Reviews of Train Simulator 2013

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
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I have been a train lover since I was a kid and this game brings it all home. The switching in the yard is tough, a lot going on you must be aware of. I got the USA collection and almost every train you could want to run is here. The steam locomotives have a deep learning curve. I ran out of water the first couple of times. You cannot run these like diesel. You must balance the regulator and reverser just like a real steam engine. Keep the water up, I got stuck a few times on Donner Pass with the Cab forward and had to build up steam before I could get going again, but what a rush when I made it. The scenery is also beautiful. I live in Reno and have taken the Amtrak to Sacramento many times and the route is right on. I am a diehard Southern Pacific fan and they even have the SD40 tunnel motor to get through the pass's tunnels. I also enjoy the European trains, very different and enjoyable. If your like me and could watch trains all day then you will love driving them in this game. A railfans delight. Gotta go, makin a run to Mojave.

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My first ever Railroad Simulator was the one you see in the title, I won't get into it here but my experience with it was truly awful. It is riddled with bugs.

Out of frustration I looked for another Railroad Simulator and found Railworks 2, as I bought it so close to the release of Railworks 3 I got a free upgrade to that via Steam. Nice touch. The game has simply loads of scenarios to drive, as I'm Irish I particularly love the BR Blues and Sommerset Dorset Steam Railway. I would prefer some Irish railways but it looks like I'm going to have to create it. That's OK, it's easier to create sceanrios in Railworks 3 and make good ones at that. Give me a few years to put the Irish Midland Great Western Railway rail network together. I have no idea how to design locomotives but first things first.

Since I moved to the Unites States and living not very far from a Union Pacific Switching Yard, I've become interested in them. Driving their locomotives over the Cajon Pass is great fun, more so because I see them all the time. Another project is to recreate this town, Eugene at the height of it's railroad era. There are spur lines going everywhere, I need a map before I can begin.

I could compare both simulators side by side and each has both good and bad points over the other. The main thing that sticks out about Railroad Simulator 2012 is that it doesn't work. It's something I call "Irritainment". Railworks 3 on the other hand does work, I wish the cab view and controls were more like RR2012, but they're not, still the simulator WORKS. The executable has a tendency to stop working on my machine sometimes. It just drops out and I'll have to restart it. It has been known to do it a lot in some particular scenarios it seems to have a lot of problems with "Call of Duty" with Union Pacific on the Cajon Pass Route and crashes eveytime you approach Castlerock Intermodal Load/Unload. It can also get quite tempermental about Quitting and Reloading if you try it more than twice. Overall I have to say it's been an enjoyable ride, there's tons of DLC, so I'm not going to be stuck anytime soon.

So in summary Do you want to drive trains in the USA, England, and Germany? Then this is the one to go for.

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I ordered this simulator thinking that the pretty package with "Train Simulator" all over it would actually contain a CD with a Train Simulator program on it, that I could install on my computer and use to learn how to drive trains. What I got instead was a CD (with Train Simulator all over it) that contained nothing but a mandatory account setup for "Steam", which turned out to be a time-consuming and invasive online account that I had to set up before I could do anything else. After all, am I buying a train simulator, or a machine gun permit?

Once that laborious process was complete, I had to mess around their complicated menus to find out that I actually had to download the entire program from the internet, which took 30 minutes. In the simulator program itself, there is no "Help" menu, instruction manual, or tutorial about driving a train. You are thrown to the wolves on this one, and if you don't already know what you're doing, good luck with the learning curve.

When I buy software on a CD, I expect that software to be ON that CD, so I can install it. Sure, we're all used to getting online to download updates to our newly installed software, but this package added a bunch of hoops to jump through that made this process way too complicated. Why should I wait several days for a CD to arrive, when I have to download the actual simulator anyway? Furthermore, this game CANNOT be played unless you are connected to the internet. So, if your signal is down, you are SOL. None of these facts were stated on Amazon, but are vaguely stated in the fine print on the back of the CD box.

After writing down 53 keyboard commands for the train I chose to drive (yes, there is no on-screen help menu, unless you want to pause your scenario EVERY time you need to figure out what button does what), I finally got the train moving. I even figured out how to stop it, no thanks to this non-intuitive software. And if you do pause, be prepared to wait a long time for it to reload and resume.

For my first exposure to a train simulator, I was very disappointed with this nonsense, and consider it a dismal failure. I want to play with a train, not get an online "account", be part of a "community", or jump through a bunch of password and registration hoops just to download what should have already been on my disk.. I also expect an instruction manual, like the ones that come with all the other software I've ever bought.

Buyer beware....if you get this package, you're going to waste a lot of time just getting to the point where you can actually see a train....then good luck learning to drive it. Furthermore, the customer support is nonexistant. LakePlaceGames dragged me through a drawn-out correspondence that went from "We don't know what you're talking about" to "Are you SURE the game is like that?" to "It's not our job to explain every detail in the products we sell" to "Sorry for your luck". Once in awhile, you deal with a business that would rather quibble about a $35 refund, than to accommodate a customer and stand by their product. This is one of those businesses. Their attitude is, it's not their job to advertise their product accurately, and if you're dissatisfied, it sucks to be you.

Honest reviews on Train Simulator 2013

I concur with reviewer David Owens. Although I purchased the game as a dvd,

I was still required to establish a password and user account with " STEAM "

in order to install the game and run it. And each and every time I want to play the game I have to log in and if the user and password are forgotten or mis-placed, changing them can be " hoop-jumping-through ".

I was willing to tolerate this but the final insult came when I opened the game folder where Steam stores the computers specs and settings and not only was that info listed but everything residing on the hard drive was listed, programs, utilities etc. I mean EVERYTHING. At that juncture I decided that that was too much information for a solitary program.

Why would STEAM need to know what all is on my computers hard drive ?

What personal information is being sent back to them ?

So I promptly uninstalled Train Sim 2013 and did a system restore to remove any and all traces. I can understand them needing Copy Protection but this carrying it a bit too far and the end-user should not have to log-in to the Internet each and every time to play a video game he or she just purchased at a brick and mortar store. It's a good game but comes with uncessary baggage.

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I found the program installation was a bit difficult. You must install "Steam" first then add this program to "Steam". There after you start "Steam" to use the program. Steam seems to be a carrier for games, it is said this is the best way to use your games. This is all new to me, (There could be other ways to install). I do not have many games so this review is not from one who has a lot of experience.

The instruction did not inform me to install the way I just mentioned, I quite by accident found this out when I tried to install it the way I have installed programs for years. (Double click on the xxx.exe file or auto start the installation, select from a menu) The program is well laid out, graphics are great (just make sure you have a good video card). Be prepared for the learning curve to get up and running with out selecting the "easy" method.

Cons: Not to friendly a installation. It broke the Train sim from N3V already installed and working fine.( had to reinstall it) The more powerful the video card and computer you have the better. (My set up: video card ge Force 550 ti, w/1GB memory, CPU Intel i5 2600k) 8GB memory) with this setup thing went rather smoothly just a small hick up here and there)

Discount Star Wars Obi-Wan

Customer Ratings:

I highly recommend this title, 4 stars cause well, there aren't many games that deserve 5 yet.. HALO maybe.

Hearing some of the other reviews on this site, I hesitated to purchase Obi-Wan, as I bought some other underwhelming Xbox games (Air Force Delta Storm, Fusion Friendly), and I didn't want to waste another $50 just cause I'm curious. Obi-Wan is FUN I played it for 10 hours straight when I brought it home, which was tonight.

Graphics: really good, not amazing, but very tight.

Gameplay: Awesome. Swinging the lightsaber, force pulls (weapons), spins and flips jeeze, it just feels cool to be obi-wan. The moves are somewhat simple, but perfecting the use of them takes hours of work, and I still feel as if I'm young Obi-Wan, in training.

Sound: Music is great, sound makes you think you're a jedi.

Cons: They didn't use the controller vibration all that much, and the levels take a while to load. The game hangs here and there, for no apparent reason, like when you turn off your lightsaber.

Should you buy it? If you liked Halo, or Star Wars, or adventure/action games you'll probably like this game. Buy Halo first though :)

More when I finish the game happy holidays!

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Obi-Wan comes across as an old stuffed animal that you like, but don't know why. It's dirty, it's smelly, one of its eyes is missing, but you love it all the same.

True, Obi-Wan is fraught with frame-drop errors, poor lighting, bad modeling, non-existant AI, terrible mapping, short gameplay, cringe-inducing voices, and a dumb storyline.

But...

First of all, it's Star Wars. That's worth something. Secondly, the multiplayer is actually pretty fun. Unlike it's sister game "Jedi Outcast," the emphasis is on the lightsaber, and the control scheme they've thought out is pretty inventive. I've been playing this game with friends for months. Even the obvious mistakes it makes (sometimes characters just keel over and die) have become entertaining to watch for.

Basically, if you've always wanted to [mess] around with a lightsaber, buy/rent this game. But, if you don't like Star Wars all that much, or are bothered by...well...shoddy programming, don't.

Does this game deserve 4 stars? No. But that's how much I personally enjoyed it.

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Well, I purchased this game used for about $5 and don't regret it. As a matter of fact I'd probably pay as much as $20 for it. Since this game isn't new anymore people won't be paying $49.99 for it and that's a good thing. On the upside it's a lot of fun to play as a jedi. I really enjoyed being able to use the force powers and fight with a lightsaber. It's just too bad that the graphics, sound and story suck.

I really can't comprehend why a game made for the X-Box would look this bad. These are the kind of graphics that are found on a Nintendo 64. The actual sound effects themselves aren't really all that bad, but don't stand out either. The voice acting is almost painful to listen to. Every time I heard Obi-Wan say a line, I cringed. He sounds almost as bad as I do trying to fake a Scottish accent. The story is pretty forgetful. Often I would even forget about why I was in a situation slicing everything to bits with my lightsaber.

Overall this game isn't too bad and I think a lot of people would enjoy it. Just don't go in with your expectations set too high.

Honest reviews on Star Wars Obi-Wan

Obi-Wan, a game that could have been a 5-star title, never attains greatness due to its subpar graphics engine. Apparently, the game uses a modified version of the 5-year-old Jedi Knight engine, and the engine's age really shows with this game. Models of characters have hidious textures, and the low polygon count is really apparent. Not to mention that the framerate often drops below 30fps, which is unacceptable for a game with graphics such as this.

On the bright side, the game is incredibly fun and action packed, even more fun than the recently released graphically superior "Jedi Knight 2". You will likely never get bored mastering the use of your lightsaber and various Force powers, and this excellent gameplay is what saves the game, making it a worthwhile purchases. Recommended.

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I sure expected a lot more from this game than what it offers. The game itself is ok but the graphics are terrible. This game was obviously not built from the ground up to take advantage of the Xbox. Rather, Lucas just took an existing graphics engine and packaged it as a new game. I'm suprised that Microsoft allowed this game to be one of the early Xbox titles. With so many other games that have good gameplay and fantastic graphics, I just don't understand why this one was released except as a fill in until other Star Wars games come out. With the power of the Xbox this game could have been fantastic if it was built to be a top notch game like Halo. Instead we are left with a ok game and 1995 type graphics for the same money that a game such as Halo costs.

Best Cosmos ® Black Silicone Case cover for Xbox 360 Deals

Customer Ratings:

There are not many places I have found an item like this and I was not sure before I purchased if this was made well or would fit correctly. The item arrived in a plastic pouch with no instructions. But that is not an issue as it was pretty easy to figure out. The cutouts fit perfectly and I am really pleased with the design, fit and purchase.

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Major League Baseball 2K12 - Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $32.00
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I have seen a lot of reviews of Xbox sports games that attempt to provide you with every detail of the gameplay and pros and cons. I am not going to do that and instead will give you the shot and sweet review of what I feel is in fact a very fun game to play with great graphics and incredible realism. It is by far the best Xbox baseball game out there and easily rivals The Show on the PS platform.

The thing though is that 2K12 is not a massive upgrade from 2K11. In fact other than updating the players and some other slight improvements it is hard to call this an upgrade more than just an updated version of the game.

What are the real meaningful differences? MLB Season mode is different as it snaps better to the regular upcoming MLB season. From a gameplay perspective, I like the new throwing mechanism where you have to be much more accurate with your throws or you will see them sail over the first baseman's head or easily miss your cut off man. You also will want to check out what they call the new Tendency system. As you get ready to make a pitch, the batter learns your tendencies and vice versa in a much more accurate way than in the previous version so you have to do a lot more adjusting.

Gameplay continues to be fun. You don't have to learn how to bat or pitch differently although you definitely do need to pay attention to the throwing as I mention above to ensure your accuracy. A good game that moves along fairly quickly and that you can easily play for hours and hours with your friends or by yourself.

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It's an upgrade for 2k11. That much is certain. One complaint is that the graphics aren't up to par with the games rival MLB The show. I did enjoy the new menus in comparison to 2k11's, which I thought were a tad bit confusing to navigate at first. The new batting style is favorable.

Perhaps my biggest peeve about this game is the face that My Player mode wasn't modified enough. It feels the exact same as last year, with a few graphical changes. Sure you can now define your player to fit your favorite role (Strikeout pitcher, ground ball pitcher, etc...), but it just isn't enough. Realistically created players would be submitted minor league offers from random teams and be able to choose the highest paying contract. I haven't gotten much past the first game in my player mode, so I will update when I have finished a season.

Dynasty mode is an exact replica as last season, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I like that you get to start out in Spring Training, so you can get practice and a feel for the new controls before the games start counting.

All in all, so far, this game isn't anything that stand above the rest. It is exactly what you would expect from a 2k Baseball game. Needless to say, I am definitely hoping for an EA Sports title next year.

Edit 3/9/2012

Just a small update. I am thoroughly enjoying franchise mode, just pitched a shut out with Josh Beckett in fact. My game has frozen twice when loading the last 2 games I've played, so that is a bit of a downfall. I've also noticed that at times the commentary is wrong. For example, one of the commentators said the Red Sox one the World series in 2008 when in fact they won in 2007.

Edit 4/3/2012

I am digging through My Player Mode now as a pitcher. I enjoy the fact that it is a bit more difficult to get to the Major's than in last years edition. I'm currently dueling it out in Triple A with Pawtucket. My Player Mode is really where 2K shines (well sort of). There were features that definitely, no questions asked, should have been added. For example, NBA 2k12 boasts an interested player draft before delving into its My Player Mode. To me this seems like a feature that could have seamlessly been added to MLB 2k12 that would have made My Player Mode much more realistic. Also I would have liked to have seen the computer to be able to potentially trade your newly created player to other teams.

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First off, I LOVED 2K11 and was really excited to get 2K12 for the updated rosters and because Justin Verlander is my favorite pitcher and the cover athlete. I cannot say I am disappointed in 2K12, but really, it's pretty much the same as 2K11 just with updated rosters and a few minor changes here and there. This is not a bad thing, I just wish a few more changes would have been made such as more minor league stadiums or classic ball parks would have been nice. My Player mode seems really no different from last year AT ALL, neither does Franchies Mode. MLB Living Season mode is cool but not really for me since you csn only play one game at a time (on the current day of the year).

Honest reviews on Major League Baseball 2K12 - Xbox 360

Hi, I don't review many products however as an avid baseball fan and Xbox gamer, I feel compelled to review MLB 2K 12. First you should know, I am a Mets fan. So please know that my expectations are NEVER too high. The best aspect, and also the most frustrating of this game is the MY PLAYER mode. You create your own player, give him whatever name you desire and assign him a position for both the field and batting order, as well as the franchise he will play for. I selected Shortstop and Leadoff hitter, and I obviously assigned him to the Mets. Your newly created player starts in the minor leagues, A ball, and hones his skills (You earn SKILL POINTS to assign to your player's fielding, batting and base running abilities.) until he gets called to the majors. I'm not sure what happened to Double and Triple A ball, it would add to the game if you could develop your player against more difficult competition, but as you read this review you'll understand why that's not really important. Also, you continue earning skill points and developing your player even after you reach the majors. My player was called up to the majors the 2nd week of July during his 1st season. The games move quickly, because they have what's called a SUPER SIM and you only actually PLAY during your at bats, or if you have a potential play in the field at your position. Okay, the frustration begins. The N.P.C.s (i.e. your teammates) have the baseball acumen of road kill that's been baking in the hot August sun for 3 days on the side of I-95. An example: Slow runner on 2nd base, (My speed has advanced to 81 out of a possible 99 at this point) and my player is batting. I hit a ball that reaches the fence in Right-Center field (Ya know, the GAP) and I'm thinking triple all the way. As I'm rounding 2nd base, the center fielder has just gotten to the ball. My team mate (remember, road kill) is standing on 3rd base and not moving. He should have scored. For reference, his speed was 62 out of 99. This type of issue is not a onetime thing. Also, in MY PLAYER mode you have absolutely no control of your team mates. During each of your at bats, you are given a GOAL to achieve for additional skill points. A common goal is to DRIVE IN THE RUN(s) if there's a runner on 2nd, or 2nd and 3rd bases. Frequently the runner on 2nd base simply won't progress beyond 3rd. It doesn't matter where, or how hard the ball is hit. Road kill. Another very frustrating part is the N.P.C.s inability to understand the in-game situation. Every little league boy or girl learns early on, if there are 2 outs and there's a runner behind you, you run on anything. The road kill simply stand there and wait to see if the ball will be caught. If it's not, they are much less farther along than they should have been. Finally, I mentioned the GOALS that are assigned during each at bat. These are apparently random and also don't take into account the in-game situation. Losing by one run, top of the 9th inning with runners on 1st and 2nd. The goal, GET AHEAD IN THE COUNT. That doesn't sound so bad until you realize in order to get ahead in the count, you must take at least 1 pitch. If it's a strike, you're automatically in the hole (behind in the count) and having to take at least 2 more pitches to get ahead in the count. If either of those pitches is also a strike... well, you get the idea. A nice thing about this game is that you play with and against actual Major League players. Stepen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals is a phenomenal pitcher. During my 1st at bat, the goal again was to get ahead in the count. I fouled off 15 pitches, had a count of 1 ball 2 strikes before I finally struck out. He doesn't throw balls early in the game. When I came up again in the 3rd inning, h3 had thrown a total of 49 pitches, only 4 of them were balls. I'm now in my 3rd season, and the problems have only gotten worse. The reason is as I mentioned, MY PLAYER continues to develop while the N.P.C.s are stagnant. This game has so much potential, but the level of frustration far outweighs the fun that's provided while playing it. The best baseball franchise for the Xbox was MVP Baseball by EA Sports. Unfortunately, they lost the contract to 2K. I hope that when the contracts are up for bid again, EA wins it back.

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Overall I really like the game, I updated from MLB 2k9 so I can't compare this two the previous years game, but so far enjoyable. My Player Mode is frustrating, coming from the minors and then into the bigs, I can't seem to get my swing down, this game is definitely challenging. Sure I could use CLASSIC controls, but then what fun is that? Started a franchise as well. I find though that the hitting in this game is a lot harder then in 2k7 and 2k9 which I previously have owned, going to take some getting used to. The reworked pitching is definitely a big positive. For the hardcore MLB fan and casual gamer, this is a decent buy. Though maybe wait a bit more for when the price will go down.

Buy Infinite Undiscovery - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

Having loved many of Square-Enix's RPG games I was extremely excited to hear that this title was coming to the XBox 360 system. I preordered it, ignored review sites giving it mediocre reviews, and sat down for a good while to play it. Now I'll try to give a fair view of the game.

Story 3/5:

The idea behind the story of the game, in general, is that the moon is being chained down by some organization and there is a group that exists to cut down these chains. Quickly you learn that you have a giant case of mistaken identity to which people think you're the hero who does the chain cutting. Add in some annoying whining from the main character and you have a pretty basic story. As the game develops it gets a little better but there is nothing ground breaking regarding it and it leaves me wondering if they could have taken the concept further to make a more enjoyable game.

Graphics 5/5:

The game is beautiful from what I've seen while playing. Although at times the bloom effect seems a bit overused the majority of the game has a unique realistic look and is exciting to play. It definitely stands out in a market saturated with a more cell shaded and somewhat cartoonish look for video games (the xbox 360 RPG market).

Vocals 2/5:

The most surprising aspect of the voice acting in the game is the fact some scenes have it and some don't. You'll hear the main character talking in one scene and then the minute you go through a door you just see the words on the screen. It's almost as if the game developers just decided midway through to only have speech during key scenes? That would make sense but a lot of the scenes with voice acting aren't key so I highly doubt that.

The voice acting, on top of that, when you do hear it, is complete rubbish. The characters sound pained to be talking and often they seem not to fit the situation. The emotion and vocal tone often do not fit the scene and at times they sound unbelievable.

Gameplay 1/5:

This is where the game does its worst. I'm going to break off each area of the gameplay I want to focus on into mini paragraphs so bare with me for a moment.

Fighting:

Fighting seems to take a MMORPG approach in the game. The world does not deviate between battles and walking in a sense. When approached by enemies (or vise versa) you use the trigger button to arm your weapon and you can partake in battle. You use your two attack keys to either do short attacks or powerful attacks. There is also a button to parry but I found it hard to execute. Besides this there is the ability to connect (link) with other characters so the main character can take control of them and use their skills.

Connecting Issues:

One quick note about connecting (mentioned last in last mini)... you often find you need to connect at key parts in the story. One character has the ability to shoot arrows and you'll find that at one point in the story unless you use this ability in a short period of time it's game over. This is annoying because you often have no idea that the ability is needed and have to go back all the way to your last save if you didn't think to use it. Another annoying connect period is where you have to use a character's charm ability (which you are unaware he has unless you connect and try it) to lure enemies somewhere. This is unexplained and is unlikely anything a normal user will ever guess without hours of annoyance.

Items:

Items can be crafted in the game by using certain crafting skills for particular allies with you. When in the world items are used in real time so the enemy can attack you at any given point while you're cycling through as well. Likely this will lead most users to either prioritize items at the top of their item list or hope that the NPC allies pick the right medicine at any given time to help out.

Flute:

At times you will also need to use your flute for various means. This is annoying in the sense that you often will have no clue for the need of the flute. In one area to progress you need to use your flute in the vicinity of a particular area but there is no reason for this what-so-ever in the context of the area. It's like they wanted to throw in more flute time but didn't want to go through the trouble of making it intuitive.

Searching Missions:

Throughout the game you'll have annoying mini story pieces you'll need to accomplish. One of such is where you need to pick up a quantity of items from the general area. There is no significance to the story but you will need to just search and search for about 5 10 minutes time to find all the items without any way to skip. I don't understand the point of this really and it seems like just another attempt to add in more user game time without actually adding to the game at all.

Party System:

One thing I like about the game play is the party system. Often you'll find you have situations where more than one party is needed. The computer will take the assigned party teams that you make alternative to your own and have them follow a set course (you don't set it) that will lead to the objective. So at times you'll find your party of 4 with 8 other teammates on the screen battling it out epically. It's pulled off pretty well besides the fact each of these situations is overly easy because of the nature of them.

Linear:

The game is massively linear in that while each area is relatively large and allows you to explore a bit there is nothing to do but kill the enemies in the area without any other game paths. So there is nothing really special about searching a whole zone because while you often will find other treasure chests everything else you can find right in the same general vicinity.

Maps:

Finally, the mapping system in the game is completely outrageous. Often there will be one tiny cave that will connect one massive zone to the next and unless you search every nook and cranny of the zone you'll never find it. I spent a good hour searching for the one that led to the first mission after leaving the first town until I gave up and searched the web for walk-throughs. Funny enough, in my search, I found tons of other posts across the web asking for the same information. The area to area is completely massive but without any markers to keep the user on track.

In general the game play is very unintuitive and you'll spend an infinite amount of time trying to discover what the heck is going on many times throughout the story. If you can put up with this annoyance (and don't mind searching frequently asked questions on the net for help) then you may like the game for other reasons but else you should avoid altogether. I like the game it's just the game play stands out and has often led me to drop it, walk away for a couple hours, and retry some annoying sequence many a time.

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Nice title, isn't it? But don't expect a blatant fanboy review. Quite the contrary. If I had to summarize what you should need to know about this game, it's this: THIS GAME IS NOT FOR EVERYONE; DO NOT BUY IT UNLESS YOU ARE EITHER BLATANTLY OPEN-MINDED OR HAVE RENTED IT FIRST, OR HAVE A GREAT RETURN POLICY, OR SOMETHING.

Why do I emphasize that so? Because the nature of the game calls for that emphasis.

You see, Infinite Undiscovery is not a traditional RPG. It's an action RPG with some elements that emulate online gaming. That's issue #1. It's linear, but open at the same time. That's issue #2. It also doesn't pan out until you're a few hours into the game; you'll be lost on the story momentarily as it begins to develop itself; that's issue #3. There are others, but those are the first and foremost in my mind.

Your character starts out in jail. You get rescued eventually by Aya, who actually mistakes you for someone else who apparently looks identical to you. As you make your escape from the prison, you'll end up in a forest, and finally, meet some more of the key characters. Seems overly simple, but that's what I can give you without spoiling things.

In this game, you really have to think, I mean really think about what you're doing. Things like walking instead of running so you can attack someone from behind. Sound plays another big part of the game; if you don't have at least a 5.1 surround system you'll be impaired in this area. Even smell plays a small part if you stink, enemies can detect you. In the darkness you can get assaulted by enemies you can't see (but they can see you because they're nocturnal). Getting attacked from behind cripples you and makes you susceptible to critical attacks. There are tons of different elements you need to take into consideration as you fight, which increases the immersion and the challenge.

Additionally, the world is alive; there is no "pause to bring up the menu". You need to make sure there are no enemies in the close vicinity, or that they are out of visual range, or you're in a town before bringing up the menu, because you can still get assaulted during this time. A strategic element to be sure, and one I wouldn't mind seeing in a future RPG, just slightly better implemented (more on that later).

With the "Connect" system, you effectively are giving commands to your colleagues to either do special attacks, heal, or talk to NPCs on your behalf, revealing different information than you get. The game relies heavily on this system, as you will frequently have need to use a character's special technique to get through a certain area. This lends itself to problems, however (more on that later).

If you're a fan of pure aesthetics, this game will not disappoint. The graphics, music and sound effects are all excellently done, and quite frankly some of the best looking on any game released to date. Some people have mentioned framerate issues; to me, they're so infrequent I wouldn't even call it a dealbreaker. With graphics this good, and minimal load times (considering it's basically an open world), a half second framerate drop every now and then is forgivable. Just make sure you turn down the voice volume; it tends to come through rather loudly on your left rear speaker during battle for some reason.

That doesn't mean there aren't issues, because there are.

In the beginning of the game, you're evading a rather large foe. It seems almost impossible not to get hit by this guy. An option to turn and risk fighting him would have been nice.

In a forested area, you're told to "stick to shadows". Considering the whole forest is dark, this instruction is confusing to a newbie user.

Some areas are just ridiculous. Like when you have to cross an open field with some small ruins, and a creature is blowing fireballs at you which are possible, but extremely difficult, to dodge because of the camera angle. No instructions as to what to really do, except run. Might have been something there that I missed for all I know.

You have to press Right Trigger to draw your sword. I like that and all, but what I don't like is that your colleagues won't draw their weapons if you don't, even if the tactic says to go all out.

Quite a few things are not explained to you. In the beginning, Aya explains one of her Connect commands, which you use to take out a guard. That's great. Later, you're given Flute songs, yet never told what each song does or how/when to use them. I didn't even know I could use the flute until I was 2 hours into the game, even though I had it all along. I was also stuck on one area (and the web is lit up with boards about the same area) where I had to use another character's Connect command to charm enemies to a door; nowhere is this explained. That same character can talk to animals; not explained either.

Outside of the primary characters, the additional characters don't have very much development.

As I said before, you should test this game before actually buying it. It might not be for you. It's not a bad game; just different. I wouldn't say it's similar to an MMORPG, even though it has some of the qualities. I would say...if you took Final Fantasy 12, with a better story and more plot development...and a better battle engine with pseudo-full control...you'd get this game. IMO, it's what FF12 should have been. Take that for what it's worth.

Best Deals for Infinite Undiscovery - Xbox 360

In short, this is the real-time/seamless combat RPG that Final Fantasy XII could and should have been. Combat is relentless and very involving. However, the "connect" system is really just a gimmick, and ends up being used mostly in forced puzzle-minigame chores rather than as a useful skill in combat.

My #1 complaint for this game is the poor voice acting throughout, and the lack of selectable Japanese voices. With 2 DVD DLs worth of data, not including the Japanese voices as an option is inexcusable. You'll see what I mean once the twins join your party.

The graphics in the camera-perspective-restricted Eternal Sonata might make Undiscovery look a little dated. But the real-time battle system from Undiscovery more than makes up for it and proudly shows off the new direction most new J-RPGs are headed towards.

Honest reviews on Infinite Undiscovery - Xbox 360

Infinite Undiscovery is an objectively flawed jrpg that still manages to be fun despite--or possibly because of--its idiosyncrasies.

Gameplay is built around the familiar action-rpg formula of assigning specific attacks to face buttons and maneuvering freely about the field to unleash them as a finite pool of points is depleted (in greater chunks by greater spells).

As lead character Capell you'll also issue very basic orders to a close quarters AI squad, and the AI is generally competent. Uniquely, there are often separate squads (for which you determine the roster) which may be onscreen attacking a boss alongside your primary group or--less impressively--simply running off elsewhere to find a key as required by scripted dungeon progression.

On top of this base, you'll find a wide and often redundant array of skills, spells, food recipes, weapon production options, obtuse conversation/secrets trees, buff incantations, and even songs to collect. The development team was overflowing with new ideas but without the subsequent followthrough and/or skill to integrate them properly into the solid base gameplay.

Another form of variety is in the form of characters, of which you'll find a great many choices here. Most characters are likable enough, and every one of them is given some kind of unique gameplay system it can manipulate. One may be able to talk to animals, another be able to smash inconveniently placed boulders, etc. Here too though, the developers didn't know when to pull the reigns in. There are several characters that one can only place in the aforementioned separate squads for no other intelligible reason than perhpas they didn't have time to craft unique attacks for the characters if placed under direct command.

Despite what sound like damning flaws, it all comes back to the basic gameplay. And that remains fun to play. Most of the broken and or simply useless gameplay options can (and will be ) ignored to enjoy the entertaining spectacles of the colorful fighting.

The story also helps move things along, despite its own efforts at self-sabotage such as impressively mismatched facial animation and voice acting. The story of admirable if whiny young Capell, the energetic and enervating Aya, and many others is entertaining and generally efficiently told (judged under the low bar occupied by most jrpgs).

So, in the end, the game manages to earn a higher personal fun rating of 4 than I can objectively rate the overall game itself for others.

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Square has done it again. This is another great title with beautiful graphics and smooth gameplay. The few minor catches is that the main character is not the most exciting person. He starts off as a whiny nearly useless bard. If you can get past his personality early on the game pays off.

Combat is similar to many Action RPG's with the ability to pair up with one of the other party members and use one of thier 2 special abilities. In addition you can build a second or third party that will travel with the main party but you have no control over thier actions.

The game has a system for item crafting that is usefull but alot like a standard MMO and promises some grinding to master the best gear or food in the game.

If your a fan of Square this is a title to grab. Try to get the 'pre-order' download card that comes with the game to enable better items to be available eariler in the game. Also X-Box Live offers several cheap/free add-ons that add more items to the game.

Review of Mad Catz MC2 Racing Wheel and Pedals Set

Customer Ratings:

I have long searched and I mean LONG searched for a good racing wheel and this is it. I have personally tried out almost every wheel and pedals on this site and this one is far superior to all. It has sensitivity tuning so you can customize it to your own needs and has easy button remapping at the press of a button. Some people who own this product refuse to spend the 5 minutes needed to read the simple instructions and correctly tune it for each game. It now even comes with instructions specifically on how to set it for Gran Turismo 3 on the PS2, one of the best racing games ever. Many things make this a great buy:

First of all, it has digital and analog modes, so it can be used on almost any game, playstation or playstation 2, despite what this site says.

It can be fully callibrated for sensitivity and dead-band.

It has suction cups for hard surfaces and retractable leg supports for comfortable lap placement.

It has all of the standard playstation buttons, plus a very nice shifter and two-way butterfly buttons mounted on the back of the wheel, which are great for Formula One shifting.

On the main body there is an LCD guage that measures accelorator throttle. (very cool)

The pedals have rubber pads that keep them in place during the most abusive acceleration, though it is little needed because of the vertical vector pedal collumns that change the center of gravity to keep it in place. There is a foot rest on the side for when you are not braking and the pedals have grip textures to keep your feet from unwantedly sliding off.

Everything is very durrable and can widstand lots of abuse unless you are bent on braking shifter with unnesisarily hard shifting habbits, though trust me, I have only heard of one braking and everyone else seems quite happy.

The pedal connection is USB.

Very comfortable grip.

Even though this is the best wheel I have ever used, it is still not perfect. The wheel is a little to small, and does not go around as far as I would like, though it makes turning a little easier. Sometimes when you set the shifter it also remaps the up or down d-pad buttons, but they are not used during raceing and can be easily set right when needed. Some people complain that the leg-wells are to close together, but it is more snug than tight and does not hinder lower leg movement, so there is no difference in use of the pedals. As I have said, this is the best wheel and pedals I have ever used other than that of my own car and it is worth your money. If you dont happen to like it then you obviously have not used some of the junk out there and you can return it anyway. Have fun!

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Well, I have bought the wheel for GT3 and was curious about the content and facts of these reviews... I would like to go someway to putting he record straight:

1) This wheel is FULLY compatable with GT3, but admittedly is a little fiddley to set up.

2) The 'play' in the wheel is controllable and can be altered so you only have to turn it slightly for a responce.

The only game I have found the wheel difficult to configure for is Driver. Unfortunately this is more to do with the programming of the game as opposed to the wheel itself due to the lack of controllable options in the game. It will work porperly but without the pedals.

The following games I have all work fine (maybe with a little tweaking though).

GT

GT2

GT3

Toca

Toca 2

Colin McCrae Rally

I hope this helps as it is definately the best wheel I have used upto now....

Best Deals for Mad Catz MC2 Racing Wheel and Pedals Set

This is an excellent wheel. I've had other brands and gave them away or returned them. The ability to calabrate the wheel it self and not the game is one of the best features it has. The pedals react to the amount of pressure and the lighted LCD on the wheel enables you to see houw much pedal to the medal you have. The brake is real sensative and helps in controlling your car. It's a comfortable to use sitting on your legs or on a table. Highly recommend.

Honest reviews on Mad Catz MC2 Racing Wheel and Pedals Set

Okay, I would like to clear up the misconception that this pedal does not work with Gran Turismo 3. It does in fact work, and very well. It just needs to be set in-game. Also, the distance that needs to be traveled for turning force can be adjusted. If you have the adjustment problem, just read the manual. If you cant get it to work with GT3 (it is'nt very complicated) you can just e-mail me and I will gladly send you instructions. Happy gaming!

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I used the first steering wheel for the original playstation and it was anything but impressive. But I since bought the mad catz 2, it's been great. The pedals never move, it has force feedback, AND A SHIFTER!! The steering is acurate, and works with most any game. I use it for, burnout 2, need for speed: HP2, and medicore game called downforce. This wheel is cheap and great.

Discount Pokemon Pinball

Customer Ratings:

This is an excellent pinball game. You get two different tables (red and blue) and a nice variety of targets, lanes, and other special shots.

The small size of the Gameboy screen is compensated for by having the pinball table be twice as high as the screen. The screen automatically moves from one half to the other of the table in order to follow the ball. I found this a little bit confusing at first, but very quickly adapted to it. The tables are designed so that this doesn't really get in the way of gameplay. The ability to "nudge" or shake the table to change where the ball is going is well done; you'll need to build up skill in when and how much to nudge if you want to get good at the game.

I was dubious about the rumble feature, but I found it to be kind of fun you feel many of the bounces that the ball makes with your gameboy buzzing and vibrating in your hand. I didn't find that it distracted me from the game; if you don't like it or aren't in the mood, just remove the battery from the game cartridge.

And, oh, yeah, there's Pokemon in the game! If you don't know anything about Pokemon, don't worry, knowledge of pokemon is not important for playing the game. If you are into Pokemon, during the game you get chances to capture various different ones; over time, you build up a collection of them. You don't really use the collection for anything, but it is fun to keep track of which you do and don't have, and it's exciting when you manage to capture a rare one.

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Best Grandia III - PlayStation 2 Deals

Customer Ratings:

Grandia fans will be happy to see this title, but those new to the series may not get as into this game as others. While the heart of Grandia lies within the battle system, which is still incredible, the other elements have suffered a little over the years. With Grandia III it's no different. It is a very good game, but the RPG veteran will notice that there are a couple of key elements missing.

Yuki dreams of one day becoming a pilot like his hero Sky Captain Schmidt. He's finally made a plane that he's sure can carry him off Titalos Island. Upon trying to leave, he doesn't realize his mother has hopped aboard the plane, taking the plane over its weight limit. Eventually the plane goes down near a girl named Alfina who is the last of the "Communicators". A race that stay in contact with a Guardian Glyph and relay the information to the rest of the world. Alfina's brother, however, has different plans, and would rather take over the world. It's your job, of course, to stop him.

The story isn't really thrilling, but the characters will make up for that. Some of the dialogue is badly written, but for the most part, the characters begin to take on a personality and you fall in love with them. Especially with how they interact over scenes when they're at dinner.

Grandia veterans will recognize the battle system instantly. After nearly ten years, the battle system is still complex, fresh and very original. When you enter battle there will be a circle gauge in the corner. This is the IP gauge. Your characters and enemies move along this gauge. You'll select a command and watch them play out in real time. Each character and enemy will go into action. If you attack an enemy while they're in action you'll delay their attack. It is even possible to cancel it all together. The enemy can also do the same to you.

The battle system, as I said, is complex, and still holds up. There is still no battle system quite like it. Unfortunately, it's an easy battle system to take advantage of. And this isn't the first time Grandia has suffered from this. If you keep canceling enemies, you'll find that many battles you'll take absolutely no damage. Bosses, however, can be pretty challenging. Especially because they have multiple parts. Boss battles are particularly long and satisfying.

Another reason for the ease of Grandia is simply because you can always see the enemies HP and what attack they plan on using and who they plan to attack. In other words, the game begs for you to take advantage. It's all a matter of canceling the attacks. However, this makes so that Grandia's battle system really does focus on strategy. For as easy as it is to take advantage of the battle system, it's just as easy to lose control if you're unfamiliar with it.

Each character also has a set of special moves to use. And as they continue to use them they'll get more skills availible to them. There are also skill books and Mana Eggs for you to equip to give you modifiers and spells. Mana Eggs allow you to cast various spells while skill books will give you abilities, such as being able to defend against poison or do more damage to a certain type of enemy.

However, there are a few things that are glaring in Grandia III. It isn't just the storyline that erks me (especially when compared to Grandia II and the first one), but the lack of sidequests and the game is short. There are not enough secrets and mini-games, which ultimately lowers the replay value of this game. Sometimes it's nice to take a break from the quest. This also means the game is very linear. It also could've been longer.

That shouldn't suggest Grandia III is bad. It's not. But it makes it so that only hard-core RPGers and Grandia devotees will want to play it. If battling and having fun is your thing, by all means, play Grandia III. But if secrets and goodies is your thing, Grandia III probably isn't for you.

The visual look of Grandia III isn't bad. It's rather good. Each character is detailed and the enviroments are pretty. It's great that there is no slow down in this one, as it isn't a port. There are times, however, when the graphics look outdated. Still, it's a beautiful game. And it doesn't sound so bad either. The voice acting is pretty good, and the background music serves its purpose as well.

Overall, Grandia III is a pretty good game. As long as you're not expecting a lot you'll enjoy it. While there are a few glaring things, I have to say the game is fun. The battle system makes it so that one actually wants to battle as opposed to avoiding them. For the die-hard RPGer and Grandia fan, this is gold. If you're expecting a lot from a game, however, look elsewhere.

The Good

+Stylish Graphics

+Incredible battle system makes the game really fun

+While the story is nothing special, the characters really do help move it along nicely.

The Bad

-The story is too simple... especially for Grandia

-No side quests and very little secrets

-It's too short

A good game, but definitely for a selective crowd.

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Hello Amazon shoppers, Amir0x from Hangar-G3 here.

When you think of Grandia, you automatically think of the battle system. The reason for this is simple: it's the one thing that sets the series apart. It's furious, fast, and strategic. And it leaves you wishing more RPGs did something like this. As long as this aspect of Grandia is in place, you're guaranteed a great experience.

And Grandia III does not disappoint. Additions, such as Aerial Combos, add to the fantastic system and provide all the frenetic action the franchise is known for. In this way, it is not only a return to form but it is superior to its predecessors.

Visually as well, the game seriously pushes PS2 far beyond what you'd expect. Spectacular spell effects, robust character models, vibrant towns... all of it is a testament to the talent of the development team. The incredible scenery and artistic direction compliment a rock solid engine.

On the minus side, the soundtrack is a bit of a downer. None of it is particularly inspired, which is surprising considering how great Noriyuki Idaware's previous works were. None of the tracks really stay in your memory for long, which is generally one of the first signs that it's not leaving any lasting impact. Finally, the storyline is really not up to the standards of the rest of the games. The relationships between Yuki and the rest of the cast (with the exception of his mother) all fall into the cliche, one-dimensional range. The motivations of who you ultimately end up fighting all fall flat.

But at the core of this game is a battle system that simply cannot be beat in the RPG world. Emphasizing this over the story might be difficult for some players, but if you do you'll find a rewarding experience that anyone can enjoy.

Best Deals for Grandia III - PlayStation 2

I'm sure you're one of the Grandia fans from PS2 days and look forward to the same great experience. I doubt you'll be disappointed, and hope my review will cover all the bases so you know what type of games Grandia III is.

First of all, this game had all the hype it needed. There weren't any commercials or anything that made the game seem better then it is. This game brought back feelings of playing the first Grandia (PSX) as well as Lunar: Silver Star Story on the Sega CD. The first 5 hours spent playing this game I was blown away and remembered how fun the battle system was. It's been a while since I played an EXTREMELY good non-Square-enix game. You see...t.his game is made by Game Arts. Thank them for the Lunar series as well as Grandia on the original PlayStation. Even though most people are buying this to pass time til' Kingdom Hearts II, this game really IS worth buying. However, the game is very cutscene drivin' which so far, doesn't bother me at all. The cut-scenes are very well done with a great GRANDIA feeling. Not at all like Xenosaga, which was coldi in its portrayal of the characters. This game has spirit and life; you'll enjoy the plot advancement as well as getting to know your party of heroes.

It's games like this, that really make me wonder what else Square-enix can throw at us. It's going to get better and better each game. (Again, GameArts made this game but S-E was the publisher). I think Final Fantasy XII could be a revolutionary step between action and role-playing games that will bring in more fans. Star Ocean wasn't good enough. Neither is Tales of Legendia. Grandia III has the idea, but I believe FFXII will be _the_ game, but G3 will help you pass the time well.

Sadly the game only last about 30 hours...over two discs...short indeed, but last about as long as the story is going to hold it. There are not any side-quests really or anything extra to unlock. Very straight-forward game, but that doesn't mean it won't hold your attention.

Grandia III has finally brought back whats good in the series after Grandia Xtreme and the PS2 Grandia 2 port. This game has really brought me back to the series and has shown me that when square enix wants to they can breath life into a seies that was thought to be dead. grandia 1 and grandia 2 for the dreamcast were amazing games. but the recent ps2 efforts were not very good. Grandia III does face some problems story wise(it gets worse in the second disk), but players should not play the game for the story, but rather for the battles. They have now added a new way to equipt skills and magic along with a brand new system which allows arial attacks. the graphics are probably the crispist on the playstation 2 (sorry final fantasy). So where the story drops the game play makes up for it.

The music could be better, but the battles have a thrilling drive that makes you want to fight. Not run from battles, but get into them. Speaking of which, you won't have to waste time building levels, unless you don't have a hang of the battle system.

I'll leave the story for you to find out. It's an adventure that's not as up to par as previous games, but nevertheless it has Game Arts written all over it. Pick up this game for a rental if you doubt you'll want to own it. I'm proud to have bought this and will play it over a few months down the line with no less enthusiasm. Now if only they would begin work on LUNAR 3... maybe someday.

Honest reviews on Grandia III - PlayStation 2

I was really surprised the day I heard this long thought dead series was rising from the ashes once again. After playing Xtreme I was hoping for much more, and that's exactly what I got.

Grandia III is just like the other Grandia's that come before it. An epic journey where friendships are made and love is found. With a new unique battle system (like an improved Star Ocean 3), you travel with Yuki and friends around the world in a neat plane. I was excited when I found out I could take to the skies... However the skies are limited. Access to new and outside places that aren't on the linear gamepath go nowhere. One of the serious cons of this 2 disc game. Adding an addicting card game does not also cover up the lack of side quests in this game as well. The leveling system however was competely fun for me and a total blast with the new fighting system installed. Definitely tides me over till games other games are hitting the market.

I definitely enjoyed the unique background and the chemistry between most of the characters. The dubbing wasn't even that bad. I was pretty surprised overall with how enjoyable this game was.

I only gave it a 4 out of 5 due to it's few but minor flaws. I would recommend this to anyone who is out for another quick smash and grab.

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Having picked up this title on, essentially, the understanding that it has the same, highly entertaining battle system as Grandia II, it's safe to say I wasn't disappointed on that count. It even embellishes and adds a couple of nice touches.

Unfortunately, that's pretty much where the fun stops. Mediocre voice acting, bland characters, a small world and a story that's difficult to care about all combine to form a thoroughly lackluster title.

But still a better buy than FFX.

Cheap Ghostbusters: The Video Game

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $4.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

This game is different from FPS which was refreshing. Like the title says, it is just like you're in it. The game characters interact with you that way. It can be a bit challenging at times cause you have to do some unknown maneuvers to overcome some ghosts. your buddies do clue you in, though. Graphics, sounds, camera view and game mechanics are very good. Cut scene graphics could be better, but gameplay graphics are way better. This beats all the old GB games out there, obviously. You will not be disappointed.

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I am giving this 1 star to inform potential buyers:

I purchased the Digital Download from Amazon but the Activation Key it came with was invalid so I couldn't play the game. Amazon told me I had to contact Atari to solve the problem, I did but Atari did not reply. I uninstalled the game and Amazon gave me a refund.

You will want to buy this game for console to avoid all the PC activation and installation problems. Or take your chances with this and hope you have better luck than I did.

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Good game, a little on short side. I like the game concept, but could use a little more interactive extras other than the main objective.

Honest reviews on Ghostbusters: The Video Game

The game is extremely fun and don't let anyone say otherwise. If you love Ghostbusters this is a must. It has a lot of interface flaws yet still remained fun, it has so much potential. Weapons are fun, the dialogue and writing is fun, its not serious nor was meant to be. Everyone returns that you'd love from the movies with the exception of Tully and Poha. Even Viggo makes a return in a taunting painting that gets annoyed when you interact with it. Great game, but a lot of technical issues, somehow I still loved it.

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This game is amazing. the story plays off of the movies and the comic series hints back to the game. Smooth controls and varying difficulties make it a fun and enjoyable experience.

Reviews of Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Wooden Stratocaster Replica

Customer Ratings:

When Mad Catz announced the $300 Fender guitar replica made many question how out-of-hand peripheral costs were getting, especially with the music genre. If you are a Rock Band 2 enthusiast, with all the DLC offered by Harmonix on XBOX Live, tons of peripherals laying around, and those of you that have the ION Drum set sitting in your game room, you will want (and must) have this.

Being a guitar player for over a decade, I must say this makes playing that much more fun for me personally. Those individuals that have only played this game with the "kit" included instruments, be it Rock Band or Guitar Hero, may hate this item. This guitar is the full size and full weight of my a Fender Stratocaster, and feels natural to play with my background. Compared to the plastic completion, this thing is huge, and may effect you "shredders" out there. This guitar is not as accurate during faster parts of most songs (do to real fret spacing), I must say that I don't mind missing notes when playing with this. The only thing that is not "real Fender" on this guitar is the plastic fret board, but that is not a negative thing, and blends nicely with this accessory.

This guitar, combined with the overdrive pedal, give a new aspect of playability that renews any avid player of the Rock Band series continued interest. Before you buy however, you have to ask yourself do you prefer the Rock Band controller button layout (flat) or the Guitar Hero controller button (raised) layout. If you prefer the Guitar Hero style, this controller is not for you, and will not change your mind and it may actually make you hate it more. The fret buttons are in the real fret locations, so you will have to adapt to stretching your fingers hit all the keys, which makes it very difficult to play during faster parts.

Pros:

* All natural wood body and neck made by the Fender factory itself

* Real metal tuners, connection port (for use of the overdrive pedal), and whammy bar

* Full size and weight (just over 7 lbs.)

* 2.5 million cycle strumming switches

* Start and Select buttons hidden as volume knobs on the guitar

* Whammy bar hangs in a traditional place

* Works amazing with the Overdrive Pedal accessory

* Great for traditional guitarist that want to transfer and play music genre games

Cons:

* Hard to move fast between buttons for speed accuracy do to the real spacing of the frets

* Strum bar is louder, clicks, and does more wear-n-tear on the fingers

* Weight (for those not used to it) can be overwhelming, especially for those long play sessions

* No calibration mechanism on the guitar

* Three AA batteries to use (still no XBOX rechargeable battery pack use)

* Easy to hit Start and Select knob-buttons when using whammy bar.

Final Thoughts:

The Fender Stratocaster XBOX 360 Replica Guitar for Rock Band is not your snap/impulse purchase, or for those just getting into the game. This guitar and purchase are for those individuals that absolutely love this game, that has all the previous peripherals for this game (such as the ION Drum Rocker Kit with expansion cymbal, multiple plastic guitars/bass laying around, the Rock Band Stage Kit, the overdrive pedal, a ton of downloadable content, etc., etc.). This guitar is an investment, and a serious one at that, and I can say brings the rock experience a little closer to home. This Fender Replica is truly a thing of beauty.

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Frustration. This is my third Mad Catz guitar within the last two months and all have exhibited the same flaw. After the first couple hours of use, one (or more) of the buttons begins to bind if not pressed exactly on center. In the case of this current Stratocaster it is the blue button (the previous two were Precision Bass guitars with binding red buttons). A binding button makes it all but impossible to get a decent score since you spend your time concentrating on pressing one of your buttons firmly and on center rather than having fun with the game. Additionally you can't slide a finger over from an adjacent button since the button binds with an edge press.

Other thoughts:

The controller looks terrific, just as pretty as in the glamour shots.

The finish of the wooden neck could use a bit more attention, it looks good but feels not quite finished. It gets more coarse where the neck flairs into the headstock. The headstock is high gloss and pretty in front, but surprisingly rough in back (looks OK though). The neck of the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller sets the standard here. The Logitech neck feels significantly better in your hand with a terrific satin finish on the back where you will be holding it.

The plastic fretboard looks very good close up and feels fine.

The buttons are spaced like a Rock Band Strat, not a like real guitar frets, so the reach from green to orange is standard (I held them together and they were almost identical).

What others have said about the size and weight is true. If you already play an electric guitar you will immediately find this controller comfortable and natural to use (and a lot of fun). If you've only used the standard controllers before it may take some getting used to. Although the button spacing is standard the reach out to them is further due to the length of the neck. The weight is what every guitar player on earth has been shouldering forever, it's no big deal, but it's certainly no hollow plastic guitar. Real guitar straps work and there are some very comfortable ones out there.

The tuning pegs rattle. Since there are no strings to put tension on them, the tuning pegs rattle if the controller is moved aggressively. I'm guessing this would be easy to rectify with some glue or eve small pieces of tape. Since I'm not keeping it I don't want to mess with the issue.

The whammy bar will hit the back button. The back button is a press to actuate (unlike the start button below it which is a twist to actuate). Hitting the back button initiates overdrive/star power. You will have to consciously moderate your whammy technique to avoid accidental star power use (view the "Wireless Wooden Stratocaster Replica for Rock Band Walkthrough" on youtube to see the required technique). Seems like they would have been better off with the d-pad at the top of the button stack, where interference with the whammy would be minimized. On the plus side, in it's current position star power is right at your fingertips (nice). It's perfectly usable as designed but you can no longer flail the whammy bar like a mad man.

The Strat works with the Mad Catz Electro-Harmonix Overdrive Pedal. As noted above overdrive is super easy to actuate on the Strat. The overdrive pedal adds a wire to a wireless controller. You may find you have to look away from the screen to find the overdrive pedal on the floor. The "pedal" is actually a metal button that doesn't work that great with stocking feet. This is not a review of that product.

I'm at a loss here, I don't even know how to rate the product. I like the Mad Catz Strat very much and want to rate it a 4 to 5 but the one fundamental thing a game controller must have is buttons that work; that implies total fail rating of 1. I just can't bring myself to rate it that low. Three controllers with sticking buttons in a row is starting to feel like a design flaw. I upgraded from the Mad Catz Precision Bass to the Strat hoping that their flagship product would have top quality hardware. Unfortunately, the button binding feels exactly the same on the Strat as on the lower priced bass. I'm going to return this one and try one more time, but hope is fading fast.

Update Sep 2010:

4th time was the charm. The replacement Strat works well and the buttons have been reliable so far. Additionally, the finish of the neck is superior to my original in both appearance and feel.

Good controller. Tons of fun.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Wooden Stratocaster Replica

As a disclaimer, allow me to state that I am an expert-level player in Rock Band. I have an extensively large quantity of DLC music, am able to clear every song I own, and have unlocked the platinum instrument icon in Rock Band 2 shortly after its release. I have previously played rhythm games with the RedOctane Gibson SG for PS2, the Les Paul for Xbox 360, and the stock RB2 Fender Stratocaster controller. I will be comparing this controller to the RB2 Strat. I will not discuss any drawbacks that are implied for those who play lefty. (Any shortcomings you would normally experience from that are still seen here; this should not come as a surprise.)

This is an excellent controller, by far. It takes almost everything the RB2 Strat has to offer but with a clearly higher level of quality and feel. Both sets of frets are exquisite; I cannot fathom a controller design with frets better than what this controller has to offer. It feels almost effortless to fret even the most complex of note sequences; this controller will spoil you and dissuade you from returning to your RB2 Strat controller. Furthermore, the finish of the guitar neck is perfect. I find sliding to be as comfortable and smooth as I do on most electric guitar necks. The whammy bar holds up well and is neither too stiff nor too soft. The back button is accessible to those who prefer to activate their Overdrive with their strumming hands. The start button is in fact not a button, but a knob. You can rotate it in either direction until it clicks, which is when the controller notifies the console that Start has been "pressed". An excellent design as to prevent accidental pausing during song play. The D-pad and Xbox guide button are beyond the Start knob and are easy to use as they are near the edge of the guitar body.

The headset jack is positioned even better than where it is located on a standard RB2 Strat. It is on the read of the body where you would normally access the tensioned springs for the bridge of an actual Fender Stratocaster. This position makes it innately easy to keep the headset wire out of the way while playing. We also have the jack for connecting a pedal for Overdrive activations. The controller comes with an adapter to allow you to connect and drum pedal that is compatible with RB drums into your guitar. This adapter fits very snugly and holds tightly very much like an audio cable connects an electric guitar to an amplifier. The realistic feel is just a bonus, but the true benefit is that it gives you a little bit of freedom without worrying about your drum pedal's wire popping out of the controller, which was a hassle with the RB2 Strat which did not offer any additional securing mechanism to keep the jack in place.

Lastly we have the strum bar, which is the only element this controller offers that could come close to being a shortcoming. It's slightly stiff and requires more effort for tremolo picking/high tempo alternate picking. It is a matter of getting used to, but it can be a small hurdle for those accustomed to the nice, gentle strum bar the RB2 Strat has. In addition to this higher level of resistance, it has a bit of a click when strumming. Typically, playing the game at least at a moderate volume is enough to virtually completely drown out the sound of this click; it was definitely noticeable at first since the RB2 Strat's strum bar does not click, but it is easy to forget about with a little play time.

Since this is a replica, the neck's length is the same length of a full scale electric guitar neck. Also, the weight of the controller is roughly 7 pounds, if I recall correctly. Any electric guitarist who is also a Rock Band enthusiast should find these attributes very comfortable and familiar; many reviews list these as a drawback of the controller, but that is most likely coming from players who are not electric guitarists and are foreign to the dimensions and weight of actual instruments.

I was lucky to pick up this controller during a Deal of the Day for 66% off, which brought it down to the retail price of the Beatles RB guitars, and I will say with no hesitation this controller is beyond worth its value for that price. Unfortunately, I find it difficult to recommend at full retail price of $299. Those who find money to be no object, or are hardcore enthusiasts of the game who want a high-quality controller with authentic feel, should go ahead and try one of these out, undoubtedly. Those treading the line of hesitation due to its price, I find it difficult what to recommend. I can just assure that essentially anyone satisfied with the feel of the RB2 Strat will be impressed with this controller. In my opinion a price of $199 is much more reasonable but I leave the final judgment call about this matter upon you.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Wooden Stratocaster Replica

Good reviews here already, so I will keep this short and compare it with the other current expensive controller, Logitech's Orange Guitar (LOG) I reviewed previously.

Looks.

Feels and looks great! Full size and beautiful, though the underside is unsightly with the white plastic covers from where they gutted this real guitar and put the electronic innards. The LOG looked better all around, but due to it's smaller size and orange color, this subjective category can go either way (a tie in my book at 5-stars).

Function.

The strum bar clicks very loudly whereas the LOG was incredibly silent. I prefer silent, but I've gotten used to the clicking as it often corresponds with our drummer. It's very easy to accidentally trigger the back button either by hand or with use of the whammy bar whereas the LOG was ideal. But this guitar has much better fret buttons full sized and easy to activate whereas the small protruding and inconsistent buttons on the LOG were my deal-breaker. (4-stars vs 3-stars)

Final experience.

My arms and neck get a true workout with this full-size beauty, but I'm enjoying the Rock Band experience so much more! (hence 5-stars) The accidental star-power triggering is annoying and the loud strum bar is taking some time to get used to, but overall I'm finding it a great guitar and will keep it. I'd complain about the price, but I paid less by buying a used one from Amazon, so I paid the same price as the LOG which I didn't keep. A truly personal preference that can be expensive to experiment with, but has been very rewarding.

Now to find a good wireless mic... Rock On!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Wooden Stratocaster Replica

I bought this for my brother for Christmas and according to him it was one of the greatest gifts he has ever had it looks and plays great the only thing that was a little odd for him is the fact that it is the same size as a real guitar and he had to get used to the weight and thefact the buttons were farther down the neck but after a few songs he was in the back to playing great this is one great product of fine craftsmanship

Cheap Xbox 360 System Messenger Bag

Customer Ratings:

This bag is definately worth the money. It is super padded and fits everything for the 360. Its officially liscensed. I bought this because I wanted to carry my 360 on the airplane with me. Inside you can fit the power brick, the cables, 4 controllers, and the console. My ony complaint is that if you have 4 controllers like I do, then you more than likely have to put other accessories such as headset, etc into another bag. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of five is because you cant really fit any games into it. They should have made an extra zipper pouch on the front for games in my opinion. You can definately fit one game though right next to the console. And you shouldnt travel with a game in your 360, so if you are going to a friends house, you will need an extra bag or disc case for your games. But overall it looks great and does what it is supposed to do and that is protect my 400 console. I reccomend it to anyone traveling or for transporting it anywhere.

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It is a good looking bag. It's also very confortable and strong where you can place your Xbox 360, its cables, 4 controls and about 6 games. Also have side pockets to store your xbox's cooler fans or other devices. If you would like to take your xbox 360 on a trip, this is the bag.

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The bag works great for the 360 and its cords but the lack of extra space for a couple games ruins the whole less luggage idea.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 System Messenger Bag

No place to put games, I am able to fit two in with the console. Fiber on back side of bag easily begins to look freyed.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Xbox 360 System Messenger Bag

For those of us who like to take there 360 to friends houses or other social gatherings? Finding a way to transport our lovely consoles around has always been a challenge. I mean really, would you want to put something you paid $300+ in a backpack that's seen better days?

With the Xbox 360 Messenger Bag, it solves all the transport problems you need. The design of the bag is quite simple. It has a Main pocket and a Middle pocket. The Main Pocket is where you store your Xbox 360 console. However, at the bottom of the main pocket, there is a padded divider which folds up allowing you to store your AV cables, Power pack and Power Cord. Once the power cords are stored the divider folds down and acts as a padded floor for your 360 to sit on.

Once your 360 is situated inside the main pocket, the extra padding in the pocket allows for extra protection for your console. Once your 360 is situated in the bag, now you need to put your controllers in there. That's where your middle pocket comes in. The middle pocket is capable of holding up to 4 360 controllers. Beyond that are two side pockets and one mesh-zipped pocket that are located in front of the middle pocket followed by 2 mesh pockets on each side of the bag which are great for storing extra cables you might have.

And now for the cons:

Clearly, this bag was designed for the majority of 360 gamers who have gone wireless or have the basic accessories that came with their 360. After packing all of my gear into the bag, it became very clear that there would be no more room for extra accessories that I might consider getting in the future (I even had trouble finding room for my Xbox 360 Intercooler Black).

Beside room for extra accessories, there is absolutely NO room for you to store your game's. If you're one of those types who prefer to carry your games in their original Xbox 360 cases, then you might want to consider using either a plastic bag or use a CD case because you might have room for one or two games based on if you know where to put them and it was really easy for me since I only have two wireless controllers in the middle pocket and I only own two games.

So if your a basic gamer who just likes to hang out at a friends house and play a few of your favorite games with your buddies, then this is something you should have to help transport your console there.

Buy Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 5 - Sony PSP

Customer Ratings:

Over 4600 cards! The gameplay and graphics are awesome. There is over 400 hours of gameplay in this game! It basically never ends! The music and animations are also great. It has just about every card imaginable in it. Be sure to pick this up, this is easily the swan song YGO game of the PSP.

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This game is a lot of fun. With its thousands of cards and numerous computer players this game allows for very complex and interesting card-play. There are a few bugs. For one it sometimes takes the computer player an unusually long time to make a move. I have literally seen it go two minutes only to end its turn without doing anything. The second bug is that sometimes a secondary effect won't activate. I have seen this with two cards. The first was Scrap Iron Scarecrow where after it activated it went to the graveyard instead of turning back face down. The second was with Stardust Dragon where I had activated its effect but at the end of the turn it didn't give me the option to special summon it back from the graveyard.

Best Deals for Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 5 - Sony PSP

I think tag force is brilliant It dose surprise me that you cant use monster reborn but its in the game. Otherwise the graphics are dead on and the game play is something to behold. I like how the first code that I put in worked right away. Though I did have to down load from the net in order to get the latest installment. So thumbs up for tag battle and the tournament play. Over all a great game.

Honest reviews on Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 5 - Sony PSP

Heres my breakdown of Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force 5:

Pros:

Cards, Cards, and more Cards!!!!

This game definitely doesn't slouch on the cards. The list ranges from Yu-Gi-Oh!'s roots (think Dark Magicians and Blue Eyes White Dragons) to the very new cards from the 5D's anime as well. My favorite part is that it features several anime exclusive cards. For example, the Machine Emperor cards are made up of 5 pieces like in the anime rather than the one card they are in real life. The game also features the Dark Synchros and Dark Tuners that the Dark Signers used in the 5D's anime. This game actually makes me question buying cards anymore since there are sooo many in the game. Bottom line is that you can build almost any kind of deck you want...which leads me to my next point...

Deck Building System

I thought the Deck Edit system was really well done. It allows you to easily search for cards as well as support cards for the archtype you're building for. Finding cards for the deck you want is pretty easy as well. The game makes finding cards incredibly easy, booster packs are cheap and characters will give you free cards packs after you beat their story. Like I said before, almost any kind of deck is possible in this game.

Monster 3D cut-scenes:

For certain monsters, when they're summoned and when they attack, a neat little cut scene pops up and shows them in all their glory. It gives you a lot of satisfaction because some of them are difficult to summon (ex. Shooting Star Dragon, Earthbound Immortals, Machine Emperors)

Duel Interface:

It's easy to use and the game has a tutorial mode in case there is any confusion.

Cons:

Story Mode:

Ugh, where do I start. It took me awhile to figure out how to even get the story mode running. Basically, you wander around New Domino City, find a character you want to team up with. Once you've teamed up with them, you basically have to make them like you by playing minigames or giving them items. Once they like you enough (a little heart meter turns red) you can do a story mission with them (each character has 4 missions). I can't really think of a better way to make the story mode works, but this way is incredibly tedious. Filling the heart meter takes an obscenely long and thats not even the worst...

Computer AI in Tag Duels:

Every mission in the story mode revolves around tag dueling. Which ever character you teamed up with is your partner for the duel. However, no matter how good of a duelist you have (ex. Yusei, Jack Atlas, or Vizor) they are useless. Synching up decks isn't even enough to get these guys to work. Most of the time your partner will impede your strategy. This one time I was playing Lazar's story, I was teamed up with him and he could have attacked easily to win the game with the Shooting Star Dragon that I had just labored to summon. The opponent had no monsters or spells or traps...and Lazar activates a card called Gravity Bind...However, the AI is deadly when they play against you. This makes tag duels feel more like a 2 on 1.

Destiny Draw:

Honestly, when you're losing a duel badly, you can't just say "I get a Destiny Draw so that means I draw the perfect card i need for this situation and turn the entire duel around" I cannot tell you how many times that I am a turn away from beating my AI opponent but then the game gives them a destiny draw which ends up screwing you over...and then they win. You can get Destiny Draws yourself...but I could do without the system in general because it robs people of wins based on some BS little game mechanic.

Glitches:

Cards like Call of the haunted and Limit Reverse stick around even after the monster they brough back is destroyed. Often the computer will destroy these cards instead of your much more dangerous face downs...doesn't make sense to me.

Score: 4/5

It's a great game. I just being able to pick up my PSP and play against all different kinds of decks and even my favorite characters from the show. This game is a must for any Yu-Gi-Oh! player, it's very helpful for testing out new strategies. I do admit I put a lot of cons down but these flaws are pretty easy to look past but I will warn you...they can be frustrating.

I know Tag Force 6 has recently come out and I recommend it to everyone. If it's anything like Tag Force 5, you'll be in for a treat. Not to mention, it features even more cards.

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Hello,

This would have to be one of the best purchases I have made this year. The game is really complex when you get into it. Your able to make as many decks as you can think of, light/dark, Machine, Spell-caster. Its shipped very fast and was in perfect condition. Thanks.