Wreck-It Ralph - Nintendo Wii Review

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $19.96
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

I thought that a movie based on a fake video game based on real video games was a great idea, and that turned out to live up to all its potential. I thought that a video game based on a movie based on a fake video game based on real video games had real potential; this game lived up to none of it.

I was going to offer a well thought-out review for this game, but this review is only going to reciprocate how much effort was put into developing this game.

The game starts with Wreck-It Ralph narrating the game the voice actor isn't even John C. Reilly. This is the first disappointment of the game, and the disappointments never stop from there. Before actually getting into gameplay, the opening scene completely blows the end of the "Wreck It Ralph" movie's storyline, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, beware of a spoiler before playing this game.

After they spoil a 2-hour movie in 45 seconds, you finally get into the gameplay. The gameplay is awful: the difficulty is never raised, there's only 12 levels in the game (each level takes about 5 minutes to complete), and 4 bosses (each of which take about 2 minutes to beat). The gameplay is extremely repetitive and completely lacks novelty. The graphics are cheap not "NES cheap," which would actually be kind of retro but cheap like "I paid $5 for this game" cheap. Except, the thing is, I didn't pay $5 for this game. I paid $40. The iOS "Wreck-It Ralph" counterpart is a better game than this, and that only costs 99 cents.

Despite being able to play as Fix-It Felix and Wreck-It Ralph throughout the game, it's only a 1-player game. The movie featured first-person shooting, arcade-style play, and racing. This game offers none of that. Instead, you just go around punching cy-bugs until you find the exit for the level. Along the way, you try and gather Hero's medals which do absolutely nothing for you. They don't even keep track of how many you've collected.

I sat down to play this game because I had a couple hours to kill, and figured I'd try and put a dent into beating the game. Instead of putting a dent into the game, I completely beat the game and "unlocked" all the secrets in well-under 2 hours. That's right, the movie itself takes longer to watch than it does to beat its video game counterpart.

I can't believe I spent $40 on this game. If you're thinking about buying this game, instead use your $40 to buy 4 tickets to see "Wreck It Ralph." It's a quality movie, but its video game is anything but. I'm disappointed in everyone that was involved in this game. They should be ashamed of themselves. And as disappointed as I was initially in John C. Reilly for passing on doing the voice acting for this game, now I understand why.

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Firstly, Wreck It Ralph is a great movie with some great games featured in it this game however is not. It vaguely follows the plot of the movie but AFTER the end of the movie. I don't think the beginning of the game would spoil the movie for you, but if you played this game first BEFORE seeing the movie, you might not even bother to watch the movie because this game is awful. It's nothing like the movie, it's so basic it's ridiculous. It's not even retro as in Dig Dug, Pac Man, Digger Dan etc from the 80's THEY were great games, this is not even particularly playable and it certainly isn't any fun. My 5 year old was bored in about 15 minutes which almost never happens except with a bad game (or in the case of Mario Party 9, they changed the format from single player to all playing in the same vehicle, which ruined that game).

If you still want to get this game after the low stars it received in all of the reviews so far, then rent it from a Redbox etc, you won't be wasting $40. This is a $10 game at best. It will probably be a Black Friday special but don't get it unless it is super cheap, your kids won't thank you at all.

Best Deals for Wreck-It Ralph - Nintendo Wii

The storyline of the video game is that Fix It Felix and Wreck It Ralph have been hired as exterminators to get rid of the Cy-Bugs in the worlds of Wreck It Ralph, Hero's Duty, and Sugar Rush AFTER the end of the movie. The game play is like any 2-D platform game (Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, etc.) where the character moves from left to right and destroys boxes and collects golden hammers. We were expecting the games from the movie like the first person shooter in Hero's Duty or the go cart game in Sugar Rush. Instead, those locations are only used as the backdrop to the platform game. As a one player game you must switch between the characters of Felix or Ralph to move through levels.

As a platform game alone, I like it. Its not one of those games that makes it impossible to advance to the next level unless you have perfect hand-eye coordination. Its easy enough to be fun but not so easy that it's boring.

But I must say that it is extremely disappointing that the games shown in the movie were not even attempted in the movie version of the game. In fact, you can go to the movie website and play limited versions of 3 of the popular games shown in the movie. If you are looking for the movie games, save your money and go to the Disney website. If you like platform games, it's cute and not too bad.

Honest reviews on Wreck-It Ralph - Nintendo Wii

Wreck-It Ralph has to be one of the most beloved Disney films of recent times. It's a movie that's directed straight to people that have grown up in the 1980s (although it appealed to kids as well), and seen how the arcade game industry has changed overtime. The movie was full of laughs and references, but featured a really deep and thrilling tale of a video game bad guy who wants to get a new name for himself. So what does this game based off the movie based off of games have to offer? Absolutely none of what I just described.

The game is supposed to take place straight after the movie's plot, but it IS possible to avoid spoiling the movie, right? Unfortunately, Activision refused to try. Within the first seconds after starting a new game, the ending of the movie is instantly spoiled. But since I'm so nice, I won't spoil it for this review. However, I will have to mention that the Cybugs, one of the few conflicts in the movie, is THE WHOLE CONFLICT here in this game for some reason. I don't want to think of Wreck-It Ralph as a series about hideous bugs. I want to think of the series as a love letter to gamers!

Anyway, that was all presented in this cute little CGI-animated intro which has mistakes such as a lack of textures in one scene and Felix having miscolored hair. Activision sure rushed THIS out the door. BUT GUESS WHAT? Wait til you see what the actual game looks like!

Oh GOD did things go downhill! The graphics look like they were created for the Sega 32x. They are downright awful, and the music totally accompanies them by playing a short loop of a song that would only sound nice the first few times. And now for what we've been waiting for: The gameplay mechanics.

Let's just say this is one of the most uninspired platformers I've played yet. Throughout, I am treated with really generic levels that only make the already not-so-great gameplay just plain boring and repetitive. Nothing in any of these levels truly stand out (Other than that one and only Super Mario Bros reference in the "Hero's Duty" world). The combat in the game is clumsy. It feels very tedious when it takes some time for Ralph to throw a punch or Felix to wield his hammer (Which, by the way, somehow kills enemies instead of fixing them). By the way, you know how I mentioned that the Cybugs are the main conflict in this game? Well, they are the ONLY ENEMIES IN THIS GAME, so there's no enemy variety, really.

Not to mention, even with the clumsy combat, the game is beyond easy as a whole. During my first run through the game, not once did I get a Game Over, but rather did I get over 13 lives. The bosses didn't help the difficulty. They were incredibly easy as well.

To think this goes for as long as...an hour and a half?

Yup. This is one of those games with a pretty short length. However, after what you've been through after playing this monstrosity, beating the game in such a short time is rewarding enough.

If you want to see a video game do Wreck-It Ralph justice, play the game that's available on iOS devices for THE PRICE OF A COKE CAN. It's $39/29 less, but 100 times more fun.

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Is it possible to give negative stars??? I'm sure that some people want to after actually paying money for this game. Fortunately, I rented mine at Redbox and I'm still mad that I spent $2.

The game is super boring. An adult would never be able to tolerate it and a child would quickly become bored with it. My 5 year old has been playing for about 15 minutes now and I think he's waiting for the exciting part. I won't break it to him just yet that this is all he's gonna get.

I realize that this is a throw-back 80s style game but seriously??? The quality and graphics are horrific and perhaps intentionally!!! It predates the quality of the original Nintendo (that is as far back as I know). There are also times in the game where when you die the screen just blacks out for about 20 seconds. I thought that my Wii rebooted...and then it came back.

I loved loved loved the movie and it is sooo unfortunate that this game is such a flop.

Best advice.....Rent it and see for yourself!

Max Payne 3 - Rockstar Pass Reviews

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $7.49
Today's Bonus: 75% Off

OK guys deal is really outstanding , i 'll just give u a tip about activation this key can activate on steam but u cannot activate on the steam menu u have to enter the game and u have to enter the code to social club code redeem menu (under store on main menu) after that u will see steam starting to add all ur add-on contents to ur game ...I hope this will help cuz most of the time amazon not saying if the key is for steam or not ...

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I don't think people should have to pay for new maps, they should be able to just download them like we used to do with old Rainbow Six multiplayer games. Barely anyone is online for Max Payne 3, DLC isn't worth the $$

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bought it during christmas sales deal, worth it and hope more deals will come in the future! thanks amazon again!

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i just pass my card and activate the code on the social club from rockstar and everything is ok. It will show on your marketplace menu in the game.

WORKS FINE!, THANKS AMAZON, THANKS ROCKSTAR!.

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If you own Max Payne 3, this is essential. Contains a plethora of new maps and weapons, as well as 2 player co-op mode. What are you waiting for? Buy it!

Best High Speed 1.4 HDMI with Ethernet Gold Plated Cable Supports 3D Deals

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I bought two cables, one was supposed to support Audio Return Channel, but both cables were the exact part number when i recieved the package. I paid $2 more for nothing. Other than that the cables work flawlessly. Quality seems to be good. I was criticized by my co-workers when i ordered the cables. They said $15 cables would not work as well as the $250 Monster cables. "Oh NO those will not work, you need monster cables!" they said. Ha! I am laughing my way to the audio\video store to buy a new $400 PARADIGM center channel. I saved over $450 buying these, and the picture quality is awesome! I switched from component cables on my dish reciever and my x-box, and the picture improved drastically. I HIGHLY recommend these cables if you dont want to pay an extra $235 for fancy, colorful packaging with claims of being superior. I did some research, and everyone says the same thing. With a digital signal, as with HDMI, you either get a signal or you dont. If it works, you can't get a better signal. Keep that in mind when making your decision.

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PlayStation Vita - The Walking Dead Bundle Review

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PROTIP: I originally bought the Wifi only version but returned it because I thought the screen was not bright at all on the brightest setting. This replacement unit I got is noticeably brighterso if you're thinking yours isn't bright swap it out! It probably is not.

I love the Vita, in fact I had a PSP which I let go a few years back because I was not using it. I immensely regretting trading it in because I absolutely love locoroco (a must have game if you ask me!). The PS Vita doesn't fail to impress. The game library may be a little thin now, but the thin PS Vita game library is supplemented by a huge PSP, PS Classic library.

The battery life could be great, but 3-5 is okay. If you're going on a trip make sure to bring a battery charger with you.

I personally am never going to use the cellular data feature. I have a smartphone with tethering plan, so I can just tether it to that. Then I can get 4G LTE and play multiplayer games. The GPS is a nice touch, however.

The buttons are a little small, along with the thumbsticks. But I have big hands. They would be okay for average hands.

This unit is a stealit includes a game and the device over the Wifi only version. There is no reason NOT to get this over the wifi version. But, a bit of warning. I would get the 16gb card at a minimum. This card will only hold this game and MAYBE another PS Vita game if it is small. It will definitely fit a PSP game though or a PS Classic title.

I initially had the 8GB card, but that will hold 2 games and MAYBE 3. Kind of annoying. The 16 will fit 5-6 games comfortably. But if you intend on buying all of your games through cards, then the 4GB card will do. 8 if you want to store music. Games can be found on the PSN Store at a small discount which is really nice since you save on packaging and material costs.

The graphics are mind blowing. When I was playing games I first thought the cutscenes were pre-rendered but they were not! It is amazing what mobile graphics can do. These chips are also on smartphones, but they can't be optimized because the hardware isn't standardized. The vita, however, can be. If you're worried about the lack of Vita titles, there should be a lot more A++ titles coming soon. The Vita TV may end up helping the platform, if that happens more games could be made for the Vita.

The Vita only supports 2.4GHz Wifi, unfortuantely no 5GHz support.

I see portable consoles serving a purpose: gaming on the go. That being said, if you're not always on the go traveling somewhere, I would not get a mobile gaming console at all. There's no point in gaming on a tiny screen for most of your time. However, if you are, the gaming experience here is very pleasant.

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Get this system in your hands and you'll never want to put it down..

Surprises:

Remote play is not pefect, but very cool and easy to set up. You can use it over the internet. Almost all PS4 games will support this feature. (At this point, not many PS3 games do.) Next Gen on a handheld.

Web browsing actually feels great.

I can browse my pictures, play my music, and watch my downloaded movies, all streamed from my PC on my home network. (Video formats are restricted to MP4).

The OS is fast and easy to use, with a customizable home screen. Being able to stop at any point in a game and switch to another task or just put the system into a hybernate mode and come back to it later with almost no loss of battery is really convenient.

Skype works great.

Disappointments:

AR is not being utilized yet. There are a handful of gimmicky "Augmented Reality" games you can download for free, but they're not worth bothering with really.

Needs more great games. Listen, this is coming from a guy who has bought multiple repackagings of MarioKart, Yoshi's Island, Katamari Damacy, Metal Gear Solid, etc. Ports and remakes and HD versions and classics; those things are all great and I'm fine with them, but I also want more new, exclusive titles like Gravity Rush, which I'm loving.

Here's the deal: this is the best handheld system ever made. What it needs is for people to get on board so that developers will feel confident that if they spend the money to release a game for it, they'll see a return on the investment.

Anyone who has 200 dollars and loves handhelds, Playstation, great tech, or any combination of those, should buy this system.

And by the way, I don't game "on the go". I use this system in my bed at home, the same way I would read a book before going to sleep. And when PS4 comes out I'll be able to do this while playing amazing next gen games. Sometimes I'll just grab it and use it like an iPad when I want to Google something or watch a Youtube video or Netflix. The point is, this system is not just for people with commutes or who travel often. My Vita's home is on my nightstand and I can't wait to kick back and pick it up once the kids are in bed.

Also, it's been said, but yes this bundle is an awesome deal.

Best Deals for PlayStation Vita - The Walking Dead Bundle

At first I was just considering buying a vita but now I'm really glad I did. The graphics are brilliant for a mobile console and the feature content is great as well. Overall a great attempt by Sony because I usually sell whatever PSP I tend to own and the vita will be staying with me for how feature rich it is. I guarantee you would be pleased with this purchase!

Things you should know first

First thing you should do is update your vita using your pc. (Using the vitas safe mode is best.)

Second the vita does not come with on board memory so get the largest size memory card you could afford.

Third the vita online games cards are region dependant so to get walking dead use a US address in setup.

Last but not least enjoy the experience!

Honest reviews on PlayStation Vita - The Walking Dead Bundle

If anyone is planning to buy a PlayStation Vita, I would recommend this because it's the same price as the normal Vita. So, basically when you buy this one you get a free game which is The Walking Dead Complete First Season includes all 5 episodes, plus special episode `400 Days'. And you get a 4GB memory card which is very good and this model is a 3g/WiFi model.

GOOD DEAL!

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This is a great deal. In my opinion this is a great value. You get the 3g ps vita, a game, and a memory card! The game itself is very entertaining. I can't put it down! Now is the time to buy a vita, especially since the ps4 is coming out soon, and remote play is going to be awesome.

Cheap Skullcandy PLYR1 7.1 Surround Sound Wireless Gaming Headset, White

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This headset is very comfortable for me and looks like very cool.

there is no point to argue about bad point of this headset. love it.

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Gaming headsets as well as the Skullcandy brand have a reputation among audiophiles to having poor sound quality. I don't claim to be an audiophile but as a point of comparison this headset sounds much better than the Turtle Beach XP400s I previously owned. The Turtle Beach had a "tinny" sound and a definite lack of bass. Turning on the bass boost modes caused distortion and crackling whenever there was any type of deep bass in movies. In comparison I love the bass on these. Its a nice full sound but not overwhelming. There have been several times where I have been using these late at night where I've had to remove them just to double check that my home theater system was muted.

Headset is pretty much plug and play for the PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360. There are a few settings you will need to change to get proper Dolby Headphones output but those are outlined in the quick starter guide. Virtual surround sound is great for online multiplayer shooters.

Comfort wise there was a slight break in period but I think that is the norm for most headsets. They will loosen up over time. Also, the cups are slightly smaller than some people might be used to. I find that comfort is always a YMMV type of thing due to differences in ear, head, etc. so buy somewhere with a good return policy as comfort can be a deal breaker.

I rated these 5 stars but the one thing that I would like Skullcandy to ditch is the analog joystick used to control audio and voice chat volume. Its a little awkward to use. I think a different control mechanism or completely separating the two controls would make this set pretty much perfect to me.

4.5 out of 5. Rounding up to 5 because I really love how these sound.

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It looks like the Astro/Skullcandy marriage is producing talented children. These things are the best gaming headphones that I have ever used. Granted, I haven't tried the Astro A50's which I hear are the best. But I have used Tritons and Turtle Beaches in roughly the same cost and feature category as the PLYR 1's. The sound quality on the Tritons was similar, but the build quality was lacking. They just didn't hold up. The TB's didn't measure up in either category.

The PLYR 1's are very comfortable. Though I will mention that the earcups are smaller than normal. They fit my average size ears, but if you have big ears they might not be as comfortable. Then again, the memory foam and soft material make me think that there wouldn't be an uncomfortable position. They were a little tight fighting out of the box. I worried that they wouldn't be comfortable, but the cups are so soft that it never bothered me. After a couple of weeks, they are broken in and no longer feel too tight.

The simulated Dolby 7.1 really does help in FPS games. And the optical audio pass through is great for connecting the audio to my home theater system when I don't want to use the headset when watching a movie or whatever. Highly recommended.

Edit: I am now using these on my PS4, and they work great. Plug and play. They worked fine on my PS3 as well, and they should work on PC, Xbox 360, or Xbox One.

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This headset has great sound and is easy to use after you know what your doing. battery life seems good. I have no complaint about the microphone, everyone hears me loud and clear. I'm very picky with quality of sound and they sound pretty great, my only complaints is they hurt my ears, I don't know if that's because I am a 6'5 guy with bigger ears or head? The other complaint would be it hooks up to usb and I have the original ps3 so I have only usb ports on the front. That being said the usb cable is short so I cant put the wireless stand behind it.

Sounds great maybe it will feel more comfortable if I can break them in, I just wish these headphone companies could figure out a way to easier move between my receiver surround sound and heaphones without having to change settings.

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the best headset to buy even better than my $300 turtle beach. I dont know why that person says the mic is lacking. mabe they didnt have the mic close enough or talk loud enough

Best Madden NFL 13 - Xbox 360 Deals

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $21.99
Today's Bonus: 27% Off

Since Madden 13 is oh so very proud of their fictional Twitter feed I have decided to do my review as a fictional Twitter feed between EA and gamers:

EAsports: New Madden is out and it is the best thing in history! What do you think? #BetterTheDayYourChildWasBorn

AGamer: Hey I'm having trouble finding Franchise Mode. Where is it?

EASports: Gone Bro!

AGamer: What do you mean gone? It was the only thing that didn't suck.

EASports: We have innovated and replaced it with Connected Careers! Like a boss! #ConnectedCareersBetterThanSex

AGamer: WTH is Connected Careers?

EASports: It is like Superstar and Franchise mode combined! Now you can be either player or a coach! Like a boss! #JesusWouldDoConnectedCareers

AGamer: Couldn't we always do that?

EASports: Yeah but not like on Connected Careers now you can go online and compete with friends! Like a boss! #INeedACigaretteAfterConnectedCareers

AGamer: You mean like the online play we've had the last 4 years? What evs I'll check it out.

AGamer: Dude, I'm doing the Coach in Connected Careers and can't change schemes or customize my playbook. What gives?

EASports: Did you see the fictional Twitter feed! Skip Bayless in the house!

AGamer: Yeah thats cool and all but we've been able to customize schemes and plays in Madden since the late 90s. WTH?

EASports: Check out the physics on the Infinity Engine. Gang tackles like a boss! #ILoveMaddenMoreThanMyFamily

AGamer: Infinity Engine? Is that why my players keep flying through the air like a grenade went off?

AGamer: And staggering around like their drunk and tripping over people?

AGamer: Dude, why does my running back keep running into the back of people and falling over? Did he just get off the Gravitron at a state fair?

EASports: Physics! Like a boss! #IWillStabYouForACopyOfMadden

AGamer: It isn't remotely realistic! People are tripping over each other after plays and flying all over the place like someone hit them with a car!

EASports: Feel the realism! #WhoNeedsFriendsWhenYouHaveMadden

AGamer: What is up with the announcing? Are they in the same game? I'm up 28 3 and every time I get a first down they say it is my first one of the game.

EASports: Phil Sims in the house!Like a boss!

AGamer: Why do you keep saying 'like a boss' #Toolbag

EASports: Cause I'm sooooo excited about all the innovation in Madden!!! #WeDeserveANobelPrize

AGamer: Excited about the innovation? You took away a lot of our control and customization in Franchise Mode and renamed it Connected Careers.

AGamer: You gave us a physics engine that makes the players flop around like Muppet's inside of a dryer.

AGamer: The announcing is no better than it was 8 years and a whole generation of systems ago.

AGamer: Superstar mode has also been replaced by Connected Careers and while the gameplay is solid there is nothing personal to connect you with your player.

AGamer: I want to see my player get interviewed and see him get accolades. I want to see him get endorsements.

AGamer: I want to see celebrations at his accomplishments like what you saw in the NBA 2k series.

AGamer: I get none of that in Madden 13. You have just given me a game with player lock and nothing else.

EASports: Did you see the Twitter feed? #SkipBaylessOwnsTwitter

AGamer: Yeah I saw the Twitter feed but nothing else.

AGamer: This is what you call innovation?

EASports: Like a boss!!

AGamer: Whatever EA. Whatever.

2KSports: Ashamed there is no competition out there isn't it.

NFL: @2KSports Shhhhh. We're trying to count our money.

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As a longtime Madden player (have played/owned every iteration since 99), this year's version of Madden is perhaps the most over-hyped one since the move to the current gen of consoles. After years of gamers complaining about the lack of innovation between the yearly releases of Madden, EA finally took a swing at things for the better. Unfortunately, even with the new Infinity Engine and Connected Careers Mode the exclusion of a full fledged Franchise Mode from years past is sadly game breaking for this gamer.

Pros:

1. The Infinity Engine is a solid step forward for the franchise, and should only get better as the series evolves in this direction. This is the best part of Madden 13, and can only be truly appreciated once you play it. Comparing the gameplay engines from Madden 12 or even NCAA 13 is almost a night and day difference.

2. The gameplay itself is probably the best its been since Madden's been on the current consoles. Multi-player matches (co-op and online) in particular should be the best its been in this generation. Past annoyances like Psychic DBs, eternal pockets for QBs, or impossible across the body off balance throws are out or at least toned down.

3. For as much as I dislike it, Combined Careers did well in including the different ratings for players depending on scheme. The Twitter/Social dashboard is at least interesting, if a bit clunky.

4. Trade logic within CCM seems to be harder, a positive in my book since it takes out trading a FA you just signed for a first round pick.

Cons:

1. Well, as the rest of my Amazon reviewers have noted Franchise mode as we have come to know and love got the boot. The new mode, Combined Careers, is a combination of past year's Superstar and Franchise modes. Unfortunately, Coach mode (which is supposed to be the evolved Franchise mode) is sadly lacking.

2. Lack of editing players/rosters: no longer can you edit player numbers, ratings, or really even have that much control of your roster. For example, in my current CCM I have 3 players with the number 82 in the wide receiver position, a minor annoyance that the user cannot address since editing is completely gone. The inability to change ratings makes a bit of sense(so no one can just turn anyone into a 99 overall rating) if Progression actually worked. Unfortunately, I had a rookie LB win both Rookie of the Year and Defensive MVP...and lost rating (78 to 77). Finally, you no longer edit player positions and thus are stuck with whatever EA classifies the player as. Want to turn Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis back to DE's for the return of your new 4-3 Colts defense (in 13 they are 3-4 mirroring the real life switch)? Good luck, you can't.

3. Lack of a Fantasy draft not a big one for me, but I know at least two of my friends refuse to buy this simply because of this being left out of 13.

4. Lack of a co-op Franchise unless you and your friends are willing to shell out $60 per person (plus XBOXs/Live subscriptions) you can no longer have your friend play within your franchise. As it is, I can play/compete with my friends/roommates on one console in Madden 12 or NCAA 13 but not in Madden 13.

5. Inability to import NCAA13 draft classes not a surprise to anyone following the Madden hype train, but disappointing none the less.

6. Being forced to go online -at the moment of writing this review all the benefits of the CCM are found by choosing the online (always connected to EA servers) option. Online gamers will get tuning updates days to even weeks before offline gamers. Perhaps the biggest hindrance to this would be anyone who has actually had to connect to EA's servers before, they are notoriously buggy and finicky. In my NCAA 13 dynasty I constantly lose connection to the EA servers, a minor annoyance in that game, a game breaking feature in this one. Because of the way online CCM is set up, any time you lose connection to the EA server you lose all progress in whatever you were doing...4th quarter up by 3 as the underdog in the Super Bowl? Tough luck, you are going to have to play that entire game over again.

Conclusion: While the loss of Franchise Mode (and the inability of Coach mode in CCM to replace it) is a serious one in my book, there is some appeal in this game. As it is, people who play Madden for the multiplayer quick games will enjoy this game. People who get Madden for the Franchise play will find it sorely lacking until/if they ever patch it.

Best Deals for Madden NFL 13 - Xbox 360

With no franchise or fantasy draft options in either online or offline mode this 59.99 game becomes worthless. Sadly I did not check reviews before buying this. I just trusted that the one feature I have used on every version of madden I have purchased over the years would still be there. It is not. I would return it but I sadly opened the game to play it. So now I have a nice 59.99 coaster. It will be used as such. In that regard the Madden 13 coaster is easily a 3 star rated item due to the hole in the middle and no anti-slip coating.

Honest reviews on Madden NFL 13 - Xbox 360

After reading the negative reviews, I thought I could still get past it all and enjoy the game. Wrong. I do love fantasy draft and editing rosters, not to give 99 ratings but to make some players more realistic. I thought that improved gameplay and more realism would trump the details that are missing this year. The attributes that you can improve are weak, barely make a difference and wasteful too. It just isn't a fun game anymore, and like all football and madden fans, it just makes me sad.

The 2k sports games are all so much better than the new Madden. Of course Franchise mode is still there, it only takes 30 seconds and half a brain to figure that out. But, it's just not as fun as previous years, the gameplay itself doesn't feel much better. I tried but just couldn't stick with it. Don't waste your money. Go with Fifa or any 2k sports game, even the Top Spin game is better than this.

STAY AWAY

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Fans of the Madden franchise have taken the good with the bad for years now. Like many, I've dutifully forked out my $60 each year to get the newest version of the game. Each year there are drawbacks (middle linebackers that can leap and intercept every pass over the middle, players being sucked into tackles, receivers that try much less than the defensive backs to catch a ball, the fact that you will be sacked nearly every time you try a play action pass the list goes on and on) and each year EA addresses an issue or two (whether they actually fix them or not), updates the rosters, and convinces us to spend another $60 for the newest edition. Even with the drawbacks, for those of us who love Madden, we start our franchise mode, use the fantasy draft to assemble a team that can overcome the shortcomings of this year's game and beat the competition, and import our draft classes from EA's corresponding annual release of the NCAA Football game. I am one of those players who not only enjoys all of that, but continues playing the same team I've built from the ground up for multiple seasons at a stretch.

This year?

No franchise mode.

No fantasy draft.

No importing of draft classes from NCAA Football 13 that many of us dropped an additional $60 on in some cases, primarily so we could import draft classes for multiple seasons of Madden.

To some customers, those omissions may not seem like a big deal. But for many of us, it's like buying a new car and being told what color you will receive, having all of the radio stations preprogrammed and locked in place, and only being allowed to drive the vehicle on certain routes. Does the car work? Sure. Does it drive better than last year's model? It does. Can you roll down the windows, crank up your favorite song, and drive wherever the road may lead you? Not a chance.

For many of us who have faithfully played each and every annual release of Madden for years now, they took everything we love about the game and trashed it. It's not that they kept flawed pieces in place, EA actually took portions of the game we've eagerly looked forward to and embraced for countless years and ripped them out. I've played literally thousands of hours in the Madden series and if you broke that time down between teams I've assembled through fantasy drafts and teams that EA assembled for me (the latter being the only option in Madden NFL 13), I'd guess that ratio is somewhere close to 200:1. I've been playing Madden since the SNES days and while I've had my share of complaints with past editions, Madden NFL 13 was the first time I've ever found myself regretting that I had purchased the latest release.

I'm giving Madden NFL 13 a one star rating not because the game is worthless, but because EA literally ripped out what for many of us was the heart and soul of the game and sold us an empty shell instead. For me, it's no longer "Madden," it's just a football game. It's bad enough that I returned the game shortly after purchasing it, losing a good chunk of money in the process. The omissions, which we've relied on and enjoyed in countless previous versions of Madden, are truly that important to the game.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Xbox 360 Reviews

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You know, it's amazing that in this day and age, you can have a game with spectacular graphics and unbelievable surround sound and the game is just.... blah.

I mean, graphically Lost Planet is pretty nice. Beautiful, actually. There are some boss battles that are pretty astounding in how they are presented. There's one moment at the very beginning where a creature named Green Eye appears and the size of this thing is enough to make your jaw drop. There's also another moment when you're running across an open field getting chased by this monstrous worm thing that is an experience on its own. This is definitely a game that benefits from being played on an HDTV setup with surround sound.

But then the story kicks in and you can't deny that it makes very little sense, not to mention the fact that the hero of the story is really not an interesting character to begin with. The gameplay itself is a bit repetitive and really, the game just amounts to little more than eye and ear candy. Even when you're not on foot and riding around in the mechs, it just doesn't add up to any memorable experience.

The online portion of the game isn't enough to make you want to play it a lot, especially with games like Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas out there. It's kind of stale and just not that interesting.

I'm really down the middle on this game. I'd say that it's worth a rental and then if you like it, get it. I wouldn't call this an outright purchase as it just didn't grab me the way I would've expected it to.

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This game has amazing graphics and is really a lot of fun to play. So this is not a negative review, plus I have yet to use the Xbox live component, which I have heard is impressive. However, as far as the single player mode is concerned, the game is weak on a few fronts and you might want to rent it before buying

1.) The story is really crappy lame dialogue pointless missions and undeveloped characters. The developers were going for Sci-Fi action, but the storyline comes out as Anime. The characters are completely forgettable and in most cases annoying.

2.) The missions, and there are not too many of them, are simple and Boss-oriented. They all seem to follow the same formula ascend corridor -> fight boss, climb ridge -> fight boss

3.) The game is not strategic or tactical like Gears of War or COD. This is a "run-and-gun" shooter -that is there is not much "taking cover" or flanking and a lot of running around and circle strafing bosses.

So while this game is fun, you might want to rent for the 3 reasons above. Plus you could probably play through this game in a couple of nights. If you don't intend to use the multiplayer options (online only no split screen) you might want to rent or pick it up used.

Best Deals for Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Xbox 360

At the time of its release, Lost Planet was arguably the most hyped game from CAPCOM since Dead Rising blew the minds of many, myself included. While it boasts a load of potential it is ruined by a horribly fiddly control system.

Thrown into a cliched revenge story on a desolate ice-covered planet, we quickly learn the importance of a well thought-out control system. Sadly, this is what makes the game so painful; if it wasn't for the controls this game would have a lot going for it. The main problem is that the right analog stick controls your direction, but if you tap it quickly you spin quickly in that direction. So if you're facing one direction and tap down, you'll turn 180 degrees. What this means though, is if you're trying to aim at something and just want to adjust your site very slightly and you just tap the right stick, you're suddenly facing a completely different direction, which makes for VERY frustrating boss fights. And the control settings aren't modifiable! At least not the problematic ones anyway.

Most of the game involves action on foot or controlling mech warrior style machines called Vital Suits which are actually pretty cool. There are different types of machines to keep things interesting. Your character also possesses a Batman style grappling hook which is pretty cool but overall the gameplay really suffers due to the controls.

The graphics are very nice, with large, explorable environments with finely detailed snow and fog. The enemies vary in their quality but typically the bosses are very detailed. There are some very nice fire and lighting effects as well so overall the graphics are really very good.

But when it really comes down to it, the controls RUIN this game. It's probably even more disappointing because you can see the games potential as well. It's like when you meet a really hot girl and you start getting along with her great and then she says she has a boyfriend.

Honest reviews on Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Xbox 360

Lost Planet Extreme Condition is a classic run-and-gun game set on a frozen planet. This isn't a game of stealth or strategy. You see, you shoot, you move on.

There is a plot here but it's really best to ignore it. You, a young teen guy, are battling either ice monsters or other clans of pirates. Sometimes you fight both simultaneously. Missions in essence tell you "go here, kill everything".

Part of the fun is that you get to fight both on foot and inside a mech, hopping in and out whenever the whim takes you. This gives you a nice variety of weapons to choose from. Now, I have to comment that for a space-age distant planet colony, these weapons seem pretty modern times. You would think they would have progressed to laser cannons and plasma rifles as their sole weapons by now. I do like the grapple hook, though. It gave a fun, Zelda-like aspect to many of the levels.

To add to the arcadey feel, your health naturally depletes over time and the only way to stay alive is to collect replenishing energy. Silly? Perhaps. But no more silly than most other arcade games and the reasons they give for you to collect objects.

What's really impressive here is the way that large enemies seem "massive". You really get the sense that these are giant, ponderous beasts with weight and heft. The designers did a good job with enemy design and boss battles. From the small, intricate flying beasties to the larger main enemies, each creature is enjoyable to fight. Speaking of Zelda, you even get Goron-like rolling rock monsters.

But, to diverge into the storyline for a brief moment, isn't it a bit troubling that man-kind has decided to land on a super-snowy (i.e. not ideal) planet and when it found indigenous life there decided that the appropriate action was therefore to wipe it all out? Surely if we're going to be on a hostile-environment planet anyway, we could find one without current inhabitants ...

I also wish they had in-home multiplayer. Playing online on XBox Live is all fine and good, but with the relatively short built in missions, I'd really like to play co-op with a friend against them, and crank it up to super hard. That would be a ton of fun. I love playing this type of game multiplayer co-op, and for them to not even have that as an option seems a great shame.

So a nice start but I'd like to see a Lost Planet 2 with a better plotline, better weapons, and co-op play.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Xbox 360

I put Lost Planet: Extreme Condition on my wish list because it looked like Gears of War crossed with Robotech, featuring giant mecha and tiny soldiers battling huge monsters in a frozen environment. That's more or less what I got.

Our hero, Wayne Holden (modeled after Byung-hun Lee and voiced in English by Josh Keaton), loses his father to a giant Akrid known as Green Eye. When the archvillain of the game is chiefly known by the color his eyes, it's an indicator that perhaps the translation isn't perfect. Or to put it another way, we don't call Godzilla "Flaming Mouth."

Anyway, Wayne wakes up on the same frozen planet, rescued by the tasty purple-haired Luka (Christina Puccelli) and her aggravating little brother Rick (Justin Shenkarow). Rick's one of those characters who always wears goggles, as if they're surgically affixed to his face. He's a staple of anime, the energetic techie that tags along with the hot chick to make her more effective, since said hot chick doesn't seem to do a whole lot besides make poor fashion choices.

Yuri (Andrew Kishino), who looks like a villain, complete with narrow gaze and white hair, leads Luka and Rick. With Wayne joining their merry band, they're ready to go out into the frozen world and steal stuff.

They're Ice Pirates...sorry, I mean Snow Pirates. Well, not really they're actually the Rebels to NEVEC's Empire, battling on Hoth...

Wait, this isn't the Empire Strikes Back?

Which review is this? Lost Planet? Oh yeah, right.

Sorry, sorry, my attention wandered from the convoluted plot. It involves Wayne losing his memory, a bit of time travel, a weird glowy thing attached to his arm that powers the mecha (sorry, VIRTUAL SUITS...can't the anime community agree on a standardized term for these bloody things?), some rivalry between Luka and some other mannish-sound woman, and another bad guy (we know he's bad because he wears glasses) who wants to take...over...THE WORLD! MUAAHAHAHAHA!

This is a mech game masquerading as a third-person shooter. Wayne plods along, even when there's no snow. He stumbles when he jumps. Fortunately, he has a grappling hook that fires from his wrist and never manages to dislocate his arm. I ended up shooting the grappling hook at a lot of stationary objects and dragging Wayne along like a slower, dumber version of Spider-Man.

The other challenge is that Wayne requires heat to live. Fortunately, the Akrid provide it, which really motivates Wayne to kill them however he can. There are also huge vats of energy lying around that are just waiting to be shot up. What doesn't make nearly as much sense is why Wayne has to power up his heat energy when he's indoors. Or in a volcano. Seriously.

The Akrid are beautiful to behold. They are all weird, squiggly bug-types, each unique and varied and most of all HUGE. Lost Planet revels in the size of the landscape, throwing giant worms and massive moths at you as you struggle with poor mini-Wayne to get to a mech. Once you're in a mech, the game becomes much more fun, because you can move faster than a snail's pace and blow things up much more effectively.

The human opponents, also in mechs and on foot, are annoying and suffer from the I MUST SHOUT SOMETHING BEFORE I DIE syndrome. Every time. When you kill a lot of these guys, the slogans and rallying cries get old. The Akrid bosses, who don't speak, make up for it.

In fact, the game is all about the bosses. Each is innovative, challenging, and terrible to behold. However, Lost Planet is a game of attrition; on the longer levels it carries over the energy you collected in the beginning. Since heat energy and damage are tied together, failing to get enough energy or taking too much damage in an earlier part of the game can make a boss battle impossible. I had to restart two levels from scratch until I got it right.

But Lost Planet is addicting. I played it on hard and all of the boss battles were very close. Two of the boss fights ended with Wayne going through two mecha, a handful of grenades and a missile launcher. Now THAT'S a fun game!

Buy Hitman Trilogy (Includes Silent Assassins, Blood Money

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $9.95
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

The Hitman series is wonderfully composed in terms of gameplay, graphics, lasting appeal, and music. All three of these games play differently Silent Assassin being the longest, Contracts being the most confusing (in terms of story), and Blood Money being the most creative.

If you've never played the Hitman series before, you'll find all of this content fresh and new. Contracts is actually mostly a remake of the first game (not included in this Trilogy, there are actually 4 Hitman games). I suggest that you play them in the order of Silent Assassin, Contracts, then Blood Money. The reason being is that Blood Money is the most open-ended of the three, and features the most realistic AI that will not freak out as much as the earlier titles. Although the AI is different in the earlier titles, it doesn't necessarily mean they were worse, but I think you will find that Blood Money will be your favorite.

Aside from the excellent gameplay, you will probably find the music very impressive. The music in these three games were composed by Jesper Kyd, with the help of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra in some of them. Silent Assassin features an overwhelmingly intimidating soundtrack akin to the Imperial March from Star Wars. Contracts features more electronic-style music (not techno), while Blood Money returns to a more orchestral style, featuring an excellent rendition of Ave Maria.

Overall, the Hitman series turned out to be my favorite single-player shooter games. Blood Money is my personal favorite. You'll find that the game has a very high replay value, as you can achieve higher ratings based on your performance in the missions, and there are more and more ways to complete the missions, especially in Blood Money.

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I did not buy the Hitman Trilogy, but I have played every single game in the series and I must say that eidosinteractive did a fantastc job with Hitman. Just recently, I decided to re-download Hitman Codename 47 and Hitman 2 Silent Assassin to add to the other two titles I have (Contracts and Bloodmoney) From the previous comments, it appears that there seems to be some sort of incompatibility issue with Vista Operatig systems. The easiest way to solve that problem is to go to the hitman2silentassassin set up icon/shortcut, right click on it, and go to properties. once in properties, click on the compatibility tab and go to "run this program in compatibilty mode for" area (select the radio button next to it) and select the operating system you want the game to be installed in. For Hitman 2, I selected Windowx XP. Once you do that, you should be all set. The game will install fine and will run with no problems. I don't know whether Contracts or Bloodmoney will run in Vista, but if they don't, just use the above method to solve the problem. I installed Codeman47 with no problems and hopefully I can run it in Vista without having to do the compatibility thing. Hope this helps...

Best Deals for Hitman Trilogy (Includes Silent Assassins, Blood Money

The trilogy is great. There's something darkly funny about dropping a piano on someone. XD

The gameplay is simply amazing. The Ai is pretty much human or close.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a challenge and for those who just love stelth games.

Hitman: Silent Assassins-9/10

Hitman: Contracts-10/10

Hitman: Blood Money-12/10

Honest reviews on Hitman Trilogy (Includes Silent Assassins, Blood Money

If you don't mind using a little stealth, this game is real fun. Great deal.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Hitman Trilogy (Includes Silent Assassins, Blood Money

This isn't really a review about the games they're all great. Specifically, this review is in regards to the cheap packaging this collection comes in. Don't get me wrong; $13 is an amazing price for these games. However, all Eidos has done is thrown each individual disc into one dvd case. It would have been nice to have Contracts and Silent Assassin on one dvd.

The worst part is that the discs aren't separated they just sit on top of each other, waiting to scratch one another. I was disappointed about this because I was looking forward to getting a nicely put together collection of some of my favorite games, instead of Eidos' overstock thrown into a box. If I wanted to own a stack of scratched-up games, I'd just burn a bunch of pirated games to dvds and stack them in the spool the blank dvds come with. I purchase games specifically to avoid that hassle!

Additionally, the instructions are all in black and white. Another strategy to make the collection cheaper? To me, they make it feel even more like a bootleg copy.

Reviews of Ben 10 Omniverse - Xbox 360

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $16.63
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

My son saw a commercial for this game and put it on his Christmas list. I was reluctant to buy it due to the lack of critic or even user reviews online. I went ahead and purchased it and we're about 85% through the game.

The game design and gameplay definitely reflects the reduced price tag. The levels and enemies are recycled throughout the game and it is basically a clone of your standard action game format (complete with the played out multiple button push finishing sequence for boss fights). We've ran into a couple bugs with play freezing or certain triggers to proceed in a level not working. You have to start the level over to proceed. However, my 6 year old loves playing the game, so that's really all that matters. It's his first game that is not from the excellent Lego series of games. It has 2 player co-op which is essential for playing games with your kids (or when they have friends over..just have to make sure they can settle on who gets to be Ben 10). It's not terribly difficult and can be pretty forgiving. My son has never gotten "stuck" on a level or fighting a boss.

Teenagers and adult games will probably get pretty bored quickly with the game. It recycles most of your standard action title gameplay and doesn't bring anything new to the table. For younger kids it is a solid and entertaining game and a fun 2 player experience to play with dad or friends.

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thanks a million my grandson is into ben 10 and he really loved and came in excellent condition and fast delivery will recommend everyone to order from you

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its for my grandson and he's very happy about the way it moves that he cant stop playing it once he starts.

Honest reviews on Ben 10 Omniverse - Xbox 360

Since I'm nt the one playing it, I can't say much except, my boys love it. Fun game for kids.

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My ten year old grandson is a huge Ben 10 fan, has been for several years. The shows, the movies, the various iterations of the Omnitraxs. And the games. Good lord he loves the games (he also loves all the Lego games, Little Big Planet, the various Spiderman and Super Hero offerings). He'd been patiently waiting for this release for several months.

Played through it in one weekend, his one word summary was "Good", which was then followed by a lot of expounding about the new aliens, Rook, who the bad guy was.

As he often does, he's played it through a couple more times, both alone and with his older and younger brothers.

Best Pokemon - Blue Version Deals

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The year was 1998. I was twelve years old, in middle school, and the Pokemon games debuted in the United States for the very first time. A game so simple and yet at the very same time: So complex. Nothing was more addictive, nothing was more fun than playing Pokemon. If you remember the craze (the REAL craze, presently it isn't nearly as strong as it was back then), then you remember what it was like to go to school back in those days. Suddenly EVERYONE had a Gameboy. Suddenly even those who didn't normally play games or even know what the hell a Gameboy was, had it. And you'd go up to your friends and you'd trade Pokemon, you'd taunt each other about who was the better champion when you battled. You got in arguments over who the best starter was. Then you learned of those glitches to get all your Pokemon to level 100 by duplicating the Rare Candies. You caught Missingno and M-Block and caught Safari Zone Pokemon by exploiting what may very well be one of the most widely known glitches in video game history. And of course, you went to catch them all, and you probably had that ONE friend who you deemed your rival and you had to catch 'em all before he did. If you remember all this, you're a true Pokemon fan. This isn't a myth, this game debuted, sold gazillions of copies and started a craze that--while it isn't as strong--still exists today. This was one of the heights of gaming period.

The Red and Blue versions may have seen stateside release in 1998, but the game was actually made in 1995. Before the television show came around. When the TV series took off in America, the games came next and as I said, they sold more copies than the latest installment of Harry Potter. I'm not kidding.

Red and Blue began almost everything you currently see in the series today. The game begins with you naming your character (you couldn't choose between a boy or a girl in this one) and then your rival. Again, if you had Pokemon fever you probably named your main character Ash and your rival was named Gary (even the strategy guides referred to them as such). It began with Professor Oak letting you have a Pokemon of your choice (between 3 starters) and then ultimately he'd send you on a journey with a Pokedex and have you document the Pokemon you'd find. Along the way, you'd have to deal with Team Rocket, the bad guys who are always causing trouble and stealing everyone's Pokemon, as well as gather eight badges so you could challenge the Elite Four and become a Pokemon League Champion. The entire formula began here, and just about everything mentioned above has been done in each and every main series Pokemon game hereafter.

What was perhaps the strangest thing about Pokemon is that the game was surprisingly deep in terms of combat. It was your traditional turn-based combat. Simple, yet it was so complex. For one, the game has a Rock/Paper/Scissors method to it. Every Pokemon has a type, and every type has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Water is strong up against fire but it is weak vs. Grass. Grass is weak vs. fire etc. etc. No Pokemon is invincible. They all have a weakness to some type. Though in these versions the psychics definitely have an unfair advantage as the type they're weak against (bug) is almost non-existent and there are hardly any bug type attacks.

In the battle menu you're given a list of commands. Fight, Item, PKMN, or Run. You can switch Pokemon you've caught in and out of battle on the fly, but it'll usually cost you a turn. It's the strategic portion of Pokemon that makes battling fun and addictive. As you go through the game you'll be challenged by trainers and you never know what they'll throw at you! It's completely unpredictable and some of them are tough. It's also interesting because with 150 different Pokemon, the amount of teams you can make are endless, and it really makes you think about what types you want in your roster. Because most of the Pokemon types are weak vs. more than just one type. It's also important that you give them a variety of moves, as the moves are also typed. On paper it doesn't seem like much, but when you actually play the game, you'll find a clog in your drain you didn't even know you had because you thought your team was perfect... but then that one Pokemon comes along and exposes your fatal flaw.

Pokemon was no short game. It was full of all sorts of side quests. From the Safari Zone, to catching the Legendary Birds, to the Unknown Dungeon. There was plenty to do, and even after the game was over there was STILL more to accomplish. Of course, your main accomplishment was getting them all. Pokemon could easily keep you busy for well over 60 hours. In 1998 this is an amazing feat seeing as how most RPGs of TODAY don't keep you busy that long. The main quest itself only took a measly 15 hours or so, but all the extra content kept you on your toes.

Even more, Pokemon was one of the few Gameboy Games that made excellent use of the link cable. Since Red and Blue versions had different Pokemon, some only appeared in certain versions. You couldn't for example, catch a Magmar in the Red version, but you could in Blue. How then, were Red players supposed to catch all 150? By trading. Until Pokemon came around, my link cable was collecting dust. Trading was usually a slow grueling process, though. Traded Pokemon also got an experience boost so they were easier to train.

Even more exciting than trading, however, was what really made Pokemon a blast to play: Battling. You and your friends could get together and battle one another! Test out your Pokemon teams against your friends. They were, more often not, far better to battle against than the games trainers. It's always interesting to see who your opponents heavy hitter is. With your friends it was always interesting. Imagine how embarrassed you were to say a certain Pokemon sucked only to discover that the trainer actually did a good job training?

As far as the game looks and sounds, it didn't really look all that great when it was released in 1998 (it was after all, a game made in 1995). On the original gameboy it was pretty grainy (but very clear on the Gameboy Pocket) and of course it was black or white (unless you played it on a Super Gameboy or Gameboy Color). For a Gameboy game, though, it actually wasn't too bad. It was annoying to watch a Pokemon simply flinch to attack, and some of the animations weren't all that great, but it was to be expected due to the Gameboy's limitations. The music, however, was fantastic. The tunes were catchy--particularly the trainer battles and gym leader battles. The only really annoying thing was the sound effects. They weren't all that great, and its a shame that Nintendo actually continues to use those exact same sound effects in Pokemon games today. Still, for what it's worth, this was the game you wanted on the Gameboy.

Pokemon is a classic. It'll always be a classic. No matter who you are, if you played Pokemon ten years ago, the craze was completely undeniable. If you got addicted like I did, chances are you're still playing today. Because in its core, the game was far deeper than you thought it was, and the series continues to use that same basic formula even today.

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My kids and I all love the Pokemon Gameboys (the three of us each have our own Gameboy). The blue Pokemon game is very similar to the red, with the Yellow having some slight differences.

I like the way the Pokemon game challenges kids. I suggest also buying one of the books which shows the various routes and places. This allows kids to work at the tasks without getting frustrated.

The idea is to start at Prof. Oak's house, get your first Pokemon from him, and then journey all around the land of Pokemon, collecting various wild pokemon (which you catch by battling them until they faint), and doing battle with other trainers along the way.

In the process, kids learn to manuever through mazes of increasing complexity (which is why the manuals are a help), to gather and use items, and to develop strategies for fighting various types of Pokemon. My five year-old even started to read while using her Gameboy, from needing to know which items she had with her (in her Item List)!

All in all these are great games which can be played over and over (although only one game at a time can be saved), and which will provide your kids with hundreds of hours of fun.

Cheap Rallisport Challenge

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This game is incredible. I have yet to play a Rally racing game that even comes close to Rallisport Challenge's caliber. Everything has been meticulously adressed to provide you the best Rally racing sim available for any console, bar none. I picked this game right when it came out and have hardly been able to stop playing since.

The graphics are superb. Everything from the tracks and the nearly photorealistic terrains are top-notch. The cars themselves are beautifully rendered with visible damage occuring to the car if you wreck. Your car even gets dirty as you progress through the tracks! Sound is above average but what really sets it apart is the fact that you can play your own music while you race. The cars all have distinct engine sounds and there is this English guy who gives you advice over what sounds like a CB radio. Another strong point for RC would have to be the fact that this game uses the vibration in the controller better than any game before it. But of course, all of these aspects of RC that I wrote about don't matter if the gameplay itself [stinks]. Well you don't have to worry in that department.

RC it seems was not created to be a 100% realistic simulation. I would say the steering at times is what makes this noticeable. So the games physics do have a little bit of an arcade feel but it stills stays true enough to form that it really doesnt matter because this game is still loads of fun. it also has a great variety of racing modes, cars, and plenty of hidden stuff in between to unlock so it will keep you busy for a while. Anyway, I feel confident giving this game 5 star rating because this has to be one of the top 3 titles to debut so far on the xbox.

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Introduction

A very good looking driving game that focuses on Rally Racing with different game options (point-to-point rally, hill-climbing, ice-racing, cross-rally). The games have enough variety of courses and cars to keep you happy, BUT not the excitement and satisfaction like those offerred by Gran Turismo 2. Rally racing is different from street or tarmac racing games (GT series). It is NOT for everyone!

Graphics 9.5

The environment and terrains are AMAZING! I just love how the tracks are seemlessly blended into the environment. Car models are good, the effects on the vehicles are great, but it is STILL plagued by jagginess (bumpy, unsmooth linings) like in PlayStation games in a lesser degree. I replay races just to look at the beautifully rendered semi-interactive environment, and lighting, shading effects reflected so smoothly off beautiful vehicles.

Sound 8.5

Engine and environmental sounds are sampled and created very nicely. You definitely need to adjust the settings in the option screen to get an enjoyable mix of music, engine, and environmental sound. The soundtrack is negligible. The option to have your own soundtrack makes this game almost ten times more enjoyable. I have to emphasize that the option to play your own soundtrack is so great that it warrants the purchase of an XBox for me before, and it still kicking it for me.

Gameplay 8.5

It can be as shallow as you want it to be or as deep. That means you can just jump in and have some fun, or spend countless hours perfecting those power-slides.

Presentation 8

Overall, the game is enjoyable. It has every elements that make it a very good game. The menu system needs more work for sure. The unlocking and extra features could be better.

Lasting Appeal 8

Once you complete the career mode and unlock those vehicles (most of them you don't even care), it is quite hard to find any incentive to keep on playing except for the graphics and your own soundtrack. With Sega GT, Pro Racer Driver on the horizon, RSC will keep you happy and busy until then.

Closing Comment

Overall, I give this game an 8.5. It is NOT better than Gran Turismo. It IS the best racing game currently for XBox. With Pro Race Driver and Sega GT2 on the horizon, this game should keep you happy and busy. I accredit RSC as the game that inspires future XBox driving games to be made better. I do not get the same state of euphoria when I first play the jaggy Gran Turismo. My recommendation is only buy this game if you are Rally fan, rent it first if you are just a driving game fan.

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I bought this game and I can't stop playing it. Sega Rally was one of my favorite games on the Sega Saturn (Sega Rally 2 for DC was horrible...the control was so broken!). NEVER has a video game for any console or PC conveyed a sense of environment as well as Rallisport Challenge does. The graphics are PHENOMENAL...everything from the clean, jaggy-free car models, grass, rocks and roads...it all looks so lifelike and solid! And the lighting...when the track indicates "early morning", "Rainy afternoon", or "evening" as it's conditions, believe me, the tracks and the way they are lit are completely convincing. You'll drive through some of these tracks (the most impressive are by far the Mediterranean, icy racing and hill climbing tracks) and you'll swear that you've actually driven through locales like this at some point in your life! And yes, on the hill climbing sections you CAN tumble off the side of the mountain which to my knowledge has never been done in a rally racing console game! Another bonus, check out the cool reflective mapping on the cars!

How's the gameplay? In one word: PERFECT! The game is challenging, but never to the point of controller-throwing frustration. You'll find that part of the game's appeal is to find out exactly which car is suitable for the circuit you are going to attempt. Here's a bonus tip....if you want to relive the glory days of Sega Rally 1 on your Sega Saturn, the Nissan Skyline and Lancia Delta control almost exactly like the default Lancia and Celica in SR1! You'll find yourself practicing to get the art of powersliding down...it's not easy and the trick eventually comes down to using the handbrake in tandem with the normal brakes on the sharpest curves. Believe me, once you finally have it down, being able to powerslide through the sharp turns in succession is one of the most skillfully satisfying abilities you can have as a gamer!

The career mode is where you'll find yourself the most. This consists of racing a small circuit of races--normally about 3 10. The object is to come in first in the points total so that you can amass the most points in the career totals to unlock new courses and cars. Great fun and you'll find yourself replaying many of the circuits with the new cars you unlocked to see how much better you can do! There's plenty to do and see and the races actually require some skill unlike the plethora of NASCAR games on the market.

The only downside is the soundtrack...just some generic techno that doesn't really do anything for me.

Is Rallisport Challenge the best racing game on the XBOX? I think so...

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For the most part, Rallisport Challenge really does live up to the hype. After disappointments like Wreckless and 4x4 Evo 2 I wasn't expecting much, but I was wrong.

Rallisport centers around a career mode where you compete in different types of rally racing to gain points and unlock more cars and races. Race types include ice racing, hill climbs, rallycross and traditional rallies. The tracks are pretty well varied and can be very challenging, especially the hill climbs.

My main complaint about the gameplay is the points system. Points are accumulated based on factors such as finish position and car damage. I would prefer to see overall rally position determined by cumulative time rather than points. Games such as Collin McRae Rally 2 are superior in this area.

Also, the cars aren't very tunable. The standard suspension settings and tire choices are there, but that's all. This game is clearly on the arcade side of the sim/arcade line.

Controlling the cars smoothly with the XBox controller can be a bit difficult, especially when you drive the unlimited class cars. The cars are rather touchy and the short travel of the XBox joystick makes subtle steering adjustments difficult.

Finally, the graphics really are wonderful. The attention to detail on the tracks is amazing. Drive through the grass and you'll the individual blades. Dust and damage will accumulate on your car over the course of a rally. The presentation is really well done. Just make sure to watch the replays because you'll probably miss most of it while trying to pilot your vehicle :)

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Did you think Project Gotham Racing(P.G.R.) was great? Wait till you play this game. Gamers everywhere have labeled this as the Gran Turismo Killer, and I couldn't agree more with them. I recently got to play an unfinshed built of this game and I was impressed. The controls are pretty much similas to P.G.R, but you can customize it also to your liking. The Graphics really utilizes XboX's power(you think Wreckless looked good? It's nothing compared to this game), every part of the game is detailed from the grass to the trees and especially the cars! There are 25 cars to choose from including Class 'B' Mucsle cars. The game is unlike Gran Turismo nor is it like P.G.R., it is a mix of both....an arcade racer and a sim-racer. You start out on your carreer with an ordinary rally car and you can upgrade it once you got the money, but unlike Gran Turismo, this game won't have as many parts in a Car as in Gran Turismo which is not bad since some gamers like me prefer that. Theres is also modes if you just want to race without worrying about managing your carreer, you can race by yourself or with upto 4 people on a split screen.

All in all looks like a killer Racing game, a definite buy!

Graphics 10/10

Sounds 8/10

Gameplay 9/10

Replayability 10/10

Final Score 9.2/10

Xbox 360 Controller Keypad - Black Review

Customer Ratings:

This is an awesome product, it is fun when looking on line or needing to type, and it arrived on time

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never been able to use it, it never connected to the controller, it just does not seem to connect, not worth it.

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Good price. Arrived timely and no damage. Priced this product at Target first and it was 15.00 more. So... I am HAPPY!

Buy I Ninja

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this game mostly on a gut feeling that it was going to be fun. I found the pudgy ninja character to be hilariously looking, and the screenshots made the game look varied and creative as well. If I were to follow the "picky" reviewers I would've never enjoyed what I consider today an excellent action title.

The Game:

You start out as a white-belt ninja. There are five worlds to be visited (no spoiler here, it is in the instruction booklet). Each world has an x amount of stages. You earn grades by completing each stage. A certain amount of grades are required to reach a higher level belt (yellow, green, blue, red and black). There are different katana (sword) levels, earned by defeating enemy ninjas in combat (chickening out will not get you powerful swords). The katana is not the only weapon, there are also shurikens (bladed throwing stars) and explosive darts. Your character also builds up rage abilities in combat. There are four rage abilities (Berserka, Revive, Ninja Shuriken and I-Ninja) activated by you in different combat situations. You also collect coinage on every stage by defeating enemies, opening crates or walking to hidden spots. Coinage gives you the ability to play additional challenge levels called "bonus tests" and earn additional grades.

About winning:

Let's make something clear about the difference between winning this game and obsessively-compulsively completing the game 100%

To win the game you have to complete enough stages to earn a black belt and defeat Master O-dor.

You also have the choice of completing the game 100% (earn every grade including the ninja master grade and unlock a secret battle arena)

I admit that in order to earn a black belt you will have to visit some stages (not all of them) two and sometimes even three times, but what other reviewers haven't mentioned is that the additional stage missions are slightly different. For instance, an alternate mission on a given stage could be time-limited, or maybe you are required to collect red coinage, etc. Another important aspect not mentioned is that you don't necessarily need to repeat the stage immediately; you can wait until later to go back to the additional stages and by the time you do that it will be like you've never visited them before.

The stages are creatively designed, you'll always see the Ranx foot soldiers (enemy ninjas) scattered all around, but there's always something new to challenge you. Sometimes you even take the part of a giant rolling ball (reminded me of Marble Madness and Monkey Ball) among other things.

5 stars for an extremely entertaining, fairly challenging, playable and graphically charming game.

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I-Ninja is one of those games like Banjo Kazooie and Crash Bandicoot that could be a verry good mascot for the X-Box system due to its very rich enviroments and easy game play, it is also a great game for thos little kiddies that ya dont really want to play Resident Evil. The game is captivating in that the game play changes through out, from driving a mamoth robot to shooting turrets and the ability to upgrade your belt and swords make the game much more entertaining to see how fast you can get to be the best! I very much enjoyed this game but wouldnt play it much as it should be played by those in the age range of 5-12 years old. I hope to see a sequil in the future.

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It is a good thing that I replayed this game, because it was much better than I remembered. You have at least that to thank me for.

The game begins a lot like many other ninja games and movies in existence. You, Ninja (yep, that's your name) must avenge your master's death (I think his name was Master). Well, actually, you killed him, but you sort of blame it on enemy ninja-robots (and samurai-robots) and their master Emperor O-Dor. What the game lacks in the way of an arch nemesis, it makes up in fart jokes. Because this game is, overall, funny. It is both droll and amusing, but manages to keep tongue-in-cheek.

The setup for the level select is nicely simple, and reminded me of Ty, the Tasmanian Tiger (the video game stupid, not the man). The Ninja roams about the land, which varies from town to town, righting wrongs. A group of levels (about three regular levels and one boss level) makes up an arena. Each arena has a subplot of its own, the first being the most creative (a giant robot, once the king of the beach, has been disassembled by the evil Emperor. You fight his minions to reclaim the robot's body parts, only to do battle with another giant robot when you've put the first back together (ala Godzilla)).

The advancement system was kind of interesting. With each level you complete, you earn ninja medals, which go towards your ninja belts, which in turn raise your ninja health. I am not sure if ninja mastery is shown by karate-esque belts, but hey, let's keep going. With every enemy robot you take down splurting green robot goo, you earn points toward your new sword, the purpose of which is to take down even more enemies faster than ever.

What the game does lack is extra features. Sure, there are jokes about people's grandmas, but beyond that there is not much else to do. Still, this game has a weird replay value. If you play it some, put it on a shelf for awhile, then take it down again, it still is fun to gruesomely smash your enemy's face into the pavement knee deep in sticky, green robot goop.

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I-Ninja is one of those games like Banjo Kazooie and Crash Bandicoot that could be a verry good mascot for the X-Box system due to its very rich enviroments and easy game play, it is also a great game for thos little kiddies that ya dont really want to play Resident Evil. The game is captivating in that the game play changes through out, from driving a mamoth robot to shooting turrets and the ability to upgrade your belt and swords make the game much more entertaining to see how fast you can get to be the best! I very much enjoyed this game but wouldnt play it much as it should be played by those in the age range of 5-12 years old. I hope to see a sequil in the future.

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I-Ninja is a platformer game for the XBOX. You run around levels collecting money and killing bad guys (who also happen to be ninjas.) The levels have a futuristic design, with robots, computers, traps and lasers. Your character is a pint-sized ninja who does, flips, walks on walls, slashes with his tiny sword, swings across gaps, and grinds on rails. When you fight bad guys, your rage meter fills up until you go into hyper mode. In hyper mode you are very agile and your sword slashes are more powerful. You can gain new abilities and upgrade to bigger swords. Slicing enemies with your sword is fun and done tastefully enough so that younger crowds can enjoy. The main problem is repetition with the game because if you don't have enough belts you cannot enter the next level. So you need to repeat the same levels to gain more belts for level access.

Pros:

+excellent controls

+excellent graphics

+combo moves

+does ninja moves

+cool levels

+good music

Cons:

-very repetative

-levels very short

-very linear gameplay

-timed missions sucked

-no replay value