Spongebob Boating Bash - Nintendo Wii Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $14.27
Today's Bonus: 29% Off

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.

Best Skinit University of Oregon Vinyl Skin for 1 Microsoft Xbox 360 Deals

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $11.24
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

these were kind of spendy for just a sticker and it was a little small but he loved them anyways

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The product was just as it was described, both skins fitted the controllers perfectly, and it all arrived on time.

Xbox Live 12 Month Gold for Halo 4 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $59.90
Today's Bonus: $0.09 Off

To start off, I'd like to say that X-Box Live is amazing and worth every penny. Online gaming is incredibly fun and quite a good way to pass time.

That aside, there are downsides to X-Box Live that can be avoided through prepaid cards. Number one, you always run the risk that unwarranted transactions will be made if your credit card information is stored on your X-Box 360 system. It may not happen all that often, but it's best to avoid it all together.

The biggest reason to buy prepaid Xbox Live card is the renewal process that happens when you don't use one. If you order X-Box Live through your system, it'll renew every time your subscription runs out. This wouldn't be a problem except that it's not that easy to cancel. Instead of canceling through your system, you have to go through the hassle of actually calling X-Box Live support. Even then, depending on the representative you get, you may be hassled to keep your subscription because they really don't want you to cancel it. I'm guessing that's part of their job to convince you to keep it, but it still is frustrating to the person that is trying to cancel it.

You'll have to go through this process every time you want to cancel if you don't use a prepaid card. Is that hassle really worth it? I don't think so. Therefore, avoid all of the problems by simply buying a prepaid card. You won't be sorry.

UPDATE: (3/6/2011): I updated this review about a year ago pointing out that you could disable the subscription on X-Box Live's website. As of this update, they've taken that feature away again. I'm guessing Microsoft must have seen a major increase on people who canceled their subscription, thus now forcing you to call their customer service hot-line again to cancel. Even if they add it back, just save yourself the hassle and get a prepaid card. You never have to worry about dealing with customer service that will try their hardest to get you to stay on as a recurring customer. Amazon also gives great deals throughout the year. You could save yourself $20 to $30 sometimes just by checking to see if Amazon has these prepaid cards on sale. What's not to love about that?

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I decided to purchase one of these when my current subscription expired. It took a matter of minutes, and I was logged back on to my Live account. It was also about $10-12 cheaper than it would've been if I went to my local big box store (not to mention gas and time). Here are the steps that I took:

1. Purchased it on Amazon.com

2. Checked my e-mail to retrieve my Xbox Live Code immediately after purchase.

3. Logged onto my account on xbox.com, and put the Xbox Live Code in. (Or enter the code on the Xbox 360 dashboard.)

4. Turned on my 360 and viola! Instantaneous access.

I plan on purchasing this again when my current subscription is up. It's a total no brainer.

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This site is the cheapest I have found for this card.

Do not pay for your live service monthly on your credit card.

It's alot cheaper to buy one of these cards every year.

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From what I can find this is the cheapest cost per month option available for a live gold subscription. Depending on the current price, it ranges from $2.9158 to $3.3325 per month. What I don't get is why this credit card sized subscription card comes in such wasteful packaging. It comes in a rather large plastic packaging, which requires it to be shipped in a box. You get free shipping, but how wasteful. Why doesn't amazon just offer the code online and not eat the cost of shipping and at the same time be a little greener?

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Find the card on sale every so often each year. Don't pay the full price. The Xbox Live Gold is stellar and I love it, but I don't see how they charge $50 or more a year and you don't get any freebies...other than advanced demo downloads. They need to throw a bone for a free song or discounted DLC or a free rental every so often. I have spent well over $1000 in my 3 years with the Xbox 360 on peripherals, games and downloads. 2% of my money spent as a gift would have paid for 1600 points of DLC...that would be a nice thank you from Xbox 360 for keeping their community alive and well.

Buy Afterglow AX.1 Controller for Xbox 360 - Purple

Customer Ratings:

before placing my order for this controller i did a lot of research. i looked at video reviews and read online reviews about this product; and what it all came down to was the joy sticks. everyone said that it was difficult to aim when playing fps's. i play halo and CoD and i have to say i noticed what they were talking about. the sticks aren't as sensitive as Microsoft's controllers where just a slight push of the stick will move your reticle very slowly. this doesn't bother me. maybe i have to push the stick a little further but as long as you do it slowly there is no problem. i have zero problems sniping with this controller. i am also in LOVE with the active setting. the LEDs flash whenever the controller vibrates, so whenever you shoot or get shot. the lights indeed are bright but are not distracting at all. i give the PDP AfterGlow a solid 9/10

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Well I got this controller because my batteries kept dieing while playing MW2 and this controller looked cool.

The feel was OK, looks were nice but there are some major issues. The joystick clicking is a lot harder and the bumpers are a bit awkward, neither of which had a huge impact on my decision to return it.

The main problem I had with this controller is the joystick sensitivity. And not the kind you can fix by changing the sensitivity in your game. The problem is when you try to move just a little to the left when your aiming down the site about to blast some poor guys head off... you move the joystick just a little and your sites don't move at all, WTF. So you move the joystick a little farther and it jumps to the other side of the guys head and now your back where you started but on the opposite side.

If you don't play FPS's. And the games you do play don't require you to move ever so slightly in any direction then this controller just might work. Or if you ever play against your friends on the same console you could let them use this one while you use a controller that works and destroy them. =P

Best Deals for Afterglow AX.1 Controller for Xbox 360 - Purple

The afterglow controller looks cool and has a cheaper price point but you end up paying for it. The buttons are great and the feel is too but the joysticks are terrible. The sensitivity is messed up and does not allow for precision, and no you can't fix it by adjusting your settings on the xbox. Save yourself the anger and spend the extra 10 bucks on an original.

Honest reviews on Afterglow AX.1 Controller for Xbox 360 - Purple

First off let me say, I've been reading the reviews for the past two days. Bad and good.

Yesterday, I set off to buy this controller from Gamestop and not Amazon "Because I feel the chance of getting it straight from the seller without it shipping and possibly getting a damaged or broken controller is very low".

So I asked the guy returns blah blah blah, I get a 30 day return policy via new accessories so just in case. I came home and took it out of the tough packaging "Yes it's tough, It's unstealable" and then plugged it in.

Let me say first that I'm no stranger to the Xbox controller, I've used the Xbox controller a good portion of the 7 years as well as the PlayStation controller. This Afterglow controller is roughly 10-15% smaller than the Original 360 controller. The "Select & Start" buttons are diagonal at the top of the controller above the big X. Second, I wasn't expecting it to be this bright, wow this sucker is bright.

The Controller*

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

The Controller.. Feels great, awesome resistance from the analogs and the buttons work fine as well as the D-Pad.

I first tried this off in a Emulator, worked fine with 0% issues. All buttons are hard and work excellent. However.. I put on Left 4 Dead 2 for the "Test" everyone has dreaded before they bought this, is the right analog really that horrible?!

To put it right, No. Honestly, it's completely fine. At first I had some trouble with it, it kinda feels like I'm using a One-Dimensional cross-hair, you go up, down, left, right. Feels as though you miss the entire 360 fully rotational analog we usually are use to. However, it seems after some test runs and re-calibrating the controller AND breaking it in, it seems to work alot better than out of the box. Is it great? No not at all, is it something you can use for FPS games? That's hard to answer, after using it for quite awhile the rotation got alot better. It could be fact you need to break in the rotation.

I bought this as a Pc Joystick replacement as my previous Joystick is about to bite the dust. I wanted something sleek, like an game console Joystick and in-expensive. This was my offer.

The Good*

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LED Lights, perfect for night gaming. "Can easily turn them off too"

Small, lightweight and a decent cord length.

Clear coating, easy to detect malfunctions etc.

Buttons work fantastic.

Plugs right in and you're ready to play, no software.

The Ugly*

--------

Right Analog stick could be better out of the box. "100% still playable though"

LED's are too bright sometimes.

Little too small for taste.

X "Guide" button is a knockoff. Maybe for legal reasons (Shrugs)?

Verdict?..

-------

Well, if you want a Pc Joystick and aren't strapped to the balls with Cash then this might work for you.

7.5/10, the right analogs knocks it off 2 points while being slightly over-small "For me" takes the 0.5. Maybe the analog will get better after some wear & tear. I didn't really buy it for New Generation games anyway. This was really a strictly bought Joystick for Emulators as the New Generation games are a bonus.

Should YOU get it?

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

Depends on the person honestly, if you're a core gamer and you just enjoy playing game then this controller is most likely for you. I considered myself a relaxed gamer. If you're a hardcore "Underground" player (FPS) Mainly, then I'd probably skip this one unless the analog wouldn't bother you. For 32.47$ at Gamestop it's better than paying 59.99$ for an official controller. The LED's "Various Colors" to choose from, are really nice for nighttime gaming and the Small architecture "even though complained about" can fit in more places for cover.

It's up to you, a real review from a real gamer who wants to help other people out.

P.s. If you can buy this from a Local Best Buy or Gamestop, buy it from there. Just take assurance out that it should be working and didn't get banged around or mistreated where you bought it online.

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Overall, its a good controller. It works well, and looks pretty cool, especially in the dark. The only big problems I have with it are; the xbox logo is a sticker, pretty lame. the d-pad is still a bit soft, but thats the case on all controllers it seems. The plastic case has a raised seam, and has cut my hands on just the first use, but thats fixable with a little sand-paper. All in all, its a good buy that will save you a lot of money on batteries, and last a good while.

Best NCAA Football 2004 Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.95
Sale Price: $18.48
Today's Bonus: 63% Off

There is nothing like college football there is more emotion, spirit, and atmosphere than in the pros. That could be why some college football video games fall short of the ratings pro games receive, they just don't put you in the game or seem as realistic. They dont capture the intensity and emotion of the game which makes it so popular. Plain and simply this game does. The stadiums are so amazing its like ur right there you hear the fans react to plays and refere calls. The bands playing the fight songs can send chills up your spine. The players stumble and regain their feet. Bone crunching tackles. You can hear the pads crashing, that is football. And this game brings u all of that and much more. You can play the 20 greatest games of the last two decades and create players. You can also create teams and their stadiums which includes everything down to the surface u play on. The graphics are amazing the jukes and spin moves are enough to knock you out of you seat. If you are a fan of football especially college football this is the game to get.

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I thought NCAA 2003 was the pinnacle of this series, but EA Sports has outdone itself with the 2004 edition of NCAA Football!

Certainly, they have added new "goodies" like Sports Illustrated magazine covers based on your dynasty season, heritage football teams that are dressed like their era, more fun and goofy college mascots, and overall better graphics.

The biggest upgrade, and the one most important to continuing fans of the series, is to the gameplay. It's those little details the average reviewer doesn't notice but you do because you've taken your dynasty twelve years deep. It's the fact that your offensive lineman are now awarded pancakes and you can therefore win the Offensive Lineman of the Year. Or the fact that you can lead a receiver with your throw to take him away from defensive pressure. Sacks are more plentiful. Special teams is vastly improved, with members of your team forming a wedge in front of you on punts and kickoff returns. No longer can you just play "Toss Sweep" and outsprint the computer to the corner. It takes sophistication in your play to advance. In short, NCAA has taken an already impressive football simulation and made it even more realistic and authentic in its gameplay. It has all the glitz, but it also has all the important stuff: the gameplay that makes you feel that your coaching and playing has an impact on every down.

One also has to appreciate the sheer expertise EA Sports has shown in assigning attributes to the different teams and players. It is extraordinarily accurate in gauging real teams' abilities.

So the positives of this game:

-Improved Gameplay

-Tons of goodies (throwback teams, Sports Illustrated, more of everything)

-Authentic recreation of what we all love about the college game

The negatives (and you have to look really hard for these):

-Some of the commentary dialogue is new, but most is the same as last year

-The opening sequence at the start of each game is slightly changed but largely the same

-Running backs don't catch the ball coming out of the backfield very well (I'm being very nit-picky on this one!)

Tremendous game... you won't be disappointed!

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I did like NCAA 2003 with its freaky-deep Dynasty mode and all, but nothing prepared me for what NCAA 2004 had in store. Basically, it's NCAA 2003 with a facelift

Pros: 1. Its NCAA 2003... With a facelift!

2. EA Sports teams up with Sports Illustrated to make this a better game (the best moment in Sports Gaming since Sega meets ESPN!)

3. More Teams, Plays, and Mascots

4. The Best Dynasty Mode around just got even deeper

5. NCAA 101 will help newbies to the game by teaching then the basics (Offense, Defense, The Option, etc.)

Cons: 1. The game has some bugs in it (one is where the game stalls for some random reason, but dont worry, this only happens for about 5 seconds then it returns to normal. Another is the typical EA bug where it sometimes does that "this disk cannot be read" thing)

2. Loading times are a travesty

Final Verdict: Id say buy it, the bugs dont really ruin the game's image at all and with the SI contract, this game is a cant miss

Honest reviews on NCAA Football 2004

You can check sales figures to see that EA's NCAA Football ranks as one of the best selling titles of all time, or you can simply believe a long-time gamer who has lived through such games as 10 Yard Fight, 4th And Inches, and Tecmo Bowl......Please, take my word for it; this is a great football game!

I had read the reviews, talked to friends, and seen the trailers, so I decided to give NCAA 2004 a try to see what all of the fuss was about. Needless to say, I was blown away, and the game has certainly lived up to my expectations.

The spirit of the college game comes alive in NCAA 2004. The rivalries, the rankings, the bowl games, the prestige, the fans, the teams, the mascots.....it's all there. Of course, the dynasty/franchise mode is the best you will ever have the pleasure of playing. Recruiting, signing, training, scheduling, negotiating contracts.....you're in the game. The gameplay and the graphics are smooth, and the controls are tight. It is challenging, competitive, and last but not least.....FUN!

I noticed that a couple of reviews on this site mentioned some technical flaws. Well, I have played one full season of dynasty mode, and I have yet to witness any glitches that affected play. Do yourself a favor, and play this game.

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I'm not one to go out and buy the newest version of NCAA or Madden each season. I talked myself into buying this (and not Madden 2004) simply because I heard about the 20 Greatest College Games being added onto the game. Naturally, I expected to actually be able to PLAY these game. Unfortunately, they are situationalsexampleFor the 1986 Fiesta Bowl, you're Miami with 3:09 left and you're down 14-10 against Penn State. You cannot control the defense in this situation, only the offense (this might not apply to the other 19 Greatest Games, but as far as I know, you control one or the other). As for game play, its much smoother. When tackled, the players' 'falls' are more realistic. Play action passes provoke the camera to change views to fool the defense more (more effective against another user). The Sports Illustrated cover with the Preseason picks and All Americans is a nice addition. Aside from my gripe over the 20 Greatest Games, the only other issue I have is that the game is not live enabled, but no EA Sports games are for XBOX. All in all, its a good buy if you're an absolute sports junkie.

Dead Island Review

Customer Ratings:

Dead Island is 5 times better than Outbreak. No enormous lag time between levels, no frustrating problems with dumb A.I.s, automatic saves for smooth transition from one level to the next. Has a more interesting choice of characters with different skills such as expertise in bunt weapons, firearms, edged weapons, and throwing weapons. Cash and items that can be resold are used to buy better weapons. Large capacity inventory list can hold a lot of items. When one weapon such as a broom stick or hammer is used up throw it away and grab another from inventory or the environment. 1st person game with fabulous graphics design for up close and personal destruction of zombies. The high quality of this game should make Capcom embarrassed for the poor design of Outbreak. Set in a lush tropical resort in Papua, New Guinea, the character I selected wakes up after a night of heavy drinking to a zombie apocalypse. From that point on it's a fight for survival. Not for weak stomachs as destroying zombie with an iron pipe is vivid and bloody. Each type of weapon is rated for destructive power and durability. The inventory controls are a little complicated but after a couple of hours of play can be mastered. Plays flawlessly on a Japanese XBox. I,m putting away Outbreak and playing only this game.

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Buy Gioteck EX05 Multi-format Headset for PS3, Xbox 360,PC, & Mac

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List Price: $49.99
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Today's Bonus: 26% Off

The sound quality this product provides is clear and outstanding! Even though it is not wireless, the long cord length makes up for it. Would recommend this product to anyone.

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Works great with PS3! Does not work with PS4. Great sound and others hear me loud and clear. Would have been 5 stars if not for the fact the huge headsets look rediculous on my head. I'm gauranteed to get a few laughs when I have them on.

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I wish I had the experience other reviewers did with this headset. I get no audio, period.....well except when I do the mic setting I can hear myself but as soon as I leave that screen, silence. Hooked it up, set it up, checked and double checked to make sure volume was on and it was switched to the right system and got nothing coming back at all. They are comfortable, and warm, so I'll probably use them to keep my ears warm this winter, you know, since they don't do anything else.

Honest reviews on Gioteck EX05 Multi-format Headset for PS3, Xbox 360,PC, & Mac

I wanted a cheap headset that would work with Xbox 360 and PS3. I tried these for a couple of hours and they were pretty comfortable. I like the unique headband. Sort of an Aeron chair for the head. The headset is very light, without feeling very fragile.

I haven't had a chance to test the chat functioning. When switched to Xbox, there is a detachable 2.5mm cord that plugs into the controller. When switched to PS3, the chat should be routed through the USB.

The amplifier isn't very loud. I could hear everything, but it had to be turned almost all the way up. I don't want to make my ears bleed, but a little more power would've been preferable.

The amplifier/control box is hardwired. The problem is that these won't work as passive headphones. Hooked up to a stereo headphone jack, almost none of the sound came through. Being able to unplug from the box would have made these more versatile.

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I got this a couple days ago because I wanted a headset and didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. I paid $27 for a used like new one with shipping included. The headset that i got is pretty stretched out, so it's not very tight on my head. I hope that's just because i bought it used, but if it's not, then that's only bad thing about it besides the incredibly long cords, but that could be a good thing for some people. It has great sound quality and you can hear things very clearly, but it doesn't isolate sound outside of the headset very well. Overall, it's a very good headset with more pros than cons, and definitely well worth the money.

Ninja Gaiden II Reviews

Customer Ratings:

NG2 had a lot of expectations to live up to. Having beat it, here's my review of what Team Ninja got right and what it got wrong. (I played on Path of the Warrior difficulty, so the easy setting may be slightly different)

Good:

* Much more detailed enemies and graphics, including the ability of nearly every bad guy to be amputated/decapitated and or chopped in half.

* Bodies of most enemies stay around after death, giving you an increased feeling of carnage and destruction. Leave a trail of death to follow!

* Cool weapons

* Easy saving of games at Dragon Statues

* Massive Boobage unrealistic proportions and extra jiggliness

Bad:

* Some massive slowdown in certain levels when lots of enemies are onscreen. Game over screen visual effects styling is bad and often VERY slow framerate.

* No map. WTH? Some levels you need a map

* Almost completely WORTHLESS ninpo! The Inferno magic is about the only one that does anything (homes in on baddies). But being that many of the bosses are fire-based demons or flyers, magic is almost worthless. Piercing Void is absolutely useless as it requires you to target an enemy and by the time you launch he ball, the baddie has moved. Short-range on the wind magic equally useless.

* Some lackluster level designs, especially caves, tunnels, or building interiors. Several levels feel rehased, especially the Flying Fortress level.

* Added feeling of "cheapness", due to reliance on button mashing and cheap tricks by the level designers. Several areas of the game are maddeningly frustrating due to this kind of cheapness, whose idea of challenging you is to throw wave after wave of the same enemies at you, or put ranged attackers well out of your reach. Examples are the grenade launching soldiers that spam explosives at you from afar or archers, usually appearing in pairs. Exploding jellyfish/mines that respawn. There must be at least 30 of these each time you encounter them.

* The damn biting fish are all back, including the big grabby swimming ones and the airborne ghost piranhas.

* Stupid looking/ugly enemies, with lots of them having some skull motif. Many of the enemies' faces are modified versions of skulls. Stupidness includes wolves that hold katana in their mouths and chop you with them?!

* Having to kill bosses a second time. 1 guy you have to kill 4 times. I know this is a trademark of the NG series, but 4 times???

* Lack of replay value. NO UNLOCKABLES except a measly sound test option and new colored costumes when you begin the game again after beating it. No Sonia as a playable character, no Missions like in NG Sigma. Would be great to be able to play Sonia or Muramasa.

* Lots of dumb unrealistic mechanics like the ability to swim in lava! WTH??.. Invisible barriers everywhere, limiting your interaction with the environment and keeping you several feet away from touching what looks like accessible scenery. Another is the lava filled armadillo boss that comes out of the crashed air fortress.. this thing was the machine's power core??? Back to the cheapness of the design: this boss exploded after you beat it, causing instant death if you don't know what to do before hand. This boss is tough enough if you are playing it the first few times through and to have it explode and kill you is a cheap trick.

* Some bosses are VERY easy to kill with a fully upgraded Scythe

* Much uglier, sloppier items interface w/ blood splatter motif.

The predecessors Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden Sigma were much better in terms of gameplay balance.

Rent this first if you are a casual fan. Having owned and beaten all the variations of the first NG, I am highly disappointed by this game, especially the lack of extras. After seeing how many features Sigma packed onto the PS3 version, I expected those to carry over to NG 2. No chance. No way to view beaten cut scenes, no photo gallery, concept art, rotatable models, nothing!! It feels like a rushed product. No replay value at all. Perhaps they're going to double dip and release NG 2 Omega. Still a very good game, mind you, but just feels half-done.

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This game is HARD. And I am not talking Hard as in, your going to die a lot but once you get the hang of it your going to get better and do better.

I am talking hard as in the game will stop at nothing to humiliate and demoralize you until you quit playing it.

Enemies can and will hit you from off screen and you won't even know they are there yet and or you will know they are there but you can not properly avoid them because you can't see them due to camera angles.

You can get incredibly good at your combat abilities and get a flow going, but no matter what you do, the enemies in this game will always be better at it than you.

Veterans of this game, whom are some of the best, die a lot playing this game.

On the easiest setting its a bit easier, but its still not that easy.

Getting all the achievements in this game is a near impossibility. Its doable, but your going to have to buckle down and be really patient with yourself, because its potentially mind breaking.

Now, having said all that, maybe thats your cup of tea. For me, its not so much the case anymore, I have work and family and I wan't my games to challenge me, but I don't want to repeat the same area 800 times in order to get to the next area I will be reloading 800 times. I just don't have time for that anymore.

The graphics are really very nice, and I feel that its the strongest area of the game.

I would recommend that you rent this maybe to try it out before you buy it, if your confident that you will like it and know your going to try to get the achievements, then you might as well go ahead and buy it, its gonna take a long time.

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After putting in over 400 hrs. on the original Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black I was looking forward to 2 and now my fix is here. Well I was initially a little disappointed and felt that they released the game too early but once I got to tweaking the camera, cinema playback and controller options it solved or eased alot of the problems I was encountering.

I'll keep this short by giveing the good points and bad.

Bad points first. There are frame rate issues if you have the auto cinema feature turned on they can get really bad when a lot of people are on the screen attacking you at one time. If you turn it off you probably won't see a problem with frame rates again.

Second problem is the camera, this can be a problem but you can manually adjust or speed up the auto adjust rate in the options menu and this helps a lot.

Graphically speaking it's a little inconsistent. The particle effects are great but at the same time some of the backgrounds are pretty bland. It's kind of a mixed bag but due to some of the things they've done regarding retaining chopped body parts long after you've left a room in the game it takes a toll on memory usage and thus taxes the 360 quite a bit. Add that to the size of the environments, the number of characters on screen at once and this game pushes the 360 pretty hard.

The other problem though not really a problem, but more of an annoyance is that the enemies are a little on the cheap side this time so you are forced to be a little more creative.

Now for the good:

Believe it or not they have actually improved the gameplay. You start off now with a long list of moves as opposed to hardly any in the original. Countering has been refinded so that you can properly time it. Weapons are now very varied and don't overlap in terms of usage. Enemy AI is incredible you can actually notice the enemies adjusting to your attack patterns. Granted this makes things more difficult but ultimately more satisfying when you win. The level design has gotten rid of a lot of the platforming and focuses much more on the fighting aspect of the game. Secondary weapons are chargable and are actually useful, can anyone actually admit that they used the bow much in the first one?

The story is actually a little more coherent now and makes a bit of sense, though not much. Last but not least It's a great game but a new Missions mode and a little more refinement of the default settings would have made this a classic.

Honest reviews on Ninja Gaiden II

Though still not for the faint of thumbs, this game still provides the smooth and intuitive action and beauty of the first and its ancestors. The easiest difficulty is now much more accessible to the average gamer as well. A must have for the serious action/adventure gamer.

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Once in a while, a game comes along that justifies lying about going to a meeting so you could take off early from work and head home to play; Ninja Gaiden 2 is one of these games, and this was exactly what I did. It wasn't a complete lie however; I did have a meeting, a meeting with Ryu Hayabusa.

This game is bloody, the major selling point of the game and I absolutely love it. The bone-crunching, flesh-slicing action is intense and fast, and unlike anything in previous hack n slash games. Both graphics and audio are tip top, and the controls are smooth and responsive.

One function I particularly like is the convenient weapons and item menu that can be easily accessed in the middle of heavy combat. This is important, as enemies outnumber you 6 to 1, you will inevitably take some pounding and as your health drops to dangerous levels, you can immediately hit the D-pad to consume various herbal remedies to stay alive. Furthermore, you can switch weapons in the middle of a fight so if you've been clobbering some poor dude for half a minute with your Lunar Staff and want to finish him off by slicing his throat from ear to ear, you can do that by switching to your Dragon Sword.

Concerning the difficulty, the hand-to-hand combat is very fierce and gets a little overwhelming at times; typically enemies attack in waves and by the time you're done with half of them, not much of your health may be left. The good news is that dead enemies' souls help restore health. The AI is pretty smart and injured enemies adjust their AI from aggressive to sneaky and psychotic just waiting for you to turn your back and plunge that sword or talon through your chest. So remember don't expect an enemy with only one arm left to just happily sit there, finish off him.

Unlike a lot of other games, bodies of dead enemies don't disappear off the screen, so bodies, limbs and chunks of bloody meat litter all over the ground after you've been through a wave of attackers, this is nice effect.

Also, blocking in this game is like taking cover in Gears of War, you can't do without it. Yet, while blocking you can either execute a counter attack after the enemy has finished his moves or dash away to escape. So, there is a huge number of fighting techniques and tactics that you can experiment with. Other aspects of the game are pretty conventional and straight forward occasional save and heal points in the form of a dragon statue, a shop to purchase weapons and items, boss battles (which will REALLY test your wits and reflexes) etc. There isn't too much of a learning curve (which is good), all you need is to come to grips with the pace, various combos and pick out your favorite techniques.

This is one of the best games on the 360 ever, right up there with Gears and Devil May Cry; NG2 certainly edges Devil in the fighting department. For those into achievements, NG2 provides some 60 achievements, and what's fun is the ease of gaining achievements you can earn achievements just by discovering and executing new skills, but as expected they are valued at only 5 gamescore points each. By the time I completed the first level, I've gained 11 achievements.

I knocked one star off because of camera issues, although awkward angles can be easily fixed by hitting the right trigger. Also, frame rates aren't entirely smooth and tend to slow down at various points, but this isn't too big a problem. Some levels will come across as just plain and ugly, and it seems level designers were lazy in this respect.

Another problem is the 'cheapness' of the levels, as others have mentioned, for example frequent and unexplained explosions on certain levels drain away your health a clear indication that level designers were too damn lazy to think of challenges to test your skill.

But my biggest problem with NG2 is that you can't replay past missions, that is a real disappointment as mission replays are crucial to the replay value of the game.

Overall this is a great game, certainly an intense experience; as an above-average difficult game, you can feel satisfied that you'll fight many enemies and bosses many times before finishing the game, so getting your money's worth.

PlayStation 3 160GB Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Bundle Reviews

Customer Ratings:

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

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

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

+ 266% more storage

+ Improved power efficiency

+ Dual shock controller (rumble)

+ Bundled Drake's Fortune and Pain voucher for a PSN download

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

= Wireless Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network connections

= Bluetooth for controllers, keyboards, earpieces, etc.

= Controllers charged via USB wires

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

= Full PSOne compatibility

= Blu-ray player

= DVD player

= CD player

= HDMI, component video (component wire included but no HDMI cable)

= Surround sound

= Internet browser

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

= Disk is easily upgradeable without voiding warranty

= Quiet operation

No memory card interfaces

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

No PS2 compatibility

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STORAGE and STORAGE UPGRADE:

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This model comes with an 160GB drive. This is nice because, based on my own experience, 160GB should be sufficient for a few years of use for as long as you don't plan to purchase lots of movies from the PSN store or download to many full games if you are thiking about storing movies on your PS3 disk, consider upgrading to larger storage. However, unless you believe that Uncharted + Pain are worth the extra $100, you may be slightly better off buying the 80GB model for $100 less and then upgrading.

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

If you are on the upgrade path, $80 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself but that was back in June/July and I paid about $150 then; you could get much larger drives for less now. 500GB drives are available for less than $100 and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. One that I tested would be the Western Digital 500GB Scorpio Blue SATAII 5400RPM 2.5IN 8MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD5000BEVT which replaced my laptop's 60GB little drive and I helped a friend upgrade his own PS3 with. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. I am using the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Upgrading the disk is (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice on the Net. Search for "PlayStation 3 Hard Drive Upgrade (HOWTO)" for videos that should help you decide if you are comfortable with upgrading. If upgrading is the first thing you do (before installing games or uploading personal files), everything becomes very easy because you need not worry about backups or restores. I upgraded my box in a couple of hours WITH the backup/restore steps.

MEMORY CARD INTERFACES:

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

USB PORTS:

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

PS2 COMPATIBILITY:

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

PSOne GAMES:

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

SUMMARY:

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If you like Drake's and you do not consider upgrading, buy THIS model. In fact, you should buy this model regardless of Drake's because you are likely to be unhappy with an unupgraded 80GB model like I mentioned above, I am already using over 120GB and this is BEFORE Home.

If you are planning to upgrade, you're better off with an 80GB model selling for $100 less because you can use the $100 you save to buy yourself Drake's for about $40 and use the balance to help pay for your disk upgrade.

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

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

Or or, even better, get the Playstation 3 Media Hub+ for 2 extra USB ports AND a card reader

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

Enjoy your new PS3.

_____________________

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

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When I was looking for Blu Ray DVD players, the PlayStation came out on top of every review I read. So I started looking at games available for the system and saw the review for the Uncharted game over on Gamespot. Uncharted looked like the best game for me, and considering the other bundles available, this seemed like a good deal, with a larger hard drive, (we all need more space) Uncharted, and PAIN all included.

First of all the SIXAXIS controller is fantastic. Easy to hold, easy to use, bluetooth wireless, and it has motion sensing capabilities like the Wii. In Uncharted you have to use that feature to toss grenades and balance as you cross some objects.

Second, the DVD player is wonderful. Since the wireless features are bluetooth there is another remote available to play DVDs. But, I don't think you need it. You can use the game controller easy enough. Anyone familiar with the interface on a PC or MAC DVD player will instantly get it.

The menu system on the PlayStation has been criticized in some reviews, but I don't get that at all. It is very easy, and the same interface is used on their Bravia TVs. I wish more electronics had menus like this. I have used FrontRow on the Macs, and I like this better.

The wireless feature configured on the first try with my network, which has two layers of security. I have more trouble getting some of my Macs on my network, than the PlayStation.

Finally, Uncharted is nothing short of amazing. Imagine you are part of an Indy Jones or National Treasure movie. That is the experience. Period. The music track gives clues to when you are heading in the right direction, and Nate Drake has awesome moves once you get used to the controller.

PAIN is ok, more funny than a real challenge. I suppose you could take it seriously, but it is best to just fling the character at everything in site and then use the controls to bounce and hit as much as possible. The physics is very realistic, and there is no blood. Great game when you just relieve some stress by smashing something.

If you are looking for a BluRay player or a game system, this is really the best value. I compared to the Xbox and with that system you have to keep buying extras to build up to the capabilities of this single purchase. In other words, don't just focus on the lowest price, consider the total value. For example, many of the games you can download from the PlayStation store are about $10, and the PlayStation network is free. Not to mention all the free demo games, movie trailers, movie and tv show downloads that are free or just a few bucks.

I could probably find enough free demos to play all year, but I made the mistake of visiting the Prince of Persia web site and now I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Uncharted alone would make this a deal, but add 160GB hard drive, and a BluRay player--don't think, do. Get this system.

Best Deals for PlayStation 3 160GB Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Bundle

I have never really been a PlayStation fan since purchasing the very first PlayStation nearly 10 years ago. As a result most of my console gaming was on Nintendo's and Microsoft's consoles. However, between my XBOX Pro and Elite consoles, I have had to send them back them to Microsoft seven times in less than two years. Even the "more reliable" Elite console had to be returned twice last year. I decided that I spent too much money for that kind of unreliability so I reluctantly contemplated a PS3 purchase. Now before all of you Microsoft fan boys start calling this a fan boy review, think again; I call them as I see them and I never really understood why someone just can't have two or all three of the gaming systems anyway. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my XBOX 360 console, have around 25 XBOX 360 games, and still play it regularly. However when I spend nearly a grand on two Microsoft consoles, I expect them to last longer than a few months. I don't know about you, but I work hard for my money, paying for all my things out of my own pocket and I refuse to spend another dime on Microsoft's money pit of faulty consoles.

The main reason I purchased a PS3 was because I was in the market for a Blu-Ray player. However during extensive research I discovered that the Blu-Ray player on the PS3 is one of the best on the market, and while I'm not a big fan of multipurpose gaming consoles, I decided on the PS3 opposed to a standalone due to my countless issues with the XBOX 360. I may end up getting a standalone Blu-Ray player eventually, but for now the PS3 will suffice. The Blu-Ray player does not disappoint; however since this is my first experience with a Blu-Ray player, I don't have anything to compare it to other than DVD players. That said I never experienced any issue with the playback on the PS3. The first movie I purchased was The Dark Knight and comparing the video quality to my DVD player I do see a big difference. While DVD's certainly look good, the Blu-Ray does in fact show a noticeable difference. Honestly I don't notice much difference in audio, but this could be because I have a very old A/V receiver. The Blu-Ray player on the PS3 also up converts regular DVD's (with an HDMI cable). To me, the up-converting is ok, but I prefer using my standalone for watching regular DVD's.

One huge advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is that Sony doesn't nickel and dime you on accessories like Microsoft does. An example of this is that the PS3 has built in wireless internet capability instead of making you spend a hundred bucks on an "adapter". Additionally, all A/V connections in the back of the console are spaced out so you can use multiple A/V outputs (i.e. using HDMI video with optical sound) without having to spend an additional fifty bucks on yet ANOTHER adapter. Also, the PS3 controller can be charged with the included USB cable and you are not forced to purchase a battery pack and a separate charger. Finally, all memberships to the Sony PlayStation network (the equivalent to XBOX Live) are absolutely free. Meaning it's free to play games online without having to pay ANOTHER fifty/year for a "Gold membership"; granted while it is not that much, free is always better. Keep in mind that you still have to pay for some downloads, but you aren't charged just to be member.

One small complaint I had right off the bat is that unlike the 360 I am unable to output optical sound to my receiver and HDMI sound to my television simultaneously. I found the ability to do this on the 360 to be quite convenient since when everyone is in the bed I can play games with the receiver volume turned all the way down and just use the sound on the TV. However with the PS3 you can only choose one or the other at a given time. So before I start playing games, I have to choose in the Audio Settings screen if I want to use HDMI sound through the TV or optical sound through my receiver every time. My receiver does not have HDMI capability so I do not know if this limitation applies if both the TV and Receiver have HDMI capability.

This PS3 package comes bundled with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune which is a very good game to start off with. Once you are done with this game you can easily download demos from the PlayStation network to check out other titles you are curious about.

Keep in mind that to cut costs, Sony decided to do away with backwards compatibility with PS2 games. Neither of the current versions of the PS3 can play PS2 games. Because I have no PS2 games, this is not a concern for me and since I'm one to keep my old consoles, backwards compatibility has NEVER been a concern for me. However, if you are one that wishes to play PS2 games, then I suggest getting one of the older model PS3's or just purchase a PS2 separately since they are inexpensive now.

So far the PS3 seems like a good console. Available titles are limited for me since I have most of the good cross platform games on the 360 already. Drake's Fortune is a good start, but I am hoping for more worthy PS3 titles in the near future. Reliability wise, I have experienced a couple of game freezes, but restarting the system seemed to clear the problem. Only time will tell it it's more reliable than the 360. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt I will go through 3 4 per year as I have with the 360.

Honest reviews on PlayStation 3 160GB Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Bundle

This is not my first console ever. I switched from Xbox classic and 360 and this was the best decision I've ever made. Free online gaming, much smoother running, hundreds of extra features and utilities, and now also the Playstation Home coming up makes Playstation3 absolutely unmatched by any of the others. This is the ultimate gaming and home entertainment system I'll be sure to stick to for many, many years to come. I highly recommend it to everyone in the whole world. You will know what I'm talking about when you get it. I also want to thank the lousy and completely useless XBox360 technical support who has opened my eyes and made me switch to Playstation3. I hope this inspires lots of other gamers who decided to settle for an OK system to make the same switch I did and treat themselves with the right stuff.

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The PS3 was first released in November 2006, just one year after its competition, the XBOX 360. What can be said for the console since its release back on that amazing day in 2006? Well one thing is that it continues to evolve even to this day thanks to new releases with bigger hard drives and numerous software patches to be downloaded for free through the Playstation network (PSN). Sony are a company that listen to their fans and although upon first release the creators think they know what's best, they are more than willing to develop the interface and the experience through feedback from gamers.

The XBOX 360 was released 1 year earlier than the PS3 because Microsoft wanted to get the jump on Sony by releasing their console for Christmas 2005 which presented absolutely no gaming competition. Good move from a business stand point, but this only hindered the XBOX experience with the numerous hardware faults including the dreaded red ring of death. Fans were angry and frustrated and certainly a lot of them felt robbed by Microsoft's shoddy hardware blunders. The PS3 was the saving grace as although we had to wait an additional year for it to be released, the wait was worth it.

The look of the PS3 is something I want to talk about first. The external appearance is something we all notice first and it's definitely something that made me buy it. Next to hardware, the look of a console on the outside and in the interface is definitely something quite important I take into consideration when deciding a purchase. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) is again something that looks very pretty and of course presents an easy to navigate interface. The PS3 GUI is known as the XrossMediaBar or the XMB. It is split into 9 categories. Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, PSN, Network and Friends all make up an easy to find system when you're looking to perform a particular task within the operating system.

I don't know much about hardware and the technical stuff, but they've all been touched upon in other reviews so I'm going to just talk about the little add ons that really make it a worthwhile experience to buy this console. The PSN is one of its best selling points for the PS3 as although the 7th generation of gaming has taken a more positive leap to internet gaming, the fact that joining the PSN and being able to play your friends online is free wins it many fans. The wireless controllers are again another fantastic addition. This may be considered reaching for complements but it's the small things that have the biggest impact. Bluetooth and built in wireless internet capability are just immense considering if you want stuff like this, you have to buy the extras for the XBOX 360 to allow for such freedom

My favourite thing to do with the console is to be able to plug in my external hard drive and watch any film I have stored on my PS3. It seems to have the ability to play any video format on the PS3 and although that may not be the case, I'm happy and as a gamer, that's all that matters. Thanks to recent updates, Sony has now introduced the very welcome Trophy system which is a way of matching Microsoft's achievement system. Some would say it's better, others would say it doesn't matter, but to me it makes the gaming experience that bit more worth it.

The whole point of the PS3 is the gaming experience and that is the right approach to take which has worked wonders for Sony. No widespread hardware problems and no noise problems which were two of my main complaints about the PS3. It wasn't a rushed console and you can tell that from the start. It's an immense experience and just over two years on it has an impressive games catalogue that is guaranteed to get better and better. There's no doubting that even though it is just two years on, there's a PS4 at least at the discussion point of development and we probably won't see a finished article for about 4 or even 5 years.

That being said, I hope Sony learn a lot from this console and understand where they went wrong and what they did right. At this point, with all the software updates and other such changes, the PS3 is near enough the perfect console. One thing that does bug me a little is the constant new releases with larger hard drives and better add ons such as PS2 backwards compatibility. When we do see a PS4 we should get a large hard drive to begin with but if upgrades of hard drive space are made available, then we should be given an easy way to upgrade the hard drive without having to be a techno type of guy and having to take apart the console.

Just buy it, you won't regret it, I promise.

Review of Take-Two NBA 2K9 X360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $13.78
Today's Bonus: 66% Off

What did I do yesterday? I played 2k9 all night! Okay, I stopped for dinner, but that's about it. Remember loading up 2K8 and going "Hmmm...not sure I like it."? Well this is the same way. In 2K8 I initially thought that the animations were too much. That you go to do something and you're out of control while he finishes the animation. This is the same way. There are new animations to get used to. But by the end of the night I was having a ball! You have to get used to the animations.

So, first I'll start with my only downer...Clark Kellogg! I really miss Kenny "The Jet" Smith. Clark is just boring. He says all of the lines that Kenny used to say (I guess he didn't have much original material), but without the flare. He would have made a better commentator and they should have brought someone else in to add the color. But Kevin Harland is still good and Cheryl Miller is neither here nor there.

Game-play's a bit more realistic. There aren't nearly as many slams, and so far the alley-oops seem realistic. And the computer plays much better defense now. You're going to have to rely on a cross-over if you want to get to the hole. I have a tough time getting Iverson's cross-over, but Melo's is sick! It's just a really quick cross-over and as you look up there's a lane to the hole. It looks exactly like Melo's cross, and then his slam looks like his slam...but you better hurry because the lane closes in a hurry as the defense recovers so you've gotta hit it!

The computer controlled players move more realistically this year. They cut and come off screens and set picks on their own instead of just standing around. And if you want to run a play you can turn on "play view", which draws the play on the court for you. Oh, and the defense is smarter this year. If you get too hot with someone the computer will start bringing the double team. Didn't stop me from going for 34 with Melo though!

Also, instead of assigning certain coverages to certain positions, you actually assign a coverage to a player. So when you go to the coverage screen you scroll through all 12 of your opponents players. That way if you had the double team on the power forward because KG is playing, you're not stuck still double-teaming when his scrub back-up comes in. There's also been another coverage setting added, "deny ball". I like to use that on the post players to try and stop the entry pass. I'm not really seeing much of a difference in it so far though.

The graphics and animations are pure! Everyone's shots look like their shots. Melo's free-throw looks correct this year. Oh, and I'm playing from the "Broadcast" view. I tried to play from the 2K view I normally play but they seemed to have flattened it out (the camera's not as high). And then for some reason the transition when you get the rebound and head the other way is kind of stuttery. Basically, if you've seen what they did to the view in Madden this is the same thing. I guess they're trying to show the whole court. I'm actually enjoying being on the side again though. I haven't played like that in years.

When you start playing don't be immediately disappointed. Think back to 2K8 and know that it's going to get better. The graphics/animations are amazing!! Oh, and if you play in Hi-Def make sure you take the time to look at the crowd. It's not the blurry five generic people drawn 20,000 times. Oh, and there's no "fatigue" slider. This year you adjust the "stamina" slider. I'm playing 8 minute quarters and have the stamina set at 44. 44 seems like they tire just a little slowly, but 43 makes them tire too quickly. I think 44 is about right. And I turned all of the fouls and stuff up to 60. So far nobody has fouled out but I do get people in foul trouble (playing 4 fouls per game).

Oh, and during timeouts you can boost one thing for your team (rebounds, defense, etc.). The book doesn't tell you much, but there's an in-game tutorial you'll want to do. It's under "practice", and it lets you learn exactly how to do the everything from the basics to the advanced isometric moves.

So overall...one day in...color me impressed!

WTG 2K Sports!

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At the time of this writing, there has not been any patches to correct the issues plaguing the game that the creators were too incompetent to see beforehand or prepare for. Even with these issues, which I'll talk about specifically in a moment, this is still the best basketball game I've ever played.

No matter what happens in the future to correct this game, this will forever be remembered for its absolutely and completely broken online game. A lot of people use hyperboles and exaggerated adjectives to describe an aspect of a game that fails to live up to standards to emphasize their point, but I mean this quite literally when I say it's unplayable. Here's the chronology of how things will play out if you attempt to play an online game: for an Unranked Team Up game, out of 10 tries, you'll fail to connect 7-8 times, when you do eventually connect, the game will either disconnect upon entering, or sometime within the 1st quarter. If you're lucky enough to not experience any of this, even then, your BEST CASE scenario is to play a completely lag filled game for 4 quarters. If it weren't for the lag, I wouldn't be as angry about the disconnects, because at least then, I can still enjoy a quality basketball game online, for however long it lasts (because the gameplay is almost perfect, which I'll get into). It's not much better with Ranked Team Up, your connection success rate is a lot higher, but it doesn't matter since you still either get disconnected midway through the game, or you're treated to a slow-motion, herky-jerky, lag filled game.

Some other points:

**The 2K Camera view LAGS in offline single player mode. How is this happening. How can you knowingly release a game knowing that two main elements of your game are severely flawed. I can almost buy the online excuse that they didn't expect this many players to bog down their servers, but how do you not see that the camera view you've used for the last NINE years lags. Well, this is supposedly being patched, we'll see, no patch as of now, 11/5/2008, 11:30pm EST waiting for my shift to end..

**There's way too many blocked shots around the basket that END UP GOING IN ANYWAY. If the impact of the block was loud enough to be heard clearly, then surely the trajectory of the ball should change enough to NOT go in the hoop. Every now and then sure, but it happens too often.

**Lot of people complain about the right stick menu navigation, but my problem is with the pause system (what's up with me and pause menus?) In most games when you pause, you have the separate menu options to choose, and there's usually a menu option that you can click for something like "resume game," or "return to game," or if you're a normal human being, you'll simply press the equivalent of whatever the B button is on your controller, no matter what console or game it is (or you'll press Start again, thereby returning you back to the game). Well guess what, you can't do that here. You have to specifically choose the menu option that says "resume game." It may seem like nitpicking, but I despise bad, unintuitive controls. It just shows thoughtlessness from the designers. It's like putting the ignition to a car six more inches to the right, sure, it doesn't affect your ability to start your car, but why not make it as comfortable as possible?

**The only reason I play this game is because of the included option of playing as ONE player on the court. This feature has had many monickers over the years, but always been poorly implemented due to the fact that it's only superficial. Previously if you controlled one player, most of your teammates would just stand around waiting for you to call for the ball, doing absolutely nothing. The last game I played that had this feature properly implemented was Slam 'N Jam '95 for 3DO. 2K9 finally does it properly because even while you control a single player, your teammates are still reacting to what's going on on the court, hitting the open man, taking open shots, cutting, passing YOU the ball if you're open. It's a fun challenge to see how well I can carry out my assigned duties and play within the offense, and thanks to the on screen diagrams, you know where you have to be at what time, and what you're supposed to do, whether it be to curl, set a screen, etc. My only complaint is the location of how to access this feature. They've got this thing hidden in the button configuration menu, and even then you have to access the advanced subpage of it, where you designate whether you want to play PG, SG, etc. Why isn't this under the GAMEPLAY menu??? I just wonder how many people even realized this feature existed..

**When you're double teaming someone, once you are in that double team animation, it's impossible to break out of it. If I want to harass a post player, once I'm locked into my animation, I have no way to run back out to the now wide open player at the 3 point line. I don't care if they go 5/5 from the 3 point line, at least give me the option to run at them and put a hand up. This, and the camera issue is the only gameplay flaws that made me give it less than a perfect 10 score (the broken online doesn't factor in) Problem is, although the camera problem is supposedly going to be patched, I can guarantee you this gameplay flaw will most definitely NOT be patched. They may correct it for next year by chance, but they won't waste their time patching it this year, they probably don't even realize it's an issue.

**Speaking of doubleteams, when you doubleteam someone, if you don't pass the ball out fast enough, it ends up as a jumpball. Well here's where the problem is, you end up with 2-3 jumpballs a game. Instead of the end result of not passing it resulting in a jumpball EVERY time, how about simply a TURNOVER. That'd be much more realistic, and wouldn't ruin the flow of the game so much. In the NBA, a player who gets caught in a trap or doubleteamed in the post rarely gets in a jumpball situation, they usually end up getting the ball stripped. The jumpballs happen when someone's going for a layup or a dunk. Hopefully they realize this for next year and have the jumpballs be a result of a defender getting a hand on the ball as you're taking it up, and not because you were doubleteamed (again, those should result in a turnover).

Apart from all that, I've never played a basketball game that was this realistic and this close to perfection. The gameplay is unbelievable. I can't believe the number of nuances and details they have in this game:

**I really like the driving mechanic on this game. This game has a perfect sense and understanding for feel of *space and *momentum. It breaks down in a couple ways: depending on your relative positioning to your defender, you either have the space and/or the player quickness to get by that defender or you don't; and if you don't, you can then dynamically switch directions, or come to a quick stop, and your defender will realistically be off balance for a split second, giving you the time and spacial advantage to bury a quick jumper, or drive AGAIN and this time get by them, since you now have a step on them. I really like the sense of being able to fully control your dribbling player and school the defender.

**It's perfect the way they captured the essence of *getting by someone. Once you have a little bit of space and you get that first step on them, your player lowers his shoulder as you barely get by them.

**The triple threat option is done perfectly. You can do all kinds of footjabs and ball fakes and your defender reacts so realistically and perfectly as he desperately shifts his body weight keep up with you. The AI won't react the say way every time either, you can jab step to your right, and they may not bite, then you pump fake, and quickly jab step a second time, and this time the defender might shift in that direction thinking this was your real move, as you take off towards the left side towards the basket. The same thing goes for a live ball, just like I said earlier, you really have a sense of rocking the defender as they respond to your every dribbling move to keep up with you, and depending on their reaction, if you're quick enough and savvy enough, you can pull off some really cool appropriate counter moves (I say 'appropriate', because sure, maybe you can react and do the same exact counter move every time on the opponent, but for the true NBA fans, you'll want to try to do the most realistic move given the situation, and you have a lot to choose from).

**How's this for authenticity, on one occasion I jumped into the air trying to anticipate a CPU player that I assumed was about to shoot the ball so I could block it, but before he jumped to shoot, a foul was called on someone else off the ball, so in order to get two shots at the line, the CPU player actually JUMPED INTO ME while I was in the air to initiate the contact. And yes, it looked exactly how you would imagine. Show me one other basketball game that does that.

**The motions and movement of people's bodies in this game in general is amazing, particularly on the defensive end. Defenders are keenly aware of the man they're guarding, relative to where the ball is. So he'll kinda put his arm out, to keep contact and feel his man, as he tries to also watch the ball on the other side of the court.

**The faces of players may not look perfect, but the details of their bodies are crazy. Sure, we all know about T-Mac's protruding vein on his right arm/shoulder, and obviously Sheed's white patch on the back of his head. This is nothing new, but who else noticed that they actually included Kobe's NECK FAT? I watch enough basketball to pick up on small details like this, and Kobe has this layer of fat on the back of his neck. Any game that's detailed enough to draw someone's neck fat definitely has my respect.

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You know the graphics are really good and so is the gameplay but the controls kill the fun. They're way to difficult and the crossover moves are very hard to execute. I don't mind playing against a friend but playing against the computer is kinda frustrating and hard. The dunk contest isn't so bad except the controls are hard to figure out. I think if you're a fan of the NBA 2k franchise then you might still love it but if you're a new comer like I am, it's not exactly new user friendly.

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The bad: Very similar in gameplay to 2K8, but it seems like like 2K Sports made it harder to rebound and defend in general. The AI defense is terrible in my opinion and only a few star players (Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, Tim Duncan and a few others) can consistently play good defense in the paint. I hope for the 2010 version they can really work on defense. Oh and one more thing is it just me or is it impossible to win the three point shootout?

The good: The animations are even better this year and I think that is the strong point of the series. Presentation has been excellent for the past few years and it really does feel like a real basketball game. Anyone who wants an authentic game experience should really enjoy this title. There are a bunch of extra gametypes available including slam dunk contests, 1 on 1 or a game of 21, season/association mode, practice, online play and more. Also the new roster updates that come out every once in a while are a great addition and something that should have been in the 2K8 version last year.

Overall I would give the game a grade of "B" for good. If the defense wasn't so bad the grade would definitely be higher. I also think the menu's (especially in the Xbox Live menu) can be improved. We'll see what happens in 2010, but I hope to find some great new features.

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Been playing nba 2k for a while and I am disapointed by this years' version which I bought it 2 weeks ago.

My issues:

1. Lag when playing OFFLINE in 2k mode

2. Online mode no 2k view. I don't like any of the views they have

on the positive side they have really tried to improve graphics (which is what creates offline lag) and lack of certain views online. also they made the game a lot more realistic which means you cant cheese(use one methodology to score) as much as in the past.

Review of High Speed 1.4 HDMI with Ethernet Gold Plated Cable Supports 3D

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Exactly what I expected. Actually ordered this for in in-wall installation where I figured (correctly) that the bend behind the TV would benefit from the flat cable. Also it did well holding up dragging through the wall. Most importantly the 1.4 rating is superb as I am able to hook up a video camera to the TV and it routes the sound into my receiver. One TV, One HDMI....it's the way it should be (and wish I could get a refund on all the redundant hook-ups on the TV!!

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Reviews of Xbox 360 NFL Detroit Lions Controller

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I was really impressed with this controller, i remember a time when buying a third party controller meant it barely recognized your inputs and it would also feel very cheap and flimsy, this controller however is very well built feels even better than an official microsoft controller imo and also responds very well while playing black ops and warhammer 40k SM all in all very satisfied especially for the price can't go wrong.

* The only reason i didn't give it a 5 is because i have only had it for about a week so i will have to wait and see how durable it is but so far so good.

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I was looking for a USB controller and this one works fine. I have run it to death for months now and it works fine. Shipping was fast. The product arrived in fine condition and was packaged well. I am very satisfied with product and seller.

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With the model of madzcat is more easy to play, but this remote who I bought microfone is not working, Hope found xbox remotes of my favorite NHL teams too

Thank you madzcats

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 NFL Detroit Lions Controller

The controller itself works fine, though it does have a different feel than the Microsoft controller and takes a little bit of getting used to. The dashboard button, start and select are at the sides of the controller, rather than the top, and that is strange when you first use the controller, but you get used to it. The issue I had is, while the controller worked fine, whenever I put in a mic apparently there was a loud buzzing sound of sorts that was unbearable to those in the party. I tried with two different mics(a Turtle Beach headset, and a Microsoft mic)and neither worked. That pretty much kills its value for me, but fortunately I got it for about 10 dollars and use it as a backup. So basically if you are an offline player this controller would be fine for you, but if you're looking to play online and talk you should find something else.

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When I purchased this controller I was a bit skeptical. In all my past uses of 3rd party controllers, they've all had problems, sooner or later. I'm sure glad this one has held up this far! It comes in handy when one of my controllers are MIA or dead and I'm in the middle of a game or when I feel like using it on the PC. My only con, is the logo I bought this one specifically for the lowest price, but would have liked to seen some other team controllers closer in price.

Discount NEW XBOX Replacement Parts Power Supply 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5

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I have bought this product and was very unhappy to find that it is not powerful enough to start my Xbox. As soon as the hard drive starts to spin up, it shuts the power down. When I try a more power hungry hard drive, it does not even spin up; the green LED stays lit less than a second after I turn the Xbox on.

I do not recommend this product.

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badd product this is a cheap knock-off that does not work do not order you will only have to return it

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My xbox power supply fried but this one came with adapters so it could go to any version of the xbox and it worked great and my xbox works

Honest reviews on NEW XBOX Replacement Parts Power Supply 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5

Will not work as is with any 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, or 1.5 version Xbox as advertised since it dose not supply the required crossover cable. The power supply I recieved is for the original version 1.0 1.1 unit. This power supply has the 10 wire connector (single row plug). Versions 1.2 1.5 systems use a 20 wire connector which is double row. Although this power supply will run all the systems (with the expection of version 1.6) it does not come with the crossover cable/connector needed. I had to order the crossover from another company.

Note: Other companies that sell this item supply the crossover when it is for versions 1.2-1.5. This unit should have been $8 dollars cheaper.

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Had a power supply failure on my first Xbox, swapped out old with new and it worked great. Glad to see that they are selling more original Xbox power supplies on Amazon. A lot cheaper to replace then an entire console.

Swapped this power supply on two different consoles, one was a regular console and the second was a modified console. Both worked the way it should. My modified Xbox had an 500 gigabyte hard drive with a Xenium mod chip.

I would recommend, but just be careful of who you are buying it from. Do not buy from low rated sellers and always ask for their refund policies before buying.

Review of Infamous 2 - Playstation 3

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Infamous 2 has a pretty big set of shoes to fill after the success of the first. It seemed like it would be hard to improve upon the mechanics of the first game. Yet Sucker Punch studios managed to find a way, and produce a worthy sequel to Infamous.

GAMEPLAY

If you have played Infamous then you will feel right at home with Infamous 2. Not much has changed gameplay wise from the original except for loads of polish. Your character will keep his powers, avoiding a Metroid or God of War scenario, and earn additional powers throughout the game. Climbing mechanics, aiming, melee combat all feels more fluid and lively when compared to the original. You will explore a brand new city, take side quests and missions, find dead drops and shards... its all here all over again just with a new coat of paint. On top of new powers to unlock, Cole now has access to THE AMP which allows him additional combat moves especially with melee. To top it all off the map now has some destructible elements which add a nice bit of devastation to Cole's attacks, and goes along exceptionally well if you decide to take the EVIL path.

One thing that does put a damper on the gameplay however is the camera mechanics. This time around the camera got in my way a lot more than it did in the first installment, especially when it came to melee combat with the amp. The camera gave this really nice comic book effect sometimes, giving nice low angle close ups to the fight but it also cut off my view of oncoming danger; and sometimes when jumping would go behind a building or wall leaving me blind to my position. While not a major problem it does put a tiny damper on the gameplay

GRAPHICS

A big time improvement over the first game, and overall the game looks great! The graphics are rendered exceptionally well, and the effects of Cole's powers never looked better. The best part of all is the new city. It looks magnificent when compared to the previous. There is a lot more activity and visual effects going on that really do make the city feel more alive. It is a major improvement over the first title I feel.

SOUND/STORY

Sound wise, the game is very lively. Cole's powers have a lot more effect to them and overall the game just sounds great. Voice acting is of high quality in my book. The new voice actor for Cole at first might seem out of place, when compared with the original, but it grew on me over time. Story wise the game has a decent story, on par with the first game. Like in the original you can chose to be Good or Evil depending on your actions making for two endings and in a way; Two story arcs each leading to different sets of skill upgrades and storyline elements.

REPLAY/LENGTH

Depending on how obsessed you get with collecting shards, dead drops, side quests etc the game should take you anywhere from 14 17 hrs. Replay value is exceptionally high! Not only do you have both a Good and Evil storyline to complete, but shards, dead drops, side quests all return and then some. If you loved the first you will have no problem playing though this game twice with ease.

There is also an online element to Infamous 2 which allows you to create and play user created maps/content. While the controls and implementation of the creator do need some work (in my opinion) the level of creation available is high. Given some time expect to see some wild user-generated content online!

OVERALL A... 90%

Infamous 2 does the original game justice. It doesn't change the formula much, instead just improving upon what made the original a greatest hit; while also giving it a nice face lift graphically. Throw in new super-powers, user-generated content and online, and you have yourself a winner. While Infamous 2 is not a perfect game, it does more than enough to make itself out to be a powerful, high quality title well worth the price of admission.

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'Infamous 2' is the best video game I've played all year. It's a sequel that takes the strengths of the original game, polishes off the rough areas and injects a heavy dose of color and personality. The gameplay's more exciting, the setting is more appealing, and not since 'God of War' has there been a game that makes you feel like a super-powered badass!

'Infamous 2' puts you in the role of series protagonist Cole MacGrath, a person with electric superpowers who's done great good or evil (depending on how you play) for his home town of Empire City. After losing a battle with a super being known only as 'the Beast', Empire City is destroyed and Cole and his allies flee to New Marais (think New Orleans) to upgrade. The story is pretty straight-forward comic book fare with Cole getting involved in the conflicts of New Marais while powering up for his rematch with the Beast. The comic-style cutscenes from 'Infamous 1' are back and sharper than ever, but the real joy is the improved in-game cutscenes which seem movie-quality thanks to the engaging main characters. The cutscenes and story do change a little in 'Infamous 2' depending on whether you're a hero or villain but it's mostly towards the end of the game. The story DOES assume you've played 'Infamous 1' so interested gamers will want to start with the original game first.

The graphics in 'Infamous 2' (with a few exceptions) are excellent. While the actual graphics are a little more detailed in texture than in 'Infamous 1', the improved motion-capture makes Cole and other characters move naturally giving them an organic look. The setting of New Marais is also a big improvement over Empire City as each location looks fresh and varied with excellent use of color and details to make the town come alive. It's no Liberty City (and is a bit smaller than Empire City) but it suits 'Infamous 2's comic book world perfectly!

The audio in 'Infamous 2' is also a treat with more Bluegrass-inspired tunes to compliment the New Orleans-themed setting. The voice-work is top-notch with new voice and mo-cap actor Eric Laden (of 'Left 4 Dead 2' fame) making the character of Cole his own! Nika Futterman is also a standout as the fire-powered 'Nix'.

While 'Infamous 2' is aesthetically an improvement over 'Infamous 1' the basic gameplay is very much the same. You're still running/jumping/climbing/flying across buildings and covering and shooting with your powers. The side quests are much more varied than 'Infamous 1' but still not that complicated. The dead-drops (which I all but ignored in the original game) are now essential if you want to flesh out more of Infamous 2's story and characters. There are some racing-type missions (or 'overload' missions) on rooftops but they take a back seat to more super-powered battles in the streets. I personally liked this change as battling against other super-powered beings was my favorite part of Infamous 1 but some gamers might be put off with a more 'shooter'-minded approach. Also, the camera does get stuck sometimes (especially during the melee attacks) and while I never died as a result it did become a hassle.

The major gameplay change in 'Infamous 2' is your powers. You still need EXP to upgrade abilities (which get unlocked as the story goes), but to actually obtain a power you have to pull off certain stunts and moves with your current abilities. This makes the game much more involved in my opinion in that it makes you experiment with each power before upgrading. There's also a LOT more powers to obtain in 'Infamous 2', so much so that you have to go into your menu and assign different upgrades to different buttons. The Good/Evil powers are much more varied as 'Good' powers focus on precision and 'Evil' powers focus on destruction. For that reason alone the game is worth playing through twice!

While 'Infamous 2' won't impress detractors of the first game, it does just enough different and does it with more excitement and thrills that it'll easily entertain series fans! I want to stress that you DO want to complete the first 'Infamous' before diving into this sequel as certain story-elements may not make sense ( and hey, Infamous 1 is still a great game...which will hopefully make one kick-ass holiday bundle!!). Fans of Infamous 1 and empowering sandbox games, this is a must buy!

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...you will LOVE Infamous 2! Infamous 2 improves on Infamous 1 in almost every way.

Simply put, Infamous 2 is fun. Fun! Why?

-Satisfying combat

--The new combat system is much improved from Infamous 1, essential giving you a huge arsenal of unique powers to choose from. You will unlock different bolts, blasts, grenades, rockets, and ionic attacks (think lightning storm). You can only equip one of each type of attack at a time, but can switch which is equipped on the fly. I should point out Good and Evil paths unlock different powers.

--Combat is more difficult than Infamous 1 (I'm playing on hard), which is a heartily welcomed improvement. Enemies are tougher and your wounds don't heal as fast when you exit combat. Also unlike Infamous 1, you can challenge yourself by your selection of powers. I see myself going back and completed the game again with just weakest powers for an additional challenge.

--Stealth can play a larger role because enemies don't notice you as easily, which is nice.

--The amp! Melee combat is a blast thanks to it

--Interaction with environment means lots of ways to take down enemies

-The parkour platforming elements means traversing the city is never boring, and can be quite enjoyable

-Many many side missions to complete

-Many many blast shards to collect

-Many many powers to unlock

-Improved karma system from Infamous 1

-More random city events than Infamous 1

-User generated content. Although limited at the moment, seems to have much potential.

Negatives:

-The camera can be a bit wonky at times

-Cole sometimes falls through objects unexpectedly while climbing

-Side missions can become repetitive (but hey, there's 60 of them, what do you expect?)

All in all, Infamous 2 is an awesome blend of FPS, action/RPG, and platformer. I highly recommend it as one of the best games for PS3. But play Infamous 1 first so you know the story!

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Just buy this game. I was a fan of the first infamous, but I felt like it just never was what it should be. THis game is the game it needed to be. THey have improved on every single aspect of this game. The beginning intro is right up there with the God of War 3 intro, and it sets the tone for the entire game. You are reminded every now and then just how far the Beast is, and hes coming for you! So many times when I was playing it, I just had to look around and take it all in. Thing is beautiful man. And the pre order dlc I got is pretty cool, the gold amp, sly cane, caveman stick, and samurai sword. WHats cool is that for all the other "amp" skins, they have their own unique electrical field when you use it. This game is a beast yo. No pun intended

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For the purpose of the review, I've played the standard edition of the game.

The game starts up with giving you an option of continuing a past inFAMOUS storyline. (As either good or evil, and will also import blast shards. I've had to format my hard drive since last beating the first game, so I'm unsure of how well this feature works) Once you've decided to continue your storyline or begin a new game, you're thrown in to a very exciting opening scene. From here on, I'll separate each major piece of the game into separate sections.

Graphics The game looks really good. The shadows glitching on the faces from the first game in the series is gone. Cole, as well as other characters have updated looks (and voices). The animations are really smooth as well. Power special effects are also really cleanly done. I have absolutely no complaints about the graphics of the game.

Audio The soundtrack to this game has a sort of overarching main melody, but is pulled off to play during separate feelings of emotion, and I have on more than one occasion gone to find the mission on a youtube video to hear the music again.

As mentioned before, Cole has a new voice actor. This is because they (Sucker Punch) have decided to do motion and facial capturing for scenes, whereas Cole's original voice actor did not have the physicality for the part. It took a few missions to get used to the new voice, but I find that it fits in just as well.

Audio effects for powers and firearms are also well done.

Controls For the most part, they are spot on. I especially love the addition of a powers quick change button. The only moments of 'wonkyness' I've experienced are in hand-to-hand combat while civilians are around. I was playing through as a good character, and on more than one occasion in a karma boosting side mission, I've hit the civilian while intending to hit the crooks. That aside, climbing controls, movement controls, and menu controls are great.

Gameplay This is the most important part, and it works incredibly well. The game's tempo runs similarly to the first one, but the substations charge differently, and in my own opinion, it is much more fun to do.

The power-ups are plentiful, and the side missions are many (60 in total!)

Part way through, you also receive an additional element as a power for Cole as well. These powers compliment an attribute of Cole's own arsenal. There are many Blast Shards and Dead Drops to find within the game, too. 306 Blast Shards, and 29 Dead Drops.

Throw this in to the fact that you can also play through at least twice, one for each karmic branch, as well as the addition of User Generated Content, and you have one really replayable game.

(Side note, while I don't agree with User Generated Content as a game attribute, it does work well with the game for extra experience and things to do. I feel as though developers using UGC as a means of adding in to a game really pulls away from the main story, or additional things that could also be fun to play with)

Total 94/100

I really do love the inFAMOUS games, and this one is a great enhancement on the first one. I find they've really fixed some things I may have had a small problem with from the first one, (Static Thrusters, to name one) I just feel as though there are some things that could have been fine-tuned (combat targeting civilians) and karma-choices lock out and potentially make a powers tree invalid if you choose incorrectly within your own game.

That aside, I definitely recommend this game to anyone with a Playstation 3.