Pokemon Yellow. Although the graphics are nothing ground-breaking, they are at least okay to look at, despite the fact that the characters are in a super-deformed style similar to the older Final Fantasy games, but you must admit seeing a chibi Inuyasha running around isn't boring, to say the least. Sadly, I wasn't able to experience combat yet, but the game does seem to be satisfying on the most part. Apparently this game will also include the many aspects of the series, including the action(boss battles) romance(relationship forming... hmm....), and humor(...... if you've seen the series you'll probably have an idea), so the game looks to be at least satisfying to the Inuyasha fans, like me. I wouldn't know about the casual RPG fans yet, though. But still, being an Inuyasha fan I can must say I am looking forward a lot to this title. See you in November for a full review.

ANTICIPATION: 5/5

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Inuyasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask is one of my most highly anticipated games! If you haven't heard already, it's an action/adventure RPG created by Bandai in which you journey with the cast of Inuyasha! As if that alone weren't enough to make a fan foam from the mouth, the game also allows you to form relationships with the characters, battle alongside them, and wander through the beautiful environments created by Rumiko Takahashi. The plot, created just for the game, maintains a nice, anime feel. A young boy or girl (whichever one you like more) falls down a wormhole and into feudal Japan. There, he/she is met by Inuyasha, a dog demon with a quick temper, who introduces him/her to the rest of the cast. Your character will meet Kagome, a cheerful schoolgirl from present day, Miroku, a (...) wise monk, Sango, a fierce demon slayer, and Shippo, a cute fox boy who isn't above the occasional trick. Inuyasha and friends agree to help him/her find his/her way home on one condition: that he/she help them find the Cursed Mask. The game is voiced by the American cast, so you can expect to enjoy the vocals of Richard Cox, Moneca Stori, Kirby Morrow, Kelly Sheridan, and Jillian Michaels. The graphics are also true anime style, bubbly and childish. Personally, I really don't see what's wrong with them (I think they're actually very cute). But hardcore RPG fans might be put off with the game for that precise quality, which is unfortunate for them. Basically, if you are a true blooded Inuyasha fan, you'll LOVE this game. If you aren't one, you might not find it completely up to par.

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I really enjoyed this game! I'm a HUGE Inu-Yasha fan and I really loved the battles and the interaction you have with the characters. It was nice to see everyone from the series in it and having you as the main character, get to form some kind of relationship with them, be it positive or negitive. What I was really happy with, was the fact that they used the actual voices from the series instead of impostors. Definately worth the money. I look forward to the next game to coming out. A must for all Inu-Yasha fans!

Honest reviews on Inuyasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask

Inu Yasha has never been my absolute favorite--a mild interest, but never transcending that. However, good RPGs are hard to come by, unless you're talking about SqareSoft Games *coughFinalFantasycough*, and I was glad to find out that Inu Yasha had an RPG out. The manga was beautiful, but the anime left something to be desired, especially the despicable English dubbed version. Thus, I purchased the game.

STORY:

There are so many things wrong with this game! Firstly, the storyline is completely unoriginal. Yes, there are two "new" character "created specifically for the game by Rumiko Takahashi herself".

Too bad they're completely lacking any personality. The game developers were too uncreative to come up with a new plot using the original Inu Yasha characters, so they decided to make up new characters and simply replay the original story: Kid has traditionalistic Japanese background -Kid accidentally travels back to Feudal Era -Kid needs to get back to original time. Oooh. Talk about uniqueness.

DIALOGUE:

Secondly, the dialogue is laughable. Do they really expect me to quiver in fear when a loin cloth-clad demon hobbles over to me and exclaimes, "I'm gonna eat you! Blarg-har-har!". What does your character do? Threaten him with his cell phone. Wow, Takahashi's new characters are certainly lacking common sense. Later in the game, when your character is informed that Sango is a demon slayer, he/she asks: "A Demon Slayer? What's that?" Be careful you don't hurt yourself over that answer.

When main characters talk, an anime cut-out picture of them appears on the screen, and the dialouge appears underneath while the voice-over plays. The voice-overs, I feel, were horribly done. In one scene, Kagome will unleash an ear-splitting shriek of horror, however, in another scene she dully 'screams' out "Ahh." An exclamation mark isn't even included. The lines are dull, and many times, lines like "I see", "Oh", or "These enemies are all talk" (a personal favorite, since none of the monsters utter a word in battle) are over used and wasted.

Also, for the historical context of the game, the dialogue of the NPCs is completely out of place. Obviously the people of Feudal Japan did not speak the same as us. At some points, it sticks true to history; for example, one man refers to the village headman as "M'lord", but most of the people speak completely out of context. I don't know about you, but phrases like "Dude", "Bummer", and "Bring it on" don't exactly remind me of Feudal Japan. However, this might simply be a translational flaw.

GRAPHICS:

"This game can't possibly be a PS2 game," I thought while playing it. The only three-dimensional aspect of this game are the character designs--which, I might mention, other than the Inu Yasha cast, all the other people look exactly the same with different colored clothing. Even the characters aren't very detailed. Granted, they're in "chibi" form,(super-deformed, whatever you want to call it; basically a child-like redition of the original character) the character designs are too block-like and chunky.

The scenery, much to my horror, although lovely, was completely two-dimensional. Meaning, you were only able to walk on a water-color painted path. Many times, because of the horrendous lack of much-needed adjustable camera angles, it was excruciatingly frustrating to figure out where paths began and end, which doorways could be entered, and simply, WHERE THE HECK YOUR CHARACTER WAS! The screen would stay stationary as you became a wandering dot in the distance traveling down the path. If the game designers were too lazy to design the scenery, the least they could do was give you some control over what you saw with camera angling.

MUSIC:

Some pieces in the game are pleasant, if existent. The major problem with the music was that most of the time, it simply wasn't there. Traveling through long, nearly un-navigatable paths call for some pleasant background music to take your mind of the fact that this game has absolutely NO MAPS, save your simplistic "World Map".

I guarantee you will be ready to feed this game to your dog after trying to figure out where the heck you are without a field map. But back to music, the only sounds while traveling across the field is a loop of tweeting bird noises. Very engaging, yes? Battle music is obnoxious after your tenth battle, and battles are stifflingly frequent. While a few songs are engaging, the music plainly stinks because of lack of variety. Almost every village has the exact same song, and it becomes boring very quickly.

BATTLE:

Trying to seperate itself from the "random battle" system of many earlier RPGs, the game designates hazy purple clouds as "high encounter areas" where your character is more likely to enter battle. The only way to "reduce" these encounters is to walk, and walking is slower that a tranquilized slug saturated in molasses. Battles occur much too frequently, and they're turn-based, as opposed to the Zelda "hack-and-slash" battles.

The battle system quickly bored me, but what bothered me most was the unimaginative monster designs. Like our handsome little loin cloth demon in the beginning, the monsters in the game run along the lines of "Rabid Badger Monks", and such. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to take on a religious badger in battle. In all, there are probably 10 different monster types, but depending on which area you're traveling in, they all look the same but have different colors and names.

Bats, wolves, ghosts; these are not Rumiko Takahashi's creative and beautifully horrifying demons I fell in (figurative) love with. These are your typical RPG monsters, and not even very good ones at that. They're names aren't very creative either. "Death Mask" and "Rabid Wolf" don't strike much fear in my heart, but occasionally the designers decide to get fancy and throw out some unpronouncable "Japanese" sounding name, just because they can.

SOUND EFFECTS:

To put it quite simply, there are none. In fact, the designers actually wrote in the battle sound effects. "Whack", "Dong", "Boom"; you get the idea. Magic spells, or any other attacks that aren't directly offensive get a little more technical, but not much more. Your character, harnessing the powers of the "Shikigami", (another one of those wtf Japanese-sounding words)says virtually the same thing whenever summoning the power. Perhaps the most technical sound effect in the entire game is the ever-engaging twittering bird-loop. And that was sarcasm.

INTERACTIVITY:

Wow! Your own original character can interact with the Inu Yasha cast!! It's like a dream come true! Oh my god, I'm hyperventilating with joy!

Sorry, it's not exactly like that.

To be quite blunt, other than walking, battle, and choosing what character you spend your "days off" with, there is absolutely no level of interactivity in this game whatsoever. Nada. Zip. Everything you say is predetermined (and often very degrading to your character's reputation, since most of the time whatever he or she says is stupid or senseless) and there's nothing you can do about it.

The humorous thing, however, is that it almost appears that the Inu Yasha cast realizes your character's evident stupidity, and none of them really enjoy your company. My personal opinion is that they'd be overjoyed when you return to your own time, and are only "assisting" you to get you out of their hair.

OVERVIEW:

Overall, it seemed like the only purpose of this game was to get it out onto the market as quickly as possible while Inu Yasha was still popular. It's completely lacking the imagination of Takahashi's series and the beautiful music from the anime.

For future reference:

A field map would be greatly GREATLY appreciated. Not knowing where you're going and high monster encounter frequencies are not a good combination, especially when the only places where the game can be saved is on the World Map, or an occassional random "save cat". (Go figure that one out.)

Like transfering a book to a movie, when adapting a series into a game, it's wise to stick with the original storyline. Fans feel save in familiar territory, and it gives newbies a feeling of security when they talk to fans. Throwing in new major characters can be successful, but only when done well.

Keep things in one dimension. If they wanted it two-dimensional, the designers should have gone the "Paper Mario" way. Mixing 2-D and 3-D produced a confusing and unpleasant hybrid to the eye.

Music is a vital part to a video game, especially field music. Traveling through tedious fields isn't so bad if the background music is relaxing or engaging; bird-loops are simplistic and dull.

Overall, I'd avoid this game regardless of whether or not you're a fan. Fans will be appalled with the unimaginative character dialogue and flat plot line. Newbies will be baffled by character references (If you don't know who Naraku is, the Inu Yasha characters will make sure you feel plenty stupid) For gamers (RPG hardcore or not), the flaws are too apparent not to notice and are a serious handicap to the enjoyability of the game. You're best off waiting for something better to come along.

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Okay, I'll admit, this RPG isn't as involving as say, Final Fantasy, but it's still good. If you are a fan of the Inuyasha series, I highly recommend it. The graphics are good, not great, but, well, how can you not love a chibi Inuyasha? (Although a chibi Shippou is kind of redundant...) The gameplay is your standard RPG far; go fetch this, save this person, do this little mini-game, fight a turn-based battle, so forth and so on. Then again, the element that draws any fan of the show isn't really the gameplay, it's the joy of being able to interact with the characters from the show. Based on your actions and who you choose to spend time with (or don't choose to spend time with) you can get one of 12 possible endings. Just a note here, in order to get the second ending with that person, you first have to play through the game, get that persons first ending (which unlocks their second ending), then play through the game again to view the second ending. This is what gives the game it's replay value. After all, you want to see all the ending don't you?! (On a personal note, I have unlocked Sango's first ending, now I'm trying to unlock Sesshomaru's, because I love him.)

The gameplay itself can be a little mind-numbing because this game has a very high random battle rate. This is especially noticable when you start your second game, because you keep the stats from your first game, making the first hundred or so battles one hit kills on your part (although, this is also good since you don't waste so much time and can get to the ending quicker).

The script for the game is a little bit of a double edged sword. You get authentic voice acting from the cast you've grown to love, BUT, the dialogue itself is asinine.

All in all, this is an average RPG, that people who don't like or know the show should just rent. But for those of you like me, who love Inuyasha, it's definately a must buy.