5 in 1 USB 4800mAh Battery Pack & Charger Cable Kit For Xbox-360 Review

Customer Ratings:

The price I paid for this product was a lot less than other products out there.

You get 2 recharable batteries, and "Charge and Play" cord and a One slot recharable dock. They are both USB, so the recharable dock doesn't have to take up another outlet, just plug it into the Xbox and keep it there to recharge any other batteries. I'm not sure why it says 5-in-1 where there's only 4 items, but it's still a good buy and the shipping said it would take a minimum of 17 days to ship, but the delivery date was well under that. It was only 8 days ago when I ordered and the product got shipped.

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Discount Xbox Controller (Original Design)

Customer Ratings:

I love these original controllers although some people do not like them because the controller is large.

I have large hands so this controller rocks.

Ordered a used one and it works perfectly.

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I have fairly large hands AND a mix of carple tunnel and arthritis and it's really painful to use the smaller "S" controller for longer than an hour. I've never had a problem using the original Xbox controller and wish I could find one modded for the 360. I would definitely pay top dollar for one!

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ugly, fat, old design. not the original controller for xbox. im keeping it however in case my other ORIGINAL non bulky controller dies. poop seller

Honest reviews on Xbox Controller (Original Design)

i give it an ok review because, it arrived on time but It came dirty and it was not in such a good condition as described.

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I love these controllers.

I'm a man arthritis in his hands and these controllers feel great and just don't hurt my hands like the Xbox S Controllers and Xbox 360 controllers.

The controllers arrived ten days early, were practically new, and work like a dream.

This is the best deal on Amazon.com.

Gray Matter - PC Reviews

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List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $4.79
Today's Bonus: 52% Off

Like many other fans who have played the Gabriel Knight series, I was eagerly awaiting the latest adventure game from Jane Jensen. After many years and multiple production houses in development, Gray Matter is finally here, and it has been worth the wait.

Disclaimer: Being a fan of Jane Jensen's adventures I may have evalauated the game to her high-set standards.

The game has the trademark quality of a Jensen adventure with a great story, character depth, atmosphere and...challenging puzzles? Well, only the last feature has left me with some hesitancy in recommending the game just to any adventure games fan, especially ones that do not favor all of the above qualities over the level of challenge/brain-taxing. In this respect, Gray Matter is a lot like Dreamfall ( Longest Journey 2), i.e. a great piece of interactive fiction though somehwt lacking in the puzzle department. In fact, I found Gray Matter easier than Gabriel Knight 2. Also, certain puzzles that the female main character has to solve as her personal objective did not blend well with the main story arc. The puzzle-solving aspect is the only note-worthy low point of this title.

Graphics are well-drawn, with some imaginative backdrops and colors that are appropriately dreary for the most part. Before I played the game, I saw a lot of mention about the comic-book style cutscenes in the reviews. In many instances, they are adequate, but elsewhere, you wish the cutscenes had more clarity and animation, especially when there is more happening in the scene. Jane's hubby Robert Holmes has done a great job with the soundtrack, although it is less-varied than the GK2 music. There are quite a few tracks, though throughout most of the gameplay you hear only two or so. At certain points in the story, the music may even leave you emotionally moved. Voice acting is generally very good; the only aspect I couldn't help but notice is that Dr. Styles' character sounds older than the mid-thirties character potrayed.

Perhaps what sets this game of Jane Jensen apart from the GK series, apart from the obvious setting and characters, is the fact that the game leaves a lot to the interpretation of the players. If you get into the story as much as I did, you will definitely find yourself searching the web forums for explanation to certain events in the game and what other players thought about them. Some of the cutscenes are essential to revealing these. Most of this is I believe delibrate, though the end does seem a bit rushed, when compared to the general pace the story advances at.

All in all, the game is a must-play for fans of the GK series, and anyone who likes their adventure games with a good dose of intrigue, atmosphere, memorable characters and decent puzzles.

Update 4-15-12: Excited to see that a sequel is planned by Jane Jensen's newly found Pinkerton Road Studios and her community-supported funding project through Kickstarter!

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Let me start by saying I have played a lot of adventure games in the past, I grew up playing the classic Sierra games, Space Quest, Kings Quest, and Jane Jensen's other works Gabriel Knight to name a few. I was very excited to hear about this game, and I just finished it a few minutes ago.

For those who don't know what this is, the best way I can describe it is a interactive book/novel. divided into chapters, where you play the led character, and have to go though and find out what is going on, in order to move on with the story. With this can sometimes be hard to figure out, I believe it is well worth the effort. For people tired of the same old game, give it a shot you might be surprised.

For fans of Jensen's other titles I believe that you will enjoy this game, it has a feel of her other games, and it kept me hooked wanting to find out what was going to happen next.

I'll leave it on this, it was nice to find a game that made me use my brain a little, which is becoming uncommon in the world of video games today.

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The story drew me in completely, making me care about the characters and what happened to them. The game-play involved both action and the investigation of mysterious events, but was refreshingly different from the standard genres of hidden object, murder mystery, or monster fighting.

I realize that the computer game industry is mostly targeted at players in their teens or twenties, and this game should be well received by that audience. But it's nice to find a game like this one that can also entertain older players like me.

My game-play lasted well over twelve hours; I kept coming back for more whenever I had time. The ending was quite satisfying, but I was sorry when it was over and immediately wanted to buy another game like this one.

Unfortunately I'm not sure if there are any like it. Please tell me your suggestions if you have one.

Honest reviews on Gray Matter - PC

I took a chance and downloaded this game before any reviews or screenshots were posted. I had no problems with download or install, just to add a counterpoint to those reviewers who did have issues.

I'm basically happy with my investment.

Gray Matter has proven to be a respectable entry in the HOG genre of gaming, with excellent graphics and challenging (without being frustrating) puzzles. The game starts of with a clever and amusing prologue detailing your character's journey to the doctor's house -it's done in pseudo-animation, more like watching a powerpoint presentation. This is actually clever and amusing or low-budget depending on your mood, I think.

The plot is refreshing (see publisher's descript.), and the game is really a hybrid of adventure/HOG in that you are able to pilot your main character through the three dimensional space rather than just using the cursor alone.

The GOOD:

Excellent graphics. The game does require a fair amount of gaming power from your computer. The environments are convincing and your avatar is solidly grounded in them.

Clever game play, in that there are hidden object elements as well as exploratory ones.

The play environment is fully realized -your character walks around furniture in rooms and it is really great to see that kind of detail to game physics in an HOG.

The BAD:

Ugh -the main character moves so slowly. This is not a processor issue, it is due to the fact that she prances around with a very casual and fluid gate like she has all the time in the world.

The game could use more interactivity. There is a very nice feature that lets the player "highlight" all of the interactive objects in a room. Unfortunately, several of these so-called "interactive" objects are only interactive in that when you walk to them (slowly) they just tell you what they are. "Oh, a cigarette...I don't need that right now."

I found the manipulation of some objects in my inventory to be pretty cumbersome at times in terms of moving them into the play area for use. You *really* need to use a mouse with this game -my attempts at just using my laptop's built in mouse pad were met with frustration.

Basically, this is a nice and languidly-paced casual game that may not move quickly enough for hyperactive game players like me. This is not the fault of the game, but just a different style of play.

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Lets start with the pros and cons

Pros:

Original story, and a very good one.

Cool mini game.

Can run at 1920 x 1080 resolution (many other adventure games are locked at certain resolution).

Good voice over.

Attractive protagonist :)

The art is very pleasant

Good music

Cons:

The game is a little too short imo, I think I beat it under 10 hours, might be consider lengthy by some.

Some puzzles are fairly easy, the ending puzzles was hard and a bit confusing though.

Few hints on where to continue.

Some events were not explained.

Not much of a closure from the ending

Discount Skylanders SWAP Force Triple Character Pack 2: Mega Ram Spyro

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List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $24.96
Today's Bonus: $0.03 Off

These characters are all great. Buying in the triple pack saves several bucks too. Spyro is his series 3 incarnation, Chill is her Series 2 (She wasn't in the first game) and Zoo Lou is an all new Series 1 character. You can get a black and gold legendary Zoo Lou at Toys R Us, but he has one of the most unique color palettes in a Skylanders character so I highly recommend the White, brown and green normal edition.

Note: These are not Swap characters. There seems to be a lot of confusion on the part of parents buying for their kids. The Swap characters are sold either single or now in double packs. They are 15.99 each single and 29$ in the two pack. Those are the characters that you can mix and match tops and bottoms with. All characters from all games work in the Swap-Force game, but not all characters are Swap-characters. There is an icon on the packaging to denote whether the character is a Series 1, 2 or 3, whether it's lightcore or swappable. And just because these characters don't swap, it doesn't mean they suck. Far from it. They're just as powerful.

Also, Series 2 and 3 characters are backwards compatible with any game that they were in to begin with. So if you're just starting out and Swap Force is your first skylanders game, Series 3 Spyro works in Skylanders Giants and the original Skylander Adventure of Spyro games. So you can buy the previous games and get further value out of these characters and not have to buy Series 1 or 2 characters from the first two games if you have the swap force series 2 or 3. I know it can be hard for parents to keep up with this all. If you have any questions, send me a message. As an avid collector, I'll happily answer any questions you have.

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The characters are great, but if you already have Eruptor and Pop Fizz from previous games, then only get this if you're a collector. Both of these returning characters do get a new move and increased stats, but the difference are so slight that you won't even notice them most of the time. Eruptor replaces the ability to "barf" a big stream of fire with the ability to spew magma balls. Pop Fizz adds the ability to make one of his purple potions do double damage. As for Slobber tooth, you can get him in a single pack if he's all you really need. Personally I don't think Slobber Tooth is that powerful, but he is a brand new character and he's certainly not horrible.

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All those looking to purchase these kits, understand that Swap Force is the third generation of this franchise. Just like Giants before, the Swap Force figures are the special figures while the original skylanders are reimagined with new appearances, a higher level cap, and different abilities. No, these particular figures do not swap, but if you do the research before you buy you will find that Activision has released multiple swap force characters that will make your children very happy and keep them entertained. Just look for the " swap" logo on the front of the box, it is similar to the lightcore image and is usually found in the center of the package just below the window to view the character. Swap force is not " deceptive marketing," it is Activision hoping that the public will research and understand their purchases before making them.

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I bought the Skylanders Swap Force Starter Kit from Amazon as well because my son requested it for Christmas. I bought this set as an add on and I know that he will love it! Great purchase!

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We bought these for my son's Birthday to go with the "Swap Force" game thinking they would be able to "swap" with the other characters but they don't. They are just all one piece but do work with the game. He was very disappointed.

Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition -Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:

Again I'm given the difficult task of reviewing a game of mixed renown. In the case of Star Wars Unleashed it is safe to say it did well with its' fan base selling millions of copies but was received with lukewarm scrutiny by the critics. Because of this I did not know quite what to expect. Having just beat the game all I can say is it delivered the goods I expected and was in no way a disappointment. Like many other games that belong to the action platform genre it is a blast while playing but despite the fun you are having it ends too abruptly.

If there is a single crime Force Unleashed is guilty of it is that in some ways it is akin to playing God of War with a light saber. Finishing off bosses or large foes requires button mash mini games. Most are easy enough with the hardest one requiring the player to pull a Star Destroyer from the sky as Tie fighters attack mercilessly. As you swathe your way through storm troopers, rebels, aliens, and walkers you collect points from slain foes which eventually make you "level up" so you can improve force powers or buy brand new ones. There are many epic feats Star killer can do and luckily enough a few special attacks such as "lightning bomb" are brand new to the franchise.

Most surprising is the story line is top notch. Side characters such as the beautiful and resourceful Imperial pilot Eclipse and Proxy the friendly yet psychotic droid are oddly endearing. The voice acting is delivered wonderfully as you would expect from a Lucas arts title. In some ways the plot pulled me in just as much as the one in Knights of the old republic though Force Unleashed should not be mistaken for an rpg.

The only thing Force Unleashed can be faulted for is that you visit some worlds twice. Felucia and Kashyk come to mind immediately though I'm happy to say that the lay out drastically changes for each visit. The environments can be truly breathtaking and I was very impressed by the graphics as a whole.

In my whole time playing I can only think of one glitch. When I fought Vader the second time our life bars froze. Pretty much we were both invincible so I had to start my battle over with him upon resetting my 360. I was glad the same glitch did not happen twice. I should mention though the load times are slow the auto save points are put in good places so rest assured dying does not require you restart the whole level.

On account this is the Ultimate Sith edition you are also getting the Jedi temple, Tattoine, and Hoth levels. Two of these missions extend an alternate history in which Star Killer becomes the new Darth Vader. The Jedi Temple was exclusive to the ps2 version until now.

How worth while this game is depends on two factors. If you've already beaten Force Unleashed I'm hesitant to say if the 3 hours of extra content will be worth it for you. Secondly be forewarned this is a Star Wars game from the action plat former mold thus you can likely beat it in one or two nights if you have nothing better to do.

If however you want to know how The Rebellion got started and be put in the shoes of one of the most epic Jedi/Sith rear kickers of all time Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith edition is a steal at the present asking price!

Pros

+ A plot of romance, betrayal, redemption, and conspiracies delivered with flair and passion.

+ Beautiful breath-taking visuals

+Mostly fluid combat and varied ways of using Force powers

+Game does not penalize you for failing real time event button combinations on the lowest difficulty

+Some of the best voice acting I've heard in awhile

Cons

-It is difficult to lock onto what you want sometimes to target objects or foes with your Jedi abilities.

-The sound track is not bad per se but we've all heard these same tired musical scores thousands of times by now.

-The game is not completely absent of glitches.

-Can be beaten quickly

If you've already beaten the original I cannot in good conscious suggest you trudge through the Ultimate edition for a measly 3 additional hours of play on the special disc that includes the bonus levels. Only the Hoth mission is exclusive. The others can be purchased on Xbox live as downloadable content.

Ending Thoughts: It is hard for me to describe exactly how I feel about Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition. Most complaints I could level at it would also have to be taken up with other games from the action genre. While it doesn't do anything new it does it very well.

Certain people will have a beef with Unleashed merely on account it uses the Star Wars license. Many reviewers are prone to attack a title if it some how connects with a movie or popular franchise. Force Unleashed shamefully draws both those cards.

Yet I never witnessed an instance this game lied about what it was. For those of us that wanted a game similar to Devil may cry or God of war with Jedi, Sith, and Storm trooper it is a dream come true. Had Unleashed been an rpg I would have complained about its' short span. However safe to say most of us know the appeal of this romp is throwing around hapless unfortunate souls with our minds right before we electrocute them with force lightning! On that raw visceral level Unleashed succeeds while offering a memorable tale to boot!

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Star Wars The Force Unleashed was probably the best Star Wars game I've ever played. I didn't actually own it though so when I saw this deal for The Ultimate Sith Edition I jumped on it. For some people it's probably not worth the buy if they already own the 2 maps that were previously released. Disc 1 is the original game with all of the character packs. Disc 2 is the three newer maps and all the rest of the previously released downloadable content. The game is so much fun I say trade in your old one and pick this one up it's worth it too for a cheaper price.

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A great game at a great price, but wait? Is it? Having never purchased the The Force Unleashed when it originally released, mostly due to some game play annoyances, I finally decided to buy it after they decided to release an ultimate collection containing all of the game's post release dlc, assuming this to be the better value. For this better value, I paid an additional $15-20, hoping that they trade of for nearly $30 worth of dlc would be worth it. However, I was very much wrong, a fact I discovered when I received my product. Open opening my game, I found that the game had two discs, one with the original game, the other disc containing the three dlc packs that had been released for the game. Upon completing everything in the main adventure, I had hoped to carry over my game stats to the dlc packs, but unfortunately, that is not allowed. You have to start separate save files for each dlc pack, something that is very inconvenient, but also very annoying after having spent 30-40 hours buffing your character only for it to go to waste. Each dlc pack was no longer than 1-2 hours, and that was playing through very slowly, and overall, did not add to the experience of the original game. So, my advice, just like the title indicates, is to save your money, and just buy the original game.

Honest reviews on Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition -Xbox 360

This is a great game but these Amazon sellers are charging over price for this game. The extra levels you can get on Xbox live Marketplace if you have the regular edition. Don't pay unreasonable prices.

So buy the regular version. Then download the extra levels on xbox live. Have fun and don't let these sellers take advantage of you. They shouldn't be overcharging in this economy ;)

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I'm a total Star Wars nerd...I even like the prequel movies (though I have to plug my ears during much of Jar Jar's dialog). Anyway, I think this may be one of the most graphically polished games on the system. It's just a shame that much of the game play is cheap and annoying. Every time I learn a new power, I'm immediately introduced to enemies that are magically immune to it. Congratulations...you just learned the Force Push...now here's a tall black storm trooper that you can't use it on because he's three feet taller than the others (never mind the fact that I was just pulling Tie Fighters out of the air with the force). Hey! I just learned to shoot lightning out of my fingers! Time to introduce the magical electro-storm troopers that are engulfed in electricity and invulnerable. Clever huh? Also, far too often I'm trying to target one of the 20 enemies attacking me cheaply and the game mistakenly thinks I'm trying to stack crates with the force during the battle so it targets some random piece of debris instead and I end up wasting my lightning on it. The enemies time their attacks so that when you get knocked down (every few seconds) they hit you again as you're standing up. If you die at the end of a battle, you get to start it all over again! Hooray! I've seen the same two quick time event AT-ST animations a hundred times due to replaying the cheap battles over and over. But...the game is pretty and it's Star Wars so I'm still playing it.

Reviews of Luxor 3 - Nintendo Wii

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List Price: $29.99
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Today's Bonus: 89% Off

I am a big fan of the Luxor series and was excited to see that Luxor 3 was being released on the Wii.

My excitement turned to disappointment after I actually bought and played the game. Luxor is a game that demands fast action. However, the controls were very unresponsive, making quick moves extremely difficult. I still enjoyed this game enough to adjust to the poor controls and have fun while playing.

After getting used to the controls, I had a good time playing until the game froze when I made it to the 11th level. When it came time to load the 11th level, a shrill screech was blasted through my speakers and the game was completely inoperable. In fact, the game crashed my entire Wii. I had to unplug the Wii and then plug it back in to make my Wii operable again. I tried several times to reset and reload the game, but to no avail. There are no discernable scratches or smudges on the disc.

This game was released in an unacceptable form and I am very disappointed. Even if the controls are poorly designed, at the very least the developers should have programmed a game that at the very least can be played until the end.

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I am truly upset with Luxor 3 for wii.

Having bought PC & Wii versions of the each in the Luxor series ..... stating I was a loyal customer was an understatment.

After spending 3 weeks playing Luxor 3 to get to level 11 only to encounter a game stopping glinch.

I exchanged that copy and got another copy only to have the same results again.

I called Nintendo to inform them of the error.

They directed me towards Mumbo Jumbo company which does not have a toll free phone number and would require me to send them $ for a replacement cd.

At this point, I am cutting my losses and moving on to another game by another company.

I will no longer buy Mumbo Jumbo games which is just a darn shame.

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Love the game and have played it many times. Just don't continue after Level 11-7, be ready for the game to wipe out your score so you have to start over, and also, several of the puzzles are completely impossible, due to a programming issue. I've played all the levels, but never make it thru Insane due to the game resetting.

Honest reviews on Luxor 3 - Nintendo Wii

The game is immense fun, but there is a problem completing the game on the wii console which i have contacted mumbo jumbo about, and they have offered to mail me a new one....you could not complete the game to open the "insane" portion of the game mode without the wii console locking up...mumbo jumbo said there have been issues about this in the past, so be prepared to have your console lock up (only way is to unplug unit) after completing level 11-7

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I really love the Luxor game on the computer, so I was excited to see that it was available for the Wii. Unfortunately, it's not nearly as much fun on the Wii. It looks like it was simply transferred over to play, using the Wii controller much as you would a mouse. They could have added some cooler features to make the game more fun. It's also very hard to see on your TV, even with the "zoom" feature that the disk has. It's okay, but I think they could make this game so much better.

Best Xbox 360 Official NFL Dallas Cowboys Controller Faceplate Deals

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My husband was thrilled with this cover of his favorite team. So easy to snap on and looks really cool on the controller. Def a hit!

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my husband loves this he got it for christmas and he said it was better then getting his whittmen jersey

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Official NFL Dallas Cowboys Controller Faceplate

Nice cover. Can be kind of slick. But my friend liked it alot. Nice Design. Easy to install. May get one for my team

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I was trying to find a Dallas Cowboy controller but had no luck then i found this. it was perfect!!! hubby loved it!!

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my boyfriend really loved this. fits perfect and makes a boring controller look much better. after seeing bad reviews on the actual dallas cowboy controller i figured this was a much safer bet considering it is significantly cheaper.

Reviews of Multi-Input VGA Box for DVD, PS2, PlayStation, Gamecube, XBOX

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I bought it to use my N64 (W00t, retro gaming!)on my monitor, since I don't own a TV. It has four mini RCA inputs (Standard DVD player and console outputs, one video and two audio) and one VGA inputone 1/8th inch audio (standard for headphones/speakers) out and one VGA out. It has two other features, one button to change the resolution and a button for each input to change the input selection. The resolution settings are 640x480@60Hz, 640x480@75Hz, 800x600@60Hz, 800x600@75Hz, and 1024x768@60Hz. (I don't know why there isn't a 1024x768@75Hz option, maybe that's just too much demand on the machine.) If that's mumbo jumbo to you, just press the "RESOLUTION" button on the front repeatedly until you're happy with how your picture looks.

It's much cheaper than most mini RCA to VGA converters. I was told to expect about $100, and that is what I found for most of them, which seemed absurd to me. I think you will agree that this is a much happier price. I can have my N64, Dreamcast, Cube, and DVD player all hooked up to the same box and switch between them all by pressing their respective buttons, which is much quicker than swapping out cords.

But all is not happy. The picture's quality is noticeably reduced. The color is a bit off, and it seems a bit blurred as well, but that might be because I'm used to play my N64 games from further away on a TV much larger than my monitor, which might have made the image look sharper. You definitely do not want to hook up your XBox 360 or PS3 through this thing. I mostly play old video games, and you have to accept that the graphics suck anyway, so no big deal for me. Interestingly, I have noticed more of a problem with with color in Zelda than in Perfect Dark, and more of a problem with blurriness in Perfect Dark than in Zelda. I attribute the extra blurriness to more motion in the fast moving first-person shooter Perfect Dark and concentrating on other things and so not noticing the color being off. Where as in Zelda, I'm wandering around and taking my time to figure stuff out, so I notice the color being wrong (everything seems a bit more red, which is especially odd since I'm in the fire dungeon right now) but I'm not moving quickly enough to really notice the image blur.

Also, the resolution settings are not saved for each input, which is why I wouldn't plug my computer into this box if I could help it. I don't know for sure, maybe it doesn't mess with you VGA in, but I was happy that I use DVI for my computer, and so didn't have to try the little experiment. (So all of my mini-RCA things plug into my box which plugs into my monitor VIA a VGA cable, but my computer plugs into my monitor via my DVI cable, so to switch between my computer and my VGA converter box I just switch my input on my monitor.)

Because the resolution settings aren't saved, you'd have to manually change the resolution when you go from a N64, which likes a very low resolution, to a GameCube (Or any other newer console besides the 360 or PS3) which prefers a higher resolution. You could certainly get by without changing the resolution, but the picture really looks significantly better when at its proper resolution. (On a side note, if you want to see was Gears of War looks like at 640x480, this is how you could find out.)

As to the audio, this box adds a hum to it. It's really quiet, so if you're playing video games you'll only hear it during loading screens. Also, it's not a steady tone, or that "CHHHHH" sound that is annoying at any volume that you hear when your television's trying to get a station but can't. It's got a low, gentle oscillating up-down to it, which I actually find rather pleasant. Makes loading screens more interesting for me. =D

I would buy it again for what I am doing, but if I were into PS3 or Xbox 360 gaming, or I had a Wii and was a real Nazi about picture quality, I would probably go for something a little higher-end.

Pros:

Affordable!

4 mini RCA inputs

Easily change resolution

Easily change input

VGA input

Comes with a VGA cable ( I already have a half dozen of these laying around, so I opened the box and went, "Ohhhhhh, great.")

Might be pro or con: Whether or not the box messes with your resolution settings for the VGA input. The small instructions sheet doesn't say, and I'm too lazy to figure it out. (If you really must know, shoot me a message. =D )

Cons:

Picture quality diminished a bit

Resolution settings not saved for different inputs

Some might find audio hum annoying

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My roommates and I decided that we would use my 22" monitor and buy a VGA box rather than buy a whole new tv for our game systems. While this was certainly MUCH more cost effective, on the whole we were a little less than impressed.

Pros:

VERY convenient rather than unplugging and plugging systems to our old TV with only one input, this allows you to hook up 4 systems via composite, and one via VGA (I pass through my 360 in this way and it looks great). Also, all the sound is output through one 1/8" plug so we don't need to switch the speakers either. (Note: If you're using a VGA enabled system like we did, you will have to hook up your speakers in a different way for this system as there are no audio inputs next to the VGA port. Fortunately my speakers have both an auxiliary input and a standard 1/8" plug) Obviously this is functionality that you would expect out of a receiver, but for college students without such a thing, this was a blessing.

Colors are very bright and vibrant, at least compared to the 20 year old TV we used to play on.

Cons:

With my monitor at least, there was no real way to display the image correctly. The box outputs at 800x600 but I have a 16:10 monitor that thinks that all inputs should full the screen. As such, by default everything is a stretched out mess. There is a way I discovered in the manual menus to shrink the image horizontally, but this introduces vertical banding and it's not very pleasant to look at. While the composite video output is very soft and blurry (particularly so with a PS2, not so bad for Wii/GC), the Xbox 360 passed through looks sharp as a tack.

All in all it is not an ideal solution, especially if you are looking to use a widescreen monitor to play standard def consoles on. I was lucky that my monitor gave me some wiggle room in squishing it back to 4:3, but otherwise I would have been SOL.

In hind sight, we probably would have put the $X this cost towards a TV/receiver option, but it wasn't worth the hassle it would have taken to return it and all the shipping costs it would entail.

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I don't know why people review this item as 'bad' because it didn't reach the expectations of high def. on something that uses RCA CABLES AS INPUTS.

It DOES do the job: output the video signal to your pc monitor.

output audio to your sound system (or headphones!!!!)

it has a 5 way selector so that you can choose what you're gonna output to the display.

Overall, good. It did the job folks...

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This VGA box is NOT HD convertor. The good thing about the VGA box it's the selector. Today all DVD player, video game console, and cable box had standard connection; AV input (Red, yellow, white). There're 3 AV input and 1 pc input, a lot of room for your Monitor.

Note:(important) the video quality is base on your monitor, not the VGA box, the video quality can be standard or low base on your monitor resolution. If too high, the pixels will break apart, too low will cause blurriness.

Note:(important) If you have old DVD player, old video game console, and cable box that doesn't support widescreen. This VGA box will not auto-adjust your display setting. So play your new machine like Xbox 360 on widescreen monitor.

Again, is not a HD convertor, standard video quality, great for cable box and video game console! Don't blame the VGA box if video quality is low, blame your monitor, not the VGA box.

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Basically ... it does what it says it does. And it does it well. Which is pretty awesome. I bought it for my SNES, so no worries here.

HOWEVER.

Please note that what you are buying outputs at, shall we say, less-than-perfect resolution. Using this with something like an XBOX 360 is nearly unfeasible given the 360's sharp graphics. With F-Zero's color palette and blockiness it's nearly unnoticeable, but with better systems it's a real drag.

However. It's $40, and it lets you play all your old systems on your monitor. That's pretty sweet.

I'm going to hook up my PS2 now! And I'll be able to switch between PS2, Dreamcast, SNES, at will, thanks to this. :)

Buy Xcom Enemy Unknown: Elite Soldier Pack DLC

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List Price: $4.99
Sale Price: $2.49
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X-COM Enemy Unknown Elite Soldier Pack is basically worthless:

1. The (official as opposed to Amazon's) description of what you get (quoted below) is deliberately misleading to fool you into thinking that you are getting more than you are really getting, which I find at least unethical. Amazon's description is a bit more 'honest' though not entirely. Here's what the official description says (my comments in brackets, and you can find the official description on the publisher's site as well as on Steam):

"Customize your squad with three new bonus items [OK, this part is kind of true].

Instantly unlock a new recruit in your barracks inspired by the original X-COM: UFO Defense [MISLEADING you are not getting any new recruits, what you are getting is a single additional haircut inspired by the original X-COM].

Outfit your soldiers with specialized armor upgrades including the new Hyperion and Reaper soldier armor kits [MISLEADING you are not getting any armor upgrades, there are no new research-able armor upgrades, there are only two additional armor SKINS see #2 below for details].

Customize your soldiers' appearances with a variety of colors and tints for all armor sets [This is the only thing that is true here].

2. Modifiable armor skins they call 'upgrades' are for low-end armors only (your basic body armor, Carapace and Skeleton armors can be made to look less flimsy). The midto high-end armors are not modifiable (except for the color). You also get one "retro" hairdo a la X-COM UFO Defense and three helmet skins (these are just skins with no intrinsic properties), but I find the ability to hide the soldiers' faces inside those helmets useless as using helmets makes all soldiers look the same and they lose their unique faces, hair styles and skin colors.

So if you buy this pack all you really get is the ability to apply something like 30 color tints to the existing armors. AND, to be thorough, most of the color tints are hideous neon-glow like. Do you want your assault troopers to look like Barby dolls or beer promo neon signs? The only colors that are actually usable and make your soldier armors look bad-ass are solid ones such as black, red, khaki, white, orange. So you are not even getting the 30 color tints they offer as you will never use 25 of them.

I suppose it could be useful and cool to make all your assault troopers orange, heavies green, support (medics) white and snipers red (that's how I have them colored anyway, you may want other tints) but I am not sure the ability to color-code your soldier classes is worth the price tag, unless you simply want to support the developer... BUT considering how they misinform you in the product description to swindle the five bucks out of you, I don't think you should support them.

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As people have said, the description of this item is a little misleading. 1. You do not get a new recruit, you only get a new hairstyle (which is rather silly, but is a throwback to old XCOM games), and 2. You do not get new armor to research that gives you new stats.

The description really should be rewritten, since it clearly was written incorrectly. That said, I'm going to review what you ARE getting, because in spite of the description being misleading, a LOT of these user reviews are misleading as well.

Not every game has a lot of customization options. I was already impressed to an extent with XCOM because you can change your soldiers' faces, hair, race, skin, voice, etc. Basically, this pack adds a lot more customization. True, you don't get new armor types (that add stats), but you are given the option to change most if not all armor types to look differently. Of all the armor types I have so far, each has one or two different versions, which either add more bulk to the armor or change it completely. People were saying that late game armor has no customization, and that is totally incorrect. I'm using the Titan armor (a heavy late game armor) and there is a customization for it that makes it look sort of like an EOD suit. Perhaps certain other late game armors do not have customization options (Ghost and Psi armor, maybe), but all the other armors do, and ALL armors are recolorable.

Beyond changing the structure of your armor, you're given 32 colors to change your armor. All of the scathing reviews of this pack call all of the colors except for a few "badly colored Power Ranger colors" when this is totally and completely false. For reference, here is a list of the 32 colors available (I'll capitalize the neon colors):

Pale Orange (Olive accents)

Pale/Steel Blue (Khaki accents)

Normal, non-Neon Green (Other shades of green accents)

Normal, non-Neon Orange

White/Silver (Black accents)

Crimson/Deep Red

Pale Chartreuse (Not neon, despite the color)

Light Blue (Brown accents)

Dark Olive Drab (Very pale green accents)

Black (White accents)

Dark Blue (White accents)

Dark Purple

NEON Purple

NEON Pink

Black (Yellow accents)

Yellow

Dark Pale Blue

NEON Red (Yellow accents)

NEON Blue (Yellow accents)

Pale Red (Pale blue accents)

Purple/Blue (Orange accents)

Dark Teal (Dark brown accents, one of my favorites)

Pale Yellow (Khaki accents)

NEON Purple (NEON green accents)

NEON Pink (NEON turquoise accents)

NEON Orange (NEON purple accents)

Green (Brown accents)

Silver Blue

Grey/Light Khaki (White accents)

Khaki (Lighter khaki accents)

Pale Green (Lighter green accents)

Black (Grey accents)

As you can see, out of 32 colors, only 7 are "neon Power Ranger" colors, which I think is completely reasonable. The neon colors are still fun sometimes, depending on the soldier (not every solider has to be drab and boring) and the general fantasy/sci-fi feel of the game (aliens, giant laser/plasma guns, etc). There are only a few colors besides those 7 that may be a little too colorful for everyone, but in general the colors are pretty muted and clean looking. People are just sore about paying more than they wanted to when they bash the color choices.

A final thing this DLC adds are hat and helmet options. There are two berets (one with sunglasses), a baseball cap with a headset, a beanie with a headset and goggles, and nine different full face helmets, some of them very cool. A very nice addition when you want to change your soldiers up. I've seen people complain that your armor customizations are lost when your solider is injured (or dies, duh), but that is an automatic game design feature that unequips your injured soldiers so that you can use their equipment for your non-injured soldiers. It only takes a few clicks to get your customizations back once your soldiers are back in action, so that's really a pointless complaint.

In conclusion, this is a great customization pack for the game. $5 really isn't much to pay, but if the content isn't worth that to you, wait for a sale. I picked this up for about $1.50 in a Steam sale.

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The description of the DLC makes it seem you are opening some new armor upgrades and a special recruit. You are not, this dlc is for customizing the armor you already have. That's about it.

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The developer should spend more time adding content and less time coming up with slick marketing to sell sub par addons. I felt the description of the DLC was extremely deceptive

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This DLC should be half the price it is. It only allows the ability for you to customize the armor and helmets/retro haircut on the soldiers. Now I do think this is a nice added feature and most may find it so when viewing your soldiers on the map if you made them all a different color. Other than that nothing else is really added.

Pro EX Controller for PS3 Reviews

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List Price: $19.99
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I was curious about this controller so I bought me one. Not that I have a problem with the Sony DS3 controller but wanted to check out what the whole fuzz about the XBOX360 buttons layout has a better feel. First thing you will notice it is huge making the thumbsticks feel tall. So the thumbstick throw from one end to the other (left to right/down to up etc.) feels long and slow. Not a bad thing just a different feel to it. The D-pad/X/O/TRIANGLE/SQUARE/L1/R1 has a tiny stiff feel to it but perform well with games where you are required to press a buttons repeatedly. L2 & R2 trigger design are comfortable with the pressure sensitive feeling somewhat twitchy. In other words not as smooth as the DS3. For example, In a racing game like GT5 it is a lot harder to maintain the accelerator at low rpms. To find out if this is a problem or not I loaded up GT5 (L2 braking/R2 acceleration). After setting lap times and switching controllers between dS3 & Power A, turns out both controllers set similar times. Just a different feel to it. The L3/R3 buttons do need to be push a little harder than the DS3. I did not find any deadzones in this controller as some say there is. The controller housing has a smooth grip feel to it. Games I tested with are GT5, GTA IV, GOW3, RDR, Dead Space 2, RE5, Skyrim, TR:Underworld, inFamous, Birds of Steel(works great with this game) and many more. All perform well but with one slight problem with the left thumbstick. It seems like it is registering as if the thumbstick is pressing to the right while the thumbstick is in neutral position. Only seen this happen in Uncharted 1 & 2. When the player character is hanging from a ledge. This does not really affect gameplay but it is there. I posted a video to show what I mean. All other games I tested does not have this problem. Will this controller replace my DS3? No, but I have not being able to put it down either. In conclusion it is a great controller with room for improvement. 4 out of 5 stars.

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Been using this controller for about a week now and so far its been functioning well, Its light even with the rumble but not too light like the sixaxis. The feel of the controller is smooth like matte or suede. The grips are a nice touch and help if you get sweaty palms and in those cases where that leads to dropping your controller; with the grips this most likely will never happen. I've been mostly playing FPS games with this controller and its been excellent it feels like your playing on xbox 360, the whole controller is mapped like the 360 controller down to the shoulder buttons which look and feel like the xbox controller.

The controller is good for fps games mostly as I tried playing fighting games (MKvsDC,SSF4 etc and it did'nt fair to good thanks to the d pad which is better then 360s but not by a lot.

The only small problem I have with this controller is that you can't turn on your ps3 with it by pressing the home button on the controller instead you'll have to manually do it. Which is not huge negative, you can just turn on your ps3 while your plugging in your controller. But that added convenience would of been nice but its a 3rd party controller so I understand some features would be missing like motion controls; which I didn't care one bit because the ps3's motion controls is a joke and most people forget that it even has that function

There is a wireless version but it costs a little more. All in all I'd recommend this to any ps3 owner whose looking for a great alternate ps3 controller, its the best one out in the market from my use with it.

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As people have already noted, the dead zone is huge. I totally agree with this statement. I see this as a huge problem for serious gamers or for even the casual FPS fan. I am not one of these people. I enjoy adventure, action and sports titles. So the dead zone, while still large and quite noticeable, doesn't have a drastic/negative effect for me. Overall I like how the controller is laid out, the comfort of the grips and mimicked XBox design. I used to get thumb fatigue when playing a couple straight hours of games. Not anymore.

Pros

Overall design and layout = great comfort

I chose the cord version due my concerns with the wireless lag. The cord is very long and provides plenty of range.

Cons

D-pad is quite horrible. In sports game it's used to adjust and call plays. It seems far too sensitive. You have to tap it ever so slightly or it'll scroll through all the menus and options. Quite annoying.

Dead zone while I noted it wasn't a big factor to me, it's still large and noticeable while I play. The controller stick just doesn't have the same response as the DS3 and will take an adjustment period.

Overall I think it's a great controller at the price. I have broken 2 of my old DS3 controllers and don't think they're worthy of spending $45-$55 for a new one, when I know it's going to break again and I have this controller as an option.

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This controller has completely transformed the way I play the PS3. The standard controllers are pretty lame since they're holdovers from the 1995 Playstation 1 !!!

The Pro Ex makes games where response time and precision a lot more fun to play. They feel a lot like 360 controllers and as a result I jump on the PS3 a lot more often for games that I have on both platforms. My kill ratio in MW3 has gone up considerably, I can now get a ratio of close to 2:1 on a regular basis. I used to get more like 1.1:1.

I am now a total believer in this controller.

I'm going to buy a couple of spares right now.

PS3 is now my go to platform. Now if Sony could only publish more 1080p games...

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Within a week, the analog sticks developed an issue where the controller would register the right stick as being UP when nothing is touching it. This is most apparent when playing FPS games where the reticle moves up on its own.

Good concept to create a PS3 controller for Xbox gamers, but the controller itself is a little bulky (size wise, not weight it actually is a very light controller) when compared to the xbox 360 and ps3 controllers and takes getting used to.

OUYA Console Review

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In my many years of buying tech products, I have never seen a product with so many poor product reviews online from people who obviously don't 'get it'. Anyone purchasing an Ouya because it is called a videogame 'console', and are expecting to see the same types of AAA games they see on an Xbox 360 or PS3 are going to be disappointed. I am convinced that the majority of people writing these reviews on some of these sites are simply not old enough to realize what makes the Ouya special, at least for me...

To me, the Ouya is a throwback to an earlier time in computers and video games. It reminds me the most of the Commodore 64 era, where not only could you buy a system just for playing games, but you could also, if you wanted, either by yourself or with a couple of people working together, create own game, let other people play it, and if you were good, sell it. There was a lot of terrible software produced during this era to be sure, but some of the most fun I have experienced playing video games was had in discovering those games which could be learned in a few minutes time, yet provided hours and hours of entertainment. Not only was there 'big name' titles for the time such as Mule, Archon, Toy Bizarre and Jumpman, but there were memorable titles such as Campaign Manager, Space Thief, Krylon Lander, and many more that were available on public domain software collections, or by typing in the code yourself out of a magazine.

This software discovery, and the potential for a hidden gem is where the Ouya excels. There are many good games on Ouya right now, and since anyone can potentially develop and publish games on this system, and new titles appear all the time, you never know when the next future classic like a Duke Nukem, Bomberman or Worms may appear. Sure, there is a lot of 'bad' titles, but so what? Everything can be tried for free, so there is nothing to lose, and in my opinion, exploring is half the fun...

If I had to pick something to score the Ouya down on, I do wish it would have shipped a little more up-to-date on its android hardware specifications, but realistically, with the simple 'pick up and play' type games this is targeting, the specifications should be fine for a while.

I had no issues with setting up my unit, installing firmware updates, or with my controller, as others have reported. I paired a PS3 controller to it very easily, and this is a great option vs. buying an expensive 2nd controller for multiplayer games, especially if you already have one around. An Xbox 360 controller works as well.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Ouya to anyone, just know what you are getting, and go into it with reasonable expectations. If you think you are buying a console to play the latest and greatest 'next-gen' games, then you should probably hold off, but if you are looking for an inexpensive way to play hundreds of simple, fun games, or even get into game development yourself, then you cannot go wrong with the Ouya!

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I was an early backer on Kickstarter and received my unit a couple months back, so I've had plenty of time to play with the Ouya. Here is a list of the pros/cons:

******PROS*******

1) Local Multiplayer gaming is GREAT. Games like Towerfall, Bombsquad, Amazing Frog, etc. are perfect games to showcase the true strength of the console: couch gaming with friends. My friend brought his Ouya to a LAN party a month back and we had a blast with Bombsquad. A lot of people were crowding around and claiming the next round to play. There are plenty of games like this on the console so it's hard to get bored.

2) The UI has slowly but surely been improving. Recently they added a "Recently Played" box and "Discover" boxes on the main menu. Additionally, the UI is snappier and more responsive than first release. Pairing controllers is easier with these updates as well. Updates are relatively small installs, so it generally takes 5-10 minutes at most.

3) The ability to easily sideload apps is great. You can download Airdroid and access it that way. It's not a fully unlocked Android box, but it will do most of what 99% of the population will most likely want without rooting.

4) The controller feels nice and hefty. It also gets great battery life from my experience. Make sure to buy at least one extra so you can take advantage of my first pro.

5) The unit itself is small, and relatively quiet (actually, silent the majority of the time, slightly less so when the fan kicks in intermittently). It's very stylish, actually, though I wish the button on top was a little more hearty and not just a "click" pushbutton. That's just minor nitpicking, though.

6) Every game has a free component for you try, most of which are extensive. If you decide to drop money on the games that aren't entirely free, buying games is relatively easy. Link your credit card and buy in-game without exiting. Very similar to the way that some of the apps work on the Apple Store. Either way, there are a number of free games out there so you don't really have to drop a dime if you don't want to.

7) There are plenty of emulators and they run most games flawlessly. SNES, NES, Genesis, Game Boy, PSX, N64. Don't expect blistering speeds on the last two, but it's serviceable, especially since we're only talking about a Tegra 3.

*******Cons*******

1) This definitely isn't entirely ready for primetime. While the UI is improved, it still has a long way to go. There's no social aspect to speak of at this point (besides you account name in the upper left-hand corner), so non-existent online multiplayer except where games have their own dedicated servers. There's no messaging, invites, or anything. A relatively minor quibble, though, as its main strength of local multiplayer is enough to sate my coop gaming for now.

2) Wi-Fi Connectivity is a bust. It's well-documented all over the Ouya forums and on Reddit that the Wi-Fi antenna is poor at best. I personally experienced connectivity issues in locations where other devices had solid connections. I even purchased a network extender, hoping to fix it, and it still made little difference. For people that might not have access to a wired connection,this is a catastrophic oversight. I'm hoping this is fixed in the next hardware refresh.

3) The controller is hefty, and the buttons and joysticks feel fine, but the triggers are a nightmare. For me, they're too far back on the controller. The top triggers feel too "clicky" and you have to hit them at a particular location to register (can't hit them too far on the right or left). As for the back triggers, they're too mushy and feel awkward in the fully-depressed position.

4) The "Discover" section (Ouya's version of a store) is a little convoluted. They try their hardest by splitting into genres and subcategories (for instance, "Couch Co-op" is one category), but I think it still makes it difficult to navigate and find games. As for the "Trending" category, I have no idea where they get these analytics from, but some of the games on there appear to have no "Thumbs Up" ratings, which begs the question of why they're there.

5) Arbitrary rating system in "Discover". Their rating system is entirely based on thumbs up. Either you like it or you didn't click like. There is no text-based review system and nothing to provide negative ratings. For games that might not have broad appeal or be well-known, it's easy to pass them over because they might have 20 "Thumbs Up". For shovelware, they appear to get same ranking as GOOD games. This needs to be fixed if the cream is going to rise to the top.

6) Support is a joke. If you have problems, don't look forward to receiving a quick resolution. There are several reports of people waiting 3 weeks+ on tickets without response, after which tickets are just closed without resolution. Ouya REALLY needs to step up the support game.

So, there you have it. Is it a nice little local multiplayer box and emulator? Absolutely. Is it the revolution they billed it as? Absolutely not. Wait until the next hardware refresh and for a few more system updates.

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I also own a g-box midnight mx2. I thought the Ouya would be an upgrade to the mx2. Big mistake! The Ouya doesn't know whether its a gaming unit or a media center. It ends up doing both functions poorly.

The biggest issue is the controller. It may be okay for games but it is a nightmare for media. I have a Logitech k400 that I use for my mx2 so I hooked that up and it helped immensely. However I had to switch back to the Ouya controller for some functions.

Setup for the Ouya was so frustrating I wanted to put it back in the box and into the garbage. There was no page in setup that had browsers to choose from as shown on the Ouya forum site. When I should have been on the browser page I was actually on the developer page. I had to mess with an address bar on that page to download anything for the Ouya. To get to downloads I had to go back several steps and still had trouble finding anything. Ouya seems to take great pleasure in having everything you need scattered about the system.

This thing was obviously rushed to market with a terribly mishmashed UI. It should have come with a separate well designed and thought out remote and not a game controller for a remote.

After two days I realized that I would never use this thing. I unplugged it and went back to my mx2. The whole media experience is a joy on the mx2. The Ouya is a failure in its current state of development. If the developers insist on using the controller as a remote the Ouya will go the way of disco. You have been warned!

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Ouya must have paid XBMC to be recommended because this was the WORST decision ever! The MX2 trumps this device on all grounds. At least as a media center, but it also holds up pretty darn good to the ouya when it comes to Android gaming too. I was a kickstarter backer but even a friend's ouya they just bought a week ago has the same identical issues mine has. This is a fast box with tons of potential but the hardware and software issues of this thing kills it.

First of all the Ouya stutters in XBMC terribly with some common high bitrate video formats regardless of the latest fiwmare updates and XBMC with libstagefright. After about a minute of playing a simple 720P MKV file the video starts to chop up and lose frames. The CPU is also running under a lot of load, meaning at least some of the video processing is being handled by the CPU and not the GPU like it should be. I'm not the only one, it's all over the forums. Some people seem to get it working good for them but I question if their media collection is quite as demanding as my own. Standard definition content is no problem for this box but nobody is going to take this thing serious for a real HTPC replacement if it can't play high bitrate 1080p video without artifacts and playback issues such as stuttering and sync, both of which I constantly run into. And please don't tell me to upgrade. I'm already running the latest firmware and XBMC made specifically for this that was deemed to be the best. Well, it maybe the best for Ouya but it just won't work for me and surely won't be good enough for other hardcore home theater enthusiasts either.

The wifi in this box is terrible. The ouya shows signal but transfer rates are almost non-existent unless I move it closer to the router. The MX2 I have sitting right next to the Ouya is streaming HD content just fine. This is only one room away from the router. If the Ouya is in the same room as the router it works fine but this is completely unacceptable. The only solution I could come up with was a wireless to ethernet bridge which I just happened to have one. A dirty hack but solved that problem.

The support for this thing is non-existent. You would expect a company that raised millions on kickstarter to at least have SOME support. There's nobody to call and after two weeks after submitting a ticket I finally got this response: "We're continuing to solve for every last question and issue sent to us. In order to keep our Problem Solvers focused on answering OUYA's tickets as quickly as possible, we're going to close out your ticket and hope that your issue has since been solved." Really?? This didn't even ATTEMPT to answer my question. I waited two weeks for this response, mind you. So if you want any kind of support you're going to have to go to the forums and pray that another user is kind enough to help you with an answer. Whenever I ever had any issues with my MX2 I call Matricom and always get a real person to talk to. That's really not too much to ask for is it?

Now for gaming, the one thing the Ouya was actually intended for. This thing plays Android games, folks. Almost all the same games play on any other Android box I have and I can't even tell the difference in gaming quality comparing it to the MX2. All the games I like including all the emulators that work on the Ouya play just as good on my MX2. Keeping in mind that the Ouya is a quad core device I would expect it to really shine and out-do in this arena, but its nothing very special at all. Maybe in the future as Android gaming development gets more hardcore the Ouya will pull away from the MX2 in performance but for now there's only a marginal difference in performance, if that.

Another strike is the lack of Play Store. I realize this was never an intended feature, but c'mon. It's an Android device sandboxed into their own "app store", which coincidentally only scratches the surface of the stuff that you can actually use a device like this for. They claim this to be a hackable system. I don't see how they promote any hack-ability considering its locked down tigher than Fort Knox.

I'm not even going to get into details on how hideous the controller is. Even as bad as this controller is its better than the mx2 remote control which is practically useless.

Now for the pros: The packaging the Ouya came in was very sexy. I loved the red greeting on top of the device and the custom moulded plastic tray that holds it all together. Far better packaging than the MX2 in my opinion.

This device was obviously rushed to market due to their time crunch to fulfill their promises, which was already delayed. This thing was a failure from the start and will eventually die off as a fad. It's unfortunate and I had huge hopes to see this thing lead a new era in gaming but unfortunately this will not be the device that paves the way. If anything, it has made a big gash in the whole retro gaming industry with a wound that will probably take ages to heal.

I have hopes that this device will be improved with software updates, but to be honest I think there's some serious hardware issues inside of this box that prevents it just from working properly such as wifi and bluetooth issues. Overall this has been a very unimpressive device, especially considering the months of anticipation from waiting for this to finally be released. If you're looking for a retro gaming machine only, have a ps3 controller laying around to replace the one that comes with it and have the router in the same room as the device then this might be for you. If you're looking for a serious media center box this is not for you. I recommend the MX2 if you want the best XBMC experience you can get. This comes from tons of trial and error with virtually every android box on the market. Nothing I have used yet is better than the MX2 for XBMC, regardless of what XBMC themselves say, believe it or not.

Fingers crossed that the Ouya team can make some serious headway with this thing. I'd love to update this review with a high recommendation instead of more complaints.

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I bought the OUYA console based solely on the recommendation by the folks at XBMChub. What a let down! Because the folks at XBMChub claimed it to be the best XBMC box I expected it to be leaps and bounds better than my G-Box Midnight MX2 but, boy, was I in for a surprise. First of all, there are no clear instructions on where the batteries go into the remote and how you are supposed to open the remote to insert the batteries. When I finally figured things out and set it up I quickly discovered that DTS and AC3 audio will not play and give a really annoying sound. To add to that, HDMI passthrough cannot be set. That forced me to do a search on the web and find out that this has been an issue with the OUYA console for over a year and has still not been corrected! How could the folks at XBMChub have missed this is beyond me?! Compared to this, my G-Box Midnight MX2 is great in spite of its quirks. I've read this issue being discussed as being an Android issue. Well, then how come my MX2 does not have the same problem??? Why does the problem correct itself when I unplug and replug the HDMI cable as some people had suggested? Clearly, this is a problem with the OUYA console. I must admit that I wrote OUYA support and they responded. They said that this is a licensing issue and that they are working on a fix. Although I appreciate that support actually responded to me (I read that many others didn't even get responses) what I don't appreciate, or comprehend, is that this has been going on for quite sometime and it has still not been resolved!

I haven't returned my OUYA yet because I don't know what to replace it with (I hear that the MX2 is now in short supply and they are having manufacturing issues) and I'm partially hoping that the folks at OUYA will fix this issue ASAP. I must say that other than the DTS and AC3 issue the console works just fine but if it is not fixed, it is a dealbreaker!

Microsoft Xbox 360 Wired Controller Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $33.49
Today's Bonus: 16% Off

PROS:

Wired xbox360 controllers work well with windows7 right away and the driver for XP isn't hard to find.

No need to worry about relinking your controller when you go from xbox to xbox; just plug it in and you are good to go!

No need to charge or replace your batteries before you can play.

Most PC shooters made after the 360 have plug and play support for the 360 controller (in my experience). I've used mine for L4D, L4D2, and portal2 recently and I only needed to plug in the controller before launching the game for it to work.

CONS:

Cords are so 90s.

Since the two triggers aren't actually buttons a lot of older games can't map them as 'fire' buttons. This means that if you do any emulation or DOS gaming you will want to do research before buying this controller for them since you may not be able to use it in the way you hope.

Please note that if you want to use a 360 controller for PC gaming you CAN'T just use a 360 wireless controller and plug in a charge kit USB to your computer. The charge cord only provides power across USB; it doesn't communicate with the computer that way. If you want to use a 360 controller with your PC you need to buy this OR a wireless one that specifically comes with a plug for the computer.

I hope this review is helpful for any potential buyers.

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The Xbox 360 controller is one of the greatest controllers ever designed, at least in terms of comfort, aesthetic appeal, sturdiness and whatnot. The only flaw is that the wireless version takes two AA batteries and they only last a few hours. Being wireless is novel for a while, but eventually the constant replacement of dead batteries got on my nerves. I have a serious aversion to 3rd party peripherals and rechargeable batteries in general, so a rechargeable powerpack was not an option for me. I solved the issue by getting a wired controller. It's even more comfortable; it's lighter, and there's no battery pack in the way of my finger tips. I love it, I'll never go back to wireless.

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The XBOX 360 wired controller is the best PC game controller out there. Many games available on the PC translate very well to a controller format since it's pretty common to see ports between the various platforms these days. It works just like it would on an XBOX and Windows 7 automatically recognizes and configures the controller for you. No complaints at all. I have two that I use frequently for gaming on the PC.

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Works perfectly for Mac and also Mac running Windows.

For Mac, I downloaded the driver at

It works absolutely perfectly. I haven't had an issue with it at all. Highly recommended.

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Loved this controller. I bought it for my PC, and it works awesomely great. I haven't found any better controller for my PC than this one. Considering XBox and Microsoft and Windows brands are the same company, so there wasn't any problem installing the drive for this controller. Just plugged it and 30 seconds-1 minute, boom it's ready to use. I've been using it for some PC games and It's capable with a lot of games. Not all of them, but I guess this is the games' developers problem not the controller. Buttons are nice, big enough. It's been almost 4 months and it still works, which is good of course. Overall, I recommend this controller to any PC gamer out there who just want to have the console experience besides the Keyboard and mouse :)

Cheap Condemned: Criminal Origins

Customer Ratings:

First off, I will say that I have not been as genuinely frightened since playing F.E.A.R. Condemned's atmosphere provides enough fear, it doesn't need to rely on the "Boo!" tactics of games such as Doom 3.

The storyline is captivating, although the end leaves a bit to be desired. Some things go unexplained; I'm hoping that means a sequel is in store.

The gameplay is very nice, and the rough melee action leaves you a twisted satisfaction nothing quite like slashing someone with a meat cleaver :).

Some of the complaints people had were 'the enemies look the same' and 'it was too short.' The first of these complaints I would not agree with. Some enemies are recycled late in the game, but it certainly didn't make it any less fun. The length of the game, however, was slightly disappointing. Although, I suppose I would rather have a very fun 10 hour game than a mediocre 15 hour game.

All in all, a VERY underrated game. I strongly recommend this for all gamers.

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Condemned has to be one of the more screwed up games I've played in the last years...Actually, until now, this would be one of the first bizarre games I've played. It's about a serial killer who is playing around with the police by committing a series of brutal murders. These people who were killed were not random people, no, they were other serial killers. You are an FBI Agent (Ethan Thomas) who is sent in to track a serial killer down by unraveling the clues he leaves behind. With the story, you encounter a lot of other beings who are unexplainably deranged and they come at you with either a pipe ripped from the inside of an old wall or a piece of thick wood with rusty nails sticking out of it. You usually only find guns on occassion, but you mainly do whatever you can to survive...You use a pipe, big pieces of wood with either nails or bolts sticking out of them, or anything else from big signs or boards. You beat the living hell out of anything and everything that comes at you to stay alive and keep coming closer to the truth behind this killer. That isn't it though, you discover more about yourself (the character you play in the game) and learn that you've had exams with a doctor and he finds some abnormalities in your brain, but I'll stop at that. You begin to go a little bit insane yourself as you keep seeing this strange monster-looking being in black and white illusions...All the way to the end. This game gets into your skin. People often compare this game to FEAR because it uses the FEAR engine (which I don't think it does, but I could be wrong). Don't compare this game to FEAR because they are not the same. Overall, an interesting game.

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The the first thing this game reminded me of was Doom 3. It's dark, creepy and there are bad guys who sneak up on you and all that good happy stuff. But then again, this game is nothing like Doom 3 because I actually enjoyed it. You're an FBI dude and you are investigating a killing when a bunch of crazy stuff starts happening and that's all I'm going to say so as not to give it all away. Now that we got that over and done with, the action in this game is brutal! You're only allowed one weapon at a time and you can't save ammo either. Creepy homeless crackheads will come up to you, reach over into the wall, pull out 2x4s and start trying to bash your head in and you'll have to do the same thing to them if you want to survive. The story behind this game is really pretty cool, but there are some loose ends left open when you finish it. The game also isn't very long, I believe it took me about 14 hours to finish, but it was still very fun and I enjoyed every minute of it. Overall, this is a good game if you want something with a slightly different take on the way the action in a game should be and if you want something dark, creepy and attention grabbing.

Honest reviews on Condemned: Criminal Origins

Condemned: Criminal Origins was unlike any FPS/Survival horror game I've ever played. It wasn't a run and gun nor was it a typical limited ammo survival game. It was more like a run from your enemies and make every swing/bullet count type of game. The story starts out pretty straight forward, you're an FBI agent framed for murder by an unknown serial killer. As you progress through the story there are some twists and turns making things a somewhat convoluted but still understandable. The story however isn't what the key part of the game is but rather the combat. It's probably the most brutal and realistic game I've ever played when it comes to melee combat. Not for the player who is turned off by violence and in your face scares. Here's my take;

Pros

+ Extremely scary and creepy atmosphere. I play a lot of survival horror and FPS games and I honestly don't think I've jumped/gasped/let out startled yells this much since I played the Silent Hill series. It's also the first game I've played where I've never been so afraid of an enemy with a gun. (If an enemy has a gun, get to them as quick as you can and get it out of their hands. Not only will you live longer but you'll be able to pick up more bullets as they won't be wasting them on trying to kill you.)

+ Excellent ambient music and atmospheric sounds. Once again very Silent Hillesque with everything from whispered voices, screams, banging noises and labored breathing. The gun sounds are also very realistic. Do yourself a favor and play with all lights off and the sound turned up to fully experience what the game has to offer.

+ Brutal melee combat. The combat is unforgiving and violent. You really feel like you're fighting for your own life against your attackers. They're absolutely merciless forcing you to tap into a primal urge just to survive.

+ Insanely clever AI. Opponents will flank, use cover, gang up and outmaneuver you in any way they can. I've honestly never seen a game with enemies so clever it turns you into the poor AI that many games normally have.

+ Superb and realistic physics. The way enemies attack and react to blows is amazing almost to the point of disturbing. I'd flinch EVERY time an enemy hit me with a pipe or some other object as you could almost feel it.

+ Vast array of weapons or items to use as weapons. Everything from pipes, nail studded 2x4's, electrical conduit tubes, sledgehammers, fire axes and the occasional pistol or shotgun.

+ Great graphics especially the environments and character models. The graphics did take a slight dip when it came to facial close ups during cut-scenes however and could have been a bit smoother.

+ Hallucination scenes (very similar to those in F.E.A.R.) were tense and spooky. One in particular still sticks out in my mind which was in Bart's Department store. There was a sequence where you would hallucinate and constantly be surrounded by mannequins. It may not sound like much but it was incredibly creepy.

+ Decent voice acting. Greg Grunberg (aka Matt Parkman the police officer from the TV show Heroes) does the voice acting for Ethan Thomas, the FBI agent you play.

Cons

Character movement was a bit too slow even when you were supposedly sprinting/running. And when you'd hit a section of stairs you stopped sprinting and walked up them normally. It would have helped to be able to move a bit faster but perhaps it was the developer's intention to add to the tension of the game.

No jumping or crouching. These two options seem to be an industry standard in any FPS game and Condemned had neither. It wasn't a game breaking issue but it was frustrating when you're being shot at or are trying to get over an object. It made the game feel a bit too linear for my tastes.

Repetitive level design. Even though you may be in a subway station, office building or department store they all felt the same despite the fact they were totally different environments.

Story became somewhat disjointed and confusing at times.

Tool use to collect evidence felt a bit too forced. More freedom using these tools would have been preferable.

All in all this was a great game a something quite different for a change. In an industry plagued with plodding FPS' this was a welcome and enjoyable surprise. I would highly recommend giving it a try if you're into the genre's of Survival Horror, FPS or CSI style games. I do have to confess that it took me a while to finish this game because I could only play it in small sessions. The stress of the scare factor got to be a bit much at times and as I said I love survival horror games. Just keep in mind it's not for the timid or faint of heart!

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The scary feeling is well done, especially the sound, the footsteps behind you when no one is really there...well done. The gameplay is good, but repetitive. Mostly the same bad guys, different building.