Review of 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure

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Being a fanatic of the movie and series, it should come as no surprise that I was excited when this game first came out. Years later I stumbled across it with the rest of my collection of dalmatian paraphernalia and decided to try it out again to relive my younger days.

All in all, they didn't do as great a job as they could have. If you've played the title Puppies to the Rescue for either PC or PlayStation, you have the ever basic formula of this one. However it is no comparison to me which game is better.

Patches London Adventure has you running around collecting bones, steaks, barking at enemies and saving puppies. This is the same premise as in Puppies to the Rescue, but for some reason it doesn't come across the same way. The graphics are downright laughable in comparison, the goals are mediocre and most levels incredibly easy. There are some levels that prove me wrong some had me frustrated for hours but this is the general rule. Movement is kind of choppy and slow, unless you roll or jump everywhere you go, which isn't practical if you run into an enemy.

Another thing is that the music is exactly the same as in Puppies to the Rescue. No joke. Its as if they were too lazy to come up with something more original (its still good music but works better with the other game, in my opinion). That or the company making this game didn't take the time to come up with an improved and more enhanced addition to the Dalmatian family and instead pushed for something so it would be released in time with the movie.

Overall I guess the game is... cute. If you're a true 101 Dalmatians fan or collector then its probably worth playing at least once. But to the average gamer who happens to like Disney titles, stick to almost ANY other dalmatian game.

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Review of Microsoft Monster Truck Madness 2 - PC

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After playing with the game demo (downloadable at Microsoft.com/games) I had to get this game, esp. at such an attractive price. The system requirements are a bit steep, but if your computer can handle the game, you'll find this an extremely fun game to play. The graphics is superb, but the best part is the game play. You can just go totally wild, driving these monstrous vehicles anywhere you want to go. Race or just drive around, the experience is absolutely fun... (I also like Midtown Madness 2 a lot.) You don't need a reason to play the game. Unlike Midtown Madness 2, I haven't experienced a single crash of this one on my Win2k system.

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Monster Truck Madness 2 (MTM2) is a game with some of the most ADDONS out there. There is still a hugh community that builds addon trucks/tracks/utilties for this game.

http://MTM2.com

http://MTM2Draggers.us

So after you get bored of the stock tracks and trucks, go check out those sites. Builders are very helpfull.

This game might be old but it is still going strong. Rumbles, Rallys and Drag/Freestyle racing.

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Good fun game. good graphics. good online forums with add on tracks and trucks. go to MTM2.com . Online games at Voobly.com

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Picked this up for the boys, 8 & 12. It's been great. They were playing the free trial for a long time and bored of the single track. All the new trucks and courses have kept them thoroughly entertained. Graphics are same old nothing too fancy, but work fine. They're no "free style" arena ala Monster Jam, but plenty of opportunity to jump, crash & roll on the race courses and arena-like "king of the hill" platform courses. We're loving it.

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This was the only thing my son asked for for his birthday. I had to do some searching to find it (as it is no longer available in the stores). It has been worth it watching him have so much fun.

Review of Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat - Xbox 360

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $8.63
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As an arcade release, I was never interested in this game. Fighting games are not my forte. Once I saw that it was a full disc release, the collector in me wanted to add this to my wall. I am not a fan of fighting games because I suck at memorizing fight patterns, move lists, and combos. That said, this game is a fun addition to my collection. The graphics and physics are solid. This is a fun game to bust out with a few people over as you can turn in games quickly and it's different. Given the fact that it's cheap, it's even better. Definately worth the

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Cheap Xbox 360 WWE All STARS BrawlPad Hulk Hogan and John Cena

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THIS IS A AWESOME CONTROLLER FOR FIGHTING GAMERS...I USE THIS NOT ONLY ON WWE GAMES BUT ALSO ON STREET FIGHTER, MORTAL KOMBAT, TEKKEN, SOUL CALIBUR AND ALL MY OTHER FIGHTING GAMES...GOOD GRIP, CONTROLS ARE FAST...TURBO OPTION TOO...I GOT 2 BECAUSE THEY WERE SO GOOD...THANKS GUYS!

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I use this to play Mortal Kombat and it works much better than the standard 360 controller. Even the simple quarter-circle moves used to give me trouble but since I bought this I can do them very reliably.

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Need a reasonably price alternate for my Street Fighter controller. Everyone is charging a fortune for SFIV controllers so here I go. Works just the same. Happy Customer

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It has Wrestlers on it. That's it. That's my -onlycomplaint. A superficial aesthetic gripe.

The buttons work and feel good, the Pad can be made to emulate the Left or Right stick or the D-Pad. (Left Stick mode works best with PC games. Just a heads up)

The feel of it kinda reminds me of the classic Sega Genesis and Saturn 6-Button controllers that were the best for fighting and platform games...

If you want a controller for some retro games on your PC or Xbox 360, get this thing. It's exactly what you need. Even if it has two cartoonishly overdeveloped goons mugging at you the whole time.

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Works perfect with SSFIV, MK, KoF, and MvC.

This gamepad is very effective and much better than the other madcatz (SFXTekken) gamepad, which is a bit smaller... making it a little uncomfortable for adult gamers.

The artwork on this gamepad is a little "funky" but that affects gameplay in no way.

Definitely recommended.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Review

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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night harkens back to the early and great Castlevanias of the old NES, but with vastly updated graphics, gameplay, and even ambiance. Sure, it's still a 2-D scroller where you roam around and jump around on platforms and what not, but it's at the top of the heap. The game starts somewhat oddly with you as a vampire hunter facing off against Dracula in a fairly wacky fight that always reminds me of a pro wrestling match. You beat Dracula, at which point time warps ahead and you switch to Alucard, Dracula's remorseful son (spell Alucard backwards..yah, clever) who brings the fight to Dracula's vast and labyrinthe castle in an effort to do away with his evil sire for all time. At first I was put off by what I thought was a bizarre and inelegant introduction (the human vampire hunter is a character from one of the mediocre middle Castlevania games, and is very unwieldy) but it turns out the manner in which you use him to defeat Dracula "historically" in the plot affects Alucard's starting abilities. Meaning if you beat up on Drakula with magic, Alucard later favors magic. Ditto for melee combat.

Anyway, the game is lush and filled with endless amounts of loot. Any monster has a chance to drop rare goodies when slain (based on Alucard's Luck stat), fake walls crumble to reveal hidden platemail, accidentally-tripped switches open bookcases or trapdoors, and zillions of types of monsters appear from all over the place. The music is great and quite haunting, and the game's RPG and money system are quite well developed. Alucard has quick "combo" spells you can use while fighting, and many of the weapons, shields, and armors he finds have their own effects which have to be discovered in game play. I've located weapons that let Alucard teleport, summon the undead to fight for him, call lightning, ice, or fire, or even waves of holy light down on his foes. Everything from helms to circlets to rings to boots can be worn, and Alucard eventually even develops the ability to transform into traditional vampire modes. Dissipate into a swirling cloud of mist and waft through a ceiling vent to escape your enemies, turn into a wolf and charge through crowds of zombies, or transform into a bat and fly around breathing fire on everyone. Lastly Alucard collects various magical relics throughout the game, that do everything from let him breathe underwater to have permament familiars that float around with him on screen and help him out (the dancing runesword is not to be missed). As an example of the thought put into this game, your familiars themselves even gain experience and go up levels, growing both stronger and smarter over time. For example, the runesword familiar at first just kinda floats along behind you, lethargically swinging at things long after they took a bite out of you. But after a while it turns into a gleaming heat seeking weapon of vengeance, mercilessly smiting anything the second it shows up on screen. At one point I turned Alucard into mist and just drifted around while the sword familiar took out a boss for me. This game also has more items and secrets in it than your average Final Fantasy, and is more addictive. It is also one of the least frustrating games you can find; you can save as often as you want in save rooms you find on your map (in a coffin, natch), heal yourself easily, and as a vampire you're more than a match for the sluggish beasts you meet early on. The challenge of the game comes from an easy balance of combat and puzzle solving, rather than a heavy reliance on one or the other.

Lastly, and most entertainingly, the bosses in this game are amazing. Unlike earlier side scrollers where the game progressed through 'levels', in Symphony of the Night you simply roam around an enormous, maze-like castle. You never know when suddenly a steel grate will drop behind you and you'll find yourself trapped in a fight with, oh, a grotesque giant mummy suspended on steel hooks that takes up 6 screens worth of animation. That's just the sort of thing that's worth the price of admission.

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This is the first game I wanted to buy when I got my Playstation, sadly, it is super rare and took my 6 months to find used. This is probably the rarest Playstation game, which is sad, because it is also one of the best.

It combines classic Castlevania gameplay with RPG elements, such as the use of magic, and level points system, and a deeper storyline. Also adding to the depth is the use of money, relics that give special abilities, and a wider variety of weapons. The ability to equip weapons of your choice is a first for the series. By far the coolest is the ability to transform, you can be a bat, a wolf, or fog (!). The main character is Alucard (spell it backwards), who older gamers might remember from Castlevania 3 for NES. You meed a wide array of characters, some good, some bad, throughout your journey through Dracula's castle. The object of the game: same as the rest-find and destroy Dracula and end the vampire bloodline.

The graphics are classic 2-D, which might turn off some gamers hoping for something more like Castlevania 64 (which was fully-rendered 3-D). Despite the 2-D, the control and character movement is greatly enhanced thanks to better animation and smooth controls. Castlevania games always had great music, and SOTN is among the best in that department. Each score perfectly matches the given environment, with beautifuly orchestrated melodies. Don't let the old-school look discourage you, this is an amazing game.

Calling Castlevania: SOTN simply a nastalgia trip, while true in my case, would degrade the value of the game. It is an excellent and addictive game that satisfies on almost every level. It ranks among the best games for the Playstation, and you sould expect to pay a hefty price for a copy. It is now super-rare.

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This game, which started the trend of all those terrific Gameboy Castlevanias, like Dawn of Sorrow, is an awesome play and a top 10 of just about everyones Playstation game list.

First off, this game is huge. You have to play through this game twice to get the entire experience and real ending to this game. It has a second quest, much like the old school Ghosts and Goblins, if you can remember that game... but with its own unique invereted way.

The amount of items you can gather and collect in this game is staggering too. There are numerous swords and spells to pick up and just about every weapon has its own special abilities which adds a lot to this game. Because of that no weapon seems the same.

And the relics just plain old rock. They give you abilities like changing into bats, wolves, mist forms, and allowing you to do super jumps and double jumps to unlock new areas.

Also, the hundreds of different bosses and enemies are all interesting to hunt down and slaughter. Especially the cool looking bosses, which can sometimes span an entire couple of screens...

Though this game is extremely rare to try to get a hold of now, if youre a Playstation gamer or action fan then you owe it to yourself to pick this up. Its one of the most complete and enjoyable action/adventure games of the last ten years.

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This is one of the most fun games i have ever played. SotN, while a 2-D platformer, is one of the most indepth and epic games for the PSX. The story is a little basic, but it has some wicked twists that add to the fun. Basically, you play as Alucard, son of Dracula, and you try to find out what happened to the vampire-hunter Richter Belmont, who dissapeared when Drac's castle appeared from nowhere. Alucard uses a sword instead to the classic Belmont whips. Also, in addition to weapons, you can equip Alucard with armor, headwear, cloaks, necklaces, etc. that you collect throughout the game. Oh, and there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of items and weapons to collect. Also, Alucard can use a few magic spells which are executed through D-pad combinations. The classic 'heart' weapons are back, along with a few new additions. They include the Cross, spears, lightning, axes, time stopper, holy book, and a couple others. You collect a number of relics throughout the game as well, which adds to the spectacular gameplay. The enemies are well-made, and the bosses are amazing! Some of coolest bosses i've eer seen (the catacombs boss of the upside down castle is incredibly hard if yu don't no how to beat him.) As far as grapics go, they are beautiful and lush. The sounds is superb, especially the incredible scores. Controling Alucard is a charm, from using 'heart' weapons to pulling magic attacks. One of the best games ever made.

Grapics-4.5

Sound-5.0

Control-5.0

Gameplay-5.0

Replay-4.5

Difficulty-easy to medium

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So I get this game free with purchase of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (which is also a pretty good game). People say Lords of Shadow is a great game, but it is NOT a Castlevania game. So to figure out what Castlevania games are all about I give Castlevania: Symphony of the Night a try. AND WOW JUST WOW. This game is simply incredible. After finishing this game (both actual and secret endings) here is what I thoght.

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

CASTLE EXPLORATION GAMEPLAY: No spoiler here, but most Castlevania games are about going into Count Dracula's castle and finding and destroying him and in process of doing so, encountering and finding a great number of vicious enemies, some really awesome monsterous bosses and awesome weapons and upgrades. Similar to other Castlevania games, this one also has A HUGE CASTLE where you, the son of dracula, can roam around structure to another doing everything stated above.

WEAPONS, SECONDARY WEAPONS, SUMMONS, RELICS, UPGRADES, TRANSFORMATIONS AND ALL TYPE OF SPLENDID STUFF: While exploring HUGE castle (emphasis on the word huge) you will find great number of different weapons (swords, mace, blades), secondary weapons (holy water, throwing axe and some weird things) and relics that will either allow you to summon various allies by your side or transform you into beasts with different abilities. Guess being a human sympathetic son of dracula comes with its own advantages. Search for these items will really push you explore the castle. While some are not so hard to find, the good ones are well hidden and will require a through exploration (or use of a guide).

RIDICULOUS VARIETY IN ENEMIES AND TREMENDOUS BOSSES: Loved it just loved it. I was surprised to see there were so many different types of enemies in the game. To top it off, defeating them and making your way through the castle rewards you with spectacular boss fights. These bosses vary from your own doppelganger to almighty you know who. There are so many so many awesome bosses. JUST BE SURE TO EXPLORE THE CASTLE THROUGHLY.

CASTLE AND REVERSE CASTLE: Now if you just rush through the game without exploring all the area, you will not get to challenge the real main boss of the game. To do so you have to explore the castle throughly, meet certain conditions and unlock the REVERSE CASTLE, which is practically a reverse version of castle you play, but with tougher enemies and more awesome bosses. I can't tell you much without spoiling, but it is not hard to do. You just have to know something.

LEVELING UP THE MAIN CHARACTER: Beating enemies and bosses will give you XPs and level you up making you stronger adding RPG element to the game. So if you are not as skilled then leveling up and then fighting the boss is always an option. I personally got addicted to this and finding items.

GREAT GRAPHICS, ART, LEVEL DESIGNS FOR A PS1 GAME: Yup not much to elaborate here. I loved the REVERSE CASTLE design and idea. Again you have to play it to see what I am talking about.

PLAY WITH DIFFERENT CHARACTER: In addition to son of dracula, you can also play as a Vampire hunter with very different abilities, you just have to finish the game once.

******************CONS******************

SECRETIVE PLACES: While you can get map of the castle early on, you still can't locate many important secret places on that map. I wish they had some type of secret map available so one wouldn't have to rely on online guides. Other than this I can complain about the graphics and stuff, but it is a PS1 game, so judging it by today's standard won't be fair.

*************CONCLUSION********************

If you are new to castlevania franchise and want to learn more, this is a great place to start. It will truly give you a good idea what Castlevania games are all about and why lords of shadow is a great game, but it is not exactly a Castlevania to be precise.

Review of Batarang Wireless Controller for PS3

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
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The controller is great in almost every way. I like the offset/reverse thumbstick layout.

Pros:

Great look and appearance, I got this controller pretty much just for the fact that it's Batman related and made by Power A.

The buttons are responsive and I prefer the stiffer L2/R2 triggers.

The controller is wireless with no noticable lag or dead zones playing Batman AA, and has a built in rechargable battery.

The D Pad is also responsive and I had no issues selecting items in the diagonal directions.

It lights up, has some rubber on the grips, and includes an On/Off switch with a power save function.

Cons:

My only issue with this controller is the placement of the LED Color selection button and Battery Power Indicator button being located inline with the Start and Select buttons. If you use this controller to play any other games, that use those buttons some what often, you will find yourself switching the LED Colors randomly when you try to pause the game, or you will be constantly checking the battery power level (no biggie there), unless you look down at the controller to find the buttons.

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Pros

This controller feels similar to xbox 360 controller for anyone who like's that layout.

The batarang controller has 7 LED colors you can choose from.

The controller feels Great and very natural too grip on and the Buttons are accurate.

Cons

But Using The batarang controller on Arkham City, MW2, Uncharted 2, I felt some delay on the right analog stick when I was playing.

So I switch back with the Dualshock 3 to compare it was way better and accurate.

And with the batarang controller you can't turn ON the console with the controller but you can turn OFF the system.

So Overall it's 3/5 stars for me

It's worth a try if your looking for a 360 controller for an alternative.

but I would say just stick with the Dualshock 3 if you want your controller accurate.

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I've been playing with this controller for a few days now, and I have to say I like it very much. It feels good in the hands even with playing for long periods of time. It has a very solid feel, and I like the sculpt of the grips. The triggers (L2 & R2) are also very good, certainly much better than those on the standard PS3 controller. All of the shoulder buttons, as well as the D-pad, have a texture to them that's a little more noticeable than the texture on Sony's controllers, which I also like. The D-pad is serviceable and is better than the standard XBox360's D-pad, but not as good as the standard PS3. The lights on the controller certainly look cool, but I play with them turned off because I find it annoying to have a colored light shining in the periphery of my vision.

The main problem with the controller comes from the analog sticks. They do have a dead zone. Reading the other reviews, I was expecting a much larger dead zone than the controller has. Personally, I wasn't bothered too much with this issue. I think that the quality of your experience with this controller will largely depend on the types of games you play. For most strategy, role-playing, and general action games, this controller will work great. However, if you play many games that require great precision and very small adjustments of the analog sticks, such as driving games and first-person shooters, you might want to pass on this controller. I definitely would NOT suggest buying this controller for use in any kind of competitive play. For general gaming, though, it's great.

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I got the controller and charged it fully before trying to play with it. It wont work unless I have it plugged in at all times. It says fully charged but as soon as I unplug it, it shuts down. I recommend it as a collector's item, not as a useful controller.

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This is by far the best controller I've ever owned. I ordered it about 5 months ago and so far I've had zero major complaints. I've never owned a non-sony controller so I was hesitant that it would be worth it, but I'm glad I placed the order. Needless to say I've never owned a controller with a joystick configuration like this, but it didn't really take any getting used to.

Here's some things I love about this controller:

-It's sturdy and all the buttons are extremely responsive especially on games that require that like Dark Souls

-instantly turns on, whether your using the very handy on/off switch or the home button after inactivity it instantly turns on unlike even the Dualshock 3

-the previously mentioned on/off switch

-the display power button has four levels and is more accurate than the Dualshock

-the R1 buttons are flawless and don't make the annoying clicking sound that 360 controllers do

-the R2 buttons are triggers

-it's super comfortable

-it lights up! (but unless I'm showing off I leave them off to save battery

the few minor things I don't like:

-the face buttons fade over time

-the stuff on the back fades almost overnight if you remove the stickers

-the biggest complaint is with the button placement at the top, it's vey easy to hit the home or power display button when aiming for the select button// hit the light button or the home button when aiming for start

Overall I think this controller is better designed than both the PS3 and 360 controllers (since it's basically the best of both thrown together) and as far as I know cheaper than both as well.

Cheap Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi Extra

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At first look, Ketsui looks similar to many other shmups out there. Helicopters firing a non-stop barrage of screen filling firepower? Check. Zillions of colorful bullets that need to be dodged? Check. Point items to collect and increase your score? Check. Huge bosses with enough guns to level a city? Check. But its real brilliance is in the game mechanics and level design.

Playing Ketsui is all about aggression. Destroying enemies up close awards higher point cubes, which are used to score. Shoot an enemy from afar for a "1" cube, or point-blank them for a "5" cube. Once you collect some cubes, you can switch to a lock-shot mode (hold down the fire button), which locks in that cube's value for a set amount of time. Thus, you can to bum rush a few enemies to generate high cube values, then use the lock-shot to maximize gains on everything else in sight. There are a few other variables to take into account, however that's the simplest way of explaining it.

The level design is very well thought out with this scoring system in mind. Often against a tougher opponent, a few tanks will work their way down the screen just before that enemy is defeated. You can either concentrate firepower to take out that threat quickly, or break your lock to point-blank those tanks, then return to the tough enemy, and be rewarded with a shower of 5 cubes. Careful planning is very rewarding, and the levels are perfectly balanced for those skillful enough to take advantage of them.

Enemy bullet patterns get vastly more interesting as you progress through the game. Late in the game they start to take a life of their own as they weave and track you in unusual ways.

In addition to the main game, an arrangement or "X-mode" is also included. This changes up the gameplay by adding bullet cancelling and suicide bullets when enemies are destroyed. It seems to be more about pushing your luck to fill the screen with bullets before cancelling them out, which leads to different strategies in how quickly you defeat certain enemies. It's a different take on the game, but it's still really great.

I can't say enough praise for how much fun Ketsui is to play. And at the end of the day, that's the only thing that really matters.

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Discount The King of Fighters XIII - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

So a little backround on me. I have been playing fighters since I could grab an arcade stick, been playing tournament level players for 12 years, and currently play Super Street Fighter 4 AE ver 2012 and plenty of old school games to include Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo.

That being said this is not a review by a random person who casually plays games.

First and foremost is the content. SNKP packed so much in this game that it feels like a actual game unlike KOF 12 which was a huge disappointment. The story mode is full of hand drawn moton comic type scenes with plenty of story. Arcade mode is included which is standard in any fighter. There are trial modes which give you some of the best combos for each character similar to what Street Fighter 4 introduced and well as a basic tutorial explaining the basic system.

You can unlock Billy Kane and the boss character through playing the game as well as download Iori and Kyo alternate versions. Mr. Karate DLC should be coming in the near future. There is a color edit mode similar to Capcom vs Snk 2. This allows you to color any character the way you want, being able to save up to 5 custom edits per characters. You unlock more colors by playing story mode.

The game itself looks beautiful. The characters are fluid and backrounds are gorgeous. Much improvement over KoF 12. No longer does the game zoom in like in the last installment as well. The overall menu design and presentation is done well.

The actual gameplay is a blast. King of Fighters is a more offensive based game than Street Fighter. Everything compliment offense. There are rolls, low jump, hyper low jumps, hyper jumps, guard bar, special cancels, super cancels, neo max cancels, and custom combos. You can pull off crazy combos in this game. The overall combo system in the game is fantastic. Unlike SSF4, you cannot cancel a special move unless it's hitting. So no one can uppercut then cancel to safety, you will get punished for your mistakes. Of course the staple in KoF games, you can combo grabs, which is something I find very unique.

Online play I have done research on through Shoryuken.com. 4 bar connections are amazing (like they are at your house), 3 bar connections are playable, 2 bars is bad, 1 bar is roflomgnowhy. Mostly there are 2/3 bar connections depending on distance. That being said don't let that deter you from buying this amazing game. SNKP and Atlus have announced that they are patching the game to vastly improve online performance. This game seems to be as good currently online as Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3.

With over a roster of 30 highly enjoyable characters (such as Kyo, Iori, Mai, K, Terry, as well as other fan favorites), a complex deep yet easy to grasp combo system, standard KoF mechanics, good online play, as well as a vast amount of content this game get 5/5. SNKP out did themselves, but the fans deserve no less. This game is what KoF 12 should have been. If you been waiting for a good KoF game to get into THIS is it.

Edit: This game comes with a 4 CD soundtrack of all KoF games which is a plus. Also this game was rebalanced from the original arcade version (making it better).

Gameplay 5/5

Sound 5/5

Content 5/5

Roster 5/5

Replayability 5/5

Tutorials 5/5

Online play 3.5/5 (Note this is getting patched to vastly improve and it good most the time, but bad connections are bad)

Written by Shoryuken.com member RagingStormX (Capcom fanboy)

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I consider myself a fighting game enthusiast. I spend probably way too much time on forums and sites like Shoryuken, Eventhubs, and Dream Cancel. I own an expensive arcade stick that my level of play probably doesn't justify me purchasing. I've been playing fighters seriously since Street Fighter Alpha 2. I'd only dabbled in KOF during those days, mainly the classic KOF '98. I've heard tons of great things about KOF XIII and decided to take the dive myself. I own and have sunk lots of time into all the big fighters of this generation: SSF4: AE 2012, Blazblue: CS (please note I haven't played EXTEND and don't really plan on getting it), UMVC3, and SF x Tk. In my opinion, KOF XIII is the single BEST fighting game of this generation, and I hope I can make a great case for you to check out this fantastic game.

First off, this game looks absolutely stunning. The "baboon hand" art style of the new Street Fighter games has always been divisive, and some people can get turned off by Blazblue's heavy anime feel (though that's a beautiful game as well objectively). The style of UMVC3, which is semi-borrowed from Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, is pretty stunning as well, but if you're a fan of detailed 2-D, hand-drawn animation with TONS of character and personality, your eyes will feast on the amazing visuals in KOF XIII. There are over 30 characters here, all of whom represent different countries, styles, fighting styles, and body types. These SNK designs have stood the test of time, as characters like Kyo, K', and Iori seem, if anything, cooler and more stylish than ever. The backgrounds are generally great too, like a crowded London street with onlookers on double decker buses and a street market backdrop with massive 3-D elephants that blend in with the 2-D perfectly. There are SOME questionable ethnic stereotypes at play here, but that's a discussion for another day. As well, some of the onlookers get way too "animated," as the game speeds their fist pumps and claps up way too much to the point that it's sometimes distracting.

The most important thing about the visuals gameplay-wise is that powerful moves shake the screen and really look like they hurt. You FEEL the blows in this game, which is a credit to its presentation.

The music, which comes to you in a 4-disc soundtrack if you pre-ordered, is amazing as well, and endearingly old-school. You'll hear the same mix of crunchy guitar riffs and catchy synthesizers that have been the hallmark of this series for years. Note: I ordered the Xbox 360 version a few months after the game originally came out and STILL got the soundtrack, however I can't guarantee that if you buy the game now you'll still get it. I think your chances are better on 360 because it sold less on that platform.

The game has a variety of modes, including a Blazblue-ish "visual novel" story mode if you care about that kind of thing. Given that the "Ash Crimson Saga" was last touched upon in KOF XI on the Playstation 2, you might have already forgotten all about the whole "Ash is a very pretty man who is an enigmatic protagonist and can be good or evil" thing, so story mode is for hardcore KOF nerds more than a general audience. If you're just a fighting game nut, though, there are TONS of modes here, such as an Arcade mode with light story elements (all the characters have intros with each other), a Versus mode, a pretty robust practice mode with a variety of options, a variety of challenge modes like time attack and survival, color edit mode that unlocks more options as you play the game, a gallery that unlocks pictures and other things as you play, and what is my opinion the star of the show: the insanely hard Trials mode. Seriously guys, these trials, where you perform set combos with all characters that ramp up in difficulty, are freakin' brutal, the HARDEST of any fighter out right now. This segues right into my passion for this game: the trials are difficult but SO rewarding once you pull them off.

In my opinion, being a top-level player in any fighter is a difficult task that takes tons of muscle memory, practice, and skill. Where the rewarding difficulty lies in KOF is that timing and inputs have to be EXACT. The basic idea for combos is that, once you have meter, you cancel moves into each other. The way that works is that I can cancel a special move into a super move, but I input the super as soon as the first move hits. Seeing as how KOF has motions that aren't common in other games, such as two half circles back or combinations of diagonals and quarter circles, this is, in a word, freakin' hard.

Also, it feels damn awesome when you start to pull them off.

There are two meters in KOF XIII, one for canceling special moves and another for supers and EX moves, so meter management is huge in this game. Since you fight with a team of three, you can develop great strategies like using your first character as a "battery" to build meter, and pick your "anchor" character so that your last guy can take full advantage of meter. You can also enter a "custom combo" state once the HD meter, or "special move cancel meter," is full, and this allows you to pull off devastating combos by linking special move cancels for as long as the draining bar has meter left. Pulling these combos off is the meat of the game. I enter Hyper Drive mode, chain a combination of specials and normals together, and assuming I have super meter, I end the state by unleashing a super at the end. If I have lots of meter, I can even cancel a regular super into a level 3 "Neo Max" super. When you look at matches online with high-level players, you might think that the game is "broken" since you can effectively pull off close to 100% damage combos. However, I can assure you that you truly EARN all the damage you dish out in KOF. Nothing comes easy and that's a great thing for hardcore fighting fans.

KOF is a very fast-paced game and incredibly strategic. Matches are default at 60 seconds and most end way before that. You can dash, roll, jump, super jump, hop, and hyper hop in this game, which opens up tons of options in terms of spacing. You can also pull off guard counters that take up meter if you're getting pressured and have access to a "blowback" move that comes out sort of like a Focus Attack in SFIV. There's also a guard crush system so you can't just block all day.

Netplay is pretty decent, but not as smooth as something like Blazblue. As long as there's decent connections on both ends though, it won't be that much of a problem. There are absolutely NO game-breaking issues like SF x Tk's awful online though. Take note that there is also not a spectator mode, which is a bummer.

The last thing I'll say about KOF XIII is that, although there are still tiers in a sense, like for example Benimaru being a beast, the game is set up so that all characters give and receive the same damage. A big grappler like Daimon does the same damage to the schoolgirl Athena as he does to another big dude like Clark, and takes the same damage from Clark as Athena would. More than any other game right now, KOF XIII comes down to skill. I'll be honest, I still fairly suck at this game. But I put in the work everyday because it's the most fast-paced and rewarding fighter out there right now. For $40, you can't go wrong if you're a fighting game fan.

Note: In my opinion, because of the unorthodox inputs, this game is almost impossible to get the most out of with anything but a stick. That's just my personal opinion so if you're a diehard pad person, by all means give it a try and see if you can hang.

Best Deals for The King of Fighters XIII - Xbox 360

If you really are a true KOF fan, then this new installment won't disappoint. Crisp graphics, Awesome soundtracks, it's also got a story mode. and many many more. As for online, I haven't experienced any lag issue or input delay. This is a must buy.

Honest reviews on The King of Fighters XIII - Xbox 360

This is a huge step up from the disappointingly 12th installment. Everything from the mechanics, presentation, and characters, it just fits very well and it feels like a finished product. I will say, however, this is not the best starting point for fighting game noobies; this is very much a hardcore fighting game. It does have a tutorial mode that tells you the basics, but it does give an in depth analysis on the more advanced mechanics. Net play has been improved as well; fights are smoother and more stable, given that you have a solid internet connect.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most complex, deep, and balanced fighting games of this generation. Well worth your time and money.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The King of Fighters XIII - Xbox 360

Bought this after realising I needed a fighting game. I have way too many games of the same genre(Action, Adventure, Racing). Wanted to mix it up a bit. The game has a lot of content to begin with. Over 30+ characters and several fighting modes. Not recommended for the average fighting novice, because combos are complicated to input. Overall great game. Fun to play and kill some time with.

Best 3.5 eSATA USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Enclosure Deals

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List Price: $88.82
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I play XBox, like, a LOT. And, when I finally got my wireless headphones working and was all set to buy my first Hard Drive enclosure for my newest controller, I thought, "Hey! Why not look for a combo controller and enclosure in one!"

Imagine my surprise when I hooked this puppy up and could enclose my new USB 3.0 External Hard Drive right inside! And, talk about fast! I'm like all rapid firing and stuff, using both joysticks in tandum, and things are all missing me as I dodge and dive in my games. And the whole time I'm downloading the latest Windows 8.1 update right to my controller!!

Crazy fun. Just wish it supported more than 3 Terabytes, cause all the PlayStation controllers support 6 in their Controller Enclosures.

PRO: Wicked fast. And, storage too?

CON: Having issues recovering anything I think I've downloaded. It's like it's not there, even though I forced a USB drive into the side. Broke the plastic a bit to get it in there, but.... Oh, and I figured out that the normal USB 3.0 cord you usually get with devices doesn't fit... I mean, not anywhere. So I ended up just heating up the end of a spare I had and pushing it into the plastic at the top until it fit snugly. Looks like it worked. Just wish I could find my downloads.

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Best FIFA 14 - Xbox 360 Deals

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List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $47.00
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I have been a big fan of the FIFA series dating back to FIFA 10. I buy the game every year and have played thousands of matches over the last several years. Every year the game is fundamentally the same with a few minor differences. Sometimes the changes are for the better and sometimes they're for the worse. This year is pretty typical in that regard. There are some great new features and some shockingly bad ones. Here's quick breakdown of some of the game modes and some of the changes:

Shot physics have been altered. Now the ball will dip and knuckle more than in previous FIFA games. This seems like it will improve the variety of goals you can score, yet many of the same flaws remain. The finesse shot (curling shot) is still very overpowered. Meanwhile, goalies are still way too good at making quick reflex saves on powerful shots at short range. What that all adds up to is that the finesse shot is still your go-to bread and butter shot in all 1-on-1 situations, so the variety that the developers aimed for wasn't totally achieved.

Player movement has been altered. More specifically, players have a greater sense of momentum. It is harder to start and stop instantly. Sharp cuts and 180 degree shifts in direction will be more gradual. Some reviewers have praised this as being more realistic than the last few FIFA games, where sometimes it felt like you were steering a race car instead of an athlete. I agree that this change is more realistic, but is it more FUN? I don't think so. The slower movement gives the whole experience a less responsive feeling, which can be very frustrating. Many times you will spot an opening for your player and try to weave into that space, but the slow change of direction will result in him being tackled before he can react. The overall result here is that defense feels overpowered whereas attacking play has been nerfed. One of my favorite things in the game was to pull of crisp skill moves and slaloming runs with speedy players, but now I'm finding the game a bit muddy and slow. It might be more realistic, but it is a lot less fun than FIFA 10-13.

AI has been upgraded. Computer players will have smarter movement on offense and defense. The good news here is that your computer teammates will be smarter about making runs so you pick them out with a pass. However, the CPU is still far too mechanical and tidy on higher difficulties. They will psychically sense your incoming tackle and change directions at the last moment to avoid you. The whole experience of playing against the computer can be very frustrating due to the lack of random variance and error. Even world class players make bad touches and mistakes in real life, but the CPU in FIFA plays like a machine. I much prefer to play against human players because there is more variety. It's also worth pointing out that many of the same AI flaws that have existed in the game for YEARS are still glaring. For example, defenders are absolutely horrible at making aerial challenges for the ball. So many times when a cross is whipped in, they will just stand flat-footed and let the attacker spike it right over them. In general, players lack awareness of the ball and aren't aggressive enough when it is near them. Many times the ball will squirt loose into space and your players will take steps away from it instead of trying to pounce like they would in real life. These minor AI flaws can really hinder the enjoyment of the game.

Ultimate Team is back and better than ever. If you don't know what Ultimate Team is, it's a game mode that allows you to collect and trade players in order to build your "ultimate team." However, even though the game mode bills itself as Ultimate Team, there is a chemistry system in place that effectively prevents you from linking players in your lineup unless they play in the same league or have the same nationality. This really limits your creativity and prevents you from building your actual ultimate team. For example, you can't link Ibrahimovic with Cristiano Ronaldo and get full chemistry because they don't share a common league or nationality. Putting that aside, there are a number of nice new features in Ultimate Team this year. There are more leagues in the game than last year, including the Colombian league. The interface and player search feature have greatly been improved. Single online matches have returned after shockingly being left out last season, but now they can't end in a draw like they could in FIFA 12. If you are drawing after 90 minutes, you have to play extra time and go to penalties. Annoying because single matches are supposed to be more casual and not so win-at-all-costs like the tournaments and seasons.

My two favorite new features in Ultimate Team are the new chemistry styles and the removal of formation cards from the game. In previous FUT games, you had to convert your players to the correct formation every time you wanted to experiment with a new formation. Now all players get full chemistry from all formations, so there is much more room to experiment without having to invest a lot of coins in formation cards. The new chemistry styles add a layer of customization to the game by allowing you to apply chemistry styles cards to your players that boost specific traits. For example, you could use a chemistry style to increase a defender's heading and defending. Or you could use a different chemistry style to increase an attacking midfielders passing and dribbling.

Also, it's worth pointing out that while Ultimate Team is technically free, the game is designed to push you towards the pack store, where EA makes a lot of money off people spending points on packs in hopes of finding valuable players. I strongly discourage you from spending real money on Ultimate Team, as the players you get in packs are rarely worth much and your odds of getting someone like Ronaldo or Messi are INCREDIBLY low. It is basically a lottery ticket and not a good value at all. You are always better off saving coins and buying player direct.

Career mode, skill games, and virtual clubs are back from last year. Clubs allow you to create a virtual pro for use in club games with your friends or with strangers, and to gradually build up his stats by fulfilling various achievements. For example, scoring 25 goals might improve his shooting stats. You can keep this player throughout your entire time using FIFA 14 and it is fun to gradually build him up. The only major drawback is that EA inexplicably ruined the drop-in match game mode by capping the former 11v11 player limit at 5v5 and removing the "ANY" option, which means that if you go into a drop-in match (a virtual pro match where you and strangers play a game using your virtual pro), over half of the players on the field will be controlled by the computer. It used to be that you could go full 11v11 or have one player designated as the "ANY" in smaller games to control all of the computer players. Drop-in games will be incredibly tedious and boring without the any feature, so I will not be playing them this year.

The EA Sports Football Club that they introduced with FIFA 12 has once again carried over to the new game. With this feature, you'll gradually accumulate currency within the game just by playing FIFA 14. You can then use these points to unlock nice bonuses such as free Ultimate Team coins, extra kits, new celebrations, and extra boots for your players. This is a nice feature that provides another incentive system within the game.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: FIFA 14 brings a lot of new bells and whistles compared to the last few releases in the series, but the gameplay has taken a step backward. Although it might be more realistic than ever, the game is also slower and more methodical than ever. This is especially apparent in Ultimate Team, where lightning-paced high scoring games of years past have morphed into a more sluggish and frustrating experience. There was one stretch of games last night where my opponents and I combined for one goal in six full halves of play. This is the first time in the last five years that I have felt bored with FIFA so early in the release, so I have to consider this version a step back overall despite the aforementioned improvements. Realism is nice, but not if it comes at the expense of fun. So far, this FIFA just isn't that fun to play.

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I've been playing FIFA religiously since 2006. Here are some of the major gameplay changes that I noticed from FIFA '13:

Smaller Field/ Slower Gameplay The game play has been slowed down quite a bit, and you find yourself operating in close-quarters a lot. The field feels a lot smaller which is more realistic. However, it seems like it is easier to sit back and play defensively which is not much fun for me.

Catching Passes/First Touch All players can catch passes and trap the ball more easily than in '13. I liked that it was harder in '13 because it took more skill on the behalf of the player. You couldn't run full speed with a Center Back and catch a pass in stride you would have to slow down and trap the ball before continuing your run. Now it seems that everyone catches passes without losing the ball as much.

Finesse Shot In '13, I found the "right-bounce", finesse shot to be almost useless. It was easier to just slide the ball along the ground past the keeper. In '14, this shot has made a comeback. This is a return to prior years, which I like. It takes more time to line this shot up, so you should be rewarded for being able to execute it.

Player Size/Strength In '14, you can really utilize a player's strength and size. In '13, it seems that speed and dribbling were all that mattered. Now you can muscle people away from the ball and use your height to catch passes from the air (hopefully Messi can no longer wrestle air balls away from Center Backs while jumping!). I like this, however, it seems that it is much easier to score now on headers and corners. There is nothing more frustrating than when you trap your opponent outside the box and he tries a desperation cross only to score a header. Goals off of corners are also really weak, and I even feel bad when I convert on them. I'll take a win any way I can get it, but it is so much more satisfying when you actually beat your opponent and score.

Overall These are my first impressions. With any new FIFA it takes time to adjust. I am biased towards the negative because I excelled at '13 right away. '14 does not really cater to my style of play. That being said, I will still play it every day until '15 comes out.

UPDATE: After playing this game for 2 months, I have become very frustrated with it. I may even switch to Madden or NHL until FIFA '15. The conversion rate on headers and corners is much too high. Over half of the goals online are scored on these plays. In FIFA '13 I could convert on 5-10% of corners. In '14 it is seriously around 40%. With Gareth Bale delivering on corners, my player gets his head on it 90% of the time. Every game on Xbox Live is Real Madrid vs. Real Madrid. Kick the ball upfield to Ronaldo or run down the sideline and cross it in. If you don't score on the cross, you'll convert on the corner. I do not enjoy this style of play at all, but it is so effective what else can I do? I could play my old style and lose every game. Finesse shots from outside the box are also much more effective. You can win your games without ever getting a direct shot from inside the box.

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Game mechanic is a step forward but...

You CANNOT play with your friends against other friends at all, in any of modes. It was never mentioned anywhere that Online Team Play will not be available and many players bought the game intending to play with friends (as they do not have time for seasons, ultimate team, career etc) like they used to in previous instances of Fifa.

Not only it was not mentioned by EA but all the reviews, who gave the game 9/10 or 10/10 score did not mention Online Team Play gone. I could not find any single review that would address this issue.

Furthermore, I have been on EA live help chat thingy 3 times trying to get advisors to tell me how to play with friends since I find not being able to do so completely ridiculous. Every advisor I spoke to seem to be surprised there is no way to play friends vs friends.

My facebook post on EA Fifa 14 wall has been removed as well.

Slightly odd isn't it.

Anyway, if you want to play Fifa 14 in group of friends you will not be able to do so. You have been warned.

Honest reviews on FIFA 14 - Xbox 360

Let me get straight to the point, Fifa 14 is by far the worst FIFA game I've played in the last 5 years! Unfortunately EA sports has not made any improvements to the game, but they have also ruined it by trying to make it more realistic(!). I'm not complaining because I can't win ,I just won my season one championship last week so I know how to play. The point is that FIFA 14 is not fun anymore...

What EA has failed to understand is that video games are meant to be fun. when you attempt to make a game realistic (in your own thoughts), you should consider the fact that it must not spoil the fun. As you can read in other reviews there are many many many issues that happen way too often in a game which makes you want to break your game. Just to mention a few:

super sluggish game-play and increased momentum of players

Easy cross and header goals that happen way too much in every game (Trust me, I also score most of my goals this way)

Dribbling with the best players in the world is almost impossible because of super late reactions and movements

Lofted through balls (which was so bad in the beginning that EA released a patch to fix it in the first few weeks)

Unrealistic first touch controls (sometimes players like Messi seem to have no idea how to stop an easy pass)

Ridiculously foolish team-mates (some things are totally out of your control...)

Forwards are in offside position 90% of the time (and don't seem to care at all!)

_ Throw-ins are just a joke!Players spend most of the time running after the ball themselves as if there's no one out there

Overall, after a game (specially at higher levels) you don't feel like you won the game because you're good. Instead you feel like you only won because you were lucky. That's what kills the fun in a sports game.

After all, it's EA and they sure know how to be the winner of "Worst Company of the Year" for 2 years in a row. If you haven't purchased the game yet, don't buy it. It's just a waste of time and money...

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for FIFA 14 - Xbox 360

I have been playing Fifa games since Fifa '08 and one thing they always are is FUN. The gameplay and the graphics have changed but the heart and soul remains. You go up against your friends, spank them 4-0, then pull out the victory dance and trash talking. Ultimate Team is a great addition which allows you to take this fun online by trying to build the best team with the coins you earn and going head to head with persons all around the world. Fifa 14 has a greater learning curb than previous editions. The ball physics has changed, player movement has changed, the speed of the game has changed. A lot of people play it and feel the difference and hate it but have they taken the time to try to get used to it? Some people just can't be bothered with trying to learn a new style of play and my opinion is, they probably aren't real football (soccer) fans; maybe they watch a match here and there but are not avid fans. Fifa 14 IS different, that's for sure. There are always little glitches that can be fixed which is why I gave it 4 stars and not 5. Does it suck? No! Is it fun? Yes! Do you wanna pull your hair out when crappy goals go in against you? Yes! Do you chuckle and do a fist pump when crappy goals go in for you? Yes! Is Fifa 14 worth the money? YES! Go buy it.

Cheap Universal PC/Stereo Gaming Headset - Yapster TM-YB100A – Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $31.25
Sale Price: $19.99
Today's Bonus: 36% Off

This video shows off the mic quality and the headset's features.

**Update 2/10/2013**

Well, it has been over a year since this review.

The headset itself has held up to lots of use and even drop abuse.

The one thing that I would like to note (which is why I gave it a 4 star in the first place) it is a cheap headset, so the wiring is where they cut corners. The wires themselves are very tiny, and re-soldering is impossible (I found this out when my pet chewed through my first pair.) The second headset I received has had issues after a year of use, the little control box on the wire is put together cheaply and can cause static if the volume level is maxed. The microphone also has a tendency to go out so I have to tug on the wire from the box to get it to work.

However, my brother who still has his original pair has had no issues at all.

**Update 10/22/2013**

I will be needing to replace this headset soon, my mic has gone out (unless I want to try moving the wiring around the control box) and the speakers are starting to develop static when the wire is moved (also mostly around the control box.)

I will say this for the manufacture, removing the control box would be awesome, I use it rarely. Some of my friends that have the same headset use the control box, but only because it's available to them, as most voice communicating software comes with an easy way to mute your microphone.

I consider volume control on a headset worthless, since it's easy to change the audio volume on your computer.

My brother's headset is still working like a champ. (I'm envious.)

They are okay headsets, not stylish, but comfortable and quite affordable.

On another note: I am looking at other headsets or even just headphones and buying a dedicated microphone at the time of writing this update. I may buy another pair of these since they are cheap. However the pair that I got last were not the quality that I had before and I am looking at other options.

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This does not come with a USB hook up. I'm personally happy about that. It frees up my other two USB ports. It comes with a two pronged hook-up, for the microphone port and the headphone port. You can plug in just one or both, depending on your needs.

Just make sure you have a mic and headphones port on your computer, the small round ones. (I don't know the technical term.)

If I just want to listen to music, I can use the headset alone. If I just need the mic, I can unplug the headphone jack from the port and have my computer's sound come through the speakers. The mic still functions.

It's very comfortable, unlike some headphones. I can wear it for hours and forget I have it on. The sound is great, and the microphone seems to work well for my gaming needs.

One tiny negative would be that it encloses your ears completely. So hearing the sounds around you can be somewhat difficult. That can be a positive as well, though, since it blocks out other noises.

Over all, this is a great uncomplicated device. I plugged it in, and it worked!

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Yapster TM-YW100A nice sound quality, sensitive mic. I checked mic in Corel Video Studio Pro X2. Recording quality: loud, clear, no white noise. I liked it. Sound is great also! Good enough bass and high frequencies.

Fit exactly for my ears. Feels a little tight, but if you want to unbend it be aware that it is plastic under soft leather so be careful.

Headphones have volume control, mute button. Both work so far flawlessly.

Very nice design. Mid size. Cord 168 cm though not 2.2m as in description, but it's still long enough to not pluck off if you will stand up suddenly. The mic handle is very pliable and long enough for anybody's head. It's about 7.5'' or 19 cm from plastic part of center of connection with headphone to the end of plastic part of microphone. You can bend it on anyway you want. Very handy!Other characteristics:

3.5 mini-jack;

Microphone:

Noise reduction design (however I'd recommend adjust it lower otherwise your breath from nose will be heard);

Omni-directional;

Frequency response: 30 16Khz

Sensitivity: -59 db

Headphones:

Frequency response: 20 20KHz

Sensitivity: 100db

Max power input 50mW

Right price, right size, right headphones with microphone right on, right on!

Update: 6 months later I bought some unbranded VOIP/SKYPE Headset w/Microphone which was cheaper and I regretted it. As old says don't buy to cheap you'll pay twice. It was a step down after Yapster. So, on the second day I ordered from Yapster and received (in couple days) my well known TM-YW100A. It's my second headset (first one was taken from me by my kid) and I still happy with it. Microphone quality is outstanding and so sound quality.

The only thing I'd highly recommend to Yapster Company is to include the Microphone Cover which is noticeably reduce a breath noise.

The rest is awesome!

Long life to Yapster! :-)

I still recommend it very much.

Honest reviews on Universal PC/Stereo Gaming Headset - Yapster TM-YB100A – Black

I've had these for over 4 months now. Like many previous purchasers, I was searching for a headset that suited my budget as much as it would suit my needs. Since then, I've had ample time to run this headset through its paces. And frankly, I must confess that I am stunned by its exemplary performance. Over the past few months I have used the Yapster for everything from Skype & video narration, to watching movies and/or listening to music, to gaming (on both the PC and an Xbox 360), to audio books. Here's how it fared:

Skype: This headset is absolutely brilliant for Skype (and all other VoIP applications I would suspect). In my work, clear and constant communication between all parties is vital. With my previous headset a Logitech Clear Chat voices sounded hollow and distant. With the Yapster, those I conversed with came through clearly but warmly the way human voices should. Not once did I feel the need to ask others to speak up or repeat themselves. I heard and understood them the first time, everytime. And the sensitive microphone performed flawlessly. I have been able to converse with others without ever once raising my voice or repeating myself. For me, this was (and continues to be) a clear advantage. I've not had my voice go hoarse much less lose my voice since I began using the Yapster, despite having spent hours a day in online communications and presentations.

Movies & Music: With a name like "Yapster", I assumed that the headset would only excel at chat and not much more. I was stunned to find that the Yapster was surprisingly stellar with the wide dynamic range found in cinema and music. The low-frequency response was flat-out top-notch, producing deep and impactful bass notes in music, and tightly defined hits in film. The highs were equally impressive. The upper registers of voices were airy and angelic. Cymbals and hats were almost like-like. And even the subtlest background nuances in films came through flawlessly. But perhaps what surprised me most was the presence of a substantial mid range to tie all of that together. Most consumer headphones these days tend to emphasize bass and treble, leaving all the mids behind. This was most certainly not the case with the Yapster. As a result, sweeping orchestral scores actually swept. And as you would imagine, being superb with voices, the Yapster rendered dialog impeccably well with both clarity and warmth. Although these are by no means audiophile-quality, they are in fact quite good! Much better than their price would suggest, and far and away better than comparable headsets I've used. I found myself continually demanding more and more in terms of sound quality and performance, with the Yapster largely continuing to deliver at each and every step.

Gaming (PC & Xbox 360): This is where the Yapster's performance sealed the deal for me as it were. Since gaming requires the ability to handle all of the above simultaneously well (music, effects, dialog, and mic sensitivity), I was a bit doubtful as to whether it could in fact deliver on its promises. Needless to say, the Yapster acquitted itself in sensationally. Crysis 2 took on a much more cinematic scope, and Oblivion came alive as I made a bit more progress in my most recent playthrough. With the help of a simple 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter I had laying around, the Yapster was easily and quickly converted into an Xbox 360 headset. Playing Medal of Honor became an entirely new experience for me. For the first time, the sound of a fellow sniper discharging his weapon near me was frighteningly realistic and scared the daylights out of me as it rightly should. Bravo Yapster, bravo.

Yes, I understand that it is only a $20 headset. But if I'm to be honest, the Yapster has undersold itself severely. Its wealth of features and consistent performance make this an outstanding headset in my book. But its affordable price should make this a truly exceptional headset in anyone's book. I've tried, but I can find no fault with the product whatsoever. And should I ever lose or break the one I have, I would buy the Yapster again in a heartbeat, and without any hesitation.

My only complaint is that it could have been named better. Telling those who ask that I use a "Yapster" does very little to convey an image of maturity or masculinity.

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this is a circumaural headset, which means, it captures sound from 360 degrees while playing in a first person shooter pc game. i find the bass very deep for a headset. this affordable headset is excellent. did alot of research to enhance my gaming and spent needless amounts of money to find that "perfect" headset for under $30, and i finally found a "near perfect" one.

PROS:

great bass sound

great surround 3D immersive feel

good quality mic

mic length adjustable

mic on/off switch

volume control

CONS:

headset kinda feels flimsy. don't care, it's cheap.

cord is only 6 feet long, good for me, hate tripping over cord.

earpiece feels kinda tight but comfortable, may irritate ear cartilage with prolonged usage.

overall:

i'm still amazed at the quality of sound this thing produces! when i first put this on and got into a game...i said to myself, "WOW!". the old saying..."you get what you pay for" isn't true at all in this case.

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List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $2.95
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Very much works fine for the N64 system. Very hard to find a unit that will connect to your tv in where the cable wire goes. This one connects perfect. No issues!! From previous reviews and from pictures it's hard to tell if this will hook up to the back of your tv but it will.

UPDATE: Just wanted to give a quick update. Unit is still running fine but the picture quality is not as good as the NyKo N64 wire avalible from Amazon. If you want the best picture quality, go with the NyKo cord. The NyKo cord also plugs into where the cable wire goes in the back of the tv. Picture Quality is dramtically improved as well as sound on the NyKo. I own both.

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I have used these in the past, and I thought they worked fine. That is UNTIL ... I don't know what happened, and NOW the two that I have (one on an Xbox and one on N64) are all the sudden not allowing the cable to come through. Don't waste your money.. buy something that will work for more than a few months.

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Although I think the seller should be more descriptive in the item page, the product shipped fast and works perfectly.

The cable is in no way distorted when using the RF swtich, and the picture comes out fine. It works for my GCN/Xbox, I don't have a PS1/2 to try it out with.

Buy Deus Ex Human Revolution: Director's Cut - Nintendo Wii U

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List Price: $49.99
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This is my opinion on the Wii-U version of Deus Ex. This is not actually a review due to the base game being out for a few years now. Most people will argue the fact that the price of the Wii-U version is higher than the other consoles. While I don't really agree with it myself, I can clearly see why the game is sold at the price that it is. I own all versions of Deus Ex... 360, PS3, and PC and I can honestly say that even if this were the regular game and not the director's cut, the Wii U version would be the version to to play. Why? The answer is simple...the gamepad. The way the gamepad is utilized and intigrated with the game makes playing the game a whole new experience. Inventory management, augments, emails to get back stories, hacking, radar, map, and various other functions on the gamepad give the Wii-U version the edge. There is also another cool feature that plays out a lot like Demon Souls and Dark Souls where you can leave data icons in the world with messages (written or voice) that offer clues and hints so someone else won't make the same mistake you did or to point out alternate routes....this is used with Mii-verse. I have not personally tried this feature out yet, but it is cool to know that it is there. Like Mass Effect 2 for the PS3, this game has the DLC "The Missing Link" intrigrated in the main story, which is good. If you have neveer played the DLC, now is a good time to do so. Another thing that sells this game is that the boss fights are fixed to support different playstyles now....which is a VERY good thing! Is this game worth a purchase? Yes and No....the only reason I think people should by this game; especially if they already own/played and finshed the regular version is A: You are a HUGE fan of Deus Ex like I am. B: You own a Wii-U and want to build a good library of games for it..like me. C: You were one of those individuals that were upset with how the boss fights were in the regular version. I will say it again, the gamepad and the way it is used is great! However, it should not be the ONLY reason to buy the game for this price.

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This game is great on the Wii U. Graphics are sharper from previous game, the bosses fight are really well done now and the use of the gamepad is incredible. This is a wonderful 3rd party game for the Wii U and a most for it. I like the detail improvement also. If you like Metal Gear 4 and Mass Effect, it has a combination of both. I love the dark and gold color atmosphere that the game uses. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because it cost $20 more than the other consoles but then again they don't have the gamepad exclusive which is really cool!!!!

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When the game came out I didn't have a good PC to buy the game since I didn't have a PS3 back then. Time passed and it went under my radar until the Wii U version was announced. I got hyped for the game ever since the reveal and I don't regret my purchase. I got this game after I beat Splinter Cell Blacklist on Wii U and I love this game as well since what I learned in the previous game can be applied here and works most of the time. The graphics are amazing, the story is pretty cool and reminds me of the first Deus Ex game (love it by the way), and the gameplay is smooth and spot on.

If you haven't played Deus Ex I suggest you get the Wii U version which is the best version of them all. but if you played it already you may want to get on another platform

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You can easily find many, many articles across the internet to describe what a good game Deus Ex Human Revolution is. As someone who never played the original, I was very excited to see this title coming to Wii U. I was doubly impressed to see the efforts being made by Square Enix and developer Straight Right to make good use of the Wii U's gamepad. Speaking directly to people who have never played Deus Ex, this title or any of the previous ones, I can highly recommend the game based on its game play and story alone.

However, what truly sets this title apart is the attention paid to the Wii U version. A lot of attention has been paid to make the gamepad a seamless part of the game. It's not perfect, but it is definitely one of the better uses of the gamepad. Inventory, game map, in game information, hacking, and other things like in-game instruction manual, full strategy guide, and the miiverse integration are all on the gamepad.

Inventory management is a breeze using the touch screen, but the game map is one of the best things period. You can leave yourself notes all over the map, never worry about forgetting gear or having to get lost while searching the city, just annotate the map at your leisure. On top of that, you can record hints and post them to the miiverse for your friends. This is one of the best integrations of the mic, and I hope to see more games use it going forward. Hacking is much more interactive with the gamepad, and I guess that is the point of all of this, yeah it can be done with a regular controller and you can pull it up on the tv, but there is something more interactive and immersive using the touch screen. It just works better. Lastly, and probably the one thing that made me spend a little more on this one, was the full strategy guide in game. I do not have a lot of gaming time, and it isn't always feasible to have a computer open while playing. So being able to pause, bring up the guide on the gamepad and see what I need to do is extremely helpful. I would like to see more integration here as well going forward, like being able to drag a hint from the guide on to the map.

Now this isn't all perfect, the touch controls take some getting used to, but overall they work great.

As a new comer to this series I have really enjoyed this game. It is a well done masterpiece that tells a solid story and actually lets you play how you see fit. It is worth every penny alone for the gamepad integration and the strategy guide(which is Wii U exclusive). If you are on the fence, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a really well made director's cut of a great game.

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I enjoyed the game when it first came out for xbox 360 and now with the additional feature I enjoy the game more. The Wii U controller takes a little bit to get used to, but the game is still great!

Cheap Mortal Kombat Trilogy

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This game, how can you go wrong? You get the ultimate fighting game there has ever been, easy controls, difficult fatalities, brutalities, babalities, friendships, combos. You start up the game and first when the character select screen comes you are blown away! An uncountable amount of characters, secret characters like Knameleon, Smoke, Kahn, Motaro, tons of kombat kodes and secrets. There is even a 2 on 2 mode, 3 on 3 mode and an 8 person tournament mode in the game. No other non 3D fighting game will be the same!

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Okay, so I'm six years too late in reviewing this game, but what the hey: I just recently picked it up really cheap, just to see what it was like since I'm a huge Mortal Kombat fan. Bottom line? It's better than I expected, but not by much.

I've bought around 16 Nintendo 64 games, and not once have I complained about the cartridge format: until now. It served me well through GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie, Battle for Naboo, and even through Resident Evil 2. Yes the video sequences in that game were highly compressed, but seeing as how squeezing them all in was a miracle by itself, I have no complaints. It's too bad Williams didn't try any similiar compression techniques for MKT. The game feels woefully incomplete, especially when compared to the PSX version. A couple of characters were sacrificed, including Goro, Kintaro, the unmasked Sub-Zero, and classic costume changes for Kano, Raiden, Jax, and a few others. A lot of the classic backgrounds are also missing, noticibly from the original game and Mortal Kombat 2. And then there's the sound, or what tries to pass itself off as sound. While the N64 was capable of Dolby 5.1 Surround by the end of its life span, here it can barely crank out decent mono. Other reviews have said the sound seems canned, muffled, and my personal favourite: like your speakers are set up behind a cement wall. It's all true, every bit of it. If Williams had given the game better sound, I might have been tempted to ease off on it a little.

The gameplay has been carried over from MK3, with a new aggressor meter at the bottom. Thankfully, for the characters that have made it, all their finishing moves are intact, and are still cool to watch. There are also various 2-on-2, 3-on-3, and tournament modes to mess around with. The game does get stale after awhile, but it happens to all fighting games. MKT is good for a few rounds of mayhem whenever you're bored.

I don't regret purchasing MKT, but I wish Williams had taken more time and effort to polish the game, such as reshooting the actors (Brawka in particular feels cut and pasted directly from MKII), and finding a way to cram everything in. MK fans without a PSX should definitely get this. It's not completely satisfying, but it gets the job done.

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Loaded with everyone of your favorite MK fighters pre MK4. MK Trilogy was out dated in appearance the day of this versions release. However, I never played Trilogy for it's graphics. The game play is very addictive I think. Don't get me wrong I do like the look of this game. I wouldn't call this game anything less than perfect just the way it is. Even tho I don't play this game nearly as much as i did.. I did play it for 5 years, 3 years of which was everyday. Mortal Kombat has been my favorite fighting game series for over half a decade now. So what does this great game really offer you... 30 playable fighters, moves and 'alities never seen in an arcade, brutal brutalities and 7 pit like stage fatalites!! Starring: Scorpion, Subzero, Kitana, Raiden, Cage, Reptile, Sonya, Sheeva, Smoke, Cyrax, Liu Kang, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade, Sindel, Rain, Stryker, Kano & Jax. Just to name a few.

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As the Playstation heated up the console wars, Sega and Nintendo weren't the only competitors this time around. So N64 owners were delighted to hear that MK Trilogy would be released and in 1996, it came out and was a moderate success. But with delight came confusion and disappointment as Nintendo's version wasn't identical to the Playstation version in more ways that one. MK Trilogy turned out to be a decent and dated MK fighting game even by standards back then.

MK Trilogy is a fighting game combining all the stages, characters, game play mechanics and "fatalities" (gory special moves) from all of the past MK games into one glorious version with extra modes and options to give fans of Mortal Kombat the complete experience. Choose from one of 26 characters (plus 4 secret characters that you have to unlock) and you can either play one on one kombat, 2 player vs. kombat, tournament mode or 2 player three on three kombat. The main goal is to beat every fighter you come across and make it to Shao Khan, the game's main villain. Each character has its own background story, ending, moves and fatalities so the game will keep you busy as far as using different characters by yourself or taking on another player. There are numerous codes to enter with varying results so find a guide online and try them out yourself.

The PROS: Everything about Mortal Kombat is all in one game: the stages, characters, moves, options, music, game play, codes and secret characters make an appearance. MK fans will dive in head first and feel right at home. And the 2 player modes let you challenge another player for added replayability. Plus, no load times means every match starts immediately.

The CONS: While the Playstation version had loading issues, it turned out to be the better version overall. Thanks to cartridge limitations, the N64 version doesn't feature the extra characters found in the Playstation version and takes a big hit in the graphics and music department. Animation frames are missing which means the graphics are not as smooth as it should be. The music doesn't sound as good as it should be since it's been compressed to save space. The controls are spot on but some will find the N64 controller a little cumbersome at first so it will take some getting used to before you forget about the initial inconvenience.

What's disappointing is that had this come out a year later, MK Trilogy could have turned out better since other developers opted to ship their games in cartridges with more space and it would have helped out. Because of key sacrifices, this game will only be cherished by the fans and somewhat acknowledged by everyone else. This game would later re-inforce the notion that CDs were the better medium to make games on while cartridges had less space to work with and were more expensive to manufacture. You can pick this up cheap and I would recommend this game to the fans and those who never played the Playstation version.

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As you can see, YES I AM A MORTAL KOMBAT FAN. I used to obsess over everything that was Mortal Kombat:

1. All the games

2. Both of the movies {I am awaiting the 3'rd movie next year}

3.The Outworld Arena

4. Anything else

I just love how the blood flies everywhere when a guy is punched or killed or uppercutted. I recommend this to any Mortal Kombat fan.