Microsoft Flight Simulator X Standard DVD - PC Review

Customer Ratings:

Let me get something of my chest first. I have noticed a lot of bad feedback on reviewers who give higher ratings to products that are developed by Microsoft. So just to make it clear I am not reviewing Microsoft, I'm reviewing the simulator.

So.. how fun is this game? Well it's your system that can actually answer this question. This game is amazing from my point of view. I have used everything, from FS98 to latest X-Plane.. and nothing is as good as this.

The Good:

Stunning graphics. This is the most beautiful game I have ever played. From the water effects to shadows from the plane.. every effect and particle is breathtaking.

Gameplay. It is an amazing gameplay, indeed. You can now fly in any seat you like, control literally any view of the airplane, most of the cockpit controls work and function the way they are supposed to. The weather system is amazing.

Multiplayer. This one speaks for itself: FUN FUN FUN. It is very entertaining since you get to see people from all over the world. However, there are few cons.. like the Bad ATC guys who often mislead you and cause you to crash etc. It was foggy, so I depended on A/P. I was told to turn 074R, which I did. I heard the ILS Frequency so I put it on APP but ultimately, I was put into wrong direction and as much as APP fought to align me to the right direction (while keeping up with sped and altitude) i still landed in the ocean.. and of course crashed (since you're not able to actually land on water in this game). Of course, there are plenty of pefect ATC's out there but even with few that are not as good it's still VERY fun to play. Try it and see for yourself.

The Bad:

ATC. ATC has not changed much from FS2004 other than a new "window" that it displays in. Still no ability to declare an emergency which is sort of a disappoint since you ARE able to set engines to fail or to run out of fuel (or both). So.. if your engines die out on you don't you think you deserve a right to report the situation to ATC? LOL

Crash dynamics. If you're hoping to be able to crash your plane into a mountain and see a giant explosion and earthquakes then I have to disappoint you. While I almost never crash in Flight Sims I still wish there were better crashing dynamics to make it more realistic. For example, if I land heavily on my nose I'd love to see my plane's nose gear to fail and act like it would in physics.

Also, why can't we have the ability to land on water? Boeing 737 CAN do that (if propely executed). Here, no matter what amazing pilot you are.. as soon as you touch the water you crash. Oh well. It's a very small thing but I wish it was improved a bit.

The Ugly:

System requirements. I agree with what many reviewers said this game depends more on CPU than it does on video card. This game will most likely NOT work at the Max settings if you have a brand-name PC (eMachines, HP, Dell).

When I first installed the game I had AMD Sempron 3300 (2.01GHz); 2GB DDR, Radeon X1650 Pro with 512MB. I ran the CanYouRunIT tool from System Requirements Lab.. the report said that I exceed RECOMMENDED requirements and should have a great experience with the game. I didn't really believe that since I have a 3rd class CPU but I played FS2004 and HL2 on the HIGHEST settings with absolutely NO lags so I thought it would work fine.

I was.. wrong. The game was not playable unless I set all of the aircraft, transport and texture settings to Minnimum Low. It lagged horribly on my native resolution of 1680x1050 32 which I had to put into 1440x900 16bit.

I purchased a new video card which is Geforce GTX 8800 with 740mb of RAM and can now play without any lags on my native resolution with settings set to Medium High but still not maxed out. Why? Because this game needs CPU. In this case, the CPU is the heart not the video card. If you buy it make sure to get the SP1 for this ASAP.. there are few performance updates which could be crucial if your video card or CPU isn't the best.

So to wrap up I highly recommend this simulator to any Aerolover as myself. But make sure you have a GOOD CPU and card. If you have them you'll find yourself spending hours and hours flying above gorgeous landscapes, commmunicating with people all over the world, surviving a dead engine and/or faulty mechanics and generally having fun. This amazing software is both entertaining and educational.

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Let me start this review by saying that FSX is really a great product with much growth potential for future development. I have been using Flight Sim from the early days of the Commodore 64. I have purchased every version since it was created. Every version starts a bit rough but between updated patches and some tweaking it performs beautifully.

Each version is usually a year or so ahead of existing hardware, which basically means that you will not be able to achieve the maximum performance with your one-year-old computer even if you think you got a great system. If you search the flight sim forums you will read how even those with gaming machines complain about not enough frame rates or hi resolution scenery or stutters during flying. Here is what I have:

Microsoft® Windows Vista(tm) Home Premium

System Manufacturer Dell Inc.

System Model Inspiron 531

Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+, 2310 Mhz, 2

Total Physical Memory 2,045.88 MB

Available Physical Memory 1.33 GB

Total Virtual Memory 4.21 GB

Available Virtual Memory 3.53 GB

Page File Space 2.29 GB

Video Card NVIDIA GeForce 6200 LE

SATA 260 Gig Hard Drive

If I set all display sliders to Medium High I get very smooth frame rates of 20-25 FPS with very nice scenery resolution. If I put all sliders to Ultra High my machine almost comes to a stand still. This really is normal for Flight Sim. So unless you have a computer twice as powerful as mine do not expect maximum performance from this sim. At that level it would be like you were flying in the real world.

.....................

You might ask if I am so satisfied with FSX why do I give it only 3 stars.

Allow me to explain as best I can. Microsoft has done something that I find a bit upsetting. I have been playing with adding scenery and aircraft to Flight Sim for years. I have Flight Simulator Design Studio Ver 3.5 and EZ-Scenery both programs I paid for and that was OK since they are great programs for enhancing the scenery in Flight Sim. I also use lots of other freeware utilizes to help in modeling scenery. All these programs rely on a set of Microsoft development tools called SDK. You really do not need to know what the details of these are other than you need them on your computer to use all these other modeling programs. Up until now these tools SDK were free from Microsoft except with FSX. I purchased the "STANDARD" version with out even considering this issue of obtaining the SDK tools for FSX; I just assumed the "DELUXE" version was more expensive because it had more Aircraft and more Airports with greater detail. Infact if you read what the difference id between the two that is exactly the impression you get.

I installed the STANDARD version with no problem than started to use my other software for adding and modifying scenery and lo and behold. The programs asked where FSX SDK tools were.

Well I did not know so I researched the subject and was told it was on Disk one and had to be installed separately. So I looked on disk one and no SDK tools. Than I found out it ONLY COME ON THE DELUXE VERSION.

No problem I said, just go to Microsoft's web site and download the FSX SDK just like I have done with previous versions. Now I find out that you cannot get this set of tools unless you buy the "DELUXE" version. So no what. I now need to get the DELUXE VERSION. You can download the PATCH for SDK but not the original set of tools.

If you do plan on modeling and modifying the scenery of FSX DO NOT BUY THE STANDARD VERSION. If any one out there can show me I am in error please do. But so far I have found 12 incidences of other persons buying the STANDARD version and finding out they should have bought the "DELUXE" version because they needed the FSX SDK for their other designing software.

Personally I think this is one big rip off from Microsoft but I did buy the DELUXE version even though I had initially purchased the STANDARD version and will use FSX because it is in fact a good product. Because I think this was a deliberated deception to force users to buy the deluxe version instead of the standard version I can only give three stars.

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Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the tenth editon to the Flight Simulator franchise, and it certainly delivers. Like previous installments, FSX puts you in the cockpit as a pilot for any number of aircraft, including Boeing 747s and the LearJet 45. New this year, however, is an Airbus A321 and an AirCreation Trike Ultralight (think of a waterski with wings and wheels attached). Flight Simulator 2004 had many commemorative aircraft for the one hundredth anniversary of flight, but these are gone for FSX. I wasn't really bothered by the removal, although some will be disappointed that you can't recreate the Wright Brothers' Kittyhawk flight anymore.

Graphics-wise, Flight Simulator X is a great improvement over Flight Simulator 2004. You may now see animals on the ground and traffic on major highways, depending on the age and quality of your graphics card. Make sure you have a DVD-ROM drive, because FSX is a gigantic game and takes up two DVDs. In comparison, FS2004 took up the equivalent of about half of a single-sided DVD.

One can make almost any decision they want in Flight Simulator X, from using the provided Air Traffic Control feature to choosing to make your experience as realistic as possible. Veteran FS gamers will feel instantly at home with FSX, mostly because the general look and feel remains untouched. Its only flaw is that it is not fully enjoyable unless you spend an extra twenty dollars or so for a joystick. Even so, you can still use a keyboard and mouse to control the plane. As a side note, the deluxe DVD is not much of an improvement over the standard version. Really, the only added feature is more aircraft.

Since it also is compatible with Windows Vista (provided you have met all of the requirements), I recommend that you go out and buy it today for yourself or an aspiring pilot.

Honest reviews on Microsoft Flight Simulator X Standard DVD - PC

Before I purchased Standard FSX, I downloaded and ran the trial version. Like others that have posted, I was very disappointed in the performance. At first I was thinking it was my graphics card (ATI Radeon X800XL, 256MB) so I ran the game with Task Manager Performance Monitor displayed. I discovered that my CPU was max'ing. This didn't make sense because I felt that I had plenty of processing power (Pentium D 2.80GHz, 512 RAM) and the game was not consuming more than 40% of the memory. So I loaded a second clean install of XP and loaded only my drivers and then the game. Bingo! The game ran great.

I can still overpower my CPU if I run the graphics detail to full on all settings (and it looks damn good when I do) but running at the default settings or a little higher is not a problem.

I appreciate the ability to adjust individual graphics settings. This allows me to distribute the power to graphics which are of the most importance to my desired gaming experience.

On a side note, after I loaded a clean version of XP and verified the game ran properly, I then began to load my other applications into the new OS load. BTW I have most of the apps loaded again. The one app that had the most negative performance impact was Norton Internet Security. I use McAfee now and keep it at minimum settings.

Most importantly, I discovered my system registry had tons of old entries from previous installed drivers and apps. Once I installed a clean OS, my boot time decreased by 50% and other applications ran much faster.

I blame the performance problem on me not keeping my system and registry clean.

Then I purchased the Standard version of FSX and installed it. I think this game is fantastic. The experience is challenging and educational. I enjoy flying over areas that I have visited in real life and seeing the details the developers put into recreated real-world locations.

Intel recently announced their quad-core processors. At some point in the future, I will upgrade. I am thrill to know when my system is upgraded; my FSX experience will take advantage of that upgrade and provide an ongoing better experience. Since the game has very detailed adjustments so you can run it on slower machines, in my opinion, it makes the game future-ready so you can play now and enhance later. Others may disagree with this line of thinking.

Cleaning your system may also solve the installation issue that some are experiencing. This sounds like driver issues. However I don't know for certain because I didn't have that issue with my install.

I hope this information is helpful to others.

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i received fsx as a gift for christmas. i've owned fs2002 and fs2004, and am relatively familiar with the game. first of all, as clearly stated in the product title and specs, the game comes on dvd format only. i had no problems installing it on my dell dimension 4800 (P4-3.2, 2GB ram, ATI 9800PRO). however, the new FSX is definitely a beast. with all the quality settings turned down and running at 1024x768x16, i got < 15 fps so the gameplay was unacceptably choppy. i have read that with all the settings turned down you should get similar performance as fs2004.

i was disappointed by the performance and contemplated returning the game. but what microsoft has done here is produced a next generation flight simulator. did we really want another fs2004? i tried the game on another system which had an ATI X1650XT, which is relatively old, but a lot newer than my 9800PRO. the game ran well with medium settings at 1024x768 (>30fps), acceptable at 1280x1024, and barely playable at 1600x1200.

i ended up building a new system (it was overdue anyway), and have been playing on an 8800GTS, which gives 25-35 fps at 1600x1200x32 with the highest quality settings. there are a couple guides on the internet that provide tips/tweaks for increasing performance, particularly on older systems. here is one of them:i have to say that the graphics are phenomenal. microsoft intends on releasing a direct x 10 patch in the next few months, which should improve the quality and performance even more on vista.

as far as game play, i haven't noticed any major changes. the full set of lessons from fs2004 still exist, but now there are missions you can fly for practice. i don't recall how detailed the pilot record tracking was in fs2004, but it is awesome in fsx--tracking landings, hours, and certifications/awards from completing lessons and missions. the introduction of multiplayer play in fsx has been quite fun as well.

i highly recommend this game, with the caveat that you should test the demo (free download from microsoft's site) to see how well it performs. this game is a beast and requires a nice system with a nice graphics card, but you won't be disappointed in the results!

Discount Army of Two: Platinum Hits - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

Generally, this is a good shooter. At its heart, it's a co-op game where you team up with either an AI partner or a real life partner to take out numerous terrorist threats the world over. Is it groundbreaking? No. Is it entertaining? Yes. It's a good game that has good gameplay and graphics. However, it still doesn't compare to its cousins like Gears of War and Call of Duty 4. That being said, you will still most likely have a good time. The aiming and shooting mechanic mirrors that of Gears where you pull left trigger to aim and then shoot with right trigger. The game is unique in that it does require team work with your partner to get through some of the levels. The "aggro" system is a prime example of this. One partner essentially steals the spotlight and attracts the attention of most of the enemies, enabling the other partner to stealth around the battle field and get a better shot. I also like the ability to customize your weapons and gear (all for a price). Afterall, the point of the game is to get paid, and you do get paid handsomely for killing ruthless terrorists and protecting key targets. It's a fairly linear game, but you do have some options of completing secondary objectives that might take you off the beaten path. You would be hard pressed to get lost as there is a "GPS" system that basically shows you the path to take to complete the mission. I think most shooter fans will like this game. It just didn't grab me quite like Gears or COD4 did.

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It's been quite a while since I first saw the teaser trailer for Army of Two. When I did all those months ago, I figured it was some kind of high tech, science fiction sort of game... you know, an unstoppable duo wielding the latest in death dealing weapons and the best armour that science could create.

I figured that it was going to be dealing with blowing away aliens or the like.

Well, I was wrong.

Well, partially at any rate.

The game does touch on some of this, a pair of former Rangers named Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios, who end up quitting the military to go for a Mercenary Company known as SSC, the Security and Strategy Corporation.

The beautiful part of the game is that it is very heavily story driven. You're mercenaries, and you get paid by the mission, and you can get bonuses of cash throughout by completing secondary objectives.

This cash can be used to buy better weapons you have your primary typically an assault rifle, but you can purchase different types, all the way up to a mini-gun. The secondary weapons are handguns but you can also purchase sub-machine guns, such as the P90. Finally you also have your special weapon which is typically a sniper rifle, but you can even buy anti-tank weapons to use.

Now, if you don't have enough money after a mission to purchase a new weapon, you can always upgrade your existing weapon to increase its damage, accuracy, ammunition capacity and aggro.

So, you can really customize your weapons. Hell, you can even `pimp' out your weapon, getting it covered in gold plating, if you so desire.

As for the game, it's divided up into six missions, played over a thirteen year period, starting in 1993.

You start in Somalia, then head to Afghanistan and fight your way though an old soviet military complex. From there you fight in Iraq, and then mission four takes place in the Philippines, on the Aircraft Carrier the USS Constellation. Mission five takes place in China and finally the last mission of the game is in a flooded downtown Miami.

Throughout the game there are numerous cut scenes, all that adds to the depth of the game world and the story behind it.

If I had a complaint about these cut scenes is that several times the walking animation of the various characters involved was really jerky, not smooth or natural in any way. But I only noticed this I think twice through the entire game.

While I'm on it, the animation was beautifully rendered. It didn't quite have the rag-doll effect that I've been growing accustomed to seeing in many of these first person shooter games, and the blood and gore was really toned down.

Frankly, I wouldn't expect any less from an Xbox 360 game.

The sound effects were well done as well. Each weapon had its own unique sound. It's a good thing I don't usually play these games with the sound cranked, because if I did, I'd probably have damaged my ears every time a rocket was launched and it exploded!

Despite the fact that there is little in the line of gore, this game isn't for children. The F-bomb is dropped with frighteningly regularity, and it does deal with mature subject matter, although there isn't any nudity in the game.

Game play is your typical Xbox 360 first person shooter. You don't have a health score, but you can tell how badly you are injured as your screen will start to turn red, and you're breathing will become hard and laboured. If this happens, make damned sure you find cover and give yourself a short period of time to recover!

If you take too much damage, you'll get knocked flat on your armoured rear, so make sure that your partner is close at hand, or you are dead. See below for more on this...

You have plenty of places to hide in the game environment, so make good use of them. Duck behind desks, or small walls or even glass doors to evade enemy fire. That did kind of annoy me, as I would have much preferred to see you be able to shoot through objects like this, but that too is minor.

Unlike many other Xbox games I've played, this one has very little in the way of environmental kills. There are occasionally barrels or propane containers that you can shoot and cause them to explode, but I found that they were few and far between.

One thing that you can't ignore is the use of your partner. You have three commands that you can use on him. Stick close, head out and draw fire, or stay put and cover. These can be used to varying degrees, such as if you want your partner to go ahead and draw fire so you can get into a better position to cause some serious damage.

This is especially useful when you run into heavily armoured opponents who can only be hurt if you get behind them and shoot them in the back, or machine gunners who are hidden behind full shields.

Of these three commands, you have two levels of aggressiveness... blue which means defensive, or red which means offensive.

Now, as I stated above, if you or your partner get badly injured, you can call them up to help you. You will get dragged away, and while you're being dragged, you can still fire your weapon at the enemy. Once you're behind cover, your partner will heal you and you're ready to fight once again.

You'll know if your partner is in trouble as he will call out for help. If this happens, get to him quickly... if you don't he'll die and you'll have to start from the last checkpoint.

One thing that really took me by surprise was the scope of the game. Several levels, starting with the USS Constellation, were amazingly huge! You really felt like you were fighting on the deck of an American carrier!

Even in Miami, several of the maps you fought on were incredibly large, like the airport. Plenty of places to hide, but also if you were unlucky enough to get caught out in the open, well as Hudson would put it, Game over man, Game over!

Combat was, once again, typical of an Xbox 360 game. You could see the damage meter above your targets and this helped you to know if you were actually hitting the target or not during combat. You could zoom in a little closer by hitting the left trigger, or if you were using your sniper rifle, you'd be able to zoom directly in for a nice head shot. You know, one shot, one kill.

Hitting the head was also a good way of taking down your enemy with a minimal expenditure of ammunition.

There are also two ways of replenishing your ammo supply. You could pick up ammo off the bodies of certain enemies after you dispatched them, or you'd get re-supplied between missions. The ammo dropped by the enemy always looks like golden packs, so make sure you grab when you can.

Be warned, the enemy isn't stupid. They don't like getting caught in the open, and they will use cover to its full advantage. Watch out too, while you're at it, as they like to drop more than F-bombs on you. Stay too long behind cover in one place, and they'll toss a nice little grenade your way.

There are a couple of times throughout the game you'll get to drive vehicles, or control a parachute as you drop in on your mission. Make sure you have your sniper rifle at the ready as you drop in during the parachute phase, as it'll reduce the number of enemies you have to face once you hit the ground.

The driving sequences were pretty standard fare, with you controlling the vehicle while your partner provided cover-fire. I guess if you're playing two player mode, you could quite easily take control of the gun instead of driving.

Oh, as you fight, you'll gain aggro. This means that the enemy is targeting you and you alone, unless your partner presents himself as an easy target. This can be a bad thing, if you don't have anywhere to hide. But, while the aggro is on you, you can send your partner out to take out the opponents while they concentrate their fire on you.

The reverse works as well, you can send your partner out to attract the fire while you get into a better position to take out your enemy.

And, if you find a riot shield to use, don't hesitate!

Finally, as with the aggro overkill meter, several times during the game you'll have to fight back to back. When this happens, time will slow down and your weapon will do a great deal more damage. You'll have to keep turning in a circle in order to take your targets out, so don't just aim for one location only, or you'll get yourself and your partner killed!

Ok, Pros of the game...

Smart AI for both enemy and your AI controlled partner.

A wide variety of locations world wide to fight in.

Map size for some of the missions.

Upgradeable weapons.

Some very entertaining mini cut scenes. Watch em carefully!

Co-op sniping!

Cons of the game...

Some of the larger maps don't have too many save points, and it can get frustrating.

Only about six hours of play time.

Some of the movement in the cut scenes were very jerky and un-natural.

Would have liked a larger variety of weapons, more ways to upgrade, upgradeable armour, and the ability to pick up your opponents weapons.

I haven't tried out the multiplayer part of the game, so I can't comment on it.

Overall, it was a solid, enjoyable game with lots of potential that was put to excellent use.

4 out of 5

Best Deals for Army of Two: Platinum Hits - Xbox 360

If you're like me, you love video games. You love shooters, and more than that, you love to share the fun with a friend. Sure, it's a blast to have multi-player where you can kill each other, but what the industry has been lacking til now is a game meant to be played with a friend. Army of Two delivers.

First off, there's various modes where you combine forces with your characters, including a dual-sniper mode that allows you and a friend to coordinate sniper shots to take down two foes at the same time. You'll still depend on your friend taking the voice-cue from the game, but if they don't know how to fire when the game tells them to, it's the least of your worries. There's also back-to-back mode, which looked a LOT like the final shoot-out scene in Mr. & Mrs. Smith very cool how the characters twist and turn around each other to shoot the badies.

There's a lot fo the game that depends on two people helping each other, but there's also a lot of subtle things added in that make it fun enough to want to talk about. Not only can you congratulate your co-op buddy with a high-five or smart remark (via game controls), you can also insult them or give them a well-deserved headbutt for overwhelming idiocy in the line of duty.

The great part for me is that as you advance, you make money. You can then use this money to outfit yourself with new and more powerful weapons, armor, and even facemasks. (The facemasks are the best part, as you can get ones that with a desert motiff, a "street" motiff, or my favorite, a clown face!!!) you can also save your money to focus in areas you're good at. I'm a sniper, so I spent most of my money getting the latest and greatest sniper rifle.

The story line is solid, the game controls take bit of getting used to, especially with all the bumper use, but all in all I have to say this is the best 360 game yet this year.

Honest reviews on Army of Two: Platinum Hits - Xbox 360

Finished this on "professional" (the highest level) with my 14 yr old son in about 5 hours. After about a week of messing around with it and trying it on-line (the connection often drops or lags in the middle of the game) we are back to playing Call of Duty 4 on-line. If you don't have COD4 definitely get that first.

As the name implies it is meant to be played by two people. If you get dropped, your partner can revive you as with Gears of War. But, if you get dropped in a bad spot, your teammate can drag you to cover and revive you there.

You get paid for completing objectives and taking out bad guys. You get to use the money to buy weapons or upgrade the ones you have with new barrels, stocks, grenade launchers, silencers, etc. You can even get your guns "pimped out" with gold plating. My son really likes customizing his weapon set.

The games is built around teamwork. One of you gets the bad guy's attention blind firing a big loud gun (pimped guns get more aggro too) and your partner sneaks up on their flanks and takes them out. You even get a meter which measures how much attention you are getting (the game calls this "aggro"). The more aggro you aquire makes your character actually glow read and your partner gets a little transparent. Get the aggro meter way up and you get something called "overkill" which puts everything in slow motion and gives you unlimited ammo and 2x damage. There's a couple of other teamwork things like coop sniping (sniping two simultaneous targets) and "back-to-back" which is alot like the overkill thing except you and your partner take out bad guys while standing back-to-back.

Story and movies (that you can't skip) are above average. The graphics don't come close to COD4 or Gears.

The language is very graphic and not just an occasional S**T or D**N as in COD4. This game makes frequent use of F*** and M*****F***ER. Violence level is actually kind of tame compared to something like Gears or COD4. For example, there is no limb or head removal (as with Gears) or blood splats on the walls (as in COD4).

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A great game to play with a buddy (or wife:-) for co-op play. Playing solo with the AI is okay, but not nearly as enjoyable as with a *real* partner. The AI does a good job, but the dialog variety is a little weak and doesn't provide you with any game feedback, i.e., "Watch out on your left." Also, avoid using your GPS; it's too much hand-holding. It's more fun to explore and figure out your route and objectives on your own. The game is fairly linear, so what's the need for the yellow-blinking brick road?

Things that would've given it a higher rating in my book:

1. more AI instructions, i.e., go left, right, forward, etc.

2. more levels! Too short going solo. Good length for co-op though.

3. customizable armor, i.e., speed versus protecting, custom paint to match the masks, etc.

4. more innovative co-op moments

We're looking forward to Army of Two... er... uh... 2!

Review of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition -Xbox 360

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Capcom was notorious in the 90's for releasing small updates to their fighting games in rather rapid succession. There would be some balance changes, a few more characters, and arcade managers would get charged full-price for software and hardware updates. The same is true for Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (referred to as SSF4AE). While dead pretty much elsewhere in the world, arcades have thrived in Japan, and Capcom saw money to be made by first only producing arcade cabinets of SSF4AE and then offering it as DLC and later as a limited-run disc. But this isn't about their business practices. This review is on the game itself.

1. Is SSF4AE worth buying?

If you are competitive at all, yes, you almost have to buy this game. If you don't frequent sites like shoryuken or play in tournaments, then you probably aren't going to appreciate some of the smaller nuances of SSF4AE. The game features a complete re-balance of old characters, with four new characters, which doesn't seem like much when you take into account SSF4 had 35. Again, if you aren't into competitive street fighter, skip arcade edition, unless Yun, Yang, Evil Ryu, or Oni appeal to you that much. With a price-tag of $40, it doesn't make much sense to pick this up unless you are a tournament organizer or don't have internet access where you play. As mentioned in another review, SSF4 can be bought online for ~$15 and the DLC costs about another $15. Tournament organizers will want this because quite frankly making sure every set-up has the proper DLC on the ready is a hassle. Having the disc is more convenient as well if you ever want to play the game on someone else's system without having to log in to your account and download it onto their machine.

2. What about the new characters?

I. Yun is considered widely as the second best or best character in the game. His learning curve on combos is not steep at all, however learning spacing might be beyond you those first few weeks. He is highly mobile and his air-to-ground dive-kick leads to big, easy damage if spaced well. Many of his special moves are unpunishable if spaced correctly and he is generally a pretty safe character when you take into account how agile he is. His super, genei jin is arguably the most fun super in any Street Fighter game ever behind Urien's aegis reflector. Yun has a fat sack of advantages over most of the cast, and although you will inevitably be labeled a tierwhore for using him, he is a lot of fun.

II. Yang is Yun's twin in Street Fighter canon, and he plays like him to an extent. His normal moves are for the most part worse than his brother's. At face value, he seems to a lot like Yun, but he really is his own character. He is top tier as well, though not Fei or Yun level. He is highly mobile and has a lot of safe options to keep the opponent pinned down by constant pressure, complemented by a divekick (although worse than yuns as it has a height restriction).

III. Evil Ryu is a worse Akuma with a few Ryu-esque tricks. The general consensus seems to be Akuma is better than Evil Ryu, but Evil Ryu is better than Ryu (who was nerfed this version). It really might be too early to tell, since Evil Ryu was on a timed-release in even Japanese arcades. There have been a few Evil Ryus on the tournament scene, and most recently Justin Wong (a top player) was eliminated from NCR 9 by an Evil Ryu player.

IV. Oni is unique. His normals are fantastic. His forward fierce nullifies fireballs and has good range and a good hitbox. His sweep has an oddly long recovery time for technically being Akuma, but his pokes are safeish and his links are pretty simple. I don't want to put my foot in my mouth, since Oni was released even later than Evil Ryu in arcades and AE has only been available a few weeks now, but Oni seems to be just OK. It's clear he has potential, but his awful fireball game and un-FADC-able shoryuken, and the fact that he plays kinda like gouken (who was a relatively hard character to use well to begin with) but with good normals, makes the future look bleak for Oni.

3. How about that balance?

Well, there is some pretty major stuff that changed from Super to Arcade Edition. To give you an idea, look at the top 10 from SSF4 compared to Arcade Edition:

SSF4Akuma, Fei-Long, Guile, Cammy, Chun-Li, Dictator, Boxer, E. Honda, Abel, Ryu

SSF4AE Fei Long, Yun, Yang, Gouki/Akuma, C.Viper, Ken, Sagat, Cammy, Makoto, Zangief

The SSF4 list was taken from iplaywinner.com and the AE list was decided by Daigo, Mago, and Tokidothree of Japan's top players (who use Yun/Fei/Akuma, respectively). Akuma got slight tweaks and is still a strong character as he has been in every incarnation of the game. Fei-Long got better while mostly everyone else in the top 10 was nerfed or left mostly the same. Guile was beaten up with the nerf-stick. He was a defensive character before and as you can see, the top 6 in AE are all highly offensive characters, making his job even worse. He gains less meter on his sonic booms, his most important normals are now average, and his flashkick is as unsafe as ever. Cammy and Chun were nerfed somewhat, but Chun is probably number 14 or 15 in AE. Much is the same for Dictator and Balrog. E. Honda was made much worse in AE, although the Honda specialist Mike Ross recently placed top 16 at Shadowloo Showdown 2011. Tier lists should be taken with a grain of salt. If you have the skill, YOU are top tier. At SS 2011, Poongko, the machine from Korea, placed 1st with Seth, who has never been considered "top tier." A Sakura player (Uryo) also placed top 16, and Sakura has been considered pretty bad for quite a long time now. But this still doesn't change the fact that characters like E. Honda, Ryu, Dhalsim, Guile, Rose, Abel, took a big hit in Arcade Edition. One of the rags to riches story in AE is that of Makoto, who was considered the 3rd or 4th worst character in the game and is now number 9 on the list. Almost all subpar characters received buffs, though some buffs haven't done very much for those characters. Many on the competitive circuit are criticizing these changes as ineffective or nonsensical. And in the case of Fei Long, Dhalsim, Gouken, Hakan, etc I agree. Fei Long is absurdly strong in this game, Dhalsim was made practically unusable, and Gouken/Hakan are still pretty bad.

4. You mention a lot about competitive Street Fighter, where can I find more information?

Shoryuken.com is a great place to start.

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A lot of people are bashing this game because it is merely an upgrade from SSF4 with 4 new characters. While I feel for those that already had SSF4 and want this game, the fact remains that SSF4 AE is a great game on its own. If you are coming into this game cold turkey as I did, you will not be disappointed. If you already have SSF4, you will have to decide if $20 is worth it to bring you up to the newest version.

The addition of Yun and Yang have made it a very unbalanced game when it came out. However, in the most recent patch (circa 2012), they have nerfed these characters to make it more fair. Time will tell if people like the rebalancing.

Online play is fun, but brutal for the beginner. For instance, I can beat the game on HARDEST, but I still lose most of my games online.

Best Deals for Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition -Xbox 360

Street Fighter IV is my favorite series of the past several years. I really like the games and have sunk hundreds of hours into them.

What is Arcade Edition? Well, SF4 first came out in arcades in late 2008. However, arcades are really only relevant in Japan, so Capcom quickly ported the game to PS3 and Xbox 360. Along the way, they added several characters (Cammy, Fei Long, Sakura, Gen, Rose, and Dan). Capcom then released, a year later, a nicely upgraded version of the game, Super Street Fighter IV, which contained balance changes, an expanded roster (Juri, T. Hawk, Dee-Jay, et. al.), new backgrounds, and so forth. This didn't come out to arcades, which meant that console players had a game that was vastly superior to arcade players. Capcom released SSF4 in arcades in a version which added Oni (Akuma in pure demon form), Evil Ryu (Ryu afflicted with the same demon stuff as regular Akuma), and two twins from SF3, Yun and Yang. Now we are getting this version at home, which marks the first and only time the home and arcade versions of SF4 are the same.

So how is the update? First of all, this is kind of a mediocre add-on. You get the extra four characters and the balance changes, but little else. No new online modes (or even the return of my favorite from SF4, Championship Mode), no new backgrounds, mini-games, etc. You don't even get Trials for the four new characters, which is a major bummer in my opinion. The only noticeable thing is an "Elite" channel which sets the replay channel to only show high ranking matches. It's a nice addition, to be honest.

But let's talk about the characters. First of all, Yun is a monster, just like in SF3. This guy is ridiculous. His combos are simple and do crazy damage. He's very flexible and very powerful. It's almost frustrating to go against him because he has so many advantages over most of the cast. Yang plays similarly, but is a little worse in every way. Evil Ryu is like a mix between Akuma and Ryu, but not really a very strong character. Oni is another Ryu-like character with a few differences he's more like Gouken in that regard. Early talk is that he is just an alright character. He's fun to play as though.

Here's my problem: SSF4's balance was very good. Throwing in a monster of a character like Yun kind of screws that all up. I dare say that he is even more powerful in AE than Sagat was in regular SF4. This is, IMO, a clear step backwards for the game. One of the fun things about SSF4 was playing so many characters, because so many were viable. I fear now we will see lots and lots of Yun online, and practically zero Yangs.

The game does give you the choice to switch from AE to regular SSF4, but obviously most are on SSF4 AE. I gave this game four stars because it's still SF4 and I like it a lot... but my early thought is that AE is just not as good as SSF4.

Honest reviews on Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition -Xbox 360

This has been my most played game of 2013. Play online with some bredren from high school. A must have for SF fans.

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This version of SSF4 was made for the fans who can't get online to download the newly released "Arcade Edition" DLC. If you have XBL or PSN go and download the DLC for a much cheaper price (that's if you own a copy of SSF4). Nonetheless, this really is a great game! Over 35 characters each having 2 different ultra attacks is always fun! The game has many different modes such as trials to help learn specific characters, arcade, and a really useful training mode that gives you many options to deal with. The online is even better! It has lobbies that holds up to 8 people and you can spectate the matches while you wait your turn, team battle, ranked matches, and as well as quick matches too. You also have a replay mode where you can upload your favorite fights and download others. Your also able to invite friends online to watch replays with you! Look, I have the original version of SF4 and SSF4. I plan to buy this version just for collecting purposes, if you don't own a copy of Street Fighter 4 now's the time to join the series!

Reviews of Dance Dance Revolution Multi-Platform Super Sensors Energy Deluxe

Customer Ratings:

I did quite a bit of research on dance pads and although there were no reviews of this item on Amazon, I bought this pad for my son for Christmas because the reviews at other sites about its durability, responsiveness, and quality of play even on carpeting were positive. We have been very happy with it for the most part. It is indeed very responsive. The padding is thicker than many pads and seems tough and durable. The sensor panels are raised and easy to hit. Our only complaint is that the vinyl along the edges of the raised sensor panels tore immediately. We thought about returning it but decided that this tearing was going to be an inherent problem with the raised pad design and figured that a little duct tape would take care of the problem. We haven't had to resort to the duct tape, however, because the pad has not torn further beyond the first problem. My only remaining question about this pad is how long it will last. It has only been three weeks; if we get a year out of it at this quality of play, I will be very happy with this product.

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Worked flawlessly with my PC out of the box. No joystick-axis problem! WinXP recognized a "USB Dance Pad".

After 5 days of continuous heavy use by myself and young daughters, the pad began to malfunction. The left button would not always respond and would sometimes stick. When the problem started affecting my performance, I returned it.

I'm buying a metal pad instead.

Best Deals for Dance Dance Revolution Multi-Platform Super Sensors Energy Deluxe

The kids had great fun with this. The mat took a lot of abuse and never seemed to miss a step. Setup was really easy, plug in and go.

The extra thick foam made it comfortable and the top seems extremely durable. The mat does not slide around at all.

Putting it togerther I managed to tear the rubbery material on the underside of the mat which is not particularly strong. However with a little less impatience it should have been fine.

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I had been looking to get back into DDR/Stepmania but needed a new dance pad after my sturdy Red Octane pad bit the dust a while back.

The first day, everything worked great and I felt good about my decision. I plugged it into my computer, the pad was recognized immediately by my Windows 7 x64 computer and I was dancing away with Stepmania having tons of fun.

And on the second day, things broke down. The left arrow button started acting up by not reacting to my steps all the time, as well as registering when I didn't even press it. On a beginner mode this may be tolerable, but when you do 4-7 Step difficulty like I do, this results in numerous failed combos and general frustration. This will be going back to Amazon for a refund.

Speaking of, whenever you buy one of these pads, always check the manufacturers' warranty and the return policy of your store. With Amazon doing the selling this isn't much of an issue, but since many of these pads are sold via third party vendors, you need to make sure that you don't get screwed over since these pads are very mixed in terms of quality. Some pads will last for years while others will last for days. I have had experience with both. YMMV with this and other models, but just know that the risk of a dud is very high.

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My 8-year-old son uses this mat with the freeware program Stepmania on our home PC. I wanted to avoid bringing a game system into the house.

The mat worked great right out of the box. I just plugged it into a USB port on the PC, and we've had no problems with it. My son's only complaint was that it doesn't have arrows printed on the diagonal buttons as some other mats do. At first, he also complained that the foam was too firm, again, compared to other mats he has used. This complaint went away after several hours of use. The plastic on the top of the mat is shiny, a little bit crinkly and wrinkly, and will smell of unpleasant chemicals for several days after it's unpacked. It stays in place well and doesn't slip even when subjected to enthusiastic hoofing.

My only complaint is that the product description suggested that the mat came with DDR software. I was extremely annoyed when the package arrived with no game software included. I've since discovered that Stepmania is an excellent alternative to DDR. It will run many DDR themes and songs, both legal and illicit, that are available on the web.

The seller was very sympathetic and accommodating, but strangely, they told me that Amazon would not let them modify the inaccurate listing. This doesn't reflect very well on Amazon.

7th Guest - PC Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Trapped in the haunted mansion of the mad toymaker, Stauf, with no memory of your past, you must seek out your past ... your purpose ... the fate of the six murdered guests, long ago ... and the seventh guest. To begin with, this is *not* an action title. With this game, you can give your flying fingers a rest. Everything's connected with puzzles, and there are no time limits (though you may wish there were when you hit your twentieth dead end in the Maze and hear Stauf say, "Feeling ... lonely ... ?" again ... ). Puzzles, puzzles, puzzles. A profusion and plethora of puzzles in prodigious plentitude. Switch puzzles, slider puzzles, card and coin puzzles ... even the old game of Jump-Away. (Played with knives on a pentagram, mind you ... )And with each puzzle solved (the game can even solve them for you) you learn a little more about what happened on that long-ago night. The puzzles range from, "Okay, this is tricky", to "HELP! ". But with all the walkthroughs out here on the 'Net, plus the hint book in the library, you'll muddle through eventually. Graphics: This game is beautiful. The knives, the cards, the house itself ... everything is in fully-rendered 3-D, with remarkable shading and texture. Mind you, this takes some computer time ... the Minimum Requirements list a Pentium 133MHz. My P100 made it, but the MIDI tended to stall sometimes. Sound: Speaking of MIDI, this game is loaded with it. Eerie, haunting refrains accompany most of your actions, while screams, moans, and eerie footsteps whisper in your ears. I've worked in a professional haunted house ... these guys are GOOD. That said, the voice acting is a hash. Most of the actors are almost laughably bad, playing a gam-ut of emotions that result in an almost campy atmosphere. Note I said "almost". Stauf has the biggest part in the game, and he knows how to work it. The actor really leans on it, but the character is a dyed-in-the-wool villain anyway ... he can take it. The children, on the other hand ... . You'll have to hear it for yourself. It's chilling. On the whole, a solid game, with few flaws.

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When The 7th Guest was first released in 1993, it was pretty much just a CD-ROM showcase: "Look what I can do." Further technological advancements, though, haven't proven kind to The 7th Guest, but the game remains as good now as it ever was. It's mostly an series of puzzles and brain teasers with only the barest thread of a story (and not always a clear, sensible one, at that) to connect them. Some of the puzzles, however, are pretty good, and the game has a wonderful, creepy style that infects every puzzle with an energy that definitely sets The 7th Guest apart from most other puzzle games. If you know what you're getting yourself into, there's no reason you can't enjoy The 7th Guest today.

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I really liked this game, it had just the right mixture of subtle creepiness and intrigue to keep me interested. As it's an older game the graphics might not look impressive by today's standards, but the store more than makes up for it.

The premise is that Stauf, a former criminal turned rich toymaker has invited people to his mansion and offered whomever can solve his puzzles whatever they desire. It's hinted to you that none of the guests were ever seen from again so not only do you have the mystery of the mansion itself to solve but you also have the mystery of finding out what happened to everybody to figure out as well.

The interface is clean and easy to use. You wander around in a very Myst-like first person perspective and your cursor changes whenever you wave it over something you can look closer at, a movie you can watch, or a puzzle to solve... it's nice to have this little detail instead of clicking madly on the screen trying to find the 'magic pixel' that will take you further into the game.

The music by The Fat Man is also very well done (In fact you can buy the soundtrack right here on Amazon!)and adds a lot to the game. Overall it has just the right mixture of intrigue as you watch Stauf set the guests against each other and play his little psychological games, and puzzles as you progress your way deeper and deeper into the mansion.

For the price, you get a lot. And its worth it.

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"Old man Stauf built a house

And filled it with his toys

Six guests all came one night

Their screams the only noise...

No one knows what happened next

There's no one left to say

But if you should see Old Man Stauf

Get on your knees & pray..."

You have been sent an invitation to attend an event by Mr. Stauf, world-renowned toymaker.

There are many legends surrounding this enigmatic man he has quite an infamous reputation. Are they truths or lies? That is for you to decide. Either way, mystery surrounds him, just the way he likes it. Rumour has it he's a Warlock in league with The Devil...

Dare you go through the Gates of his ominous mansion?

You are set free to peruse the many darkened rooms & hallways. Each contains a different puzzle to solve, a different riddle to decipher. Eventually, you will find who this "madman" really is.....are you prepared?

Overall, this game is multi stimulating. Aesthetically, it is just beautiful splenderous gloriously gloomy. The digital artwork is visually stunning, & very detailed. The artistry of it all draws you into the scenery, with third-dimensional effects so much so, you could get lost within those lambent corridors for hours.

The puzzles are a bit trying at first, especially because you even have to figure out how they particularly work but after that, it's one brainblending / gratifying riddle after another.

The music therein provides for a thickly eerie atmosphere that makes one want to jump right into the screen.

The CD Music on disc II

If you play this CD on your CD player alone, there are a series of songs available just to listen to, based upon those within the game. Some songs contain lyrics, some are instrumentals. The first is a rather mediocre attempt at replicating the Gothic, or Death Rock style.

Most of the same effects are used throughout, with sound samples of Mr. Stauf & terrified guests.

It seems the music was orchestrated to accentuate Stauf's "insanity", or genius, depending upon how you look at it.

There are a couple of Noiresque tunes, the most notable being "Dry Bones", sung with a very sultry female voice, which I picture being sung by a cross between Jessica Rabbit & Morticia Addams.

The 7th Guest is a veritable ghoulish conundrum that will have you become a regular guest of The Stauf's Manor again & again.

Kudos to the Technomancers. The 7th Guest is Spooktacular.

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This is one of the most amazing games I have ever played. This game was originally released in 1992 or 1993 and for it's time, it was way ahead in terms of graphics and story telling. Hell, it still has better graphics than some of the games that come out now. For me, this is the game that made me want to buy a computer which I did less than a month later. It has very challenging puzzles and some comedy along the way as Stauf adds his comments to either the path you choose or your success/failure to do a puzzle. If you like action, this is not your game. If you like solving puzzles, unraveling mysteries, and a game that makes you use your head, this is it. One of the best games of all time and the best puzzle solving game ever. But don't take my word on it. Get this for yourself.

RHYTHM MAKER DRUM PEDAL FOR ROCKBAND 1 & 2 Review

Customer Ratings:

Same issue as other reviewer. After about 6-8 months of heavy play the plastic around the center metal piece cracked and eventually it just broke in half. The adjustable spring is really good and I play a lot better with it. I liked it enough to replace it, but if it breaks again I will probably just go higher end. If you are a light to medium use player, this is definitely the peddle for you.

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I got this pedal after the one that game with Rockband (special addition) broke. It has a much nicer feel than the original pedal and my kicking improved. It is definitely of higher quality, but the plastic part of the pedal cracked after about 9 months of heavy play. The metal piece still holds it together, but you can feel it bend where the plastic cracked, so the feel isn't as good any more.

Update: OK, 5 more months have passed, and now the plastic is cracked in multiple places and the pedal no longer registers most kicks. I will need to go purchase another pedal.

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works well, even better along side a second one. Played a lot with dual bass drumming so it really does help.

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The Bass Pedal alternative for the DD-55 is too expensive for me. I took a chance on the BlockHead Pedal at Goodwill, and it works! It isn't perfect, but neither am I.

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I could not get the pedal to work with Guitar Hero Drums, or Rock Band Beattles drums. And the back part of the pedal broke within those 5 mins of testing. Seems great if you could get it to work...

Best Rainbow Six 3 - Gamecube Deals

Customer Ratings:

Rainbow Six 3 is simply one of the best games out there for the Gamecube extremely fun AND re-playable, Six 3 has amazing gameplay, controls and a realism that will make you want to keep playing hours on end.

GRAPHICS phenomenal; not "blocky" in the slightest sense, and crafted with a loving attention to detail. Every scenario is smooth and refreshingly unique as a result (making gameplay so much better!!) thus giving the game an excellent sense of realism. You feel like you're actually there and not sitting in front of the TV playing a game try the Alcatraz or Penthouse levels to see what I mean!!

MISSIONS and GAMEPLAY Highly re-playable; I've completed it on various difficulty settings and am still taken by surprise at how fresh all the levels seem. This is because Six 3 has a very good variety of scenarios (you fight in different geographical locations such as Venezuela, Saudia Arabia or San Fransisco) AND a consistent storyline. You are the leader of a squad and it's therefore in your best interest to keep you men alive and they're great at covering you in a tight situation. The command orders are not hard to use and the "zulu function" whereby you can make a team wait before breaching/entering a room is ingenious, and therefore your Rainbow team members become assets, not people who get in the way of combat.

MUSIC AND SOUNDPerfect. I used to study film score composition and this is an excellent piece of writing for the game; it comes on in crucial moments and can really make chills go up your spine. All the right gun sounds have been used, the explosions are fun and the sound of the enemy is crucial in detecting them. Again, excellent realism.

GUNS + EQUIPMENT You have an amazing arsenal of weapons to choose from, and each fire realistically. For example, your shotgun is satisfyingly effective at short ranges but can't hit a barn door for longer distances, whilst the assault rifles really do rip into the enemy they get hit. Thermal vision acts like it does in real life as does night vision from teargas, phosphorus grenades and Desert Eagles you have everything at your disposal, and you will get to use it all during the game!

So as you can probably see Rainbow Six 3 is A MUST HAVE you haven't lived a true Gamecube experience without playing this. It's fantastic in almost every aspect of it's gameplay, controls and scenarios and provides for many hours of great entertainment.

Buy it, and you'll see what I mean ;)

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Ive always been a die-hard Rainbow six fan. When I heard that it was coming out for the gamecube, I got it the first day it came out. it was way better then the other Rainbow Six games.

Graphics-9\10

Sound-8\10

Replay Value-10\10

Overall-I highly Recommend this game!

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This a really fun game! The graphics are good, and the action is always there. Even replaying levels that you've played many times, you will always be on the edge of your seat. The many weapon selections gives the same level a new twist each time you play it. If you love action, I highly recommend Rainbow six 3!

Honest reviews on Rainbow Six 3 - Gamecube

After reading the previous raving reviews, I had to doublecheck my package to make sure we're all talking about the same game. Sure enough, we are. I can only surmise that the previous reviewers are either not looking at the PS2 version (poor Game Cubers)or have not played the vastly surperior SOCOM I or II.

So, when compared to SOCOM II:

GRAPHICS

Rainbow Six 3 (R63) graphics are choppy and poorly defined/detailed. The lighting effects are non-existent and worst of all there's just no character to the houses, landscapes, or levels. It's all about the ugly at UBISOFT, kids.

GAMEPLAY/USER INTERFACE

Well, R63 has team commands, but they lack the detail or functionality of SOCOM. The player CAN NOT easily order members to one area while flanking the enemy. Opening/breaching doorways and clearing rooms is a chore in Rainbow, while SOCOM offers various means and levels of participation (2, 3, or 4 man clearing with or without explosives). Moreover, there's not even a map to look at what's up with that? You're going to stroll into combat and forget the map? Me thinks not.

Yet, this minor point underlies a litany of interface problems: poor weapon selection interface, poor weapons to choose from, weak voice acting, sub-standard team chatter, and no 3rd-person views.

I haven't teed up on the online play because quite frankly Rainbox Six 3 couldn't hold my interest that long.

There's a reason this game is in the bargain bin at every store; Six just Suxs.

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is there a sniper rifle in this game?

Review of Street Fighter x Sanrio Arcade FightStick PRO for PlayStation 3

Customer Ratings:

This stick is high quality very good looking, functions well and, while a popular complaint, the square gate gives me no troubles while executing quarter circle motions. I use this arcade stick for any game that doesn't require both analog sticks now.

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If you are in the (seeming) minority who's into both Street Fighter and Hello Kitty, then this is for you! C'mon, folks! It's okay to like both!

As you can see, the artwork that adorns the stick is really adorable. From Hello Kitty dressed as Chun Li, to My Melody dressed as Cammy, and (my personal favorite) Tuxedo Sam who's dressed up like E. Honda, the packaging screams super cute. Personally, I'd have preferred the buttons and the ball on the joystick to also be pink ( or maybe a lavender), but as it is, it's a nice contrast.

Functionally, this thing comes with a nice metal base that's equipped with nice, big rubber feet. If you put this on a table, it's not going to slide (though, that depends on how emphatic you are with your movements), but the rubber feet aren't so big that it makes it uncomfortable to place on your lap. The buttons are nice and clicky and are spaced out comfortably ( I have big hands) and aside from my general unfamiliarity with the button placement (This is the first fight stick I've ever purchased for myself), are intuitively placed. There's a Turbo feature, but I'll never use it. With the flick of a switch, you can set your joystick to read as the Directional Pad, the Left, or the Right thumbsticks. Movement of the joystick or pressing of the buttons emits a wonderful clicking sound that brings back my fond memories of playing games in the arcade. Your mileage on this sound effect will definitely vary.

Now, onto the only negative I have for this fight stick, and it has to do with the joystick. You see, at the bottom of the joystick (inside the very guts of the controller), is a restrictor plate that limits your joysticks movement (otherwise, you'll just bust the thing up inside while entering your motions). It's square. You wouldn't think that has much to do with anything, but hear me out. It makes it hard to do quarter circle movements. And, let's face it, you tend to do a lot of those in fighting games. Yes, you can learn your way around it, but it definitely threw off my fighting game rhythm. Thankfully, MadCatz made it easy-peasy to switch out, and circular or octagonal replacement restrictor plates are easy enough to find, and relatively inexpensive. Ultimately, I had to find and buy a replacement restrictor plate and install it before I reached optimal satisfaction with the product, and that's the only reason why this stick did not get a 5 star rating.

Durability? Well, I just got the thing, so I don't really know. Plus, that will depend on how rough you are with it. Or any sort of controller. It seems sturdily built to me, so I hope that it lasts for a while.

So, in the end, if you need a fight stick this is a pretty good one. I will readily admit that there are manlier alternatives. But just think of how much more satisfaction you'll get when you defeat your opponent and they see you did it with Hello Kitty backing you up?

Reviews of Xbox 360 NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers Controller

Customer Ratings:

I bought this controller for my son because he is Buc fan.

But I have used it to make sure it works and it works as well as his $60 xbox 360 wireless controller. Only draw back is the football controller is not wireless and the start, select and xbox button are in different places, some games you need to hit the select button so it throws you off because it's not in the same place as on the xbox 360 controller. But you get use to it after a while.

Main thing it does work and my son loves that it has the bucs on it.

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well it came in ok time but as soon as we got it the left button was stuck and it is very hard to adjust to if your used to the normal xbox controllers wouldnt buy again

Xbox 360 NFL Chicago Bears Controller Reviews

Customer Ratings:

My 9 year old son is such a HUGE Bears fan this was his favorite present until is stopped working after 30 minutes. The cord continously "pops" out of the Xbox and then when you plug it back it in, it won't "read" that the controller is connected. Can't wait to return it!!

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It's an OK controller but it would be much better if it was cordless like a regular 360 controller. Worth it if you don't sit across the room from your system.

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I loved it when I got it. And I still love it. It's great, more so if your a Bears fan.

Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack - Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $53.70
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

I hope this video helps.

I didn't give it five stars because it isn't the greatest game ever. But it is a lot of fun. You will enjoy playing it with your kids and collecting the other characters. If you liked the Lego games, you will enjoy this.

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Well as I write this my kids (boys, ages 6 & 4) have been playing the game co-op for the last two hours, switching out their Skylanders a lot to try them all. It's an amazing concept and unbelievably fun. They had been saving their money and bought two of the 3 character packs to go with the starter; a great investment. Can't wait to get the rest, seriously, they are really cool.

Some people will look at the cost of the figures and scoff at it as a cash grab. Is it really any different than any of the Collector's Editions you can buy for Gears, Skyrim, etc etc? It is any different than buying a Star Wars figure at the same cost? As a mini alone the cost is reasonable; the fact that you put them in game and they save that data on them makes it an even better deal. So before getting all bent out of shape over the cost, try to put it into context. Plus they made a great decoration in a kids room.

As I was hooking the portal up to the Xbox the kids were playing with the figures on the coffee table and my oldest said "wow these are even fun to play with without the game". The quality of the figures is top notch, very well detailed and all are very sturdily attached to the bases; I have no fear of the figures breaking off at any point. As someone who has dabbled in collectible gaming like Mage Knight, D&D minis and WoW minis I will say they are probably better quality of even the D&D and WoW minis. Each figure comes with a card and a code to play it online. The starter also contains a poster that shows all 32 of the Skylanders and their element.

The portal glows different colors as you play, it switches like some kind of mood lamp. A nice touch that makes the portal seem truly magical to kids. When you add a new Skylander to the portal it takes about one second to recognize it and it makes a dramatic entrance. The kids go crazy for that.

All dialogue in the game is spoken but is accompanied by text as well. Nice so my 4 year old can follow along with the story and also my 6 year old can read along too. Our kids love to play co-op battle games but the problem is that a lot of them are just too violent for them at their age. This is perfect, with enemies exploding into coins and gems when they are defeated. Characters level up and the max level is 10, though I don't think you need to worry about the game being short. My kids have finished two stages and my oldest stuck almost exclusively with Drobot and only has his exp bar about 3/4 filled and hasn't hit level 2. It seems like there will be a lot of replay to this one. The difficulty seems just right and the puzzles so far are pretty logical.

More than anything, the kids are just really engrossed in the world of the Skylanders. In a very "are you kidding me?" moment I caught my kids actually talking back to the tv when the characters were asking for help. "Don't worry we'll help you" and "yeah, the Skylanders are here!" ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME!!!!

So, great job Activision taking your Scrooge McDuck vault of Call of Duty money and throwing it into something as innovative as this. Pretty sure this will be one hell of a hot commodity this Christmas. The fact that you can take your characters cross platform to the Wii, 3DS, PS3 and the PC is amazing even if we likely won't be using that feature much. Looking forward to a lot of time with the Skylanders and can't wait for the rest to come out later (this year?).

Edit 1: Oh I did want to mention two things. First is that when your characters level up and complete events you can assign skill points to them which make them stronger. The second is that you can reset the figures back to level one if you decide you want to go a different route with the leveling.

Edit 2: Gameplay is easy for little kids. If one of your Skylanders takes too much damage (dies) the game says "this skylander needs to rest" and it prompts you to put a new one on the portal or you can restart the level and your Skylander is healed. When you finish the level and go back to your "base" (think Lego Star Wars) then that Skylander is available again.

Best Deals for Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack - Xbox 360

The developers of Skylanders said that when they first approached a new Spyro game, they wanted something dark, bloody, and violent. After a while, they realized that's not what gamers wanted from another Spyro game, so they went back to the drawing board and came up with the ingenious idea of interacting with physical toys to power a video game. That idea works brilliantly, but as an adult gamer, I can also see where their original desire to create a game for older players shines through, even if only a little bit.

Make no mistake this is a game designed for kids. But any geeky adult, of either the standard hardcore gamer or the action figure-collecting variety, will likely fall in love with the mechanics in play here. Especially if you've got friends (or your kids have friends) that pick this up, too.

In a nutshell, the game is powered by your physical action figures, which load up your in-game characters when they're placed on the "Portal" pad. The figurines have memory chips, and your in-game progress and awards/power-ups are stored on the physical pieces themselves, meaning you can take one of the figures over to a friends house to hop into their game.

And here's the kicker it doesn't matter if your friend is playing on Wii, PS3, Xbox, or even 3DS because the figures store their in-game progress, it doesn't matter what console or device you play them on. I plan on picking up the 3DS version as well, so I can play with my characters on the big screen at home, and them bring them with me on the road whenever I can.

As far as actual gameplay goes, the first hour is slow, but the platforming and puzzles start to get much more interesting after that. And after you start opening up the world, it really feels like an old-school Spyro game (PS1 era, like the original).

This starter pack includes 3 figures: 1 tech, 1 magic, and 1 water. Those are 3 of the EIGHT elements in the game. So make no mistake: if you want to play 100% of the game, you WILL have to purchase at least 1 figure from each of the other elements. They can be easily found for $8 each, or $20 for a 3-pack. There are also "Adventure packs" that are $20 and come with a character, a level (more like a world), and some extra bonus items. Those adventure packs are the worst deal, in my opinion, but it looks like they'll almost be required purchases if you want to collect all 32 of the Skylanders figures.

All things considered, I'm very pleasantly surprised by this game. It's got some depth for the pen-and-paper gamers out there (represent), but will also really light up most kids. Very interactive and original. Can't wait to see how they expand this franchise.

Honest reviews on Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack - Xbox 360

I'll tell the truth, geek dad (me) for once was behind the times on this one. Usually it's me hyping my (now 6 years old) son up for something new and cool that's coming out. We've always enjoyed video game time together and normally we play one of the Lego games, or a movie property (if it's good, ala Kung Fu Panda). So, when we went to the store and he start flipping out of the Skylanders display I wasn't quite sure. The initial investment isn't that much greater than any current top tier game (Mario, Elder Scrolls, CoD) and for 69.99 you get a nice starter kit with 3 Skylanders, the portal, the game, stickers, web codes and a poster! I'll break this down into 2 pieces.

Part 1: The game play, as I was describing it to another parent what would happen if you threw Fable, Gauntlet, Diablo and a Lego game into a blender. I wouldn't put it quite on par with a Lego game (those are far and away the BEST games for a little one to learn on). Each character (more on this later) has an affinity (earth, fire, etc) and 2 abilities to start. You plug your magic portal, which works across platforms as it's standard USB. The only one it will not work with is 3DS which has a unique wireless portal. And it swirls to life with a magical glow. Once you start playing, you place your Skylander on said portal and voila! He's in the game. It's a great concept, and when playing with one person it works flawlessly so far. If you want to choose another character? Simply remove your current figure and put another in its place. There were some problems I've noticed in multi-player, as you have to use the same portal and it has some difficulty registering 2 or 3 pieces at the same time. With a little finesse it works, but I can for see problems when it's just the little ones playing. The game itself is bright and very colorful. A lot of fighting, but the "violence" is on par with what you see on most t.v. shows. No blood to be found here. Beyond that, the voice acting is excellent!

A few quick points.

1. The main quest can be finished with any Skylander. To unlock a lot of the extra's you need 1 Skylander from each affinity

2. All level, gold and items are saved to the actual toy. Yes, your story progress saves to the machine (xbox, Wii, etc) but the character stats and everything else saves to the toy.

3. The legendary challenges (certain side missions) cannot be done in co-op.

4. There is battling (think Smash Brothers)

Part 2: The toys. Oh the wonderful toys. Someone in marketing at Activision needs a raise. So, with the game you get 3 skylanders. They are each about 2" tall including their base. Each one comes with a trading card, stickers and a web code (as you can play with them online as well!) Please note, that in order to get to all of the optional areas in the game you will need more than what's in the starter kit. They also come in 3 packs (19.99) and single packs (7.99). Finally, they have "adventure packs" which include a new quest, accessories and a new Skylander (19.99) The toys themselves are painted in great detail and have very nice vivid colors. They do however, have NO articulation and do not come off of the base. Think of them more on the lines of a little statue than an action figure.

Overall I (and the little one) are very happy with the game. We're already heading out after work today so that he can buy another 3 pack with his allowance money. Who knows, maybe dad may get one for himself :D I think a lot will depend on how much they support the game as well.

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This is going to be "THE" toy to get for Christmas. My kids absolutely love it. It is easy enough for a four year old to play, but heck it even entertains me. The voice actors are top notch in this one. The first I recognized was Patrick Warburton (sp?), which you may know as the voice of Kronk from Emperor's New Groove. Then! I heard another familiar voice, the guy who did the voice for Invader Zim does the voice for the bad guy Kaos. The humor is kid friendly, but I am sure there will be "hidden" gems in there for parents to laugh about. Activision did an A++++ job with this one.

Buy Activision Anthology - PlayStation 2

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If you owned an Atari 2600 or VCS in the 80s, you played these games. Activision made Atari games and kicked it up a notch in terms of graphics and game play. Practically the whole Activision library is here, and even a couple of Imagic games like Atlantis and Demon Attack. There's over 45 games on this disc, including:

Chopper Command

Crackpots

Freeway

Kaboom

Megamania

Pitfall 1 & 2

Plaque Attack

Pressure Cooker

River Raid 1 & 2

Seaquest

Spider Fighter

Stampede

Sports:

Boxing

Enduro

Fishing Derby

Grand Prix

Ice Hockey

Skiing

Tennis

In addition to the games, there's also an 80s music soundtrack to take you back in time as well. You can unlock various rewards for high scores (like patches and clips of the original commercials for these games) and play the games in different ways other than the standard one. There's something for everyone here. Some cute games like Barnstorming, Dolphin, Oink and Sky Jinks. Some games never released on compilations before, like Beamrider, Decathlon, Robot Tank and Space Shuttle. There's even a game of checkers on here. Hard to believe that games with four bits of memory were once the standard. This collection of games proves that going back in time can be fun. Get this game collection, you'll love it!

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First off,I have to say that I grew up in the 80s and I used to play atari all the time,so my review may be a bit biased.For me, this game had so many memories in it that it was a blast!One of the main reasons I got this anthology was because it included the great game Seaquest in it.I used to play that game for hours on end back in the day!

Some other great games included on it are,MegaMania,Frostbite, SpiderFighter,LaserBlaster,KeystoneKapers,RoboTank,and of course Pitfall.The 80s soundtrack put in the game made it even better;I mean playing these classics while listening to "Safety Dance",

"Tainted Love" or "Were Not Gonna Take It" is priceless in my opinion.If any of these songs do get on your nerves though( you can only listen to Mexican Radio so many times!) you are given the option to turn the music off.I just wish they would have given the option to only play certain songs while leaving other ones out..Oh well.

The only minor complaint I have for this title,is that some of the games included were really,REALLY bad!I mean I remember hating these games when I used to own them as cartridges for the atari 2600.The really bad games include,Dragster(terrible!), Dolphin,TomCat and the "bonus" games Kabobber and Thwoker. However there are enough fun games in here to justify buying it esp. since you can buy this new for pretty cheap. That's a great deal

for a gamer's trip down memory lane.

In conclusion,any gamer in his/her twentites would love this title.As for the younger generation,they probabaly couldn't appreciate this one;but everyone else sit back and have some fun!

Best Deals for Activision Anthology - PlayStation 2

For the past few years, Midway and Namco have been rereleasing old games in their collections. They would throw 6 to 8 early 80's games on a cd with nothing extra and charge an insane amount of money. Then along came Activision. Activision obviously learned from Midway and Namco's mistakes. Instead of 6 to 8, you get 45 Atari 2600 games. Want extra features? Ok, how about TV comercials from the 80s and those patches you could earn for their games. But they did not stop there. They added a truely impressive 80's soundtrack to keep you going. There are also added ways of playing the game. For example, one method overlays clouds over the game. Another has a large rotating cube with the game on each side. These extra ways of playing the game are interesting, but you will mostly just play the games the way they were. Overall, this is what a collection should be like. If you want to relive the classics or are interested in where the video game industry first got its start, you should check this out.

Honest reviews on Activision Anthology - PlayStation 2

These are the classic games I played as a kid. Although primitive, they were *very* addictive and kept you saying, "Just one more game!"

And what a bargain! ... Well worth it. Although about half the games are not really worth playing today, there are several must-have classics:

Pitfall, Pitfall 2 (like 2D Metroid in a jungle), H.E.R.O., Kaboom, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack.

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No kidding, the selection screen is just a few items short of looking like my childhood room. I had my Atari hooked up to a black and white TV because the costs of games kept me from up-grading to a color TV. Just too hard to do when your income was $4 a week for taking out the trash for your parents and $6 a week for delivering the now defunct Washington Star on Sunday mornings.

Just like all of the reviews before this one, the sound track is great (love the Roxy Music), but too short and gets repetitive. I wish they had included more songs and you'll find yourself turning off the music after a few laps. I just about fell out of my chair laughing after unlocking the Hockey comercial with Phil Hartman from his pre SNL days. All of the add media you can unlock is hilarious (what geeks we all were). Like watching retro commercials on Nick at Night.

I remember the Activision games for being cutting edge, especially graphically, in an era where making a game grapically appealing was almost better than making a game that played well.

If you are a gammer and want to flash back to the early days of true gamming, then get this game. It's also fun to watch the look on your kids faces when they see an old Atari game for the first time. It's even funnier when you tell them it took a machine slightly larger than the PS2 to play them on; "Sonny, when I was your age, it took us two hours to get the vertical hold just right for playing, and then we walked five miles to school, in the snow, up-hill both ways, with no shoes".

If your kids are going to follow in your slacker foot-steps with gaming, then it's best they know their history.

Buy Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 'S'

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If you're a fighting game player, this is a great controller for doing so. All the buttons are represented (LB, LT, RB, RT + A, B, X, Y), as well as the start and back buttons.

The only thing I'd change is that I'd either add a little weight, or suction cup feet to hold it to a surface.

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