Spongebob Boating Bash - Nintendo Wii Reviews

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List Price: $19.99
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Bought this game for my seven yr old son was quite skeptical about buying anything with Spongebob in the title after the PS2 games I have bought. This game is both demo derby and racing, up to four players, with different combinations of derby/racing and is relatively challenging for even myself. Overall very very fun.Spongebob Boating Bash

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I purchased this game on sale because my family are Spongebob fans. I have a three year old that loves playing Wii games, and I thought this would be a good family game for us to play. This is a fun game, at least for awhile. I first sat down to play this and unlock some boats and characters and within two hours had the entire game beat/unlocked. This isn't overly difficult but there seems to be enough to keep you entertained for awhile. Once I got a lot of the characters, boats and courses unlocked, we were able to play the group mode as a family and have fun. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy as well as the Invisible Boat Mobile are available for use within the game. You can also unlock Mr. Krabs and Plankton.

There are variations on the games you can play but ultimately it comes down to smashing other boats. It can be a little tricky to go back and collect the parts after you smash but that's part of the game. My daughter got a little bored with this after 20 minutes, and I would say it didn't take me too much longer. Overall it's a fun, not very deep game. I think as long as you don't pay more than $30 for it, it's worth having for the family if you are Spongebob fans. I will give them credit for not trying to make this like so many other "racing" games...it's unique and different.

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Bought this game for my 5 yr old. Was fun at first, but the game is fairly basic in design. I would highly recommend Mario Kart or Sonic All-Star Racing as an alternative if you don't already have them.

Honest reviews on Spongebob Boating Bash - Nintendo Wii

My son and I love SpongeBob so we were really disappointed after playing this game. We actually have a plug and play SpongeBob racing game that is quite fun, but this fell way short. I would not recommend this. Really poor game play and extremely difficult controls, especially for children.

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This is a very fun game. My daughter play's it everyday. She loves it and the things the characters say are so funny to hear..

Highly recommend this game to others.

Cheap Bass Pro Shops: The Strike Bundle with Fishing Rod -Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

At first pass this game might not seem like much, but after I learned all the moves (there is a tutorial in career mode) I began to really get excited about this game. The fish sometimes are stubborn, they fight hard and I have lost a lot of lures already to snags and broken lines. Also at the time of this writing, I am #37 on the largest fish caught leaderboard. Upgrading equipment makes a real difference in catching the fish, so upgrade often. The game gives good lure tips for each location and fish for those who are less than knowledgeable about what to use for each fish. The 10 locations are well-rendered with a day-cycle that has a noticeable effect on fishing.

The rod and reel control at first feels awkward and I kept fumbling for different buttons, but I soon figured out the logic.

You can somewhat customize your 'character' but a little more options such as sunglasses, hat etc would have been nice. Also once you choose your options you can't change it for that profile, but you have several profile slots.

The achievements seem pretty straight forward, especially for BPS first time out into gaming.

In future editions, we could hope to see more locations, more kinds of fish ( I was hoping for some rainbow trout), more ways to customize your character and more upgrades.

This game is NOT a deep immersive story-line, nor a thrill a second action game. What it is however is a fun, entertaining game that does it's best to realistic and engaging to anybody who has any interest in fishing. It's a game I'll keep and play long after I get the full 1000 gamerpoints...at least until the next one comes out!

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This game is really fun, and crazy addictive. The only warning I'd give is that learning to cast accurately can a be a little difficult. I also had a defective controller out of the box, so be cautious when you buy your copy of "The Strike". Overall it's a great game, and if you love to fish, you'll love playing this game.

It's one of those products that you just know is either going to suck, or be a whole lot of fun. Luckily, "The Strike" with the motion control fishing pole falls into the latter category, and is very enjoyable. Just be patient with learning how to cast!

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The Game overall is good. The new fishing controller for the 360 I think is lacking responsivness. I think the Wii controller would be better. I got it for the 360 for mainly graphics, but also becuase it seemed to have a better overall controller. But the graphics aren't that good for an xbox 360 game. I would compare the graphics to that on the Wii. The making of your character is really weak, just a few options, but I expected that. The casting is pretty difficult if you don't go through the tutorial first...But I think the casting action for this game is unnecessary. Its not like a smooth cast as if you were actually fishing but I guess that just adds more difficulty to the game....

****THE GOOD**** The game is fun, the career mode is really good. You start out like a regular angler that has a $ gift card to Bass Pro Shop. So you go in and buy the lures you want, which has a lot better selection of lures unlike the other fishing games. The catching of the fish is hard sometimes but you get the hang of it. The bass tourny's in the game are realistic so they are hard if you can't find the fish, but very fun. So overall I think they did a good job my only complaint is the controller, it think they could have done better, but it is still a good setup. Hope this helped you and you enjoy. Thanks for reading.

Honest reviews on Bass Pro Shops: The Strike Bundle with Fishing Rod -Xbox 360

Purchased this game with a big savings from getting at Best Buy or Walmart game came fast and packaging was a little hurried i thought but still the game and fishing rod is a blast. Took about an hour to figure out how to cast the thing the instructions in the book are not too clear so would reccomend getting online and watching the tuturial that is availabe by video. Once you have the casting down it is a blast i have never fished with a lure before and this is a good training tool for that purpose and when you do get a bite the rod feels just like a real rod with a fish fighting on the end .. the fish sometimes leap out of the water when putting up a good fight!. the fishing rod is made of plastic and could of been made better as it feels like it might break at any given moment .. but as for realism -hands down the best fishing game out there.

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Purchased for christmas and have enjoyed playing it. Have not mastered how to bring in large fish in pro setting. Have caught 50 pounders, but system will not let you catch certain fish. overall a very good game.just short.

Buy Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny

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I found this game to be more fun that any other RPG I've played. While the story doesn't keep you on the edge of your seat, it is interesting and takes many unforseen and amusing turns. The items system is the best thing about this game. It is based off of the use of alchemy, where you create items as Visse using components. Once you have unlocked an item by creating it once, you can make more of them wherever you are using elements which are found across the world. The result is that you are not afraid to use items, which makes the game far more enjoyable. At the same time, money is still important as you need it to buy recipies so you can create armor, accessories, and more expendable items. I suppose the item system makes the game less challenging, but I was too busy having fun to notice.

The battle system is innovative, and still remains simple. You can use a break attack, which delays the enemies turn and can allow you to do critical damage if you keep the enemy broken. You can use a charge attack which increases your skill bar, allowing your team to use powerful special attacks or healing magic. Or you can a skill or item. Simply breaking an enemy is not a path to victory, as bosses will not stay broken for long and will just bash you while you are doing small amounts of damage because you are not using skills. Against normal enemies, they show up in groups so it is rare you can keep them all broken unless they are so weak they die in one or two hits anyway. A combination of breaking, charging, and skills is required to effectively defeat enemies.

A large part of the game is spent playing as Viesse on Eden where there are no battles. However, even this part is surprisingly fun. As Viesse you go around Eden making pacts with Mana spirits to increase your alchemy abilities and to help the people who live there. Her part of the game is primarily character development as you learn about those who live on Eden and what Felt, the other main character, is up against.

The characters are an amusing group of rebels freeing a Kingdom that has been conquered by a foreign empire. The graphics are not amasing, but suit the world very well. The voiceovers add alot to that characters, giving them a great deal of personality. Between the item system and the skill bar systems, I never found myself worried that I'm running low on mana and items deep into the dungeon. Overall, I would describe this game as easy and convenient. It's the kind of game that doesn't challenge you too much, but also doesn't have any of those frustrating moments that usually accompany a more challenging title.

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I'm an RPG buff, through and through. I've been playing RPGs ever since Dragon Warrior I and I just love a certain style to my RPGs. I played Atelier Iris 1 and, while the game was enjoyable, it had flaws. It seems that those flaws, all of them, were fully addressed in part 2.

The positives:

if you're an SNES fan this game is right up your alley, as the games feel like they're fresh from that system, just with anime clips throughout.

The music is outstanding. It just gets better and better with time, like a fine wine.

The storyline is a little confusing at first, but as you progress through the game, you'll unravel quite the thread and everything will start to make sense.

Dialogue is hilarious at times. Especially with a certain other character who keeps messing up Felt's name, and even at one point calling him Klein (from Atelier Iris 1).

Felt can actually fight on his own, unlike Klein who was useful for only one thing alchemy. This got you killed, because Klein was the only one who could revive others with items. If he died, your battle was done. In this one, there are revival items that anyone can use, plus ones that Felt OR Viese can use. Much improved.

The bad:

Viese is horrible to use at first. All she does in the beginning of the game is make items for Felt to use during his quest in the opposite world. Though some of her storylines are interesting, it starts to get old. Fortunately, a plot twist will happen which will finally thrust her into the real gameplay, and that's when the game starts to get really interesting.

Either Felt is a pimp or something's wrong with the game direction. Viese seems to think of Felt like a brother who she's attracted to, as sick as that sounds. The other females in the story seem to be attracted to Felt but don't really show it, and Felt is just in the center kinda breezing through with no real bond to any of them.

The map was removed in exchange for a point-and-click interface. You tell them where to go and they go there, and new locations are opened as you progress through the story. I call this a negative because I like free roam, though I understand why they did it; it speeds up the game play significantly.

Do I recommend this game? Absolutely. The best part is that you don't need to have played part 1 to understand part 2, it just gives you a little bit of insight, but part 2 is light years ahead of part 1 in terms of gameplay and graphics.

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Game keeps you thinking all the time about every aspect. Always something to do and remember. Great for number crunchers and people who like long lasting RPGs. 60-70 hours game play when maxed out stats. Great game to come back to.

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Very enjoyable game.Make your own accesories and synthesize your weapons. Excellant story line.

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thou this game is cliche its game play more then makes up for it and there are still shocking twist

Battlefield 4 - Xbox 360 Review

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List Price: $59.99
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Edit:

There is a patch coming out soon for Consoles that may address the freezing issues. The fun factor of this game when playing with friends rates this a 5/5 in my book, but the technical issues are such a turn-off that I literally turn off my Xbox the first time it locks up and don't bother going back.

If they can fix that, it take this game from merely "Good" to GREAT!

First things first, a compliment and the one thing I have absolutely no complaints about: The sound engine is INCREDIBLE!

The meat of the Crap Sandwich

There are lots and lots of problems. Capital 'L' LOTS. These issues are anecdotal, and vary be user experience but there is an EA support page that has vetted issues across multiple scenarios, again, and anecdotal but every one of my friends are having issues in some fashion. Playing last night (11/15/13) we were all booted from various servers at various points of time (loading in, playing, checking the score, changing maps)

This game is obviously half-cooked on current gen consoles, and according to the support thread PC players are not exempt. There have been server patches but no client patch on 360/PS3 yet.

The dirty truth:

-Random Freezing: During map cycles, during "Levelution" events, during server join, during round changes, during, "just standing there". This is absolutely freaking unacceptable in a retail release. This is some entry level QA stuff right here. They knew about this and let it release anyway. Shame on them.

-No party feature: I have to get a little teenager-y here but, Seriously! WHAT THE HELL? Dice has always missed the mark on this in their BF games on console, but this is just too much. In 2013, when every top tier release since 2006 has had a party system that isn't bass-ackwards, I simply can't understand the thinking behind this.

They also pulled Platoon's from Battlelog. DOUBLE WHAT THE HELL

-Graphical step back: If you need proof to see that the 360/PS3 are at the end of their run for pushing the graphical envelope in newer games, look no further. Halo 4, this ain't. When you've played every map a handful of times, you'll stop noticing or caring. There's stuff to blow up.

-No pre-game customization: I hate Battlelog, you shouldn't be forcing me to use my computer or tablet to organize stuff when I'm playing the damn game. During battle is not the time to force people to mess with their loadouts. This is, frankly, just stupid.

-Loadout Screen: The loadout screen is garbage. Pure garbage. I'm not unintelligent, I can navigate it, I can make it work. Somebody is in love with their UI design, and somebody has forgotten that you design this stuff for the players benefit, not your ego.

-LET ME EDIT MY CLASSES BETWEEN ROUNDS. Christ almighty how is this a hard concept?

-The UI: The UI sucks. It's a mess of menus and menus and more menus. Open up a menu? LOOK MORE MENUS! Say the work menu enough and you'll start to question your sanity.

-Battlelog: SeriouslyEA, DICE? NOBODY LIKES BATTLELOG. If you like Battlelog, great. I hate you. For realsies, guise, I'm super-cereal, I won't play this game on the PC where it arguably is superior on all fronts because of how bad Battlelog is. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND BACKING A FAILED HORSE LIKE THIS. Quit floggin this dead animal.

The Battlelog App sucks, reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally bad. I've queried all my friends, and so far between the Ipad 3, Nexus 7, 7.2, an overclocked HP Touchpad, and some random Samsung thingy, the Battlelog app is Crap. It's a cr(app)

The Good stuff:

When this game works, and you aren't fighting against the design to actually get in a match a play it with friends, it's a blast. They've stepped back some of the design changes that were brought about in Battlefield 3, and changed the all-around feel of it, to more Bad Company 2, than Battlefield 3.

There are still flashlights that can blind in dark corridors, red-dot lasers that act as a "SHOOT HERE" target beacon, and some weirdness on the sniping front that could use some tweaking. When the game is working the way it should, it's a 5/5.

Thanks for making 5-man fire teams a thing, and thanks for bringing back Commander

Miscellaneous: I am constantly baffled by the design decisions they've made starting with BF3.

We should just start calling it Bafflefield.

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I started playing Battlefield with Bad Company 2. I loved it and pre-ordered BF3. I've enjoyed BF3 so much that I also preordered BF4. This is where my preordering days will come to a stop. I was expecting a gaming experience at least on par with BF3, but sadly this is a huge step down.

I only play multiplayer so my review will be based solely on that. On release day I expect server problems, and to a degree I can deal with those, I know they will get better in a few days. The problem is not with the servers, it is with the game as a whole. Half-baked would be putting it kindly. First there is the freezing. In the two hours I played last night my console froze four times, I had to reboot. Second there is no pre-game squad system. Want to play a match with friends? Too bad. You have to try to find a server that is empty enough so friends can try to join on you before the server fills up. Third, good luck finding a server. The server browser is a joke. I filter so it isn't supposed to show me full servers, but it does anyway and I have to scroll through hundreds of them to find an open server. That is once you actually get the list, it can take minutes just for it to load. So just do a quick match, right? Wrong, I got nothing but network errors when trying this.

So what about the gameplay, that has to be much better you say. Wrong again. The graphics are really poor. I know there is a new generation of consoles coming out and it SHOULD be much better on those, but those aren't out yet and you're charging full price for the current gen. The graphics should be at least on par with BF3. Enemies are very hard to see, everything seems to be washed out, textures are non-existent, there are no hit markers, the weapon customization is overly complicated and the list goes on.

So Dice and EA I'll throw you a bone and give this one star. But only because Amazon doesn't let me give you zero. I know a few of these items can be fixed with patches, but I paid full price for a complete product on day one. If companies are going to continue to go the route of shipping out incomplete software and fixing it later they should charge less day one and ramp up the cost as the game improves. You're giving users no incentive to pre order.

**Update 11/11/2013**

Returning the game. I played for about an hour tonight and it froze my console four times. I guess that is what the four in Battlefield four stands for. I give up. I want to love it, but it just hates me too much.

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And that's just the beginning: The graphics are worse than BF3, the gameplay is stilted, and the glaringly obvious fault that nobody wants to say:

1. DICE just wanted to cash in on people wanting an Xbox One launch title before the One was released. They got $100 from me. Too bad I hadn't just donated it to Wounded Warriors Project. Maybe I just need to grow up and stop gaming entirely.

2. This will affect my decision to buy an Xbox One. If the BF4 online experience is this bad, what value does Xbox Live have for me? Just another bill, like this game.

It's cruel for me to give a one star rating, it really is, considering the massive amount of development and potential this game has. But I'm not buying potential, and like any game critic will tell you: NEVER SHIP INCOMPLETE GAMES!!!

This game is such a chore to try to play, and impossible to play online with anyone on your friends list, that I'd rather just go to the office and catch up on work. Seriously.

Honest reviews on Battlefield 4 - Xbox 360

I've always been a FPS fan. I've played all the COD's, BF, Halo's etc. I really liked BF3, with a few minor complaints, but overall a favorite so I was excited for this to come out. A lot of reviewers talking about the washed out colors and lack of texture and they are completely right. Even on a gaming monitor through HDMI and on all graphics settings I feel like I'm playing a XBOX (original) game. The online matching system is a joke. The weapon customization is frustrating and hard to figure out at first. I'm halfway through the campaign and it's just ok. Usually BF games have an awesome storyline while other FPS games I buy for multiplayer, but I'm debating just stopping now. It's a bit boring.

For how much I was excited for this game, I'm really disappointing. I hope I don't get let down by COD ghosts as well.

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EA has demonstrated yet again their regard for their customers. This title (just like last year) hardly works on release. I'm 32 years old and am too proud to continue supporting a company that lies to me year after year just to get sales. I'm done with EA. They have ZERO excuse on this one. It's the same console, the same online system, and the game is almost completely the same. What excuse do they have for core features to not work?

In fact, as a customer of 10 years, I'm going to demand that Amazon refund my money on this. Maybe that will get some attention from EA.

Bugs: Impossible to play with your friends. There's not even a menu option to join as party. Joining "on top" of eachother, one at a time, results in the "command slot not available" bug.

Often impossible to join a game single player

Server browsing seems completely broken. No matter what filters you choose there are no results

No sound in helicopter (same bug in BF3)

Graphics are worse than on BF 3 as well.

Buy Asura's Wrath - Xbox 360

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The game looks great. REALLY great. But you already know that, and you already know it's a essentially an interactive movie. I don't see any reviews on here yet though pointing out that the game is only 75% here. To get the final act you HAVE to buy DLC. Disappointing tactic on Capcom's part, double dipping is never cool. Treat it as a $75 dollar game, not a $60 dollar game.

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People are either gonna love or hate this game, simple as that. Play the demo, it is definitely an accurate representation of what you are in store for. If you love anime like I do, well this is basically an anime, episodes and all, that involves the viewer, and makes the epic moments feel that much more epic, because you are instructed to press certain buttons. For instance, when Asura is punching rapidly, you may be instructed to press b rapidly. It really makes you feel the energy and emotions of the character. There's a little energy shooting and free-fighting too, that you could compare to any hack and slash, but this barely ever happens. The graphics are sweet and everything from the story to the visuals are over-the-top. Is it worth full price? No, you should wait a bit for a drop in price. I'm rating it 5, b/c Asura's Wrath accomplishes everything it sets out to do and then some. Definitely not a game for gamers, if that makes any sense, although maybe a gamer would find the unique approach refreshing.

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There are good games, and there are bad games. And typically you can make a recommendation to someone based off your primary complaints about the game itself. Asura's Wrath on the other hand is a little bit different.

If you're looking for something to play and are considering "Buying This Game" you may want to give this a miss. However if you are considering "Purchasing This Title" then you may want to read on. It's really the difference between a "game" (which you play) and a title (that you watch). The reality is that Asura's Wrath is only about 40% actual gameplay. The vast majority of the experience is spent watching the story unfold, and occasionally pressing a button or two (a'la God of War), which makes it hard to call this a "game" in the truest definition of the word.

Now the good news is that the both the story and gameplay (what little there is) are actually pretty good.

The story is your typical over-the-top anime. If you've ever read Masamune Shirow's "Orion" you're going to be right at home, as the story has that whole Buddhist/Shinto style of sci-fi as it's foundation. Outside of that it's your run of the mill protagonist curling his arms and yelling at the sky while he gets all powered up/glowing/on fire... while everybody wonders how he got all super powerful, right before he punches them through a mountain, etc. You know the drill. As much as it's not the most original kind of anime based story...it's not all that bad to be honest. They also break up each "stage" into more appropriately titled "Episodes". Each has a intro credit screen (even though it's the same info each time) to give it the feeling like you're watching a series of custom made animations. Which isn't too clever and can get annoying, but at the same time you can see why they did it that way.

The other bit of good news is that when you do actually get the opportunity to actually play the game it's fun. It's not deep, complex or really all that challenging. There's basically two types of gameplay = you're either going to be running around in a small arena/area punching enemies in a 3rd person style beat-em up, and/or playing a rail shooter. And while neither of these are mind-blowing per-se, it's that mindless kind of fun that is a great way to pass a Sunday afternoon. The only real downside is that when you do actually play the game...it makes you wish that they had done more with it, and that there was more of it. The gameplay really doesn't effect the way the experience unfolds that much either which can also be a bit of a bummer.

So if you like anime/manga like Orion or Naruto and enjoy the occasional mindless-easy-play-through kind of experience then Asura's Wrath is def worth checking out. If you've got any sort of expectations of paying money for a deep gameplay experience then this would officially be something to pass on.

Honest reviews on Asura's Wrath - Xbox 360

Let me start of by saying that with all of the reviews that I had read/watched I was expecting something along the lines of Heavy Rain, or TellTale's The Walking dead in terms of gameplay. However that is not the case, while this isn't an action game such as Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, or even God of War (as in you do not unlock, and master long difficult combos) it is still quite the action game. The action is quick, fast flashy, and fun. I honestly have no idea how you could not have fun with the gameplay as it is exactly how I described, and I find it sad to see some other supposed "action" games get less trash whilst having simpler combos, and slower gameplay.

I'll next talk about the style, which I will briefly say was absolutely fantastic. The amount of detail in each, and every character model is just stunning, it truly captures a manga look like I've never seen done before. The diverseness of the models is also quite impressive when you see how much detail is put into each, and every inch of the character. While the environment can be a little low res sometimes in the ship parts, the far off shots, explosions, lights, and the entirety of the scenery more than makes up for it in my opinion.

I'll quickly interject before I get to the story that the soundtrack was also top of the notch. Each, and every tune really felt like it had meaning behind it, and the over all epicness, and grandness of the sound is just a joy to absorb.

Lastly the story (Don't worry no spoilers) was absolutely fantastic. It really gives you the feel of the more modern action anime such as Naruto, and Bleach. While that may be a problem to some as it falls into some tropes that those anime also fall into, I never got a negative vibe from it, I felt sad when I was supposed to, happy when I was supposed to, laughing when I was supposed to, and most importantly angry when I was supposed to be (Which as the name implies you will be for a majority of the game).

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Does it worth the 25$ (with the final episode) I paid for it?

Yes, every peny. Rarelly I've felt the level of satisfaction I had after playing Asura's Wrath (Prince of Persia trilogy comes to my mind)

But... What is it Asura's Wrath? (AW from now on)

Well, as you might have read already, AW is more like an Interactive Anime. What does this mean? You can't change the course of the story, you rarelly die and the story develops even if you do nothing (most of the time)

STORY AND OTHER ELEMENTS:

The story is plain awesome. If you like anime then you're going to love AW, if you hate anime then stay away from it. I highly recommend to download the final chapter because it contains the real end. I was very satisfied with the story and the voie acting. Being it a japanese product highly influenced by anime, you can expect lots of screams and dramatic camera angles. The face gestures were perfect for every situation and they were rendered with extreme care. It almost appears as if they were trying to make a movie instead of a game.

The game is separated in episodes (a la tv show) and each episode even has its "middle part" with an intermission between parts that show you some art of the game (like japanese anime) It was a nice touch and does not interrupt the fight. They use it between scenes and never in the middle of dialogues or combat.

THE GAMEPLAY:

The gameplay was (as I said) limited. You do not do that much in the game, most of the time you're watching the dialogues and how the story develops and all of a sudden, QTE!!! (Quick time events) The game also has some parts where you can fight enemies (a la hack and slash but only with your fists, there are no weapons in the game... you need no weapons) and other times you have to press the inputs asked in the screen, might be a button or a button mashing or stick(s) movement. All the boss fights feel solid and this ones are a mix of the 3 things aforementioned: Free style combat, QTE, ButtonMash (at least most of them). No boss fight left me asking for more.

I would give the game a 4.5 stars because I have to be honest, I kinda hoped for a little more free style combat but even if it lacked a little in this field, I don't think the game deserves 4 stars so I rounded it to 5.

REPLAY VALUE

Kinda low. It comes from beating the game on a higher difficulty (only 3 levels of diff) and from the archievements. I hoped that after beating the game you would have the opportunity to watch the whole story in a single sit (like a movie) but there is no such option (makes sense in a way because the fighting parts) The REAL replay value, in my humble opinion, comes from the desire to watch the story again.

FINAL WORDS

I must admit it is hard to describe this game because I've never played something like this. Not because the gameplay is an innovation but because it is something highly focused on telling a story and it engages you. Look at it like this. It's a nice show that you can have for 20$ and that allows you to be part of it (even if it's only a little)

I highly recommend this game to anyone who likes a good story and does not mind the anime style. Do not expect a lot of gameplay like in any hack and slash but expect a satisfying experience with a game that is like nothing you've played before.

If, after reading my review, you're interested in the game; there is only one way to really know what is it about and how does it play: Download the demo, play it and WYSIWYG. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Gioteck EX03 Bluetooth Headset for PS3 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $24.86
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program PROS:

+ Only takes 3 hours to charge, as opposed to Sony's 6 hours

+ A great low-cost alternative to the Sony PS3 headset

+ Clear sound receiving and sending

+ Comfortable fit, adjustable ear hook and microphone placement

CONS:

It's only fitted for the right ear

You have to use the charge cable with this product, PS3 cords won't work

Mute does not show on the PlayStation 3 screen

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Gioteck seems to have done their homework and improved on their previous EX-01 and EX-02 headsets. When I game online, I want to make sure that other players can hear me, I can hear them, and I can mute without too much hassle. The EX-03 meets each of my requirements.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

I was irritated by the small font in the instruction book, but that's a minor gripe.

Pairing was a little cumbersome, I had to scan my headset to register it as a Bluetooth device, whereas my Sony PS3 headset was recognized by connecting it with a USB cable.

PROS:

I was happy to see it only took 3 hours to get a full charge on the EX-03 headset, my old Sony PS3 headset took 6 hours to fully charge.

There were 3 earbuds included, and I used the smallest one. The earbud focused the sound inside my ear and was very soft, which was a vast improvement over my Sony PS3 earpiece.

When I played Little Big Planet 1 and 2 and Splinter Cell: Blacklist, all the other players could hear me without any problems, and I could hear them loud and clear.

The ear hook and microphone extension were easy to adjust to my comfort level, and even after a 2 hour stretch of gaming, this headset didn't cut into my ear or feel heavy with prolonged use. The volume up and down buttons were easy to use.

CONS:

The Gioteck EX-03 headset is only fitted for the right ear, so the lefties are out of luck on this one. It even says in the instruction manual "Unfortunately this is not possible." Truth be told, I rarely use my left ear for headset usage, but The Sony PS3 headset gave me the option to switch if I wanted to.

Don't throw away the box thinking you can use your Sony cables to charge this headset you have to use the charging cable that comes with it, nothing else works.

When I put my headset on mute, there wasn't any visual indication on my PS3 screen (which does show up for the Sony PS3 headset) instead, I would hear two descending tones about 4 seconds apart. If I wanted to turn my mic back on, I had to press the power button and I'd hear two ascending tones to indicate it was back on.

MY VERDICT:

On the whole, this is a very crisp and clear headset and does exactly what I want...allows me to hear and be heard without any discomfort. If that's what you want from a gaming headset (and you don't want to spend the extra $ for a Sony PS3 headset), then this one will get the job done.

Recommended.

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good sound. good weight. very clear. was able to use it on all my Bluetooth equipment. even my cell phone.

Best Deals for Gioteck EX03 Bluetooth Headset for PS3

This headset is a really good one for example i play modern warfare 3 and black ops 2 and it really helps because u can hear the enemy foot steps and there silenced bullets. I would recommened this mic to the call of duty players

Honest reviews on Gioteck EX03 Bluetooth Headset for PS3

I've never had an ear piece before and i really didn't want to pay for an expensive one. i saw this gio-tech and read up on it. it came in the box perfect, and was ready to go. Syncing it to my ps3 was easy and quick. i use it now to play COD and Borderlands and it has really helped my game play and being connected with my friends. mind it that it doesn't have the sound like a turtle beach but since i don't use it just for COD, it was a win/win for everything. my wallet didn't suffer, my gaming increased, and I'm far better off now. highly recommended for someone who isn't looking to spend alot but still wants a high quality ear piece.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have used other wireless headsets with my Playstation 3 and this is by far the best.

It was very easy to set up. After you set it up the Playstation doesn't have to be set up again each time.

My previous headset required a setup each time I used it. The sound quality is also way better than my previous unit.

I can hear perfectly. The mike is excellent. Some have complained the ear piece is on the large size but it fit me perfectly and I'm not a huge guy.

I highly recommend the Gioteck EX03 Bluetooth Headset for PS3.

Best Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Shadow Limited Edition Deals

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List Price: $99.95
Sale Price: $94.90
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Turtle Beach Shadow stands up well to his sibling headsets Turtle Beach Specte and Turtle Beach Phantom. Sound quality is the same you'd expect from Turtle Beach gaming headsets. Just like the other two headsets, you can go ahead and hook up Shadow to other devices. The only major difference I see is it seems to be more fragile than the other two. Therefore, if you take care of it and not be reckless, it will reward you back! The purpose of this video is to compare Shadow and Spectre. Obviously everyone's sound quality tolerance is different, therefore I did not go over that in much detail, but hopefully you will get some idea of how different(and the same) these two headsets really are.

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My brother loves them but the color on the picture looks white but it is really faded gray. The skull was a bit faded. But my brother loved them so I gave it for stars for the quality of sound :)

Best Deals for Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Shadow Limited Edition

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The name Turtle beach has come to be known for their quality headsets. While this is the first headset of this brand I own, friends of mine who own different models have been telling me how quality seems to have been decreasing recently. The picture in the Amazon product description page and or course, in the box in which these come in, depicts a sturdy good looking headset. The first thing I noticed when I got these out of the box is how different they looked and felt when compared to those pictures, they are good looking, but kind of fragile. They do not feel that flimsy, but they certainly do not feel like a high quality headset like I expected for the price, this is more evident when comparing them to my Elite headset for the PS3, this limited edition headset pales when compared to the PS3 Elite.

 

Which brings me to another point, I got so used to a wireless headset that wearing these was a pain, the amount of cables make them very uncomfortable to wear; while these cables do bring benefits like several hook up methods or a lighter headset, in my case it resulted more of an inconvenience than an advantage. My recommendation, for the same amount or money you may be able to get a wireless set. If you are into these because of them being a limited edition for Call of Duty and don't mind the lack of wireless capabilities, you will not be disappointed. The sound that comes from these is simply amazing and they are comfortable to wear; something I would like to mention, as someone who has to wear glasses, it is very difficult to find a headset that does not adjust tightly (pressing the glasses against one's ears), this does not seem to be a problem with the COD headset.

 

Additionally, you can use this with several other devices, I read somewhere they even work with a PS3 (even though these are being marketed for XBox360), I have yet to test it and will update my review if I am able to successfully use these on a PS3.

 

Overall, these perform well but I cannot help but think they are more a gimmick than anything else. As stated before, there may be better options in the same price range; for a COD fan on a budget these may be a little pricey when all you get is a wired headset with some COD designs in them. Having used both types of headsets, my recommendation would go to a wireless one.

Honest reviews on Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Shadow Limited Edition

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Turtle Beach have launched three new variations of their Call Of Duty: Ghosts headphones, and the "Shadow" version is the lowest price available, currently at $100 MSRP. While the "Phantom" and "Spectre" versions will cost you more dough, they will come with more bells and whistles, so if you're looking to spend $100 for a pair of quality headphones that sound pretty darn good, these may be the right set for you.

I have tested these with a PS3 and Xbox 360 set up, and both are serviceable and sounded fine through various games and tests. The setup is pretty self-explanatory, and they are more or less ready to go right out of the box with minimal hassle. I played the new Call of Duty, as well as Skyrim, Left 4 Dead, and Mass Effect 3 on the Xbox 360, and they actually sounded quite advanced for a headset at this price point. The ambient noise as well as gunfire, voices, and music were well-adjusted and balanced enough to really make a solid enhancement to the gameplay. Typically I have experienced worse luck on Xbox 360's with corded headphones than I do the PS3, but these sounded surprisingly good. I tested these on my PS3 with games Last Of Us, Bioshock Infinite, and Grand Theft Auto 5, and all sounded very nice. For 100 bucks, you can do a heck of a lot worse, and Turtle Beach's quality of craftsmanship comes through here.

I always have the same complaints with video game headphones, be them made from Turtle Beach, Creative Soundlabs, Tritton, Monoprice, etc., and that is the cheaper you go, the less comfort you'll have, all while having a mountain of cords to deal with. These "Shadow"s are no different, and the amount of cords and wires included here mars the experience somewhat. With all the technology out there, video game headphones just need to be cordless, and affordable. Period. These "Shadow"s present quite the challenge in cord length, so if you plan on sitting far away from your console, you may want to think twice before purchasing these. I'm assuming that most people are aware of cord length before they purchase, so this may go without saying.

I have also used the "Spectre" variation, and without going into too much detail on those here, the biggest difference between the two is comfort, and to me, that is a biggie. These headphones are pretty uncomfortable, and I wouldn't want to be wearing them for much longer than an hour at a time. They're cheap plastic with thin ear cups that don't make long periods of gaming too comfy. Again, you get what you pay for, but I feel this needs to be mentioned regardless of the price.

In summation, for 100 dollars you can't do much better than these. With their relative cheapness comes the unsightly cords and rigid physical design, but sound-wise these are of quite a high quality. One thing I love about Turtle Beach headsets is they last forever, so if duration and affordability take precedence over comfort and design, I recommend these without hesitation. I would, however, urge buyers that, if you have a few more bucks to spend, check out the "Spectre" variation, or better yet, the "Phantom"!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Shadow Limited Edition

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Turtle Beach's CoD: Ghosts Ear Force Shadow is the most affordable of a trio of new headsets released in conjunction with the latest Call of Duty offering. The primary trade-off for the lower cost of the Shadow is that they are wired vs. wireless. This restricts movement and adds some complexity to the setup, but it also means that you never need to worry about supplying or recharging batteries. So it's not automatically a bad thing just a reminder that you need to carefully consider how you'll be using them when making the choice.

One of the first things that I wanted to check out was the size of the headset itself. I've been using an older Turtle Beach (The Ear Force Delta that was co-branded with Modern Warfare 3) and while I always liked its sound and performance, the headset itself was just small enough that I never could get the earcups 100% over my ears. The Shadow has that extra bit of room so that I can do so, and the resulting comfort and blocking of outside noise is very good. The headset's frame is molded plastic that has a bit of a click-clack feel, but the hinges and connections seem to be solidly built. The earcups are soft breathable material and the top of the headband is padded. The color that appears to be white in the product shots is actually closer to light grey in person. I'm actually not a fan of the Ghosts logo, particularly on the Shadow, where it looks small, like an obligatory afterthought shoehorned into the design.

In terms of setup, the Shadow consists of the headset, a separate amplifier box (about the size of a box of Tic-Tacs) and a the cords to connect the two to whatever device you choose. The Shadow includes a number of different audio cables to support however you might have your console and A/V system configured. The main USB cable is about 6 feet long, which may be too short to support the distance between most people's console and their couch. You can also connect a second device to add to the sound mix (e.g. a phone or audio player). I tried combinations of my iPhone, a PC and an Xbox360 Slim and they were pretty easy to set up.

Sound-wise, the Shadow does very well. Of course it's not audiophile standard, but few-to-no gaming headsets are, and given the Shadow's entry-level price, the sound is better than expected. Mid and treble were clear and pretty crisp, although I found that the bass was on the light side despite the size of the Shadow's drivers. The amplifier box has separate dials for adjusting the treble and bass mix. I was able to turn up the headset's volume to about 70% before I heard any distortion and they were already well beyond the loudest I would ever consider using for a sustained amount of time.

Gaming with the Shadow also worked very well. I particularly liked the separate volume dials for game and chat sound, and having them on the amplifier box (as opposed to the headset itself) made it easy to find on the fly. Chat sound was great on my end and other reported that my voice sounded good with minimal background noise. The game sound from the headset was clear and plenty loud, although I did quickly miss the surround sound of my Ear Force Deltas (which, to be fair, were over twice as expensive as the Shadow).

For $99, you're getting a comfortable headset with good sound quality, great mic pickup, and the versatility to use with a variety of devices, including the next-generation consoles. Given my experience with Turtle Beach quality, this makes them a good investment. If you're a CoD fan, then the branding touches make it a no-brainer.

Reviews of Van Helsing - Xbox

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...that's my reaction to the Van Helsing game. Many people have criticized it as having a bad camera, not enough acting out of the story (too many cutscenes and such), as well as being repetitive, but they're all nitpicking.

The first time I saw this game I was really looking forward to it. Well, I rented it and after a day or two, I hated it. I'd been playing games like Hitman, which require more strategy and "brain power", so I thought this was stupid, mindless game. However, I didn't realize one thing. This is NOT a "shooter", though most of the weapons are guns. This is an ACTION game, entailing tons of exciting movement, such as jumping and fighting while watching the really cool villains do likewise. In short, you have to be in the right mood to play this, or not expect too much. You may be dissapointed if you think this is another Red Dead Revolver or something. I bought it and had a blast because I knew what kind of game I was playing.

The gameplay has been called repetitive, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's really fun to just lay into your opponents', though some of the weapon' shooting (dual pistols) can become tiresome, despite its propensity for success. You basically have to use your tojos and/or twin scimitars to liven it up with some variety (I recommend tojos against most non-flying creatures and bosses, as it's really fun to tear through your adversaries). There are a fair amount of other weapons, such as the crossbow, shotgun, electric gun, and a few other great weapons I don't want to spoil for you, which all have strength and weaknesses of their own, making each of them a value and a hindrace (realism, folks) to getting through the game. The jumping/grappling onto things is a good bit of variety in the game, and when you have to use them, it adds a bit of reality (if you consider some of Van Helsing's jump "realistic") and makes sense with the mission. Last of all, there's a load of great monsters, such as possessed skeletons, giant owls, gargoyles, the main bosses you saw in the movie (including bonus fights with Frankenstein's Monster), and well, the list covers just about every major mythological/horror creature, way past the dinky litte list in the manual that comes with the game. It's great, trust me.

And now, some Game Tips:

Try beating the five challenges in "order" (that they presented in the game) and twice in order if need be (whatever works; I played the game 15 or so times through before I beat all the challenges so I'm not completely sure what unlocks the Rifle, though I suspect it's just order), starting with Challenge #4 (the maze is the easiest challenge and can be done the first time through the game), next Challenge #5 (time attack, should be attempted the second or third time through the game so that you have the gatling gun), then Challenge #1 (break the statues is easily the hardest, but can be done the first time through the game. You need to break the statues up high before breaking the ones on ground level; jump up and down to enrage the gargoyles, and if they don't come, immediately grapple the gargoyles and pull them into close quarters; you may want to try this when you have a lot of glyphs and the Armory Anytime cheat found in the second through the game so that you can keep buying Life Replenishers), then Challenge #2 (stay on the ring and don't let the owls knock you off; probably the second hardest and you probably want to wait till the third time through the game, having beaten the hard difficulty, so that you have the Unlimited Alternate Ammo cheat to use), and finally Challenge #3 (rising blood challenge; go to the right of the screen and jump onto the gargoyle head and follow the logical progression of heads until you get to about the six or seventh, where'll you be safe to grapple away and beat the challenge). If you need any other game tips, like where to find all the Life Increasers or whatever, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend buying Prima Games' Official Strategy Guide to Van Helsing. This is an AWESOME tip book and helped me get almost everything on the game (I'm still missing some Increasers, though). It comes cheap, and will become your best friend when playing Van Helsing.

Now onto the graphics. The graphics are superb, though many criticize them for being simple for a such a graphically capable system such as the X-Box. The backgrounds are very well-lit, and the environments you're in are very time appropiate and detailed, rivaling and maybe even surpassing the movie's scope. While Anna looks a little piggish with her slightly upturned nose, the bosses are impressive (I really like Mr. Hyde), and the more common creatures are uniquely good.

Some other things, such as the sound and voice-acting are worth going over. The music is good, though sometimes backgroundish, and not entirely noticeable unless you listen for it. Not to say its bad, but seems rather distant sometimes. The voice acting is well-done, at least for the time the actors had to do them (they were on a tight schedule). Some of the Transylvanian accents, such as Anna's (sorry, Mandy), sound a bit stilted at times, but at worst it provides a chuckle.

Sure, I've sung the game's praises, but here are some admonitions, primarily for parents. Other than a minimal amount of blood spilled (not much but the dwergi and vampire bats "spew" it sometimes), Dracula's brides appear in a cutscene where they aren't, well, entirely clothed. However, this cutscene can be skipped by pressing "Start", so it's probably not much of a problem. The same thing goes for the green banshee women who remind me of mermaids; they hold green pieces of cloth against their chests, concealing, well, MOST of their bosoms, but not all. Nothing detailed here, but not very appropriate.

As a warning for gamers, don't expect to be able to play as a werewolf at the end of the game (probably the biggest letdown of the century), which would have skyrocketed this game right past probably my favorite, Red Dead Revolver. In my opinion, the game's greatest downfall, which put in some good stuff not included in the movie (Frankenstein fights, the exclusive game creatures and more weapons) but left out one of the movie's strongest points (the Van Hesling werewolf) in gameplay, which would have been so much fun (just use the Wolf Man's moves or something). Van Helsing does change into a werewolf in the cutscene but it's not the same. A good idea, in my humble opinion, would have been to have Van Helsing in human form fight Dracula in human form with his weapons, then have a cutscene where Dracula basically says the kid gloves are off and they both transform, then the gamer could fight with the Van Helsing werewolf against the Demon Dracula (that way the gamers AND the producers could have what they want).

Overall, the game was quite enjoyable, and had the potential to be even better. I would recommend at least a rental of this game, because its one of kind (or maybe it's that just because I haven't played Devil May Cry). Remember, you most likely have to be in the right mood and like this genre before you can appreciate and have fun playing Van Helsing. That's my two cents.

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After seeing the AWESOME film Van Helsing, I was more than desperate to get my hands on the game based on the film for my xbox. I must admit that I was very worried, as I have played many movie-based videogames, few with satisfying results (the last movie-based game I had played was Terminator 3 Rise of the machines! You can see why I was worried!!!).However, my worries amounted to nothing.

Van Helsing is a solid game on its own, but it is more fun to be taking up the role of Van Helsing. All his awesome weapons are there, and some new ones! The fact that you can lose your hat in a fight is a nice touch, and the original voices of Igor, Dracula and Van Helsing himself add much class.

Visually, Van Helsing is nothing new. Its no Ninja Gaiden, but it does have some truly gothic locations, excellent weapon designs, and Van Helsing himself looks the part.

I was a little disappointed in terms of sound (for me, this was the games weakest area). Sure, the voices are cool, but bar that, it was a let down. The film had some truly fantastic themes, while the game's score was very dry and basic (I rarely paid attention to it). There were some nice sound effects, but small things like Mr Hyde lacking his hilarious accent, and the Tojo blades making no buzzing noise were disappointing.

Gameplay wise, the controls are quite nice, with a good balance between guns and melee weapons. The grapple rope proved very useful and easily accessable. No faults in this area.

Overall, Van Helsing makes for a rather satisfying (if short)play. Its no Ninja Gaiden or Prince of Persia, but is one of the better movie tie-in games out there. For fans of the film, I'd advise it. For fans of the action-adventure genre, its worth a look at

Best Deals for Van Helsing - Xbox

Based on the original hollywood movie, Van Helsing is an action packed game with voices of movie's cast. Instead of putting in cheat codes, you can cheats in the game by destroying secret doors, my favorite is the ghost body feature. As you go through the game, you battle tons of zomibes and monsters. You fight such monsters as Mr. Hyde, Wolfman, and, of course, Dracula. This game isn't for the Monsterpohbic.

Rating: 8.2 of 10

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Honest reviews on Van Helsing - Xbox

I went to see the Movie and had to get the game. Then the game came with a free pass and I went to see the movie again.

They are both awesome.

The only thing wrong with the game is it is too short by the standards of modern adventure games it took me 3 hours and 40 min to beat it the first time.

When you beat it though you get to keep your player and beat it again.

The best part is that it will not really spoil the movie. It sticks with the Dracula legend and adds a lot too it.

I wondered for almost a year how they were going to tie all the monsters together and I think they did a spectacular Job.

Play it for yourself and see.

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Originally purchased this thinking it was a different title and was unpleasantly surprised when I started playing it. Low quality game, lots of glitches and I couldn't get through more than about an hour of game play before I tossed it,

Best Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Deals

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I hadn't seen anybody else talking about the 360, so i thought i'd add this. This game is compatible with the 360 and it is awsome! The black and white buttons on the xbox map to the "bumpers" on the 360, so all works quite well. This game is one of the most addictive games i've ever played. I highly recommend it for adults and mature teens who are already desensitised to gangs and violence.

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I've beaten both versions of San Andreas (ps2/Xbox) and I can honestly say that it is the greatest game I've ever played. Anyone who disagrees with me has obviously never played it all the way through or they used cheats to do so. GTA San Andreas is all out amazing and blows any game out there away. That is of course until a new GTA game comes out for the Ps3 or Xbox 360. If you've never played a GTA game or you didn't like the other GTA games, you still have to play San Andreas.

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I didn't even start playing this game until after I beat GTA IV when a friend recommended I check out some of the earlier games in the series. It's absolutely phenomenal! If you can deal with the certainly less-than-spectacular graphics when compared to current popular games (especially GTA IV), I promise you'll have a blast! There are actually many more side missions and fun things to do in this game than GTA IV. Even after beating the main storyline, you'll still have hours upon hours of extra tasks that you can complete. Rockstar should have remade this game for GTA IV. A must buy!!

Honest reviews on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

This is by far the best game I've ever played. Sure, it's so inappropriate it's laughable, but that's not the point. This is a revolutionary game, with probably one of the biggest worlds ever made in videogames. The radio is amazing, the story makes sense, and even though it's a GTA game, it still has family values. CJ tries to find out who killed his mom with his brother as they bring the Grove Street Families back from the grave. Excellent!

PS: To the kid who wrote the review about this game, with all due respect you really don't know what you're talking about mate. People don't buy this game because it teaches them great values, they buy it because it's a great game. It's not like after beating this game, I'm gonna go grab an AK-47 and go on a police massacre. Also, it says 'A Kid's Review'. That means you're under 13. This game is for 17 year olds and up...

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How is it our country is so messed up to allow such a violent game be sold then pull it off the shelves because of a little sex scene. I walk up to the old grannies in the game, stop them into a bloody mess then track bloody foot prints (or tire tracks) as I leave. But show two consenting adults having sex and the game gets pulled. Sex is not illegal. The violence is. I think it is totally bassackwards. The game is sweet either way, for adults anyway. I need to get GTA 3.

Half-Life 2: Episode Pack - PC Review

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If you've played Half-Life 2, then you've probably at the very least heard of HL2: Episode One and Two by now. Its pretty hard to finish Half-Life 2 and not want more, and thankfully Valve has supplied us with two short but exciting extensions to the Half-Life universe without making everyone wait 5+ years for a Half-Life 3.

In case you've never played Half-Life 2, these episodes take place right where the original leaves off, and it would be advisable to purchase the original game first so you know what's going on. The best way to do that is through the Orange Box available for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, since you get these two episodes as well as the original and two other great games in the set for a good price.

And one more thing before I begin; I am not taking Steam into account on these reviews. I don't particularly relish the idea of having an internet program that locks the games I'm supposed to own in the closet and ultimately tells me whether or not I can play them or how many computers I can play them on, but I haven't had any major problems with Steam yet. It's something you should be aware of though if you're buying any PC versions of Half-Life games; you are required to "activate" them online at installation or you aren't able to play. It also appears that, for this particular set, the games must be fully downloaded from Steam when you insert this disc, rather than installing from there and simply patching, which would be much faster. If the idea of Steam bothers you, get a console version of the Orange Box if that's available to you.

Now, onto the episodes themselves... they're fantastic! Episode One picks up right at the "OMG what happens next!?" ending of the original and lays the foundation for an interesting new story arc. This episode features some slightly improved graphics and great facial animation, and manages to retain most of the orignal flavor of the original with some excellent story-telling scenes and action. The entire voice cast (of the characters still alive) makes a return too.

Unfortunately, while great, I didn't feel that Episode One lived up to it's predecessor. It was short and way too easy. There was also a point in the game where you are required to escort groups of citizens across a hot zone to a train station. I found this to be the worst part of the game since it required you to backtrack several times (something the original never required) and escort 2 or 3 citizens at a time. Plus, the boss battle at the end was just like a certain battle toward the end of the original HL2, except you're only fighting one (instead of like 5 at once) and there's plenty of cover (also unlike earlier), so I found it to be a real breeze and a poor choice for a final boss fight. I loved the character development Alyx underwent in this episode however, and I love the little details the game presents, like Alyx squinting and covering her eyes with her hand if you shine your flashlight in her face. Things like that go a long way to add a realistic feel to the experience.

I hate to use the term "epic," but it's really the only way to describe the next episode. Ep. 2 is a departure from the previous HL2 games as it doesn't take place in City 17 at all. You'll visit lots of places you've not seen before, like an antlion den, a mine, and a forest. I've heard some people complain that this episode doesn't contain the feel of the previous installments, but I found the change welcome and exciting. At the beginning of this episode and throughout, this episode further develops your female sidekick Alyx as a character and gets you more attached to her. IMHO, Alyx is the best female lead character I've ever seen in a video game. By this point in the series, I actually CARED what happened to her, so when she went though a couple of terrible experiences, I felt sorrow, anger, remorse, etc. Pretty amazing that somebody can make you care for something that doesn't really exist! The ending was amazing too; it'll really make you want to get Ep. 3 the day it comes out.

So in other words, if you played HL2 and enjoyed it, these episodes are successful at extending the excitement. You'll really be missing out on a great gaming experience if you pass these games by.

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Getting Episode 1 and 2 at this price is pretty good, especially with Portal being made available for free during a limited promotion in May.

The plot/story in Episode 1 and 2 are very short, but still immerse the player into the story. Episode 1 incorporated many mechanisms taken straight from Portal, such as the use of energy balls to open locks/doors.

Episode 2 utilized one too many convenient plot devices to keep the story moving, such as the the elevator during the mission where Gordon has to obtain the larvae essence. Gordon could have just used that elevator from the start rather than run through a long unnecessary gauntlet.

Episode 2 ends rather abruptly and leaves the player wanting more. Hopefully Episode 3 gives us the grand finale for Hl2 that we've all been waiting for.

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Two games for ten bucks, I couldn't resist! After all, the original Half-lie, and Half-Life 2, were both awesome! If you don't already have "Steam"(HL developer Valve's online gaming service) installed on your computer, you will need to install it to play these stand alone expansions to HL2. Steam membership is free they make their money by selling games, retail or via direct download. Game installation was a snap, I simply logged on to Steam and added the dvd key from the Episode pack sleeve, then downloaded both episodes at once didn't even insert the dvd. It took about twenty minutes on a medium speed dsl connection, and both games were up-to-date and ready to play.

Like other reviewers, I found Episode 1 to be a little bit anti-climactic after the totally amazing HL2. Good, but not great. Game play was excellent, no weird things like getting stuck on a wall or any of that. When Valve releases a game, it's the real deal they won't release anything buggy. Having Alyx as an almost constant companion is good, she often offers helpful tips, as well as being an indispensable ally during intense firefights. At the risk of sounding RPG-ish, it would be nice to be able to respond to her comments (and comments from other NPC's). One thing I'd really like to see in future HL episodes is a journal you can open, to refresh yourself on your current objective (and whether you've achieved it yet). Episode 1 ends with quite a bang, very good setup for Episode 2.

Episode 2 starts you out in the boondocks, the "Freeman" waking up weaponless in a sinking train car (the train trestle collapsed over a stream), waiting for Alyx to get the door open. There's plenty of action early in the game, and the pace ramps up nicely as the game goes on. Outdoor scenes, underground mines and caves, a little of everything. A few new "Combine" enemies, and lots of action. I have a tendency to want to fully explore an area before moving on, this game won't always let you do that there are times when you have to blast right through. Outdoor scenery was magnificent. The "Source" game engine still does an awesome job.

Okay, so I gave it a "4". 3-1/2 for episode 1, 4-1/2+ for episode 2. This rating is based totally on enjoyment and game play. If I were rating on value, it would be a 5 great gaming for $10!

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This is an awesome game. Big cliff hanger and now I'm dying for the the 3rd episode. Box and game were in perfect condition.

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This game is an absolute must have for any PC gamer. No complains at all.

DDR Multi-Platform Super Sensors Energy Super Deluxe Dance Pad Review

Customer Ratings:

I was looking for an inexpensive dance pad, and this worked well for the price. It has a plastic top, not too slippery on the feet a little bit of texture to it which works.

It doesn't sit completely flat on the ground if you don't stick it down with something (perhaps some doubled-over duct tape) keep this in mind if you buy it. It can also slip around underneath you if you don't stick it down. I haven't tried it on carpet, so I can comment about how it does on that surface.

It also has a very strong plastic smell to it if you are sensative to new plastic smell as I am it takes awhile to air it out, up to several weeks of sitting out to take that smell away if it bothers you.

For the price, it is worth it, nice and large, though smaller than the arcade versions.

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Buy Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword - PC

Customer Ratings:

Despite the rave reviews by UbiSoft employees posing as customers, Athena Sword, like Raven Shield, is substandard and buggy.

UbiSoft has a tendency to buy companies with hit titles, and then have their own development teams produce lower quality sequels, hoping to make sales on the strength of the original games' reputations. Ever since UbiSoft bought Red Storm Entertainment and started producing the Rainbow Six games themselves the gameplay has changed for the worse, the story lines have become increasingly contrived and obviously written with more concern for political correctness than realism, and the bugs have been out of control.

There have been over a dozen patches released for Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield since it's release, and Athena Sword has even more bugs. I have never owned a game which required so many patches.

The online play is nowhere near as good as Rogue Spear (although better than Counter Strike, if you prefer realistic tactical shooters to the run-and-gun arcade style games) and the single player campaigns aren't challenging enough to provide more than a few hours of entertainment.

If you've already bought Raven Shield and are considering buying Athena Sword, my suggestion would be to wait until the price drops, which is closer to it's actual worth. In the meanwhile, there are plenty of better designed user-made levels for single player and multiplayer play available for free download all over the internet if you're looking for more content for Raven Shield.

Here are a couple of the problems and bugs found so far:

While prone with the M240G Heavy Machine Gun, there is no animation of the belt being fed through the receiver

While using an Athena Sword weapon the hand and arm models in first person view have holes in the geometry

The SM4 CQB Machine Gun points around a 15º angle up

All of the Athena Sword weapons have the same firing sound with small tweeking, and not the awesome new sounds Ubi promised

The G3A3 and the G3KA4 appear to be identical to the player except for color

There are areas where textures which are supposed to be Flagged as false backdrop are not, and the skybox does not show through like it is supposed to

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Back 12 patches ago I swore I wouldn't give UBI more money. Well, I lied and I purchased Athena Sword for $29.99 two days ago from EB Games. After playing for 2 days here's my 2 cents.

The new maps are poorly optimized. The strongest of computers will yield you such poor FPS in many spots you wonder why you paid $30 for the game. The new game play modes are kind of interesting, but that's it. "Kind of" interesting.

Basically, Athena Sword is a $30 map pack. You can find equal to or better maps made by the modding community and play them on Raven Shield that not only run better, but are free.

If you MUST HAVE Athena Sword wait until the price drops to $10 or $15. It won't take long for the price to drop.

Raven Shield (full version) is selling for $15 at Best Buy in the US, so I can't imagine Athena Sword lasting at $29.99 for very long.

It's just not worth $30. Hang tight until it's cheaper. Die hard Rainbow Six fans may feel driven to buy it out of loyalty to the game like me. To all you hard core Clancy fans... try to resist the urge and wait if you purchase it at all.

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Some nice new features and everything. But for a Map Pack, these maps were horribly optimized. People with the best computers get 10 FPS with everything on low on alot of the maps. Good maps and nice layouts, but horrible horrible optimization.

Honest reviews on Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword - PC

What you get for online multiplayer with this expansion are 3 things: New weapons, new maps and new play modes. While the expansion is good, it has a 'rushed out the door' feel. For example, there is a problem in multiplayer in which both sides are wearing the same color clothing on some maps. One will be solid blue, the other will be blue camo. This should have been picked up on.

The maps are very attractive and of high quality, however there are odd spots in which you have to use ladders and open doors differently than in RS (you have to back away or aim at a specific spot on the door). Not a good thing to have when you are trying to hurry to a choke point. Hopefully these gets fixed.

The new weapons are interesting, but as mentioned before, one points at an odd angle, and many firing sounds seem to be muted.

The new game play modes are what really carry this expansion. While initially I was not interested in these at all, the capture the enemy game mode have my friends and I addicted. It was nice to get a positive surprise, especially with some of the minor let downs concerning the other areas of the game. Still, this mode is not without its problems as well. If you get handcuffed and are subsequently flashbanged, get used to the ringing sound, because it won't end until the round does.

I bought this only for the online play. I have no idea what the single player campaign offers.

If the patches that have been promised fix the problems present, RS:AS is a 4 star expansion. As is, the expansion rates a 3.

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Yes I a big fan of the Rainbow 6 series, so I waited in anticipation to play this game. Well I was able to complete it in less than one day the 8 new missions, that was to have my team wiped out once or twice and then completing the level without so much as a scratch. Graphics, Sounds were fantastic, but this add on is miles to easy. Folks save your money and forget this offering.

Cheap Rayman

Customer Ratings:

Rayman is back and better than ever on gameboy colors. The graphics are awesome with a huge variety of color. Rayman is trying to defeat the evil Mr. Dark and free all the toons. Like Warioland 3, this game also makes you go back to free toons you couldn't before because of special abilities like flying. Without losing any lack of controls, this platformer is a keeper. Rock on Rayman!

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I think that "Rayman" was an enjoyable game. The graphics were excellent, and it had great replay value (i.e. the time attack feature). The music was bad for a GameBoy game, but that was countered by the great gameplay. The game went by quickly, but it was fun while it lasted. This game made you go through almost all the levels over again if you really wanted that sweet 100%, but it was definitely worth it. There is also the secret attack mode, which as just as difficult, if not more, that many of the levels. "Rayman" is also a hit with violence haters, because it focused on exploring the levels, not wasting enemies. And besides, who could question the cutesy comical humor of a guy without arms or legs, who throws his fist? This game holds a definite resemblance to "Mario" and other side scrollers, but with better graphics. I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys Mario games. With a wide variety of level environments and tons of extras and great visuals, this classsic is a definite keeper for GameBoy owners.

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Possibly the best platform game on the Gameboy Color and in the top 10 best all time. 30 levels over 9 worlds, Rayman will keep you entertained for hours. Very challenging with varied and fun levels, with heaps of mini time games. And after you've finished the game you can choose your level and try to unlock all your toon friends. Great soundtrack too. Hope to see a sequel.

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This game is worth buying and at an incredibly low cost at amazon.com. I enjoy the game alot and wish I had more time to play gameboy colors games. The game is very satisfying.

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Rayman is FUN! The original Playstation game featured fabulous graphics and gameplay alike. Rayman is more than just an average platformer. Rayman introduces cool play mechanics that will keep you playing. Rayman actually THROWS his FISTS at his enemies! He also swings across purple hoop-shaped Lums.

This limbless wonder has everything that makes a great platformer....great. But all that was on the Playstation, the Jaguar, the Saturn, and the PC. How does the awesomism hold up on the Game Boy Color, an 8-Bit handheld?

Well, when you boot up the game, you get the BEST 10 SECONDS EVER ON GAME BOY COLOR! I mean, seriously! It's pre-rendered 3D animation that looks like a cartoon-y CGI-movie intro! Only the Rayman games have done this on Game Boy Color!

Now for the main game.

The game is actually very good. Although the levels are different, the basic gameplay is the same and is already very fun to play with. You can still hover with Rayman's hair , throw his fists, and swing across purple Lums, just like in the original game. But also like the original, you get these powers later on. What isn't like the original, however, is the entire setting. Sure, the story is faithful, but the worlds and levels are NOT from the original game. Instead, the game is made up of all of these new unfamiliar worlds that will get your Rayman juices pumping.

Note that the music is actually from Rayman 2. I understand that the Game Boy Color game was released after Rayman 2 was created for the Nintendo 64, Playstation, and Dreamcast.....but why does this Rayman have to use Rayman 2's soundtrack? And, of course, the tunes are in 8-Bit, but they're still somewhat nice to listen to.

The graphics are still very shockingly amazing to look at. It seems like as if Ubisoft put in a bunch of effort just to animate Rayman himself correctly. The environments and everything else are just as gorgeous.

So overall, this is a great game, even on the 8-Bit Game Boy Color, and I suggest you should purchase this. Even you already own another version of Rayman, this is worth it for the new worlds and levels you can play in.