Alfa AWUS036H Upgraded to 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g High Gain USB Reviews

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Nearly all Amazon.com reviewers agree, the Alfa AWUS036H is the long range WiFi antenna on the market. But with 3 antenna options to chose from, which is the best setup?

I own the all 3 wi-fi antennas from Alpha: 5dBi omni-directional, 7dBi panel, 9dBi omni-directional. The Alfa AWUS036H with the 7dBi antenna is the best performing set up: Alfa AWUS036H Upgraded to 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g High Gain USB Wireless Long-Rang WiFi network Adapter with 5dBi Rubber Antenna and a 7dBi Panel Antenna for Wardriving & Range Extension *Strongest on the Market*

With the 5dBi omni antenna, I can get 2-3 bars from a public wi-fi signal a little over 1 mile away (direct line of sight).

With the 9dBi omni antenna, I get only 0-1 bar with dropped signals.

With the 7dBi panel antenna, I get 3-4 bars with the fastest data transfer rates.

I have even tested the 5dBi and 7 dBi side by side and the 7dBi loads web pages in less than 1/2 the speed as the 5dBi antenna.

I have done a fair amount of research before purchasing the Alfa AWUS036H unit. The general consensus is that this unit has much better performance for B and G networks than the newer Alfa AWUS036NH model. But for accessing N networks, the newer model is necessary.

Although I still own the 5dBi and 9dBi antennas, I only ever use the 7dBi panel antenan. It's actually shorter in size and easier to transport than the 5dBi model. Go with the 7dBi you'll get the best performance.

***** UPDATED COMPARISON *****

Aug 25, 2011: Using Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor software, I compared the signal strength of this Alfa AWUS036H with the 7dBi panel antenna Alfa 2.4HGz 7dBi Booster SMA Panel High-Gain Screw-On Swivel Antenna or to the new High Power USB-Yagi Plug and Play directional WiFi Antenna 802.11n 2200mW / NextG USB-Yagi Plug & Play 11N Long Range WiFi antenna 2200mW. In nearly every test location, the Alfa rated 1 bar better and -10 RSSI (Receiving Signal Strength Indication) better (with RSSI signals negative numbers are better).

Although the 2200mW Yagi antenna is much larger and twice the power, it pulls in a weaker signal and slower data transfer than the 1000mW Alfa 7dBi panel antenna.

Still this Alfa AWUS036H is the best performing wi-fi antenna on the market. Thank you Alfa!

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I purchased this item because I live in the country and the cable company refuses me service. I recently purchased a laptop and was able to pick up a weak signal from my neighbor's router (with their permission) so I bought this in hopes of boosting the signal. I immediately went from 1 bar to 3 and sometimes even 4. They are also selling this same adapter with a bigger antenna and I am thinking about trying that one out. I have used this with Vista and XP and it works great with both though I did have to download drivers for Vista off website but it was no big deal. I am a mom and no computer whiz and searched the internet for the best adapter and a decent price and was a little weary about this but it is working great so far.

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I had this booster to increase the receiving signal from one bar to 2-3 bars. It was function as promised. However, something you need to know which does not explicitly explain in the manu. Signal dropped from weak 54MB/s to strong 10MB/s for steadly receivig signal (can not stay with 801.11G and switch to 801,11b speed), second when you use the enclosed software to install proper driver as suggested. My original wireless driver was removed from the laptop without warning. When I tried to use my laptop at other strong signal place without using booster, I could not connect to any wireless access point , and original wireless driver can't be found and need to reinstall original wireless driver again. It took a while to find out why laptop won't work anymore. This is good stuff but it took over the system and install it own with unwant consequence.

KK

Honest reviews on Alfa AWUS036H Upgraded to 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g High Gain USB

This gadget is a truly amazing device for picking up WiFi signals from a lot further away than is normally possible. WiFi is a wireless internet connection technology which normally works over a maximum distance of 100 200 metres (300 600ft). Due to the fact that this device features a much more sensitive aerial receiver, as well as a much stronger transmitter, it greatly extends the distance you can connect to a WiFi hotspot. Most laptops have a built in 50mW WiFi transmitter, so at 500mW this one is 10 times as powerful. With the Alfa, you *might* expect to still be able to connect to WiFi hotspots 2 3 km (1 2 miles) away, sometimes further. For the process of 'wardriving' (connecting to free WiFi hotspots on your travels), this device would seem ideal.

It connects to your computer using a standard USB cable, which means you can keep your laptop in a convenient location, while clipping the adaptor somewhere where the reception is better such as next to your window. Assuming that you already have an internet connection, it will automatically find and download it's own drivers (It identifies itself to the computer as a Realtek RTL8187 Wireless Network Adaptor). There are specialist drivers for many different operating systems (Eg. Mac / Linux) available from the Alfa website at , and you should definitely consider using one of these drivers if it fails to automatically install.

I work on a cruise ship where the only standard connection is via a satellite, and the internet is correspondingly very expensive. I bought this WiFi extender to see if I could connect to free WiFi hotspots in our ports of call without leaving the ship!! I've previously tried to connect to WiFi hotspots using my laptop's built in WiFi, but the distances are usually too great and connection is usually very slow (or drops out completely after a few seconds of use). I've only been using the Alfa for a couple of weeks, but it has completely revolutionized my browsing habits. My cruise ship goes to 8 different ports of call in 2 weeks, and I am now able to find free WiFi hotspots in 7 out of 8 ports. Often I am able to connect whilst still inside my cabin, by placing the adaptor next to the cabin porthole. If that is not possible, I go to the front of the ship and sit on the deck-chairs.

Browsing performance is usually fast and responsive, more so if there is a single obvious hotspot to connect to. If you are in the centre of town where there are many different hotspots available, you will need a good strong one which stands out from the crowd. A clear line of sight to the WiFi hotspot is also useful, as buildings and/or mountains will usually degrade the signal significantly. My cabin on the ship is 20 metres (60ft) above the sea, so I usually get a good line of sight. At this slightly raised elevation, the performance of the device is usually good, and sometimes exceptional. I have easily connected to WiFi hotspots 2 3km (1 2 miles) away, and browsed with broadband speeds. At its most breathtaking, the ship was cruising up the east coast of Mexico, and I was able to connect and (slowly) browse some of the free beach resort WiFi's in Cancun and that was at least 12km (8 miles) away.

I did mention that you needed a good strong WiFi signal which stands out from the crowd. Not all hotspots transmit with the same power some are weak and some are strong. Grand Cayman is a good example of why you can still have difficulty finding a WiFi hotspot when there are still loads of them around. Cayman is well developed and there is a WiFi hotspot on every corner and hotel. Using a WiFi sniffing program (InSSIDer) and the Alfa, I was able to count more than 200 WiFi signals probably covering the entire west of the island. Normally, with the WiFi signal degrading beyond 100 200 metres, the different hotspots don't interfere with each other. With the Alfa able to find literally hundreds of hotspots, and with those hotspots using the same channels and frequencies, I think there is a lot of interference with each other and this slows the internet connection and makes it difficult to connect. In Grand Cayman, 500 metres away from about 20 30 relatively weak hotspots, I had difficulty connecting to any one of them. So, rather counter-intuitively, in a built up area with multiple weak hotspots, you might be better off walking closer to a hotspot you know, unplugging your Alfa, and using your laptop's weaker built-in WiFi.

Hints & Tips... With the WiFi signal travelling over such long distances, and with the greater possibility of signal interference or dropout, there is likely to be more variability in your browsing experience. Sometimes you will be able to connect; Sometimes not. Sometimes you will be browsing at broadband speeds; sometimes at telephone dial-up speeds. The message to take away is to keep persevering. Sometimes a hotspot will appear to reject your connection, but try a few more times and eventually it may connect. Sometimes waiting an hour will make all the difference.

Are there any disadvantages? It's difficult to think of any, but at 500mW, you have to presume that it eats up your laptop battery much faster than the built in WiFi adaptor. Another thing: Just because you can connect to a WiFi hotspot, doesn't mean that it will be free !!!

Anyway, I believe I can wholeheartedly recommend this device, especially if you are trying to connect to a WiFi signal which would otherwise be too far away.

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I'm a Mac user who purchased this as an enhancement of and backup to my Macbook's Airport capacities. The device does do a good job of detecting available wireless signals, and the fact that it clearly identifies networks as encrypted or open is a considerable time-saver. However, there are times when the Alfa cannot connect to a certain network that my built-in Airport can. Such occasions entail a lot of repeat attempts and switchings between Alfa and Airport (and general frustration) that, in turn, prove this product less than entirely dependable.

A few other things to note:

1) You must download the correct drivers from the Realtek website -that is, the exact download corresponding to your OS version -or else your machine may not even recognize the adapter enough to acknowledge anything has been newly connected via USB.

2) The first product I received (from this Amazon seller) did not work, but I sent it back and upon request received a prompt replacement, which turned out fine. Just be aware that there may be defective versions out there -but do make sure it's not a problem with the drivers before you decide the device is defective.

3) I must say that I was extremely wary of buying this product, given many reviews here by people who, despite having met Amazon's 'realname' qualification, seem to have had a very short history on Amazon and/or have reviewed only this one product. This fact still puzzles me, even as the product works better than I expected (if not as well as I'd hoped).

Buy eForCity 6ft Premium High Speed HDM Cable (Version 1.3b) 1080p M

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Ive been sold for the greater picture quality every sence my first lcd tv bke in 09 now I cant have my led/lcd/hd/3d ready/wifi ready/smart remote and, smart remote devices be seen with out a HDMI CABLE no way that's like having your fav bowl of corn flakes an no milk so what do you do go and put water on it nooi u go an buy the milk right? Right so please if u don't have your milk go and get sum.

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I am very glad i bought this one! It's a good deal, and i am very happy with this buy

Discount Xbox 360 Extension Cable Twin Pak

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You can't really screw up a cable. As long as you plug it in properly, it'll work. The only problem I did have with them was when I used it during a Rock Band party. I used the extension cord for the microphone and the game did not register my singing notes. However, when I detached the extension cord and just used the regular length cord, it'd worked fine. So for regular controllers/guitars, it's fantastic. For a microphone, will give you problems.

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My wife had gotten me a set of these cables so I could use my Soul Calibur Arcade Stick and wired guitar hero controllers without having to worry about my kids tripping over them.

Worked great the first time or two that I used them. Then after not using them at all for awhile I connected my fighting stick and just got a red flashing indicator light. No matter what I did I could not get the device to be recognized while using these cables!

Might have somethig to do with microsoft updates or whatever, but either way this turned out to be money wasted.

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Simple and work well. I have used these with several different joysticks for fighting games in my theatre as the xbox is set up across the room. No problems, they work as designed

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Unless you have a Theater screen these cables just wont do. They make your cables near 15 feet long! They should have simply made 360 controllers with the USB plug BUILT IN. But no they want you to spend the extra money.

NHL 13 - Xbox 360 Reviews

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I have never written a review of a game in my entire life. But having bought and played this game I feel obligated to write a detailed review to help consumers make an informed decision about this game.

Game. I can't believe I am going to fault a game for being a game. But here I go nonetheless.

Anyone familiar with this series knows that there isn't really a happy medium difficulty. "Pro Difficulty" is far too easy and "All-Star Difficulty" is way too hard. And it's not harder because the computer is smarter. It is harder because the computer can skate faster and steal the puck without performing an action (something the player must do to steal the puck i.e poke-check, stick-lift, etc). The AI aggressively pursues the puck carrier and forces a turn over. It's not positional hockey... it's like an NHL team playing a pee-wee team.

So how can we fix this? I know! We'll give the AI a sprint capability.

The new skating engine is actually pretty amazing. It does a great job of putting you in the skates of an NHL player. Your control is immensely improved and it all feels exhilarating rushing on offense.

This would all play so amazingly well if the AI skaters skated backward slower than you can "sprint" forward. Finally (in theory) you could skate faster than the AI (if only during the rush) and no longer feel dogged by faster skaters with super-human puck stealing capability. Except this is plainly not the case. Playing the AI on "Pro difficulty" is roughly the same as playing NHL 11 or 12 on "All star". The AI will take the puck from you if you get within 25 feet of him. Sprint or no sprint. If you skate near a AI player you will lose the puck. Are you Crosby or Ovenchkin? Guess what against the AI it doesn't matter at all. Are you a super-human custom player creation with the best speed, acceleration and agility in the game? Still it does not matter.

However most, if not all, veteran EA NHL player know how to play the (non-hockey) hockey to beat the super-human AI. You just have to abandon all pretense that you're simulating a hockey game and play some Blades of Steel hockey and you'll win.

If you do play these games you've most likely experienced the San Francisco Rush style comeback of your AI opponent. (for those who don't get the reference, it's a racing game that automatically speeds you or your opponent up to keep the race close). It's happened a lot in the last 4 or so EA NHL games. It is especially obvious in the final 2 or so minutes of a game. But this time it makes a return by intentionally keeping the entire game close. I played 10 straight games and took the lead 10 straight times and watched the computer overwhelm my AI controlled team and score 4-5 cheap goals. I could deal with this in years past because it felt like MY AI players were at least trying. But seriously it's like your AI is trying to throw the game. I tried to create a super-human goaltender to see if it would help. Nope. My dynamo seemingly was in on it too.

We're talking about the Winnipeg Jets coming back on the defending Stanley Cup champ LA Kings.... 10 times. It's no accident and it completely and utterly takes you out of it.

My biggest question for EA is this: Why aren't my teammates operating on the same level as the AI opponent?

The is the best looking hockey GAME ever made. This is one of the best controlling hockey GAMES ever made. This is the most feature rich hockey GAME ever made.

But the gameplay (this "interpretation" of the game of hockey) is fundamentally broken almost beyond repair.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I didn't even mention the standing still knock down body checks. (A 5'8 165lb leveled my player created 6'4 240lb defensemen three times in a row in the corner.)

The bottom line is that somehow while EA was trying to create the most realistic hockey simulation ever they managed to create of the world's worst hockey games.

Buy it and tell me you don't agree.

UPDATE

I'm never going to say that it's acceptable for a company to release a truly unfinished product. So I will not give EA a pass for doing that in this case. I stand by the original 2/5 star from this review.

But in the case of EA, I will give them props for heavily patching this game to be a little more playable.

The biggest thing they have improved is the seemingly exploitable cheap goals from the top of the slot. For anyone who plays hockey they'll know shooting from the top of the face off circle is a high goal area. But it is EXTREMELY hard to get positioned for a good shot there. So the AI was scoring realistically from this area, it's just that the AI was able to maneuver into this position regularly and easily. So for the most part, playing smart positional defense will now minimize this exploit.

I am know able to rush past defenders with fast skaters and have them turn and chase me toward the net. This is the realistic skating situation they advertised. Because when I speed up enough to make them turn, I am unable to cut in to the net. I can carry the puck past the defenders but either have to take a bad angle shot or carry it into the corner. Much more like real hockey and I'm assuming what they were going for with the whole skating engine.

What still remains and is in desperate need of a fix is the standing still body check. For a game that advertises physics the skater vs skater interactions are still laughably bad.

The rubber banding has been improved (thanks for the term Fox!) but every once in a while you can see your team and opponent AI decide it's time to make it closer. It's far less prevalent and closing out a close game is the exciting prospect it should have been all along. The skating boost helps to heighten the drama of these situations and provide a desperation that was lacking in previous NHL games.

NHL 14 for the next generation consoles has a real opportunity to build on this rough transitional game. My development list for 14 goes like this:

1. Fix the hitting/player interaction physics. Give it the same level of thought you did skating. This doesn't mean record new animations and call it progress. I don't care how it looks, I care how it feels!

2. Refine the pinning/puck cycling system. Real hockey is a game of getting the puck down low and cycling it around the boards to maintain possession. Pinning is the right idea, but expand expand expand.

3. It's time for an NHL game to have an true open Beta. Look, I know you guys are Canadians and almost for sure have seen a fair deal of hockey in your time. But I played this game for like 2 days and could have given you your patch notes 3 months before the game came out.

4. New commentators, new presentation. Time to go after TSN (espn) or CBC and get some real commentators and TV graphics.

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Without fixes, this NHL game is the first where I say "its unplayable" and I actually dont play it. Instead of a long winded review, I'll simply enumerate some issues:

1. I mostly play EASHL and all I see and hear is "nice poke check." Poke check, poke check, poke check. Way over powered and very irritating.

2. I guess legal interference is back, b/c I've been knocked down a bunch of times w/out the puck, far away from the net w/out a call.

3. Hitting. Broken. (You get knocked down by the CPU, who is standing still, and then you bounce up and down on the ice?) Passing. Broken. (Passing to a guy wide open shouldn't require prayer). Computer AI. Still laughably broken (There isn't a time when I call for the puck where I don't expect the computer to do something idiotic).

4. "Nice poke check."

5. The skating backward from end to end garbage has now been legitimized? They took out the vision control button, which was actually useful, and replaced it with the "skate backward whenever you want" button? Who goes on a breakaway and then decides, "you know what might work here? Skating backward."

6. So now we have to wait longer to start a lobby game? They took the enjoyment of waiting in line at the DMV and combined it with having to listen to idiots, all as a reward to play a terrible game.

7. Goals don't feel like accomplishments. Make an amazing deke, slip a pass by a defender (somehow), get a pass right back and the goaltender is sipping coffee waiting for the top shelf shot. BUT, take a shot from some stupid angle and it goes in.

At least in NHL 12, when I was annoyed, I could run into the boards and injure myself. As a coup de grâce, you can no longer do that. So, I just injure my self in real life by slapping my forehead for playing this game.

I don't even think the girls in the crowd are hot anymore. How do you screw that up?

I hate this game@$@#$@#

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the demo had me sold. it seemed like a really different NHL game this time around.

bought the game...played it for a few days... things still seemed fine.

two weeks later, i'm considering selling this copy and getting NHL 12 again.

all the negative reviews are correct. you can't check anyone in this game even with the sliders adjusted. i've got my "human" slider for hitting power all the way up and the cpu one all the way down. the cpu still levels all my guys. Chara can't even crush a guy in the boards going full speed. HE actually falls down from doing that.

the cpu also out hustles you all the time. non stop. the only thing that you can do is adjust the acceleration slider all the way up and put theirs all the way down.

the other thing i absolutely hate as well the game doesn't always let you manually change your lines even if you have the setting on. sometimes you'll notice a new line hit the ice and you didn't call for them to come on. yeah that's a HUGE HUGE HUGE issue. i can't even remember the last time this happened so frequently in an NHL game that's because it's never happened. i have no idea what EA is doing over there, but it's not good.

also the new feature "moments live" is really weird. why do i have to re-create historic moments with gretzky...when he's playing on the CURRENT oilers team and not on his old team, with his old roster, against the other old team he played against. It's kind of weird re-creating how he got 50 in 39 and you take a pass from taylor hall...

all the things i mentioned are bad enough but if you play the game on xbox live then i truly pity you as there's no way to adjust anything.

combined with the fact that there might not be an NHL season due to another ridiculous lockout this poor excuse to steal $60 from you just adds insult to injury.

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The big new feature this year is "True Performance Skating". Basically it's a return of the "speed burst" but it effects your player's maneuverability if you don't let off the gas. What's cool is that high rated players can do more at top speed, much like their real life counterparts. You can also skate backwards "at will" which creates tons of options for creative skating. Love it.

Ok, that's the good news. Now the bad:

1. Teammate AI seems better, but it really isn't. My AI skaters play better D, and seem to position themselves better on offense as well. Problem is, my AI teammates can never break up a pass, and they are unable to take a pass 30% of the time. It just goes right through their skates or right in front of them. Goalies seem improved, but seem to give up cheap goals way too often. The goalies seem to get frozen by long shots much easier.

2. Opponent AI "seems" improved, but it's cheap. CPU opposition players are able to somehow cling to you (hold?) at will, preventing you from moving, shooting or passing for 3 seconds or longer. This wouldn't be so bad if there was a real life button YOU could press to perform this "hold" on the opposition, but there is not. The CPU opposition also has the unique ability to perform the following "cheap" actions at will: Steal the puck without hitting or poke checking, Deliver crushing body checks from a complete stand still, the aforementioned ability to hold your skater somehow, never go off-sides, and never miss a pass or deliver an inaccurate pass. It is worth noting that human controlled and cpu teammate players cannot perform any of these actions.

3. The "board pin". Back from NHL 2012, it is the ability to pin an opponent to the boards and force a struggle for the puck along the boards. I actually liked this feature in 2012, but they made it cheap in 2013. I noticed the computer was regularly pinning me to the boards while I was skating full speed in a north/south direction with the computer opponent a full step or 2 behind me. It is very jarring and unrealistic when it happens, so much so I had to stop and watch the replays to confirm what I just saw. Not much of a saving grace, but human controlled players can also perform this "cheap" maneuver as well. Just get near a player skating up ice along the boards, hit "Y", and the awkwardness begins. I can already see this maneuver getting exploited online and resulting in thousands of angry arguments.

4. Button/Stick Assignments resulting in penalties. It's been 4 years straight of this now. ENOUGH!! The designers don't seem to get it. Let's start with the right shoot stick. You are in the crease trying to bang in a rebound. Unfortunately EA has decided it's a good idea that pushing on the right stick might also body check instead of bang in a rebound, depending on the proximity of opposing players. So instead of knocking that rebound into the open net, you body check a defender without the puck, which is usually an automatic interference penalty. Talk about adding insult to injury! Now how about that "board pin" button? EA wouldn't actually map that function to the same button that starts a fight, would they? YEP! You will end up in so many fights trying to initiate "board play" it is ridiculous.

5. Ineffective Loose Puck Deke. My favorite move in NHL 11 and 12 is now suddenly ineffective. This move takes skill and practice to perform, and I had worked to perfect it's use. In NHL 2013, even Malkin or Ovechkin can't perform this deke. The puck goes drifting off and the player just sort of looks at it. I have tried dozens of times now and have yet to complete this deke successfully. Very sad, because this deke was so fun to perform and so difficult to master when to use it. When you did it right it was so satisfying.

5. Weird animations. There are some bizarre and jerky skating animations. The skating is so fluid and great in this game, and then suddenly your skater jumps and jerks for some unknown reason. Actually, it's hard to figure out what specifically causes this to occur, but it seems tied to the cheap cpu AI "holding" I mentioned earlier. When your skater encounters this invisible "AI holding force field" at certain angles or with too much speed, the player seems to "bounce" away or warps awkwardly right through it.

6. True Performance Skating vs AI opponents. I mention this as a negative for this reason only. The computer controlled skaters sprint/accelerate constantly in almost all game situations. (although they do pull up and glide when carrying the puck down ice when necessary) This is not really cheap because you are able to do the same thing if you want to. The difference being that for humans it's a combination of stick presses and stick pushes combined with the normal button pressing to obtain the same result. It's just tiring to your fingers to be constantly clicking in on that left stick to accelerate.

7. Checking. While the computer controlled opposition knocks down every player in its path at will, the skaters you control will mysteriously "bounce off" a player you had lined up with a perfect check from 100 feet away. You still do complete some of your checks, but in this game, unlike NHL 2012, it feels like the computer decides when a check will be effective or not, discarding any real world physics.

While this is still a solid Hockey game, my theory is this. EA wanted to get the scoring down and have the final scores be more realistic. While the AI is improved with regards to positioning, anyone with a keen eye can see this isn't the main reason why the scoring is reduced. It's actually a combination of "cheap" additions to the AI. One timer passes to the slot are largely reduced to useless because of the aforementioned "holding" computer AI. There is also a frequent delay in completing one timers, even if your player is wide open. With even more unexplained errant passes than last year, goalies that cut off every single attempt at a slot pass down low, and AI defenders that intercept every pass in their vicinity, regardless of force, accuracy, or elevation. All these things combine to provide you with a moderate level of frustration.

I will continue to play, and if I notice any improvements through updates, or discoveries that bypass some of the CPU cheapness, I will update my review. Please feel free to comment politely. I've been playing NHL since the first version on Sega Genesis, so I consider myself somewhat of an expert on what makes a great hockey game.

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Perhaps I bring an unfair perspective to reviewing EA's NHL '13 in that I actually played hockey for 14 years. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I question whether ANY of EA's developers even bothered working with current or past players to refine the game. Here are my red flags/complaints as I see them with the game:

1) Physics Engine: Everyone is raving about this across the EA nation but I'm just not impressed, at least not for NHL. There is NO explosiveness and any hockey player will tell you that going fast is completely different than being explosive. Actually, I would think EA would understand this concept simply from their football history. None of the gameplay in NHL '13 allows for a player to be explosive. It's like getting a train moving each time you get the puck and start moving forward. This makes for a lot of awkward, uncoordinated, completely unrealistic moments in which players look lost and are unable to get possession of a puck just out of reach without circling around or putting the brakes on and creeping back the other direction. There also is no ability to lunge to get possession of the puck, something that happens on the ice every shift. All you can do is "poke" the puck away, hoping it ends up on one of your teammates sticks. It's pathetic and is a HUGE missing element in keeping this game somewhat realistic.

As stated in other reviews here, the engine also creates pathetic collisions. Players going full speed into each other will just "bounce" off each other while a player going full speed into one standing still will fall down. Unless it's Martin St.Louis going full speed into Zdeno Chara, I don't see that happening a lot.

2) Passing: It's awful. It's not like FIFA where you can direct a pass in the general direction and the AI knows who you're targeting. Instead, players who are breaking free, wide open, never get a stick to stick pass. Instead the puck is simply sent up the ice usually to a defender. I've seen better passing in PeeWee leagues when I was 12.

3) AI Strategy: What's up with all 5 opposing players lining up along the blue line directly after a faceoff in the neutral zone? When you rush in it makes it impossible to make a move around any one player because there is another defender within feet of the one you're breaking around.

4) Goaltenders: Are altogether awful or unbelievable. Every save Gary Thorne is yelling "WHAT AN AMAZING SAVE!!!" and it gets exhausting, esp hearing Thorne and his co-pilot go bananas on a save made from a backhand shot from the point. Most saves in the NHL are fairly mediocre in terms of WOW factor.

5) Goals: Over the course of about 50 hours played, I'd estimate that 30% of the goals being scored are extreme short side goals. Totally unreal. Never seen a top=rated goaltender like DiPietro or Thomas give up the short side, especially upstairs. Similarly, about 85% of the goals scored were above the waist -another fallacy. At least half of all goals that are scored are below the knees, mainly because there is less interference (guys legs are thinner than their midsections) and they're often more difficult to stop for a goaltender (dropping their knees to butterfly is most often not as quick as their glove). Of course this depends on the 'tender -some guys have great gloves or a great knees (or both).

6. Goal Reviews: Why did they bother installing this "feature?" Every time I had a goal being reviewed, it was still called a goal.

There are things that I love about the NHL franchise. They're the only one that has a comprehensive minor-league element which I find exciting. It breaks down players beyond just "scorers" and "brawlers" to include other dynamics of the game.

But the gameplay is still hurting and the new physics engine needs work. Don't believe the hype. You will have frustrating goals scored against you, awkward and unrealistic collisions and movements on the ice and you might just want to mute the Gary Thorne once in a while with all of his recycled lines.

Best Kirby Super Star Ultra Deals

Customer Ratings:

I waited for this game for months and now I have my hands on it.

Did I like it? Well, the title of this review should state it!

BEST KIRBY GAME BY FAR!

KSSU is everything Superstar on the SNES was but add in NICER graphics,

some new Boss Themes, "Revenge Of The King", "MetaKnightmare Ultra","True Arena", "Helper To Hero", NEW Bosses, 3 Touchscreen Mini Games, some nice cutscene movies on top of everything that's already there and you got yourself an EVEN more incredible Kirby game!

Seriously, I don't think I have anything bad to say about KSSU. It's just THAT good. Yeah, the games go by rather quick and it's not insanely difficult but trust me you will be kept entertained for hours on end trying to get that oh so perfect 100% rating on your game file! I know

I was.

Hats off to the pink ball! After the decent Squeak Squad & pretty original interesting Canvas Curse....he has a NICE Revamp comeback

game on the DS that he can truly be proud of. If you are a Kirby fan...

do yourself a favor, stop reading and BUY IT NOW!

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KSSU is a enhanced remake of the Super Nintendo game Kirby Super Star with similar graphics to the recent Kirby Squeak Squad. Super Star was a collection of short bite sized versions of the normal Kirby games and each game slightly tweaks the traditional Kirby gameplay. In the other Kirby games (except the original Kirby's Dream Land) Kirby can copy powers from most enemies but one hit will knock that power out of you. In most of these games it takes multiple hits to lose a power and powers have different effects depending if you are moving, jumping, charged up, etc. Also for the first time in a Kirby game there are full 3D cutscenes.

All of the main games and one of the minigames from the original are included in addition to a few new games. Here is a brief description of the games included.

Spring Breeze: This is made up of screens and bosses from the first Kirby game, Dream Land. There is also a two player mode, with player two as a helper.

Dyna Blade: An original adventure similar to SB in gameplay, but with a world map.

The Great Cave Offensive: There are 60 (somewhat) hidden items to collect. There are some fun Nintendo items to find like a Koopa shell, the Triforce, and Captain Falcon's helmet.

Gourmet Race: A race with King Dedede. You are trying to collect more food and get to the finish line before the King.

Revenge of Meta Knight: A timed game where you are trying to destroy Meta Knight's ship the Halberd. (You may recognize it from a board in Super Smash Bros. Brawl) Other crew members of the ship have increasingly concerned and amusing conversations as you progress.

Milky Way Wishes: You can't copy powers in this game, rather you have to find pedestals with powers on them. After collecting the powers you can freely switch at any time.

Arena: You fight all of the bosses.

The new games are:

Revenge of the King: Quasi-sequel to Spring Breeze. It is the same game with harder enemies and some level changes.

Meta Knightmare Ultra: Play the five main original games as Meta-Knight. MK can't copy powers, but has special moves that cost points that you get after defeating enemies.

Helper to Hero: Arena, but you play as a powered enemy instead of Kirby.

There are also a few mini-games: Samurai Kirby, Kirby Card Swipe, Kirby on the Draw, and Snack Tracks. (Samurai Kirby was in the SNES game, the others are new.) They really are nothing special, but they can be played with up to four players.

Together these games make up a great game collection, but all of them are very easy and quite short. If you liked the original KSS, you will like this game. A bit more of a challenge to the game would have been better, but I would easily recommend this to any DS owner.

Best Deals for Kirby Super Star Ultra

If you enjoyed the original super star, this game will not disappoint! It has six ace levels, including Dynablade and Spring Breeze, not to mention three sub games. The main concept is to suck up foes and copy abilities, then use these to fight other enemies, such as King Dedede and Sir Meta Knight. Another great feature is the ability to make friends which will fight along side you. Or you can connect with real friends. Having adventures in groups is better then exploring on your own!

I enjoyed the cute character design that is typical for Japanese anime games [those who have seen the anime 'Hoshi no Kirby'[known in the USA as Kirby!Right Back at Ya!] will recognize some of the characters] and the happy feeling this game gives you, with its bright colors and eye-catching designs!

One thing that bothers me is the easiness of the levels, and how quickly you can finish the game. Still, it's a great buy, especially for children under the age of 12. A must buy for Kirby fans!

Leah Clayton [daughter]

Honest reviews on Kirby Super Star Ultra

When my 7 year old son says he has to have a new DS game, I can't help but think of the games that remain untouched and forgotten on his shelf. With this edition of Kirby, however, I have no worries. A Christmas present: he plays it everyday and then proceeds to tell me about every level or adventure Kirby encounters. The kid talks of nothing else. I come home from work and his first words to me are "You know what, Dad, in Kirby . . . "

I've never played the game, but in the heart and soul of my little guy, Kirby trumps Mario, Sonic, and Pokemon.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Kirby Super Star Ultra

Knowing how much my 6 year old grandson liked Kirby, I purchased the latest Kirby Super Star Ultra for him. To say he loves it would be an understatement. My son tells me they have to restrict his playing time or this would consume most of his day.

Best XBOX 360 Repair Kit - 3 Red Light Fix - X-Clamp Replacement Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $22.99
Sale Price: $10.99
Today's Bonus: 52% Off

I tried to fix by RROD by just applying new thermal paste, but that only worked for a day. This kit has kept my xbox 360 running great since I fixed it several months ago. This fix saved me the cost of a new xbox 360

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Discount X360 Slim Vault - Gundam White

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $19.99
Today's Bonus: 67% Off

Fits perfects. Increases ventilation and the controller hook is a nice touch. Very please with my purchase. Hopefully they'll make next gen cases

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First off, a screw to mount the controller holder was missing. No big deal, only needs 2-3 really to hold it in place. Next, I noticed it was made of fairly cheap plastic. I was expecting this to be a bit more sturdier with the name "vault" slapped on it. I also feared it not fitting properly as I put the casing on, but it proved to fit just snug after I was done.

Overall, despite the few negative things I saw... I actually like it a lot. This is definitely for someone who's looking for a touch of aesthetic appeal & a space saver. Which was exactly what I was looking for. So 4/5 seems fair overall.

If you're thinking of purchasing this product. Ask yourself if you REALLY think it'd be useful. If your answer is "yes", get it.

Best Deals for X360 Slim Vault - Gundam White

i really just needed something to stabilize the system, as kids in the house tend to get rambunctious. for that its great. The color really makes the system stand out and goes great with the surrounding decor.

Honest reviews on X360 Slim Vault - Gundam White

This is a great item to have if you fear your xbox being knocked over, potentially causing damage. Good for homes with kids and pets.

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Got his for Christmas. My kids (all three of them) like this very much. it gives the Xbox stability which is a very good thing.

Also the price was right.

Soul Calibur II - Xbox (Platinum) Review

Customer Ratings:

Over the past few years, a myriad of fighting games have stormed onto the scene. They all had their own little niche, but none were ever as good as Soul Calibur for the ill-fated Dreamcast. A pity that the best fighting game ever landed on a system whose lifespan was less than a full year. Ever since, games like Tekken and Virtua fighter have tried, and while they were fun at first, they grew tedious and boring within a week. Dead or Alive 3 was nothing but an over-hyped T&A button mash, and Mortal Kombat was quite possibly the most disappointing of of them all, if only because it was so overhyped by the developers and fans. But Soul Calibur 2 has stormed onto the scene, and has essentially re-ignited the dying flame of the fighting game genre.

The graphics in the XBox version are outstanding, every bit as good, if not better than the original Soul Calibur. All the characters look realistic and life-like, though some have anime-inspired overly exaggerated facial features, and most of the women have unrealistically exaggerated anatomical features. The characters move and breathe and flex so vividly that its hard to beleive you're playing a video game and not watching a movie.

The gameplay is as good as ever. Some reviewers seem to think that the effort necessary to unlock extra fighters and gameplay modes makes this game bad...clearly these people have no idea what makes a good game and shouldn't be wasting other people's time with their nonsense ranting. There are tons of features to unlock in the game, which makes for TREMENDOUS replay value. Weapon Master Mode, a method of gameplay dating back to the first game, Soul Blade for the Playstation, has you take any character you choose through missions with certain criteria that must be met in order for you to advance. Winning these missions earns money and experience. From here, you can buy up to 10 extra weapons per character, including an ultimate weapon and a joke weapon, and you can also purchase new costumes, demonstrations, and gameplay modes. This mode will also allow you to unlock other fighters as you go along.

The story in the game is decent, but is not as detailed as the previous game. Character stories are short and lack detail, and endings are utterly pointless in most cases, barely even coinciding with the story of the character. Beating the game with a character opens up a gallery mode that allows you to view the fighter, their arena, their story and their voice acting.

Some modes that open up include variations of Time Attack, and Survival. Overall, the vast amount of gameplay modes will keep you playing for weeks, possibly months on end. The challenge of mastering a character alone takes weeks, since the moves and characters themselves are so complex.

Great features aside, there are some problems. For starters, some of the characters in this installment are very unlikable. Todd McFarlane characters Necrid and system-exclusive Spawn are so out of place that its almost embarassing to see them in the game. Necrid looks like he belongs in a game that takes place about a billion years in the future on another planet, and Spawn...he just doesn't fit in. Spawn brings cheap moves into the game, such as flying and fireballs. Those are best left to games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighters, not a game like Soul Calibur. As much as I love Spawn, and despite the fact that I bought the X-Box version in favor of him over the other 2 character, he really does not belong in this game at all. Three U.S. exclusive characters are also included, but none are particularly interesting. Lizardman returns, and two series veterans(as well as personal favorites of mine), Hwang and Rock, have been replaced by generic, boring characters Assassin and Berzerker.

The music in this game is terrible. Compared to the first game, the music just feels uninspired and boring. I often shut the music off and put on my Soul Calibur 1 soundtrack cd instead. Alot of the arenas, although detailed, lack style. None of the arenas in this game can even compare to some of the ones in the previous game, such as the Venice arena, the Colloseum arena, and many others. The only thing that sets these arenas apart is a new feature in the game: some arenas have walls and many are uniquely structured, making for a challenge. Making use of Wall combos is a fun new strategy and is a whole new aspect to learn.

Some characters, such as newcomer Talim, are very frustrating characters. Talim is one of a few characters who are VERY unbalanced compared to others...she has an infinite combo string that, once connected, cannot be broken and will gaurantee a loss. Most other new characters are interesting however, though again have been rehashed from earlier characters.

Overall Soul Calibur 2 is a fantastic game. Where most fighting games get so boring they aren't even worth playing after a week, Soul Calibur 2 will keep you interested for a long, long time. It could have benefit from the ability to use the scenario situations from Weapon Master Mode in the 2 player games, but its ok, since the gmae is fun enough by itself. The sheer amount of unlockables and variety of one player modes will keep you entertained for weeks, and the fun of 2 player battles never ceases. I highly recommend this to any fighting game fan, since it is better than any of the games currently out there, and will be the best fighter for a long time to come.

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While Soul Caliber II is great on all platforms, the special character and controller layout really make the XBox version the best of the bunch.

"Soul Caliber II", for the Gamecube, Xbox, and Playstation 2, is a weapon-based fighting game. It is the sequel to Soul Caliber for the Sega Dreamcast. It has beautiful graphics, a comprehensive storyline, and some great moves.

The basic story of the game is that there is this evil sword, called Soul Edge. Many want the sword for its great power. It is said to be, in fact, the most powerful sword in the world. However, most people don't know that it is evil, and so many pursue it. The current wielder of it is a mysterious black-armored knight named Nightmare. He was once a bandit, leader of a group called Der Schwarzwind (The Black Wind). He found Soul Edge, but gradually it took over his body. In the last game, Soul Edge was shattered by its opposite, the spirit sword Soul Caliber. However, the broken fragments of the sword have shown up in many places. Some seek to destroy the pieces to prevent the sword from regaining its evil power. Some want it to use to destroy their enemies. Some want it for the power it brings. However, everybody wants it, and most have no quarrel with destroying everyone in their way to get it.

There is a huge selection of characters, with six secret characters adding to the lineup. They vary from a Japanese swordsman to a village mystic to a female ninja demon hunter to a diabolical golem to an undead tomb guardian. There are also a great variety of stages, including a windmill in a mountainous village, an abandoned yet well-preserved Japanese castle, and a lakeside garden. Most of these places have at least one place where a fighter can be knocked out of the ring (except for the cage matches), so knocking someone out or tossing them out is a vital strategy for winning.

The modes of play that you can do include arcade mode, in which you fight several random enemies and one character-based enemy in order to accomplish your character's goal, Weapon Master Mode, in which you can earn gold to buy extra weapons, costumes, and artwork, to various time attack modes and "see how long you can survive" modes. Besides the normal modes, you can also get "Extra" modes, which allow you to use the weapons you buy in Weapon Master mode. The weapons can give that little boost needed for victory. Most weapons have a pro and a con, like a staff that has good offense and recovers health, but has poor defense. The higher the cost of the weapon, the better it is. Some weapons have no flaws, like the katana Masamune, which has good offense and defense, with no downside.

The in-combat gameplay is good. There are a number of actions, like Guard Impacts (which reverse or trip an enemy's attack), to prevent button mashing. This game is responsible for the most fulfilling fighting round in any fighting game I've ever played. My character was Mitsurugi, the Japanese swordsman, and my opponent was Raphael, the fencer. In most games, the victor would basically be whoever bashed most first. However, in this game, I actually had to think about it. There was thrusting, parrying, slashing, and basically everything that makes a game seem realistic and not just a "bash, mash, smash" game. The other moves that can be done range from ninja teleportation to awesome throws.

The main reason to buy certain console versions of this game is the "guest character" on each one: Link for the Gamecube, Spawn for the Xbox, and Tekken's Heihachi (who uses, well, gloves as his weapon). Also in the game is a character not seen in the video arcade games: Necrid, a special character designed by Spawn's owner, Todd McFarlane (which is why Spawn is the Xbox's guest character and why McFarlane toys manufactures the action figures).

As for being "kid-friendly", there is no blood, as hits make strange glowing/electrical red spots (but not cuts or slashes). There is some minor swearing (from characters that don't take losing well) and there is some "female character bounciness" and skimpy costumes, though each character has at least two costumes, and the alternate costumes on the skimpy characters are usually less bouncy and revealing.

This is a very good, fun, and attention-holding fighting game, with only a few clipping errors (objects accidentally going through other objects). It gets a 10/10.

Best Deals for Soul Calibur II - Xbox (Platinum)

Soul Calibur II, is an excellent fighting game. The attack moves are great and the combo attack system is awesome. Similar to [edited], the character designs are beautiful and have fluid animation. The sound effects are excellent and they used clasical music which fits well into the game. There is a major emphasize on the weapons, like swords, daggers, nunchukkus or staff. They added nice little touches in the animations, you'll see characters playing with their weapons before and during the fights. Like the character with the Nunchukus, with moves that would make, Bruce Lee, proud if he were alive today. Other characters swing their swords or daggers like pros in their hands. You'll also notice that all the weapons have nice looking light streaks when they are swung. My Favorite Character has a sword that morphs into a chain on command. It's truly a pleasure to her whipping at rivals with the chain, then slashing with the sword. Great sound effect of swords clashing. To top it off the game has excellent controls, different game modes, finishing move replay and lots of characters with unique fighting styles. You can win the fight and still continue beating on your rival for a few seconds. You can also knock people out of the arenas!

Pros:

+beautiful character designs

+fluid animation

+excellent combo attacks

+responsive controls

+different game modes

+good music and sound fx

+lots of characters

+different weapons

+good voice acting

+ring out

+torture your opponents

+alternative costumes

+different game modes

Cons:

-no blood

-stupid story

-uninteresting backgrounds

Soul Calibur is as good as [edited] for the

XBOX. The main difference in gameplay is that in DOA 3

is all hand-to hand combat, while in Soul Calibur II is

mostly melee weapons combat. It depends what you prefer

in your fighting game.

Honest reviews on Soul Calibur II - Xbox (Platinum)

I was a huge fan of the origional Soul Calibur for Dreamcast, and that love passed on to Soul Calibur 2. I first played it at the arcade, and was blown away. Graphics, gameplayeverything was top-notch. To give you an idea of what I mean by "huge fan", I beat the duration of Soul Calibur 2's Arcade mode in my very first attempt, using no Continues (character: Nightmare). What this means is that fans of the series can expect all the old gameplay elements to returnno worries about how your favorite character having undergone too much change. Everything that was good in the first game has only been enhanced in the sequel, and everything that is new lives up to the rest.

Those who are new to the series can also benefit from this continuity. Soul Calibur singlehandedly pumped life back into the arcade industry when it was released, and the home port managed to improve on that perfection. Having played Soul Calibur 2 in arcades and playing some of the home version (on both GC and Xbox) I can say that this tradition continues. The console-specific characters, much talked about, do include Spawn(Xbox), Link(GameCube), and Heihachi(PS2). To my knowledge, these characters are perfectly "fleshed-out" and well-balanced with the rest of the characters.

Anyone who enjoys fighting games at all needs this masterpiece in their collection. The Soul Calibur games may truly be the greatest fighting games of all timeespecially for fans of arcade-style action.

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The original Soul Calibur was the best game made for the Dreamcast, and since that platform's demise, fans have waited four years for a follow up. It was well worth the wait. The game is premiering on all three major game systems at once, and although each version is essentially the same, each game has one distinct quality: They feature different lead characters. For the Playstation, it's Heihachi. For the Gamecube, it's Link. For the XBox, it's Spawn. They're joined by many of the classic characters from the original game, plus some great new ones. The biggest question, however, is this: What prevents this from just being another run-of-the-mill fighting game, another Kakuto Chojin or another Mortal Kombat clone? One needn't worry.

Although similar in style to other combat games, this one rises above them with extraordinary gameplay, first-rate graphics (esp. on the Cube and XBox) and surprisingly easy controls and fighting techniques. The attacks are pretty straightforward: kick, horizontal weapon, and vertical weapon. But there are some good combination moves available, as well. Like all other combat games, this requires button/control combinations and some well-timed maneuvering. Unfortunately, the XBox's Controller S is not well-suited for these moves; the buttons aren't aligned very well for some of the trickier attacks. (My thumbs still ache from playing Kakuto Chojin on the Controller S; of the 3 systems, only the PS2's basic controller was the most user-friendly. A possible solution: Try the Mad Catz MicroCon controller for the XBox). However, the XBox has other advantages that may offset the sometimes difficult controller. The XBox's excellent graphics engine (by far the best of the three systems) make this game a sumptuous visual treat; the player is surrounded by beautifully detailed scenery and environments. Gameplay on the XBox--thanks to its superior hardware--is smooth and load times are not a problem. There's really just one problem with the game: no story, plot or goals. Basically, you just fight. If you don't mind a straightforward fighting game, then this is your cup of tea. Truthfully, it's not that much different from the first version. But if it ain't broke... For those who never played the original, here's a chance to enjoy one of the best combat games ever devised. For those who loved (and miss) the original, it's just like experiencing this fabulous title all over again.

Review of Street Fighter x Sanrio Arcade FightStick PRO for PlayStation 3

Customer Ratings:

This stick is high quality very good looking, functions well and, while a popular complaint, the square gate gives me no troubles while executing quarter circle motions. I use this arcade stick for any game that doesn't require both analog sticks now.

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If you are in the (seeming) minority who's into both Street Fighter and Hello Kitty, then this is for you! C'mon, folks! It's okay to like both!

As you can see, the artwork that adorns the stick is really adorable. From Hello Kitty dressed as Chun Li, to My Melody dressed as Cammy, and (my personal favorite) Tuxedo Sam who's dressed up like E. Honda, the packaging screams super cute. Personally, I'd have preferred the buttons and the ball on the joystick to also be pink ( or maybe a lavender), but as it is, it's a nice contrast.

Functionally, this thing comes with a nice metal base that's equipped with nice, big rubber feet. If you put this on a table, it's not going to slide (though, that depends on how emphatic you are with your movements), but the rubber feet aren't so big that it makes it uncomfortable to place on your lap. The buttons are nice and clicky and are spaced out comfortably ( I have big hands) and aside from my general unfamiliarity with the button placement (This is the first fight stick I've ever purchased for myself), are intuitively placed. There's a Turbo feature, but I'll never use it. With the flick of a switch, you can set your joystick to read as the Directional Pad, the Left, or the Right thumbsticks. Movement of the joystick or pressing of the buttons emits a wonderful clicking sound that brings back my fond memories of playing games in the arcade. Your mileage on this sound effect will definitely vary.

Now, onto the only negative I have for this fight stick, and it has to do with the joystick. You see, at the bottom of the joystick (inside the very guts of the controller), is a restrictor plate that limits your joysticks movement (otherwise, you'll just bust the thing up inside while entering your motions). It's square. You wouldn't think that has much to do with anything, but hear me out. It makes it hard to do quarter circle movements. And, let's face it, you tend to do a lot of those in fighting games. Yes, you can learn your way around it, but it definitely threw off my fighting game rhythm. Thankfully, MadCatz made it easy-peasy to switch out, and circular or octagonal replacement restrictor plates are easy enough to find, and relatively inexpensive. Ultimately, I had to find and buy a replacement restrictor plate and install it before I reached optimal satisfaction with the product, and that's the only reason why this stick did not get a 5 star rating.

Durability? Well, I just got the thing, so I don't really know. Plus, that will depend on how rough you are with it. Or any sort of controller. It seems sturdily built to me, so I hope that it lasts for a while.

So, in the end, if you need a fight stick this is a pretty good one. I will readily admit that there are manlier alternatives. But just think of how much more satisfaction you'll get when you defeat your opponent and they see you did it with Hello Kitty backing you up?

Review of Monoprice RCA and Toslink Audio Adapter for Xbox 360 and Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $4.63
Sale Price: $4.58
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

Item exactly as described. Allows you to use Turtle Beach x12 headset along with HDMI input to HDTV. Importantly, this does not have the problem of re-booting the xBox 360 when you switch inputs. Highly recommend.

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I must say, I've seen many bad reviews about Third Party Audio Adapters but this one is different.

Worked out of the box, Had to push in to the Xbox to fit in with my HDMI (The problem is my HDMI is a little big), but should fit in. Also IT DOESN'T HAVE THE RESET XBOX PROBLEM, so you can turn off your TV or switch to another source and your Xbox 360 WILL NOT reset (Finally) with no problem and no soldering.

Will work fine with any headset that uses RCA. I'm using mine with SteelSeries 5XB I got on sale. But should work with any brand aslong as it uses RCA

Totally worth buying this one over the other Any Third Party ones. No need to solder or anything. I would go with Microsoft official one if possible, but they don't sell them anymore, but this one is close to the Genuine Microsoft One.

Best Deals for Monoprice RCA and Toslink Audio Adapter for Xbox 360 and Xbox 360

works great with headphones

we used with X box and turtle beach X12 headphones.

works great out of box, 30 second set up, compact so no mess, plugs in easily, only fits one way so no fuss

great value!

Honest reviews on Monoprice RCA and Toslink Audio Adapter for Xbox 360 and Xbox 360

Used with my HDMI DVI adapter since DVI doesn't do sound. Got this so I can use my monitor with my speaker/headphones since I don't have a TV.

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This product, unlike others on the market for the same price, is wired correctly and will not power off the xbox when switching inputs on the tv. This product works out of the box and is a great value for the price!

Buy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - PC

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List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $30.99
Today's Bonus: 48% Off

Before I start, please allow me to preface this review with three points:

1) I love the COD franchise...and have played every title extensively. My wife will back that statement up...while she sighs and reevaluates her life choices.

2) BF2/BC2/BF3 are good games...and I will not bash them. That said, BF is a different experience, with huge battlefields, many different types of vehicles, and a range of player roles. COD is a different animal...and tends to be more of a "just drop into the action" experience. Choose whatever you like. This is a review of a COD title for COD fans...not a critique of BF3.

3) I play multiplayer on the PC almost exclusively, so I won't offer much in the way of comments on single player mode in this review.

-

So how is MW3 on the PC if you are a COD fan? Well, in my opinion, it's a step backwards for the franchise...and a relative low point for the overall series. MW3 does have its good points, but on balance, the game is a disappointment. I know that this opinion may not be popular, so please read on if you want to see why I feel this way.

-

>>> The good old days

I started with the original COD title in 2003...and then jumped into COD:UO, which my gaming group modified heavily. The ability to host mods and custom maps on UO servers kept those servers running, fresh, and populated for years.

COD2 provided a similar experience, but with much better graphics, but sadly, no vehicles. That said, we modded the heck out of it and just shut those servers down last month. That was the staying power of that game.

COD4:MW (modern warfare) hit the streets and it was revolutionary...sadly though, also with no real "controllable" vehicles. Regardless, it was a great experience with fantastic graphics...and many innovations.

-

>>> Enter Treyarch...and World at War

The three prior COD titles were developed by InfinityWard (IW) for Activision and they were all "game of the year" level titles. During that same time period, Activision had Treyarch develop COD3 exclusively for consoles...and it paled in comparison.

After COD4, Activision had Treyarch develop COD:WAW (World at War) for the PC, which seemed to be a thin repackaging of COD4:MW, but set back in WW2. The good news was that they added drivable tanks and generally made a fairly decent game...but we were all still looking to IW for innovation. Treyarch, not so much.

-

>>> (Re)enter InifintyWard...and Modern Warfare 2

The next part is long, but relevant to MW3...I promise.

IW next developed COD:MW2 and fans of COD on the PC were shocked. It was clear that IW's strategy was to converge the console and PC versions to the greatest extent possible...forcing PCs to drop to the lowest common (console) denominator. As part of that strategy, they also dropped support for "dedicated servers." The impact of that decision cannot be understated. PC fans were incensed. They were now forced to deal with "lobbies" instead of dedicated servers. No longer could they just join their favorite server and see their friends and get to meet other new folks who frequented that server. Instead, the game randomly threw 12 or so folks together, made one the host, and threw you into a match...after numerous stutters and hiccups. A bogged down or lagging host could also ruin the game...and if that host quit, everything came to a screeching halt while the server attempted to migrate the host...or not.

The bigger issue, however, was that no one in the game had administrative (rcon) access...so hackers ruled. Fans of previous COD multiplayer titles know that Punkbuster and VAC do very little to stop hacking. With dedicated servers, the server admins in game would deal with such obvious hackers...but in MW2, those hackers raged with impunity. Even if you were the host, there was little that you could do. I cannot count the number of times that I was forced out of a game because a hacking player was raging with an obvious aimbot...while the anti-cheat software was oblivious.

The sad thing is that MW2 was fairly fun...even if it was mostly just a minor evolution of COD4:MW...but lack of dedicated servers killed it.

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>>> (Re)enter Treyarch...and Black Ops

Treyarch stepped back up to the plate with COD:BO...and while it was once again a minor evolution of the franchise, dedicated servers were back. Well, sort of. You had to rent them from one provider and they were not very mod-able, but at least you could set game type, map rotation, and HAVE ADMIN ACCESS (i.e., rcon). Once again, hackers needed to run and hide...because they didn't last long on well-monitored servers.

Yes, a minor evolution, but still a very good time. BO also supported "unranked" servers that supposedly supported modding, but frankly, most players ignored such servers...because they preferred to chase rank and "prestige". I won't get into why I think that including such ranks and prestige has killed modding, but suffice to say that you don't see the level of community modding and custom map creation that we did under UO and COD2. Oh well, MW3 is coming...and InifintyWard is creating this one...so it's got to be good...right?

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>>> WHERE WE ARE NOW: (Re)enter InfinityWard...and MW3 !!!

I picked up MW3, installed it, and tried the single player campaign just to get a sense of the player physics. Controls largely the same? Check. Player physics the same? Check. Single player campaign pretending to be expansive but really very linear with far too many cut scenes? Check.

Exit single player.

Actually, to say the controls are the same is kind. "Lean" is missing...as it was with IW's MW2. Hmm. Now I am getting suspicious, but let's fire up multiplayer anyway and get it on.

Wait. What the...?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! LOBBIES ARE BACK!? ARGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Yes, once again, lobbies are back. From clicking "play", it took about 4 minutes to get into a game...as lobbies were created and then destroyed...and created...and destroyed...and as soon as I got into a game, the host quit...and we came to a halt while the game tried to find a new host...which it could not...so we were all thrown back out into "lobby creation hell."

Yes, lobbies...with all that statement implies, including no ability to have admins who can deal with hackers.

But wait! MW3 supports dedicated servers.

Yes, but not for ranked play...and if BO is any indication of the future, folks will not want to play unranked servers as they chase shiny little prestige icons. Of course, IW is not doing much to help this situation since for some bizarre reason they have disabled MW3's server browser by default. You have to hunt down a setting to turn it on.

Seriously, I cannot believe this step backwards. Granted, it's not a step backwards for IW...it's a step forward from MW2. It's only a step backwards for the franchise (from Treyarch's BO).

Is MW3 better than MW2? Seems to be. They added some innovations and are paying lip service to dedicated servers...but much of what they added over MW2 has no value in unranked dedicated server mode in MW3...so the folks who have labeled MW3 as MW 2.1 are pretty much dead on as far as I am concerned.

So how are the lobby servers once you manage to get into a game? Well, I actually just got out of one where I was playing against a Prestige Level 10 Rank 80...less than 48 hours after release. Seriously...and guess who could see through walls and didn't care who knew it...and guess who couldn't do a darned thing about it?

I could go on and review the MW3 gameplay and what IW added to MW2, but you can get that info from many sources, so I'll save you from more of my rambling. Instead, I just wanted to share a review of the PC experience for this title, which seems to get lost in the reviews of console versions. If nothing else, I hope that I help you avoid the surprise that I had when I fired up multiplayer. If you buy MW3, at least you can now go in with your eyes open.

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>>> Closing Thoughts

MW3 is a sequel to MW2...not Black Ops. We will have to wait and see what Treyarch offers next for a sequel to Black Ops.

So is MW3 worth $60? Well, I'll leave that decision to each of you. It's definitely not a 1 star game, but it's also clearly not a 5 star game...at least on the PC.

I suppose that what has really struck me in this experience is that for the first time I now no longer consider InfintyWard to be the king of the COD franchise...at least for those of us playing on the PC. Treyarch may actually now have the better vision. Yes, I know, IW leadership changed as the core folks left to go form Respawn Entertainment, but MW3 smells like their legacy regardless i.e., a collapsed version for consoles and PCs...and everything in the game setup to motivate you to spend more to get DLC map packs, extra XP, and whatever else they can urge you to buy. Do they want a game with legs that can survive for years? Of course not...so in that respect, they knocked this one out of the park.

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>>> My advice

If you love BF3 and COD generally annoys you, avoid this game. It will NOT win you over.

If you love COD, well, you are going to buy it anyway, but at least I will offer you empathy...and I'll be on the battlefield next to you.

If you are on the fence, try "Hello Kitty Island Adventure" instead. There are fewer weapons, but at least you won't feel as used and abused. Seriously though, stay on the fence, because I suspect that the price of this game is going to drop like a stone in the next two months.

cheers,

Scuba

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In order to understand how pointless the COD experience feels, it's important to note the lack of effort on the part of the sound department. Many times you will turn around and end up shooting a friendly in the back because you just can't hear what's going on. Even in the sneakiest parts you will hear nothing but a cacophany of enemy chatter and weapons sounds and those overpowered by a lumbering and anticlimactic musical score. Good luck hearing a footstep or even determining the direction of enemy fire. It's as if the mix team just mashed the sliders all the way up and let it be. The sounds that one would expect to drown out all others, such as your own weapon or a tank firing directly beside your ears, are barely perceptible in the mush of everything else.

Because it's basically impossible to hear enemies, the simplest way to locate them is stand up in the open and wait until you start to get hit. Don't worry, apparently in COD world, bullets aren't lethal projectiles but merely wads of goo which slap you in the face, blurring your vision until you expire from blindness, so don't do this for too long.

If you're waiting for a pickup, keep your head on a swivel, because that SF little bird will just ninja on down behind you without a sound, and you'll be waiting for something to happen only to turn around and find a silent helicopter just chilling there a meter away.

Maybe it's unnecessary to expound upon, but graphically nothing has been done to this game for about four or five generations, so expect the same old same old as far as scenery. It may be that gamers feel a few 4 hour campaigns and some multiplayer kicks are well worth their $250 without any sort of development in terms of the actual game engine.

Now I know the vast majority of gamers couldn't care less about inaccuracies so I won't begin a tirade expounding on COD's "unrealism" but as a former Recon operator I can tell you there are thousands of them.

In addition to the lack of anything resembling realistic details, I found that with regards to scenario "preposterosity", COD takes the cake. As the Russian fleet attempts to displace the water of New York harbor by cramming as many boats as possible into the smallest area, your team takes a DPV ride down to an enemy submarine which is trying to fit into the Hudson to get its cruise missiles within range of California. After planting charges on the hull you detonate at a good safe distance of 5 meters, disabling the vessel. Fortunately for you, Navy SEALs are trained to absorb shock waves and turn them into large doses of awesome. As your team egresses via Zodiac, you weave in and out of the exploding Russian ships directly into the open hatch of a Chinook helicopter which is just hanging out in a few feet of water. No worries, we've got twin rotors---plenty of lift to handle a few tons of extra weight. Now, maybe some gamers will get a thrill out of performing such things, but I just couldn't stop laughing.

...and Operation One Man National Asset doesn't end there. The preposterous and impossible exploits just keep coming. One moment you jump from the 8th story onto the pavement and hop up to carry Soap away to safety... apparently he's just a weakling and is unable to shrug off such minor injuries. Another you fight your way through a large castle, placing three satchels from your bottomless rucksack, then end up driving over a cliff---but what's this? you just happen to have another full sized parachute on you---I wonder what pocket that one was hiding in...

At this point most gamers no longer expect to be handed a spoonful of sugar with their daily Commercialized Electronic Babysitting Session, but as an old time PC gamer I'll have to wait my turn for the next Portal or Company of Heroes. As the average gamer progressively drops in intelligence and creativity, the battlefield hand-holding seemingly increases. While playing COD one feels simultaneously god-like and completely unnecessary. There are no choices whatsoever to make, and no tactical ability required to succeed. If this is your cup of tea, go rent "Commando" and you'll have both hands free to handle the doritos and beer. If not, and you are interested in an experience with a shred of mental stimulation, look to Valve or Relic for something worth your cash.

Edit: I originally had written 6 hour campaign but looked at the menu and it said I had actually only spent 4 hours---and I'm the type who doesn't just sprint through games, I like to check out the scenery a bit too.

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They should have called it MW2.1. The campaign is basically gunning down one alley after another. The helicopter always gets blown up. The enemy troops are scripted. Multiplayer is basically the same as MW2 with some major revamps of the kill streaks, ect. Lucky for them, I liked MW2 so I like this game, but quite frankly, I am going to bed now rather than playing because it just doesn't draw me in like it MW2 used to.

Honest reviews on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - PC

Game is amazing, unfortunitly the PC version is out of control with people using bots and hacking programs, completely unplayable 90% of the time. There are ways of "reporting people", ie. the ones that got 120-1 in a 10 minute game, but the reports go unanswered. Normally I dont complain and just deal with it, but this is the first time I wish I could return a game and get my money back.

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I agree with the other reviewers..

In 3 hours, I saw 3 aimbotters with the title 'BOOM! Headshot.' One went 94 and 6 or about that.

Honestly, that's not the worst thing.

I am Constantly, if not every game then close to it, dying because of lag... I shoot someone 3 or 4 times. Then I watch the kill cam, on his end? I'm not even aiming at him most of the time, and I might get 1 hit.

I'm just glad I paid less than half price for this game.

Caveat Emptor!

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These are for my grandchildren so I am assuming they will be very happy. The request for Harry Potter came from them. I was very happy to find them available.

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Yes, this game is region free and will work on a North American or PAL console.

Dodonpachi Saidaioujou is a port of the arcade game by the same name, and a sequel to Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu (sometimes called Dodonpachi Resurrection).

If you're new to the Donpachi series, it's a shmup from the arcade developer CAVE. Playing from a top-down perspective, you blast enemies with a space ship while dodging enemy fire.

If you thought Resurrection was colorful, just wait till you see this game! Bright neon signs everywhere, eye-popping shiny enemies, and candy-colored bullets galore. As a nice touch, when a bullet crosses into a background of similar color, it gets an aura of the opposite color to give it extra visibility. The backgrounds can be quite busy at times, so every bit of extra visibility is a nice feature.

Gameplay is similar to the previous Donpachi games. Chaining enemy kills together raises your multiplier, and collecting bee icons helps recharge hypers faster for even more destructive capabilities. Hypers and bombs are on the same button, similar to Daioujou. Autobomb (using a bomb automatically when hit) is optional on the character select screen, although selecting this feature gives less bombs to balance it out.

This is one of the harder CAVE games to date. Jumping straight into the arcade mode will be a serious wake-up call, as even early bosses have some nasty attack patterns. Even the novice mode will be a sizable challenge to new players.

Several game modes are included with Saidaioujou. First there's the arcade mode, which is a reasonable approximation of the original arcade game. Next is the version 1.5 mode, which is a tweaked arcade mode with bug fixes and rebalanced game play. 360 mode is a more story-oriented version of the game, with character portraits that talk non-stop as you play through the game. Finally there's a novice mode with is a bit easier than the main game (although not as easy as some of the previous CAVE novice modes).

As you play, you get coins uses to unlock artwork and gameplay mods. These are pretty cool optional extras, and most of the useful ones are quick to unlock. Also included are "challenges" with specific goals, giving more stuff to do when taking a break from the main game.

With lots of modes to try, ship and shot types to experiment with, and an in-game shop system that unlocks new features as you play more (not DLC), this is one of the more expansive shmups on the 360. I can definitely recommend this game to shmup players, or anyone looking for a colorful action game to show off their 360.

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I currently have all of the region free 360 shmups that are available. Many are from Cave, some are from other publishers.

I have to say that out of all of these games, this is my least favorite. If you have never played a Cave shooter before, then sure, this is bound to please. However, if you are familiar with the company and/or genre, chances are you'll be let down.

First and foremost the system in Saidaioujou is almost non-existent. You can build up and charge a special attack, but it doesn't change the gameplay much.

The game seems rushed and most of the levels all feel the same. There is nothing to really distinguish one stage from the next and the game just seems like a hodgepodge of random shooting. For Cave this is rather low quality. Most of their games are extremely deep and have complex scoring systems. This game... not so much.

There are several modes to play in but none of them really stand out. One new feature that I've not seen Cave use before is the shop, where you can earn coin from game performances and then spend them. There are a few things one can purchase which changes gameplay slightly, but most of the offerings in the shop are wallpapers and recorded voices of the characters (which seems stupid as they talk all the time during and in the game).

Overall, Cave really cut corners on this title and it shows. Play any of the other Cave games (Espgaluda II, Muchi Muchi Pork, even Akai Katana which saw a US release) and you'll see the difference.

I would not recommend purchasing this title unless it's either A. your first experience in this genre or B. you're a collector like me and want all of them.