Discount Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 with Dance Mat - Nintendo Wii

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DDR2 fixes some of the problems from the first version. First, it actually saves your settings (I personally got tired of having to turn off the hand markers every time I started up the game). Also, it allows you to start the groove arena over as a different user if multiple people want the challenge. And other seemingly broken aspects of DDR1 are also fixed -the timing of arrows, difficulty level, etc actually WORK. I wish this had been the case in the original release. There's also more help for beginners, like bars to show the beat/arrow timing you can turn on, and the ability to slow down the song and arrows to take on a new challenge.

The songs well, there's a mix of good and not so good. But I think that's to be expected. I got tired of dancing to the same songs over and over, so it's refreshing and welcome. It also seems like they're targeted towards easier play, with less difficulty on Difficult and Expert level. I haven't unlocked every song yet.

The graphics look better both the dancers and stages. The Mii addition is kind of funny, but not that bad. You get a choice of certain Mii bodies to stick with your head, some better than others.

Basically this is what DDR1 should have been. If you've got DDR1 and felt shorted, I think you'll be glad to pick up DDR2. And if you're a beginner, I'd skip DDR1 and go straight to this version.

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I play these games because they're fun. . . I don't care about the quality of the covers or whatever, so long as they're fun to dance to. . . in that sense, this game is great, as expected. There are a bit fewer of the hyperactive Jpop songs that I like, but I'm not sure those had much domestic appeal.

One major warning: third party dance mats are not compatible with Hottest Party 2, even if they worked on Hottest Party 1. You can confirm this with complaints all around the internet. Those extra dance mats you bought for parties? Sorry. The fancy high-end mats you bought to improve your gaming experience? Sorry. You're stuck with the soft mat that comes with the game. Since most players "graduate" to high end mats and Konami doesn't make high-end mats, you're somewhat precluded from that. It's disappointing, but I'm returning my copy and sticking to Hottest Party 1 because of this issue.

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I've owned Hottest Party 2 for about a month now -what a great buy!

I bought the game as a way to provide exercise without having to go to a gym. It definitely does the trick for cardio. I breath heavily, I sweat, and I feel lighter on my feet.

I'm a big guy, and I was worried that this might make ddr the wrong choice for me. Not so there is an option to turn off "jumping" in the game. After doing so, I find it is pretty low impact. That is, unless you've twisted your feet in knots and have to hop a bit to make sure you don't miss an arrow.

I've never been a great dancer, and I doubt this game will fix that. (I've only made it to "basic" mode after a month.) Basic is plenty to get your heart pumping though. No particular expertise required.

Overall, this is a great game and definitely worth the cost.

Honest reviews on Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 with Dance Mat - Nintendo Wii

Okay, I am not a huge gamer, and our Wii hasn't even had time to gather dust. But friends with PlayStation have been telling me about DDR for several years, and how much I would enjoy it, especially for the exercise aspect.

So I bought this package game + mat. After a week or so of this, I know I will be making this part of my workout routine. However, I am not using it as it came straight out of the box.

First this is a moderate to high impact routine (once you get into it). The thin mat it comes with is not up to the supporting older joints, especially when it looks like supportive sneakers would tear it up. (I've been using bare feet with much success.)

However, this is easily remedied by placing the pad on foam floor tiles (making sure to put something antislip under the tiles themselves if placed on carpet I bought mine at Sam's Club in years past, don't know if they still have them now). Since you cannot use the high-end third party mats that have foam like this inside them with this particular game, this is a quick, affordable alternative, and seems to offer good protection (my diseased hip joints aren't aching much after doing this every other day for the past week for the level of impact, this is amazing for me).

Second treat it like a workout. If you have knee and/or ankle braces, wear them. Stretch out, and do five minutes or so of lower-ranked routines to loosen up. If you have a BOSU, do a little balance warm-up, too.

Third you will want to tweak the options, but be aware you're not going to do that until you pick your mode (I haven't tried anything but the workout mode yet), your player format, your dancer, etc. Make sure you're not registering as a guest otherwise you'll have to do this every time make your own account inside the mode. When you finally come to the menu, you will want to turn off the hand shakes (unnecessary you're going to be using arm movements to help balance anyway once you get to higher levels), you will want to turn off the gimmicks (i.e. the special arrows), turn off the jumps (i.e. when you have to hit two arrows at once) and counter-intuitively you will want to turn on the cuts (i.e. the quick taps) to get rid of them.

Now, is this how a real DDR game is played? I'm guessing not. However, for the DDR/Wii newbie in the workout mode who has some joint issues, you will find you'll get to the more difficult levels which are more challenging much faster and without messing up your joints. It's not about being a DDR champion, it's about the workout.

As for the footwork if you are an old-hand at taking aerobics classes, you can handle the footwork with the option changes I noted above. It will take practice, but within a week, I've been able to go from "beginner" to "difficult" (I haven't tried "Expert" level yet) fairly quickly.

I haven't been in the main parts of the game, only workout mode. I'm not sure how it differs, only that it has the silly little calorie counter and the timer, which to me is the best part. I shouldn't do this more than 30-45 minutes until my joints get used to it, and it would be so easy to do this for 90-120 minutes without blinking.

While more fun than an elliptical machine, treadmill or stationary bike, DDR will not replace a really hard workout I sweat, but not terribly much. And the gaps in between routines even when you repeat the same routine is annoying. (I would love for Konami to perhaps note when someone has turned off gimmicks and therefore turn off the informative screens about them that plays every time you start a track.) But for a general, getting-off-your butt-and-moving-around routine? It's solid.

And watch yourself on the mat controls. If you're in the menu picking out a song or level, it is way too easy to drift into the wrong track or select the wrong level. There is no way to go back once you picked a track and difficulty, so you're stuck with what you've chosen. More fun is the first time you're standing on an arrow and don't realize it, and the tracks just whiz right by or the difficulty scrolls at the speed of sound. And I have really little feet that easily fit inside the squares on the mat!

So as a late 30-something with damage to hips, ankles and knees (from former workouts ;) ), I'm really enjoying DDR as a way to shake up my workout routine. I'm looking forward to unlocking some other music (some tracks I like more than others, but I'm finding as I advance through the levels, I hear the music less the arrows are coming up too fast to do anything more than concentrate on the beat), and trying some of the other modes once I'm sure I've got the hang of things.

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I have to tell you how much our family loves this game. We love the first too. Our boys are ages 5 and 6, and they would play it non-stop if we let them. It's a great cardio workout and a lot of family fun. Watching the boys stomp to "I Want Candy" or "Black and White" makes for a really good time. The Workout mode is better in this version as you can string several songs together. I knew most of the songs, although there were a few I didn't recognize. Overall, it's just a good time with levels for everyone to play. Don't take it so seriously! Just move!

MX Superfly Reviews

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I enjoy this game alot. It has great motocross action and a bunch of nice tracks. This game also comes with a track editor. The only thing I dont entirely like about the game is the way you aquire cash to improve your bike. You have to do these silly "how to jump, brake, powerslide, etc.." short missions to get your cash to start racing. Also the improvements on your bike and the different types of bikes are not listed in your manual. So, I dont have any idea if the bikes handle differently or what the different type of brakes, suspension, etc...does for each bike...guess its trial and error. Other than that, this is a solid game and I really enjoyed it alot.

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I enjoy this game alot. It has great motocross action and a bunch of nice tracks. This game also comes with a track editor. The only thing I dont entirely like about the game is the way you aquire cash to improve your bike. You have to do these silly "how to jump, brake, powerslide, etc.." short missions to get your cash to start racing. Also the improvements on your bike and the different types of bikes are not listed in your manual. So, I dont have any idea if the bikes handle differently or what the different type of brakes, suspension, etc...does for each bike...guess its trial and error. Other than that, this is a solid game and I really enjoyed it alot.

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We love this game on PS2. Only problem, no internet play. This game is xboxlive compatable. So I guess I'm going to have to get the xbox, xbox live and this game to beat people online. This game is perfect. Someone complained that the game is too realistic on the PS2. My wife grew up on motocross tracks and I grew up riding them. This game is perfect. Were giving this as christmas gift to all our families. Plus since you can build your own tracks the game play is unlimited. The freestyle and the mini games are fun, but we prefer racing.

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this game does not have shocks and wheelies r only able to be done when u land on ground but u can race well get tons of air and to tricks with ease

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MX superfly is really cool because you can get so much air in the game but,sometimes the tricks that you can do are so fake but, what I really like about MX superfly is that you can do a great tail whip unlike MX 2002.Another thing is that you cant make your own player in MX superfly.Also the landing in MX superfly is really really bad.Even the greatest player at MX superfly can't land from big air.So I think im going to stick with MX 2002.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Xbox 360 Reviews

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When it comes to FPS's, and any other shooter for that matter, you have your current kings, namely: Halo, Rainbow Six (and all of it's "spawns", like GRAW) and Gears of War (still). Throw BioShock in there if you want... whatever. You get the point. Now take from each of those games the best aspects... throw them together, and you have Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Simply put you'll love this game, even if you don't like military or first-person shooters. If you're the type that strictly plays the single-player mode, then I'd rent first, just to be sure it's for you. For me, even the story mode keeps me coming back. This game is a BEAST, and it's a BEAST on every platform it's on 360, PS3 and PC.

Infinity Ward understands FPS's their absence was noticed immediately in Call of Duty 3, which sucked. They're back. This game is a few MINOR elements away from absolute perfection, in my opinion. And you don't get better than perfection.

I'll get the little gripes out of the way:

1. No Co-Op campaign. As frantic as every stage is, coupled with the fact that there's really no point on the game where you're not at least with ONE other player usually more I thought this should be available. It's pretty much standard now in the next-gen FPS's, but surprisingly absent here. Hmmm...

2. The whole 'friendly-fire' thing... I realize that this is realistic, but it's pretty frustrating sometimes moreso here than in a game like Rainbow Six, simply because there's no easily identifiable icon or marker. I don't need THAT level of realism in a game just my opinion. Yes, your recticle is red if it's on an enemy and green for a friendly, but during all of the fighting, that's really hard to see. Coupled with the fact that a lot of the enemies are wearing uniforms pretty similar to YOURS, you may end up accidentally shooting your squad more than you'd care to admit, especially on the Veteran difficulty level.

(That's really it for the 'gripes' the other is more of an personal preference for me. I'd rather have more gameplay modes available in the multiplayer right off the bat, but I can also see how starting off with just the initial two works.

You may notice that I haven't complained about the duration of the story mode... while short, I doubt that any of the other reviewers that are slamming it have "breezed through in a few hours" on any difficulty higher than Sick Infant that's before Rookie, if you're wondering. The story is compelling; there are actual moments where your chest and heart actually POUND tell me the "All Ghillied Up" stage didn't have you holding your breath in real life, I dare you. Other games, while significantly longer, don't always fill their time with substance. A game like BioShock doesn't have an online mode, so it's story HAS to carry it entirely. Halo 3 is longer, sure... but most of it is retracing your steps back through previously played boards. No thank you. Apart from an effective story mode, this game's "bread and butter" is in the online multiplayer. Just like Halo 3. Just like RB6: Vegas. Just like Gears of War. Online play is what will keep this game, and others, being played for years to come.)

...and that's it, folks. Nothing else bad here. AT ALL. Period.

Gameplay the game is phenomenal. Even if the campaign is rather on the short side (took about 6 or so hours playing on Normal Veteran or Hardened will probably double that time, plus some) it is undeniably entertaining. While it may not necessarily be breaking new ground as far as plot, it STILL is far more engaging that Rainbow Six: Vegas's campaign mode, which is great, as well as Gears of War and even the mighty Halo 3. (just my opinion) (A+)

Graphics arguably the best on any console, period. I give it the nod over Gears of War and BioShock this is the best looking game I have ever played, and it runs (with all the chaos going on) at a smooth 60 frames per second is 1080P HD glory. The word gets thrown around alot with these newer systems, but this game is truly Photo-Realistic. The only thing I've seen comparable would be Crysis, another military shooter -and that's (not surprisingly) a PC-only game at the moment. It absolutely does not get any better than COD4. (A++)

Sound as good as anything out now. The musical numbers are all spot-on, and the dialogue and combat chatter is phenomenal. Top notch all the way around no "forced" sounding acting here. This games sounds like it was recorded during actual combat. (A+)

Multiplayer time will tell if it will stand up to the insanely deep Halo Multiplayer mode, or the ridiculously addictive multiplayer modes on GoW or RB6, but even in this early stage COD4 is more than holding it's own. Choose from a preset variety of classes sniper, assault, heavy gunner, etc. and get to killing. Kill enough and eventually unlock the ability to create your OWN class and that's where the fun really gets going. There's a rank structure, but with there being absolutly ZERO offical multiplayer achievements, hopefully this will minimize people's tendency to cheat. (big problem on RB6) Ranking up does have it's privileges, however... different weapons, customizations for those weapons (scopes, skins, etc.) How new players feel about playing months from now when the majority of their combatants have superior equipment remains to be seen... balancing could be an issue there. The way it's set up though, if you're good at FPS's (and you know who you are), you will be alright. There's some work to be done with the team balancing... and I would prefer the ability to choose which maps I play on during ranked matches, but all in all, pretty solid. (A)

Replay Value extremely high, even with a relatively short campaign. All of the achievements for the game come from the Campaign mode, yet over half of them require you to beat the game on one of the two harder difficulty levels. (not recommended for first-timers frustration WILL ensue... as well as bullets, grenades and dog bites) Hell, even the TRAINING MODULE is fun and gets replay Halo can't say that. This game is ridiculous. Even as varied as multiplayer is by nature, the Prestige Mode adds a new level to it. Make it all the way to Level 55, then you have "a tough decision" to make... (A+)

Overall Dangerously Good. I give it an A+, or a solid 9.9998 out of 10 (I stand by the fact that a co-op campaign would render a potential Call of Duty 5 pointless) This is one of the best games ever. After playing the Beta earlier this year, I proclaimed that this could be a sleeper for Game of the Year, while everyone else was obviously sold on Halo... maybe a few for BioShock. This has them both, hands down. The only surprising part is how convincingly better this game is than the other GOTY frontrunners. All other FPS's (particularly military FPS's) need to take notice this is BY FAR the best ever. (Note to Tom Clancy and the folks at UbiSoft: you have work to do for that next Rainbow Six. The bar is WAY up there now... don't disappoint)

A definite must own, especially for XBox Live subscribers this is the best for this year. No not Halo Call of Duty 4. Period. The only thing I see that could pull people away from this even for a moment would potentially be Grand Theft Auto 4.

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I was one of the Lucky ones to be part of the beta of this game. Ever since then I was totally addicted to the realism of this game. In this game you don't "get owned" as in halo. You always have a chance to have a good game because of all the options that make each player unique. Combining the right perks with the right weapons will be the key to this game. The graphics are just JAW DROPPING! The frame rate is FLAWLESS! You will not feel dizzy after playing this game, guaranteed! Most importantly this game is PURE FUN! Easy to pick up and just play without any previous experience. This is a MUST HAVE for Xbox 360 0wners!!! I promise YOU!

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For the fourth installment of the series once set in World War II, the Call of Duty series moves to the present day (thankfully), and what results is by far the best Call of Duty game to see the light of day yet. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare may very well be one of the best first person shooter's you'll ever play on any system, as it features astounding production values and brilliant multiplayer modes on XBox Live. The graphics and visual presentation are simply gorgeous, as are the spectacular sound effects, which is something the series has always done particularly well. Controls are sharp and the multiplayer elements make Call of Duty 4 worth picking up alone, but there is one glaring flaw that is unavoidable to notice. The single player campaign is short, quite short in fact. You could probably finish the game's single player campaign in an afternoon if you so desired, which is a big time drawback if multiplayer gaming isn't your thing. If it is your thing though, you'll find it a blast here, and even though the single player campaign is lacking, Call of Duty 4 is still definitely worth picking up. All in all, Call of Duty 4 is by far the best game in the series yet, and if you're leary of the change of scenery, fear not, war shooters don't get any better than this.

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(Multiplayer Details and highlights)Exciting Top notch well balanced online play,lag is nonexistent .There's a Party System plus a ton of game modes like Deathmatch,Search & Destroy,Domination,one-on-one duel, a one-shot/one-kill hardcore mode,Heaquarters,Oldschool mode,etc.Also Matchmaking playlists, 16 multiplayer maps right out of the box,Four player split screen.Also your online player will get 'upgrade' perks like faster re-load,detect claymores through walls,asorb more damage,all this is gained through playing and gaining experience points which is a part of the fantastic online leveling system in which everything you do while playing gains experience points that leads to new ranks. And once your promoted to new ranks you'll get added player bonuses like calling in air-strikes,temporary radar,new weapons and attachments,matchmaking playlists,and create-a-class. You MAX out at level 55 but your able to create-a-class at level 4 ,which includes,primary-secondary weapons-grenade type-etc,With 5 slots total to customize. You can tweak your custom class between rounds,according to your tastes for each map and gametype,things like radar jammer-steady aim-sleight of hand/juggernaut-quiet footsteps,etc.All In All Multiplayer is awesome ,COD4 is a must own if your a XboxLive FPS fan.Onto the single player portion ,wow what can I say its beautiful and each mission looks better than the last. There's the standard intense COD action that you'd expect as well as some new 'stealth' type missions (with newly introduced night vision)that makes the game all that much more immersive. The weather,lighting,and textures all look fantastic, and all at an impressive 60fps. The only negative (if there is even just one) is that the campaign is only 10 hours give or take depending on difficulty and how much you explore the levels. But that being said this game hits it on all levels ,fantastic gameplay,stunning graphics,excellent multiplayer,COD4 has all the right things a FPS fan needs and wants. There are some kool 'cheats' too after you collect the (30) laptops scattered throughout the campaign that have the usual cheats like infinite ammo and a wierd but funny cheat that when an enemy gets killed they explode into a pile of car tires..lol..and with the same cheat if you shoot down a chopper the sky rains Goodyears..lol. Also another perk, after beating the campaign 'Arcade' mode opens up , you now get scored on the camapaign based on performance like headshots-blowing up cars-string togeter kills,like mutiple headshots etc. You'll see a score meter that tracks your progress in 'Arcade' mode.What an awesome game the campaign alone really is worthy but its the multiplayer that seals the deal as COD4 is one of the best FPS to hit the consoles in a long time. Definitely 'do not miss' this stellar game.PEACE

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you come home from work everyday and play it just as much as you did when it came out over a year ago....I love this game. Its addictive, the graphics are insane, the story mode is excellent, and multiplayer is incredible. When you die in MP, you know its because of what you did/didnt do. This isnt Halo where you can 'nade someone, empty a clip into them, and then they turn around and 1 shot you. You kill, its because you were better. You die, its because you weren't.....Absolutely incredible game and worth every penny.....

Best The Walking Dead Deals

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Disclosure: Game only review played on a PS3

If you're thinking about getting this game, you're probably thinking some things like: Uh oh...a game based on a book/TV show?....That usually doesn't work. Or maybe you're thinking: Point and click?...Check please! Or maybe you're not too excited about the month to month episode thing? Or maybe you didn't like some of Telltale's past titles?

And you know what, some of your concerns may even be valid; it really depends on your expectations for this awesome release, so let me try to set some of those expectations. First of all, The Walking Dead game is for and will be loved by--and loved by is a guarantee, graphic novel readers--any true fan of Robert Kirkman's source material. Anyone looking to run and gun down zombies will not get that out of this game. You certainly don't have to have read the book or seen the show to enjoy this game; just be sure that you are planning to get into and be part of a story-rich experience.

The Walking Dead game is no Burn Zombie Burn or some other bash as many zombies' brains in as possible game. This game is a lot more of an RPG than a shooter.

You start the game the day the zombie apocalypse begins concurrently from the start of the comic book series. You play as Lee, and just as in the book (and in the TV show) where the main character Rick was initially thrown into a chaotic journey by himself to find other survivors...that's you as Lee in The Walking Dead game.

There are plenty of action sequences, but your time in this game is mostly spent literally being a part of the story making some tough (and some not so tough) decisions. It's the tough decisions that will affect how the rest of the game unfolds for you, and you'll have to live with the consequences of every option you choose.

The game does give you the option of "rewinding" back to a specific checkpoint, and you can go forward from there and choose a different option that overwrites your original decision if that's your style. But I won't do that until I complete the entire series. I tried to make the main character call "the right move" when presented with choice; but there is a time limit when decision time comes, and sometimes you may regret a hasty decision. For example, you'll have to choose one life over another twice during just the first episode, and I'm not sure that I made the "right" choice in one of those moments. But I will live with my decision until after playing through the entire series just to "keep it real." The game sure does get an A for replay value.

Just as in the graphic novel (and the TV show), the story is much less about zombies and more about what happens to society, its morals, laws and standards when government is lost and the planet becomes mostly uninhabitable. But this time you don't just watch it unfold on paper or on your TV screen; in this game you're part of the story...you control your integrity, your morality and ultimately your destiny. And there's real, heartfelt emotion in The Walking Dead game combined with very believable scenarios. Color me a sissy, but I actually got a little misty over one of the decisions that "I had to" make.

The Walking Dead game is excellent...especially for just a point and click. It's as gritty and graphic as the comic book, and it's very story-rich. If you read the comic as I do...you'll love it. The graphics are appropriately very comic-bookesque. I really do feel like I'm part of a different story arc in the freakin' book! Best 20 bucks I've spent all year...so far. Plus anyone clamoring for a Platinum Trophy (or whatever the top achievement for getting all in-game achievements is on your platform) could get an easy one here; all the trophies are unmissable simply by finishing all the chapters in every episode.

The Walking Dead game is a deep, personal and emotional adventure.

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The Walking Dead Episode 1: A New Day

I picked up The Walking Dead a few days ago on the PC through Steam and just finished Episode 1: A New Day today. A New Day is the only episode out right now with four others coming out one at a time later on in the year. Telltale Games is well known for their adventure games and that's exactly what The Walking Dead is... and an amazing one at that.

During the course of the first episode you are given several different choices, most of which determine whether who lives and who dies. The game promises to roll these choices over in the next episodes, giving your play through a chance to differ than others playing it. Upon completion of the episode stats are shown at the end as far as where you stand with others who have played through it and the choices you made.

Graphically the game has a sort of cell shaded feel to it. Some of the textures are kind of muddy, but the overall feel of the game really goes well with the atmosphere. I've never read the comics of the same name before, but it definitely gives off a comic book feel. The Walking Dead is pretty brutal and bloody, but because of how the graphics is it really doesn't seem as bad as it probably should. Nonetheless, you still get the horror zombie feel that you know and love.

Controls are simple, mostly consisting of you either controlling the main character Lee or by controlling an on-screen cursor in order to find things in the environment to interact with... like smashing a zombie's head in or handing a little girl an energy bar because she's hungry.

The grunts and moans of the zombies sound great and the soundtrack really adds a spooky ambiance to each situation that arises whether it be an intense fight with a walker or a moody conversation about someone that has just been killed.

The first episode of The Walking Dead is a homerun in my opinion. If you love zombies and adventure games you really should pick this up. I just hope the great story telling and all the choices made in the first episode really transition well throughout the rest of the episodes.

9.0 out of 10

Transcendental Formulations

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Do you like bleak and terrible scenarios where s*** gets real on a regular basis? Do you enjoy moral quandaries where a common theme leads to inevitable mistakes that, while making you sympathetic to the characters, still piss you off when everything goes to hell? The Walking Dead is like Grey's Anatomy for boys: sans romance, add zombies, but still frustrating, depressing, random, gory, exciting, and with well written characters (for the most part.)

If you're expecting a shoot-em-up style game then this isn't for you. It's basically an animated Choose Your Own Adventure, and yes, just like a CYOA, you get railroaded into certain outcomes (which really sucks.) But more about that later.

First, the pros.

The writing is not bad, but it is very bleak. Don't get attached to the people you meet, they're most likely not going to make it--this is the zombie apocalypse, after all. I appreciated that characters are not simply written as good or bad people. Quite often, people you hate will redeem themselves and I was almost always sympathetic to their objectionable actions (didn't stop me from killing them, though.) There are plenty of moral quandaries and I advise you to reflect on them whenever you have a break between calamities because, in the heat of the moment, you will likely be forced to make life or death decisions based on their actions.

You can influence what people choose to an extent, but their choices are largely driven by their personalities. It is very important that you remember their individual quirks because they will come back to haunt you again and again. With some I found it irritating, because you feel like just when you've settled a matter it comes back up like last night's taco dinner, but you have to remember their priorities are not your own, except in a very general sense (survival.) In this way, people who are alone are the most agreeable. I think this is very realistic.

That doesn't mean people can't waver or won't overcome their (sometimes significant) personality flaws. Like I said, almost all choices by the characters are sympathetic, including your own, which makes it interesting.

Now the cons.

Despite having such a complex and intriguing cast and dialog options, some outcomes are set in stone. This completely blows! When you agonize over all your choices and the consequences are so dire, you really don't want to find out after the fact that it doesn't really matter. I restarted some chapters 3 or 4 times to try to save certain people or build different relationships only to change nothing. There is no re-playability in this game.

There are also some internal rules to this universe that never seem to change. I can't really explain without spoilers, but the game will urge you into certain actions as if they're universally acceptable to all people in all situations. This is stupid. Sometimes, the wrong thing is the right thing, depending on when or the people involved. The other characters seem blind to this fact and act like you've p*ssed in their cereal whenever you violate this absolute. They can be very childlike and irritating in this way. And some characters have some kind of omniscient hindsight into whenever you're lying, even when you're just being ambiguous. Seeing as you start out as a player with a criminal past, I'm not sure what they expect. Should I show off my prison tats before or after we shake and promise not to shoot one another outright?

Some minor issues are the bugs. I saw one of the characters turn invisible for an entire cutscene. Other than that, the gameplay is atrocious, but I think it's intentional. The mouse acceleration is completely bizarre and when you're not fumbling around trying to click on something, you're frantically mashing the Q button. I think this is supposed to engender a feeling of panic within the player, it's clumsy on purpose because you're not a superhero, you're just some dude. Sometimes the camera angles are idiotic as well.

Finally, the combat doesn't always make sense. Sometimes you'll get an aiming receptacle, other times not (also on purpose, but stupidly introduced, I think.) You'll also be goaded into performing useless actions when the game decides to trick you. You'll mash Q only to realize that you can never mash Q enough and so you've got to just let go. Or you'll be lured into punching a zombie when the only way to escape is to NOT punch the zombie. I did not find this aspect fun, but thankfully they don't pull this you often.

Overall, I'd recommend it, on sale, for those who like a story as long as they know that there's only one story to be told here.

Honest reviews on The Walking Dead

WARNING: IF YOU WANT TO RIDE AROUND ON A MOTORCYCLE WITH CHAINSAWS ATTACHED KILLING ZOMBIES, THIS ISN'T THE GAME FOR YOU.

This game has definitely given me one of the most interactive, realistic experiences I could ever ask for in a simulated zombie apocalypse.

The game is so much better by the fact that every little thing you do, say, and learn will effect the outcome of the game. This game isn't about killing zombies, it's about surviving. That's what we'd be trying to do for real if every boy's secret wish(zombie apocalypse) came true right?

This game is definitely a lot more humbling than L4D or the other popular zombie games.

I recommend this to anyone willing to try a realistic, that really puts you "in the character's shoes".

Not to mention that the graphics are really like out of the comics.

I'm just sad that I have to wait a little while for episode 2 to come out.

Note: I have nothing against other zombie apocalypse games out there.

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First off, I'd like to address some of the comments left by other users.

-The graphics are NOT supposed to look realistic. This is because the game is based off of the comics, not the show. In fact, the writer/artist for the comics actually worked with the developers to give the game a very similar look and feel to the style used in the comics. Imagine this game as a mix of zombies and borderlands. Yes, it s 2012, but again, the game is meant to have a comic-look like Borderlands and a few of the various super hero MMO's. While the graphics aren't as "stunning" or "breathtaking" as the first Crysis game, or Skyrim, or Kingdoms of Amalur, they are fantastic by comic standards. Don't think of this game as a real world game, but rather an interactive comic book.

-Just like the graphics, the story is NOT related at all to the show. The game is meant to tell a separate story from that of the show and comics. Why? If it followed the show it would have had to been from the first two seasons, otherwise season 3 (or later) would have been spoiled. The same works for basing it off the comic.

-I played this on a high end gaming computer, not a system, so I can't attest to the camera angles or "shoddy" controls. However, I did use an xBox 360 controller, and it played pretty fantastically.

This game is pretty fantastic. Although, I did kind of dislike the short time for responses when talking to other characters. But, I'm able to over look that one issue, because it adds a bit of a real world feel to it.

I definitely recommend at least finding the first chapter online and giving it a try. If you like it, than buy it. If you don't like it, than don't buy it, and post your own feedback to better help others decide whether or not to buy it.

Keep in mind, the game is separated into 5 chapters, that are released in 1 month intervals. While individually the chapters are fairly short, they will build into a fairly long game, with the added feature of being able to replay and make little decisions that can completely change the end of each chapter as well as how the preceding chapter(s) will play out.

Reviews of Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)

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I've gone on record in the past of having disliked the first book in this series. I take it back. After having played the original Halo through to the end more than 10 times now, I now find these books irresistable.

Halo Book One The Fall of Reach

The first book of this trilogy details the formation of the Spartan II/Mjolinar program, including the origination of the characters Master Chief, Captain Keyes and Cortana. "Fall of Reach" fleshes out the backstory. How did the Covenent happen upon humanity in the first place? What were our first encounters with the Covenent like? What does "glassing a planet" entail? And what is it that the Covenent is after?

The last question isn't answered completely, but this first volume does provide some tantalizing details that might give you a clue. You do, however, find out exactly what the Pillar of Autumn was up to prior to ending up in orbit around Halo.

Eric Nylund does a great job of injecting some humanity into the Spartans (yes, there's more than one) and some drama and strategy into fight scenes with the Covenent. If you find yourself liking this book, you may want to pick up Nylund's "Signal to Noise" or "A Signal Shattered". No matter how good Nylund's military sci-fi is, his hard sci-fi is better.

Halo Book Two The Flood

Normally, I'd say "skip this" if you've already played the game. And if you have played through the game, then the plot points in this novel won't lend you any surprises. It is, however, a testament to William Dietz's prowess as an author that even Halo veterans such as myself can pick up this book and still be interested in the subject matter. As with "Fall of Reach", "The Flood" fleshes out the Halo universe even further. Not only do you follow Master Chief as he combats the Covenent, the Flood and Guilty Spark 243 on the Jovian-orbiting ringworld of Halo, but you get up close and personal with some of the ODSTs (Helljumpers, who will play a large part in Halo 2), marines and non-coms who are aiding Master Chief in the fight. You even get to see the fight from the Covenant point of view.

William Dietz was a fine choice for creating this novelization. Already an excellent military sci-fi author, he does great work here in turning a potentially lackluster novelization into something interesting and special.

Halo Book Three First Strike

I don't really want to ruin this one for Halo fans. The most important thing about this book is this it acts as a bridge between the events of first Halo game and Halo 2. "First Strike", again by Eric Nylund, picks up right where first game ended with Master Chief and Cortana stuck in a non-FTL bomber in the dead space surrounding the remains of Halo. I won't give away anymore except to say that Halo 2 is set-up perfectly here.

The most impressive thing about the Halo books is this the amount of backstory created for the Halo universe is stunning. If you've read anything about the new Halo 2 release and have read these novels, you'll understand what I mean. Plot points and military types from the first novel are being incorporated into or mentioned in Halo 2, ie the aforementioned ODSTs. I have no idea WHERE this backstory came from either from the imaginations of Dietz and Nylund or the impressive minds working at Bungie. It doesn't matter. Reading these books and playing these games, you become intimate with a well thought-out alternate universe. And its a great one to spend time in.

November 9th can't come soon enough!

Hopefully William Dietz is on the business end of that Halo 2 novelization, and this set will include four books in the future.

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As a member of the US military, it is hard to find fictional military stories that combine sci-fi and a good solid storyline. These are the kind of books that I have been searching for. Worth the time to read and the money to buy.

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i just got these 3 books yesterday...and i had time to sit down and read all three of them in a single day its a page turner for sure..highly addictive reading...these books flesh out all the backstory on the master chief and the spartins...yes he was one of a group of super soldiers :)..these books also tell us about the war with the covenant and how it came to start and what the covenant is actually looking for on the planet halo.... if your a sci fi reader or just like a good story loaded with action grab these books..oh and the box set is great for desktop display...cant wait to the halo movie that is going into production.. cheers

Honest reviews on Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)

At first, I was hesitant to pick these titles up for the simple fact that, while I am a "gamer," I'm not real big on sci-fi reading. I also feared that these books might add up to little more than fodder to lure more money out of the pockets of die-hard "Halo" fans by pandering to the already fanatical following the game has produced.

And I was wrong.

Halo's story successfully crosses the media lines in three amazing books that actually enriched my appreciation of the games.

I used to like the fact that the Master Chief was that quintessential tough guy: mysterious and unbeatable, eternally resourceful and cool-headed, cold and battle-hardened. And, if you've played the games, then you know the gimmick: you never see his face.

Well, these books unmask our beloved Spartan 117, literally and figuratively. Initially, I was a little jaded that these authors took it upon themselves to encroach upon the intergalactic man-of-mystery, but it wasn't long before I warmed up to learning his history and fighting his battles from a third-person perspective that's actually more "first-person" than even the game can offer. I learned to appreciate the depth of the human inside the helmet.

I also enjoyed learning about the other Spartans and the tight fraternal bonds they forge with each other: bred and trained for battle, loyalty and duty, though essentially ostracized, feared and misunderstood by their "normal" human counterparts; there are several points when it's said that the other marines see the Spartans as being as alien as the alien race their fighting against.

Most interesting, however, are the stories you get that the games never touch upon. There's many story-lines and characters introduced here that the games don't even mention, for obvious reasonsprimarily because the games came out first. The first book takes place before (and sets up) the first game; the second book is pretty much the first game verbatim, from beginning to end, and the third is the detailing of events between the end of the first game and beginning of the second, Halo 2. In a lot of ways, it seems as if this console-to-page transition is similar to the efforts made a couple years back with the Matrix titles. In order to get the whole Matrix story, aside from the three films, one had to play a Matrix video game, watch a direct to DVD title and read Matrix books, all of which acted as vital arcs in the circle of events throughout the saga. Halo's last book, "First Strike" introduces a lot of loose ends that are left to dangle even throughout the second game. And we thought Halo 2's cliff-hanger ending couldn't get any worse! Now, I'm positively chompin' at the bit with anticipation of Halo 3.

I'd say these titles work on a number of levels. Most importantly, I believe that the success of these games and books somehow asserts and validates gaming as a rapidly growing and infections new form of entertainment capable of holding its own next to blockbusting movies and New York Times best-selling novels; video games aren't just "for the kids" anymore. The story-telling and intrigue found in a game can be just as compelling, if not more so, than most of the rubbish Hollywood churns out anymorenot to mention that you get to participate and enjoy a sense of achievement as the stories unfold.

I don't know if anymore books are in the making; perhaps they're waiting for Halo 3, but there's still a lot of story to tell, so I certainly hope I get the chance to read on.

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Having experienced HALO: Combat Evolved and studying up a bit on the backstory I decided to risk a few bucks on these novels based on what previous reviewers have said. What did I think? Well, as a very picky and details oriented fan of military fiction and sci-fi I was pleasantly surprised and very entertained by these novels. The space combat scenes in The Fall of Reach and First Strike are simply fantastic. The action is believeable and creative. The technology imployed, whether Human, Covenant or other never seems too far-fetched. The Flood is a bit of a change of pace, as I had expected from reading other reviews, but it was no less entertaining or fun and intriguing. Also, the human stories are fascinating. While only a few characters are really developed in-depth they are dynamic in ways that the games could never get across. I personally found myself captivated by Jacob Keyes, Cortana, and especially everyone's favorite cyborg: John, Spartan 117.

All in all this is a great series of novels and they add a wondrous wealth of knowledge and depth to the HALO universe. It's what I wish more military sci-fi stories could be. If you're not yet a fan of HALO, but you like military sci-fi then this is a great place to test the waters of the HALO universe. If you're already a fan and haven't read these books you're cheating yourself. These authors and the people at Bungie studios have created a tale full of adventure, mystery and a good share of hidden treasures.

Revelation (John) 1:17

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, "Fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

Cheap Snowboard Kids 2

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This game is the most unrealistic, cartoony kiddy game you could think of. But that is a good thing, and I love it.

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This game just adds more to the fun of this series. I rember countless hours of fun my brother and I had playing this game, and the original. It is basically mario kart on snowboards. The game is extremely well balanced, and the weapons are lots of fun to use. This game is great for parties! I would suggest picking it up!

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this game is a lot of fun to play. It's really cute, and easy to control

Honest reviews on Snowboard Kids 2

I think this game is hot easpecialy that it has over 10 tracks and 200 boards thats why Igot this game I like damein he's cool I almost beat the game bye.

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One of the few games that I like. Whole bunch of cool levels, boarders, and power thingys that you pick up.

Consider buying this game. Its cool.

Cheap Birds of Steel - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

This is by far the best pure flight combat simulator I have ever played on consoles and on PCs for that matter, and is a worthy sequel to Birds of Prey. While there is an included 'simplistic' difficulty setting, the fun begins at the realistic and especially simulator modes. Be prepared for white knuckle carrier landings in pitching seas, modify prop pitches, trims, mixtures while trying to get a shot at the enemy and being shot at. Marvel as your engine cuts off after you've pulled negative G's and you frantically attempt to restart it as you spin and plummet to earth. At high speeds the close combat is exhilirating, the damage modeling is amazing and the game is just simply one that is quality through and through. The graphics are amazing and the wealth of content on disc should embarrass most other game devs, the replay value of this game is through the roof. There is a ton of COOP and versus multiplayer modes that are just as intense as the single player offerings. Just an amazing game and the true definition of a gem in gaming, an instant classic!

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Very happy with this game considering it only cost $39 buckaroos !

I love the realistic mode in the single player mode.

Still trying to get the hang of all the flying maneuvers in realistic

mode. The instructions (walk thru) are pretty much straight up but actually

doing them is another thing. I'm not talking about the basics I'm

talking about fancy maneuvers...not easy but not too hard and it feels great

when you start to get the hang of it.

Bottom line..if you love flying get this game..I love the realistic option!

Best Deals for Birds of Steel - Xbox 360

This is in game flight during a carrier Bombing on replay saved. I can't think of another title that has drawn me more to the XBox360 from my PC. Long time IL-2 fan on PC but this is the best darn Flyer I have ever flown on the XBox360, including IL-2. From Arcade mode thru SIM mode, you can't ask for much more then this! Daytime clear weather to night time storms! Editor included to keep it fresh for a long long time! What's not to like? Excellent combined with a Saitek Aviator XBox360 Joystick!

You have all the options for flaps, trim etc. although not clickable switch cockpits it's all there. Including the "pilot" sitting in the seat! Settings to back it down to Arcade mode is also available. There you can learn to "lead" your targets with cursor help.

Once you advance to SIM mode, all the gamey options are gone and you use your visual lead in mind and use cockpit gauges for speed, altitude etc. You have the option of air starts or airport and carrier take offs. Many Planes and variants available along with some history on those planes. Graphics are spot on and performance is what you always wanted from IL-2 on the PC. I believe this title is what is comming to PC as "World of Planes" and will dominate in the near future!

I could not be happier with their decisions to bring this much of a Filght game to the Consoles! Congrats to the Developers!!

Honest reviews on Birds of Steel - Xbox 360

Let me start by saying I have never been a fan of "old school" plane games. Modern fighters and lock-on missiles are more my forte. However, after playing the demo for Birds of Steel, I was hooked! Perhaps it's because of the amount of detail put into each of the 100+ planes. Or maybe it's the unique feel of each plane in the air. Whatever the reason, this game is an absolute blast to play. It's even more enjoyable when you play with your Xbox Live buddies. If you can forgive a few rare technical flaws (AI crashing into you, unexplained deaths, etc), you will be in for a treat!

Pros:

excellent interior and exterior detailing on planes

unique feel to flying each plane

numerous game mode choices, including campaign, dynamic campaign, mission editor, versus, events, and tournaments

dynamic campiagn and mission editor let you customize your missions

one of the BEST co-op plane games I have ever played (including Ace Combat series and HAWX)

customizable buttons for unique controls

value! This game is definitely worth more than the $40 retail price!

Cons

there are some bugs: players drop out of games sometimes (rare), AI wingmen and opponents crash into your plane

learning curve can be steep

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I was relucant to buy a new flying game on the xbox 360 after being disappointed by the last few games I bought. Fortunately the reviews convinced me to give Birds of Steel a shot. At the core of the game there is a robust multiplayer component that will give this game lasting value.

The multiplayer has a variety of co-op and versus modes. You gain experience and points you can use to unlock hundreds of vintage war planes. Moreover, you can customize your plane with decals and art if you so choose. There is also a very cool mission editor that allows you create your own missions to fly with friends. 4 players can play co-op. Or 8 on 8 versus mode.

The single player mode consists of a historical campaign which is great for letting you get the hang of flying. The simplified mode is a good place to start. Realistic mode makes flying considerably trickier as you will stall a bit more often. Simulator mode is very difficult--I found too difficult using the xbox controller. The idea in simulator mode is to finesse the controls, so you'll never push the thumbstick all the way when turning or dogfighting or else you'll push the machine and your character beyond their limits (ending in a black out or tail spin).

The graphics are solid. There are 3 main angles you play with: cockpit view, "virtual cockpit" and an over the shoulder 3rd person point of view. Personally, I prefer the cockpit view. The enemy aircraft are detailed; however, you have to be VERY close to see those details.

This is a fun flight game. Certainly the best vintage flier on the xbox today. My brother and I each own copies, and I can say we're happy with the value as we've spent hours flying sorties in the Ruhr vally, over Midway, and Wake Island. As of this writing Birds of Steel has offered the first bits of DLC including more missions (Battle of Britain) and more planes. I love to see a company continue to support their games. This game is a great purchase!

Reviews of BlazBlue: Continuum Shift

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It wasn't long after the console release of the first BlazBlue entry subtitled Calamity Trigger that developers Arcsys (makers of the legendary Guilty Gear) unveiled the next: Continuum Shift. It's been a long wait (well, long for those of us who have been counting down the days to import it from Japan), but Continuum Shift has finally arrived. With plenty of new content, features, and changes, Continuum Shift shows that BlazBlue is here to stay.

Continuum Shift adds a whole lot of new things to the series, but I'll start with the 3 brand new playable characters: Hazama, Tsubaki, and Mu-12. Hazama and Tsubaki are available to be played as from the start; Mu-12 however must be unlocked through the story mode. Hazama can use his drive to shoot out a long chain with a monstrous mouth at the end (vaguely similar to Scorpion's from Mortal Kombat but much larger). He can use this to halt his opponent, throw his opponent, or even pull himself to the opponent to get up close and personal. He has a good mix up game and an extremely dangerous distortion drive that launches his opponent way up into the air, allowing him to follow it up with a combo as they fall back to the ground. Tsubaki uses her Drive to charge up a meter which she can expend to pull off improved versions of her special moves. She is very fast which grants her great potential to rush down and pressure the opponent. Her damage is fairly weak, but with a fully charged meter she can be a big threat. Lastly, Mu-12's drive summons several turrets/mirrors called Steins that can fire/reflect lasers. Not only that, but she can cause them to explode, halting her opponent's attempts to rush in. She has an excellent reversal and plenty of options to keep her opponent at bay. All three of the characters are unique (Mu-12's design does share some similarities with Lamda-11's, but their fighting styles differ greatly) and are great fun to play as.

As of now, three additional characters have been announced and will be included as Downloadable Content (DLC) in the future. The word is that these characters are Makoto, Noel's squirrel-like friend; Velkenhayn, Rachel's polite butler; and Platinum the Trinity, a brand new character with 3 different personalities that is introduced in Continuum Shift's story. It's stated that these will cost money (rumor is $7 as of writing this).

All 15 of the characters in Continuum Shift come with unlock able unlimited forms (unlike Calamity Trigger which only had 4 unlimited characters unless one purchased the DLC). If you're not familiar with what they are, unlimited characters are basically overpowered "boss" versions of the games playable cast. They have been created with almost no thought of balance in mind and are meant only for playing in a non competitive setting for fun. Don't think that these are the same unlimited characters from Calamity Trigger as most of them have had pretty significant changes to make them even more over the top and fun. Unfortunately, the only way to unlock these unlimited characters is by completing Score Attack mode with the character whose unlimited form you wish to unlock. This is a very hard thing to accomplish. There is DLC that can be purchased to unlock the unlimited characters if you do not wish to go through the agony of unlocking them all yourself, but I can't help but feel that method for unlocking the unlimited characters was made extremely difficult in an attempt to get players to cave and buy the DLC. The unlimited characters are more of a fun side attraction than a crucial part of the game, but it's still disappointing that they are not so easily accessible.

Continuum Shift features a massive amount of new stages. All the previous stages from Calamity Trigger have had complete redesigns made of them (the Calamity Trigger original's are of course here as well should you choose to use them). One stage from Calamity Trigger had you fight on a platform with pedestrians during a sunny afternoon as giant airships passed behind you. The Continuum Shift version has you fighting on the same platform but in a heavy downpour of rain which gradually stops to have the clouds break, revealing a sunset. Knowing that, the redesigns aren't necessarily meant to replace the originals rather than give them a different kind of style. Some brand new stages have been included as well like a lush royal garden, a historic museum, and a suburban bridge on the brink of the city. Calamity Trigger had absolutely astounding stages, but I find that Continuum Shift's new stages and redesigned stages take it to the next level. To be straight forward, Continuum shift has the best stages I've seen in any fighting game yet.

Several Tweaks to the characters have been made. All the characters from Calamity Trigger sport new moves, move commands, and changes to their mechanics in Continuum Shift. For instance, Ragna has a new special move called Belial Edge which he can use to rapidly dive downward when in the air. Most people will find that this new move leads to much better air combos when compared to Calamity Trigger which will cause them to relearn and play Ragna quite differently. Another example is Arakune who now has much larger and much more powerful insects, but must build a meter instead of landing a single hit to use them. Also, many changes to frame data have been made in an attempt to progressively make the game more balanced. In general, it's a much more balanced game than Calamity Trigger was and it is pretty well balanced over all, but there are still some flaws. Rachel for instance has been weakened to a point where she is at a pretty large disadvantage to the rest of the cast. Fortunately, an announcement has been made that Arcsys plans to patch the game in the future to further improve the balancing.

The core mechanics of the game have undergone some tweaking. The bursting system is no longer tied to your character's barrier gauge. Instead, both players start a match with one burst each. Another burst is given when a player loses a round. Players can gain and store up to two bursts at once. I like this system much more than Calamity Trigger's which made it effective to burst only when your character was nearly dead, taking away the strategic aspect of bursting. Ultimately though, I still find the burst system from Guilty Gear (which is tied to its own meter) to function the best out of all of them. I personally would much like to see it implemented into BlazBlue.

Another change to the game's mechanics is the new guard break system. Characters don't play tug of war with a meter in an attempt to break through the opponent's defense anymore. Instead we have the new Guard Libra system. Each character has their own set number of Guard Libras that break when an opponent attacks with a few select moves in their arsenal. Once all of a character's Guard Libras are broken, they become stunned for a long period of time which allows the opponent go in for a free combo. I, again, like this system more than Calamity Trigger's because it's a much more permanent penalty rather than a regenerating one. These moves with the potential to break Guard Libras can also cause new counter attacks (counter hits are performed by hitting an opponent while they are in an attack animation) called Fatal Counters which lead to even more powerful combos than before.

The Controls remain the same (Buttons for A, B, C, and Drive), but a new beginner mode (which is of course optional to use) has been added which replaces the easy specials from Calamity Trigger. Beginner mode really simplifies the game by giving the player 2 buttons for attack (normal and heavy) as well as a button for specials and a button for grabs. Basic combos can be easily strung together by mindlessly mashing buttons. Distortion Drives are performed by pressing and holding one of the two attack buttons and Astral Finishes are performed by holding both together. It's a nice function for those with absolutely no experience with fighting games who just want to jump in on the fun. I really do wish the easy specials option wasn't removed though. I know two friends in particular who are capable of pulling off simple commands like quarter circles, but have difficulty stringing more complex commands into combos. Because easy specials have been removed, they must either play in the extremely simplified beginner mode or buy better controllers and spend time they really don't have practicing. A quick side note is that an option for mapping the controls has been added right to the character select screen which is a very nice touch.

The sound is still top notch. New songs have been added for the new characters and game instances. "Gluttony Fang" and "Endless Despair" in particular have more of a heavy and jazzy Guilty Gear vibe to them and are easily my favorites of the game. You can also choose to have the character's voiceovers done in the original Japanese or the dubbed English. Like in Calamity Trigger, the English voiceovers are surprisingly good. It is still a bit of a downside that you cannot select the English or Japanese languages specifically for each character, only for the entire cast. The announcer has been changed too, but I found her to be somewhat obnoxious. Again, downloadable content is available so players can download individual announcer voiceovers done by some of the actual BlazBlue character's cast (if you wish to pay for them that is).

All the modes from Calamity Trigger have come to Continuum Shift (Arcade, Story, Versus, Online, Training, Replay, Gallery and Score Attack). Continuum Shift also features 3 brand new ones. The new tutorial mode shows new players the ins and outs of the mechanics as well as character strategies through several playable lessons. Challenge mode on the other hand allows players to take on 10 challenges for each character. These challenges have the player learn and perform special moves and several combos. These two modes are a welcome addition that helps newer players to familiarize themselves with the game's mechanics and the characters of their choice. Legion Mode (while not necessarily new as it was in BlazBlue Portable) has players attempt to strategically take over a map with a growing army. This mode is still rather disappointing as you can only play one of three different maps that never change, otherwise meaning that they're only worth playing once. It could be a fun mode if it is ever expanded upon in the future.

The story in Continuum Shift is just as massive as in Calamity Trigger. There's a nice "on the previous installment of BlazBlue" segment which helps explain the story of Calamity Trigger for those who didn't play the Calamity Trigger's story or where confused by it. I enjoy the BlazBlue story and I like the direction that Continuum Shift takes it, even if the final revelation feels a bit like a dues ex machina. The story is still presented in a convoluted way though, so don't be surprised if you find yourself lost and confused at times. There are also more hilarious Teach Me Miss Litchi episodes included.

The online mode is pretty much exactly the same. This is a bit disappointing as I was hoping that there might be some kind of team or tournament modes added. The net code has apparently been improved, but I didn't really notice a change since I found the Calamity Trigger net code to be near perfect to begin with. The online mode is still great; I just wish Arcsys added more to it (seeing as how it is kind of the bread and butter of the game).

Overall, I'm very pleased with how the console version of Continuum Shift turned out. When compared with standards that other sequels set today, I certainly think that Continuum Shift fits the mold of rightfully being called a sequel. If one does not believe that, then certainly everything that has been changed and added is worth the discounted price tag. Continuum Shift gives the BlazBlue name a firmer footing and proves that it is filled with potential and is one of the best, if not the best fighting game of this current generation.

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Blazblue CS is not a fighter I'm good at. As a matter of fact I was mediocre at Calamity Trigger as well. Yet it goes without saying you can love and admire something even when you totally suck at it! As you know Continuum shift is the spiritual successor of the first BlazBlue game. It's stylized presentation is also a tribute to the zany anime fighter Guilty Gear. The same people were mostly responsible for both franchises.

On the surface Continuum shift is more of the same. The characters exist in a world where magic, technology, and science hold together a fragile civilization. Because of a corrupting atmospheric essence called "sethr" most cities are constructed on mountain tops. However sethr also acts as fuel for mystic weapons that are given to an elite group of chosen defenders of the realm . Sadly using these wondrous devices comes with a heavy price. Some people go insane while others begin to become less human. Blazblue seems bent on melancholy tragic plot devices. Either you become a tar like blob swarming with insects due to sethr radiation or you wield some sort of life sucking blade which is prophesized to bring forth the apocalypse. This ground work actually makes for some interesting characters and somehow arc system works was still able to throw in a lot of cheesy humor just like in the last installment!

Assuming you know what Calamity Trigger offered it is important I go over what is new. First of there is "Legion mode". After selecting your "Leader character" you move around on a grid to defeat then recruit other combatants. Sometimes you'll get a bonus for progressing such as a health restore. Unlike a one on one confrontation you will often have to fight a whole squad. Luckily the game shows you all the rival portraits so you have plenty of time to strategize who you'll pick in the upcoming bout. If all your platoon dies its' a big fat game over as you would expect.

Worried about this game being frustrating? No problem. Continuum shift boasts a tutorial mode voiced by the sharp tongued Goth vampire "rabbit girl" Rachel as well as a Challenge mode. These are detrimental in teaching you about combos, cancels, dashes, back steps, and more complicated special techniques such as each flamboyant protagonist's distortion drives and astral finishers. Frankly these things should have been in Calamity trigger as well.

The regular cast have received upgrades and tweaks. Whether you will like them or not is highly subjective. I did notice when playing as Ragna he had one new arching slash that made chaining hits together much easier. Carl's clap trap isn't quite as effective but he seems a bit faster with more evasive tricks to rush to safety as his robotic marionette "sister" pummels away at the competition. Though a few BB fans complained Rachel was "nerfed" she still seemed plenty effective to me. That stated keep in mind I'm not the best at understanding these intricate fighting physics. However, when I asked a much more knowledgeable hardcore fighting fan friend of mine if he liked the changes he gave me a big thumbs up. That should count for something right?

In theory Continuum shift has 4 new characters. However the ones that stand out the most are Hazama and Tsubaki. Hazama manipulated events in the first game. He had green hair and dressed in a sharp black suit. His favorite weapon is a soul sucking chained grappling hook which he can use to swing himself around the environment or harpoon opponents and draw them in for the kill. Picture a cross between a knife wielding maniac Joker fan and Scorpion from Mortal kombat and you got the basic idea. Tsubaki is a red headed beauty from a noble family wearing a strange feather winged sentient hat with one eye as her hands clutch an oddly shaped book that doubles as a shield and a European styled sword. She is very fast at rush attacks and has a fighting style that resembles a valkyrie maiden. By story line Tsubaki is Jin's love interest and her "artifacts" will grant her great power yet gradually make her go blind. Her major theme seems to be "justice" thus we can surmise her situation is based on the quote "Justice is blind".

Lambda is just like V-13 (Nu) with slightly weaker attacks. "Mu" is a hyped up flying Noel with a HUGE sword which floats behind her. Why the switch from guns to a bus sized Cleaver of destruction? I have no idea but it likely involves the usual cliché of "true forms" and using naïve sweet girls as weapons of mass destruction! Aka the standard anime fare! "Mu" has to be unlocked by completing story mode and getting the true ending. Will she be worth it? Because I haven't gotten my hands on her yet I cannot say.

This brings me to my next topic. If you pride yourself on following the plot in your fighting games Continuum shift continues to deliver that in spades. Not only that but you can "continue" after being defeated in story mode. This means it does not force you to start over and if you really want to you can lose once to each character than press onward with no penalty afterwards to get a higher completion percentage rating. There are also decisions leading to branching paths that can change events aka multiple play-throughs are still highly recommended.

How is the online play you ask? Splendid! Another buddy and I played a few matches with no lag what so ever. He might as well have been visiting me in the flesh while sitting on my couch. The net-code seems near flawless.

The voice acting, music, and vibrant artwork are still top notch and there are many more breath taking lively locales to unlock for a change of scenery.

Whether you love anime or fighting games Continuum shift aims to please. It's good to see old school 2D brawlers are still alive and able to offer tons of content for an affordable price!

Pros

+ Bigger cast of characters

+ Things like "story mode" which are usually nixed from fighting game sequels have continued to stick around in Continuum shift.

+Better humor and more well thought out character development

+Tutorial mode and challenge mode make the game's complex fighting engine easier to learn.

+We finally get "Legion mode" which was only in the psp version of Blazblue before hand.

+Great net-code and smooth online play.

Cons

-Cynical about predictable anime clichés? If so this game will make you wince!

-Fan-service borders on being embarrassing at times. (Boobie Lady!)

-The combat physics and difficulty may in fact be a little too complicated for some individuals even though gamers are given plenty of training wheels in this second installment.

-The fashion choices, flaws, and epic powers of the diverse cast of characters are blown so out of proportion that it's hard to relate to them on a human level.

-Though Continuum shift is vastly improved if you own Calamity trigger this will come off as déjà vu. Aka it's the same ride with a tad more horse power!

Ps: Special Thanks goes out to Cary,IceRaven,and Carly!

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This game is a step forward in from the first blazblue. Balance improvements, and system improvements like the changes in the guard break system and bursting make the strategy simpler in these regards. The addition of 3 characters in the game and 3 dlc character will make a total of 18. People might think this is low amount of character but all of them are different in style and play so that this game does not suffer from clones like street fighter does with ryu, ken, akuma, and etc. Highly balanced but attention to individual match ups and strategy between two characters is very important to learn. Youtube videos and dustloop.com can help a beginner get into the game learning combos and strategy. also the game has some mode that help teach some basics to new player unfamiliar to the game. Besides these differences Ark System Works made the game patchable so that balance changes made could be done keeping it in line with arcade versions that come out.

Online is the best among fighters but nothing beats playing some face to face. Lay is rarely a issue because you could set it so you only play people with a connection of a certain strength.

Get this game learn how to really play and stop mashing buttons. This game has depth and is just fun to match.

Honest reviews on BlazBlue: Continuum Shift

I cannot suggest this game highly enough. Lovely hand drawn 2D sprites, over the top presentation, and an incredibly deep fighting system.

The training and challenge modes will help introduce new players to the game mechanics so you're not left out in the cold. Just stick with it.

There's also a beginner mode if you just want to play through the elaborate story mode; or in general aren't particularly skilled at fighting games.

Top notch online play so you'll never be left alone with nobody to play.

If you love 2D sprite based fighters, you must purchase BlazBlue. Support the medium!

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I love this game. Definitely a worthy followup to Calamity Trigger.

Except for Rachel players~ ;P

X360 Gamepad Pro Micro Controller - White Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $34.99
Sale Price: $24.99
Today's Bonus: 29% Off

I purchased this controller specifically for my girlfriend who has made complaints about thumb cramping when using a standard sized controller, so covering the size reduction first it really is quite a bit smaller. When you read 15% you may think that isn't much, but you'll see in the pictures it's quite a difference! She says it's alleviated the strain, so as far as that goes, better than expected results. The ergonomics and button placement (note the much flatter bumpers and triggers, and position of Back and Start being above the Guide button) are different from a normal layout, but feel nature after a single 30 minute play session.

All of the buttons articulate well, with the face buttons not feeling as "squishy" as a first party controller, and the triggers having a shorter travel range yet still feeling tactile despite that. The joysticks have excellent unobstructed and uniform feedback in their movement, and the joystick button (clicking the sticks down, L3 and R3) always work as intended regardless of the stick positioning. This is perhaps due to the complete absence of a dust-cover, as you'll see in my pictures... which is cause for concern when thinking about the longevity of this device... but no way to know about that for now.

The finish is a nice flat powder finish, contrary to the high-gloss seen in the manufacturer photos was very happy to find this out. The little rubber grips added to the side, and the texture on the rear are nice touches for ergonomics and grip. Definitely noticeable in the feel of the unit in hand, not just superficial.

The turbo functionality seems to work as intended.... excluding the input you are most likely to want it for, the triggers. I was able to get the turbo function to apply to the bumpers and face buttons with no problems, but no such luck for the triggers no matter what I tried despite the fact that the included manual states you should be able. Not a major concern, as I wasn't even aware of this feature when I made the purchase, but good to know info. (MadCatz, was this a purposeful revision made to the device and the manual wasn't updated to reflect this or is my unit not working as intended?)

Overall, very pleased with this controller. Build quality easily surpassed expectations just be mindful of the uncovered joystick bases. Would definitely suggest this to anyone looking for a smaller form of 360 controller.

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Good controler for smaller hands. my granny(75) had a hard time running when play call of duty or mw3 now she can run like the younger folks.now she gets 6 or 7 kills in a game then here regular 2 in a game she no longer on the bottom of the board.

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I am an adult and like the feel of this controller. The size is a preference thing, but I do have "smaller" adult hands. Younger players (kids under 10) I have given this to find the controller easy enough to handle. The rubberized portions also help the grip on the controller compared to a standard XBox controller. I also like the "triggers" on this a bit more than the regular one. What I feel to be the "extra curve" on them seems to help get more precision in the throttling of various racing games.

I was disappointed when the left thumbstick popped straight off the metal rod that it was sitting on within the first 48 hours of ownership. I suppose I could super glue it on, but I'm sure it was just a factory mistake.

Overall, I would recommend this controller to someone else who either feels the standard XBox controller is "a touch too bulky" or someone buying a controller for young players. I personally prefer this sized controller over the standard sized controller.

________________________________________________________

UPDATE after three months of ownership:

* After a few weeks of use the right thumb stick "broke"...the connecting portion under the thumb contact pad actually cracked during use. I have since super glued BOTH thumb sticks on carefully while not upsidedown in order to not let the super glue go down into the controller. I wish someone would have told me right off the bat to use a little super glue to seal the thumbsticks right when I received the controller. I recommend doing this!

* Also the "A" button is starting to stick a little. If I'm using it repeatedly, sometimes it doesn't come back up and drags against the hole it goes down into. Which causes problems during gaming.

...so, I dropped the stars from Four to Three. I hope this controller does not continue to degrade over the next few weeks. It only gets used an average of about two hours a week anyways.

Honest reviews on X360 Gamepad Pro Micro Controller - White

It is a perfect joystick for little hands like for kids!

It's really annoying that it's not sell in France.

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I'm a gamer in my mid 20's and am very specific about my console accessories. For a while, I have used the official wired XBOX 360 controller and the Air Flo controller for the 360. While they were ok, they certainly felt a little too big for my hands (especially the Microsoft wired controller). It was clear I ought to be looking for a smaller 360 controller.

As far as I know, there are only 2 controllers officially licensed by Microsoft: this controller and the Power A Mini Pro Ex. I have owned the Power A Mini Pro Ex at one point and while it was an amazing controller for its size, my main gripes were that the bumpers were way too hard to press than what I'm accustomed to as were the main XYAB buttons (although not as hard as the bumpers).

The MadCatz controller feels a tad smaller than the Power A controller (even for me, I'm surprised this was advertised as 15% because this feels like way more than 15%) and has flat bumpers (which aren't too hard to press and feel great) as well as comfortable buttons with a nice rubbery grip on the top half of the controller. The sticks feel responsive but time will tell if they last long. The joysticks remind me of the N64 joystick where it's a long thin stem into the controller.

My biggest complaint about the MadCatz controller is the exposed motherboard as some other reviews will mention and which you'll find a picture of. Fortunately, I'm careful when it comes to dust and dirt but I still can't help but feel paranoid about stuff getting in there.

My takeaway is that if you're looking for a mini controller for the 360, both the Power A and MadCatz controllers are good choices to consider. However, the softer buttons on the MadCatz and the rubbery grip has won me over.

UPDATE 8-30-12: I forgot to tack on one other important issue. Whenever you have to fully pull the left and right triggers, sometimes the ends of the triggers may touch your other fingers tht are holding the controller. I believe this is because the actual distance they used to pull the triggers but for some people this may not be a problem.

Buy Call of Duty: Ghosts Hardened Edition

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List Price: $119.99
Sale Price: $97.75
Today's Bonus: 19% Off

Every year with Call of Duty I usually get the hardened edition. especially since they've been including the season pass (the season Pass gives you access to all the downloadable content or DLC for the year) because usually it's a savings. But this year the hardened edition is $10 more than buying the game at $60 and the season pass at $50. So unless you want the collectors edition boxes and things like that you probably should just go for them individually.

But I think Call of Duty Ghosts is a fun call of duty I usually enjoy Infinity Ward call of duty's more and this delivers in the modern warfare feel for the series. There are a lot of things you need to take note of though as they have revamped so many of the things that we were used to in previous iterations of the game.

One thing I want let you know your squad points are tokens you can earn while playing the game, completing challenges, winning matches etc. be very cautious how you spend these tokens and what you unlock with them as they are kind of a pain in the butt to earn and it sucks to drop a bunch of tokens on a really crappy piece of gear. I would recommend going into local multiplayer because all your gear is unlock there and you can try out everything before you spend your valuable tokens on them.

One last thing I have to say about call of duty ghosts is I really kind of think some of the maps are way too big. I mean some maps I spent 15 minutes in a game of Kill Confirmed and my team only collected 40 tags because we couldn't find the other team. And it really sucks that you can only play 6v6 whereas on the next generation of consoles they will be doing 9v9.

Thanks for reading.

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This will be a long, disjointed review. I like it better than Black Ops 2 (which is saying something) and 1000x more than MW3 (which isn't saying anything).

I bought Arkham Origins, GTA5, AND Assasin's Creed:Black Flag in recent weeks. They are all going to be shelved for months while I play this game. LOVE IT!

Minus 1 star for no manual. I want a manual included.

The package itself is awesome. Was a little confused at which disc to install and play off of, but figured it out (I'll leave that fun to you). Quick to boot up. Fairly quick to get into a game. Coming from Black Ops 2, took me a bit to figure out how best to configure my soldier.

I don't EVER play the single player part, so all those locked characters you can choose from that are blacked out... I don't know who is what there.

The action is crazy as ever. More "realistic" as you don't have a pack of 8 dogs rampaging around. No spy planes to shoot down.

You can lean again, which is nice. The Clan thing, I signed up for one online, and then ingame its not there.

Not having a instruction manual was not helpful at all. Bought the Kindle version of the Guide and doesn't work on my computer... YAY?

Much larger, mult-layered maps. Games last longer as a result.

Graphics are still just so/so.

Gameplay is fun as usual. All kinds of attachments, and scopes, and sights, etc.

So if it'd had an acutal manual (and at $119 you think you could expect that?).

The squads things to train with is nice, but I want my stats and XP to count, so going up against bots doesn't do it for me.

None of my friends play at the same time (or that I can count on anyway), so the Clan thing is lost on me.

But its a long marathon, not a sprint. By the time Black Ops 3 comes out, I can be maxed out Prestige wise.

Still have my yellow name ingame for being an Elite Founder.

If I had to buy one game for the next gen systems, it'd be this one. Not on XBOX One though, as 720 was state of the art back in '99. ;)

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As expected. Great camos included and season pass.And the metal case is a nice collectors item. Glad I bought it

Honest reviews on Call of Duty: Ghosts Hardened Edition

Great game and great series!!! The only thing I do not like is having to re-buy weapons between characters. The active environments are awesome!

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I hate it. I bought it for my son. He loves it. He says that it had a little bit of a learning curve and thought he wasn't going to like it, but after a day or so he likes it better than the previous game.