Buy Need for Speed: Prostreet - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

Granted most people won't like this game because they don't like how it feels. There is a learning curve that most people have had and are having problems with. Once you figure out the games little quarks on how it works it's not bad at all. It's hard to push the cars on the easyest setting because it has auto brakes and more times than not it ends up with you losing control and end up in the dirt.

Once you get farther into the games and have the diffrent cars and upgrades it becomes fun. But it will take time to get there. Your not given the best car right off the bat you have to really work at it to get there.

But with any game try to rent it and play to see if this is something you really want to spend 60 bucks on.

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EA's mediocre machine has churned out another snooze-fest with an abnormal amount of product placement.

You are a potential client of many corporations. Electronic Arts lets you know this from the very first time you pop in the ProStreet disc. Yes, there will be pandering. Of course there's stereotyping of the "import culture". It's got everything you expect in a modern NFS game from an annoying announcer that won't shut up to a music selection consisting of only current pop songs. It's obvious that the game was developed by a committee of suits who are using it simply as a mechanism of further sales.

I suppose there's an in-ad game in here as well. I'm not sure what EA was attempting to do in the game when it comes to car control and physics. It seems like the developers played a game with decent physics like Forza 2 and then emulated it in the worst possible way. There's a poor mash-up of arcade and simulation physics in here and the result is an unsatisfying "feel" when driving. FWD cars will oversteer when you increase the throttle after turning off all the assists (to do so requires a trip down a few menus). Light to moderate braking doesn't lighten the tail of the vehicle as expected. Unfortunately, your choices for control range between simple button mashing and an uncontrollable mess.

Some of the race modes are unfairly designed (such as Sector Shootout). This is because whoever sets the fastest time on a particular section of the track gets all the points for that section. The problem is that you will always start at the pack of the pack and thus the lead AI vehicle will consume most of the points on the first run around the track. There are times when you will compete against vehicles significantly better or worse than your own car which makes the game feel cheap all around.

There's a nice selection of cars but winning races doesn't earn you much money and thus you won't be able to afford them using in-game currency. Which brings up another issue: Micro-transactions in-game. When your car is damaged you can spend real money to repair it. If you want a new car or more modifications you can buy it using real money. I believe it's fairly obvious why EA made it hard to earn in-game money. They want you to reach into your pocket and pull out a little bit more green. Apparently, shelling out the money for a video game up front isn't enough as now we are expected to pay to enjoy the game as well.

I'd avoid this stinker and select something more enjoyable.

Best Deals for Need for Speed: Prostreet - Xbox 360

I first got my hands on this game around a year ago, and like everyone else, I was quick to get rid of it because it was no longer free roam, nor the cops where taken out of the picture. However, I have recently picked the game up again used at gamestop for $17.99 and for anyone debating if they want this title or not... Let me tell you what factors make this game alot of fun: 1. It's the social aspect that really makes this game shine, you are able to play split-screen, and the coolest part with this is when you are going high speeds on the long streched out highway and crash, you get a cinematic camera view of your car crashing. Hours of fun when you have a friend come by to hangout. 2nd. Like most other racing games you get the choice between manual and automatic. Well on Prostreet you get the option to use a manual with a clutch. My friend and I found this to be one of the key conponents to the "fun factor", with this game. And 3rd. Like many others in the series you get to customize your rides again...

So besides all that, of course you have your draw backs: no police, no free roam, and sometimes not the best framerate. But for the cost of this game now, I say it's definitely worth a try to check out; you know you have a fun racing game in your collection when you have a friend that absolutey hates racing games request that you don't return it!

In a previous review on nfs undercover, I took a negative shot at prostreet, but as it's listed, "I retract my previous statement". Due to the fact of the fun social factor this game presents. Hope I was able to help out

Honest reviews on Need for Speed: Prostreet - Xbox 360

I think it's fair to say ProStreet is almost as big a disappointment as Carbon. Most Wanted brought us a great environment, good (albeit cheesy at times) cop chases, but most importantly: a game that, when you played it, felt n smooth and creamy opposed to choppy and slapped together.

But lets quickly examine the pros:

1) Car detail the 360 (and surely the PS3 as well) pumps out some amazing detail. Tread on tires, creases on the panels, and even the inside dash can't go wrong.

2) Car upgrades and tuning Very precise (or so it seems). Customize each aspect as you like it and they even give you a "test" to estimate how you will function on the road. Great for shaving split seconds off your race time.

3) Works nicely with a racing wheel.

The cons:

1) Track Racing I think the most obvious downfall of track racing is the ease of and over use of using the same piece of track for about 300 different races. And prostreet does this perfectly EVEN WHEN AT DIFFERENT BATTLE MACHINES (supposedly different geographic locations). And all the other cons with track racing follow too: plain and similar backgrounds, lack of excitement, no traffic, and certainly, no cops. Lastly, Nascar has some great tracks boring, in my opinion, but many love it which is probably better suited to the track lovers.

2) Informational Messages I'm just plainly sick of EA's tree hugging "don't race" messages, this is a game not a defensive driving course save it! I also imagine their "don't race on the street" message has something to do with the track racing the game is based on, and their lame attempts to convey the gratification of local race track notoriety bah! Not so important, but feels good to vent about. :)

3) Car damage I'm unsure if this is a good thing, a bad thing, or just out of balance. Let's just say it's not horribly hard to rack up a repair cost twice the value of the income from the race especially since YOU pay when THEY hit YOU. They attempt to offset this with repair markers, but the whole system feels off decide for yourself.

4) Cash or microsoft points? So how do YOU want to spend your hard earned real life currency? If you have enough, you can simply buy your car and its upgrades! Microsoft points are interchangeable with game cash, the average car cost is about 200 MSP roughly $2.50 US. I imagine the question that EA answered with this feature was, "How can we make money off people renting the game?" Heck, lets take it one step further: Exactly how much do you think the upgrades will cost, in both game and real world currency, for that car you couldn't afford in the first place? I'm guessing the real genius of this plot unfolds at precisely this point when you realize you your in-game check book can't balance the costs and you start waving around your credit card for more MSP.

5) No Cops But why should there be any? It was only the BEST feature of Most Wanted and Carbon took a stab at butchering this aspect by implementing nothing but straight roads, where losing cops isn't realistic, likely, or even fun (imo, anyway). The cop chases, which for me was the defining aspect of replay value was probably replaced by the xbox live online portion.

So let me sum this game up quickly: Your driving your choice of many real world cars around a variety of tracks that pretty much all look the same, you cross the finish line a few times as #1, you dominate a "race day" which wins you a few bucks and a choice of 6 prizes many of which, part-wise, you probably already own (mostly lvl1-2 for a while). When you're done, you begin the same thing over at a new "battle machine," with strikingly similar backgrounds, but probably one major difference: off the road... is SAND not dirt... Or dirt, not a fence...

No short cuts, no speed breaker (not entirely horrible, mind you), very little variety, but great looking cars. Are you ready? o=

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Need for Speed: Prostreet - Xbox 360

Ah yes, it's holiday time kids, and you know what that means. It's that time of year when EA lets all their new installments of flagship franchises out on the gaming world, and yes, there's another Need for Speed game. This time around, it's Need for Speed: Prostreet, which is a departure from the previous installments, Most Wanted and Carbon. Let's be frank here right off the bat, the best part of the past few NFS games were definitely the cop chases, which are nowhere to be found here. What we get instead is some solid, albeit unspectacular, street racing. That in itself isn't so bad, but considering the run-in's with the law were what helped make Most Wanted so good (and Carbon to a lesser degree), losing them is a huge disappointment. Instead, we get more of the same here with Prostreet: pretty decent looking graphics and cars, a very nice array of online options and solid XBox Live support, and of course, product placement and ads galore until your eyes bleed. There's simply not nearly enough here to seperate Need for Speed: Prostreet from other games of the type, and it's nowhere near as good as Most Wanted, but you're going to check it out regardless of you dig the Need for Speed series. Whether or not you want to lay down that much cash for it though is another question altogether.

Review of PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $212.80
Today's Bonus: 29% Off

Other people have written great reviews on what comes in the box, etc, etc so I don't need to add to that; however the following info has been left out so far.

I just got this bundle at the house for my son and overall we are VERY happy with the bundle and the extras...EXCEPT for the "free Data Plan". This is a little misleading but it is not Amazon's fault, it is Playstation's (or maybe AT&T). The plan is more of a "buy one get one free" instead of being a free plan overall. You FIRST need to pay for one full month's service of an ATT plan and you will THEN get a "coupon code" to be used for another months service, yet there is still a small catch the free service is only for the cheapest and smallest data plan, the 250MB plan. You also must use the coupon within 90 days of first activating the service. So this means you have to use it within the 2nd or 3rd month of service.

Also the "free downloadable game" is only if you sign up for an AT&T plan and even then you have to wait 30days AFTER signing up before you even get the code to use in the first place.

Much of this can be lost in the description. Orginially I was going to get my son the WiFi only model but I thought that this would be better with the 3g model and all the free stuff, man what a disappointment. HOWEVER, I was thinking of giving the data plans a try ANYWAY so this still turned out to be a good bundle.

It is also important to note that there IS a AC adaptor INSIDE the box, no need to order an addional one (unless of course you think you need it). I found this a nice little surprise since most PS items want you to use an USB connection to charge it against your PS3 or PC. The adaptor is a little bit of a pain given that you use a "USB type" cable (it is properitary) to the VITA which has a USB connection on the other end. You connect THAT end to a little "box like" convertor which then plugs into another cable that you plug into the wall. So three different pieces to plug your VITA into the wall.

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With the 3G launch, get ready for overwhelming ATT website access issues! Here's the problems and their fixes:

1. When you first power up, the getting started screens will take you through the normal language, location, time etc. stuff. DO NOT sign up for ATT 3G in this initial setup! Decline and click "sign up later." If you don't, you'll go to the overwhelmed ATT website, and suddenly your input will start delaying, then, the screen will freeze with black or blue death.

Fix: The blue-glowing playstation button is a combined escape and control-alt-delete. If it doesn't clear the freeze, hold the power button for 5 seconds, wait a second or two, then hold it again for 5 seconds and you'll get the setup screen again. This time DON'T sign up for ATT OR the PS3 network. Finish the setup, DO NOT opt into the PS3 network at this stage (Sony has now changed the name of this network to SEN for smart TV's, but Vita still calls it both) until setup is complete. Once you complete setup, you can go back and opt into ATT (at 14 bucks a month for 250 m) AND sign up for SEN/ PS3 online.

2. Once you get ATT, beware of unplugging wifi.

Fix: Even if you acquired and activated wifi at setup, once you activate ATT, Vita will default to 3G even if you're hot on wifi, kicking your setup wifi off. You have to go back into settings and reacquire wifi. DO THIS right away or you'll be charged by ATT even for setting up PS3 SEN!

3. Missing handshake numbers (IMEI and ICCID).

Fix: If you blow the first attempt to activate on ATT's overwhelmed website, try it a 3am on a weekday, not 11 am on a Saturday! Also, if you blow the first attempt, on the second, the auto fill for your device sometimes won't work, and ATT won't recognize the device because the two long ID's will be missing. In the background, ATT actually checks your location and assigns you a ghost phone number. That's right, your Vita will get it's own number, but until Verizon gets into the act, I doubt that we'll be able to do any phone activities other than on Skype! ATT WILL email the heck out of you, including giving you the ghost number you can't use.

Did you save the box? Numbers not there! Don't despair! Go to settings, system, then system information. The last two numbers (IMEI and ICCID) are stored in your device. These are the two numbers you need to activate the service on ATTs website.

4. PS3 Net.

Just like Facebook, SEN won't accept email addresses that aren't common extensions. So, if your email is Contact@JaneDoe.com, they will first accept it, then kick you off at the end of the tedious number by number input on the little Vita screen. Too bad ATT/Sony didn't include a direct web signup for your PC, but because of device recognition, you have to do it initially through the Vita, unless you already have a PS3 account from another Sony device.

Fix: Just get JaneDoe@gmail.com (or Yahoo, your cable, etc.). Mac users: Sony WILL accept me.com addresses.

That's it for now. I don't have to tell you this is an incredible machine, I own them all to develop elearning products for every platform, and this smokes any other handheld, including the ipad and galaxy 10.1 in real arcade like action. BTW, are there any arcades left, or am I dating myself???

;=) Please vote this helpful if you liked, if not, let me know how we can improve. Also, ask a question and we'll post an answer if you have any other difficulties, and see the first launch bundle for other answers in our review and discussions there.

Best Deals for PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle

The Vita itself is a great system but the 3g version is a ripoff. The reason to buy this bundle would to be get a memory stick, a free game, and the ability to access 3g when and if you ever wanted. The problem with the bundle is that to get your "free" game you have to sign up for a month of 3g. Well no problem you say, sony is generously giving me a free month of it so I can use that to download the game. Wrong, sony gives you your 2nd month free you have to pay at least 15.00 for the first month. Then at the end of the 30 days they will email you a voucher for Super Stardust Delta.( The game is a 208mb download so if youre going to download it with 3g save your data) you end up spending $15 for a $10 game. So make sure you and add $15 to that $50 value.

Well thats fine with me you might say I plan on getting 3g to play all the awesome online games. That's fine as long as youre playing turn based games. No online shooters or fighting for you. Sony and ATT are only alowing psn messaging, web browing, and asynchronous multiplayer (turn based) on 3g. Everything else wifi only. The system is great but do yourself a favor buy the wifi version and spend the extra 50 on an overpriced memory stick.

Honest reviews on PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle

This review will address the AT&T bonus bundle which includes one 8GB memory card ($30), a DD code for Super Stardust ($10 PSN game) and a 250MB 3G network data packet ($15), which should be available through the end of this month. The review on the actual PSV hardware itself will follow.

As many have already mentioned, the promo items (PSN game and data packet) are only redeemable AFTER paying for the initial data packet, so anyone who thinks they're getting their first month free and will be downloading Super Stardust shortly after charging up their PSV for the first time will probably be upset, and not unreasonably so as the conditions for redeeming the promo items are not mentioned on the box itself. It's also a little underhanded to make users wait a month after using their first month of 3G service before they receive their game download code, but free is free I suppose and it is only a $10 DD game to begin with.

On the flip side, if anyone is actually buying a 3G model with the intention of NEVER paying for even one month/data packet, one almost has to question the intelligence of buying this model when the WiFi model is $50 less. At any rate, $15 isn't much for a two month (limited given the 250MB data cap) trial run of the service.

As for the 3G service itself, after one week of using it, about the only function it currently serves is for Near updates (PSV social app that shows who's playing what on the PSV in your proximity) and web browsing on the PSV's browser when outside of a WiFi network. It is very limited as of this writing and subjectively not worth subscribing to with the assumption that the PSV owner already has a smartphone with a data plan. If the PSV is your only way of accessing a 3G network when cut off from WiFi, it still beats running around for a WiFi hotspot.

Lastly, the bundle comes with a 8GB memory card that currently retails for $30. It is easily the best added value component of the bundle and even if one were to ignore the data packet/PSN game, it's only $20 over the cost of a $250 WiFi PSV when purchased with a $30 memory card. Seeing as how very little information has been put out regarding future uses for 3G and the PSV, $20 is nothing to add that feature on the chance that the service becomes worth renewing down the road. There are no service contracts.

As for the PSV itself, after two weeks of initial impressions, it is easily the most enjoyable handheld gaming device I have used running all the back to the original Gameboy and before with Nintendo Game and Watch games and Mattel Electronic Sports games, etc. The last two handhelds I've used extensively have been the PSP and the 3DS for recent comparisons.

The 5" OLED display is the first noticeable feature, with its ink like blacks, high contrast, relatively tight pixel density and even light distribution due to the self illuminating OLED pixels.

Build, fit and finish feels balanced and substantial. Face buttons and D-pad have a very satisfying click feedback that feels precise and responsive. The D-pad in particular, as the first deviation from the familiar Playstation 4 arrow button cross design is the best feeling D-pad I can remember using. The face buttons are smaller than those of the PSP and slightly larger than those of the 3DS. The X button proximity to the right analog stick has been mentioned as a potential issue, presumably for those who press with the heel of the thumb ("rolling") rather than the tip of the thumb (precise).

Following the OLED display, the second most prominent feature is the twin analog sticks, a first for handhelds. Unlike the sliding disk design used by the PSP and again by the 3DS, the PSV uses actual mini analog sticks with the same single axis rocking action everyone who has used an analog stick controller is familiar with. The feedback is a bit tighter than that of the DS3 with less travel due to the short throw axis which basically means more precise input is both possible and required for games without aim assist or loose controls. The size will probably take some getting used to for most, but for anyone who managed to adapt to the barely usable slider disk of the PSP, the analog sticks should be a snap to use.

The size of the PSV is another oft noted design issue, which is partially to accomodate the 5" screen in addition to the real estate taken by the face buttons, analog sticks and D-pad. Yes, the bezel could be thinner, but the controls themselves really can't be spaced much closer without causing more issues than solving. "Not pocket-sized" is another oft made comment regarding the size although it will easily slip into the back jeans pocket of just about any pair of jeans with at least a 30" inseam that aren't cut or worn like jeggings. I just don't know who would actually want to carry something like the PSV in their back pocket without some sort of case, slip cover, etc. to prevent scratches or other damage.

On the plus side, the PSV should fit average to large size hands very comfortably compared to the DS/DSl/3DS, PSP/PSP Go, etc. It's the first handheld I've used that didn't give me "crab claw hand" after 30 minutes of use. The position of the analog sticks are a comfortable distance away from the trigger buttons on the top of the PSV and the rounded shape with shallow contours moulded into the rear make it the most comfortable handheld I've used to date.

Sound volume from the built in speakers is adequate for a device of its size. Louder than the PSP or 3DS at max volume. Sound quality should fall in line with expectations for a portable device of its size. Naturally, the best sound output will be from a pair of quality headphones or a line out jack to a stereo system.

Battery life is adequate compared to the 3DS and PSP and realistically provides about 3-4 hours of gaming (PSV games) with more for PSP games, video, music, etc. Without the swappable battery design used in the PSP, there is no option to buy extra batteries for long trips away from a charger socket. SCE will be selling a $50 portable charger pack in the near future which while far from ideal, is better than no solution at all.

Users of iOS devices will feel right at home with the front and rear touch panels. Multi-touch, capacitive type interface that is more sensitive than the iPad to the degree that it is possible to trigger touch input without actually touching the display (if a bioelectric source, ie. finger, is about 1mm away).

That about covers the hardware itself without delving into the PSV games or any of the software functionality built into the PSV OS, which can and will be updated via firmware updates as more features are added and refined.

Overall, couldn't be more impressed with the hardware, barring a few annoyances like the lack of any onboard memory (the 3DS has 2GB internal memory, in addition to a 2GB SD card shipped with every handheld), the overpriced proprietary memory cards (deja vu Memory Stick) which serve the twofold purpose of slowing the tide of software piracy as well as provide hardware revenue to recoup potential losses Sony is taking on every PSV sold and the essentially useless VGA resolution cameras that are only useful for in-game use including the free augmented reality games available in the PSN Store for download.

The hardware is solid, the only issue from here on out will be the steady release of diverse, quality titles that will either make or break the platform.

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So I managed to get my hands on a Vita (3G/WiFi version) shortly after launch, and I also got a 16GB memory card along with Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048 (Thank you Sony, I love you too).

So what do I think after a week of ownership? Well quite honestly, I couldn't be happier with this marvel of portable gaming.

So why, oh why, do I love my Vita so much?

Well let's break it down a little so I can explain how I feel about this wonderful machine.

*I have not activated any 3G services yet (I just haven't had the need). I just wanted to put that out there before I get started.

Hardware.

The Vita is much lighter than I expected but still feels very robust. It fits comfortably in the hands with a couple of matte grip areas on the back to rest your fingertips on. A quad-core processor and quad-core graphics processor power the impressive graphics, which show up wonderfully on the 5-inch display, which is the best looking handheld gaming display I've ever seen. Everything looks good on the Vita, games, movies (streamed from Netflix), and photos. Even the operating system is amazing to look at. There are left and right shoulder buttons, a PlayStation button, and Start and Select buttons. The Start and Select buttons are really small and not particularly easy to hit, but as you rarely use them whilst playing, I don't think it's going to be an issue. On top of the Vita are the power and volume buttons, along with the slot for game cards and a proprietary port of some sort (can't find any info on what this is for). The bottom of the Vita houses the headphone socket, a microphone, USB charging and communication connection, and a slot for the memory card. The memory cards are proprietary to Sony but look a lot like micro SD cards. There are two cameras built into the Vita, one front and one rear facing. They work great for the augmented reality games and some of the other game demos I've tried, but they're not going to take the place of your digital camera or even your smartphone camera anytime soon.

Controls.

First thing that you'll notice is that it looks just like any other piece of Sony gaming hardware. The screen is flanked by two analog thumb sticks, then above those are the classic PlayStation buttons on the right and a D-pad on the left. Both the buttons and D-pad feel smaller than the ones I remember on the PSP. The most impressive thing of course is that finally someone has made a portable system with dual analog sticks, hooray! Next be prepared to be blown away, not only is the gorgeous display a touch screen, but the back of the handheld is a touchpad too.

When I first got the Vita my initial reaction was that the analog controls where a little 'twitchy' but I have to say that after a week, I've gotten used to them. Both the placement and responsiveness took me a few days to get the hang of, but also remember I haven't had a portable system for the last 6 months since my first generation PSP went kaput recently.

The touch screen is ultra responsive and my only complaint is that it suffers from the same thing all touch screens do . . . . oily fingerprint smears.

Display.

I really haven't paid too much attention to OLED screens in general. I'm more than happy with my LED TV so didn't really pursue OLEDS very much. I know they're supposed to be better than LCD with greater clarity and brighter colors. Well all I can say is that 'they' are not wrong, the 5" OLED screen is amazing with awesome depth and color. It's definitely the most vivid screen I've seen, and I've yet to see any problems with screen tearing or pixilation when watching movies or playing games.

Graphics.

Gorgeous is the first word that comes to mind. I really can't tell you what the resolution is, because I haven't bothered to look it up, but I can tell you it looks just like my PlayStation 3, just on a smaller scale. I dare you to look at the screen and not be impressed!

Extras.

Playstation Vita does more than just play games. Here are some of the highlights included in the operating system:

Google Maps is included in the operating system, which works exactly as you'd expect if you've ever used it on a smartphone or tablet. The GPS seemed pretty accurate, but I don't see this being used much. I just can't imagine too many scenarios where it would be easier to pull out your Vita than your smartphone, maybe it would useful for people without smartphones though?

Web Browser. Yes there's a web browser, yes it's better than the PlayStation 3 one, but you're only likely to use it for quickly looking something up as it's still pretty mediocre by today's standards.

Apps. There are currently apps for Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and Netflix. More apps have been promised in the future. Netflix works flawlessly and has a very similar interface to the PlayStation 3 app. I'm hoping for a Skype app next.

Near is the app which adds a social aspect to the device by showing you nearby Vita users, what they're playing and what trophies they've won etc. There's also a way to share "Game Goods" using this app, but for the life of me, I'm still not 100% sure how this all works. Quite frankly I found the app confusing.

Content manager is built into the operating system, and allows you to transfer information between the Vita and a PlayStation 3 or computer. The content manager is really easy to use, and even contains it's own installation files for your PC which organizes a database on your PC for transferring between your PC and the Vita. My only complaint would be that whilst your Vita is transferring to or from your PlayStation 3, it's not possible to use your PlayStation 3 for anything else. Background transfers are on my wish list for future firmware updates..

Remote Play is a feature which was poorly implemented on the PSP in my opinion. So I'm really pleased to say that setting up and using remote play on the Vita has been a dream and completely without problems. I've tried it from several different locations and it has performed flawlessly every time. My only wish is that more PS3 games use the full potential of this feature, as it seems that right now, only minis and PSOne games are playable via remote play. Let's hope this changes soon.

Party is the app used to create a party so you can chat and play games etc over the PlayStation network. Currently I can't get this working unless it's with other Vita users, but you're supposed to be able to cross game chat with people on the PS3 also. I'll post an update when this feature starts working.

PlayStation store is slightly revamped and clearly structured specifically for the Vita. It's easy to navigate and also recognizes the fact that I'm a PlayStation Plus member. One downside we have discovered is that my son can't log into the Vita using his own PSN account as apparently the Vita only wants to use one account (namely mine). This is a shame as we would dearly love to be able to earn trophies and save games under our own accounts. This is another item on my wishlist.

Operating system.

Probably the one thing about the operating system that impressed me the most was how intuitive it is. I handed the Vita to my wife, who is less than technically savvy with such things, and she was able to start navigating immediately. Granted she got lost in the menus and eventually tossed it back to me, but I was still impressed that she was able to use it with no instruction from me.

Sliding between screens and switching between apps happens at lightning fast speeds, even when switching out of a game and into google maps is almost seamless.

Managing home screens, moving icons around, customizing backgrounds etc is easy and similar to the way most smartphones handle it. In fact the whole interface reminds you of a smartphone in many ways (which is probably why my wife picked it up so quickly).

So enough about hardware I hear you say, what about the games?

Games.

Games are either downloaded digitally from the PlayStation store or you can purchase them on Game Cards, which basically look like SD cards (but they're actually a format that's proprietary to Sony). From what I can tell, you get around a $5 discount for getting them digitally (I compared prices at Gamestop). Remember that if you plan on doing the digital download, you're going to need a bunch of memory cards, which are not cheap.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

First of all if you own a Vita (or are planning on getting one), you NEED to own this game. This game alone could sell a million Vita's. Along with the usual amazing story telling and graphics, Golden Abyss makes full use of all the extra interfaces you get with a Vita. The touchscreen and rear touchpad are extremely well implemented and playing quickly becomes very intuitive. I refuse to post any game spoilers, but apparently (and I read it on the internet so it must be true), this game is longer than Uncharted 3, and critics claim it's better than Uncharted 3. I can tell you from personal experience it's exactly what you'd expect from an Uncharted game, and then some!

Wipeout 2048.

No real surprises here. Wipeout is a great racing franchise and this game is no exception. The graphics are lightning fast and really show off the capabilities of the OLED display. This game also offers what Sony are calling "Cross-Play" (still sounds dirty to me, LOL), which basically means that it will inter connect with Wipeout HD on the PlayStation 3. Exactly how this all works I can't really say as it's not been implemented yet, so rest assured as soon as it's working, I'll update my review.

I have to admit that as good as Golden Abyss is, I still find myself popping Wipeout 2048 into the Vita for those "I've got 20 minutes to spare" moments. I can't wait until they get cross-play working.

I have managed to copy some of my Mini's to the Vita and they play great, with no issues.

There are three free games available in the PlayStation Store for the Vita. Cliff Diver, Fireworks, and Table Soccer. All of these titles use the augmented reality cards (supplied with the Vita) to turn your everyday environment into the play are for your game. They're simple games that are well-designed to work with the Vita.

The Vita's battery life is really the only downside that I see at this stage. Sony quote battery life at 5 hours. I will use my Vita mostly whilst traveling, so I'm going to struggle with such a short battery life. Especially flying across country as I often do. I guess it's just something I'll have to live with, at least until I find the nearest USB power supply!

Overall I'm extremely pleased, and pleasantly impressed with the Vita. Honestly I think Sony have a great portable gaming system, I just hope they fully implement all the possibilities that this system can offer. I would love to play my PS3 games remotely from my Vita, I'm getting tired of dragging my PlayStation 3 all around the worlds airports.

MartB64 member of [....]

Reviews of Warriors: Legends of Troy - Playstation 3

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $29.45
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

Graphics: 3.5

Nothing spectacular, but serviceable. It doesn't break any new ground graphically, but it's what you would expect from the Warriors franchise.

Sound: 3.5

The Music was appropriate, and did not detract or distract. The voice acting was good, but not overly memorable. The only distraction to me was the pronunciations. The in-game characters would often pronounce a name one way, and the cutscene voiceover would pronounce it another, and not what I have come to expect from the name pronunciations (at least from films and such). Otherwise not much to comment on.

Story: 4

The storyline progressed nicely as you switched sides, playing heroes from both Sparta and Troy, following much of the legend. Perhaps it's just me, but I kept remembering the film Troy while playing. Thankfully, the story goes into further depth than the film, and you get a broader historical reference, albeit creative licenses obviosly taken.

Gameplay: 4

It's exactly what I expected, especially from KOEI Warriors. It's hack and slash. A rewarding skill up system with currency you spend to increase your stats, buy better combos, and enhance your characters. The items you purchase transfer from one hero to another as you play through the different stages, therefore you aren't specifically levelling one hero or another. The maps are well designed, and the objectives clearly laid out and suffice to move the story along. My only complaint is that some of the secondary objectives aren't well explained and are easily overlooked if you aren't paying attention, but that lends toward replayability I suppose. I will definitely be replaying to try to pick up some of the objectives I missed first time through.

Overall: 4

The game lived up to my expectations, and is very enjoyable. It's nice to play something different for a change. There's only so many times you can re-live the Three Kingdoms era, and this is a welcome change of pace. As another reviewer commented, a multiplayer or at least a co-op mode would have made this game significantly better, especially given the scope of the battle. Even so, it's a game that will provide many hours of fun for any fan of the genre.

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I pre-ordered this game form Amazon and it arrived yesterday. I have been playing it for about 10 hours now and had to pry myself away to write this review. The first thing any video game should be is fun, and Warriors Legend of Troy is fun to play. Is it ground breaking? Not really, although from the Warriors perspective I think I can safely say it is at least trying some new things.

First, unlike the Dynasty games, the story here unfolds in an interesting way, you play through missions as different characters as the war unfolds before you. The characters don't level, but you earn Kleos (basically currency) for completing missions and completing sub-goals within them. You spend this on upgrades that can be applied to whichever character you are playing. At first I was unsure of this, but after an hour or two the idea grew on me, it is an interesting approach. I also like how different each of the characters are from each other, they play differently. And, as a surprise, this button masher does require you to apply some strategy as you battle different types of enemies, and use different combo's and different approaches to them. Also, while many of the enemy soldiers are just basic cannon fodder, there are somewhere between 6 to 10 different models, so they don't all look like you are fighting clones, although there are not enough different models to say that anything to unique is going on.

The production value is very good, and the cut-scenes that tell the story are of a very high quality. I think the voice acting is serviceable, but honestly not really very good overall.

However, going back to my original point, this game is fun to play. The maps are terrific, the objectives very clear and they make sense and also advance the story in a meaningful way. The rewards system is intriguing and keeps you coming back. There are other mini-game options outside of the main story, and as you complete levels you can revisit them.

Honestly, this game exceeded my expectations (which were admittedly pretty low). If you like the Dynasty games this is a fresh take with some rudimentary innovations. Finally, part of what makes it fresh is to get into some western mythos and out of the three-kingdoms! Thankfully I did not have to put down the yellow turban rebellion for the one-millionth time here!

Worth getting if you like either the movie Troy, Greek mythos, or haven't played a Dynasty game in a little while and want to see where they are going.

Best Deals for Warriors: Legends of Troy - Playstation 3

Warriors: Legends of Troy is a surprising game. I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but its seemingly simple guise quickly revealed a much deeper and richer experience I had anticipated. It might seem to be a simple hack and slash but if your first playthrough (roughly 20hrs) is set to Hard, then you will be richly rewarded with a similar sense of accomplishment you may have experienced in Demon's Souls.

Having said that, the combat system is based on timing your attacks and knowing your enemies' attack patterns. Most peon enemies will be easily obliterated through your standard light and heavy attacks (which combine into various brutal combos) but larger bosses and sub-bosses will be a challenge (and sub-bosses are frequent). If you don't take the time to memorize enemy attack patterns and to formulate your own strategy you can be quickly mowed down in as few as three attacks. Boss fights are especially notorious for this and get progressively harder as each stage of the fight unfolds. You will die, and die often, until you learn the fight inside and out. For this reason, your victories are very gratifying and saving afterwards is usually accompanied by a sigh of relief.

When you beat one stage you play the next stage as another character. The story of the Trojan War is told through the eyes of roughly eight characters, each from Troy, Greece, and even an Amazon. Before each stage begins you have the option to equip items, which serves as the game's way of "leveling up," so to speak, since in theory there really is no way to level up like in traditional Koei games. Instead, each item has different properties and is better suited for different characters and during different boss fights so it's a good idea to experiment until you reach a good balance. In fact, this is an integral part of the game's learning process, and it creates a very dynamic and mercurial experience even towards the game's conclusion.

As you progress through the story you'll be treated to another highlight of the game: the narrative. Normally, Koei's narratives aren't as exciting as its cutscenes but here the narrator seems passionate about the source material and the Greek art style is simply gorgeous to watch. The combined effect, although minimal since it is after all a narrative, is still a lovely experience.

Even when the end credits roll, the game has plenty of replay value. Some of the trophies are actually great challenges on their own, and the additional modes outside of the story are excellent ways to challenge yourself further and to earn more Kleos, which by the way, transfer to story mode just in case you need to purchase a certain item for a stage you're struggling with.

Now that I think about it, WLOT is perhaps the most polished and streamlined of Koei's games to date. Combat is not as slow as Fist of the North Star and the ability to use combos comprised solely of heavy attacks goes a really long way to make the fluff between boss fights fresh and fun. Fury Mode, which slows down time and overpowers your character, is also fun and speeds things along as well.

With all that said, one truly feels a sense of progression with Koei, which is definitely saying something for a company that hasn't evolved tremendously over its lifetime. With such a resounding success as WLOT I dare not doubt the next Koei game. Bring it on!

Honest reviews on Warriors: Legends of Troy - Playstation 3

For me this is the third success Koei has pulled off in the past twelve months.

I got the Fist of the North Star one in Nov, then Trinity in March.

They have come a long way since DW2 on the PS2.

The game does have the same basic system, but for lack of a better term it seems a bit more realistic than the DW games. Combat is much more brutal, you are much more vulnerable. And the boss fights will put you to a real challenge. The look of characters fits. (No hot little warrior girls, the amazons are amazons, they are tall, and could almost pass for men with their build.)

The change of setting is something else they have needed since running the three kingdoms plot through six times has been done.

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"Warriors: Legends of Troy" is not a bad game. While I personally think the gameplay should be likened to Final Fight rather than Dynasty Warriors, all in all, it is a satisfying beat-em-up that takes the player through tales of Homer, Sophocles, Vergil, and many others.

The presentation of this game is fantastic. The vignettes leading into each stage are produced and written well, and the voices (from narrator to each character) are great. The developers have clearly taken the time to read up on their classics here, and draw from many sources (as insinuated above, I was particularly happy at the inclusion of Sophocles telling of the death of Ajax).

But we don't play a game to read the classics. Thankfully, gameplay is solid. Combat is somewhat slower paced than a typical Dynasty Warriors game, but much more complex. Enemies can kill an adventurer who is underprepared, or isn't paying attention, even on easy level. Challenges add to the fun (e.g. you might have to beat a boss in under 4 minutes, etc. etc.). One of the best things here is that the camera FINALLY works. I don't feel sick when the game swings around.

There are some issues with game, however. The first is that there are only 8 playable characters in the game. This is unacceptable. The Trojan war had numerous heroes, many of whom appear in this game, but are unplayable. Why can't I play as Deiphobus, or Diomedes? Why is Patroclus the exact same as Achilles? In general, other characters play differently, but all in all, this game should have three times this number of characters, at least.

Far worse than the above is the fact that there are only 22 playable stages, and no free mode! I beat the game in about 6 hours. Yes, there are difficulty settings, challenges, and what have you, but come on. By comparison, it took me a full day to beat the story mode of a single kingdom in Dynasty Warriors 7. In W:LoT, you play each stage with one chosen character, and when you are finished, that's it. All that's left is mostly pointless grinding. There are some challenge modes, but this is hardly the selling point of a game like this.

All in all, I think this is an OK game. If I had gotten it for $20, it would have been great. I strongly urge people to wait for a price drop here.

Reviews of Xbox 360 LIVE 4000 Points

Customer Ratings:

First off, I'm an otherwise very happy Xbox Live Gold member. Instead of buying a points card from a retailer, I made the mistake of buying the points online from Microsoft through the Xbox. I used my gamer tag account and entered my credit card on the TV and I bought 500 points. I got the email confirmation that I bought the points. I then used the points. So far so good.

Over the next two days, four other Xbox charges totaling $30 mysteriously appeared on my credit card. Someone bought more points and a game subscription using my credit card info. I called Xbox Live supporttheir answer was "we don't give refunds." I explained that it's not a REFUND if my account is used fradulently. They still said no.

Note that clearly the security leak was with them, as no other fraudulent charges appeared on my credit card...just Xbox charges.

I then asked them to delete my credit card info from my Xbox Live account. They said they could not do this. I could not believe this! Given that someone had access to my credit card and they were unwilling to remove my credit card info, I had no choice but to cancel my credit card.

My advicebuy the points from a trusted source like Amazon. Don't ever give Microsoft direct access to your credit card info. I hope this helps.

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This is a lot better than doing it through your xbox. For one, no tax. The other reason, for me at least, is that if you put your credit card into xbox live, you cant remove it. You can change it, but it will always have a credit card on file. Buying these points through xbox live would have cost me $54.12. I would rather save that $4.12, thank you.

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I've lived overseas in Europe for the past 8 years working with the military. The thing about Xbox live is that they dont accept APO address's for the credit card (Armed Forces Overseas address). Now i can order the code in 5 seconds instead of having to buy a card and have it shipped to me. Thankyou sooooo much Amazon.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 LIVE 4000 Points

This is a great denomination to release Microsoft points in. Since most games on Xbox Live Arcade are purchased in 400 point ($5) increments this card give you the ability to download ten 400 point games or five 800 point games or some other combination (you get the idea). $50 is also a much more acceptable amount than the $62.50 for 5000 points. Since this is on a card it makes this possible to give as a gift or buy without using a credit card. This would be a worthwhile purchase for anyone with an Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Xbox 360 LIVE 4000 Points

These reviews show up on the list for all four options, the one, three, and twelve month subscriptions, as well as the marketplace points. Carefully choose the "Size" above, which is where you choose between live "gold" months and marketplace points. Amazon just put all of these different products onto the same page, calling them different sizes.

There is of course a difference between months and points, as you can spend points without a gold subscription (just use the free included "silver" subscription with every XBOX 360), and you can certainly buy gold months without having to get any extra points. So one is not required for the other. The points get you extra content downloads, and the months get you online play time.

Cheap D Skin Protective Game Skins 50 Pack

Customer Ratings:

Formerly I gave a glowing review of these d_skins, based upon their performance initially. The DVDs and CDs played well in a DVD player as well as a PC. Having many hard-to-acquire, OOP CDs, naturally I was in favor of a product that promised to protect my favorite music; however....

In time, there appeared rotation marks on the disks covered in d_skins, a pattern I had not seen previously. They differed from random scratches in that they uniformly appeared clockwise to the disks, following the rotation. My $40-plus investment in d_skins came to be questioned.

Having cleaned my disks prior to covering or having covered new disks, I hesitate to believe it is the result of debris between the disks themselves and the skins. Are the skins loose enough to cause friction while playing? Some are quite loose, while others fit well.

Having first noticed this on SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, I was willing to attribute it to a flaw in disk production, but when these marks appeared ON MY BACH SACRED CANTATA DISKS---It was all too much. Without further testing, I abandoned the d_skin experiment altogether, glad to have discovered it before other favorite disks were marked beyond repair.

Other reviews here disparaged the use of d_skins, all of which I ignored. After all, I wanted the idea to work. Better to enjoy an unprotected disk as long as possible, rather than destroy it in an attempt at preservation. I am dying daily, so why must my CDs be preserved until the last day?

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I really wanted this product to work. I have two young kids who seem to find my CDs, DVDs and X-Box disks no matter what I do with them. I bought 50 of these things when Victor Lucas on G4-TV said they work. Victor, you let me down. My X-Box doesn't read through them about 50% of the time, TWO different DVD players have an even worse record and my computer and car stereo won't read through them at all. It's been about two months and I think I've removed every single one I applied. So much for protecting Halo 2, if your X-Box can't read the game.

None of the other reviews here even hint at this problem, but I swear I'm putting them on right (I can feel each "tooth" snap into place around the disk). As far as I'm concerned, this is a great idea that just doesn't work reliably.

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I got a 5 pack of these to test out. I put one on my xbox game that would always stall and crash and it works great now! It's faster and hasn't crashed yet. That was when I went out and got these to protect all of my xbox games and dvds. I love these things. :) (Didn't stop a cd that skipped a lot from skipping, but helped it a little bit. I recommend these as a method to prevent scratches not fix them.)

I think the 50 pack is a great way to go to protect all of your discs at a cheaper price.

Honest reviews on D Skin Protective Game Skins 50 Pack

So... ive been wanting to try this product for quite some time... cause i know like everyone else im tired of my cds getting freakin scratched... "Thanks greedy record companies for not making better non scratchable cds so they have to be replaced"... but anyways i broke down and bought a few... and oh my what a waste of money... first off they dont fit right... debri gets in between the skin and the cd and scratches it... it makes funny noises in your cd player and if youre like me that tiny sound will drive u nutz... and not to mention i have a problem with moisture in my car cd player... and it gets in between the skin and the cd, mite as well pour water on them.... needless to say all these problems cause pauses and skips, non play, and even error messages... So if u want My honest opinion Dont Buy them!... just get u some blank cds, make copies of your cds, Put your originals up and listen to your copies... much simplier that way!

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I've been using these D Skins for over a year now and am super happy with their performance! I have read other user reviews and have not experienced the fine clockwise scratches perhaps friction between the skin and the disc while in play. I have noticed a slight variance in fit with different skins, sometimes they're snug enough to snap and lock on, but do have a little air between the disc and the skin, if that's the case, I switch skins and most often the next one fits perfect. Maybe there's a better fit for some discs than others? I purchased these skins at a game store and the clerk told me never to use these skins in a car stereo, they are too sensitive and don't have the clearance for the extra thickness they add to the CD. I've never had a play problem with these skins in my DVD player, no skipping or locking up, just normal uninterrupted play. The sales guy that sold these to me showed me an impressive demonstration of aggressive abuse these skins with withstand, and the damage they are cabable of preventing. He snapped one of the on a brand new CD and then purposefully ground the CD back and forth his tabletop and over objects, he picked up the CD and showed me not only that the skin STAYED ON, which amazed me, but also the skin was lightly scuffed compared to the unscaithed CD. I was sold right then and there. If it is true what the reviewer mentioned about clockwise friction he encountered using his skins, whether caused by finite debris or other, I'm fine with that because light scuffing can be buffed out, it's much better than the alternative of heavy very visable scratches that are on all of my unprotected CD's. They might not be perfect but I still think they're a great investment for my collection.

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Cheap Cribbage Quest - PC

Customer Ratings:

You won't go wrong with this if you want a simple cribbage game at a great price. This is primarily for people who already know how to play cribbage though. There's no tutorial or practice mode, and the game automatically scores and pegs, so you'll be lost if you don't know the basic game rules.

Pros:

* I've been playing this for about two months now, and it seems stable. The scoring has been correct every time and the software hasn't frozen or quit unexpectedly.

* The interface is intuitive. The cards are large and easy to read, as is the cribbage board that is in the middle of the screen. I can't comment on the sound because I always play the game with the sound off.

* You have the option of playing a normal game or an "Adventure" game. The Adventure game is a multi-level game that involves some animated characters and a story line. You read 1-3 screens of text, and then play a cribbage game that is just like a normal game, except that you earn bonus points for certain card combinations, and sometimes the game is shortened to fewer points than the standard 121. I haven't completed the levels yet so I don't know if it gets more exciting than this... but I'm giving it a thumbs-up for mild entertainment value. However, I think many people would find this narrative game annoying and would prefer to just play the normal game.

Cons:

* The game automatically scores all the hands and moves the pegs. It would be nice to have the option to add up and enter my own hand score, and to validate my opponent's score. This way I'd get scoring practice and it would make the game a bit more fun and realistic by being able to call "muggins", or have it called on me.

* The game automatically tallies hands and applies the score. You can choose to have it count through each hand score too. Perhaps this is a nitpicky thing, but I've always been taught to count all the fifteens first, then the pairs, then the runs, etc: "fifteen two, fifteen four, a pair is six and a run of three is nine." This game counts through the hand in this order nobs, flushes, pairs, runs and fifteens: "a pair for two, a run of three for five, fifteen seven and fifteen nine." Because of this, my family members who are trying to learn cribbage by playing this game don't know how to announce their scores properly when we play a real game. When I play, I just skip these hand scores because this counting method really annoys me.

Overall, this game is a bargain and I recommend it to anyone who already knows how to play cribbage.

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This game is pretty fun, and a great 'time waster.' Now, it requires you to know how to play the actual game before starting, because like the other review said, there's no instructions or tutorial. I will add though, the music on this game is amazing. You will not be disappointed.

Buy Backyard Baseball

Customer Ratings:

My child and I have long enjoyed Humongous Entertainment's (HE) "Backyard" series on the PC, especially because of the kid players: Speedy Pete Wheeler, good-natured Keisha Phillips, spunky Annie Frazier, and powerful Pablo Sanchez. The usual crew is here, along with 10 actual MLB baseball players (e.g., Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez) playing as kids. (You can also create your own player, distributing attributes such as contact and power).

There are a few differences between the Gamecube version and an earlier one we have for the personal computer. The one negative is the graphics: The characters' faces here have lost some definition and detail and tend to look like Pillsbury doughboys. This really took some getting used to, but eventually we did. There's also no random game mode: Even for a single game you have to go to the trouble of selecting individual players.

However, the Gamecube version has many excellent features. Video baseballers will probably play on a TV monitor (for many families, this is will be larger than the PC monitor), and this enhances the experience and eases eye strain. A major improvement is the ease of fielding compared to the "follow the blue dot" method used on the earlier PC game. As in the PC version, you can play a single game or an entire season, Gamecube also offers a homerun derby mode that is a lot of fun. We really enjoy season mode in which your selected players and team go through a regular season and can advance to the playoffs.The game tracks season statistics (e.g., RBI, HR, ERA, Strikeouts), which, of course, is often important to baseball fans. HE has included several great fields (including an underwater stadium that "unlocks" once you win a few games), and, as usual, you can adjust the game according to your ability. The background noise and commentary add authenticity and humor, and the sound levels can be individually changed as well. Overall, an excellent game.

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My kids and their friends used this game a lot. They had countless hours of fun playing this game. Just what we were looking for.

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What if you took Disney and mixed them with the Backyard BunchTM? Well, I wouldn't know but could you imagine if Pablo Sanchez had to face Mickey Mouse? Or Donald Duck faced-off against Pedro Martinez? How's about Chip N Dale going against Ernie Steele? Well, there's no Disney in this game, but overall, it's still about the coolest game of baseball around! That would have been nice to see a "Charmers Team" in this game, Charmers don't get enough attention! There are 9 professional players in the game along with 2 unlockable fields! This review is just an idea, it's not meant to be helpful!

Honest reviews on Backyard Baseball

Don't you wish there was a Disney Sports Baseball? If so, this is the alternative! If not, get outta here! This ain't no Disney Sports wack game, no way, this is the backyard, so close, you don't gotta leave your chair! Now let's see the game's blood, a baseball game plain and simple, right? WRONG! This ain't no 1980's Nintendo 2-D baseball, no... this is 3-D pros as kids, with the "Backyard Bunch" who play some hot baseball with crazy power-ups, Aluminum Power Bat, Under-grounder, Fire Ball and Big Freeze! ...

Cheap OUYA Wireless Controller

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $41.68
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

Do not believe the grossly negative reviews of this control or the OUYA itself; the hardware is all very well built. Early weaknesses in the controller have been corrected for the retail release. All the buttons and sticks feel very solid, the controller itself has a nice heft to it, and is comfortable in my hands. I'm not sure I would rank it at the same build quality as xbox and PS3, but it's very close. The $50 price feels a bit high, since the console+control is $100.

Concerning lag/glitchyness/bugs/etc... In my experience, all the control problems I have run in to have been software related. A lot of the games available on OUYA have so far been direct ports of mobile/tablet games and the developers did not take a lot of time to convert things over to a console with a tranditional controller. Some games DO have some button lag, and others do not, but it so far has been nothing I can blame on the controller itself.

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Early OUYA controllers had problems. People have said they felt cheap, the buttons got stuck or they didn't press well, and the covers fell off. Ouya promised to fix the problem, and it certainly appears as if they have. These post-public release controllers are much improved. They fit well in the hands and are neither too heavy nor too light, the buttons work perfectly, and I just don't have a single complaint about them!

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First, of the four controllers that I got one has a bad right direction button on the pad, which happened to be my first controller synced the first time I booted. I didn't know that I just had to reboot the Ouya to connect another controller as my #1.

Second, I find that the d-pad and the main (O-U-Y-A) buttons are really stiff, and sometimes the O doesn't register.

Third, the touchpad at the top is usable, but very sensitive, and would prefer games didn't use it for primary features. The one game that I've tried that used it for level selection was cumbersome, and using it for keyboard input is just painful.

It's not nearly the nicest controller feel I've used, which would probably be a tie between the later Sega controllers, or several USB Logitech controllers I've used (PS2 layout).

On the positive side, the size is much better for me than the xbox-360 controllers, which I find too small. I also think the weight/balance is nice as well. They feel really sturdy.

---

Off Topic...

For the most part, I got the Ouya because I felt it would be a great platform for retro game emulators. Most of my time so far has been with the SuperGNES (SNES Emulator), and has been fun. I've also played with a few others, and liking it a lot.

I think that there is a lot of potential for the platform, but think the "discover" section could use a little bit more work. It would be nice to be able to see say a youtube video clip of games prior to download/install. One of the most popular games is nearly a GB in size, when you have limited storage space (you can't yet install games to USB) you really need to add more tools to see what a game is like before downloading.

On that note, a "Media" category, for entertainment feeds, such as netflix, amazon video, revision 3, etc, would be nice as well.

Honest reviews on OUYA Wireless Controller

I have not been disappointed, at all. It works as well as a PS3 or Xbox controller. There is one weird thing, the way you install the batteries. There should have been instructions. I was afraid I was going to break it, trying to figure out how to install the batteries. I did not, but the fear was there. I would purchase another if I had the need.

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First of all, yes there were some launch issues. Yes some Kickstarters have been having trouble getting their Ouyas on time. Yes the controllers had a lot of lag before the latest firmware updates. Yes the buttons got stuck under the faceplate in early controller models.

But all these issues either have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed.

As for what I think? I love it. The controller, minus some initial launch issues, is one of the best controllers I have ever used. I like it better than the Dualshock and the Wii Classic Controller Pro. (my only two reference points) It is comfortable to hold and feels well balanced. The buttons, triggers and analog sticks are all smooth and sturdy. This is no Madcatz controller. This is what you would expect from a first party hardware dev. The only quirks I have seen is with the battery compartment being accessed through the faceplate and the touchpad which doesn't get utilized near enough.

I have plans to start using this controller for my PC rather than my Wii Classic Controller Pro. It is that good.

Best EA Sports Active 2 - Xbox 360 Deals

Customer Ratings:

3 1/2 stars out of 5

The "2" in EA Sports Active 2 is actually a little misleading. The first EA Sports Active came out for the Wii in May of 2009, and the second, titled "More Workouts," came out 6 months later, adding much needed core exercises. This game, in essence, is the third in the series. Needless to say, I've been a fan of the franchise for a while, and it has been a great addition to my workouts. I decided to sell my Wii recently and upgrade to XBOX and Kinect, especially after hearing EASA 2 would be out soon after launch. However, being the third iteration in the series, this title for the XBOX is a bit of a step backwards.

Pros:

+ The addition of a heart rate monitor is great! It's accurate, stays put on my forearm even during the boxing workout, and it's easy to connect.

+ No more Wiimote and Nunchuck getting in your way. You don't have to decide between having the leg strap fall off of you or cut off the circulation to your right foot. This allows you to finally use your own weights instead of the included resistance band. There is even a setting adjustment for players wanting to take advantage of this feature.

+ The included resistance band is much more... resistant than the previous band. Your arms will now feel the burn on curls, raises and presses.

+ Step aerobics and boxing is a lot of fun. Both exercises have seen improvements and work well with the Kinect.

+ The game FINALLY recognizes my jumps! One frustration with the Wii was its inability to recognize jumps during downhill inline skating. No more, Sports Active fans!

+ Intensity is not a problem with this game. I completed medium intensity workouts and my heart rate stayed at about 70-80% of my maximum.

+ Lots of stats. You want stats, you got 'em. This game will tell you your average heart rate, calories burned, percent completion, and will give you graphs to measure your intensity. It will even tell you how many of each exercise you've ever performed, ever.

+ Achievements. Nothing like increasing your gamerscore and getting in shape at the same time, am I right?

Cons:

Motion-controlled menu interface. It is useless. Tip: Once you get your heart rate monitor connected, turn on your XBOX 360 controller as well. If you're expecting to have a controller-less experience with EASA 2, you will be spending a lot of time inadvertently hitting the wrong options and correcting your mistakes.

Voice recognition. I thought this would be a pretty cool addition. Yeah sure, I'd like to pause my workout simply by saying "Pause." But try to do anything else and you'll find out that it's not worth it. Want to skip an exercise? "Pause." "Skip exercise." "Select." (Are you sure?) "Skip exercise." "Select." It's not a fast process and a little more than annoying if what you say doesn't register the first time. Also, during my first exercise, I somehow managed to bring up the radio on two occasions (by voice prompt I'm assuming) and COULD NOT get it to go away. I had to pull out my handy controller again and hit "X" to get rid of it.

"Show Me How" is a pain! My first workout was 42 minutes long, and I bet I managed to accidentally trigger this selection about 30 times. I'm not sure if it was a phantom voice prompt or arm movement that triggered it, but it really put a kink in my workout.

No real-life trainers. It's a small complaint, but I think it's worth mentioning. In the first EASA, you learned how to perform exercises from actual human beings, which not only helped you with your form but also made you think, "Hey, if he/she can do it, so can I." Instead, EA has replaced these trainers with generic computer renderings tirelessly performing alternating jump lunges. Were the developers too rushed to include them? Or just cheap?

Trainer prompts and suggestions. One of the best features of the first EASA was the helpful suggestions given during your workout, telling you to focus on breathing or tighten your glutes. They were spouted often but always changed and were generally helpful. Now, they are overly repetitive and not useful. Yes, I know I should keep my pushups low, but if I go any lower, I will actually just be laying on the floor. Tip: after you've have one go through all of the exercises and heard all the trainer has to say, go to game settings and turn off all trainer input. You'll be happier doing the running drills when you're not being told to keep your back straight every 10 seconds.

Overall, EA Sports Active 2 does give you a solid, heart-pounding workout at home. But it feels as though EA made a last minute port instead of tailoring their SA franchise for the Kinect. Controls are finicky, graphics are a bit lacking, and sometimes you'll scream at your console for once again "showing you how" to do something you already know how to do.

Verdict: If you already have one of the previous Sports Actives for the Wii, skip this one. For 100 dollars, it's not worth upgrading. But if you are new to workout games, have an XBOX, a Kinect and an endless supply of patience, I'd say go for it. You will get a good balance of cardio and muscle sculpting workouts, and achievements will have you chasing new goals constantly.

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There are some ways this product falls short, and others where it excels.

Pros:

-Heart rate monitoring. Your heart rate is an extremely useful tool for getting the most out of your workouts, working out safely, working out effectively, and a very good way of gauging your intensity. Beginners always have a hard time knowing whether or not they're working out with enough intensity, or if they're putting unnecessary stress on their heart. For those with heart conditions, I wouldn't even consider another fitness game.

-Resistance training and weight settings. You can use resistance bands for many of the workouts used by the game, or you can change a setting so that you can use your own dumbbells (up to 30 pounds, as far as I can tell). Resistance training is an important part of any serious workout.

-9 week program. This is a great feature for beginners and those that have been out of the routine for a while. It puts you on a routine with three selectable levels of intensity, four days a week for about a half hour per day. These workouts are great. I struggled to finish the Medium setting the first time through as a former athlete who's spent a little too much time couch gaming over the past few years and eating too much fast food after being too lazy to get back into my routine after an illness. For a while, expect these routines to take as much as an hour out of your day. Another plus here is warm-up and cool-down at the beginning and ending of each day's routine. Other fitness tools neglect this extremely important aspect of a good workout. Where is the stretching? It's unfortunate that good stretching wasn't thrown into the warm-up and cool-down portions.

Cons:

-Customization. I haven't explored this feature a great deal yet, but there doesn't appear to be an extensive level of customization.

-Stat tracking. This is pretty much a joke. The elaborate stat tracking that was posted is essentially just you answering a roll call. Did you exercise today? Yes. Did you eat healthy? Yes. Okay. Its making sure you participated, which is great, but I want to monitor my body's specific progress. It doesn't even have an input (that I've seen), where you can input your weight each day after weighing yourself on a scale, which I find sad considering you can mark down your participation in outside activities and have it count toward your progress. Why can't I record my weight progress, EA? Wii Fit lets you do it, and appears to be a superior tool for monitoring your results progress. If you have both, continue doing your Wii Fit Body Test daily as a supplement to EA Sports Active 2.

As I've said, these are initial impressions and may change. I intend to update this review as I discover new ways it excels and fails. At the end of day one, my body is feeling the too long unfamiliar feeling of a great workout.

UPDATE (11/19/10) Dropped from 4 to 2 stars.

Just completed my second workout and wow... just wow. I am about 8 feet from my TV because my living room is narrow but according to other Kinect games like Kinect Adventures and Dance Central have no problem detecting all of my movements easily. The second routine has a lot of workouts on that involve sitting on the floor, consecutively. Not only does the game force you to be standing at the beginning of each one of these to be recognized by the Kinect, but it also would not recognize anything my legs did while on my back no matter what I did. When I was supposed to be doing V crunches, I was having to kick one leg up in the air as high as I could just to get it to count a rep so I could just move on to the next workout. I tried lying sideways, straight forward, angled, closer, further away. NOTHING worked. I had to skip 2-3 workouts because of this. 8 feet should be plenty. Today, I was genuinely annoyed that I wasted an hour out of my day I could have spent getting a real workout. After this, I am really leaning toward selling it, as I don't have the 10-12 feet this apparently requires for floor workouts.

UPDATE 2 (11/22/10) Still 2 stars.

My wife and I have both done additional workouts with EA Active 2, moving the Kinect both above and below the TV, recalibrating everything as well. This thing still will not pick anything up that goes on when you're on the floor correctly, aside from pushups. It appears to be a result of the couch being at our backs. If your feet get near the couch, it can't detect your feet properly anymore. Again, my couch is about ten feet from the TV; supposedly plenty. If you take even one step forward, it tells you that you are too close once you lie down and won't track the movements anyway. No other Kinect game I've tried so far has had this problem.

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I preorderd this game and had a chance to pop it into the 360 and play it tonight. I own both of the previous Wii EA Sports Active games (for Wii) and enjoyed them both, but ended up falling off of the exercise wagon after a while.

I'm hoping this one can keep me motivated a bit longer.

I'm just going to go through a quick list of the Pros and Cons.

Pros:

Voice navigation through the game's menus is pretty awesome. Being able to skip workout tutorials just by using my is pretty awesome. You can also navigate through the in-game music choices to skip tracks if you feel the need.

Syncing with EASportsActive.com is good stuff. Sometimes during my lunch break I like to check in on my fitness schedule to know when my rest days are. You're also able to change attributes on your account like weight and have it sync back to the Xbox.

Workout tutorials are very helpful. Videos actually show you the way to hold the weights and how to perform the exercise. The trainer tells you where you should feel the burn so that helps you know if you are doing it correctly.

Kinect Sensor makes this game so much easier. One thing I hated about the Wii version was constantly pulling the nunchuck out of the leg strap and having to try to fit it back in there on the next exercise. No more fussing with that. Kinect just tracks your motion with its camera, so there is nothing to hold on to. Some exercises require weights, so the only thing you will switch back and forth between are exercises not requiring weights and exercises requiring weights...

Being able to use free weights rather than the resistance weight band. I grabbed myself a couple of 5 lb. weights and entered it into my game profile and went to town. When you set up your profile, you tell it how heavy the weights are, and it uses that information to help calculate your calorie burn. The game comes bundled with a resistance band if you don't have any weights of your own.

This isn't an EA Sports Active pro, more of a 360/Kinect pro. Achievements are awesome. I have a feeling the lust for every achievement point in this game will be one thing that motivates me to keep playing. Setting up your account and getting through your first workout session nets you about 30 points. I can't imagine how tone I will be after collecting them all.

Cons:

I consider the bundled heart rate monitor both a pro and a con. It is interesting to see your rate spike when you're really pushing it, and I can see how it would give you a more accurate calorie burn reading, but the fact that it increases the price of the game to $99 makes it a little harsh. The rate monitor just isn't that important to me. I haven't tried out two player mode yet, but I don't think the monitor is required for the exercises, just recommended, so no need to pick up a second one if the person you play with isn't super into it. I will probably let my fiancée wear it if she wants to when we work out together because it just isn't that important to me.

The exercise accuracy tracking with Kinect is a little sketchy. Sometimes the machine just has no idea what I am doing, especially when squatting. I'm willing to put part of the blame on myself, I have only had the game for an evening, so I am not in good enough shape to squat as low as it wants me to. I also had pajama pants on rather than my usual workout shorts. I recommend wearing shorts; I think it will help a lot. The accuracy also seems a little off when jogging in place. It really wants you to power jog and whip those arms back and forth to burn more calories. I think it uses the arm movement as a way to judge if you are actually running. Sometimes you really have to exaggerate your movement to get it to pick up that you're actually running in place quite fast. I'm willing to give the machine the benefit of the doubt. Next time I will be wearing shorts and after a few more weeks I should be able to squat lower, so I will try to update this after that. I feel the trade off in accuracy is totally worth not having to flail around with the Wiimotes though. I am hoping now that Microsoft has sold over a million of these things they use the data gathered to release a patch that improves accuracy across the board.

Load time. It seems to take an awful lot of time to load in between the workouts. I am going to install the game to the Xbox HDD, and I think it will eliminate that problem. To be honest, I needed the extra 30 seconds of rest time tonight, but listening to the Xbox wind up like a jet engine between every workout is a pretty scary thing to witness.

I wished the game allowed you to use the voice navigation for personal music selection using music streamed over a network or mp3s that are stored on the Xbox HDD. Rocking out to my own tunes or a podcast while working out would be pretty amazing to me. There is nothing to stop you from putting the ingame music volume to mute and using the Xbox guide button on a remote to get a playlist going though.

That's all I have to say for now. After a couple of weeks I will try to post more thoughts. I played on medium tonight and will be turning it down to easy next time. I am not overweight, just out of shape. The heart rate monitor needs a panic button for out of shape bozos like myself. :) And the only reason I gave it three out of five stars for "fun" is because exercise will never be fun to me.

Honest reviews on EA Sports Active 2 - Xbox 360

I have been using Active 2 for Kinect for 3 weeks and have completed 5 workouts in the 9 week program. I used the original Active for the Nintendo Wii a couple times a month for about a year.

Here's what you need to know if you are considering getting Active 2: it can be frustrating at first but it is a great way to get a workout if you STAY PATIENT and TWEAK YOUR SETTINGS and MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH PLAY SPACE. Kinect seems like a great product to me, but it is a bit touchy and oversensitive, also most of the games out for it so far don't really use it as well as they could, Active 2 included.

Before you even think about getting this game check out your play space. First make sure your Kinect sensor can "see" the floor( it cannot be pushed back into a deep shelf on an entertainment center for example). Then make sure Kinect is at least 4 feet off the ground, and has at least 8 feet of clear space in front of it. These are the minimum requirements for Kinect to function. If you have nowhere that you can get the Kinect 4 feet up, 8 feet out, and able to point at the floor you should stop reading right now and get a Wii or a Playstation Move. These are the absolute minimum requirements for Kinect to function and if you don't have the space, don't waste your money.

Once you have your play space cleared, get it as bright in the room as possible. Open shades and turn on lights. Then run the Kinect calibration program.

If you have the play space and have your Kinect working right, there are 2 things you need to know to avoid the extreme frustration that Active 2 can cause.

First, TURN OFF THE VOICE COMMANDS. They cause the "show me how" tutorial videos to play over and over in the middle of your workout when you don't say a word but somehow Kinect goes deaf when you actually want to use them. Would be a good idea if they worked but they are worthless and you are better off forgetting they exist.

Second, STAY STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLAY SPACE BETWEEN WORKOUTS AND ON ALL FLOOR EXERCISES. The floor exercises can be the most annoying, horrifying exercise in frustration you have ever experienced. If you don't let Kinect keep track of you before you sit down it will constantly freeze and make you press A to re-connect. Stay standing still directly in front of the camera on the pushups, crunches, arm planks, etc until you see "sit down and face the sensor" on the screen.

If you do both of these things Active 2 will work the way it was intended to about 95% of the time and it will kick your butt, make you sweat, and generally give you a solid workout.

Two player Active 2it kinda works....but.....

Two players works very well on some exercises, especially the running and mountain biking. The floor exercises are completely broken with 2 players. My husband and I could not get the game to stop freezing on 2 player crunches no matter what we tried, the sensor would lose track of the right hand player and freeze immediately whenever we started to sit down. Jumps can get dangerouswe collided painfully on the side to side jumps trying to stay within the play space. There are also many exercises that cannot be played with 2 players and the game will remove them from the workout when 2 players are selected, cutting down your workout time and potential calories to be burned. Two player mountain bike racing or sprints would be fun as a party mini-game. It would also probably work as a serious workout if you create a custom one to eliminate floor and jumping exercises.

The heart rate monitor that comes with Active 2 is simple and works perfectly but isn't really required, it should be optional because it makes the game come in at a pricey $100.

The ability to make your character appear on the screen with free weights instead of the resistance band is nice, it doesn't really change any of the exercises and nothing was preventing you from ditching the band in favor of the weights before. It is still a nice touch though.

Overall, if you have an Xbox, you are planning to use Kinect for more than just Active 2, and you have the right amount of space and a little patience I would recommend this game for a good workout. Because of the small but frustrating glitches and the price tag, I would not buy an Xbox and a Kinect just to play Active 2, it is just too expensive.

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As many have pointed out the pros and cons of this game, I would like to just give some feedback on what I've discovered with the Kinect version in the last 3 weeks of using it. To know what kind of exercises you can expect and the programs connected with it, read the other reviews as they are fairly adequate in their explanations. On some of the game's current shortcomings I just want to add a few pointers below:

SPACE

EA Sports Active needs more backwards space. This is probably the biggest shortcoming of most Kinect games at the moment, and that is that the space to the sides (as you face the sensor) is usually enough, but you need more space at the back. For EA Sports Active to start working 'properly', make sure you have sufficient back space.

RECOGNITION

The game will by times 'forget' who you are. This is rather silly, as you sign in with an idea and therefore should be the still the same person throughout the game. However, whenever the sensor loses you the game goes into re-identifying you. This is a hassle, and you will need patience to accept it as one of its shortcomings at the moment.

Again, stand back. I found that when I'm too close to the sensor it'll lose me -so stand back.

Also, between workouts, be ready to face the camera again at the beginning of each session. If you turn at those points to drink water or shuffle the cat away, it will go into the re-identifying mode again.

When this happens, stand back again in your space and wait. It may say for a few seconds that it cannot find you and that you are now a VISITOR, but just stand patiently and hopefully it'll find you. So far, it has always found me within a few seconds.

CONTROLLER

As mentioned, this game has been clearly designed for the Wii, and then when they found out that PS3 and Xbox will release the Move and Kinect respectively, they quickly transformed it for these consoles. For PS3 Move it'll work, but the problem is that the menus and not entirely Kinect-friendly. Make sure your Xbox controller is nearby at all times, as you will need to hit that green A button frequently to progress through tutorials and other menus. Don't fret over it, that's just the way it is for now. I am positive that EA sports Active will make adjustments for Kinect in the future, but that will only be expected by the 3rd release.

LYING-DOWN EXERCISES

When an exercise comes up that needs you to lie down, DON'T just lie down. Wait until it prompts you to do so, and only then lie down. For some reason Kinect searches for your face first, and when you go lie down it loses you and then goes into re-identifying mode again. You'll have to stand up again and do the whole thing again.

So keep standing, wait, and let the game tell you to go down and then do it. It should save you some time on the identifying hassle.

Then, while lying down...(see below)

LIGHTNING vs FLOOR EXERCISES

Before Kinect was released, I had read that some developers had problems with Kinect in that it couldn't recognize people when sitting or lying down. It was mentioned that some of these developers found other unique ways of overcoming this problem by analyzing the shadows of your body. Knowing this, I can safely assume that EA had this problem when they designed the Kinect version of Sports Active 2. So what I did was to ensure that I had some kind of "shadow" while doing lying-down exercises by having my nearby lamp shine on me from the side. Sounds weird, eh? But so far no problems with lying-down exercises.

Once you accept these shortcomings for this product, things tend to go smoother. From the reviews I had read beforehand I had expected something horrendous, but turns out my workouts had been going pretty smoothly for the last few weeks. As I am not much of a fitness geek (and that's exactly why I got this) I cannot give feedback on the contents and structure of the training, thus restricting my review to the technical issues clouding this game at the moment.

On the positive side: other games have proven that Kinect CAN track well and that menus CAN be designed intelligently to accommodate Kinect. It's now up to EA to ensure that future releases are designed around Kinect, and not Kinect adapted around their Wii/PS3 Move interfaces. Given then that this is their first try with Kinect I'll give them a 4-star rating, but if they cannot improve these shortcomings by the 3rd release of Sports Active, I'll definitely only rate it a 3-star show.

Finally. This game is doing more for me that Your Shape Fitness Evolved. There is more variety here than in Your Shape. The menus run quicker too. Though Your Shape is still a good beginner's experience for now (as we hope future releases will be broader), I'd say if you were to chose between the two then go for EA Sports Active 2...even with the higher price tag.