Reviews of The Thing

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I've reviewed a few X-Box games here, so before I continue, I ask that after reading this review, please vote as to whether or not it was helpful so I know how/if I'm helping for your game purchases. Thanks! I'm changing my reviews to give purchase/rent/buy recommendations, as well as the 5-star system.

"The Thing" is one of the more surprisingly enjoyable games I've purchased recently. For those on the fence, on my new rating system I would give this a "good buy". To give you a better understanding of this rating, I would give "Halo" a "definitely buy" rating, "GunMetal" would get a "rent only", and "Smashing Drive" would receive an "avoid" rating. With that said, let's get down to details:

Graphics: Graphics are well-done and rated about a 3.5 to 4 out of 5. The colors are well-integrated, snow/fog perception is visually well done. Texture mapping onto various "thing" creatures can be a bit redundant, but doesn't detract from game play. Conceptually, the graphics are similar to Halo. The mapping of character voices to mouth movements is a bit puppet-like, but it's understood that do so would require a much more programming effort, and again, doesn't detract from the story. There is some granularity on certain images, but the content is large, so some work is spared. Again, the graphics are fine, and do not detract from playability of this game at all. You may need to tweak your TV's video settings if you're used to watching DVD movies often because there are many dark scenes that may require a darkened room to play, or adjusted contrast/brightness (increased Gamma). Occasionally, when your character is too close to battle, the view switches from an "behind the back" third person, to a first-person. Sometimes this can be a bit jerky, or can be accompanied by video clipping (i.e., where parts of the characters seem to be "cut off" or disappear through walls), causing disorientation for the player, but again, doesn't happen enough to be a serious problem.

Sound/music: Sounds are rated 3.5 to 4 also. The sounds for certain weapons as the shotgun are superb with nice subtle additions, such as the clink of shells falling on hard floors, recocking of the gun, and the "schluck, schluk" of reloading more shells. The sounds of "things" dying is can be repetitive, and it would have been nicer to have a few more variations on this. The sound of the wind howling during outdoor missions never becomes overstated, and the repeating track works well. The background mood music is very well done. The tense sounds or sudden pizzicato play very well into the story. When I first started playing this game at night with all the lights out, the mood music started to give me the same fearful anticipation that watching a good horror movie will do. Sounds of doors shutting, computers working, electrical boxes being repaired, and circuit breakers being thrown are realistic.

Game play/controls: This category rates a solid 4. An interesting quirk of this game occurs during loading of missions, which in no way affects game play. During loading from the DVD-ROM a "loading progress" indicator graphic of a single alien cell morphing into a human cell moves with a very jerky motion from left to right, followed by the words "Assimilation Complete" typed out. This doesn't affect game play at all, but more care should have been taken to not detract from the mood between missions. Another slightly annoying thing is the fact that there is no directly accessible save function (from the start button menu). You have to find "data recorders" throughout each mission at various steps along the way to save your progress. Usually these are located in places just prior to some perilous action, however, sometimes they're placed near the end of a mission, and possibly nowhere near the initial action of a following mission. If your character is killed in a new mission, you can simply restart the mission as many times as you need, but if you exit the game, or have to shut down your X-Box, you may have to replay a bit more than you'd like of an earlier mission (from where you had saved at a data recorder location) up to where you'd actually left off in a following mission. The flow of story and action is smooth, and the addition of movie-like scenes between action is very cool, though sometimes at the end of a scene you may be placed right in the middle of critical action without enough time to assimilate your situation, and the next thing you know, you're toast. The controls are standard, however, the left thumbstick controls ALL of your movement, and the right thumbstick is only for "panning" left or right, or to lean outward left or right. This is different from Halo which uses the left thumbstick to move, and the right one to "turn your head" to view separately from movement. If you've played Halo often, it takes a little getting used to, but you'll adapt quickly. The other controls are very simple to use, and there are only a few functions so as to avoid complication. As I said above, playing this game at night with all the lights off can be creepy at first, so the anxious tension comes across very well. The game is rated "M" for Mature, mostly for occasional obscenities/language, and violence. I'm glad Black Ice (the creators) didn't hold back with language; it's probably about a "PG-13" rating, maybe pushing "R", but to have toned it down would have made the game into a parody of what it is now. The game features a great combination of problem solving with action-less action than Halo, but makes up for it with the heightened tension conveyed in playing out a Sci-Fi horror movie game.

I had no idea of what to expect when I had purchased this game, not having read any other reviews (which I usually do beforehand), but I was not let down, and I'd recommend it for purchase.

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Normally, I find games made for multiple systems to be generally weak, or only as good as the weakest platform on the market. Since the Xbox is the baddest machine on the market, even though it might not always have the baddest games to accompany it, a lot of these games seem really watered down. The Thing is a nice exception to this rule. It's not the greatest game I've ever played, but it's definitely the best Xbox game I've played since Hunter: The Reckoning.

Ok, while the use of such an old, relatively tired license might seem a bit odd for those who don't remember the eighties as clearly as old guys like me, it lends itself perfectly to the survival horror genre. "Half-Life" always sort of reminded me of "The Thing" so it's nice to see the game steal a lot of inspiration back from games and movies it inspired over the years.

The one thing the game nails right on the head is the atmosphere. Paranoia rules the day. Are your allies infected, waiting to turn on you at any minute? Do they think the same thing about you? Are you all infected? The use of NPC's to further the plot and mold the atmosphere is used to perfection. NPC's might not be infected when you start, but in the heat of battle can become infected and turn on you. Everyone is a potential enemy. The game tries to further this by creating a NPC interface that revolves around building trust and quelling suspicion. While it's not a major part of the game, it does serve the atmosphere and keep you on your toes. The sound also helps build paranoia by doling it out in small or large doses. Footsteps in the snow or something banging on the wall can be really freaky. Aside from adding to the paranoia, the sound really isn't exceptional.

The graphics are good, but not the best. You can tell the graphics have been cleaned up considerably for the Xbox, but they are still a wee bit grainy and even laggy at times. I found the lag to be a personal irritant. This is the first game I've ever played on the Xbox with any lag at all, and although its minor compared to a lot of PC games on the market, it was still a little irritating. I personally think console games have no excuse for lag. It's not like they're dealing with an aging PC or something, they already have the specifications they need to build the game. The lag isn't horrible, but it's noticeable. Most people probably won't care.

The game-play itself is quite good and is what puts the game over the top in my book. All of the monsters remain threatening no matter how small they are. The big monsters are very difficult and the AI is exceptional. I spent a lot of time sneaking around with practically no health trying to avoid monsters, and it was easier said than done. A lot of times you are forced into combat, and when you are, get ready for a lot of gun switching. You have to beat the big guys down to nothing with machine guns and shotguns and then turn the flamethrowers on them which requires you to get very close. Not easy.

My only complaint about the control is the duck feature. In the control configuration I used, the stick for movement made you duck when you pushed it. In the heat of battle while running for my life, I would suddenly find myself in a duck walk getting beat on by some nasty critter. My only other complaint has to do with the save game feature. I'm sure checkpoint saves, or in game saves that require some device, in this case a recorder, are necessary for games that require memory cards, but with the Xbox's big hard drive, it's just irritating. Please, someone out there figure this out.

Anyway, there are lots of new Xbox games coming out, many of which I've played, few of which are good. The Thing is a good, safe bet. It's not the new Halo, but it's a great single player game. It's well worth your time and money.

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This game is not perfect in design. But it is survival horror at it's best and the controls beat Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The Thing is one of the most tense games I have ever played. From the grotesque mosnters to your own squad mates commiting suicide, you never really relax. One great gameplay dynamic is that you have to dish out the ammo and food. But you have to be careful if your squadmate has turned into the thing. Fantstic game, even better if you like the movie.

Really good game. go get it.

Honest reviews on The Thing

The Thing rocks. From the very begining this game is scary. You start out as a soldier sent out looking for survivors in a destroyed science base in antarctica but find only mangled or frozen bodies, and scattered papers that describe some kind of mutating infection. Later you find a fellow soldier, cowering in a corner, surrounded by mutilated bodys and babbeling about an unknown horror. This horror, the thing, is a virus that mutates anyone infected by it into a nightmarish beast. Your fellow soldiers suspect everyone of being infected and paranoia sets in. In this game you not only have to fight the monsters, but also cope with your teammates fears. A great story, cool weapons, and managing fear make The Thing a grade A horror game. The gory content of this game also makes it scary. Finding an evecerated corpse impaled upon its own severed limb, while your men cringe nervously as they hear strange shrieks and growels coming from the shadows, really adds up to a terrify game. I love this game and all my buddys who have rented or borrowed it ended up buying it because they loved it so much too. If you enjoy horror games or are a fan of the movie than buy it because this will blow you away. (you should also see the movie if you havent already, its great)

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I'm a hardcore PC gamer and picky console gamer, so I rarely purchase console games unless it's worth it. The Thing lived up to what I expected and delivered even more in terms of graphics and sounds, not to mention the AI of "The Things" are pretty good too. Controls are decent and the story plot definitely give those who saw the original movie a feeling of sequel in action (if you didnt see this 1982 sci-fi classic movie, get it, its worth it, the special effects in there are still good to date). There are few minor flaws, such as the trust/fear system that comes in conflict with scripted story/character development, so even after bloodtest those team members who are not infected might become infected due to story development or scripted plot. It's not bad, but it sort of cancels out the fear/trust system as. One minor issue I have with the game is that ammunition tend to be so readily available that it makes the game lean towards action than a survial horror game... but the blood and gore is this game will make up for that. Conclusion is this game is a much better choice for Xbox owners that wants a true resident evil type game (Silent Hill 2 was way too slow for my taste), and with the ability to be able to control a squade, good story and challenging AI this game should warrant any Xbox owner's investment.

Cheap DJ Hero 2 Party Bundle - Xbox 360 (Party Bundle)

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This is DEFINITELY worth the $99.99 price tag back up to almost $150 (still worth it!!!), you get a tonne of great mixes, two turntables and a microphone, and if you pre-ordered it through one of the different promotions, you could've come out with a Puma bag or autographed turntables (this one being more expensive), shirts, etc. They have also released a patch so you can use DJ Hero 1 DLC (not DJH1 disc songs but DLC mixes) in DJH2. And if you are looking for the best deal, I think this WAS it. keep checking to see if they go on sale for $99.99 again.

I bought the Renegade Edition of DJH1 when it came out and enjoyed the game but felt certain things were missing from the gameplay mechanics. DJH2 is a lot more fun with the new gameplay, scratching is much more fun, cross-fading is really great, there's some of other nice things they've added and/or changed. Overall, this game is much improved on the first game, I haven't really played too much online myself though.

The track list in my opinion (subjective) is way better than the first. As soon as I heard Deadmau5, Kaskade and Calvin Harris were in this game, the price was more than justified (I paid at $154.99 haha) and still is considering what you get, especially the $100 price tag. The equipment is decent quality I haven't had any issues, however, I wish the microphone cord was longer, compared to my RB/Logitech mics it's kinda short. Some people won't mind this, but I would have liked it to be longer, oh and by the way, the DJH2 microphone works perfectly in RB and GH games (if anyone was wondering), not sure about the other singing style games (but I'd imagine it would be compatible for the most part).

This is perfect for people who are really into music (especially dance/electro/hip-hop) and video games or if you're a fan of music genre video games (RB/GH). It's a fun game for anyone really, just needs more Calvin Harris, Kaskade and Deadmau5!!!

*I added a bunch of pictures above as well.

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Comes with both dj hero 1 and two games. Tons of fun easy to pick up and play. The music is awesome on here. Truly a blast a must for music fans.

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I never really played the game myself that much when it came out. But my roomate plays it all the time and was so happy to find this package online it is a great thing to have if your a fan of the game :)

Honest reviews on DJ Hero 2 Party Bundle - Xbox 360 (Party Bundle)

This game rocks! Most fun I've had in a long time. Cheat codes

are a must. Can't wait for 3.

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this is a cool bundle! you defiantly get your moneys worth. the two turn tables, a mic, batteries for the turn tables, and Dj hero 1 and 2 video game! i was surprised about the batteries and DJ Hero 1. Everything works fine, the batteries are still fullycharged and brand new. This is a great bundle when you want to get the part started or if your a DJ Hero fan

Saints Row: The Third- The Full Package - Xbox 360 Reviews

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Discount Black - Xbox

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"Black" is a thrilling, if temporary, diversion from other games with more depth and replay value. This is a fast-paced shooter that the developers have described as "gun porn". It's made by Critereon, the team that does the outstanding "Burnout" racing series. If you've ever played those games, you know they specialize in spectacular scenes of destruction.

"Black" doesn't disappoint in that regard. In fact, that's the whole point of the game. Basically, you are handed an arsenal of weapons and expected to expend as much ammo as possible shooting everything that moves, and a great deal of what doesn't. You shoot until something either dies or blows up, and there ain't much that doesn't blow up. Wooden planks blow up in this game, for crying out loud.

The gun models are highly detailed. Supposedly the head of Critereon decided to make the game after spending time at a Las Vegas gun range. The scenery graphics are decent, perhaps on par with "Mercenaries" but well shy of the Xbox gold standard set by the likes of the "Splinter Cell" series. From what I've seen of the first couple levels it's a bit dark. The trick is to find the fuel cans and crates of explosives littered around the maps, and blast those to light up the area with serious fireworks.

Let me talk about the sound. Oh, the glorious sound! This game probably has the best sound of any Xbox game I've played. Despite the inclusion of 5.1 Dolby on a lot of Xbox games, I have never found in-game sounds to be especially satisfying. Not so here. Each gun sounds distinct, and deafeningly loud. Since I can only enjoy the smell of virtual napalm and cordite after my kid goes to bed, I have to keep things quiet. But this game is so outrageously noisy that I have to turn the sound system down to a setting that, if I was watching a DVD or TV, would be nearly inaudible. I'm not complaining, mind you. This is a good thing. At a normal setting, the sound effects rumble and boom like a thunderstorm in your living. Seriously, this is a huge component of the game's enjoyability, and I find it puzzling that more developers don't get this right.

I said "Black" will only be a temporary diversion for most people. That's because it's apparently really short. Seasoned FPS fans will probably be able to blow through it in 6 hours or so. I expect it will take a butterfingers like me more along the lines of 10 hours or more. There's no multiplayer whatever and very little replay value beyond unlocking silver weapons with unlimited ammo and finally an M16.

But what a ride in the meantime!

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"Black" is a great FPS game. It is more of a "shoot everything that moves" game than a strategy shooter. It does require some thought to the tactics you need to complete a level and some of the levels are very tough. If you don't do some planning you probably won't get very far. The graphics are good, the sound effects great. There are several different weapons available, shotguns, SMG's, pistols etc. The AI is average with the bad guys being pretty predictable but still tough. It is an excting game that should be very challenging at the higher difficulty levels. I have been playing on "Normal" and it is tough. The violence and language are pretty rough so this is definitely not for young kids.

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I'm hunkered down in a corner of a room on the second floor of what once was a metal hospital. The limp body of the last soldier to cross my path lies across a thin, stained mattress on the floor. I'm down to the last of my shotgun ammo, my AK's down to 20 bullets and my heartbeat is thrumping insistently. I try to regain my composure and take stock of my surroundings, using precious time to plan my next move while the enemy closes in. That is, until the world begins exploding around my ears. Above my head, a section of the wall is ripped away by a teeth-clenching shotgun blast. As I stand and turn to face my assailant, the windows to my right are diced with a spray of automatic fire. It's pointless to return fire as the afternoon sun has made any attempts to pinpoint the shooter(s) location blindingly unrealistic. I run for the door, only to find two more armed goons awaiting my arrival. Unfortunately, they remembered to bring heavy machine guns with them.

This is the world of Black one of the more realistic and satisfying shooters to come out in the past few years. The graphics are at times stunning, owing much to the realistic lighting. The way moonlight reflects from the barrel of your gun is often breathtaking, and the harsh glare of the afternoon sun is as beautiful as it is frustrating.

Much has been made of the designer's attempts to create fully destructible environments, and they do succeed to a point. But keep in mind that it's impossible to turn a city street into a flat, rubble garden. While you can fire a rocket launcher and take out a few stories of a building, the building will (in most cases) remain standing. Also, barriers such as fences, walls, and other obstacles that delineate each level are indestructible, which only makes sense. That it's impossible to pull a "Rampage" and level everything in sight is a minor quibble, and those who claim otherwise are missing the point.

This game is all about the guns and the pleasure that firing these guns provides. If your enemies are behind cover, then destroy their cover and pick them off. If your being shot at by a sniper in a building, then a few shots into an adjoining propane container will take out your foe and necessitate several architectural refurbishments.

The designers intentionally make your enemies harder to kill, thus necessitating an assessment of your environment, the positions of the enemy, and ways in which to exploit your surroundings to your advantage. While this can, at times, be frustrating you'll certainly find yourself killed at least once by an opponent that you just emptied a clip into with little effect, causing you to swear like a sailor and throw down the controller in disgust. But trust me, in five minutes you'll be back. In time, you'll recognize the importance of strategy over run-and-gun heroics, and will reap the satisfying rewards of several well-placed headshots and a nicely timed grenade throw or two.

Now, the game has some problems, which does bring down the rating. For one, it is short and an experienced gamer who takes his or her time playing at the "normal" level will likely finish the game in about 10 hours. While this doesn't affect the initial excitement and playability, the lack of a multiplayer mode (either online or otherwise) seriously diminishes the replayability. Also, since the "Hard" difficulty and "Black Ops" difficulty are so insanely HARD (no health packs!!!) and the save points few and far between, few players will glean any satisfaction from making incremental progress through a game they have already completed. Like the real field of battle, there is no learning curve and while the enemy may not wear as much armor in earlier levels and use cover less effectively, their bullets still do as much damage.

Another problem comes from the AI. While they are semi-intelligent and do a good job of working co-operatively and defensively, you will soon figure out that, in a fire-fight, they move in a predictable pattern from position to position over and over again. Therefore, it makes it easier to take down your opponents, but not in a satisfying way. In certain missions you'll be teamed up with AI soldiers who will help you during the level. Fortunately, they're tenacious fighters who cannot, under any circumstances, be killed. Unfortunately, they also can't hit the wide side of a barn from 10 feet and will let enemies shoot you without bothering to assist. It seems that they were included to make the game feel a bit less Rambo, and help alert you to dangers as they appear. They also shout orders like "Take out that RPG!" which becomes even more annoying when you've just taken your third hit of collateral damage from that RPG and realize that if you were working with soldiers who knew how to aim, RPGs wouldn't be much of a problem. As far as the co-op missions go, you're still on your own.

Finally, the lack of save points has been a major complaint from people who've reviewed this game in the past. While it's understandable and would have been nice to have more of them it also would have made the game too easy and equally unsatisfying. There's an exciting sense of dread when you're hunkered down, health meter close to gone, surrounded by heavily armed opponents and know that, if you get killed it means spending another 45 minutes getting back to this point. It gives you a reason to weigh your options, proceed with caution, and maybe just maybe you'll make it through this alive.

That said, the game probably isn't worth owning. But once the price drops a bit, it'll be worth checking out. For now, renting is probably the best option since the long term possibilities are limited (4 difficulty levels and that's it) although the ability to drop into a level once you've completed the game and cause some mayhem may help you while away a few hours when you're bored.

As for the pickle I'd gotten myself into in the mental hospital, the second I stepped into the hall I knew it was over. I managed to take one guy down with a hip shot from the shotgun, but caught one round too many as I furiously tried to reload. Then, everything went to grey. Then I screamed for the tenth time that day and loud enough for my neighbors to hear, how I would never "play this *$%#@ game again." And I'd shout the same thing ten times more before I was through. When a game can be equally frustrating, satifying, and fun it's definitely worth a gamer's attention.

Honest reviews on Black - Xbox

Black is a pretty cool game. You're a special ops guy who uses a bunch of different machine guns, sniper rifle, RPG, grenades and an assortment of handguns. The problem is....every other game has that stuff, too. Add in the fact that there is no online play and you have a game that's been done a million times before. Black does have one thing that most FPS don't...NO JUMP BUTTON. Fancy that! You can't jump over stuff so often times you get stuck on the edge of a box or railing and the enemy just blows you away. Also, you can't get to the places where your enemies are sometimes. That's bunk!

Anyway, Black is simply ok. Its fun for a while, but the entire time you are playing you just keep thinking, "haven't I played this game before?"

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I just got through playing this game for the first time and have to say I absolutely loved it. For someone who has played so many FPS type games being a staunch fan of all the WW2 Shooters Ghost Recon series Halo Medal of Honor Tom Clancy Splinter Cell etc etc etc; let me tell you, I was in heaven with this game. Maybe it's just the type of shooter I am but this is the first game that has ever given me such a cinematic thrill in gun play terms!

The game has a few quirks such as the lack of a jump button hey, I like to be able to jump! but you soon get over the lack thereof. The way things look in this game is just lush and pure noir. For lighting and graphics think Splinter Cell but whereas others may find Splinter Cell superior I found BLACK better for some reason. Perhaps Splinter Cell can look a little too much on the bleeding side of saturated colour that it's a tiny bit Disney for me at times. With BLACK I was in a very gritty, visceral environment at all times and with some really convincing scenery that only enhanced my playing experience.

The guns are superb in this game you may have played games with similar or even identical weapons before but they never looked and handled like these I promise you. The sound and feel when in use is second to none in gaming for my money and when you hit something it actually does what it should ... shatter, fray, splinter, split, shard, crumble, explode, obliterate, implode, crumple, twist, break, snap ... you get the idea?!!! No game I've played delivers like this one for target response to fire this is just killer! There are so many things to hit and detonate in this game and it's never been so much fun having at it with weapons.

The AI are pretty darn fun to go at it with there are some mean mofos out there, look out for the cats with the extra padding and hockey masks! Then later come the same cats but with bullet proof riot sheilds humping shotguns!!! The AI are excellent all round and act fairly consistently but not stupidly I was all at once challenged and kept in a high state of tension whilst gunning against them. Any game that puts me on the edge of my seat like this game did deserves 5 stars. The music in this game and the overall atmosphere are pure Noir ... perhaps the French version got called what I reckon it ought to be called, Noir!

It may have had some short comings overall I was a bit annoyed at not being able to adjust the panning ( left/right/up/down ) sensitivity of my weapons but who cares, there are so many things going for this game that I can't find a thing to complain about. You won't find a better FPS this year.

Reviews of PS3 FragFX v.2 Controller with Mouse Pad

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Basics: This is a controller, made by Splitfish, specifically for the PS3. It only works on the PS3. You can checkout their site, it is limited but adequate. The basic premise of this controller is to have the right analog stick replaced by a mouse. Obviously, this is to bring PC controls to the PS3. While the mouse could be used for anything, it is clearly an FPS device.

The Fragfx v.2 hooks to the PS3 by a 10 foot USB cord. No Bluetooth here, my friends. The PS3 powers the controller, so the Fragfx v.2 cannot turn on the PS3. The 10ft cord goes into the back of the left-handed "Fragchuck" (I did not invent this term). Also emerging from the back of the Fragchuck, is the cord going to the mouse. You also receive a pretty good mouse pad with your Fragfx V.2, although I ended preferring my lap desk. Anybody hardcore is going to end up on a desk or table.

The mouse is right-handed and optical. R1, R2, and R3 are represented by the left, right and center mouse buttons; with the "start" button behind the center R3 button. The triangle, square, circle, and X buttons are on the left side of the mouse, under your thumb.

The Fragchuck is left-handed. It has an analog stick on top, used most often to represent the left analog stick on the PS3 controller. Think Wii nunchuck with a bunch of extra controls. The D-pad is behind the stick. Also on top of the Fragchuck are the Select and PS buttons. The Fragchuck has 3 front "triggers". The uppermost trigger is the "Frag" button. Under that are L1 and L2. L3 is the top of the analog stick, same as a PS3 controller. On the right side is a sensitivity dial. Finally, the Fragchuck is your sixaxis controller in this setup.

Bells and Whistles: This controller comes with many extra options. The first is the "Frag" button. When you hold this, the sensitivity on the mouse drops and your sight moves only a little with large moves of the mouse. This is to allow you to make sniper shots more easily. The second extra control is the sensitivity dial on the side of the Fragchuck. This was my favorite feature. By adjusting game sensitivity and then the sensitivity dial, you can fine tune exactly how much action you get on the mouse. You can even change it on the fly.

Additionally, the controller will let you set buttons to rapid fire. You can adjust the sensitivity of the motion controls, and their calibration. You can "switch" the mouse to represent the left PS3 stick on the fly (the Fragchuck analog stick will represent the right PS3 stick in "switch" mode.) You can flip it to "mouse" mode and use it with the web browser. Finally, you can program the motion control to double as any button except, Frag, PS, Select, and Start.

Functionality: Plugging the Fragfx V.2 in for the first time, I immediately saw how easy it would be to drop the darn thing. Not quite as nice as flopping down on the couch and punching the PS button on a dualshock. The 10ft cord was just about right length, I have to sit pretty far from my sports-bar-obscenity-only-an-American-would-own TV. USB extension cords are cheap, so I do not see this as a problem regardless.

I am a freak because the PS3 is my first console. Mouse and keyboard is what most of you learned FPS on; I was coming at this backwards. It was a bit like learning to drive stick after automatic. Initially a mess, but ultimately a more responsive set up. I noodled around with the browser and a couple of other games, but Killzone 2 was the central game in testing. At first I had the sensitivity way too high and got nauseous when one large mouse move executed a 360. Within 30 minutes, my aim was better with the mouse than it had been with 30 hours on the dualshock. I could now weave about while keeping my sight on a moving target. My firing in general had less of a sweeping quality and stayed on enemy heads more of the time. My effectiveness with the starting assault rifles improved. Keep in mind that improvement for me is NOT Barry Bonds using steroids. This is much more like HIV patients using steroids to maintain muscle mass. I am moving from hopeless to decent, not good to Lazlo-quality sniper. During my initial "plug and go" sessions, it was hard to get the sensitivity to the point where I could turn quickly, yet maintain control of my aim. One or the other would suffer, yet it was still better than a dualshock.

What really made the difference for Killzone 2 was the firmware update from the Splitfish website. It really made the sight less jittery and gave me a smooth feel with the game sensitivity at max and the Fragchuck dial at about 4. I could turn like an F18 in the alleys, yet pull up the sight and plonk off a pretty good burst at somebody's favorite head.

Overall, Fragfx v.2 good. The Frag button works but did not magically make me a sniper god. I am not a General in the game, so sniping was limited to single player and skirmish modes. The dial was my favorite feature, allowing me to adjust to circumstances. I could turn it up when on a fixed gun and cover the area nicely. I could turn it down when engaging via the M82 rifle sight. When I tried going back to the dualshock, I went right back to captain-sweepy-shot. The Fragfx v.2 really let me stay on the target better.

Other Options: I tried the Fragfx V.2 on mouse mode, and it works OK. Honestly, I prefer the regular PS3 controller with a keyboard attached (I like the keyboard, but I do not use the touchpad "feature" on the keyboard, that "feature" is a Goddamned nightmare, I freaking well dare you to get the cursor down from the top of the screen, I freaking well dare you).

I do not really have a game to test "switch" mode. This swaps the mouse and joystick. It looks like it is geared for GTA4 and the like, allowing you to use the mouse for the steering wheel or the gun. I don't think switch mode can fully compensate for left-handed people. Even if you switch, the buttons remain the same. You can't use the mouse left handed, the "shape" buttons are no longer under your thumb.

Reassigning motion control is fun. You can make shaking the Fragchuck do almost anything. After programming, shaking the Fragchuck can throw a grenade, reload, swing a rifle butt, etc. It does not work well for any continuous function, like running. If you get the correct download off of their site, you can remap all buttons... except R3 and L3. I would love to remap L3 into oblivion, but c'est la vie.

More than a year later: This review has been edited now that I have had the thing more than a year. It has good durability, still works great. I managed to yank it accidentally once and L2 popped off, but it popped back in and works like it never happened. Two times I have fired up the system and the mouse has not registered. Restart and everything was kosher, so that it a mighty fine track record.

I still can't tell you if this device will move you from good to God. It moves me from bad to decent. I am old and 14 year-olds literally have 500 milliseconds on me at all times. What are you gonna do? I think some folks want a mouse to make them telepathic and able to aim bot anything they see. No product is going to do that.

The price has come down. My initial review said this was not worth it at 80 bucks but was worth it at 50 bucks. The time has come. The cost is similar to a dualshock and this makes a far more interesting backup controller. Give it a shot. Even if you splurge for a XIM and PC and fragenstein setup, if you suck you will still likely suck.

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The Splitfish Fragfx v.2 allows you to play like a pc gamer on the PS3. However, the lack of quality of the product will only slightly improve your overall accuracy if you're already good with the dual shock 3 controller made by Sony.

The product works as advertised (no software necessary) and feels very close to using a mouse for FPS games on the PS3. The mouse and the left grip controller are very light weight and made of very cheap plastic. The mouse is optical, not laser. I cannot even compare this product to a real gaming mouse like the Logitech G5 or the Copperhead, they're in completely different leagues. However, the Fragfx will definitely feel more comfortable to use for gamers coming from the pc gaming platform over to the world of playstation.

Splitfish claims that you can have the DS3 controller and the Fragfx plugged in simultaneously. However, I found that if the original controller is connected, plugging in the Fragfx will not automatically work; it will only recognize the left grip controller and not the mouse. You must first turn off the Sony controller completely (not just unplug it) and then connect the Fragfx, and push the ps button on the Fragfx: THEN the mouse will be recognized and you're good to go.

The Fragfx v.2 can be programmed as advertised, and now has a rapid fire feature (usually called a turbo) that allows you to fire a single shot weapon as if it were a machine gun. However, please note that COD4 and COD5 have disabled this feature in the game, so don't be shocked if your G3 only fires one shot per second with the turbo/rapid fire turned on. Besides, we don't want to be cheating now do we?

Overall, I'm very pleased with the concept of combining a mouse with a controller. It's a brilliant idea! I just wish it was made better and used laser instead of optical technology in the mouse. If you're frustrated with the DS3 sony controller and hate using joysticks, this is a great alternative until something better comes out.

Update Aug 9th 2009: Disappointing

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

They claim that the tweak utility works in Windows Vista...

I've been playing around with the "tweak utility" program available on the Splitfish website. Splitfish claims that this utility allows the user to remap the buttons and adjust the button pressure...

Well no matter what I did, I could not get it to save the new button arrangements to the fragfx. Not only that, but every time I click on the tab for the button pressure adjustment feature, my entire computer becomes unresponsive, and I have to force a reboot. I tested this on Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit, and Windows Vista Ultimate 32 bit: it just doesn't appear to work at all.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Splitfish has released any updates for this product since my first review: The tweak utility is still in beta, and the firmware hasn't changed either. I'm very disappointed as I desperately need to change the buttons for certain games.

Best Deals for PS3 FragFX v.2 Controller with Mouse Pad

I currently own the v1. and have used the v2. I noticed the same problem on both for a pc gamer like myself the mouse buttons are sometimes un responsive. Yes you can adjust the sensitivity and that will help. For the average user just looking to play easy this will most likely not be a problem. However if you are a hardcore gamer (i myself am in between.) you will need to fix this issue. However i have the solution. The basics of the mouse are simple all the buttons are pressure sensitive. This is where the issue lies. If you pull apart the mouse (5 screws) the board you see for the main mouse buttons (l-click r -click) have 3 terminals with a black band. this band is the pressure sensitive interface. To fix your problem you have 2 options the easy and the expert methods.

The easy method

use a fine screw driver and gently and slowely scrape the black substance from the terminals making sure not to remove the underlying contact. Re assemble and adjust your sensitivity to 5 10 for active. Now every time you hit the button your sensitivity is full and you wont have any issues however you loose pressure sensitivity on that button (i only preformed this on my left button because of some games utilizing pressure sensitivity and left is shoot)

The expert method (which i prefer because i like tacticle click of a mouse)

after removing the black band proceed to your electornic supply store (most likely not a radioshack) and purchase a surface mount momentary tac switch. (lowest ms recovery possible) all you need is a two terminal no need for a third ground. also make sure the base is non conductive. all you want is two conductive leads. This switch should match the general size of the rubber push button piece minus the little nub that goes in the button post. if you go too small you will need to rig up something to extend the post too big and you wont be able to re assemble the mouse. Solder this to the terminals (going from left of the buttons 3 terminals) 2 & 3 . Re assemble the mouse and now you have a clicking button where you put the switch. This will work on all buttons in the mouse however you will loose pressure sensitivity.

You will need to adjust the minimum pressure because now it will have residual conductivity and will show pressure. Just adjust for the 5 10 range and you will be set.

For A PDF walkthrough

Also for an alternitive try

Honest reviews on PS3 FragFX v.2 Controller with Mouse Pad

14 years of pc gaming experience and very meticulous when it comes to aiming.Near 1 year on the fragfx version 1 on ps3. I just recently got the version 2 this was the outcome on KILLZONE 2. I hope this is just bad luck or a firmware issue it is up to date by the way. It showed me jitters and lack of micro moving. Version 1 gets 5 stars but till I try another version 2 I cannot give it more than a 2 which is pushing it since it was very jittery while trying to move slow it would jump 10 pixels sporadically.

Version 2 special edition is much better.

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I have been playing FPS games on the PC since the early days of Doom. The only Console FPS game that I was heavily addicted to was Goldeneye and since then I have never found any enjoyment from using a controller to try and aim on screen. That is not to say I cannot do it, I just do not enjoy it as much as feel like I am having to put up with horrible controls to enjoy console shooters.

I have been keeping an eye on the Frag FX since first hearing about it and all the issues with the V1. I held off on making the purchase simply because of all the negativity that I would hear about the controller.

Killzone 2:

When I got the Frag FX V2 I plugged it in and immediatly setup a skirmish in Killzone2. I played with the adjustements until I found a smooth setting that gave me fairly quick turning. I have found that killzone is a pretty bad game to test this controller because it appears that GG designed the game to make it difficult to use this type of controller.

This controler increased my ability to aim while on the run and to hit targets that were on the run. I noticed that if I had someone behind me I had trouble spinning fast enough due to the "weighted" design of the game.

Bioshock:

I then put in Bioshock and I can see how this controller is designed to work now. I had a lot of fun playing with this controller in Bioshock and I am finally decided that it would be enjoyable to work on the survivor difficulty.

Once I got everything adjusted and smoothed out, I felt like I was playing this game PC style. I tend to like my mouse controls loose and quick on the PC so this controller feels a tad bit sluggish and slow. It is 1000 times better than using a standard controller to aim with.

__________________

If you are a PC gamer and love FPS games... you will enjoy using this controller. For me it injected some fun into games that were getting a bit stale to me due to the hassle of the controls.

I was able to get my top 1% ribbon in Killzone 2 and 100% the trophies prior to getting the Frag FX and now with this new controller I have a reason to play the game again... FOR THE FUN OF IT!!!

Hope this reviews helps some of those PC gamers on the fence. I think 90% of the "HATE" reviews are based off on people whole play online and do not want an even playing field.

__________________

After a lot of time with the Frag FX I found that the controller was not able to achieve the speed and quickness that I wanted. I purchased the FragNstein to test out a different controller and found that the ability to adjust that controller was a thousand times greater than the options I had with the FragFX. I also had my FragFX mouse buttons stop working and had to mail the controller to Canada in order ot get it replaced. SplitFIsh did replace it no questions asked!

I am sure that now Splitfish has released products that are closer in quality to the Bannco FragNstein, but the build quality, customer service, and software flexibility (deadzone in particular) of the FragNstein makes it the better choice.

My next possible purchase will be the Eagle Eye to test out a converter rather than trying another controller.

Best UFC Undisputed 3 Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $20.03
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

I'll do a somewhat quick run down of what there is to do in UFC Undisputed 3.

You have your standard exhibition mode where you can choose UFC rules or Pride rules. Being a fan of MMA you should already know the differences. Anyways, when choosing Pride for instance it isn't 100% open weight but you can choose Ex: BJ Penn (UFC) vs Anderson Silva (Pride/UFC). Fighters that fought in each organization will be featured in both, for instance Wanderlei Silva has a higher overall rating in Pride than he does in the UFC. And Anderson Silva has a lower overall rating in Pride than he does in the UFC. Also, you can choose either rule set then (UFC/Pride) then choose fighters from either. The entrances and locations are also different and the Pride entrances are badass!

Then you can either create your own event/ tournament or play in actual ones Ex: Play the main card of UFC 115 etc.

Create a fighter is pretty in depth with the customization abilities. The biggest is obviously the face and facial features. Then you have body build, hair, tattoos, stance, fighting back ground, age, height etc.

Career mode, you start out with creating a fighter. Your first few fights you are given instructional tips (from Mike Goldberg) on camps, training, sponsors, choosing fights, rankings etc. As you work your way up in your division (choose while creating your fighter) you earn title shots and options to fight for bigger organizations eventually ending up in the UFC. You are able to move up and down one division to earn multiple title shots as well.

Classic fights modes is pretty cool, Ex: Rampage Jackson vs Wanderlei Silva, you are given certain tasks for the fighter you select during the fight to complete (don't get taken down for 1:00, land 20 strikes, don't take more then 5 strikes etc.) upon completing them you unlock videos and progress towards achievements for your gamerscore.

Highlite reel modeBasically a theater mode where you can create videos of cool KOs, takedowns, submissions or whatever else you can think of. You can share these with all other gamers then they can be rated 0/5-5/5 stars. And you can also make highlites with multiple fighters.

The graphics are excellent, all fighters look very realistic and move and act just like they do in real life. Whether it's JDS's uppercut, Bones Jones spinning elbows, Anderson Silvas front kicks or GSPs ground and decisions (IM JUST KIDDING :P); they are all very realistic.

New improvements and some changes are more usuage of the cage and an entirely new submission set up of 'Chasing the submission', I wasn't a fan of it but you'll get used to it. And there's also different control sets, can't really remember what they were called maybe rookie and veteran but basically rookie is push up or down to advance in transitions and veteran would be flick and rotate to advance.

I'm sure I forgot a few things, but fopefully this review helps!

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The failure of UFC Undisputed 2010 to capitalize on the success of the first entry in the series forced THQ and UFC to reevaluate the viability of their product as a yearly release. The result has been a nearly two year gap that now culminates with the arrival of UFC Undisputed 3. The extra time has paid some substantial dividends but one design decision in particular and troubled online performance remain concerns.

UFC Undisputed 3 carries with it a solid amount of content. There is the standard exhibition fights in UFC or Pride, Career, Title, Tournament, and Event modes along with Online which are all pretty straight forward in what they offer.

The Ultimate Fights mode is intriguing in that they attempt to recreate popular fights from the past while including video packages about them. There are tasks set up to complete throughout the fight at specific times and a percentage grade is given based on how much is achieved. It can be tough to fight in that manner though trying to complete the tasks rather than just do what is necessary to win doesn't feel completely natural or even necessarily make sense contextually at a given time. Career mode has stripped out frustrating elements while pushing the focus more on the fights and progression making that much more enjoyable.

Pride is a blast and a valuable addition to the series. Everything from the presentation to the varied rule sets and unique venue make it a lot of fun to play. It won't at all be surprising if fans tend to prefer playing in Pride vs UFC. Presenation has been enhanced elsewhere too and the new camera angle, though not going to feel drastically different, does bring the action much closer and the perspective works well for the fights.

Gameplay wise there isn't much to gripe about at least on the surface. Refs tend to stand up fighters a bit early this was probably done on purpose rather than just becoming an unexpected issue as maybe casual types don't want to be stuck maneuvering on the ground with little success whether they're on the offensive or stuck blocking transitions. Ultimately though the big problem comes down to the flawed submission system which, going back to E3 last year, was the most cited gripe with the game and for good reason.

What amounts to a mini-game of `cat and mouse' not only takes the user's eyes off the fighters in these critical moments but the success of submission attempts remains inconsistent and unrealistic. Against the CPU it seems nearly impossible to submit them at the same time there is little concern that the CPU will actually complete a submission against the user. There has yet to be a situation where either "caught" the opponent with a submission but instead the one in danger almost always escapes easily under the system. It's been the same way in head-to-head (both off and online) fights too with submissions easily escaped by evading in the mini-game.

That alters tactics and strategy greatly. Offensively I find there to be little reason to attempt submissions. Why risk advantageous position when the submission is likely to fail? Conversely I haven't found myself defending against submissions because they're easy to get out of and the result is actually a positive shift of positioning and momentum.

Otherwise the gameplay has proven to be fairly well balanced with counter-strategies to utilize based on any tactic an opponent could be throwing out there. There has yet to be any frustrating element beyond the submission system the clinch is handled much better and the ground game simpler to understand.

Fights have been challenging but fair. Those that I've lost I've never gotten upset about and in fact often been impressed by the outcome. That is usually the best indicator of a good game when the time spent with it is enjoyable regardless of a win or loss.

"Sim" stamina is an addition that the more hardcore crowd will enjoy. It makes a huge difference and forces fights to be much more realistic. Most will probably stick with the default stamina but the option is appreciated regardless.

The new "Amateur" controls have been a refreshing addition and something I quickly got comfortable with using. There is a slight advantage for those using the "Pro Controls" (as there should be) but in terms of simplicity and accessibility the "Amateur" set holds up well. The tutorials also can help get users accustomed to the game to an extent but aren't much more than just an introduction there are even a couple that took a while to complete because they weren't clear enough in what was expected. It's just tedious to go through them one to the next and invest that much time but it's probably worth it in the end.

Online performance continues to threaten the completeness of the product. Most of the fights have been so lag-plagued that they've essentially been complete wastes of time. It has been encouraging that at least there have been a few smooth and responsive fights and they've been recent ones but even then the masses haven't hit the servers yet so things are likely going to get worse before they get better. Quitters aren't getting losses or seeing DNF % rise either which means that'll be a serious problem to address and there's also no real reason not to choose the highest rated fighters so variety in match-ups will be sorely lacking. Since releasing the server has often been unavailable and the number of disconnects high. I'll update further in regards to online play in the near future.

Other notes: There is some sort of issue with installing the game to the hard drive on the 360 that requires being signed out of Xbox Live for it to begin the install. Tapping gloves at the start of the fight is seemingly dangerous as the CPU usually chooses to throw a cheap shot. The refs can be somewhat distracting as they vanish or appear out of thin air at times. They also don't end the fights as quickly as one would expect allowing for some awkward late shots. In replays collision detection looks iffy and there appears to be very little force on the blows. The "Highlight Reel" feature which was previously detailed is a nice addition but the best part comes with the game automatically storing the last 50 rounds of fights.

There is little doubt that UFC Undisputed 3 will be looked back on at the end of the year as one of the strongest efforts amongst the crop of sports games. Hopefully it won't fall into the category of "almost great" because of poor online play so that'll have to be monitored in the days and weeks ahead. Otherwise THQ has delivered a winner with refreshing accessibility, increased authenticity, stronger content, and fun balanced gameplay.

Best Deals for UFC Undisputed 3

Overall, UFC UNIDSPUTED 3 improved over its predecessors and is still the best MMA game out there. If you liked the previous games, it's definitely for you. If you didn't like the previous games, well then the gameplay is nearly identical.

What's new

New submission system-Instead of shining (rotating the analog stick as quickly as possible), there is a new minigame. Upon initiating a submission by pushing in the analog stick, an octagon appears on screen. Both players are given a "bar". The player trying to submit attempts to trace his bar over the player's bar being submitted while the other player moves his bar trying to avoid from being traced. If the player can keep his bar over the others long enough, the submission will be successful. There is an onscreen display of how successful the submission is. The better your UFC fighter is at subs in skills, the longer you will have to sink in the sub, or vice versa. I like the new system better than the prior system. It takes more skill to sink in a sub and you can actually tell whether it should or should not work. I am looking forward to having a callus free hand from not having to shine but it is definitely going to take some getting used too.

Pride Mode-The third installment features PRIDE mode. Pride (a MMA league based in Japan) was bought out by Zuffa a few years ago but the game brings the ring fighting back to life. In PRIDE mode Foot stomps and knees to the head of grounded opponents are allowed. Yes please. Bas Rutten delivers some pretty funny commentating. Old Pride fights like Mark Hunt, dan sevren,Kevin Randleman.

Ring entrances

Bantam and featherweight divisions

Leg TKOs

Amateur controls-instead of rolling the right analog stick to transition, the player just hits up or down.

Career Mode-You can play through with UFC fighters now. The overall feel of career mode is different but extremely repetitive. There aren't as many menus and stats to implement. Instead, there is a focus on the actual fights. To me this is kind of a bad thing. I make my CAFs for online. It is a slow a tedious process to make a good online CAF when you have 2 times to improve your fighter before a boring fight with the computer.

Cutscenes with real UFC fighters are pretty cool

You can design your own logos

Online-Fight camps are back and improved. They have added the ability to share your fights with other online players.

Review

Graphics-The fighters look great as they are again based on real rendering-you can see your punches and kick show damage on your opponents pretty quickly.

Controls-If you liked previous versions of the game, then you will be accustomed to the controls. Noobs can try out the amateur controls. Myself, I like the normal controls. It's not a perfect system, but I prefer it to any other MMA game out there

Sound-The commentary gets old pretty quick but again it is improved. Bas Rutten and Stephen QUadros are added for pride mode.

Career mode-Some improvements but overall very tedious to create a good online CAF.

Online-much less lag than in previous games. Problem is there a ton of disconnects. I'd say one in three fights disconnect for me and I have cable internet. I have no problem with other games online like COD.

Honest reviews on UFC Undisputed 3

Warning: This is NOT a Button Masher! You need to practice!!! But after putting in the hours, the game becomes fun and feels rewarding because you earn every win. I'd recommend the UFC games for fans of the sport and fans of fighting games. There's a good deal of strategy here and the game is so realistic that you'll actually be able to get more enjoyment out of watching the UFC if you learn how to play this game. You'll have a better understanding of the strategies and how the techniques work together.

Concept: 9/10

Sports games fall on a continuum of Difficult Simulation and Fun Arcade Game. This UFC Game is right in the Middle. It's got all of the current weight classes, fighters, personalities, graphics, introductions, from the sport, so it feels really authentic. The gameplay is complicated and takes about a week to learn. But, MMA is complicated because it combines punches, kicks, wrestling body control, and jujitsu submissions. All of these disciplines play pretty well and after you learn how to play, the game is fun.

Game Modes:

Exhibition 1 fight pick a weight class, 2 fighters, and go at it.

Title take a famous UFC fighter and fight your way through the contenders to become the champ.

Title Defense Once you are the champ, fight the best of the best to keep your title.

Career Mode Create and Manage your fighter, train to become better in certain aspects of MMA, and fight your way to the top.

VS Mode fight a buddy (Offline ONLY)

Gameplay: 8/10

It feels like there are so many ways to lose in an MMA fight. You can get beaten down for 3 rounds and lose a decision. You can get beaten down severely and get KO'ed. You can get hit with a flurry of powerful strikes in rapid succession and get a flash KO. You can get thrown onto the ground, dominated, and KO'ed. You can get thrown to the ground and submitted. But all of these techniques can be used on your opponent, too. Knowing when to use the techniques is as important as knowing how to use them.

Striking: 9/10

Standing and trading punches and kicks. You can target your opponent's head for a KO, the body to drain your opponent's stamina, or the legs to slow them down and nullify their takedowns. You get BONUS damage for excellent timing. If you catch an opponent coming in and beat them to the punch, you do more damage. If you dodge their attack and counter, you also deal Bonus damage. This takes a while to get used to, but once you do, it's pretty fun. You can also catch kicks by grabbing your opponent's leg and counter punch them in the face. Not only is this rewarding, but it also deals bonus damage. On the easier difficulties, the game is almost 100% striking. It's a good way to learn. As you play harder difficulties, the AI starts incorporating other aspects of MMA like grappling, transitions, clinches, ground and pound, and submissions.

Grappling: 8/10

You can grab your opponent in a clinch, deliver knees, elbows, and punches, or throw them onto the ground. Once you're on the ground, you can move the R Stick in semi-circles to change your position. You can pull the right stick to "block" or cancel an opponent's transitions and keep them where they are. You can grapple from the top and bottom while delivering punches and kicks to ground and pound your enemies. Certain positions on the ground yield better results. For example, if you are in your opponent's guard, you can't punch very hard because you can only swing your arms. If you get on top of them in a full mount, you can deliver haymakers to their body and head and go for a KO. Grappling is pretty easy once you learn the positions and how to block your opponent's transitions. But it takes a while to "get it."

Submissions: 8/10

When you are grappling, you can click the R stick to go for an arm bar, choke, etc... This brings up an Octagon with a Player 1 BAR and a Player 2 Bar. The length and speed of the bar is determined by your grappling skill and current stamina. Each Player can move their bar around the octagon shaped track. (like 2 trains) In order to submit your opponent, you just have to overlap part of their bar with part of yours. This is easy when you both have large bars. To make an opponent TAP OUT, you have to keep your bar over theirs and a gauge starts to fill. But you have a limited amount of time to fill it, otherwise your opponent escapes from the submission attempt. The bars can pass through each other, so you can try to move away, or move through the other Player's bar to escape. It's kinda fun, and very suspenseful.

Training: 7/10

In career mode, there are training exercises to boost your stats. These are 2 minute mini-games where you practice your moves. Depending on how well you did, you get stat boosts for your next fight! But training in opposite disciplines may actually lower your stats in the opposite discipline. So if you are a striker who wants to learn grappling or submissions, your punch and kick stats may drop a little bit. When training, it's important to be well rounded, but not abandon your most effective techniques. Most of the games are easy, but you don't get to practice them. They just throw you into them and you have to do your best in 2 minutes. It's frustrating at first, but gets easier later on.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics look pretty good and authentic to the UFC. The venues, octagons, and crowds look great. The fighters all look like their real life counterparts, but they could look a bit better. When the fighters take damage, their face swells, they bleed, sweat, and their body and legs turn reddish-purple from the repeated hits.

Sound: 7/10

The music is great and the commentary is from Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. Most of the time, the commentary is on the mark, but sometimes, they'll say something strange.

Multiplayer: NONE

The THQ servers are down because THQ went bankrupt. There was online support, but not anymore.

Maturity: Teen

If you like the sport, you've seen blood and fighting. There's no profanity or anything that you wouldn't expect while watching a UFC.

Replay Value: 8/10

Since the game takes a while to learn and even longer to master, you'll be playing it for a long time. However, the lack of an online multiplayer mode really hurts. I'd recommend going through the tutorial, then a bunch of exhibition fights first. Then take a pre-made fighter and fight your way to the title. Once you are familiar with ALL aspects of MMA, try the Career Mode.

Overall: 8.5/10

If you are willing to put in the hours, the game is fun! Because it's so difficult, every win feels great! You can enjoy the UFC game for at least a month, even without online mode. I'd recommend it if you are a fan or casual observer of the UFC.

Unfortunately, THQ is no more and EA bought the UFC license. Hopefully the EA Curse won't affect the UFC and hopefully, they'll make great games.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for UFC Undisputed 3

This game is the best for right now for 2012. The gameplay is a little tough but you will get use to it. The graphics are awesome. Better features than last year. You can do so much with your career fighter. This game is the best. I recommend everybody to get this game.

The Sims 3: Generations - PC/Mac Review

Customer Ratings:

Some people keep complaining about the lack of content in this expansion pack, calling it a "glorified stuff pack". There is actually quite a lot more there than one might think. Therefore, since someone asked me to post this, here is a pretty nice list of what you can expect to find in this pack:

This list was not compiled by me, but by a Sims fan-site

' There is not a new town for Generations. The town shown in photos and videos is Sunset Valley.

' There are 10 new community lots added to Generations.

' They have not added any new Rabbit Holes. (Still unknown if they have opened any existing ones)

' One of the new community lots added is a Playground complete with a Sandbox, Swing set, Seesaw, Playhouse Set, Spring-Rides, and a Treehouse(?)

Sims & CAS

' Body hair is a feature that has been added to CAS

' New accessory for Elders: Canes

Build Mode Features

' Spiral Staircases

' New type of Window

New Objects

' Usable Strollers to transport your toddlers. One per stroller. For more than one child, multiple strollers will have to be used with other sims pushing them.

' Bunk Beds and Loft Beds which can be used by Sims of all ages

' Tree-houses

' New Playground equipment

' Sandbox

' Water Slide which can be used by all ages (Slip n Slide) not a pool slide.

' Video Camera

' Chemistry Set to make lots of new potions

' Sleeping bags

' Children's toy boxes have been improved with costumes so kids can play dress up.

' Pink Limousines

' Costume chest

' Different sized picture frames

' Lava Lamps

New Interactions,Features & Events

' Children and teenagers can play pranks on strangers, neighbors, and even other family members.

' The Sims 3 Generations has two kinds of mischief: Traps and Pranks in public places

' Pranks & Traps include: booby traps, Water balloons, covering a neighbor's house in toilet paper (or TP'ing), Stink Juice (bombs), Flaming bag of poo, Ding Dong ditch, adding hair dye to shampoo, Throwing eggs, making the toilet explode, pouring buckets of water from the tree-house onto someone, messing with the sink to make it spray someone when they attempt to turn it on and whoopee cushions under the sofa!

' "Ninja Vanish-Potion" is used to disappear from the scene of a prank. Chemistry skill required to make the potion.

' Children & Teens can be grounded for mischief, have a timeout or have their video games banned.

' Pranks can contribute to your teen's social standing and will actually let you build up a reputation as a master prankster and local legend to the other kids at school.

' Children can sleep outside in their backyard and tell ghost stories. (Flashlight included!)

' Stories will effects how your sim sleeps at night.

' Sims can now have Nightmares.

' Children can have sleepovers and slumber parties!

' Children can dress up and be a "King or Queen" and reign over their subjects.

' Sims keep memories, so you can go back and review your Sims' milestones when you feel like reminiscing. Memories of significant life moments will be recorded in their Scrapbook.

' Adult Mid-Life Crises

' Pillow Fights have returned!

' Older Sims can interact with toddlers now by performing "claw" movements while in their arms. (most likely an add-on to tickling)

' Children can now have pirate attacks in their Tree-houses. A skull and crossbones flag is hoisted above the tree house, it hisses and pops on the inside and fire and smoke emerge from the windows.

' Children can now have Sci-Fi adventures in their Tree-houses. They dress as astronauts and UFO's appear.

' Children can now have "clubhouse" type adventure in Tree-houses where they spy on neighbors through a telescope to see what others are up to!

' If your sims decide to throw a wild party. a police car may show up! But don't be fooled as they are not real cops! They are there to add to the parties atmosphere.

' Grown-ups can now have elaborate bachelor and bachelorette parties before marriage, which include all manner of festivities like pink limousines, sexy dancers and plenty of "nectar".

' Bachelor parties, will include hiring a female "dancer" to pop out of a wedding cake and spray the lucky bachelor with a bottle of "nectar".

' Parents have the ability to send children and teens to different boarding schools. They can choose anything from military school to the sports academy, and has plenty to choose from to give their children a proper education! This happens outside our current world.

' Children won't go to college specifically, but what they will do are the following: Children can go on field trips now. Field trips are really cool. It is not just a new way of going with the community as they sometimes bring special things back from these field trips and have them in their memories.

' Teens will be able to have a Graduation and a party for it. (no details given on how a graduation will work)

' Teens can have prom dances. They will be able to take their date and go to the prom and they'll take their picture at the school. You can hang these pictures at home on their walls so they can remember this day and how it was like for them. Of course if they got prom king or prom queen that's a very special moment for them.

' New parties include: Teenage parties, graduation parties and bachelor/ette parties! They have also added new fun interactions to weddings such as the "Wedding Arch" and "Cake Cutting"

' Sims can now have Dates.

' Adult sims can Woohoo in the shower and in Tree-houses. In tree-houses, you'll see the adults climbing up in there and the tree house is shaking. Leaves falling down off of it and birds will fly of the tree house .

' Not only can your Sims record home videos of their children growing up, but they can take the Data Discs out of the camera and replay their home movies on most of the in-game TV screens!

' Sims can view the world from the video's perspective while they record events around them.

' Sims are now able to record home movies, or even tape unsuspecting victims to use the footage as evidence (blackmail)

' Sims now have the ability to gift flowers and boxed gifts.

' Sims will now be able to stargaze from the ground.

' Hopscotch

' Children can attend ballet class

New Traits/Skills

' Nurturing

' Rebellious

' These traits are not specific to any one life phase in the game, but they'll provide different benefits to Sims throughout their lifespan!

' As of now we do not know of any new "exact" skills such as cooking that can be improved, but making potions with the chemistry set is something to improve on.

Careers/Professions

' Day Care profession

' Parents can take their children to Day Care at a specific time, which is an at-home daycare. How many children will your Sim be able to handle? An additional challenge is that children with rebellious ways might anger you with their antics. Having the "Nurturing" trait is a plus for this job.

' Sims have this new "Nurturing" trait. Sims with this new trait will be great in taking care of other kids; they can interact with them in a special way. It's a very active career. You have to guide your Sims through these experiences to help them advance. So other Sims bring by their kids and drop them off and you have to take care of them. As you progress through it, it gets more difficult you may even have a problem child. They're going to pull pranks and get in trouble more often. But you make sure that you take care of them like they are your own kid. And as you keep going you will have more and more children and have the ability to manage them.

' Ambitions careers have been expanded.

Lifestate/Creature

' Imaginary Friends

' This fantasy creature with a fancy pants suit, different pairs of shoes and a glowing "light bulb" on the head, moves strangely. An imaginary friend stems from a doll which a child tends to nurture. Once the doll has turned into an imaginary friend, many new interactions become available.

' Only the sim with an imaginary friend can see them. Other sims will not be able to see someone else's imaginary friend. This will be odd seeing a pillow fight or a child on a seesaw with no one else in view!

' You will only be able to see the imaginary creature when the sim who created it is selected.

' Using a special potion, sims can turn their imaginary friends into a "Real" sim.

' Imaginary friends can perform actions that sims can. For example if you have to tidy up the house just ask your imaginary friend to do it!

' Sims can have romantic interests with imaginary friends when they become teens. This romance can continue into adulthood.

' Interacting with an imaginary friend, fills the social bar and gap for your sims.

Extras

' Collections (explained below)

' We now have this new filter in buy/build mode, where you click on it and select the icon of what product you want to see. So if you bought "Generations" and you just want to see the objects from "Generations" you click that icon and that's the only ones you will see. But it's a dynamic system. If you have "Late Night" as well you can click both of them you will see only objects from both of those. So you can show just the objects that you want.

' We will now be able to Upload Screenshots and Memories to our My-Page & Facebook.

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The Sims 3: Generations is the fourth expansion pack the the Sims 3 series and I must say, it's pretty good. I got it on the day of its release via Amazon. Now I'm no game reviewer as I'm more of a music reviewer (aspiring music journalist here) but I'll try my best to describe this game. Like with most expansion packs for the Sims, make sure you got your favorite families or games backed up on CD-Rs or whatever you back them up on. I've been doing this since Ambitions came out a year ago since I learned the hard way when one of the sims in my family wasn't moving. Alright, now to the game itself.

The theme for this expansion pack revolves around the idea of life and growing up. I found this interesting for EA to base an entire expansion pack on. What about the users who like having one sim families? Well, I guess you would get some things out of the new objects. If you're a user who likes to make families and have them go on and on, this might be the expansion pack for you. Your sims will get to keep memories of their lives (examples: Marriage, birth of a child, death, first kiss,prom etc). If you can remember in the Sims 2, your sims did get to have memories. This takes that idea and expands it. Memories can also be shared through the Sims 3 website and even Facebook! The only negative with the memories feature is that it may get annoying after a while. Also, I found this to be a bit funny: after you install the game, your sims will experience their "firsts" in just about anything. For example, my teenage sims, just about to be a young adult, kept his memory of his first day in school (when I know it isn't because he's been to school plenty of times before this expansion pack was released!).

New features are built around sims for all ages but for some reason, I feel like most of them are targeted for child and teen sims. For child sims, they'll get to have a bunch of new things such as see-saws, slip n slides, tree houses, and other things. There's also the interesting addition of imaginary friends. When your sim is just born, they will receive a gift in the mail. Its a doll, which you can give a name and have your toddler sim play with. As your sim grows up, so does your imaginary friend, based on your relationship. I'm also reading that if you keep a good relationship with your imaginary friend, they can have the chance to become real! For teen sims, they'll get to go to prom and even graduate high school. However, there's one disadvantage here with being a teen sim: teen sims can't automatically drive anymore! They have to now ask their parents for lessons! The lessons don't take very long (like 3 skill points to complete). As for other sims, there's a new chemistry set like thing. You can make potions that can help or hurt your sims. Your sims can also give other sims gifts, which is nice to see return!

These are just a couple of things you can do with The Sims 3: Generations. So far, I'm enjoying it. When you get it and open the case, you might be a little disappointed: there's still no $10 card for the online store, which is easy to get over. However, the booklet that comes with the game is barely even a booklet. I think the same goes for the Outdoor Living stuff pack: it just comes with an installation guide. Personally, the booklets have helped me and seeing this removed is sad. Still, The Sims 3: Generations is a great addition to the Sims 3 series.

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I'm really digging the new interactions available for each age group. The pranks that kids and teens can pull off only are fun and makes raising and playing kids a worthwhile experience. Teens, young adults and adults can now ask their love interests out on dates. There is even an option in giving flowers and gifts (basically stuff from your inventory). I haven't tried out the midlife crisis for the adults just yet but I'm looking forward to it. There are several other new interactions which, like the ones mentioned above, only add to the Sims 3 gaming experience. Sims now have the option to pillow fight each other, share secrets, and effect each other's social reputations. For example, if your sim cheats then that sim will be identified as a heartbreaker or a player around town. Adults can also read bedtime stories to children. All sims can share ghost stories, look up at the stars and tell even more stories.

The boarding school features for the kids and teens is another worthy installment from this expansion. There are several schools you can choose ranging from military school, sports, art and a prep school. Each school improves upon a particular skill or trait. Graduating from these schools adds a more "life like" and rewarding experience for you and your sims. There are now better wedding events (by a wedding cake), bachelor parties, and childrens' sleep overs.

Lastly, the new items (though not as much in quantity) goes hand in hand with the new interactions and features. We now have tree houses (3), strollers, new radios, TVs, tables, Wedding Arches, a Wedding cake, several new decors, a slip and slide, a sand box, 2 new cars, and several new hair styles and clothes. Finally we also have SPIRAL STAIR CASES.

I definitely recommend this expansion for the new interactions because they give more life to your sims.

Honest reviews on The Sims 3: Generations - PC/Mac

--Edit March 5th 2012 ---

To this date I still can't get this game to work properly. But that's because EA doesn't support my video card anymore. EA didn't tell me this but I had to find the information myself. Below is a list of sites/pages that have been very helpful to me. I do not guarantee that this site has the help you need.

This site has a lot of information about The Sims 3. Everything from common technical issues to creating custom content:

The page (part of the above listed site) is a break down of system requirements and have been a great help to me. It lists most common video cards and will tell you if they work or not:

This page has information of technical/graphic issues and how the fix them:

--end edit ----

This game gives you more then a Stuff Pack but less then an Expansion Pack. While it is similar to a normal Stuff Pack--new objects, clothes, interactions/activities--it's lacking in new neighborhoods and only has one new job/profession ((that I've found))--Daycare Provider. I'm not sure what this job entails as I haven't tried it yet. It should be similar to the other professions (fire fighter, hair stylist...). Possibly meaning working in a daycare center or having an at-home service.

A new feature allows you to adjust the length of the age stages--baby, toddler, child, young adult, adult and elder. I love this feature. I thought it took too long for babies (3 days) and toddlers (7 days) to age. Now you can shorten or lengthen to your preference. You can also dictate how long your sims will live in total (preset at 90 days). This feature is accessible through the options menu.

This game offers more towards young sims--more objects, clothing, interactions, ect. You can tell your young sim what to dream about by clicking the bed while they're sleeping. Some dreams come true and some turn into nightmares. Teens can go to prom and become prom king/queen. Young sims can play pranks and have bad/moody days. Sims now have graduation (once they've aged to young adult) where they have a chance at valedictorian, being voted more popular, ect. Teens now have to learn to drive. There are more 'Wohoo' options now for grown-up sims. And for the elders--canes/walking sticks--wow, that's the best EA can do, really?

As mentioned by others, memories are back but with a twist. You can now share your sims' memories online such as Facebook. I like the memory feature but not the share. I highly doubt my friends and family care if my sim gains a skill point or marries. Luckily, you can turn off the share notices in the option menu.

Installation was smooth. The EA Download Manager didn't install properly the first attempt but did on the next try when I restarted my computer. Otherwise, I haven't noticed any installation or game play issues. A hiccup or two but nothing that really affects game play.

Overall, a nice addition to the great game of The Sims 3. But I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting more. I think EA could have done more with this game. Sorry EA but you really seem to be letting your standards drop for $$$. And I've been a fan since Simcity first came out on the SNES--I miss Simfarm.

***UPDATE 6/4/11***

I lied. The game is now crashing. It started to glitch with freezing every few minutes and one sim kept pop out of activities such as using a bed, bathing, ect. Then my pre-Generation sims became unplayable and frozen. I couldn't even click on them. Sims acquired after installing Generations seemed okay. Now the game is AMAZINGLY slow and freezes every few seconds.

All this started after I sent a sim to Egypt. Upon returning home the game began to glitch...

I'm trying to work this out with EA customer service...

***UPDATE 6/29/11***

The only things that fixed those glitched was to uninstall and reinstall. Unfortunately, that was only a temporary fix. Back talking to EA tech support and they're giving me the run around. If someone has had similar issues and know how to fix them please let me know.

***UPDATE 7/12/11***

After two weeks dealing with tech support they finally admitted to having a known issue with the game. They are working on a patch but don't know when it'll be out. Go, EA! I now have a game that's crashing/freezing and don't know when they'll fix it. Teaches me for buying an EA products new. Back to waiting a few months, and then only to by used.

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I have to say, I am a huge nerd for the Sims. Buy every game, every expansion, and so far Sims 3 has not delivered. Would like to see Sims Pets back at some point...but anyway back on topic. There is no new town in this expansion (which most of us know) so don't expect a lot of new trinkets and things. There are no added jobs in this expansion except for becoming a full time nanny. The Nanny job is basically 24/7. You work from 9 am to 8 pm (and sometimes later)plus weekends sometimes, and you can have up to 6 kids, mostly toddlers. As said above, this really is the family game. Its like speeding up your life and all life's events.

What has sims brought back?

MEMORIES! Remember life story and how you could go back and see "got married," "got caught cheating," ect..well, MEMORIES ARE BACK! You have a scrapbook of your life! This is actually a GREAT addition.

MORE INTERACTIONS! Sims can give gifts, give flowers, watch the stars...woohoo in the shower...hahahahah

Guys, if you love to play Sims because you love families then I recommend this.

If you don't then I recommend Sims Medieval...with all the Quests.

Personally *why there isn't five stars* I really wish we were given a new town a new jobs. Isn't that why we buy these? So we don't see the same landscape?

O well, that is my own personal opinion.

Enjoy!