Discount Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: First Contact (Greatest Hits)

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $9.48
Today's Bonus: 53% Off

I don't know what they did to the Ghosts, but I want my killers back. I was a HUGE fan of the original GR games for the PC, but I decided to give GR2 a try on the PS2.

A typical Clancy squad-based shooter, a cross between Rainbow Six 3 and Ghost Recon, but losing the good stuff from each. Missions are incredibly linear one route to the objective, one way to get the job done, end of story. Your squad from GR has been reduced in size to a Rainbow Six fireteam of three AI teammates. Your teammates lack the skill and efficiency of the Rainbow operators, though. You've heard of the new "Army of One?" Get ready to be one these soldiers can't shoot, can't move, and can't make a decision. A watched two of them blaze away for twenty seconds at a North Korean soldier standing up in the open and couldn't hit him.

The story is weak. The pre-mission brief and planning are non-existent. Play is clunky, and you have very limited commands to issue your troops. Your own Ghost moves very clumsily.

I want to stay a fan of the GR series, but they're making it hard...

Attention design team! 1) More tactical options 2) Better command interface 3) Better pre-mission brief 4) Teammates who ACT like special operators 5) See Rainbow Six 3 for details

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The graphics in this game is the ONLY thing in it that's better than the original. Everything else is somehow worse.

The biggest problem with this game is that it forces you to complete an entire multiple stage mission without being able to save after any part of it. I completed the first part of mission #1 and was unable to save after this stage which should have been a save checkpoint. Once I completed this part, I promptly got shot in the head on the (harder) second part of mission #1 and was forced to try the entire mission over.

The aming with any of the guns is absolutely horrible as well. The orders you can give to your teammates is restricted to covering fire, taking point, throwing grenades or coming back to your position. Your team also won't engage any enemy they see on their own either without you firing or directing them to provide covering fire.

Ordinarily, an enhanced enemy AI would be a good thing, but even during the first mission, the enhanced AI is a disaster. I have yet to have been wounded, I simply get shot in the head and die immediately. I'm not getting close to the enemy either and am prone on the ground behind foliage, yet I get shot in the head during a firefight every time. This doesn't make any sense.

Also, what made the original Ghost Recon unique has been taken out of this game. You are one character in the game, you cannot switch to different soldiers on your team like in the previous GR PC and PS2 games.

Save your money! I'd only buy this game if it was severely discounted.

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The reviewers for the ps2 version of ghost recon two arent really seem like they have no knowledge of games at all. They exaggerated every con in the game, and left out every pro. IF YOU WANT A REAL REVIEW, READ THIS. Most websites are usually biased for xbox. I think it is quite odd when I see Ghost Recon 2 for xbox get an 8.8, and ps2 get a 6.6, I tried them and they both look, and play the same to me. If you see a low score for this game on ps2, you should question its legitimacy.

Now for the review...

Ghost Recon 2 poses an interesting story about a war sparking with the US, and North Korea. The Ghosts are sent in to investigate and to take out any threats. It could have a better story, but this is good enough to make an exciting game. The game gets annoying at times when you have to restart mission because you got killed, sometimes theres some trial and error in it. The Graphics are way, way better than the reviewers say they are. The characters and enemies are in very good detail. Better than the smeared faces and mish-mashed graphics of jungle storm. I played this game with an open mind, (like I usually do with games, instead of finding every last flaw like websites and certain reviewers on amazon) and found it fun, but not as fun as MGS3, or KillZone, or Socom II. There are some pretty intense firefights in levels sometimes, you need to direct your team to throw grenades, provide cover fire, or move in on them to win these battles, or you'll get wasted.

Run and gun does not work well, you need to take cover, and move from cover to cover to survive. The game is like Socom a lot. The graphics are good, the gameplay is fun and if you like Socom I or II, you gotta check it out. You really feel like special forces at times, sneaking in on them, and getting past the enemy with ease. I shall end this review with pros and cons

Cons

-The AI could be better, but hey, the game is still kick ass.

-The game doesn't suck you into the battle as much as Socom 2, or Killzone.

-The bullet affects are choppy at times, but it doesnt destroy the game.

Pros

-The ragdoll physics are perfect, no twisting body parts, and no flipping around from a gunshot like in Shell Shock.

-The gameplay is fun, and it can get pretty intense sometimes

-The sound and music is great, one of the best I've seen for a game lately

-You really feel like special forces when your fighting an enemy sometimes

I conclude that this game is worth being on your wish list for the holidays. If youve never played or really got into Military games like Socom, KillZone, or MGS3, you should rent it. Even rent it if you like those kind of games just to be sure. Thanks for reading my review, and Happy Holidays! :)

Honest reviews on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: First Contact (Greatest Hits)

Me and my son have been playin this game and love it. Has a good theme and has a real war machine type feel.

You dont have to move in silence and sneak up on the enemy. Just use military tactics, ambush the enemy and

shoot em all up.

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If anyone ever compares the Ghost Recon series to SOCOM they are completely insane. SOCOM is so far and away the better game, Ghost Recon 2 is so linear it forces you to play every mission the same way. Your teammates are useless and will actually grenade themselves more often than not. At least in SOCOM they would follow your orders once in awhile. Ghost Recon just has you in front all the time getting shot at while they wait behind. You're forced to run into ambushes constantly and you can't leave certain sections of the map to try different attack angles. There are invisible walls set up to keep you trapped like a rat. Please pass on this series and stick w/ SOCOM 1, 2 or 3

Discount F1 2011 - Xbox 360

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List Price: $29.96
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Last year I fell in love with what I believed was the best f1 game ever. This year I find myself unable to touch 2010 because 2011 is just that much better. The cars just feel so much better and the new changes allow me to unleash an aggressive driving style on the track. Curbs are now my best friends as I can trample them without fearing a loss of control. Everything about 2011 is just improved over 2010, especially the graphics. If you like a challenge and a great sense of speed, buy this game NOW!

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Not to sound dramatic, but this game is really pretty amazing. Admittedly, I have only spent an hour and a half behind the wheel, but so far the attention to detail is actually close to my expectations for an F1 game. I have a feeling that I will be investing a LOT of hours in this one.

Last year I had PS3 version of F1 2010 (G27 wheel so forced to get PS3) and I was kind of disappointed. Nothing wrong with the game for me, but just felt sterile and kind of blah. Visually the color palette was too drab, maybe handling wasn't lively enough, cockpit views kind of disappointing, and the McLaren wasn't even shiny? (Seriously, how could they not get that right in the year 2010 with all the experience they have developing games?)

I don't know if it is because I bought the Xbox 360 version this year or what, but WOW, I am impressed. The handling feels lively and the interaction with the AI cars has an exciting feel. The graphics are just beautiful, tons of detail that you might not even expect. I literally sat there with a huge grin on my face, like the feeling you get on a great ski run or after hitting a beautiful shot in golf. The McLaren is so shiny that its distracting (in a good way I couldn't stop staring at the beautiful reflections). The rain drops on the cars and little rivulets of water running across the body work add a level of detail that draws you in. The spray behind the cars feels "right", not sure how else to put it.

Overall, the game has the level of polish that I was hoping for. The good news is that it will only get better from here! I will enjoy this one for the next 364 days and have even higher expectations for next year. I have been playing with the Xbox 360 wheel from Microsoft, and am not overly thrilled with the performance of the wheel. Since the 360 version is much preferred, I'm going to order one of the Fanatect wheels and eventually eBay the G27. I'm trying to decide if I should get the GT2 or wait a few weeks for the new Forza wheel. Any feedback on that is appreciated.

Bottom line for me: I LOVE this game. I don't have PS3 version to compare to directly, but comparing last years PS3 version to this years Xbox 360 version, it is truly a HUGE upgrade and I think it will be many months before I'll be setting this one aside (unlike last year, when I just couldn't get into it, no matter how hard I tried nor how badly I wanted to love it).

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The game is pretty good, Graphics are not as good as I thought they would be, but the realism is good, becareful when using the DRS during Qualifying because if you are not pointed straight you will lose the rear end very fast. You do not spin out as easily as in F1 2010 you atleast have a moment where you can get off throttle and save it. Really like the fact that you can start off in Force India or (either Williams or Torro Rosso can't remeber) instead of just the three new teams. This allows you to be more competive in the first race.

Honest reviews on F1 2011 - Xbox 360

Excellent Game very fun cooperativ play. If you have a xbox 360 weehl the play is realy cool and the simulate is more real.

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I've really enjoyed this game. I've never played any of the previous F1 titles, however I've always enjoyed watching F1 racing. The game actually made me even more interested. The graphics are pretty good, not amazing but considering the game overall the gameplay value is fantastic. A must have for F1 fans.

Buy Yourself Fitness

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I am a WAHM of one 14 month old; I gaining a LOT of weight during my pregnancy (no thanks to the women who kept saying "You're too small!" as they shoved cake and chips in my face!) and I've had a heck of a time getting it off (even though I eat VERY healthy). I used to be VERY active and loved running and/or going to the gym, but we can't afford a gym membership (or a babysitter on a daily basis so I could actually GO to the gym and I'm too tired after my husband gets home to go to the gym anyway) OR one of those outrageously expensive jogging strollers (for those prices, they should get better ratings!). I've tried baby & mom yoga (a book)that didn't work for me. I purchased a DVD on Amazon, Pilates for Everyone I think it was calledthat was better than the yoga book, but I found that the gap between the beginner and intermediate workouts was WAY too wide for me (the beginner workouts got too easy and the intermediate workouts, yeah, I couldn't even make it through the first five minutes of one). This is the BEST thing I've found so far and I am LOVING it! :-)

So let me break it down.

Things I LOVE about this:

1. Custimizationyou enter your weight, target weight (if you need to), resting/active BPM, flexibility, etc, even the excersize equipment you already own and it will tell you what your MAIN goal should be (mine being weight loss, obviously). You enter days of the week you can work out and how much time you can spend working out on those days.

2. TempoIt doesn't seem to be repetitive at all, like my Pilates DVD was, it never got boring.

3. Scroll barThere's a scroll bar on the bottom of the screen as you do a work out that tells you what you're doing and shows you what is up next as well. For example, it shows a picture of two free-weights before the next segment if you need to use them during the next excersize. And there is a clock counting down the time (which I REALLY need, I need to be able to see that the time is going DOWN and I'm making progress) and it tells you the level of difficulty of the exersize that you're doingboth under the time and on the scroll barone line for level one, two bars for level two, you get it.

4. TutorialYou can pause and review the tutorial at ANY time, as needed.

5. The Personal InstructorShe virtual and she doesn't look like freaking Barbi, THANK GOODNESS! :-) (In fact, she looks a lot like me BEFORE I had my daughter :-) )

6. ReinforcementBefore you start your workout for the day, you can change what the personal instructor has chosen for you (if she recomends cardio, and you aren't feeling up to it, you can change it to some other area of focus). She asks you how you're feeling both before you start your workout and in between at intermitent points so if you need MORE positive reinforcement, she will do more "rooting". :-)

7. Recipes and meal plans and shopping lists, oh my! I don't use these, I'm vegetarian, no sugar, and I'm decreasing my intake of dairy products so I have my own healthy recipes customized to fit MY life and budget, BUT these are a great idea and I may actually flip through the 4500 (gasp!) recipes for something new.

8. She KNOWS if you missed a day! Yup, I guess if you miss a day, it will show up on your "progress", which may annoy some people, but I feel guilty VERY easily so if I miss a day I'd feel guilty because not only would I know, the virtual Personal Instructor would know it too, so she'd remind me of it. And that would work to my advantage so I wouldn't skip a day unless I was really sick or something.

9. The "LEVELS" I think this is so cool. Like most other video games, the more time you spend doing it, the more levels open up to reward you. In this case, the "levels" are the spaces where your personal trainer works out (yeah, I'd like to work out in a field surrounded by green grass and waterfalls for REAL!) but it makes for a nice change of scenery.

10. Calories At the end of your work out, it tells you how many calories you've burned! That is SO important for me because I need to see improvement.

11. Workouts I get bored easily, and my target is weightloss so when the personal trainer recomends I do cardio, it's not just cardioin my cardio workouts there are some cardio weight training exersizes too, which is nice so I don't get bored! There are also water breaks after strenuous steps and stretch breaks after each cardio weight set and the workout time includes stretching at the end. ALSO even though my main goal is weight loss, the personal trainer doesn't suggest that I do just cardio for every single workout. For example, if I do a 30 minute workout, the first 10-15 minutes will be cardio, and the remaining workout could be upper/lower body strength, flexibility, core body strength, etc. So I end up with a very well-rounded week of workouts.

12. The "camera angle" changes throughout the workout so you can see what it should look like from different angles and it changes the back drop behind the personal trainer too, so it's not boring.

13. In addition to the daily workouts, you can also chose "Meditation Garden" and do a roughly 20 minute yoga session. I've been doing this at the end of the day before bed after my daughter is asleep and it's WONDERFUL! It's so great to have yoga in this "game" too! It's like having everything I need in one place!

Things that I would improve:

1. Ok, this is silly, but it'd be fun to change her body type or even her weight, and her clothes/hair color/eye color, etc. But that's more play and less workout and I guess that's really not the point of the "game". :-) That's just the child in me.

2. During the cardio, while you're doing any type of work with reps and weights, I wish that the number of reps would count down on the screen as you are doing them with the personal trainer, because again, I like to see results.

3. I think this is mainly geared towards women, for the very fact that the personal trainer is a woman. But my husband is going to use this as well (for improving his core strength) and he said he'd rather have a male personal trainer than female.

4. When I was setting up my customized section, after I plugged in my height and weight, the personal instructor instructed me that I was over the weight range for my height. Now maybe this is just me being uber-sensitive, but DUH! I'd rather just have it just state at the end that my target goal is weight loss so I will be doing a lot of cardio in my customized workouts.

5. Although I don't have a problem with this because my husband already had an x-box, it would be more versitile if they came out with one that can be played on regular DVD players OR one that can be played on BOTH an x-box AND a DVD player (and for the x-box, they could just have you use the x-box remote that plays movies instead of the controller).

6. Although I LOVE the Meditation Garden yoga sessions, I would like to know how many Calories I've burned at the end of each sessionthe "game" only tells you how many Calories you've burned at the end of each "Workout" session.

I was a little apprehensive about this at first, I'll admit, I thought it was a silly idea, but I LOVE it now! Once I got into it and started the workout, it was fun and not boring at all! This is perfect if you are a mom (or a dad, I know some dads stay at home or work at home too)/ hate the gym/ don't have $ for the gym AND a personal trainer AND a nutritionist/ get bored easily/ need positive reinforcement/ need a schedule/ need something different in each workout/ need custimization... ENJOY! :-)

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I was taken back when I noticed this on the shelves of my local gaming store. So I read the back, came home and did a little on line research.

It was less than 24 hours after that, when I decided to purchase this product.

This is a great "game" that takes getting in shape very seriously. You answer some questions at the beginning and do some exercises to allow the trainer, Maya, to get a feel for your overall health.

Once you've done that, Maya has created your personalized training schedule, eating schedule and I was ready to go!

During my first workout, Maya gave plenty of encouragement (based on how I was answering questions throughout the workout)to keep me going. The bottom of the screen displays the workout that you are doing along with the next one coming up, including rests and water breaks. She can incorporate a stepper, flexibility ball, hand weights and a heart monitor in the workout.

The variety of the workout was AMAZING and I sweating more after 30 minutes with Maya that I ever have doing other videos.

This is definitely worth the $34 price tag just to have your own personal trainer in your Xbox whenever you want one.

Overall, this is only a 4 star product since it doesn't really tell you how much you "need" to lose and how you are going to get there. I also would have liked a BMR calculation with calories taken in so I can see what I need to burn off to lose some weight.

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I'm a single male in his late 20's who one day kind of by accident found this game here on Amazon. So I went out and bought it and I have just finished my first workout tonight. I have to say that I am very impressed because this game is a workout and not really a game at all. I broke a serious sweat the first workout that I took. They even have yoga on there and I think that is one thing that I will be doing more of because it teaches you the positions as you go. This game may be targeted towards women which I think is great because not many games are. But, I think that men can even benfit from using the game too. I really like the concept and I can't wait to see what the developer responsdesign does next. They really do make as their motto says "Games that are good for you". I think any game that can make you get up off the couch and get involved physically is a good game to begin with. It's a really groundbreaking concept because Maya the trainer seems almost human at times. This is why I play video games not just to pick up a controller but to become involved with the action physically. I can't say enough about this title! It may not be the best selling or best looking XBox game but it's the most inovative concept I have seen since all the dance pad games came out and before that all the old NES games with the pad. So check this game out and this is coming from a hard-core gamer here.

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Definitely not. After reading all the rave reviews this "game" is getting, I decided to be a sceptic and buy it for the sole purpose of finding it's flaws.

Then I met Maya, and she showed me all of my flaws instead. And then I started to hate her perfectness even more, because she showed me my flaws nicely!

I had no idea how out of shape I truly was until my fitness evaluation. I rolled my eyes and trudged through it, saying aloud that it was so lame, but secretly thinking it was the coolest, most innovative thing ever. I looked at Maya, and sad, "Seriously. Jumping jacks??!! Puh-lease. Are we in third grade gym here?" Then I began doing them.

So after I regained consciousness, I huffed and puffed through the rest of the evaluation. Then I was given a workout schedule recommendation, and a plan for healthier eating. I was happy with how thorough it was. And the food is very simple, yet extremely yummy! Nice, normal, healthy choices. Things I actually have in my house!

RUN, don't walk, to go buy this right now. It's wonderful for beginners, or even the advanced who is looking for a change of pace to get away from their latest plateau. The Yoga Meditation Garden is wonderful, the workouts are wonderful, Maya in wonderful, the food plans are wonderful. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's truly that impressive. My entire body aches so bad that it's painful to type this review. Who knew I had muscles in there somewhere?

A thousand times cheaper than a gym membership and a personal trainer, even if you have to buy an Xbox for it. They are planning to release a PS2 version in January, so it would be a great gift for the New-Years-Resolution-to-get-in-shape person. There is also access to a wonderful, supportive companion site where you can post a journal if you'd like, or just share your "war stories" about Maya.

All in all, this is the best thing I have ever bought for our Xbox. Besides Halo 2. ;)

I am editing this review today, Friday March 4, 2005 (originally written in Nov. 04) to add that with the help of this game, I have gone from a size 20 to a size 14. In 4 months!!! I follow Dr. Phil's food plan, and use this program 5 days per week, and the pounds have just melted off. Not a week goes by that I don't see improvement.

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You can read other reviews for the good things about this title. Here are a few problems:

1) Sometimes the program just won't do the workout you select. Three times today, I tried to make it give me a core workout and it kept doing upper body (which I just did yesterday and didn't want to repeat so soon).

2) I use other programs or running for cardio, so I'm already warmed up when I start YF. There's no way to tell the program to just get to the exercises. And there's no way to input workout data so the program knows you're doing cardio elsewhere. It will keep suggesting you need it.

3) There's no way to tell the program to not use a particular exercise. If you're bored by a move or it exacerbates an injury, too bad. Chances are, it's a move the program will use over and over for minutes at a time.

4) There's no option to build your own workout. I really wish the program was more customizable, giving me a list of exercises to string together to work the muscles I want to work on any given day.

5) It asks how groups of exercises made you feel, but there's no option to indicate a particular exercise is too much. You can make the whole workout easier, but that's not necessarily a good thing. For example, yesterday's upper body workout kept hammering me with pushups. I simply couldn't keep up. Telling the program to ease up only meant the next few exercises were shown without weights...but those exercises were for my biceps. I needed to tell the program enough already with the pushups.

I haven't decided if I'll keep using the program or not. It's definitely good to have some variety in my workout, but it's not good to feel frustrated by limitations and glitches.

Reviews of Gamebridge AVC-1400 USB 2.0 Cnct Xbox PS2 To Pc Xp SP2 2K SP4

Customer Ratings:

Bought Adaptec Gamebridge AVC-1400 just for the possibility to play console game without a TV. Adaptec has another model, AVC-1410, which includes TV tuner. But I don't see a TV tuner is useful for me. So, I went with 1400 instead.

AVC-1400 comes with a Gamebridge main unit, a USB cable to connect Gamebridge to the computer, a 4-in-1 cable to connect the video/audio source like game console to Gamebridge, and Installation CD/guide.

USB cable uses the standard mini-USB connector on Gamebridge side, and USB A on PC side.

4-in-1 cable has composite, audio L and R, and S-Video for A/V source, and a very small proprietary connector (smaller than that mini-USB) for the Gamebridge main unit side. The small connector worries me, as it seems to be quite easy to break.

It's misleading to say AVC-1400 is small. The Gamebridge main unit is small for sure, but you can't just carry main unit with you and not bring AV 4-in-1 cable and USB cable. Without those cables, you can't have the video/audio send to your computer. So, consider all the pieces you need to get this to work, the whole thing is not that small. Also, I don't really like the idea to have this AV 4-in-1 cable. I'd prefer all the A/V connectors to be built into the Gamebridge main unit itself. That way, you don't have to worry about breaking that tiny connector. Also, you have less pieces to carry around, thus less chance to lost something.

Software installation includes two parts Gamebridge driver and InterVideo Home Theater application. Both installed smoothly from the included CD. Application installation take longer than I expected. Also, I thought I don't really need InterVideo Home Theater application.

I tried this thing with my two sons playing GameCube. The video quality is pretty good, but full screen mode is a little bit blurry, as my son put it. Then again, the result is actually better than I expected. I have no problem with sound, unlike a user has reported earlier. Recording is fine too. There is a very short video freeze immediately after click on recording button, but smooth after that. Recording has three mode Good, Better, and Best. My test was done with Best video quality.

I thought I should be able to use any software that has video capture ability to display the video from A/V source. But I tried Skype and VLC, both failed to open up Gamebridge capture device. VLC actually hung my Windows.

All in all, Gamebridge does provide me the ability to play console games using my computer as a TV monitor. And it allows me to record the game session. All in pretty good video/audio quality. 4-star rating because I don't like the fact that I need to carry three pieces of hardware. This will be a perfect device if the USB cable and A/V cable are built into the Gamebridge.

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I bought this because I am going to Iraq soon and did not want to have a TV in my small living space. It installed without a hitch and seemed to work great on my PC. Then when I plugged my 360 into it and there was instantly a very big sound delay. I did some research online and found the fix. It is right here Basically you turn off Codecs except the ones needed for the Gamebridge and your problem is fixed. I played Blue Dragon for about 1 hr and never experienced a problem (with Anti Virus and Bit torrent still running). I do not have the best computer in the world since its like 3 years old. So I know this will solve almost all the sync problems. Get this adapter if you want to play games on Laptop or record game footage. You can't beat it for the price!! I would have loved to have this in Korea.

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If you just want to view material from set-top devices through a computer/laptop monitor and you don't have a tuner card installed, then this thing does the job.

If you want to play video games on the same screen, stay away. The delay between the video game console's output, Gamebridge, USB connection, viewer, and monitor picture delay is unbearable.

Also, DO NOT INSTALL THE GARBAGE PROGRAM FROM THE INSTALLER DISC! It's too bloated and automatically associates itself with video files. Only load the driver for the GameBridge to get it to work. You're better off downloading DScaler for free and using it as your viewer.

I'm only using it now to watch TV from a set-top recorder's tuner on a small section of the monitor while working on something on the computer at the same time. That's the only good use for this.

Honest reviews on Gamebridge AVC-1400 USB 2.0 Cnct Xbox PS2 To Pc Xp SP2 2K SP4

this is great. i was able to record my xbox360 with a splitter that went to the gamebridge and the tv so i didnt have to watch myself play on my laptop. only drawback is that it doesnt have the tv tuner like the newer version does, so when i was recording tv (with AV cables from my cable box) i wasnt able to set it to schedule a recording start/stop time. but i just let it run for about 12 hrs, and just cropped out what i didnt need. as long as there is space on the HD, it is fine. overall this is worth the price, especially if you like to record yourself and post up your vids on the web.

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My son is deployed to Iraq and has his PS2 and laptop there with him for when he has down time. Unfortunately, a forward base he was sent to did not have a TV so he could not use his PS2. He asked me to look online and find out if there was a way he could play his PS2 on his laptop screen, so I did some research and finally bought this Gamebridge.

I had to send him the special instructions for use with Windows Vista, and also downloaded DScaler onto a CD to go with it, but I am happy to say it works perfectly!!

The Sims 3 Plus Pets - PC/Mac Reviews

Customer Ratings:

The pets expansion was the one I have been looking forward to since the launch of The Sims 3. And rightly so, it is very fun and the pets are more versatile than in The Sims 2. It is unfortunate that the key code for The Sims 3 install were incorrect. Do not bother calling customer support. Here are some keys for the base game that work:

EEPF-SXJP-9GFQ-V9GL-VRLD

QMJS-HJVH-4943-749Q-8RLD

R7WW-5UZ4-D546-ED5S-ARLD

MQA2-4HQA-3BYU-L3BN-ZRLD

It is not stealing because you all bought the game. Happy simming!

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Game is fun and arrived quickly, but major headache with the game registration codes. The registration codes included with the "Sims 3 + Pets Expansion" version give you installation errors and prevent you from finishing installation of either disc. This is detailed in a 10/18/2011 post on the Sims 3 website

Talking to EA's online help requires you to provide all 3 keys for the game (Sims 3, Pets, and Exclusive Content) to get new ones. They also require you to sign and date the original Sims 3 and Pets registration code pages, scan them, send them to EA support, and send a copy of your Amazon receipt. Signing the registration key page might cause problems if you need to return the game to Amazon if your replacement keys also don't work.

EA online support personnel were very unfriendly and unapologetic about the situation, which is very surprising given that the defective keys are EA's issue to begin with.

Bottom line: fun game, but be prepared to spend over an hour with online support trying to get working CD keys. It's a fun game otherwise.

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When you try to install the game you are prompted to enter a serial code that is included with the instruction booklet. Upon doing so, it told me that the serial code was invalid and would not allow me to continue with the installation. On my first attempt to contact customer service, I was disconnected after waiting on hold for over 45 minutes. My second attempt to get help with this issues also resulted in failure, I was on hold for almost 3 hours and the battery in my phone died before I was connected to a customer service rep. I've read many posts on various websites from people who have experienced the same problem. Even if you do manage to get the game installed, which seems to be quite the accomplishment, there are many glitches that drastically affect game play. The Sims is a great series, but until they get some of these issues sorted out I can't recommend that anyone purchase this title. Paying customers deserve a little bit better than this. I'm very disappointed because I was really looking forward to this game. :(

Update: After several failed attempts to get the issue resolved with EA customer support, I had almost given up and written this purchase off as a loss. I decided however, to try them just once more and was very pleasantly surprised at the results. On my final attempt to contact EA games, I was almost instantly connected to a customer service rep who helped me resolve the issue within minutes over the phone, and was even given a code for a discount towards my next EA purchase. Although I was very frustrated at first, EA did a good job in the end and has restored my faith in the company. The game itself is running fine on my computer and I haven't experienced any bugs or problems with it. In fact, I recently purchased the "Ambitions" expansion and had no issues with the installation of that game either.

Honest reviews on The Sims 3 Plus Pets - PC/Mac

So, I just got this game today and happened to get on amazon to read reviews about it before I opened it. I tried using the codes that came with the game for installation, and they didn't work like everyone was saying. I googled solutions to the problem and found a website that said to use the red Pet store insert that came in the box to download the pets expansion pack, and it worked. They said you can also use the code for its intended purpose. Hope this helped :)

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WARNING: code does not work. Please read the other review that has all the codes in it. Use one of those, and the games install fine.

As for the gameplay, it was enjoyable but confusing to me. I've been playing the sims 2 for years now, and I've always more than enjoyed the games. I was a little late on the ball getting this one, and frankly, it was a bit of an impulse buy. I wasn't too crazy about it at all.

The want system, and the careers, and the faster draining needs drove me up the wall! I felt like there was so much going on at once that it tired me out! You have to be following every sim every second, or they'll do something crazy like... go cheat on their wife with a man out of the blue! Very frustrating for me.

Perhaps, with time, it will get easier to do the deranged multitasking this game requires, but until then i will be diluting my sims 3 playtime with the far less hectic sims 2, where a 6 person household seems calmer than a 2 person sims 3 household.

Discount Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Playstation 3

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $16.99
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

This game currently holds the record for sales in a week and sales in one day for any video game. People like to say this is a bad game that only sells well because of advertisement and hype. If that were true it would not explain why people continue to play it or why they continue to pick this up year after year. Are all these COD fans just miserably playing online not having fun? The series maybe boring and unimpressive to many but it appeals to a demographic and it appeals to it well.

It's simple: if you've liked the previous CoD games then you'll like this one. If you were expecting something ground-breaking and new then this game is not for you. This game is like Madden. All you're going to get is new weapons, maps, some tweaks, and some new features. Whether or not this justifies the price tag is a different story. I'm purely basing my review on entertainment.

As a long-time fan of the series I'll start off with the bad. The singleplayer is as useless as ever with a non-sense story that you simply will not care about. It is repetitive and linear with overwhelming spawning enemy AI shooting from all directions serving as the only challenge. The only variation is some vehicle levels reused from previous Call of Duty entries. There are no tools at your disposable to change things up. It's the same shoot, cover, grenades mechanic in place since the first Call of Duty on PC. At least back then the firefights felt intense and you were part of an actual historical event. While Call of Duty 4's campaign was entertaining the following MW2 and MW3 don't add anything, the surprises and thrills are gone. SPOILER: when Jackson died in COD4 it was dramatic and unexpected. When this same trick is used in MW2 (twice) and MW3 it's just not as interesting.

**My major gripe is that there's no consistency of characters. Characters are constantly being introduced and killed off in every entry. Soap, Price, and Nikolai are about the only consistent thing about this series in terms of story. Even then they are just empty NPCs providing orders and guidance to the player. There's never any interaction or personality shown to make you care.

I'll move on to the reason why most people buy this game or any CoD game for that matter: the multiplayer. As usual thing are played out on medium-sized maps between 6-player teams. The most popular game modes are TDM and Domination. Multiplayer is fast, intense, and catered towards those with short attention spans like myself. You won't have to traverse much ground in order to find something to shoot at. Some prefer more variation, obviously Battlefield 3 being the main example. There's nothing wrong with that game but I prefer the down and dirty street fight. If you do too, you'll feel right at home.

The new "strike packages" are welcome giving players different options in terms of playing style and tactics. For instance, the support strike package does not rely on consecutive kills. It continually stacks and does not reset after dying. This allows players to be more aggressive while still supporting team members. Likewise the specialist strike package allows players to add perks to their original 3. After getting 8 kills they player will have all perks becoming a super soldier. Now they won't be able to call in any killstreaks but the advantage of additional perks is a great advantage in a gun vs. gun situation.

Maps were advertised as being more balanced. This is a matter of opinion but I'll have to agree. For the most part the maps have been designed to weaken camp areas. Most sniping/camp spots will have too many alternate routes to enter and flank. Other spots will just be awkwardly placed not giving the player enough view over heavy traffic areas. There are plenty of camping players but what do you expect in an FPS game.

Perks have been reorganized in a way that forces players to make some hard choices on how they set up their classes. Of course the specialist strike package remedies that but in general I've seen people go with the normal killstreaks. For instance, in previous games the player would use a perk to be invisible to radar. This perk would also double as protection against air support. They have now been separated into two different categories. The same goes for the popular 'sleight of hand' perk that allowed faster reloads as well as faster aiming. Now as two separate perks players will need to rely more on careful playing and good old reflexes.

Not such a big deal since it's identical to MW2 but the weapons are great. In Black Ops each category (assault, light machine gun, sub machine guns) had only a couple of weapons worth using. These weapons were so good there was no point in using anything else. MW3 has the reverse effect where everything works great, almost too great, where gun selection sometimes feels like it doesn't make a difference. It comes down to preference.

The downsides of multiplayer is the lack of dedicated servers which I've complained about since CoD switched over from PC. This causes you to rely on the host system. I'm not sure why but every now and then I'll be 'slower' than everyone else usually getting shot after getting behind cover or just a second before I actually spot an enemy. Sometimes I can tell this is working in my favor and I'll have an amazing time but I'd much rather everyone just be on the same level in terms of online latency.

This system prevents users from joining games. It'll just randomly throw you into any game that has a slot for you or your party. This results in throwing players into a lot of losing games. Why? With a lot of people getting frustrated and leaving a losing round it creates gaps on the losing team. Innocent players looking to join a game are suddenly thrown into a round with a 30 score gap that's about to end. The game counts this as a loss! You literally can join a game, do nothing, and still lose.

Another issue is the auto-balancing system. I don't play in a party so when I do well the next round assures that I get stuck with all of the less skilled players to make sure I lose so things stay 'fair.' I'm not using anything that puts me at an advantage over anyone else so I'm bothered that the game feels I need to be punished for playing well. To put things in perspective I have a 2.00 KDR for TDM but only a 1.20 win record. In theory that is about right since the autobalancing is doing it's job. 50 percent of the time you should be put on a good team and the other 50 the losing team. So maybe this is a good thing for some?

I've ranted on long enough but I will repeat what I said before. People do not like this game and never will. The people that do (there are obviously many) wilkl play it and enjoy it as always. The graphics are aging, the game is very similar to MW2, and if you had problems with the series before most of those problems are still there.

The game is FUN. That's all there is to it. If it's not for you that's fine. To be fair I think this is the last COD game for me. It's a solid final entry to the series but if they make another one and it's still the same I'm probably satisfied with this one.

I look at the progression of this series like this:

COD4 Introduced classes, perks, modern setting, and more arcade-like gameplay

MW2 Introduced "super power" type perks, pushed the game over the top in terms of arcade style, introduced killstreaks which would become a staple of the series, finalized the game to a console audience in terms of style, maps, and controls/weapons

Black Ops balanced the game, took a step back in terms of style, map design, weapons, and was actually a little too watered down from what MW2 was.

MW3 Balances between COD4 and MW2 very well, really no where for the series to go from here

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Let me just start by saying this is only a review of the online play after a few hours logged in. I will come back and update more as I log more hours online.

Up front, was very disappointed in the presentation of the game. Graphics I thought came up very short. I actually think they took a step back in the before/between game presentation. Everything is very cold and nothing jumps out at you. I expected to be impressed before even getting into the game but I wasn't but then again it's not the gameplay so I can get passed that. The emblems and banners were different but looked cheesy compared to Black Ops. The maps were pretty cool but once again the graphics didn't impress. The cars looked cartoonish to me. But this may not be important to you as is it to me.

What is up with the voices of the players in multiplayer? Everyone sounds very tinny and I know it's not my headset because I have not experienced this in Black Ops or Battlefield. It's almost like they sacrificed voice quality for improved bandwidth for gameplay. I asked others I was playing with if they were experiencing the same thing and they said they were.

The online gameplay was laggy. I am going to give this a pass and attribute it to the first day of online play and likely a high traffic experience. It was really tough to play. For example, while playing Headquarters, I shot someone 5 times with a shotgun at close range only to have them kill me. Watching the replay from their vantage point right after, It showed me only getting off 2 shots cleanly while dying as a third shot was being fired. A 2 shot lag was a bit much. And don't say it's my connection as I have a high dedicated bandwidth connection. I will give this a pass for now since it was day 1.

One thing I did like a lot about Black Ops was that you could buy attachments and equipment early on which sort of evened the playing field a bit as opposed to having to rank up and earn the right to these things. Well it's back to the latter again.

Some of the new killstreaks are pretty cool. I especially like the attack drone (I think that's what it's called) which could be great for Headquarters games. But why do we have to unlock these for each different class we setup?? UGH!

Game invites took a step back as well. Remember in Black Ops how you could go to your friends list and just hit "select" to invite them? Well, no more! Not sure why they didn't adapt this into this release.

I used to be an Infinity Ward fan and always thought they put out a better product than Treyarch. I think the tables have turned. I am not alone on this either. Everyone I played with last night that was mic'd up agreed with me that Black Ops is a better online experience except for one person that liked this game better.

Who knows. I might feel differently the more I play it but as of right now, I may spend more time playing Battlefield 3 and Black Ops than MW3.

**Update**

I've given it another week and I have not changed my opinion of the game. I am not sure if I am the only one experiencing this issue but this game lags terribly. I did not have, and still do not have these issues on any other FPS game including all of the previous CoD releases or the Battlefield games. On almost every match, I am seeing the game freeze for a split second then jump forward. It doesn't happen in the beginning of games, only when the action picks up so I am left to believe that the game is coded in such a way that it's being overloaded with data at the host. I also believe this to be the case because in one game I was in, my game aborted and I got an "out of memory" error on my screen. What is that?? Never seen that happen before on any other game. I've seen less of this on the smaller tactical games where the number of players are kept to 6-8.

I still have not got into the campaign but think I will spend most of my time there since I cannot tolerate the multiplayer any longer. I did however play the Survivor mode and really liked that a lot. It actually might be the best part of this game.

I still stand by my rating.

**Update**

Ok so I played the game off and on for about a month and I got to be honest, my feelings have not changed. The lag issue is not as bad as it was the first week the game was out but there is still noticeable lag. Let's face it....when playing online there has to be some aspect of lag and I completely accept that but I don't know why it's so much worse in this game than it was in other CoD releases. For me, it seems for the most part, the online games start ok with the lag not being that bad in the opening seconds, but as each match progresses it starts to become more noticeable. I am not sure if this is a memory issue or not but it seems the more action that is taking place, the more I notice the lag issue. I have not been back online in a few weeks, which is a CoD record for me. I've actually been online enjoying the BF3 multiplayer much more but that's not for this review.

Because of my frustrations with the online multiplayer performance, I turned to the single player campaign. I had no issues with the performance of the game in this mode, nor did I expect to. The single player campaign was actually pretty easy even on Veteran difficulty. Now I am just going back and completing the trophies to close it out.

Overall....the feeling is still the same and my rating will stick. I don't think it's a bad game but I expected more, performance wise and also in terms of creativity. I don't think this game delivers but it's just my opinion. ;)

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Pros:

-Good campaign, but if you haven't played MW2&MW1 you'll be entirely lost

-Nice new multiplayer additions, such as bettys and scramblers

-Amazing new killstreaks like Strife Run and Overwatch

Cons:

-Not much originality. The multiplayer feels like a map pack for MW2

-The online maps all feel dull and similar. Hopefully the map-packs will bring some originality but we'll have to wait and see.

-Unsatisfying conclusion. Three games for... I'm not gonna spoil it.

Conclusion:

If you're a COD fan like me, this game seems old. The gameplay is fun, but if you're looking for something original try Battlefield 3. If you're new to COD, try Black Ops instead so you can understand the storyline. The Black Ops maps are also much more memorable.

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

I have owned all the call of duty titles, and I feel that this one fell way short. The single player is entertaining as usual, but the multiplayer, which is why most people get the game is a step in the wrong direction. The multiplayer maps are very unimaginative, just a bunch of buildings with little creativity compared to other COD titles. Weapons are basically the same but with more options. The gameplay is the worst yet. I have a 35MBPs connection with a 35ms ping to the closest major city yet each game I play is laggy as heck and many games I get booted due to server connectivity. You would think that they would have servers all over to accomidate all the users across the US! I still think due to poor online gameplay and lack of map creativity this is near the bottom of COD titles.

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Ok so Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is finally out and I finally got a chance to play it and here are my thoughts of the game.

Campaign

The Campaign picks up from where MW2 left off. If you plan on playing it on Veteran i will admit that its not stupidly annoying like MW2 which was a huge ragefest!!!!!! The campaign is solid and is worthy enough to be that of a sequel.

SPEC-OPs Survival

I've played the Zombie mode in W@W and Black Ops and i wasn't sold on it. Survival adds that element of fun for the ppl who did not like Zombie. After the 1st wave you'll unlock the Armory support, 2nd Wave Explosive and Armor Support, last but not least 3rd Wave Air support. I managed to get to Wave 31 all by myself until i blew myself up tryna cook a gernade when i saw a Juggernaut coming out of nowhere lol. Unlike Zombie how you can have 4 players, Survival only allows up to 2players which sum ppl might not be to happy about. If you haven't played this mode yet i will say it's definitely worth playing you'll be hooked for hours playing it.

SPEC-OPs Mission

Like MW2 Spec Ops after you get all 48 stars its not worth playing anymore. Hopefully this time around they'll come out with more mission when they come out with DLC.

Multiplayer

MW2 all over again.

Conclusion

Besides the Campaign and Survival the game failed to impress me. IW/Sledgehammer(mostly IW) attempted to make MW3 have that COD4 gameplay style but fell short horribly. The multiplayer maps are god awful and it still has that MW2 gameplay style. This game would of been better off as a $30 DLC to MW2 rather then a brand new $60 game. Rent it or wait for a lower price!

Reviews of NFL® Pittsburgh Steelers Vinyl Skin for 1 Microsoft Xbox 360

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

I purchased the Pittsburgh Steeler Skinit for my sons new xbox controller. I purchased the Skinit during the Christmas holiday. The Skinit arrived with no delays. It was very easy to apply. It has been six months since the purchase and there are no signs of wear or peeling off. This is a good sign given the wear and tear my sons put on toys. I would recommend this Skinit product for its durability and value (more economical than buying a xbox controller with a team logo).

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The skin was awesome and still is. It is still looking good on the controller and it has been a few months. Great product to customize a remote!

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It was just what I expected it to be. Very easy to apply and it looks like the controllers were made that way :)

Honest reviews on NFL® Pittsburgh Steelers Vinyl Skin for 1 Microsoft Xbox 360

I bought this for my friend who is a Steelers fan obviously, which I am not. It looks great on both the white or black 360 controllers. It's very easy to apply and still looks new to this day. I recommend this product to anyone. It looks pretty cool, better than in the picture in my opinion.

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Great for the sport lover's controller. If you have more than one kid this is great to identify which controller is his/hers. Even though all the remotes are the same for some reason kids have "their" controller that they must use so this was great! Easy to install and I would buy this again.

Xbox 360 Elite 120 GB Console System Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Yeah, so i bought this item as a gift for my brother....DOESN'T WORK. I wrote a negative review and Milas Corp (seller's name at the time of writing this review, when the product was NOT advertised as console only) emailed me, asking me to remove because they wanted to solve the problem. This game is advertised to contain 120 GB, but only comes with about 7GB, since they "forget" to send the hard drive...naturally it doesn't support any games, due to it's low memory. I am still waiting on a response from Milas Corp, after they agreed to send the MISSING HARD DRIVE. Should have thought twice when i saw complaints about them on the Better Business Bureau...silly me. PLEASE TAKE HEED!!!! DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SELLER!!!

**That being said about my dealings with the seller, the product did not work until we spent additional money and purchased a hard drive for it, so keep that in mind.**

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I purchased the Xbox 360 Elite from Gamesboutike for $230.00 in August, 2009. It was listed on Amazon as USED LIKE NEW. By December 2009 the unit displayed an E74 error message. Per Microsoft instruction, I sent the unit in for repair. Microsoft returned the unit a few weeks later stating that the Xbox has been modified or tamperred with; therefore, the warranty has been voided. MS dispute resolution center advice that I should take my dispute with the retailer that sold me the unit if I did not tamper with it. Following MS's advice I contacted Gamesboutike through Amazon. Gamesboutike responded and instructed me to send in the unit to them and that they would try to repair the unit themselves. About a couple weeks later after I shipped the unit to Gamesboutike, they responded that the unit was damage beyond repair due to some Xclamp reason and there is nothing else they can do for me. I responded to Gamesboutike to let them know that I'm the sole owner of the Xbox and I'm certain that the unit was never tampered with in anyway and that I would expect a full refund or a replacement. Gamesboutike never responds back to me nor did they ever return the Xbox.

The good thing for me is that I kept the receipt and document all my communications regarding my dispute with MS and Gamesboutike and took the dispute to the Credit Card Company that I used to purchase. After three months of ongoing dispute with a follow up phone call every two weeks or so with the credit card company, they finally agree to issue a full refund to my credit card as they take their dispute with the merchant's bank. Hooray!

Although Gamesboutike has 96% positive rating when I purchase the Xbox, but from my experience with this company I would never buy anything from them again. The term caveat emptor apply here with this vendor.

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Thankfully, the used Xbox 360 elite I got worked. I had bought it from HonestPete. I don't make a lot of money, so I had to get one of the cheaper used ones. It's the best 100$ I ever spent. Before you blame the person selling the Xbox make sure the hard drive is meant for your system. I tried my brothers since we were too lazy to pull out the other one and had Red Ring of Death, but it was the hard drive's fault not the Xbox 360. Also, make sure you got all the right cords. It's a great system, but bad if you don't have the right cords.

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Got this couple days ago and have been using it, Everyone complains that they get RROD, but they either use the console for hours and hours, and they keep it on the carpet making it over heat, I like this console, Only down side is that it is a little on the noisy side, But you would get used to it.

UPDATE: the best solution to get rid of the noise and stop your xbox from heating up as much is to just install the game, If you do that your cd wont run as it will read it off the hard drive.

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Let me start this off by saying I have been a loyal xbox consumer for quite some time (bought the original system at launch).

Today's experience with Microsoft has been an absolute eye opener as far as the quality of their products and their complete lack of service overall. I have had my 360 system for a few years and bought the elite and newer models of the systems to avoid the problems that everyone else was experiencing with their consoles. This morning I went to turn on my 360 to experience the dreaded red ring of death that I have heard about so many times from so many of my friends. So I called Microsoft to see if I can have it repaired only to get the answer that my warranty had expired mere days ago. They did however offer to repair the system for half the price of a brand new system ($100 the new xbox 360 being released in a month retails at $199) with no mention of an upgraded warranty after this one would have gotten fixed. Naturally I decided to decline especially since I had a backup system upstairs (my fiancee's). I got to play one game for about a half hour and decided to switch to a different game, low and behold a second system broken in one day, this time the drive door would not open, not to worry this system was made later and should still be under warranty right? WRONG, the answer the technician gave me for this system is because this is a different problem the warranty does not count for as long, so essentially two broken systems in one day. Please be VERY CAUTIOUS when buying any products from Microsoft in the future.

Discount Assassin's Creed III with Steelbook

Customer Ratings:

Assassin's Creed III is set during the revolutionary era with much of the campaign being focused upon events surrounding the war with England. That being said, this opened up a lot of new possibilities for the Assassin's Creed franchise. Many new additions made it into the game, though the game itself feels as though it stays true to its roots. All in all, I'll break down the various elements of the game (briefly) and score them individually, ending with an overall score of the game.

Storyline: 10/10

Being as how I have been a fan of the Assassin's Creed games since the first one, I have liked all the previous storylines; and this is no exception. The story is great, many twists and turns that you may or may not be expecting, either way, there is rarely a dull moment. Furthermore, this story can be picked up by newcomers to the series (though I would recommend playing the other games before this one to get a COMPLETE sense of the story) and returning fans alike.

Gameplay: 9.5/10

The gameplay is somewhat different from the others in regards to the way you "free-run" as well as to countering attacks and disarming and the like. However, it is simple to pick up and play, but fun enough to keep you interested. Some new gameplay elements were added such as being able to captain the ocean vessel the "Aquila" and complete privateer missions as side-quests. Overall, amazing gameplay with one notable downside. That downside being horseback riding. The horseback riding mechanics in this game are horrendous. I find it odd that in this game, sometimes a horse will get stuck on a miniscule object such as a very small rock, but then can jump over quite a large one. Furthermore, the horse does not handle as well as I'd have liked. I constantly find myself stuck between two trees or rocks because the horse doesn't want to turn properly. On another note, the horse sometimes get stuck in areas where it appears to have plenty of room to maneuver. I am not sure as to why that is, but it is nonetheless, irritating.

Replayability: 8/10

This game is great from start to finish, though there is no real reason to play it all over again. The only reason I even gave it an 8/10 is because of the vast amount of time you can spend completing the various side-quests and main quests. Sometimes there does need to be a great sense of replayability in a game if there is enough content to keep you playing for a large amount of time in a single playthrough.

Multiplayer: 9/10

The multiplayer in this game is innovative (in comparison to other multiplayer titles currently available). It is not meant to be on the same level as other popular titles such as Gears of War, Battlefield, or Call of Duty. That being said, the multiplayer is nowhere near as immersive as the aforementioned games, though as I said, I don't think it was intended to be because the primary focus in Assassin's Creed has typically been the single player elements of the game. There are various online gametypes ranging from team versus, free for all, or even teaming up with a few other players to take out designated NPCs. Overall, the multiplayer likely will not keep you excited for long, though it is a nice change of pace.

Graphics: 10/10

The graphics of the game are simply stunning. The character models are great as are the environments in which you play. Occasionally you will run in to minor graphical issues or "glitches" if you will, though they typically fix themselves promptly.

Overall: 10/10

I feel that this is a fair rating primarily due to the great story line and vast amount of options you have before and after the campaign is complete (depending on how you play). "Everything looks good, feels good, plays good, and is good." "Except for the horses, they aren't so great!"

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It is an absolutely stunning setting that you are immediately dropped into. They really captured the look & feel of what it must of been like in the Colonies at the time. From the comments the citizenry make towards you, the attitudes of the soldiers instantly capture your imagination. The scenery is meticulously detailed. Ubisoft really went all out by looking at maps of the locations from the time period and built the world around them and brought them to life.

The enemy AI is very good, but not excellent...There will be times you wonder why they didn't see you, while others you will wonder how they saw you...overall however, it is very good and above standard compared to other games that are currently out. The combat system is very fluid & not sluggish and the controls in general are very easy to learn & use.

I was very skeptical about the steelbook case for Assassin's Creed III. Alex Ross, the artist, did a magnificent job capturing the setting of the game the patriotic nature just exudes from it instantly, while maintaining the mystery of the assassin. It is very sturdy & a lot better quality than I had thought it would have been. It does have a shortcoming, and that is that it only holds one disc and the game itself comes with 2 discs. It would have been fantastic had Ubisoft (the games developer) had taken this into consideration and released it was a case that could carry double discs. Aesthetically however, it is absolutely beautiful.

My initial thought was to give it 5 stars, but really the fact that the game comes with 2 discs, but the steelbook can only hold one holds back a star. Definitely worth having if you are a collector.

EDIT: A comment below asked whether or not it came with the game. There were 2 steelbook cases that were put out. One of them was by an independent company and the other was released with the game as a preorder bonus. The one that was put out by the independent company did not come with the game, and the one that was put out by the developer (UBISOFT) came with the game, but it was separate with the game coming in it's own original release case. I just wanted to take the time to point this out to anyone that comes across the review and it may help them.

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I got this game for my 14 year old grandson. He was thrilled and very appreciative. It's fun making one's grandchild that happy.

Honest reviews on Assassin's Creed III with Steelbook

If you want to run through trees, and then jump down a kill a deer with your hidden blade YOU CAN. Also you can kill people this way but the heart of the series is hunting animals to provide you with loot that you can sell or use for quests to help earn 100% synch

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Gave it to my grandson for Christmas. He has the entire series. Amazing game. They couldn't stop playing to see what was next.

Review of HORI Xbox 360 Racing Wheel EX2

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List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $68.09
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

Let me start off by saying this. This is not a 250 dollar+ wheel. It is a sub 100 wheel and pedal set. Many of the reviews you will read are from people that thought this would be the same as a wheel that is 5 times the price.

This review is written about this actual item and will compare it to wheels in this price and quality class.

pros

Set up took all of thirty seconds. It is plug and play with Forza 4 no need to remap buttons.

Paddle shifters are placed perfectly behind the wheel. They have a nice click and a great feel. far better then the mad catz side shifter

Rubberized wheel is comfortable to hold. Great tension when turning and a fluid quiet return to center. The mad catz wheel is known to be a squeaky mess.

Button layout is well thought out, they are easy to reach yet never get in the way.

Great vibration

usb powered, no plug or batteries required.

dead on accurate

questionable but not detrimental

The wheel is on the small size, though bigger then the wireless official wheel. That being said it just feels right. Any bigger and you couldn't reach the buttons any smaller it would be cramped.

The foot pedals are light small but separated well enough. They have a good level of resistance.

cons

pedals are light and slide easily, same as every other budget set

wheel base has suction cups to secure to table, stand, etc i have mine suctioned to a heavy marble cutting board that works great.

overall, a great wheel better then the mad catz. much better then the wireless wheel. Takes your racing games to a new level. The best in it's price range.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have owned numerous driving wheels, ranging from the Logitechs, to the Xbox wheel, to the high end Fanatec wheel.

This wheel is not competing in that same market. It is not even remotely in the same price range and therefore cannot be expected to compete at that same level.

The wheel provides only a spring loaded return to the center and vibration. There is no force feedback. Also the foot pedals are quite small and close together. It is very light and is made from thin plastic parts. But it is sturdy enough to serve its purpose. Given all this, while it is not a good wheel for serious racing gamers, it is ideal for young players (like between the ages of 7 and 10) who may not be strong enough to fight against a full force-feedback wheel, and whose feet are ideal for these smaller foot pedals. At the price point it is also not a huge investment a parent has to make.

I tested this wheel with Forza 4 and it worked right out the box. Set up was simple. Just plug and go. Just remember not to have both the Xbox game controller and this wheel active at the same time or else Forza gets confused (not a fault of this wheelForza gets confused with other wheels too). To resolve this, just turn off the other xbox controller.

Oh one other point I have to make. The paddle shifters on it are actually quite nice. They are driven by microswitches so there is a nice solid click when you press them. It actually feels more positive than my more expensive Fanatec wheel.

Anyway, in summary, this is a good starter wheel for young kids. But if you are an adult go with a Logitech (for PS3), Xbox wheel (for Xbox) or Fanatec (for dual compatibility and if you are serious sim racer).

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I love racing games and a good wheel is a must-have item. I had a different wheel, but it's departed to that great junkyard in the sky.

The Hori wheel seems to be pretty well made overall. The paddle shifters and buttons are well laid out, but the wheel is a bit on the small side (think go-kart, vs F1).

The wheel lacks force-feedback, but that would have raised the cost of the wheel much higher. It's not really an issue since it does the job very well.

My biggest complaint with the set is the size of the pedals. Now to be fair, I have pretty big feet (14EEEE). The pedals are unusable if I wear shoes, but work after a fashion with only socks on.

Overall, I'd opt for a slightly larger wheel, but the Hori works well and will fit most people (especially kids) just fine.

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I just got this phenomenal racing wheel today and believe me I am not regretting my decision.

This wheel is just the right size for me and the pedals are sensitive but small.

This wheel is better than most people seem to think, they are expecting to get a Fanatec quality wheel. So far this works with every game I've tried (even though i had to tweak the controls on TDU). I would say this is a very good beginners wheel overall. I didn't want to break the bank and I also didn't want to get something and have to return it.

I had actually decided to go with the Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Italia wheel for the Xbox, but the majority of people said it sucked. So with a little research i found this.

(Do not mount this on a textured surface because the suction cup mounting system won't work well.)

Pros

good size

vibration feedback

nice rubberized grip

easy to reach buttons

nice "clicky" pattle shifters

sensitive pedals

return to neutral wheel

Xbox 360 licensed

Quiet gears within the wheel

plug and play with Forza 4 and Horizon

Cons

Suction cup mounting (WHY??)

the pedals are close together

all plastic construction (though very, very sturdy)

only 180 degrees of rotation (not really a problem)

no pedal resistance or realistic angle

Overall i would rate this 9.8 out of 10!!

Hope this helps :)

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I got this wheel (XBOX version) as this was the only available wheel in local Walmart and I am using it with PC. It works perfectly (you may need to install drivers for Xbox 360 wired controller, available from Microsoft), the only problem is that you don't have any force feedback and it's unlikely that there will ever be a driver update to support it.

I feel that this is an amazing wheel for the price! It's accurate, feel durable, sticks well to the table! My main concerns are with pedals:

1) Gas and break are on the same axis, meaning that you can't use gas and break at the same time.

2) Pedals are very light and their midpoint is close to the beginning , so if you have to be easy on throttle, you feel like you are barely touching the pedal.

Besides from those 2 problems, I feel like this is a great wheel. You also get 2 analog button on it that you can use instead of pedals, if you prefer. I would highly recommend it for somebody who wants to have fun playing games and maybe is just starting some serious simulator (like iRacing).

Cheap "Red&Black " painted shell , All Black Buttons, Two additional

Customer Ratings:

this modded controller is awesome and does have 10 modes on it with the auto quickscope button on the back. the rapid fire it ptetty fast. the only thing i dont like is when the controller is in standby mode witch is kind of annoying because it turns the controller off and you have to take the battery pack out and replaceit but otherwise the controller is pretty cool

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Review of Raiden 3 - PlayStation 2

Customer Ratings:
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Chances are that if you are a long time gamer, you'd have heard of the Raiden series. A scrolling shoot 'em up kind of like the classic Capcom arcade shooter 1942, the Raiden games have always offered simplistic fun, and Raiden 3 is no different. Raiden 3 doesn't really do much to change up the gameplay elements of the series, and for new fans it is easily accessible. The game is pretty challenging, and the two-player co-op mode is undoubtedly the best way to play the game. However, the generic gameplay can get boring really quickly, and there really isn't much here in terms of replay value or total game length either. Not to mention that there is basically nothing here that you haven't seen before in other games in the Raiden series, or other scrolling shooter games before or after it either. All that being said, Raiden 3 isn't a bad game one bit, and it's definitely worth a look for longtime fans of the series or genre, but there's just not enough here to warrant any more than just a quick checking out.

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Now when you hear a person say , "Man! I wish some of those old great classic game's of the past could be given a 21st century makeover on our newer systems." Well that's exactly what you have here folks.

Longtime fans will have a blast rediscovering the great time they had in the arcade with the new look and enhanced graphics , which may I say are very , very cool , while maintaining the look and feel of the original. Newer kids discovering Raiden today will enjoy the shoot'em up fun of retro yesteryear.

The Game's onscreen Display come's in 4 different options: The classic look of the original arcade version / a slighty wider-enhanced version / and two fuller screen option's , which came as a nice little bonus. So if you can find this game for under $15 , then it's a no-brainer.

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This game is just plain awesome, it's a matter of just having the guts to overcome the odds of fighting against incredible amount of alien spacecrafts. This game is a must buy for shoot-'em-up gamers. Although short, the guilty pleasure of beating this game is never ending....the game is fast,and the explosions are enormous!!! Raiden 3 pilots ....BRACE YOURSELVES.....

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If you grew up playing the Raiden series in the early 90s (1990 1995) while in high school or college, then this is a must have. It's a beautiful 3D rendition of the original arcade. When I say 3D, I don't mean games like Rogue Warrior, War Hawk, etc. This version of Raiden still maintains the spirit of a 2d vertical side scroller shooter, but the background is rendered in 3D, instead of the traditional static sprite blitting that happens with the original arcade. But then again, the original arcade hardware was using dual 8MHz 16MHz 6800 processors, while the PS2 is using multiple RS4000 RISCS based processors with a Vertex Emotion engine core. You get the picture...

A nice to have for this would have been the inclusion some of the original Raiden arcade series like FX and DX. But alas it does not have it, unless it was included as special easter rabbit and you need some secret code to get at it.

Anyways buy this if you liked the original arcade Raiden series. You should probably get this is you enjoy vertical side scroller shooters even if you have never played Raiden. Think R-Type, rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise, and you can image what a vertical side scroller is.

Chow baby.

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Raiden 3 is BRILLIANT! Don't forget to check out Raiden Fighters Aces and Raiden 4

Available NOW!

Best Dead or Alive 4 Platinum Hits Deals

Customer Ratings:

DOA is a different kind of fighting game. It's not just about combos and quick reaction times, it's about fighting with strategy and learning to anticipate your opponent's moves.

The core of this game is fantastic. It consists of a seemingly simple system of attacks (punches, kicks, etc), throws, and counters. Counters beat attacks, throws beat counters, and attacks beat throws. It's a rock-paper-scissors affair. However, the gameplay has far more depth to it than that, which results more in "feeling" the game out more than practicing combos and timing over and over again like most fighters.

However, the game's frustration level, in accordance with Team Ninja's style, is at times simply overbearing. Sometimes it seems like the CPU 'cheats' because it can anticipate your moves waaay too well. And the end boss character is one of the most frustrating bosses I've ever fought.

The only thing left to cover is the online play, which is fantastic only if you never get tired of ninjas. Sure, it is true that there is no such thing as a truly balanced fighting game. But Team Ninja is so obviously dipping the favor towards the ninja characters (4 in total), that it's somewhat pointless to bother playing as any other character. You'll see what I mean after you've fought Ryu Hayabusa for the 70th time in a row...

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Well I have played this a lot lately, and well what can I say this game is a must-have for your x360 collection.

This game is hard, I mean the normal setting is hard, and learning to play will be a pain if you have never played another DoA game. But that's what really makes the game fun, to be able to say that you can finish history mode or even time attack without losing once to the boss... that's just great.

Overall is a great game and I recommend you get it, there's still plenty people playing on Live and well for the price this is one of the best purchases you can make for you x360.

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the DOA series has always been my favorite game series of all time. My brother in law finally got a 360 and I had the game already for when I got mine, so I decided to try it out. All I could say was "wow" Everyone is faster, more complex moveset, better countering system, and amazing graphics. They removed a lot of the landing of moves, for instance, if someone is high in the air, you can still do Ayane's back+punch down+kick and it'll land, which is AWESOME!! If you're a newbie at DOA, you're going to really despise it, as it is a difficult game. The computer is ruthless and will not take a break until you are dead, or it's dead. Before you had a couple seconds to get up, now you don't =) Also, if you're a newbie, go into the settings and don't you dare try to set the computer AI to hard, you'll want to punch your TV really really bad. I've been playing DOA for many years and I can say that Tecmo did an excellent job in the final DOA game.

ps it took me at least 6 tries on my first try to kill Alpha (the boss). she's the kind of fighter that hits you six times, grabs you, then you miraculously get a KO. don't be too quick with her, she'll punish you, be smart. but not too slow either =)

in closing, if you like fighting games, get this. it's difficult, but once you learn it, it's one of the most fun games out there, IMO

Honest reviews on Dead or Alive 4 Platinum Hits

I love a lot of different fighting games, from the 2-d/Street Fighter, Last Blade, Samurai Showdown arcade fighters, to boxing games (Fight Night, Punch Out!, Victorious Boxers), Bushido Blade, Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter, you name it... I've always given the DoA games a chance because of the incredible visuals and smooth combat, and have had fun with some of the earlier games in the series (despite the simplistic rock, paper, scissors fighting mechanics).

So I thought I was getting a huge bargain when I picked up DOA 4 on the Xbox 360 for the "Greatest Hits" price! Online play, new characters to unlock and master, with a cool array of new fighting styles. "Great," I thought... Until I played my first round of single player against what can only be described as the DEMONIC A.I. opponents! "No big deal," I said to myself, "I'll dial it down to Easy difficulty." Unfortunately, there's no "Easy" setting! "Normal" is the default difficulty and it doesn't get any easier than Normal! Oh great, I have to endure this punishing A.I. to unlock the characters, outfits, and achievements. How bad could it be? Well, after an hour I was sorry I bought this game. The computer fights PERFECTLY. It doesn't miss throws, it counters nearly everything you throw at it, and will generally make you feel like no matter how good you thought you were at the other DOA games, you're going to stink at this game. Playing against human players is another story, but sadly you can't unlock the majority of the extras this game has to offer by playing against human opponents. It's so frustrating trying to get through the story mode, that by the time you actually beat the boss, you might still feel like you wasted your time this game just makes you mad.

A game that's as overly frustrating as this in single player mode isn't really a bargain at any price. I'll be going back to the fun fighting games in my collection Fight Night, Soul Calibur, and Virtua Fighter, thanks. This game will be traded back for something else (or gifted to my nephew who thinks he's so good at every game DOA 4 will give him a strong lesson in humility). I'm still giving it 3 stars overall, for the good graphics and cool cutscenes (some are really strange especially the one about the geisha who's late for her recital/ geisha conference? typical for this series), but the single player A.I. makes this a 1 or a 2 in the fun department. Buy this if you enjoy challenges that many would consider an exercise in frustration.

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Fighting games have a sad tradition of horrible singleplayer experiences. Dead or Alive 4 continues this tradition wholeheartedly. It packs its singleplayer experience full of gruelingly difficult and frustrating opponents that can perform the trickiest combos at the drop of a hat. This would be fine on harder difficulty levels, but I'm talking about normal mode. There is no difficulty mode easier than normal, unlike in DOA 3, so if you can't take the heat and you don't want to dedicate your life to the game, don't bother.

The boss of the game, ALPHA-152, is stupidly difficult to beat. Memorizing her moves (as you will have plenty of time to do while she beats you again and again) does help ease the difficulty of the encounter, but it cannot be denied that victory is only possible when she decides to let you win. Fighting games typically work in a rock-paper-scissors sort of way, with the aforementioned items being replaced with attacks-blocking-throws. Well, ALPHA-152's throws (scissors) can bypass most of the attacks (rocks) in the game, and have the ability to do more than half of your life in one hit. To make matters worse, their animations take a long time. You can do nothing but watch helplessly as she pummels you into the electrified floor. And I almost forgotshe can teleport at will, escaping your attacks whenever she desires only to reappear behind you and snatch away your life.

So why play singleplayer at all? Because you have to if you want all the costumes and characters.

But the game isn't all bad. The graphics are beautiful. Most of the characters' animations are equally gorgeous, though some of the newer characters look like they need a bit more polish (La Mariposa's kicks). Most of the stages are nice and are about as ridiculous as you'd expect in any fighting game (dinosaurs?).