Reviews of World in Conflict - Complete Edition

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As other reviews have mentioned, the Soviet Assault add-on adds six Soviet missions interspersed within the original World in Conflict singleplayer campaign. This particular package includes the original World in Conflict, plus the new Soviet missions. For those who missed this excellent strategy game when it was first released in 2007, this is the perfect package for you! The new missions add in new characters, cutscenes, and some very intense fights. It's great to see the Soviet side of the war fleshed out more, the campaign definitely feels much more complete now.

For those who already have the original game, you can find the six new singleplayer missions from Soviet Assault separately for $14.99-$19.99. If you liked the singleplayer, these missions are even better, and in my opinion, well worth it.

If you already have the original World in Conflict, and you don't care about singleplayer, Massive Entertainment released all of the multiplayer additions from Soviet Assault (two new maps, tweaks, etc) COMPLETELY FREE, all you have to do is download Patch #10.

Even you enjoy strategy games, and you haven't tried World in Conflict before, now is your chance!

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This is not the kind of strategy game where you can sit back and plot away. You have to move quickly. I quickly learned this fact from this intense game. The graphics and story line are very good. If you liked "Red Dawn" you'll like the game. I've only played a couple of missions, but there seems to be a lot of variability to the missions. I like the use of control points.

I didn't give it all 5 stars because it is so fast paced it can be frustrating to manage your units, your fire support, your resupply options all while trying to hold one point that is being attacked while trying to take another.

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I recently purchased a new computer, and after seeing some trailers and noticing that this was only $20 I decided to throw it in my Amazon cart. I was anxiously awaiting this game, but when I received it I must admit I was a bit disappointed.

Graphics and audio in this game are, quite frankly, awesome. Units are modeled in extreme detail and the environment is amazing. Cutscenes are done excellently and the story-line is actually believable. I've also heard of CTDs and other performance issues, but for me it has run smooth as butter.

Gameplay, on the other hand, is completely not what I had anticipated. Whereas I expected a Close Combat style game, I got a Command & Conquer. They call it a Real-Time Strategy, but there is no strategy involved in this game. It's basically throwing your units into combat as fast as you can replace them and ordering air and artillery strikes and...well, that's it.

It's fun for a little while, but any serious war-gamer will be bored after an hour or two.

Honest reviews on World in Conflict - Complete Edition

Hello Folks,

I agree with 3D Viking's statements, with a slight tweak.

I would say that if you have the original game, getting this complete edition is really not worth it. But, if you are new to the game, this complete package is well worth it!

This game has a very simple/slick interface, fantastic graphics and sound. Don't expect this to be the COH series, where you have to base build, and take many little control points (circles). This is more of a real time tactical game. The SP campaigns are fun, but MP, especially where you communicate with your teammates, makes the game very fun. Do not look to this game for using the deep reaches of your intellect, or to have your micromanagement needs met. For that go to Men of War, and its clunky interface.

This game is really a "keep it simple stupid" in its interface and gameplay. Simple is not dumb, it is fun when you talk to your teammates, or are SPing, and want to relax a bit

Regards,

John

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For those struggling to play World of Conflict on Windows 7. I found if I installed it normally then it would not function correctly. However I found it worked correctly if I installed it in a non-system directory such as c:worldinconflict (choose custom when you install). This may also apply to Vista because they are fundamentally the same operating systems.

As for the game, it is excellent and full of atmosphere plus easy to get into to. The Complete Edition has all the campaigns from the original World in Conflict plus all 6 campaigns from the Soviet Assault Expansion. It plays out as one whole game which you mainly play as the US forces but also gives you the chance to see the game from the Russian point of view and also play it as the Russians. This adds even more atmosphere and gives a whole new depth to the game.

If you haven't played this game then go ahead and give it a try!

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!

Cheap Saitek X52 Flight Control System

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $129.99
Sale Price: $99.95
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

As a previous owner of the X45 flight control system and avid flight sim junkie, I was compelled to upgrade my HOTAS system to something newer. I was originally looking at the Thrustmaster HOTAS system, but could not conjur up enough money to purchase one. After playing with the X52 at a LAN party, I was sold and went out and purchased one that night.

The X52 has loads of improvements over the X45 not even mentioning the LCD MFD. One addition which I would have loved to see in the X45 are the eight removable suction cups on the bottom of the stick and throttle bases. The cups first out of the box will do some sliding around, but nothing so drastic that it'll mess your flights up. They do a great enough job to keep the stick down during normal use provided that you don't slam the stick around, but for a flight system that costs this much, I don't think that'll be too much of a problem for most people.

Just like all other Saitek sticks, the X52 is fully customizable in both hardware and software. Not only can you move the lower shelf on the joystick up and down to fit your hand, but you can also adjust the force on the throttle stick. Like all other Saitek sticks, however, you cannot adjust the centering force on the stick itself. But I did not find this to be too much of a problem as it is much looser than all other HOTAS systems that I have owned. The X52 also comes with the Saitek SST programming software, which (again, like all other Saitek sticks) allows you to program every button on the joystick to either an axis, mouse axis, single keyboard stroke, or a complex macro.

I also fell in love with the three modes and color coded mode identification LED to let you know what mode you are in. As a result I can have a mode for A-A, one for A-G, and one mode for general tasks when playing Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, making it easier to keep my hands on the flight system at all times.

The MFD is also a cool addition to the X52. It has a time display to let you know what time it is in up to three time zones, as well as a built-in stopwatch to time your flights and coordinate your turns right on time. And if you can't remember what you programmed a button to just simply hold down the info button and click the button you want to know about and voila! Your button's function is displayed on the screen.

All in all a great HOTAS system for those of us that cannot afford the Thrustmaster HOTAS systems. This flight stick runs perfectly with games like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 and Falcon 4.0 my two choices and recommendations to pair up with this stick.

And for those of you who want to know about Windows XP Professional x64 support the stick works perfectly using drivers available on the Saitek website.

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I probably spend more time than I should with flight sims, mainly IL2-sturmovik but also FS2004 and lomac, and have worked my way through a few sticks.

before I purchased the X-52 I used an X-45 for near a year. I was happy with it and it still worked perfectly, but when saitek released the'52 I knew I wanted one.

I have used it about 2 weeks now, and man is it sweet. the action on all the axis' is silky smooth,and accurate. I believe the "non contact" technology they are advertising has alot to do with this.

All the buttons are laid out in an intuitive manner, and there are more control options than the X-45 has. the blue LEDs are spiffy, and they thought to allow a way to dim or extinguish them if you so desire

The multi function display is nice to have, but essentialy just eye candy unless you need to know what time it is or what profile you are running.

overall it has a quality feel and look the X-45 was maybe lacking a bit.the hand rest on the stick is adjustable for height, which is also a nice touch. its large enough to accomodate large hands, mine arent exactly tiny and I moved the rest up a notch to be comfortable

I also liked the "two stage" trigger as now a slight pull is guns, and pull it fully and its guns+cannons.its the little things that mean so much.

anyway, it comes highly recommended by me, and at least 6 of the people I fly with also have and love their X-52's. you can't go wrong if you are looking for an advanced flightstick/throttle at a fair price.

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EDIT: Use a bit of silicone grease under the plastic swash plate disk to drastically reduce friction and improve control fidelity. Audio fader or scuba types work well, but you may also find it at a hardware store. Teflon grease also works. Use thick grease. Do not use petroleum-derived products on plastic.

We can't compare this stick to Thrustmaster really because their stuff now is garbage. Thrustmaster pretty much forced Suncom (maker of the fab F-15 series) out of business with lawsuits claiming the newcomer was infringing on their patents to produce "realistic" flight sticks. Then we now have a monopoly on the supposedly authentic stuff which has produced crap like The Cougar. Thanks Thrustmaster! Then there's CH Products...good, smooth, but ugly, expensive, and low resistence. Saitek has been making these strange looking, possibly gimmick-rich products for a while. I think they've finally created a near ultimate HOTAS with the X52.

Clearly if you don't like twist rudders on the stick (as the real Comanche has) then you need to buy some pedals (everyone raves about CH's). But the throttle alone on this Saitek is worth the price. X-Plane and Longbow Anthology (when it works, which is rarely...might have to partition Win '95 spot for it) love this system. Every trim control and slider is recognized in X-Plane. In Longbow 1/2 I have most of the flight and cockpit commands in just one main mode and its pinkie mode. I'll save another mode and its pinkie equivolent for campaign comm stuff. That still leaves two more modes on this thing. Amazing. It's a bit of a headache programming it, but not from the standpoint of design. There's so much you can do with it that it's easy to get overwhelmed with where to put what command. Then you realize you could put such and such on a pinkie shift mode and move it over to the next button, yadda yadda yadda. It'll take hours unless you sit down and plan out your programming strategy ahead of time. But it pays off. Oh, and the mouse stick on the throttle works fine. I'm using it right now to surf the net since my Viewsonic optical was DOA (with no warranty, instructions, 800-number...unbelievable). I don't want to take my hands off the controls to retract flaps and gear after just taking off in an F-4...it's the easiest moment to stall.

My first gripe is that the twist rudder is a little weak on the spring to the right, but I set a significant deadspot in the control panel configuration to prevent me from accidentally yawing when I don't want to. Also, I haven't managed to get the toggles or the fire button to recognize pinkie shifts. For instance, I wanted engine offs and weapons jetison to be toggles+pinkie, with the fire+pinkie as master arm. It doesn't work with that, in Longbow Anthology, at least. But I need the keyboard nearby for a variety of other commands anyway, so it's not a big deal. I leave master arm on, I just wanted the neat effect of switching to it on the fly. There's nothing quite like having laser designator on a stick button to trigger one or two seconds before a hellfire impact, though. The lower hat on the stick does tend to get flipped occasionaly, but I put all my target next/previous/best/close on it. That makes it less of an issue.

The stick is adjustable to your handsize (my first adjustment that seemed perfect actually was too cramped) and it feels well built. I completely discount any complaints that the stick is too easy to tip over or has too much range of motion. If you're not strapping, taping, tying or otherwise attaching them to something, then you're an idiot. You should do that with any HOTAS. Even with my old Playstation I had the Flight Force Pro throttle and stick tied to the flat arms of a wooden deck chair with wrapping present ribbon/string. Couch throw pillows, queen size pillow, and standard pillow made great cushions. You can get a whole flight seat set up with just stuff around the house or from the local department store. Friends would freak out seeing me with Gunship 2000, Ace Combat 2, Colony Wars, and Star Fighter with that setup. Like I said, if you don't do twist rudders, buy pedals. If you don't like the stick, buy a CH one. The throttle is probably the best out there. I like the Saitek how it is and for the price you're getting stick and rudder for free when the only thing left on the market anymore that can compete with this is CH at $100 per item. I'm thrilled with my purchase.

Saitek has very few useful profiles, and it is not easy to make good ones. Go to Simhq and look for any of my posts. I have a link at the bottom of my signature that will take you to a zip of profiles. Amazon apparently doesn't allow for URL's to be listed.

Honest reviews on Saitek X52 Flight Control System

I've owned the x45 HOTAS for almost a year since I decided to finally try the x52. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the x45, I just got a little curious about the x45's older brother.

Here are my observations comparing the two HOTAS: x45 vs. x52

* x45 Buttons/Hats were a little hard to reach with smaller hands on the stick, but I actually prefer the rocker switch for rudder control located on the throttle. I only wish it was designed better and more ergonomically. It felt weird for me to pull on the stick on the x52 and have to rotate the it for rudder control as more often than not I find myself rotating the stick inadvertently. Stability sucks while playing games, it's just not heavy/stable enough to keep from tipping often. SOLUTION: I've fabricated a bracket out of wood and steel to solve this. Solid as a rock on my chair or desk! Heavy as a rock though... =0(

* x52 Buttons/Hats are easier to reach on the stick, but having the rudder twist on the stick is a drawback for me. I'd rather use the rocker on the throttle or rudder pedals. More available modes are nice, but I've honestly never run out of buttons on the x45. Stability sucks while playing games, it's just not heavy/stable enough to keep from tipping over. Fabricating a bracket to mount on would solve this. The x52 just feels much bigger than the x45. It's a little uncomfortable moving the stick around because of its size, but the huge deadzone in the stick seems to be the biggest drawback for me. Can't seem to solve it with software either...

Unfortunately, I will be returning the x52 after only a few weeks of use and going back to my trusty x45. It looks cooler than the x45, feels better, but functionality has not been improved for me. Biggest drawbacks of the x52 are as follows (in order of importance):

1) Huge deadzone that can't be compromised with software. My x45 doesn't exhibit this flaw.

2) Rudder twist on the stick rather than a rocker switch. I would have preferred that they improved upon the x45's rocker switch on the throttle on the x52.

3) The HOTAS just "seems" much bigger when I'm playing. It's a little uncomfortable how tall the stick is and how much I have to throw it around for fast game playing.

Anyways, my $0.02. Have fun with whatever HOTAS you end up going with. I happen to love the fact that I paid $64.98 for my x45 on amazon, less than half what I paid for the x52. In my case, the x45 is simply a much better buy for what I got. But whatever the case, go test drive first. See what works for you! Just make sure you can return either for a refund.

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First, a short plug for AMAZON: They've provided the SAITEK X52 at a terrific Christmas price, delivering it with flawless service!!! Kudos to all of you at Amazon.com! Happy New Year!

I own and operate the Thrustmaster Cougar and now have the Saitek X52 to compare. First of all, they are similar and different but you can't fully appreciate one without knowing the other. This is a terrific opportunity to do a head to head comparison.

The X52 is simply a delightful work of art. It is beautiful sitting on my desk in the dark with it's illuminated buttons, switches and most of all the throttle's blue, backlit LCD. I wouldn't have believed I could own such technology for approximately one Ben Franklin but it's true and I'm in a little bliss over this new, superb flight control system.

THE GOOD X52

There's so much to say about this pair of controllers and almost all of it is positive. The aesthetics are unpretentiously modern star wars motif. The textured black on silver puts one to mind of a new stereo outfit. The little rubber inset grippers on the rotaries, dials and POVs are very appealing but the configurable intensity blue LEDs and LCD are so peerless that a smile is invoked every time I look the controls over. You can move the hand rest for the flight stick to five positions. This should accommodate a range of large to small hands nicely as the POVs, buttons and mode switch are put in effortless reach of thumb, index and pinky fingers. The stick has a short rotational throw with "relatively" strong spring resistance for rudder control. This is one 3D stick that doesn't seem to produce an affect on the X and Y axes when the rudder twist is engaged. There's a lock at the base of the stick to eliminate the rudder function but isn't especially necessary if you don't wish to use the stick's rudder feature. It really doesn't seem to interfere at any time.

The SST programming software can be optionally installed. In other words, you can keep things bare bone simple by allowing the buttons to be assigned to basic tasks within a game. You lose a great deal of potential function by not programming the X52 but you will still have a very powerful controller even in its most basic form. The SST isn't exactly intuitive but with a few hours of reading the installed Profile Editor's manual, under the HELP tab, and some experimentation, you will be amazed and pleased by a powerful and well thought out programming interface. You can really open up the interface by switching from a 3D display to a tabled "Data View". It seems as though there is no limit to the variation and combination of switch settings with 3 Modes and six base toggle positions. Like the Cougar, you can continue to multiply function by invoking the pinky button while selecting what a button, slider or POV will do. You have a micro stick on the throttle that will most likely be used as a mouse control. There's a hat on the throttle as well as a thumbwheel that operates very much like the thumbwheel mouse button combination on modern pc mice. The fore mentioned Slider and Thumbwheel are not on the Cougar's throttle but the X52 lacks the dogfight and Speed Brake switches. All else has comparable counter parts. The Cougar and X52 flight sticks are also close in features. The X52 lacks two POVs but has a 3 position rotary and six toggles on the base. The flip-up cover for the primary pickle button on the X52 stick is an Easter egg to me. Some might consider it a nuisance or waste but it can be left in the up position and poses no restrictions for critics. I find it an appealing item that shows a playful and generous attitude on the part of Saitek's engineering team. Another nice item is the small green power LEDs on the X52 controls. Again, it may be unnecessary but why not? There's a space for them and if you should choose to turn the LEDs and LCD backlighting to the off option, you'll still know your units are powered up.

THE BAD X52

Hardly worth mentioning when considering the incredible price! The units are very light weight; less than a pound for the throttle and perhaps a little more than that for the stick. Unless fastened down or minimum resistance is set for the throttle, you will be tipping and sliding it around when throwing the handle forward or back. I haven't wanted / bothered to install the supplied suction cups so that may be the way to go for many users. Suction cups aren't for me though. The action of the flight stick's axes is so light that you will require some practice getting used to a feather touch for control. It can be readily done but may not be immediately what you want for confidence inducing sensory resistance. I am happy with the action now but initially it didn't feel right. You might wish the flight stick handle to sit an inch lower as the zero contact design seems to have elevated the stick a bit more than it would be otherwise. If you can mount the stick a little lower than desk top level you might like the stick height a little bit more. Also, there is no solid detent for the idle and afterburner on the throttle. The resistance at least doubles when these boundaries are engaged and I do know that I have reached them but the familiar snick into a detent is what I'm used to and thus it doesn't feel quite right at this stage of my introduction to the X52. It's not a disaster without the detents and the lack of them may prove to be an absent point of wear that won't become an issue one day.

The SST programmer interface lacks the availability of a REMark statement but a comment can be made to momentarily appear on the throttle's LCD when a button press or macro is engaged. This quieted that lacking REMark complaint to a barely audible murmur from me. To see a short definition of a key press on the LCD adds to a sense of total technology coolery.

The multi language hardcopy manual looks loaded and promising but once opened you will be disappointed in the 30 pages of pertinent information that in part is a warrantee disclaimer and Saitek contact information. The manual that gets installed with the SST software doesn't mention the X52 at all but refers to the X36 and X45. One reference to setting milisecond timing for keypresses isn't correct with this version of the SST. There's still enough help available to understand the X52 adequately and it's a good guess that an update help system is in the making. By contrast the Cougar has an excellent hardcopy manual but in just a few hours I feel I know as much about the X52 as I do of the Cougar after two years of intermittent exposure. Sometimes less can be more.

The SST programming software lacks a literal KEYTEST applet, as well as many other FOXY like application and programming aids. Any of the FOXY like applets would be a terrific addition to an otherwise great programming interface. I might add that within the X52's control panel is a TEST tab. When testing each button, POV, mode switch and rotary, there's has been an ever so slight jittering in one or the other rotaries. Right now, I'm seeing nothing so I won't know how that will fair in the future but for now, it is not a problem to me and at present, doesn't even exist.

THE FINAL CONSENSUS

Quality, at least in part, is in the eye of the beholder. The Saitek X52 is light weight plastic. The Thrustmaster is heavy duty aluminum. You can never compare the two on a price level. The Cougar's FOXY programming language interface with all it's tutorials, keytest applications and interactive graphical interface is without comparison. The X52 simply is no match for these two features. But the Cougar is more than twice the price and doesn't have the LEDs and informational mode LCD with three time zones, button engagement information and timer. But, in the end neither really performs any greater or less than the other. One is a Honda and the other is a Hummer. They're both terrific and will get you reliably to your destination. I wouldn't want to choose between them and I'd rather own them both if possible. If you want the most expensive and robust feel that performs extensively and well, then you need the Cougar. If want the coolest looking, feature laden outfit available, go for the X52. I love the X52. I won't know how it will work in two years like I know of the Cougar but for the moment, I'm a coon in a cabbage patch.

Playseat Seat Slider Kit Reviews

Customer Ratings:

No instructions come in this kit other than a sticker on each side that states: "Srew (sic) this side to seat with this end facing front" Like others have stated it is not all that apparent which way the Allen Screws face. With that said, it is only the total lack of instructions that keep this from being a 5 star product. It works as well as any car seat slider.

Here are some handy tips for install:

1) remove the seat via the 4 Allen screws (careful it will want to tip back when the last screw is removed)& place it up-side-down over the edge of your couch. (read step 10 now... I didn't, but you may want to...)

2) Push an allen screw in the end so that the threads hang over the elongated hole nearest the sticker end (front). The screw will not fall into place nicely, but if you just poke at it from the other elongated hole above it, it easily falls into place.

3) Put your Allen wrench in the screw to hold it in place as you line it up over the front seat hole. The metal tabs that hold the release bar should stick in toward the center of the seat, not out toward the sides, and if you can still read the sticker you have it up-side-down. The sticker should be facing the seat bottom.)

4) Screw it in only 1/2 way & then repeat the procedure for the other side. Tighten all screws after all are in place.

5) The release bar is held in place by it's own spring tension so all you have to do is line up a hole near the bar end to the single pin shaped metal tab and then compress it enough to fit the other hole over the tab on the other side, but be careful for 2 reasons... First, make sure you attach the release bar such that the bend tips down away from the seat bottom and not up towards it. (This gives you as much space as possible between the seat bottom and the release bar.) !!!AND SECOND...!!! It is very "springy", so try not to let it pinch your fingers!!! The bar should now be resting firmly between the double tabs and the single tab through the hole.

6) (Greasy Finger Warning) Before trying to attach the seat to the base see if you can use the release and move the slider rail forward a few inches, thus exposing the two front elongated holes. This may take 2 persons if it is a tight fit, but mine moved rather easily. Try to get both rails extended the same distance.

7) With the holes exposed you should be able to easily place the seat onto the base and drop an allen screw in each side. Place a nut on the bottom and tighten.

8) Now carefully slide the seat forward enough to expose the back 2 elongated holes and repeat the process.

9) I suggest moving the seat back to the center position (no rail sticking out either forward or back) and fit it to your body by moving the playseat's original adjustment (the main tube tightener) into your comfortable "playing" position. If many persons will be using it fit it to a middle sized person.

10) Why no locking washers? I don't know, but you could add them yourself or tighten the screws periodically. Happy Racing!

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Pros:

Does exactly what it claimsmakes it easy to slide chair forwards and back to allow for friends/guests to use the seat. To use it, you sit on the seat, pull up on the handle and slide the seat forward and back.

Cons:

No instructions apart from the white stickers attached to the unit. So it is a bit of a brain teaser to assemble.

A previous reviewer provided an excellent set of detailed instructions for the assembly. It was a bit difficult to visualize the overall process, so I am supplementing that with the following less detailed overview of the main steps. Also I uploaded some pictures I took of the process of assembly as well as an assembly diagramHope this helps.

Overall steps then are:

1. Remove seat from metal base of Playseat.

2. Attach slider bars to bottom of seat. The labeled side should face the bottom of the seat and the arrow on the label should point toward the front of the seat.

3. Attach the handle bar. This takes some muscle doing. When attaching the handle bar, make sure it is angled downward relative to the seat, rather than upward or else you won't have enough clearance to pull up on the handle when you are finally sitting on it. See diagram.

4. Attach seat to the metal base of the playseat. This is trickiest and it will be easier if you had an extra hand to depress the handle bar when you are putting in the screws because you are going to need to slide the bars in and out to insert the screws. This is where you should read the former reviewers instructions for additional details. This is probably the least intuitive part of the assembly.

Additional tips: ignore the circular holes on the slider. You will only use the elongated holes.

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When I got the Playseat I ordered all the accessory that appeared to make sense. Being able to slide the seat back and forth sounds like a cool thing.

Unfortunately the quality is pretty low. One side works, the other side is locked and only glides when using excessive force. My kids can't use it without me and even I have trouble getting it to work.

It also comes without instructions whatsoever. It's not a huge deal, I figured it out in 2 minutes but many will have trouble. The actual installation is not as easy at it seems, kind of tricky to get the screws in place.

But most of all it is not a necessary thing to have. The Playseat is designed to be very easily adjustable so the sliding seat doesn't really add anything. In reality you will have to adjust the pedals and wheel base anyways to make it work for a child.

Maybe I have a bad unit, but it's too much hassle for me to unmount it and pay for the shipping back to get a replacement which will cause even more time to get it in again. Either way, you really don't need it, it works just fine without it and even my 7 year old can use the seat without this slider.

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As others said, it comes with no instructions. Thanks to those provided instructions, and greater thanks to the person uploading the screw/nut diagram.

It works exactly like what you have in a non-powered manual slider in cars. If you are using for yourself, then you don't need this. But if have others trying it out, then you need it. Combine it with the standard adjustments on my Playseats Evolution, I can let me 6 year old boy who's 42 inch tall to reach the pedal!

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If you have multiple players (kids and adults) playing on your playseat, this is a must have so that you don't have to change the settings for the pedals every time. We can set the seat for 7 years old kids up to 6"1 adults, so that's a pretty good range.

Mounting is a little bit annoying but straightforward (no instructions).

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Customer Ratings:

This is the ultimate fighting stick and truly brings the arcade experience home. The sheer size and weight of the stick brings home the point that this is the king of all arcade stick controllers.

It is designed in collaboration with TAITO to recreate the TAITO "VEWLIX" Arcade cabinet. The stick uses authentic Sanwa stick and buttons and has other functions classic to the Real Arcade Pro. series like the turbo and the stick control toggle function. It also has a non-slip surface on the entire bottom and comes with an additional option board that you can mount the controller on to further enhance your stability.

The main feature for this controller has to be the fact that you can easily access the internal of the controller by simply unscrewing 3 screws. Maintenance and customization is a breeze to any other controllers out there.

Overall, this controller addresses all the players wants and needs and is a masterpiece of a arcade stick controller.

A must buy for any player serious for an authentic arcade experience.

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GENERAL:

I purchased the stick when it was on sale here for $65 off the list price and it was worth every penny.

I've used several joysticks (Hori Fighting Stick 2, HRAP3, MadCatz SE (with full Sanwa) and TE Round 1 FightSticks) and the VLX would be my weapon of choice any day. When using it on a table the rubber bottom ensures the stick will not move. The wooden option board is a nice touch as well if you want to mount your stick to it, but I find simply placing the stick on the board works well. Note the stick does not have any protruding rubber feet to potentially interfere with lap use. Lap use may not be as comfortable compared to other sticks due to the weight (12 lbs) but you'll get used to it. In comparison the HRAP3 weighs 5.7 lbs.

LOOKS:

The VLX is the most beautiful mass produced stick I've seen yet. While most of the black parts of the stick are matte the rest provides a nice glossy contrast. The top art is a nice metallic red with some mirror accents and you really need to either see the VLX in person or watch some videos to see how light interacts with the glossy parts.

SOUND:

The sound of the joystick and buttons are much more hollow when used and that's due to the sheer physical size of the housing. Not only is this much wider than the Round 1 TE FightStick but it is taller as well. The hollow sound doesn't bother me though.

USAGE:

Let me start by mentioning one of my favorite features: the angled palm rest. I was afraid I wasn't going to like it since I've been using the Round 1 MadCatz TE Stick with the flat surface, but I was able to make an immediate adjustment to the angled palm rest and love it. Using this stick feels much more natural to me.

The joystick (JLF) and buttons (OBSF) are your typical Sanwa variety and the general consensus on them is they are high quality arcade parts that can take a beating and are great to use. If you've ever used these Sanwa parts or own any variety of a MadCatz TE stick then you'll know what they feel like: the joystick is responsive and the buttons are sensitive.

I've opened the stick to replace the L1 and L2 buttons with the included button plugs and everything inside the stick is cleanly wired and organized. I put the 2 extra buttons in the button holders found inside the stick in case any of my main 6 have issues.

The USB cable storage compartment is large enough for the 3m cable to easily fit. I placed the included cleaning cloth in the back of the storage compartment to clean the surface here and there.

Transporting the stick has been an issue due to the irregular large size and fortunately Hori released a travel bag made to fit the VLX. Unfortunately they're charging a hefty price ($39.99) and since their site is the primary store selling it the shipping cost pushes the bag close to $50. For $50 you could almost get the HRAP3!

CONCLUSION:

To me this is the king of joysticks. It reminds me of the times I spent playing SF4 in Japanese arcades. At the price point this is a joystick for enthusiasts, collectors, and those who aren't hesitant to spend. However if you get this joystick you won't regret it.

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I've played in arcades in Japan, and until now, I have yet to feel anything close to the actual feel of the arcade machines.

Then a friend recommended this to me, and now I recommend this to all of you.

This fighting stick feels like heaven in your hands. The resistance of the joystick feels loose enough to not have to put your whole body weight into moving, but not light enough to input more commands than you want to.

The buttons have the right amount of spring to them, and the layout feels very natural to play on.

It's a great feeling to have this behemoth in your hands.

CONS:

The only thing that really bothers me is how big the stick is; it's roughly almost 2 feet in length. Also, the joystick and the buttons seem rather close for how long the stick itself is.

Over-all, it's a fantastic piece of equipment.

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HRAP vlx is by far one of the most sturdiest, heaviest arcade joystick I've ever played with. With the addition to the sanwa parts that come with the joystick, feels like you're really in the arcades. I've been playing fighting games with this joystick, and I usually play aggressively, therefore my motions using the stick is pretty forceful, however, no matter how much force I put in, It is still extremely sturdy and strong and doesn't move as much. This product is definitely recomended if you're a die hard arcade fan and want the full experience of being in the arcades at your home.

The only thing that I see as something to look out for is that when pressing the buttons, it does feel slightly hollow compared with the MadCatz tournament edition fightstick. I believe it is because the box itself has a lot of space inside and the top is slightly thin. Yet this feel is really subjective, I personally don't mind it. Especially when Im focusing on beating the bosses, I don't even really notice it while i'm furiously trying to win a game. The price is pretty expensive too. All in all this is a great joystick and I do recommend this product for those die hard arcade gamers!

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man, pretty much what all other reviewers said about this stick is all true. it feels like i'm playing with silk. sooooo goood!

and that just made my disappointment THAT much worse when i came to find out that sony has yet to (and probably never will) release updates to get it to function with ps2 backwards compatibility. i have a ridiculous library of ps2 fighters, and that was one of the deciding factors on getting this stick.....

again. THIS STICK WILL NOT WORK WITH THE PS2 PORTION OF BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE PS3'S.

on the other hand, it DOES work wonderfully with everything else! playstation 1 games running on ps3 ARE compatible and play amazingly with it. and you can usb it into a pc and most things run fine with no other software involved (at least on win 7)!!!

the few problems i had (specifically with "super street fighter 4 ae") were all solved by using "x360ce"(search google. its easier than it looks to use it). any other issues are solved with "joy2key".

i went into this purchase expecting that people over-exaggerated how good it is. they weren't. they were under-exaggerating. within five minutes, i actually knew i was better at fighters than i had ever been before. what you attempt to input into this thing generally is what gets read by it. wanna do 90 dragon punches in a row in your sleep (on your first try, when you used to have trouble pulling even ONE off in the heat of the moment before)? no problem!!! i would compare "coming off a Mad Catz Street Fighter IV FightStick into THIS CONTROLLER" to "selling your old run down station wagon and getting a brand new sports car".

as sad/mad as i was that i couldn't play my ps2 fighters(and i was REALLY mad), after using it, i almost could care less. this controller is mad expensive, but if you can afford it (and don't care/are willing to overlook the lack of ps2 compatibility), then it's more than worth it! the fact i have no choice but to give it a perfect review even though it lacked an important (to me) feature should definitely say something about the product (and in hori's defense, sony is entirely responsible for the lack of functionality.)

(yes, i'm sure a custom made stick is probably better, but this might as well be one. and heck, it seems so easy to mod and repair, if you dislike something you can just change it!)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:
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If you're looking for a combat game with amazing graphics for your XBox 360, then definitely go buy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. The game is fun in single, co-op and online mode!

First, the graphics, because they are just so gorgeous in high definition. The character movements are smooth and realistic. Characters tumble down stairs. Smoke billows. Leaves wave. The different types of area beach, city, snow all have their own look and feel.

We mostly play games single player or XBox Live but it so happens that when we first took this game home there were 2 gamers who both wanted to play. We played the side by side co-op. It was amazingly fun! There was plenty of screen for both players and with the huge maps, there was great opportunity to flank your opponents and catch them in the crossfire.

The sound is fantastic. The ambient noise around you really adds to the feeling that you are there from people talking, to wind noises, to the various noises made by the weaponry used. If you don't have your XBox 360 going through a good stereo yet, now is really the time to hook that up.

I found the on screen status alerts to be both easy to read and unobtrusive. They were there for quick reference, but didn't get in the way of actual gameplay.

The regular single player campaign is a ton of fun, involving, and very fun to play through. The real challenge, of course, is going Live and facing off against other real players. If you don't have Live yet, then this is a game that might entice you to take that step. It really does make this game one you could play for years and still have fun.

I've had non-war-gamers come over and pick up the basics of gameplay within minutes. It's not super-challenging or technical in that sense. It does take patience, though. This isn't a game about plowing Rambo-like into the middle of a pack of enemies and blasting away. It requires you to look over the situation, find the angle that gives you the best protection and to pick away at the enemies while staying safe. You're not a super-human here. You are a well equipped soldier who can stay alive with a combination of weaponry skill and strategic intelligence.

Highly recommended!

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Tom Clancy, you sly devil. You've got me loving modern warfare again. If I weren't so old and asthmatic, I'd consider signing up for your army of the future.

Gameplay:

Ghost Recon, Advanced Warfighter is a great mix of action, squad tactics and 3rd person shooter. If you try to play this game by running out in the open with your rifle blazing, you'll find the game awful and difficult. Sadly, if you're one of those strange-o freaks who likes to play video games in real time, crawling against the side of a virtual house for 6 hours, you'll hate this game, too. So... who would like this game? The rest of the planet. Basically, the game design encourages you to play smart, but doesn't force you to play slow. Many stealth games are painful to play, in my un-humble opinion, but this Tom Clancy game does stealth the right way. An important feature of this game is the "advanced" weapons and tools you have at your disposal. Futuristic graphical enemy detectors and flying drones give the game a different feel than other Tom Clancy games, and I find it a cool addition. Its not overwhelming, just a great add-on. The friendly AI isn't always the best, but the game is designed to make up for any flaws in your team. It isn't impossible to have a useless idiot on your team in real life, so I guess occasional AI flaws could be considered the height of realism.

Graphics:

Ubisoft has offered us one of the best looking games for the 360 (unless you count the pretty colors of some of the very nicely done XBLA games). Everything from the character animation to the colors and tones of the environments draws you into the game.

Sound:

The voice acting is slightly better than a Spanish soap opera. (close your eyes while watching one of those and you'll find it a lot less fun). The sound effects and score more than make up for it, though. Its easy to get lost in the game with the sound turned up.

Multiplayer:

I would have preferred full campaign co-op, as the game limits you to mission based maps that feel a bit disconnected from the main game. This, and the AI glitches mentioned earlier, cost G.R.A.W. (as all the cool kids call it) a half point from me, but this is still an excellent game to play with friends (real, imaginary or internet based).

Overall:

Haven't you heard enough? Go buy it. You don't have to pay full price for it, of course. 60 bucks is a bit much (not counting a $15 extra map pack you can buy from Xbox Live), but if you have it to spend, there are no games better for the xbox 360. I rate this 4.5 stars.

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You play as Scott Mitchell, captain of the Ghost forces stationed in Mexico, while the three presidents of the North American countries are signing a mutual protection act of some sorts. Things go bad at the signing when Mexican rebels led by a Carlos Oniveros storm the place, killing the Canadian president & forcing the US & Mexican presidents to run for their lives basically. Anyway, its your job to rescue said presidents and stop Ontiveros..sounds easy until you find out Ontiveros has the US President's "football" (Which is a brief case that has codes to nuclear ICBMs).

This game has it all. You run, climb, slide, dive, go prone, heal fallen teammates, take cover and lean against any flat surface, press select and you have a full 360 degrees rotatable map of the area, select a HUGE array of weapons (both with and without scopes), pick up enemy weapons, command not only fellow Ghost ground pounders but M1 Abrams tanks, Apache & Black Hawk helicopters, and many more. Ontop of that, your enemies are outlined in red (and once spotted are noted on that 360 degreed map for future planning), friendlies in green, and you also get night vision goggles.

I never thought I would be saying this about a Tom Clancy game, but Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is one of the most action packed, combat heavy, intense tactical games I have played. You will constantly be swarmed by wave after wave of enemy rebels and tanks... take this one stage where the US Embassy gets bombed you have to protect the Mexican president from seriously an army of rebels with just you and the three Ghost members. It's a very hard game, but extremley fun. One thing thats boo though is the fact that you really only get hit like three times until you die.. meh.

Graphics....are quite possibly some of the best I have ever seen; they easily blow Halo 2 out of the water and rank way up there with games like Perfect Dark Zero (blarff). The lighting is magnificent and enchanting, windows actually reflect the scenery, the cities look so real, and the characters look life like in fact they even move as fluid as a real human being. Simply put, you'll be breathless and G.R.A.W. really flexes X-Box 360's video muscles.

The music is a blend between real bands such as Ill Nino, and Ubisoft's own symphony/rock ballads. Both really help set the atmosphere and fit in perfectly. Take, for instance, when Ontiveros shoots this guy in a Black Hawk that has been helping you the entire game the music gets REALLY sad and depressing and actually fills you with rage and determination to take Carlos down. Amazing once again.

There is indeed an online and split screen mutliplayer. Both are pretty fun you can play against people in a free for all or teams, or play co-op in a made up campaign or play against bots. Its pretty sweet and really helps you get the feel of the controls (though you can't command a team in multiplayer like you do in the solo game) and shows you how the game is going to basically be. One thing I didn't like about multiplayer is the fact that it's not in a third person view like the entire game is, but rather takes a first person approach. Im a fan for FPS, but I liked this game as a third person.. oh, the little things.

The ending was typical Tom Clancy, and was rather short to get to (11 missions) Mitchell retrieves the football and kills Ontiveros thus securing the safety of the world from a nuclear strike. Ontop of that the FBI or something arrests some retired high ranking official in the US for conspiring with Ontiveros...eventually it starts getting all complicated with conspiracies so I didn't understand it.

Lets finish this review by saying this if you own an X-Box 360, you better own this game. So far, it's the best game for the system, and is one of the best games I have played.

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Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is the third game in the Ghost Recon series. Each of the games has improved over the original, and this one is no different. With new gameplay mechanics like the Cross-Com, a much improved cover system, and breathtaking graphics, Advanced Warfighter is a worthy sequel and a true next generation game.

The story takes place in modern day Mexico City. In the game you play as a man by the name of Scott Mitchell who is the captain of an elite light infantry unit called the Ghosts. You are there to provide security during a meeting between the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is during this time that some Mexican insurgents decide to attack the meeting in an attempt to come to power. They kill the Canadian prime minister and the US and Mexican presidents disappear. Your job, among other things, is to locate and rescue the US and Mexican presidents.

You won't be fighting alone for most of the campaign. You will have three teammates which you can order around for the majority of the missions. You can order them to attack, fall back to you, and move into certain positions. While the way you command them is not exactly deep or provides a lot of control, you can still be pretty effective with your squad. Your Cross-Com allows you to see what one of your teammates sees, allowing you to get multiple perspectives of the battlefield. Unfortunately, the squad AI can give you a bit of a headache sometimes. While they are usually pretty good at shooting enemies, it's not too uncommon to find your teammates exposing themselves too much instead of properly using cover. For the most part they do try to use cover whenever possible though.

Besides your three teammates, some missions give you other assets to control. One of which is a UAV which you can order around the level. The UAV can detect enemy troops and mark them on your HUD. Since you can die pretty fast in this game, knowing where the enemies are and planning your next move is essential, and having a working UAV helps greatly. Occasionally you will also have a tank or helicopter gunship. The tank can not only be used to attack enemies but it can also be used as cover while it moves. The helicopter is also pretty good and moving and striking targets on the ground quickly. During a few sequences in the game, you will actually get to fly around in the helicopter and use the machine gun on the side to take out huge groups of enemies. While these sequences are not too challenging, they are a lot of fun.

Because a single good shot can kill you in Advanced Warfighter, the game has a slower pace and more tactical feel then other action games. That is not to say that the game is dull; it is filled with fierce fire fights and big explosions, but it does require more thinking then some other games. You always want to lean around corners before going walking out in the open, and always fight from behind cover. Since the levels are pretty large (many city blocks for each level), there are usually multiple ways to get to each objective. Most of the time just taking a different route will end up in a totally different experience. Enemies roam the map, also making sure the game never plays exactly the same way twice.

The amazing graphics are probably the first thing you will notice when you load up this game. The amount of detail in objects and the size of the city are staggering. During the game's many helicopter rides, the city buildings and streets stretch out for mines in every direction. Sometimes you can see areas filled with fire or smoke from all of the fighting that has been going on. These sequences do a great job of making you feel that you are in a real city fighting in a real conflict. Mexico City just looks absolutely beautiful. Advanced Warfighter is easily the best looking game on the Xbox 360 console. The HDR lighting is used to great effect in all of the games missions, which range from early morning, afternoon, and dusk. During some of the afternoon missions, the sunlight can get so bright that it actually makes it hard to see. The character models are some of the best that I have seen. They are all extremely detailed and look very realistic. They also animate in a very believable way. The only negative thing you can say about the graphics is that things will sometimes "pop" into view when leaning around the corners. This does not happen often, but can take you out of the game for a moment when it does happen.

The audio in the game is also great. All of the guns sound different and extremely clear. Explosions and tank and rocket fire sound great as well. The game also muffles the sound when explosions go off around you. The music in the game is also pretty good and comes in at the right moments. The voice acting, while not amazing, is convincing.

While the single player game is great, the multiplayer is what's going to keep people playing. The game features three ways to play multiplayer: local play, system link, and over Xbox live. There is a large selection of game types to choose from. First, there are the excellent co-op missions which are a blast to play with your friends. Then there are the more standard game types you are used to like capture the flag and deathmatch. Besides those default settings, the game allows you to customize your game to play the way you want to. The multiplayer experience is extremely addictive and plays very well. I definitely expect people to be hooked on this game for a very long time.

Overall, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is a great game. Offering an intense single player campaign and multiplayer matches which will remain fun for hours at time, Advanced Warfighter is a great complete package and sets the bar pretty high for the inevitable sequel.

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Every once in a while, a video game comes along and redefines a genre, defines the capabilities of a console, or both. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is one of those games that accomplishes both feats. Ubisoft's next-gen centerpiece turned out to be quite a game in almost every way imaginable. From the intense duck-and-cover, squad-based gameplay to the beautiful environments and the amazing online multiplayer, GRAW has it all.

The single-player campaign's story puts you into the helmet of Captain Scott Mitchell, a member of the Ghost Recon team working for the United States government. It's 2013, and Mitchell and his crew are armed with equipment that could accurately and precisely take out a small army in moments. Their goal is to secure the United States and Mexican presidents from Mexican rebels who attack during a trade deal that would make peace with three separate countries. From there, it's up to the wits and military smarts of the gamer and his or her crew to stay alive, suppress the enemy, and protect the VIPs.

Each of the game's 11 long, engaging missions will test your wits as a Ghost. Mitchell and his crew are already armed with the proper equipment and it's the optimization of the surroundings that will keep your squad alive. Fortunately, thanks to an extremely intuitive squad command system and heads-up display (HUD), ordering your squad to move out is as simple as pressing up on the directional pad while pointing at a location. You can even change their approach from Recon to Assault for sneaking or aggressively going into a battle guns-blazing.

That isn't to say that Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is ever a run-and-gun game. Instead, its pace is as slow as a slug but as intense as any game you've ever played before. Imagine Call of Duty 2 on its Veteran setting; that's how intense this game can be. Even a situation, one as early as the third level, is extremely intense. I was almost too afraid to poke my head around a corner and take a pot shot at an attacking rebel and his back-up, an armored APC complete with a machine gunner. Unfortunately for my on-screen Ghost, my brash tactic of rolling out from cover and trying to take out the gunner resulted in the Game Over screen and a look of disappointment on my face while my Ghost lay dead on the ground.

The gameplay is extremely tight thanks to a set of perfect controls. While at first the scheme felt awkward, after a few minutes of getting used to it, I was ready to load terrorists with lead and direct my team with relative ease. Even when back-up arrives, usually in the form of Cypher spy cameras or Bradley tanks, controlling everything on the screen is easy. When the going gets really tough, the player can use the optimized HUD to mark enemy locations, find different routes, and locate mission objectives. The HUD even offers a mini-screen located at the top-left of your television screen that allows you to view the game through the eyes of a comrade or your support units. Overall, I'd say that GRAW is the first game I've ever played where the HUD was sometimes the most helpful part of the game. Because of this, and the general tight feeling of the gameplay, I feel that GRAW is one of the best action titles around.

My only complaint with the gameplay is the "unsnapping" from a wall; it is sometimes too difficult to do in dangerous situations. Rather than simply pulling away from the wall at any given moment, I found myself having to wait for Mitchell to complete whatever he was doing before he'd "unsnap" from the wall. Generally, I only panicked when a terrorist ran around the corner and faced me with his gun raised while I was reloading. This situation, 100% of the time, brought up that damn Game Over screen again and again.

I've honestly never played a game that felt so tactical and felt so realistic. Thanks in part to the visuals, which I'll mention in a moment, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter has the best level design I've seen from a shooter in years. The open feeling of the different urban areas is a fresh breath of life after linear games like The Outfit have been spinning in my Xbox 360. If I approached a firefight from one angle and found myself dying every time, I could usually pull back and approach the situation from another angle-and simply making use of my tools, like the HUD and tactical map, did I find the perfect route. Using my support units, like the Cyphers and Bradleys, I could spy on the enemy and pinpoint their location and then watch as they're obliterated. Then I could clean up any mess left over with my trusty MR-C rifle.

The visuals in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter are quite simply the best thing I've ever seen from a video game. I've never played a game that looked this advanced-from the environments to the HUD, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is truly the first next-generation video game. The city feels real. As I'm creeping along the alleyways of a run-down Mexican suburb, I can almost smell the mud and dirt that I sneak on. I can almost taste the gunpowder in the air after a firefight. I feel like I could reach into the television screen and take a shot with Mitchell's rifle, then high-five him after a bullet plows through a terrorist's skull from 200 yards away. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter simply has to be seen to be believed, so I'll leave that experience for you to discover!

As good as Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter looks, it also sounds amazing. As you sneak along, picking off terrorists, you'll hear distant firefights and nearby yells from other terrorists. If you're unseen and without a Cypher spy camera, you can always rely on your ears to know when a cluster of terrorists is waiting around the corner.

Multiplayer, both on Xbox Live and local Xbox 360 matches, is absolutely fantastic. With Elimination (deathmatch), Last Man Standing, and Territories (same as Halo 2's mode), Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter has some of the most fundamental yet entertaining modes of play. The maps are also fantastic. "Nowhere", a ghost town with hills, rocks, a junkyard, and a deadly, wide-open main street, is my favorite. Each of the maps offer strategic locations and tactical possibilities for each of the game's character classes, like Riflemen, Marksmen, and Grenadiers. The weapon selection is also much larger than it is in the single-player mode, and the controls are optimized for faster gameplay. On Xbox Live, gamers are given a rank-based off of real-life military ranks-for their performance. Similarly to Halo 2's level system, better players have higher ranks. Earning a new rank in GRAW is much more gratifying, though, as it requires a lot more time and skill than it does in Halo 2. While the gameplay experiences are entirely different, with Halo 2 being more frantic and action-packed and less tactical, I predict Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter's online community will be huge, just like the legendary Xbox title.

Not everything in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is perfect. I was particularly annoyed with the on-rails helicopter sequences, the unsnapping from walls and the sometimes-spotty AI of my comrades. Still, the game is dangerously close to that label, and the three complaints I just mentioned are pretty easy to deal with in exchange for the best visuals and the next big Xbox Live title. Ubisoft should be proud; they've created one of the very few Xbox 360 must-have titles. Action fans will absolutely love this game, and next to Call of Duty 2 and Dead or Alive 4, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is a game that should be in your Xbox 360 inventory.

Buy Disney Sing It: Pop Hits - Nintendo Wii (Game Only)

Customer Ratings:

I believe that a music game is only as good as its songs. In "Pop Hits" you get 30. That's not very many for a karaoke game. I was able to find the song list. Most of them are Disney Channel-esque. I hope this helps!

Colbie Caillat "Realize"

Colbie Caillat "Bubbly"

Coldplay "Violet Hill"

Demi Lovato "Get Back"

Demi Lovato "La La Land"

Demi Lovato "Don't Forget"

Duffy "Warwick Avenue"

Duffy "Mercy"

Hannah Montana "Let's Get Crazy"

Hannah Montana "Let's Do This"

Jem "It's Amazing"

Jesse McCartney "It's Over"

Jesse McCartney "How Do You Sleep?"

Jonas Brothers "Hold On"

Jonas Brothers "SOS"

Jonas Brothers "When You Look Me In The Eyes"

Jonas Brothers "Love Bug"

Jonas Brothers "Burnin' Up"

Love & Theft "Don't Wake Me"

Miley Cyrus "7 Things"

Miley Cyrus "Fly on the Wall"

Miley Cyrus "The Climb"

Miley Cyrus "Hoedown Throwdown"

Mitchel Musso "The In Crowd"

Mitchel Musso feat. Tiffany Thornton "Let It Go"

One Republic "Apologize"

Steve Rushton "Emergency"

Taylor Swift "I'm Only Me When I'm With You"

Taylor Swift "Change"

Vanessa Hudgens "Sneakernight"

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My husband and I bought this game for our 7 y/o daughter who loves to sing along with the radio. She really likes Taylor Swift and I thought this would be a perfect game for her. She likes it enough, but I can tell she is a little disappointed that it only has two of Taylor Swift's songs and those two she doesn't even know since they are rather new ones. I wish they would have more songs that you hear quite often. Instead of having songs that you hear every day on the radio, she is left singing the songs she does know over and over again. I mean who (especially a little girl) wants to sing songs that they haven't even heard before? Over all, it is an okay game which she will play every so often.

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My daughter loves the Jonas Brothers, and wanted this version of Sing It for her birthday, because they were on it. She absolutely loves this game. Not just the Jonas songs, but the entire game... She is constantly filling our home with the sound of her singing. Which makes us all love this game. I would certainly recommend it over the others she has. The songs are done by the true artists and not some studio singers from another country. Definitely prefer this Disney version...

Honest reviews on Disney Sing It: Pop Hits - Nintendo Wii (Game Only)

I did not give it a high rating because this came without the microphone. The ones you buy in the store come packaged with it, on amazon you have to buy it seperately. Since I cannot find the micorphone seperaately in a store, I will have to order online.

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Everything was as I expected. Has been played extensively by myself and my daughter with no problems. Thank you so much.

Hasbro Family Game Night Fun Pack - Xbox 360 Reviews

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $39.97
Today's Bonus: $0.02 Off

First of all, I love board games. I also love family video games you can load up on the big screen, kick back, relax, and have some family laughs. This game is none of that. It totally misses the mark. I really thought this game would be a cool twist on some classic games, somehow, they were able to make playing the games a huge hassle and sent 4 of us attempting to play "just one more" in hopes at least one would save the night.

This game is one disc, and if you want to switch between FGN2 and FGN3 games, you must exit all the way to the dashboard and relaunch the disc. At the disc launch screen, you choose if you want to play FGN2 and FGN3. There is no way to play all 10 games in one sit down without exiting to the Xbox dashboard and reloading the disc. It doesn't help that the menus are horribly slow and there are a thousand cut scenes before, during, and after turns, the game begins or ends, etc.

Achievements: Although it is 10 games, this disc only has 1000 achievement points. They are separate from any other FGN achievement points so if you played DLC on the first game or own FG3 disc, you can pick this up for an extra 1000. The achievements seem really easy. I am not a huge achievement fan, but I was hoping this would have 2000 points since it is technically two games.

Here's a sample review of the games offered:

Twister: 1/10 Nothing like real twister. In this game you must push a sequence of buttons in order as they come across your screen. A very dumbed down "memory" type game which really has NOTHING to do even with the rhythm. There are basically 3 genre's of beat... funk, pop, and disco. The beats are terrible, to the point you will want to turn it off quickly.

Life: 4/10 Closest game to the real thing. We managed to play two games of this one. They actually almost pulled this one off except the game makes you press "A" for so many notifications it takes a lot of the fun of the "flow" of the game. For instance, you will get a notification, "It is your turn, press A", then you press A again to spin, then you land on a place on the board, "This is how to play this game notification, press a to play", Now you play a mini game where you press A again 5-6 times, *end of turn*, "You have $100, opponent %10, end of turn press A".

I would go on with some of the other games, but I think this proves my point.

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So far, we have tried most of the games on these 2 disks and they simply aren't worth the time that it takes to load them. The games are tedious, boring or a combination of the two! The most fun we've had was with Pictureka! but even that got boring after the first 20 minute or so. For something that held such promise this turned out to be a huge disappointment.

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My girlfriend isn't a big gamer so I bought this game for us because I thought it would be a good beginner for her. We like it alot and play it every so often. Also, I have 12 nieces and nephews so it's great for the kids. No violence or swearing, just good'ol competitive board gaming on the xbox haha it's a good time. Definitely worth the money.

Honest reviews on Hasbro Family Game Night Fun Pack - Xbox 360

Family Game Night one from XBox Live was great. The original versions of the games were well done and the new versions of each game added to the variety. They had replayability, ease of play and most importantly fun going for them. There is a reason that these 10 games were not included in the original set and are crammed together on this hastily compiled edition: they aren't much fun.

One thing that the original game did poorly was presentation. The long load times to load the game, get through the menus, to load each game all took too long. Mr. Potato Man was not a benefit but popped up and hindered game play. Fortunately, you can turn him off for many of the games. This game, Collections 2 and 3, suffer from the same issues plus the two games are not combined on the disc and you have to quit one then load the second. It makes little sense since the XBox Live version of the first game had a tiled wall and the extra games would just add to the wall (your menu.) Why couldn't all ten of these games be added to one wall?

Unfortunately, game play isn't great either. As you would expect, there is no way to play the original versions of some of these games. How can you play Twister on your TV? You can't so it's now just a button pushing game. Jenga tries to work, but real gravity and real touch cannot yet be replicated. So we get new versions of the games, which are really just the name of the game with a what-could-be-done mini game. Disappointing.

The game comes with Operation, Jenga, Bop-It, Connect 4x4, Pictureka, The Game of Life, Clue, Twister, Mouse Trap and Yahtzee Hands Down but the best of the games, Connext and Pictureka can be downloaded on XBox Live and added to Family Game Night one. But even the best games on this compilation fall flatter than a ruined game of Jenga after just a few minutes of play. If you don't believe me then download the demos on Live Marketplace.

If you want board games to play get the real ones. If you must have them for your Xbox 360, then get Family Game Night one from the Xbox Live Marketplace. I don't recommend this game.

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This game is really fun when you have time to play it. It's even more fun when you can get at least one other person to play with you. It brought back childhoos memories of all the board games I used to play as a kid!

Discount King of Fighters 2002/2003 - Xbox

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Looks like I'll be the first to review this item. This game actually includes two games. One KoF 2002 and KoF 2003. 2002 is good, a little hard here and there but nothing serious. It has a large selection of characters, even ones from the first Art of Fighting. Ryo and Robert. The best one in my opinion is KoF 2003, because it actually has a storyline! :0 KoF hasn't had a storyline since 98' I believe. But it has a bit less in character choices, but offers more dynamic gameplay in return. Terry also has a new look. You can also play as King! The powerfull fighter I haven't seen in a KoF besides this one. King is from Art of Fighting too. Ash is also available to play as. As well as Shingo, Kyo, and Iori. Two possible endings are available (I don't know if they're more.) one rarer than the other. So buy it now! It IS the King of Fighting Games.

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I just want to inform anyone else who is wondering. Only 2002 works for the 360. 2003 doesn't work, but for some reason the xbox website says they both work.

I love this game, even though I can only play 2002. The only gripe I have with KOF 2002 is the graphics. And it's probably because of the 360's backwards compatibility, but on the 360 when you play the game, you can clearly see grid lines on pretty much every character. I don't know if that's how it is the original xbox, but that's how it looks on the 360. It's more noticeable on some characters than others. I can look past it, but can you?

And 2002 is uncensored, which means there's blood and Mai's bounce.

Best Deals for King of Fighters 2002/2003 - Xbox

Bought it to play on my 360. King of Fighters is one of my favorite series and I have fond memories of the late 90's early 2000's playing them at the arcade before and after we went to movies for hours.

Honest reviews on King of Fighters 2002/2003 - Xbox

if you love classic 2-d fighting games. this game will definately suffice. not overly original, but top notch none the less. this is precisely what you'd expect from SNK.

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Let me start out by saying I had this game on the original Xbox and loved it. SNK makes awesome fighters, especially the KOF series. I sold my Xbox and all the games a few years ago when I went off to college. A few months ago I picked up a 360 Elite and decided to get my fighters' collection going again. Backwards compatibility was one of the selling points, and the Xbox website has this game as listed 360 compatible. Silly me to just confide in that alone. But after all, my Street Fighter Anniversary works perfectly on my 360, so I expected nothing different for this game. Well, the KOF 2002 disc is VERY glitchy. Parts of backgrounds glitch in and out and the arms and legs of characters disappear during gameplay. There are grids that appear over top of the characters. The KOF 2003 disc is completely unreadable. At first, I thought I just had defective software. I drove over to my friend's house who still has his original Xbox and both discs played perfectly. After searching the web, I came across other people who've had the same problem. There is even a Wiki page dedicated to how well each original Xbox game plays on the 360. I wish I had done my research first rather than blindly believe what the Xbox website showed.

Some people may find it unfair for me to rate the game so low when it is an awesome game but just not compatible with the 360. This is how I see it; I am reviewing the overall product in its entirety; KOF 2002/2003 on Xbox is advertised as being compatible/ playable on the 360 by Microsoft themselves. I bought the game on this pretense. It proved to be false, and since I no longer have an original Xbox, this game is no good to me. I still rated it 5 stars for fun since it is in and of itself an awesome game, and if Microsoft were true to their word and it was compatible, I would've given it 5 stars overall.

For anyone who does have an original Xbox and is a fighting game fan, I'm sure you already have this game and know how sweet it is. And if you decide to get a 360, hold on to your original Xbox 'cause 360 'backwards compatibility' is a joke.

Best Risen 2 Dark Waters X360 Deals

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $14.89
Today's Bonus: 63% Off

Very fun pirate game way better then the first one. lots to do. if you like pirate games an rpg then this game is fore you.

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Pros:

The idea behind the game is sooo good. Piratical Adventure Fantasy -RPG ...yeah!

The quests are ok, and I like the theiving thing.

Mehs:

Controls aren't complex.

Cons:

It's slow. Excrutiatingly slow. walk all over the island(s).. walk walk walk ...of course you can fast travel.....somewhat

You're always on an island... wheres the sailing the high seas...

Voodoo magic? Bah, barely useful.

imagery... some of it looks ... blurred to me, tree leaves look like stretched blobs of various greens.

In short, this game could have been way better and it's got a 3 star from me purely because of the idea behind it.. otherwise, it'd be 1 to 2 star. Having said that, some people might really enjoy this some of the imagery is good.. the quests are ok

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 - Xbox 360 Reviews

Customer Ratings:

The first thing you'll notice is the complete graphics overhaul from 08 that completely immerses you a truly Hi-def golfing realm with the most detailed and beautiful courses you'll ever witness designed down to a "Tee" to their real-life counterparts. I was blown away by the 08 to 09 screen-shot comparison, needless to say 09 blows 08 out of the water hazard. And when I say overhaul, EA really went out of their way to make this a Golf Graphical masterpiece and that's not even touching upon Tiger's rep for uncanny ability to produce drug-like addictive game play that can only be subsided with therapy.

As typical to recent Tiger tradition, this game uses the thumb-stick to simulate your swing; pull back and push forward as straight as you can to take a flawless swing. The further and longer you pull back on your backswing, the higher percentage of power will be applied to your shot. If you pull or push slightly to the right or left with your thumb-stick motion, you will end up slicing or hooking your shot in varying degrees depending on how bad you shanked one. Last year's gameplay suffered because it was so finely tailored to your thumb-stick motion that you had to be insanely precise and accurate with your swing in order to have a decent day on the golf course often leaving your blood boiling in frustration. Holes-in-ones and chip-ins were a rare-breed. 09 relaxed a bit and is more forgiving with the thumb-stick swing and accuracy. What I really like this year is that it displays your thumb-stick motion with lines (one for backstroke & one for follow-through) on the ball icon at the bottom left to show you exactly what you are doing right or wrong which allows you to re-adjust if needed for your next shot. Brilliant. This same ball icon also shows you how much extra power you put on your swing (Tap A during you backswing to add power to your shot), the percentage power of your shot (how far you took your backswing) and the spin on your ball (Tap A while ball is flight and a direction).

For the first time since Tiger's debut, you do not have to start from the bottom of the attributes barrel; no more starting at the beginner level and move your way up from scratch. Depending on how well you perform in the intro-training mode with Coach Haney will determine your initial skill level. If you played Tiger before (which I'm sure most of reading this have), your skill should be nowhere near the "Beginner" level. If you are Tiger vet like myself, you should start the game at somewhere in the "Pro" or "Master" level. If you are new to the game, don't panic as this game teaches everything you need to know with Tutorials with Coach Haney and, trust me, leaves plenty of room for improvement. What is also new, and you may dislike or like this feature, is the fact each attribute (four total) and your overall skill level can increase or decrease (*new) depending on how well you played the previous course. In previous versions, you could only improve upon attributes. This year, if you play crappy, expect your attributes, where you executed poorly, to go down. Further to boot, Coach evaluates your performance at end of a course or play and gives you the appropriate attribute training sessions on areas where he feels you need improvement. Choose to train or not, it's up to you -Coach is just trying to further improve your game. This new skill concept certainly draws this game closer to real golf (even Tiger has bad days) and makes for almost an endless challenge.

The four attribute levels, compressed from previous versions, are: Power, Accuracy, Short Game and Putting. Also, you will have an Average Skill (an average of all four attribute skill levels) rated zero to ten (0-10). If you are smashing drives straight, look for your power and accuracy to increase. If you're shanking drives into the woods, look to botch your power and accuracy skill.

Also for the first time (I love new features), you can tune your clubs. Not happy with your accuracy, increase the sweet spot of the club ultimately giving you more control but sacrificing power or vice versa. You can also tweak loft, spin, fade and draw. Tune club mode puts you on a driving range, allowing you to tune the club in question and then immediately test it out on the range. Too much draw, no problema -tweak it until that baby is hitting straight. Do you need to counteract your slice with a slight draw here's the spot to do it. More power less control, yup. Do you want more loft on your short game irons to place the ball dead accurate near the cup, you got it -tweak and tune your clubs to match your style.

Character creation and customization: One of Tiger's strong suits lie with player progression and customization. Nothing new, with tiger this year as last, you have an infinite number of options to create a character so that your avatar in the game almost identically matches your real life counterpart right down to the mole on your forehead. You can use the infamous Gamernet to upload your picture and face-capture your mug in a 3D rendering onto the game. Further customize your mug and player by inputting style of hair, clothes, height, weight etc. Game play, depending on how you play, will give you credits towards accessories, clubs and clothes to purchase to further develop your character .

Commentary: With a new face comes a new voice, 09 has changed a long tradition by switching commentators. The hilarious mockumentary and savviness offered by McCord and Faherty are out and will certainly be missed. Their refreshing, witty dry humor made you laugh and shone light even if you were having a bad day on the course. I won't deduct too many points though because it seems those guys were around Tiger for a long time and hearing different voices, at least at first, is refreshing but obviously not as humorous. Kelly Tillman and Sam Torrance are up to bat now and although uber-savvy in the world of golf lack in adding any new depth, excitement and humor. All is not lost, they offer great commentary, history, advice and still let you know when you are awful.

"New Courses and Golfers-Test your skills on new courses, including Gary Player Country Club in South Africa, Wentworth Country Club in England, and more, while international stars Se Ri Pak, Darren Clarke, and others join the competition." Amazon.com. Yes Yes and Yes!

Update: After Coach Haney's initial evaluation (one for every attribute: Driving, Accuracy, Short Game and Putting), he will give you an initial rating with a maximum rating of 4 (out of 10). No, you won't be able to be a perfect 10 at the start the game regardless of how well you perform in training. After all, what fun would that be. It leaves room to truly master your game. Play a round in a tournament or take on the Tiger Challenge to increase your attributes. If you've played Tiger before, it won't be long before you reach an average skill of 8 or 9. If you are close to 10, you've mastered and had a flawless streak. The challenge is to be within a certain distance on consistent basis. Even if you are scoring low, if you're not target, your rating will indeed suffer. If your game needs some work, you'll be a 7 and if are a rookie to the series, you be at the 6 or below. The great thing about Tiger, whether new to it or not, it gives plenty of opportunities to improve and more importantly makes you keep coming back for more.

Tiger Challenge has been overhauled and its welcomed change. Instead of a going through a Dynamic Challenge Tree where you select which direction to go in, this time you have to earn enough points to face the boss (PGA Star) of that stage. Each stage as 8+ challenges that you can play to earn points to face the boss. Once the boss of that stage is beaten, you move onto the next level until you ultimately reach Tiger Woods himself. This makes it more linear than the previous versions but it still fun and challenging nonetheless. If anything, Tiger Challenge is a fast way to earn cash to purchase new clothes and equipment.

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First, I must say that I am a HUGE fan of the Tiger Woods games. I have always enjoyed each years release and have never been disappointed with any version save for the number of courses included (more on that later).

-The new dynamic ability system is fantastic. I have good days and bad days on the course in real life and it does impact my overall ability so it is nice to see this included in the game. Some people will hate this though as it does punish you if you have a really bad round and forces you to place importance on EVERY shot regardless of whether you are in the hunt or not.

-Graphicsthere is definitely a noticeable improvement in the graphics. The course textures are more detailed and varied and the lighting has been improved 10 fold which gives the whole course a real nice look and casts some really gorgeous shadows from the trees. The water is insanely beautiful. The only downside is the trees. While they are much improved over last years version there are times when some of them are downright ugly. What makes them look worse is that the rest of the course is so beautifully rendered.

-The sound effects are great as always with a plethora of diverse environmental sounds on every hole. The cheers from the crowd sound good as well. As stated in another review on Amazon, it would have been nice to be able to turn off the crowd and just listen to the course sounds so it feels more authentic to when you go out in real life. The commentary is awful as always so I just turn it off.

-Club tuning is now a feature in Tiger Woods and I like it quite a bit. It feels very authentic going to the range and tweaking how your clubs work and it definitely has an impact on the game, at least it does for me.

-Courses I believe there are 16 in this year's game which is the same number as last year. There are some great new additions like Wolf Creek and the Gary Player Country Club but there should have been at LEAST another 4 courses included. I am certain that EA will dress up some of the older courses from years past and sell them to us for 400 ms points which is just plain wrong. How about this EA? For each brand new course you want to sell to us on the marketplace include one of the older courses for free. 2 courses for 400 points sounds perfect to me.

There is also an option to actually PURCHASE items in the pro shop with ms points. A clever idea but the prices are so high that it is just not worth it because you can still just earn in game money and purchase them. I tested it out and they wanted 200 ms points for a polo shirt that provided NO bonus skill at all. Insane. They should have made these items 20-30 ms points each at most.

So there you have it, a quick rundown of my opinions on Tiger Woods 09. I am sure there is more I should have said but I want to go play now :)

Overall I highly recommend this game to anyone that remotely likes video game golf. I am VERY happy with my purchase!!

PSHey EA, leave Take Two alone. You already own too much and have ruined countless games. Bioshock and GTA do not need your unrealistic corporate deadlines interfering with product quality!!

Best Deals for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 - Xbox 360

The other reviewers did an excellent job describing the game for people who've never played TW before. My review will be short and sweet for those who have played in the last few years. Basically I bought 09 because of all the people not satisfied with 10. I mean, I got it for about $15 on Amazon. I figured for $15 there were enough changes to warrant playing it over the dusty 08 sitting on the shelf.

That being said, there isn't a whole lot to rave about. Perhaps I didn't notice an upgrade in graphics because I recently bought an HD TV and (perhaps wrongly) attribute the increase to that alone. Suffice it to say, the graphics are good.

For me, the club tuner is fluff. It really doesn't add much to the game. For instance, one of the tunable attributes is loft. Tuning for loft is the equivalent of simply choosing another club! In essence, each tunable feature reduces the "sweet spot", which in turn makes you rely more heavily on spin to correct a poor shot. In reality, you may only NEED the tuner to get past some challenges to score points (long drives, getting over trees etc), it won't improve your score during normal game play. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't take away from the game at all, but it shows how far they need to go just to say the game has "improved" over past years. I would trade the club tuner for more courses any day.

Perhaps the most important thing about 09 is there isn't really anything major to complain about which is a plus now-a-days. The game is solid and worth adding to your collection at today's low prices. And if you're buying your first TW, this is probably the one to get.

Honest reviews on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 - Xbox 360

There is no doubt Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 has beautiful graphics and great game play but it's pretty much been that way since 06. My main beef is the fact that the game case clearly says co-op 2 for regular and online play, but I see no difference from past Tiger Woods PGA Tour's!!! The game should include co-op in regards to the career mode so my buddies and I can play the tour together... Playing mini-games against one another gets old quick! But playing on the same tourney or tour with a friend gaining career attributes etc against the computer is more constructive and full filling! Again great game but I recall co-op tour play on Fox Sports Golf circa 99' PS1 so being that Tiger Woods has a monopoly on golf games for the Xbox 360 I guess I'll just have to accept it and hope they wise up and include co-op tour play.

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Game is fun to play, real courses & more real golfers. Online gaming is great. The only drawback is the swing control for expert clubs. You have to hit almost perfect to hit strait. Other than that it is great.