Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD Review

Customer Ratings:

It's an incredibly bare bones PC port. There's no online multiplayer to speak of, it requires tinkering with game files just to change the resolution, and if you don't have a controller to use for your PC then don't even bother playing it. Not to mention there are only 8 levels and you'll have played through them all in about 2 hours. It's a pretty meh PC port and it's clear that the developers didn't really care about porting it over which means you shouldn't care about playing it.

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Some things were not kept.

Some songs are gone

Some stages you have to buy extra

But the memories are there

Best Deals for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD

This game is a great blast to the past for anyone like me who grew up playing the first two (or three) games. All the old levels you know and love from the original and great music too (with some new tracks built in)

The graphics are nicely refreshed and enhanced without taking away from the old charm.

The one complaint I have? The controls cannot be customized. So when you go to use a controller, it doesn't match up with the way the controls used to be on the old PS1 system. This is really annoying and takes away from the experience. This is the main reason why I rated this game down.

Why don't you just allow your users to customize the controls to whatever you want? Heck you could do that in the 16 bit era for crying out loud. Why can't I customize it the way I want in 2013? Doesn't make any sense. Honestly I haven't played it much since because of this problem.

If you have never played these games before you probably wont care, but for anyone who grew up playing the old games, this might be a deal breaker for you.

Honest reviews on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD

Great to remember old times playing THPS to the old tunes that musicized my teens. Great fun, despite not having local multiplayer.

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I really like that they chose to revamp a classic, but this was a bit disappointing for me. I won't go into too many specifics, but I will say that they haven't included a number of things from the classic and it lost a lot of it's feel. I think they could have added more and spent a bit more time on it to be honest. It's alright, but I grew bored of it pretty quickly.

Review of Xbox 360 - Charging Station

Customer Ratings:

This charging dock is excellent and comes with two batteries for use with it. The one thing that you should know prior to buying this is that it takes special battery packs. You cannot charge your existing battery packs on this charger because the charger has to make a connection with the back of the packs. There is a metal piece on the back of the batteries that must make contact to provide a charge. They work great and I love this product but I wanted to let people know what I found.

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I received an XBox 360 for Christmas 2010, and I quickly became weary of the idea of having to repeatedly buy AA batteries to keep my controllers functioning.

I purchased this product a year ago from a local electronic's store for $29.99 without knowing anything about the brand or the brand's products.

In no way do I regret the decision to buy this product. Intec took into consideration every possible factor that needs to be considered when purchasing a controller charger, and they greatly exceeded all of my expectations. A year later, this product is still running as great as it did with its first use, despite being used for nearly 100 charges.

The dock itself matches the aesthetic features of 360 controllers (the black and white ones at least), and the console itself. Though the entire shell is black, there is a silver lining adorning the front of the product, and the lights that illuminate when charging a controller glow in a green that matches the light that glows from the 360 console.

Underneath the dock is an indentation where the power cord can be stored if you are packing this item up and taking it on vacation or just to a friend's house, so there is no excuse to lose the cord. The end of the cord that you plug into an outlet is also small, and allows you to plug in other devices right next to it or on the top or bottom of it in a wall outlet or in a surge protector.

The back of the dock includes a power switch, which I thought was great for the power-saving aspect. Just remember to check and see if it is switched on when attempting to charge your controllers.

The top of the dock where the actual controller cradles are is crafted nicely, and the two slots serve as a great stand for controllers when you are not playing your console, whether your are charging them or not. Both controllers fit on the dock at the same time, though I must mention I only have OFFICIAL MICROSOFT controllers, and I never tried using off-brand controllers such as MADCATZ. I am not sure how this product fares as far as other controllers are concerned.

My favorite feature is the front of the product. When you charge the controllers, the green lights on the dock not only signal that the controllers are charging, but they also identify how many bars of power the batteries in the controllers have. I own many rechargeable docks for other consoles, such as the Wii and 3DS, and I must admit I wish this feature existed with those chargers as well. Of course, the dock also lets you know when the controllers are fully charged, which is when the bars on the front of the dock no longer flash and glow in a solid green.

The 2 battery packs that come with this dock feel exactly the same in the controller as the original battery packs that came with the controller. The charge lasts for what seems like 8-10 hours(I don't know the exact figure because I honestly never think about it since the charge lasts so long), and the batteries hold their charge for prolonged periods of inactivity as well. I once went an entire month without playing the 360, and when I turned on the controller for a few games of Madden, I still didn't need to charge the controller from the last time I played.

I appreciated this product so much that I purchased it for my brother in law this Christmas. This product is definitely worth the $30 price tag, especially when taking the price of batteries into consideration.

The reviewer who gave this product 2 stars must have received a faulty product. Trust me, this is a great deal. Although I did notice this seems to be more difficult to find, so I'm hoping Intec hasn't ceased production.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 - Charging Station

Comes with everything you need to make wireless controllers into re-chargable wireless controllers. I was tired of going through so many batteries. This works great and was less expensive than many other chargers and this one came with the batteries to charge! Highly reccomended.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 - Charging Station

This charging system really works nice and has saved alot of batteries.. I play games quite a bit and this works nicely....

This was a great purchase from Amazon.com

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Looked good enough quality wise, but the lower charging station quit working two weeks into the purchase. The lower charging station two weeks later. Cheap price, now I know why. Would not recommend this product.

Review of Plantronics GameCom 780 Surround Sound Stereo PC Gaming Headset

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $71.59
Today's Bonus: 11% Off

Back Story:

I have had a lot of headphones over the years and the majority of them have been utter crap. I had one really good pair of headphones that were made by Sony back in the 1980s and I used them so much I broke both sides and had to tape them together to make them work. The sound was so good that I would have rather kept those beat up headphones than be forced to use the 2 or 3 pairs I bought after them. I was sad when I finally just had to throw them away and accept that it might be a while before I lucked out and got something that good. (It's taken a long time).

Fast forward to the late 1990s and early 2000s. I have gone through another 2 or 3 headsets. I had a Sony that was decent, but not nearly as good as my original Sony back in the day. I then went through Logitech, Microsoft (totally AWFUL) sound and some other headset that I threw away because it was crap. I even checked out Bose and was really underwhelmed by the sound. My definition of good sound is crisp clear highs, warm mids and booming bases. Not excessive, but enough to feel like it could be live.

Finally, I saw a $79 Plantronic "Gaming" set at Best Buy about 4 years ago and bought it. The sound was great, or at least a LOT better than I have had in a long time. But there were some quirks to the headset that annoyed me. The Microphone would flop down into position, so the only way to keep it up was with a rubber band. The voice input was sketchy and the device had problems working properly with Windows 7. Nevertheless it was a good enough headset that I decided I was going to give plantronics another shot with my new computer because I wanted a headset that addressed the annoying issues of my previous Plantronics.

Plantronics GameCom 780:

When I set up the GameCom 780 and fired up SWTOR to fly a few space battles (in 7.1 surround) my jaw nearly fell on the floor. The explosions are so lifelike you can almost feel them sitting in your chair. The sound is whole orders of magnitude better then my last Plantronics headset, and the directionality is dramatic. I actually had to relearn a few of my space battle moves because the audio cues were so noticably different that they were a distraction at first, but within about 10 minutes I really appreciated how much these headphones added a new dimension to my favorite game. Just to have something to compare to, I fired up Crysis 2, and I was equally impressed. The punch and clinks of a rapidly firing Scarab assault rifle were like music to my ears. The ambiance was a lot better and with the DX11 high resolution graphics, it's a whole new experience.

To say the sound is pretty good is, in my opinion, a massive understatement. The sound is the best I have ever owned. These headphones actually have 3 modes: Straight Dolby, 5.1 and 7.1 surround. Each of them sound great, but for games I find myself sticking heavily with the 7.1. Just to test out the music capabilities of this headset, I threw on some songs from "The English Patient" that I had backed up for my mom. I put on a song that was just a single woman singing backed up by light orchestra and again I was blown away. The richness, clarity and warmth of these headphones, along with the silence being exactly where it needs to be... it's not even so much what you hear, it's how you hear it and even what you don't hear.

Anyway, the sound alone would be reason enough to get these headphones, but there is more.

The construction is very good for an $80 pair of headphones. I have yet to see how long the plastic cylinders that house the metal adjustment bars lasts, but it looks pretty strong. The headphones are a bit tight at first, but after some adjustments I found they fit quite well. The over the ear design is really what I want in a pair of headphones because it frees up the ear to head the sound properly. The adjustment bars are metal (something you don't see much of these days). The upper rim is heavy duty plastic, but there is a soft foam under cushion that gives a very nice set on the head. The earmuffs are made from material instead of a more durable kind of material, but they will probably still last years, and they are comfortable.

Where these headphones really shine are the on ear controls. You can switch from surround sound to regular with a touch of a button. The audio control, rather than being just a knob is more like a control you would find in your car. Push one way, the sound goes down, push another the sound goes up. Moreover each time to press the button one direction or the other, the headphones actually play 2 different tones to let you know if you are going up or down in volume and when you have reached either end of the spectrum. You can also adjust the mic on/off switch with a button right above the volume wheel.These touches seem cosmetic at first, but you quickly begin to wonder how you ever lived without them.

The mic is another marked improvement from previous incarnations of Plantronics headsets (like my old one). The mic has enough tension on it to neatly stay tucked up and out of the way when not in use. Also, it doesn't have an "in front of mouth" design, and frankly from what I can see, it doesn't need one. The mic is good, and I was able to talk into Ventrilo without much adjustment at all. The "middle" volume and default application settings actually WORK like they are supposed to. I was able to get a very clean voice recording using a quiet voice.

The software that comes with the GameCom 780 seems to be perfectly Windows 7 x64 compatible, but it took me a few minutes to find the controls. There is an entry for the headset in Control Panel, but the actual controls for the headset are actually under "Configure" and "Properties" in the "Sound" options of control panel. There are a few ways to tweak these headphones to compensate for room noise and acoustics, which is a nice touch. It would have been nice to see an actual graphic equalizer to come with such a capable pair of headphones, but that's a minor gripe. I am not sure if any equalization setting would be better than the defaults.

One final note regarding Windows 7 compatibility: Windows 7 may gripe if you try and hook these up to a USB splitter. Windows will tell you that you don't have enough power for the headphones, but since they work fine under OS X with the same configuration, either Windows is being picky or it might not be a good idea to daisy chain these things. I ended up putting these headphones into a POWERED USB hub and they work beautifully. So, if you have a lot of connections either A) make sure you have an adequate power supply for your system that puts full power to your USB ports or B) Buy a POWERED USB hub. It's WORTH it.

Bottom line? I would absolutely recommend these headphones to anyone willing to spend $80 and have a decent USB connection.

If these break 6 months from now, I will buy them again. Period.

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I hope this review gets to as many people as people. First I'd like to begin by saying something very important.

PLEASE READ IF BUYING THIS HEADSET:

Make sure to go down to the 'Speaker' icon in the taskbar and right-click it. Click playback devices find the 'Speakers: Gamecom 780' entry, and right-click again. Then click 'Configure Speakers' and navigate down to 7.1 surround. Keep clicking Test and then the Next buttons until it says that 7.1 surround is set up. If you do not do this even if you enable Dolby Surround in the headset's software you'll only be getting 5.1 virtual surround, instead of 7.1. It does make a difference, and is considerably better. I wish it explained this more in the documentation. Also note if you switch to stereo mode it still is normal stereo, this changing in the options menu doesn't screw up the stereo option at all.

Now on to the review:

First off, this headset in pictures looks a bit silly with the orangish red cables and what-not, but let me tell you it actually is very pleasing to the eyes in person! It looks a lot cooler than my old Razer Carcharias, which was just a lame black everywhere. Not only does it look better than the Razer Carcharias, but it feels a lot better too. Weighing a little bit more than the Razer's it just simply feels like it is constructed out of better material. It's a lot sturdier. The only 'complaint' about the durability here is the earpads kind of spin tough at first, but personally I kind of like that because if they were super loose it would be spinning when you don't want it to.

On to the sound...

I read literally every single review here on Amazon before ordering, and let me tell you, they aren't kidding about the sound. It literally blew me away. Sure it's just a headset and there's only so good you can get with an earpad on each ear with a speaker in each, but this is SUCH AN UPGRADE from the Razer Carcharias which is actually more expensive. It's so good that I will definitely be buying a Plantronics headset when this one becomes obsolete. Even in stereo mode (button on earpad not lit blue), it still sounds amazing and better than the Razer's. It has crystal clear highs, clear and smooth mids, and a decent amount of bass. Sure the bass could be a little more, but it's a headset for goodness sakes and for bass in music I have my car with two 12" subs to hear the bass, in headphones I just want balanced audio and that's what this headset delivers. Don't think there isn't any bass though, you can definitely feel the bass and explosions and what-not, it's not non-existent by any means. In fact, it does have a lot more lower-end than my Razer's.

The mic is also crystal clear. It's so clear that I actually had to turn down my outbound because it was making me sound booming. The only complaint I have with the mic is that it picks up background noise a bit too well, but it's not the end of the world, I'd rather have it do that and be a clear good sounding mic than be super cancelling and sound subpar. So this is another plus, at least for me.

Overall for $60-70 this is an absolutely amazing headset. Especially for gaming! The software could have included a bit more, but what it does include is still perfectly fine.

The sound is great, the comfort is great, and it doesn't look bad either! The only gripe I have is the cord is a bit short, but it's not the end of the world I'll just buy a USB extender.

If you're contemplating buying a new headset, look no further. For more money you can get the Razer Carcharias which is only a stereo headset, and even the stereo functionality on the Gamecom 780 sounds better than the Razer, let alone the fabulous virtual 7.1 surround sound that is has. It doesn't sound fake like some cheap surround sound headsets, but obviously it's not true surround sound. Still, it sounds fantastic.

If you don't want to spend $150-200+ for a headset, than look no further. This is perfect for music, gaming, and even movies. It brought a new life to my music, despite some of the reviews here! Seriously, just buy this headset. I love it, and have become a fan of Plantronics having never bought their products before. 5 stars for sure, as opposed to my old 4 star Razer's. What an upgrade.

Best Deals for Plantronics GameCom 780 Surround Sound Stereo PC Gaming Headset

So when I got these headphones, I had been using earbuds and the microphone built into my laptop. As you might imagine, the sound quality was poor and the people I spoke to on Skype complained about the microphone. Then I upgraded to THESE things, and the audio was amazing, and the folks on Skype said I was coming through crystal clear. So everything was hunky dory, right? Nope.

One day I put these things on and SNAP. The connection between the left earcup and the headband--right on that curved area above the cylinder-looking thingy--suddenly snapped. Well, it didn't come off, but a rather large fracture appeared there and it coming off completely can't have been far behind. I looked on the other side of the headphones and saw stress lines on the plastic, so that side was well on its way to snapping off as well. Wow. Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe it.

Okay. Headphone manufacturers. Listen to me. No matter how much you might want to, you can't skimp on build quality, okay? You can use plastic, that's not the problem. But it has to be durable plastic, and not too thin. It can't put too much stress on the wrong locations. And you especially can't say to yourselves, "Well, if it breaks the customer will just buy another." NO. That's not what the customer will do. Your customer will return your product to the store AND you will lose his trust. Being cheap costs you MORE money, not less!

Honest reviews on Plantronics GameCom 780 Surround Sound Stereo PC Gaming Headset

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have been a big fan of headphone audio and do a lot of my listening through a Headroom DAC and headphone amplifier coupled with AKG 701s (open) or beyerdynamic 770s (sealed). I also play some multiplayer games online through Steam, especially Team Fortress 2. Oddly enough, I never had a gaming headset. I used my headphone amplifier for audio and used the microphone on a webcam for voice. While the audio was great through the USB DAC, the voice solution left a lot to be desired.

So I jumped at the chance to try out a dedicated gaming headset. This Plantronics set acquits itself nicely.

I downloaded the headset's management software from the Plantronics website. (Seriously, who installs drivers from CDs included with products anymore? They're always stale! Get the latest version from the website.) It installed without a hitch. When I then plugged in the USB cable, Windows 7 detected the headset and loaded up the drivers. The Plantronics software is incredibly simple and allows you to toggle the Dolby surround mode on and off as well as offering a selection of a music or gaming/movie profile. You can access it in the system tray on the lower right or via the control panel's audio device menu, where it adds a GameCom icon.

I tried streaming some music through them from MediaMonkey, the audio software I use. It allows you to stream USB audio without involving the kernal mixer in Windows. I ran some lossless files through them. These are adequate for music in a pinch. It isn't really fair to compare them to the AKGs or beyerdynamics, and they don't come close. They are sealed headphones, so you don't get sound leakage (something that your spouse or roommate might appreciate); however, they do suffer from the typical acoustic problems many sealed headphones have. They're a bit chesty and boomy for music.

But, wow, they're nice for gaming. With the Dolby surround switched on, I played some TF2 and Terraria. The audio is great for gaming. There's good detail retrieval, and the simulated surround actually seems to work well.

The microphone works well, too. No problems getting it set up in Steam for voice chat or in TF2. People can hear me clearly now. That's a huge plus.

The construction of the headset is decent. It's not quite as solid as the beyerdynamics, but it doesn't feel cheap either. The earcups are padded with a velvety fabric covering the foam donuts. The headband also is padded. I was able to wear them for a few hours without feeling discomfort.

The controls on the headset are useful. The left earcup has a volume control, a mic on/off switch, and a switch that will toggle the Dolby effect. That last switch glows blue. The volume control beeps when you nudge it up or down, which is helpful because you can get a sense of where the volume is set before an explosion in-game blows your eardrums out.

In all, this is a solid product. It looks decent and doesn't have all the hype graphics and extraneous endorsements that some competing products have. It really is a form-follows-function headset.

I'm glad to have had the chance to use and review it. Given how well the microphone works, I'll probably check out their Bluetooth earpieces if I ever decide to get one of those.

Recommended as a great value at the price point.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Plantronics GameCom 780 Surround Sound Stereo PC Gaming Headset

The Plantronics GameCon 780 was received quickly and well-packaged. I had originally purchased it for gaming I do on on the PC some evenings to replace a headset not designed for such things. Though I did plenty of research and read many reviews, I finally settled this one. After a few weeks of using it, I'm ready to help others make a decision.

PROS:

Amazing -and I mean itbass & sound

Accessible physical controls on the headset

Flip up microphone

Good quality recording

Excellent noise drowning

CONS:

Controls are too easy to hit & change

USB cord should be a little longer

Prolonged wear causes discomfort on the sides of the head

OVERALL OPINION:

The pros, especially that amazing sound, outweigh the cons. As of this writing the GameCon 780 from Plantronics has a 4.5 star review on Amazon. I feel that is entirely appropriate and I plan on buying my girl one of these.

Now, for the detailed explanations if you're still interested in the headset:

FIRST IMPRESSION

Arrived on time and well packaged. First thing I noticed is that this headset has some heft to it, which could be a concern to some. Additionally, it's pretty solidly built. Like most, I appreciate a product that just feels durable and strong. The USB cord is a decent length. Like I do with most things, I plugged in the USB cord just to see how Windows 7 would react. It installed it in seconds without the need for the accompanying software, but I highly recommend installing it anyway.

EAR CUPS

The ear cups are something most people are concerned with, especially when it comes to the type meant to drown out at any peripheral noise. These should easily fit all but the biggest of ears out there and do a great job of keeping the sound you want in and outside noise out.

SOUND

You wouldn't believe it unless you tried it. Honestly fantastic sound comes out of this. Strong bass, great surround sound and clearer sounds than I've heard out of almost any headset. I was suddenly hearing noises in games I wasn't previously aware of and my situational awareness during shooters went way up. During some movies or online streaming media I did have to disable to the surround sound as it gave a tinny & almost echoing effect (you disable surround sound by simply hitting a button on the headset), but generally Plantronics did a great job. Music was as clear as I think it can get on anything.

MICROPHONE

For most uses, the microphone is great. The quality was a marked improvement from my previous headset's mic. Plus, it folds up & out of the way, is bendable and is the perfect length to position it easily. It does pick up a little ambient background noise, but no buzzing or static.

SOFTWARE & CONTROLS

The physical controls are placed entirely on the left ear cup (where the microphone is) which is awesome...and not so much. The mute is hard to toggle which is good to avoid doing it accidentally but bad if you'd like to do it quickly and without taking the headset off. The surround sound button lights up when on and isn't visible while wearing them, but is easy to accidentally hit. The volume control is the worst part; it's a half-wheel that you push up or down. You will hit this when moving the mic, picking up or setting down the headphones and it's very sensitive.

The software was extremely simply to install, uses nearly no system resources, and

primarily exists to change gaming/movie to music modes.

LONG-TERM WEAR

Comfort is a big thing for gamers. You don't want to know you're even wearing a headset. For the audio portion, that is the case. However, these do have a little heft to them. Additionally, I have an average-sized head for a man, and prolonged use causes a slight squeezed feeling especially around the ears. You will not be able to do much about this as trying to flex the headset to relax the pressure could cause it to crack at the bases of the headband.

AMENITIES:

The "built-in spin joints" that let the "earpods lay flat for easy storage" are more or less useless for that purpose. The headset is big so good luck throwing that in your drawer without worry. That being said, the feature does make the headset adjust a little easier to your head shape.

Gauntlet Dark Legacy Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Alright well i just bought this game today and let me tell you people, this game is sweet. I had a couple friends over and we played for 5 straight hours, the multiplayer madness is the first of its kind!! The spells, characters, levels, bosses, surprises, monsters.... they all change so much that this game will never get boring. And after playing for that long we only got through the FIRST world. The craziness of spells flying in every direction is enough eye candy to keep you busy for quite a while. And while many games hqave similar qualities, Gauntlet also includes leveling (up to 99), buy items, buy health, mini bosses, team combos, and so many hidden keys and chests that the replay value for this game is never ending!! Go out and buy this game, you wil be glad you did. Peace out.

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I loved the original arcade version of Gauntlet as a kid. I spent so much money on it. I couldn't wait until Gauntlet: Dark Legacy was released for the XBox. Graphics are nice. The gameplay is good with nice changing camera angles dependent on where you are on the screen. I believe they even have the same guy doing the voice-over from the arcade version.

What is really cool about this game is the multiplayer mode. Nothing like having a few friends over for some four-player Gauntlet fun. I just wish the game utilized the 5.1 Dolby Digital capability of the XBox but I understand that it is really not needed for this game.

In addition, there are so many characters to choose from now, not just the Warrior, Wizard, Valkrie, and Archer from the original. I believe that there are 24 or so characters that can be unlocked for this game. Talk about replay value!

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I love Gauntlet, but I have some minor gripes. First, the graphics aren't that much better than the N64 version. I expected alittle more from the powerful and mighty XBOX. Second, some of the levels are taken from the N64 game. Keys, barrels, and runestones are in the same spot!!! ( Note: Of course there are far more levels and characters than N64, but re-hashing old levels. Pleeessse. Bottom line: If you're new to gautlet, give it a try. It's simple, fun and a good multiplayer.

If you're a Gauntlet veteran, enjoy the gamejust don't expect to be blown away.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Honest reviews on Gauntlet Dark Legacy

GAUNTLET DARK LEGACY rocks the XBOX! 1 to 4 player cooperative action, spectacular magic effects, terrifying boss battles and 50 playable characters! Go alone or with up to 3 of your friends, embark on a quest to collect the mythic 13 rune stones and battle the evil wizard, Garm! 30 Awsome powerups, wield the electric amulet, super shot, acid breath, fire shield, thunder hammer, x-ray glasses and much more! 60 Dangerous levels! Hack and slash your way through the Forsaken Province, Warrior King's Moutain Realm, Dwarves' Ice Caves and many more! 50 Classic GAUNTLET characters! Play as the Dwarf, Jester, Sorceress, Archer or Valkyrie. Can you find all 42 hidden characters?!. Gauranteed hours of endless violence, one of the most re-played games I own! If you like action/stage games at all, then you must play GAUNTLET DARK LEGACY!

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I received this for Christmas as my husband and I loved playing this on the original XBox that our son took with him when he moved out. It would not play, so I contacted XBox/games and was informed that this game WILL NOT play on the 360. I would give the game five stars for everything, but I wanted to warn anyone with a 360 that you are wasting your money.

Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster - Xbox 360 Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
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Every once in a while, a game comes along that transports you to a magical destination. These types of games are full of adventure, charm, and whimsical fun. Sometimes a game can lift the burden of every day life and let you be a kid again. Sometimes a game can let your kids be the decision maker. And sometimes there are games that blend both perfectly.

If you have small kids in the house and are looking for something fun and educational, then "Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster" may be the perfect thing for them. Once upon a monster is a kid-friendly Kinect game that brings to life the same show that has been watched by kids around the globe. All the favorite characters, and even some new ones, stop by and help teach some great life lessons.

The free demo is available on the Xbox marketplace and is a fairly good representation of what the game is about. Although there is a huge market for people seeking nostalgia, adults probably will not be playing this game solo. While there are some kid themed games on the Kinect that adults may enjoy, Once Upon a Monster really comes to life with a younger audience in the room. Playing side-by-side with a younger participant can yield great rewards. This is perhaps the best game on the Kinect where the parent can play with the child at the same time. This is perhaps also the best game on the Kienct where two siblings can be playing at the same time. Having a shuffling living room is no problem, because Once Upon a Monster follows whomever is playing without any hitch. Players can jump in and out as they please, at any point in the game.

There are six chapters in this living story, with the ability to add content through possible future downloadable expansions. There are a set number of activities in this game, but they don't become boring or repetitive thanks to the changing story. Some of the activities include: posing, dress up, flying, drumming, tossing, and much more. All of the activities are fairly simple, but those trickier tasks can be aided with the help of parents. Each activity page of the chapter is given a star rating and each activity can be played over to achieve up to a 5 stars.

As chapters are unlocked, they are then made accessible for returning at any time. This game doesn't have free play areas, like some other Kinect kids games, but again all the activities can be played as many times and whenever the player desires. The story seems like it takes about 6-8 hours to complete, with a little over an hour to go through each chapter.

There are some areas that may be a little frustrating for little ones, but all is made fixable by the incredibly easy partner assist and/or tag team approach to playing. The only problem with jumping in and out of the game so easily is earning achievements. The Kinect does a really good job of spotting who is playing and who is earning the achievements, but doesn't like to give them out for playing as a family affair. In other words, if you are sitting down when your kid earns an achievement, don't expect it to show up in your profile. You have to earn it yourself.

The graphics, sounds, and presentation are all totally on par with what you would expect from a Sesame Street show. This game really feels like the show, but made more interactive. I was hoping to see more of Double Fine's fingerprint here, but Sesame Street is clearly the main theme in this game. This is actually a great design choice, because it really encourages kids to play along. I was amazed at how active my kids were in each activity. They picked it up and were carried away to a whole different world. They were literally in Sesame Street's universe.

In reviewing games, I like to look for the five f's: fitness, fun, family, functionality, and firsts. This game is not billed as a fitness game, but will definitely get your kids moving (and you too). They will be jumping, flapping, dancing and more. There is definite fun to be had by kids who are of the Sesame Street watching age. The older fans of Sesame Street may have some fun, but nothing is like playing the game with or as a child. The game is very family friendly and has a lot of great life lessons to share. As for functionality, the game is technically great. There are a couple of places young kids could get hung up on, but nothing an able-bodied parent wouldn't be able to fix. And as for firsts, this is the first story themed game for Kinect and one of the first games to absolutely nail the in and out ability of different players.

In summary, if you have kids in the house of the Sesame Street watching age, this is a true gem to add to your Kinect collection. The game is easy to pick up and lots of fun to go through. While there aren't really any free play areas, each activity and story section can be played over. Once Upon a Monster may be a bit repetitive for the older crowd playing solo, but will bring a golden smile to anyone who plays with kids.

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At its simplest core, Once Upon A Monster is an incredibly well done collection of mini-games suited for children; however, this game has both the quality and whimsical tone that many adults will find heartwarming. In the same way Pixar films can be viewed and appreciated by everyone, I believe Once Upon A Monster is very much the same. Granted, it's still something that's more geared towards kids, but many will find Double Fine's work on this title admirable regardless of age. Hey, kids deserve quality games, as well as adults, and this game is a perfect buy for those out there with kids of their own, as it's a good time for any family.

There are a bunch of different mini-games in Once Upon A Monster, all with very intuitive and well done Kinect controls. Sadly, outside of the main dish, there's no other additional game modes, which makes the package a bit slim when it comes to content. However, while it's not packed with a ton of features, what's here is good and quality gameplay, nice graphics, and some enjoyable scenes with your favorite Sesame Street characters.

Once Upon A Monster is right up there with The Gunstringer as one of the best examples of what the Kinect can do if developers take their time and make something good.

4.5/5 Docked a little because it's on the short side, but I do believe it's a very replayable game.

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Absolutely love this game for my 3 year old daughter... she can do most activities on her own but when she needs help i can just go stand next to her and it turns into a two player team activity. Love the stories music and graphics too

Honest reviews on Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster - Xbox 360

The ideas here are really neat, and the kids *desperately* want to like this game. I just don't think the Kinect is designed for very young kids. My 3-year-old can play Cosmic Family on the Wii with only a little help, but getting the sensor to actually recognize her and let her play this has been an uphill battle of frustration and disappointment. Sometimes it sees her without incident, but a lot of the time it just doesn't even notice that she's there.

Like most Kinect games, some of the gestures don't get picked up right away, or are misinterpreted, but at least this is designed to be really forgiving. The animation is very well done, though, and of course she loves the familiar characters. I'd gladly give it 5 stars if it worked as well for the target audience (my daughter) as it does for me.

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After wanting to throw it in the garbage, we just gave the game another try. Can someone please explain why my 3 and 5 y/o can easily navigate Kinect "Adventures" and "Sports" but can not even open the first chapter of this game without extensive help from us? SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY! Watch the real Sesame Street and buy your kids a different game; you will spare yourself and your family frustration.

Review of Madden NFL 10 - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $12.98
Today's Bonus: 48% Off

Are they serious?

After Madden 2007's animation, animation, animation, fall over experience, I couldn't bring myself to buy 2008. I bought 2009 because a friend told me how much better it was. After all 2008's complaints about how easy offense was, they turned the DB's and LB's speed and jumping ability to ridiculous levels, causing there to be about 6 INT's per game. This knee-jerk reaction and thus, overcompensation each year to whatever the largest complaint was has always seemed par for the course when dealing with a Madden game. Whatever. I just want to play an NFL game.

So the Madden 10 demo came out and I was impressed by the game play. "Wow, it actually kind of looks like football," I said. So I did it. I dropped $60 more into the EA bucket just to have the privilege to play an NFL game. The game play this year IS, I uphold, the best, most realistic that the Madden franchise has ever made. Yes, they made the players slower, and it made a lot of fans mad, but it's realistic. Nobody runs 10 yards in 0.5 seconds. At any rate, kudos on the in-game experience.

However, I play sports games to play franchise mode. I like trades, free agency, and the draft. Unfortunately, due to EA's desire to become the most evil corporation ever, franchise mode is not, at ALL, an enjoyable experience. You see, the "Madden Shop" has been created, where you can buy "cheats," which are really just parts of the game that existed last year which were disabled so that EA can make more money.

-You want the ability to fully scout players? You can pay 99 cents for a scout at EACH POSITION. Awesome. I'd LOVE to throw down 10 more bucks just to have access to the rest of your game.

-You want players to progress faster? 99 cents per position.

-Superstar mode is the same. You can't train anymore. You can pay to improve.

-Pretty much anything you can think of... healing injuries faster, extra scouting reports, etc, you can pay 99 cents to improve.

Really, EA? Buying out the competition wasn't enough for you? This whole system seems like such a joke to me. Do they honestly think it's going to work? I guess the question is, are Madden fans really stupid enough to use the Madden Shop?

This will, I can say with confidence, be the last Madden game I purchase.

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It's hard to understand what happens on the Madden development team, because every year it seems like they change the game in new and completely unnecessary ways. This year, the menus have been changed for seemingly no reason. The new menus do not look as good as the menus in Madden 09 and are harder to use. Why change them? You'll ask yourself questions like that a lot with this version of the game if you played a lot of Madden 09.

If the last few entries in the Madden series did not exist, then this version would probably impress me much more. As other reviewers have noted, it seems that almost nothing has changed in core gameplay except for a few mini-game button mashing sequences. The reason I am only giving this game 3 stars, though, is that other parts of the game that contributed to my enjoyment in past versions have been changed or stripped out without reason. The playcalling menus are now harder to use, particularly in terms of substitution packages. You no longer have the ability to train players, making the preseason almost completely pointless and taking a way a fun weekly activity in the game to keep the franchise mode moving forward. Little changes like this may mean nothing to some gamers, but for me make this game less fun and compelling than last year's version. On top of that the presentation has not improved the game feels rough around the edges, there are bugs, the play-by-play remains terrible, etc. I wish I could return it.

I should note that I do not play online, so this review is not intended as a reflection of that mode. As a single-player experience, Madden 10 is one step forward and three steps back for those who play every year. If you don't have anything to judge it against, it's probably a pretty satisfying football experience. If you own Madden 09 and play primarily single-player, this is a roster update at best. Very frustrating given the strong work that some of the other EA Sports development teams have done with their franchises.

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For me, my love/hate issue with Madden has been that it has never produced a game up the the quality presentation of the 2K5 game. I have always complained bitterly that they bought the NFL and ESPN licences and never used them properly. If yo don't believe me, then check my past Madden reviews. After almost 5 iterations on the 360, EA finally sees the light and has produced a good quality game.

Control You play one Madden, you have played them all nothing new here.

Graphics Stadiums are rendered nicely as always with great lighting...a little more attention has been paid to the helmet reflections, however most of the faces on the players look busted as always.

Sound a big improvement on the overall crowd sound as now you can hear individual voices call out during the game....something 2K series has done for years. On the other hand the commentary from Hammond and Collinsworth still sounds (and uses lines) from last year with some of the phrases that repeats (especially the one about the WRs catching the balls in pitch black) but again, I will take this over ESPN radio any day!

PresentationKind of a mixed bag but I am liking it more than I hate it. While EA finally gave you a feel like you are watching the game with all of the nice cutaways to the crowd and facts...a few things still needed to be fixed in order for this to be the complete game that 2K5 is.

Halftime show improvements Ok ok...yeah we finally got one but how about doing a Chris Berman-esque voice over as the best plays are being replayed...worse yet how about all of the highlights are out of order?

The pregame show Thank you for putting it in!!! But guess what EA!! Another 2K5 steal that you dropped the ball on! When showing highlights from other games...SHOW.HIGHLIGHTS.FROM.OTHER.GAMES. if a 6 year old game can show you 1 or 2 plays from another game or even from my own, then you guys should be able to do it too! Also get rid of Alex...I am sure there are more people male or female that can act as if they are in the game better than her!

I do like the fact that the AI is more active in signing players and making sensible signings, nothing like going thru a whole season and seeing the free agency just be static.

Ahhh yeah!! before I forget, the tackling animations look a lot more realistic and so far I have seen 4 5 and 6 man tackles. Slightly glitchy in a few spots but otherwise it's a step forward.

Franchise mode has improved with team actually signing some players that were needed instead of going a whole season with many free agents just sitting static on the FA wire. Also you can't really rob the AI out of trades and draft picks as in earlier versions

Some of the little things that I have seen that makes the game a little more worthwhile:

the chain gang

refs getting run over

refs meeting and confirming the TD

players being carted off after an injury

so far 3 different crowd screens

coaches arguing with refs about penalties

players clowning around on the sidelines.

better crowd reaction to plays

** Added **

Gameplay

To ME...gameplay hasn't changed all that much as far as AI and skill, you are either good at this game or you suck...just my opinion

There are more varied player animations this time around and thankfully so far not a lot of repeat animations although as perviously mentioned you may get a really funky animation glitch but not so bad as to crash the game

Accuracy of the stats... it depends on how YOU play the game and the time that you set it for.

Is there a lot of gang tackling? NO...every tackle is NOT a gamg tackle but you do tend to see more defenders play towards whomever has the ball. It does look more realistic.

Fight for the Fumble...i have only had it occur exactly 2 times...cheap...and arcadey and I believe actually, you can turn it off.

In game ticker: Nothing makes you play a little harder than seeing how well other teams are doing throughout the course of your game...it's till not here EA...fix this!!!

So, really this isn't the year to be skeptical. It's improved a lot over the last 2 iterations but still has a few more steps now to go before it completely makes me forget about 2K5.

And actually, when all is said and done, it's really sad when you still can compare a new football game with a game that is 6 years old and last gen.

On a larger scale of 1 to 10 I would give this an 8.

Addenum: Buying cheats? EA...bad move...

Will I have to buy Michael Vick too?

Honest reviews on Madden NFL 10 - Xbox 360

but I did anyway. Every year the Madden hype machine gets to me and I go and buy the game. I loved it on the XBOX, and I kind of enjoyed Madden 2008 on the XBOX 360. Sure, Madden 2008 was full of glitches, but showed lots of promise and was lots of fun to play. I figured the 20th anniversary 2009 version was going to fix the major bugs and be the best Madden yet. Instead, there were even more bugs and major bugs from 2008 weren't even fixed.

After a playing 2009 for a while and having played every Madden gaming since 1994, I finally realized that EA Sports was not focusing on the gameplay, but on adding snazy features and improving the graphics and animations. And not only were they no focusing on the gameplay, but they were totally neglecting it. The other day at work, we lost power and had a half day, so I figured that it was the perfect time to go get Madden 2010 even though I promised myself I wouldn't buy it. And wouldn't you know, the gameplay is even worse this year. They added fight for a fumlbe, which is idiotic, and lots of annoying cut scenes that can't be skipped. Hopefully I will remember this and not buy the Madden 2011 version because Madden is officially done.

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this is the first madden i've bought for three years, but i have played the other ones with friends. this is definitely the best Madden i've played.

PROS:

Controls --Great controls, just needs 2 or 3 games to fully master

Presentation --the new pro-tak system is great, but it is kind of hard to understand how one running back could get by nine huge fullbacks shoving at him at the same time. new "fight for the fumble" mode is fun to use. the Animations are stellar, and the new lighting effects are great too, with shadows being projected onto other players.

"Everything you would see on sunday" --it really is cool,it feels like you're actually watching a sunday afternoon football game. the fans are much more into this game.

Co-op --a lot of fun to play with one of your buddies. My only complaint is that co-op can only hold two players. i do not think that "not wanting to screw up our first time doing this, we only added two player support for co-op" is a valid excuse, but it's still fun.

Gameplay --pretty much the same as Madden 09, a few tweaks here and there, it's still great. the hit stick only adds more and more fun as they add new things onto it.

CONS:

The Extra Point --a cool little feature, but doesn't really add onto the game.

Commentating --one of the worst things about this game. Chris Collinsworth at least tries to do well at commentating the game, but the other commentators are absolutely horrible. it sounds like EA brought in a version of Microsoft Sam and just used that as their commentator. the commentating has never been THAT great in any sports game, but it's never been this BAD either.

Do not expect this to blow your mind. it's still same old madden with a few changes, but it still has a lot of the same problems. they took away all those brand new things, like that little Madden 09 skills test you took at the beginning of the game. they went straight back to the basics. it's not so much a bad thing, but i'd like to see them take a risk but perform well with it.

now, you may be thinking "Hey, this review is baloney! he only had two complaints about it and he only gave it three stars!" but there is one thing that really, really, ticked me off about this game. EA has been bragging about their new online franchise mode and how great it is. i'm sure it would be pretty fun. too bad i haven't played it. do you want to know why? because it costs MONEY. it says on the back cover, talking about the new online franchise mode, and its not even an actual PART of the game until you buy it. that, quite frankly, is RIDICULOUS. i pay enough as it is to buy these games, but no, they have to add on an extra 10 bucks or so. EA must be losing a lot of money (which i believe they actually are). well, now they're going to start losing a lot more money this year with their new money buyout scheme. Online franchise isn't the only thing you have to buy. if you want your player or team to rank up quicker on a harder mode, you can buy an upgrade, a dollar PER PLAYER, to get your team or superstar to rank up quicker. that's, well, no comment.

this game is pretty fun, but, unless you have that extra 10-20 dollars, it won't be worth as much to you. overall, it was a big leg up from last year, but still not as good as it should be.

Review of Wii/PS3 VGA HDTV AV Cable

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $22.89
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

GENERAL:

(PLEASE NOTE: this review is for the cable while using a PS3, I did not have a wii to test it with)

I bought this because I am deployed and I didnt want to have to buy an hdtv when I already have a 19' monitor I use for my laptop. I was pleasantly suprised at all the subtle features included with this cable. It came with a gender adapter for the cable which was a lifesaver for me because I didnt want to have to unplug the cable everytime I switched between my PS3 and Laptop. Also notable is the extension cables for the audio which even includes a headphone jack! (brilliant inclusion as far as im concerned because I can play my PS3 without waking people up!) And now the bad parts: Right away my biggest peeve was the installation. It requires you to hook the cable to a tv and your pc monitor silmantaneously when you first install it. This is frustrating mainly because they give you very little cable slack between the av plug and the vga plug. I was forced to hold the tv up with one hand and adjust the settings because I couldnt make the cords reach between the tv and monitor otherwise. And now the Ugly: Theoretically this adapter can support all the way up to 1080P. But because it is only a cable and it doesnt have its own dedicated box your images look a little washed out, the picture was also dark on both monitors I tried even after I adjusted brightness and contrast, and worst of all you have to adjust the screen with your monitor controls to make the image fit properly... something you will be doing almost every time you insert a different game or movie. 720p Gave me the best results on the two monitors I tried this cable with. (19 and 21 inch lcd monitors)

PROS:

-Cheap Solution For a Hi-Def Experience

-99% Artifact Free Image

-Inclusion of gender adapter was a nice courtesy

-Headphone jack a much appreciated add-on

-Great Value Considering you can use this for PS3 and WII

CONS:

-Image appears a little washed out, Though still noticeably improved over the regular AV cable.

-Lack of Dedicated box means you will be rescaling the image manually...often...

-Initial setup is clunky and frustrating.

-Even after adjusting you are sometimes forced to let parts of the screen be cut off.

OVERALL:

I was slightly dissapointed with the overall package. I have owned a vga adapter for Dreamcast as Well as XBX360 and both would beat the snot out of this cable. The fact that I had to manually adjust my picture every time it changed resolutions wasnt just frustrating but seemed ridiculous to me. However on the same token I am enjoying my ps3 games in high def without having to spend moolah on an hdtv. With this cable it was easy for me to switch between my stereo system or a pair of headphones which is convenient. Overall it was a decent buy for the price, but I hope some other company (or god forbid Sony themselves!) will step up and release something better in the future. Get it if you cant afford an hdtv or are short on space, etc. But if you have an hdtv handy, just spring for the official Sony Component Cables, youll be much happier I promise.

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Note this cable works to perfection for I have one etc... When using it for PS3 go to display settings and select D-terminal so you can get 720p or higher display. I would recommend to stay at 720p for 1080 i and p is not suited for a analog connection. For the Wii it works wonders just like using a regular component cable for the system. All you have to do with Wii is just hook it up correctly and it should automatically be in 480p. This device is good for consumers who would like to use their PC monitors for a high-res picture.

Pros:

Works with any PC monitor that has a VGA male input. (note that this vga cable has a female output)

Can get 720p for PS3 and 480p with Wii with no hassle

Great Picture

Cons:

Sometimes when playing certain Wii games like Call of Duty World at War and Mario Kart the screen may go black when you get killed/Hit by a explosion

Image may distort if trying to do full HD on a monitor

you may have to adjust your monitor's screen to get the right picture.

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SUMMARY:

Purchased this cable to avoid buying a tv so that I could play a Wii. Tried first on an old generic lcd monitor, and had many problems adjusting the image location on the screen. Factory reset finally centered the image, but image was still dim with full brightness and contrast.

Next tried on my main monitor, a Samsung 2253LW. Looked excellent. Audio connectors are short, but included it an extension (female rca to FEMALE 1/8 inch.) Could not get widescreen mode to show up as widescreen, input showed up as a squished widescreen image, this is more likely an signal/monitor-issue than a cable-issue. One flaw is during Mario Kart Wii, whenever someone uses the lighting weapon, the screen goes black, as if the cable cant deal with the flashing. Other than that no problems.

IN SUMMARY:

Pros:

Works well over on a newer, higher end monitor. No other options for vga input at this price. Picture clear, bugs don't disable enjoyable play.

Cons: If you plan to plug the audio through your computer's sound card, you will need an adapter (female rca to male 1/8".) Screen goes black during Mario Kart when lighting weapon is used (suspect flashing disagrees with the cable.)

Overall works well with a new monitor if you can deal with some minor bugs, if you don't have space or money for the tv, and have a nicer monitor I would recommend it.

Honest reviews on Wii/PS3 VGA HDTV AV Cable

First I want to say that this cable came with an extra headphone adapter cable, that is not shown in the picture. So EVERYTHING you need is in the box! Be warned, that you should use headphones that have volume control built into them because there will not be a way to adjust the volume without it.

Setting up for the Wii to work with the VGA cable took a couple of steps that could be a hassle for some, however this a Wii setup issue and has NOTHING to do with the cable. The directions are printed on the back and are easy to follow so Im not sure why people are having such a hard time with using this cable.

You must change an option in the Wii settings to get the Wii to display properly out of the VGA portion of the cable. Unfortunately in order for this option to be selectable, the VGA cable must be connected to something as well. Thankfully, I have a TV downstairs that has a "VGA" input, so I connected my Wii to the TV with the Green, Red & yellow heads and also connected the VGA head to the same TV. Powered up the Wii, went to settings,selected the VGA option, I don't remember the exact wording, and then the screen went dark. This indicated to me that the Wii had successfully switched to the "VGA" output mode. I powered down the Wii and it works PERFECTLY on my LCD monitor upstairs.

Shipping was fast and the packaging was top quality.

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If you need another confirmation if this will work with the Wii, it worked on mine!

Before checking Amazon, I checked with Best Buy, Fry's, and Gamestop. They all said there is no such cable for this. So I'm so glad this thing worked!

Anyway, I initially thought it wasn't going to work. I had to change the video settings on the Wii to 480p (EDTV), which was initially disabled.

Then I had to carefully re-read the instruction sheet to know what to do to enable the settings. After that, it worked on my VGA monitor flawlessly!

Hope this helps.

Best Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Xbox 360 Deals

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List Price: $19.99
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The single player is great, you wont be disappointed! Graphics are awesome, and the backdrops are very nice eye candy. You can switch out your guns for different ones of your choosing when you come across certain "special crates" scattered around any given level, which is nice because that means you can switch up your play style when YOU want too. The single player campaign is short and sweet (prob 8-10 hours play time), the story doesn't grab you like MW2's, but enjoyable none-the-less. Assuming that the bulk of people buying this game are doing so for the multiplayer, i'll move on to that and devote the rest of my review to it.

I downloaded the demo for this game a little while ago and hated it. The controls were completely different then MW2 i especially dislike that they use the right movement stick for ducking. Can't tell you how many times i try to shoot a guy and ended up ducking and shooting at the same time. So i put it away and went back to MW2, as i was playing i realized that "i hate this game", i'm at the 4th prestige and have over saturated myself with it. I cant stand the quick kill quick death formula anymore, the horrible spawn system, the team selection system, and especially the lack of team work i constantly come across. There is also the infamous "MW2 law", similar to "Murphy's Law", where anything can go wrong in a match and when it does, it always seems to happen to YOU. Ofcourse MW2 is a great game and a worthy purchase, but i personally have had my fill.

That being said, it was unfair to judge BFBC2 so quickly when i had put such an insane amount hours into MW2. So i picked it up again and gave it another shot...i was hooked! I was playing as a medic and realized that i actually wasn't focused on killing people, i was running around reviving my teammates and dropping health packs to keep them going, ofcourse i took out a few stray enemies here and there. "Wow, this is different" i thought, and when i realized how many points i was racking up i liked it even more. I"m actually HELPING my team and getting a ton of points for it. That brings me to the most important aspect of the multiplayer, you are actually encouraged to work as a team, which is a nice change of pace compared to MW2. I get just the same amount of points for shooting someone as i get for reviving them. It works beautifully.

There is a leveling up system which is similar to MW2, nothing as developed though, but there is enough there to keep you coming back for more and you do unlock different sights, guns, gadgets etc... Some are just for the particular class you use i.e medic unlocks larger health packs, but others are more general and can be used for any class, i.e heavy vehicle perks.

The first BFBC had 2 deal breakers for me. One was their crazy health system where you jam a needle into your stomach when your health got low, which ofcourse is something you would have to do 50 times a match. The other was the lack of any kind of kill cam! It's no fun being sniped over and over again and having no idea where the sniper is when you respawn. THANKFULLY, both of those deal breakers have been removed. Your health regenerates (no needle to the stomach required) and there is a kill cam, you don't actually see the enemy kill you like in MW2, but you follow them around until you respawn so you know where they are and can carry out the proper justice.

Also, locating enemies is somewhat unique to this game, when you see an enemy, you have to press the back button on your controller and then a red insignia appears over their head and they show up on your entire teams map for a brief amount of time. I can't express how gratifying it was to spot 3 snipers on a hill, press the back button, and watch them get lit up by my team rockets, bullets, you name it, it went their way. Also, you get assit kill points for things like that, again, encouraging team work.

BFBC2 is a great game, very different then MW2 but in a good way. If you need a break from MW2, give it a try, you wont be disappointed. Again, one of the most impressive things about the multiplayer is how it rewards you for team work and incourages it. If actually playing a first person shooter AS a team, not just "lone wolfin it" while you're IN a team, sounds good to you, pick this game up, you wont be dissapointed.

I gave this game 4 out of 5 stars because it's not perfect. What game is? I have experienced some issues actually getting into a multiplayer match (can't find a match, busy, error, whatever,it means that their servers are full and they can't handle it, and several matchs have ended abruptly due to server issues. But once you actually get into a match, it's a ton of fun.

FYI: Snipers, snipers, snipers! What is the deal, everyone and their Mom wants to be a sniper. It seems that atleast a third to half of the players in the game are snipers. Not sure why, they always have the least amount of points and seem to stay in one spot most of the game.......i digress. Switch it up!

***UPDATE (03/14/10)***

I've been playing this came for quite sometime (all medic, recon, and heavy vehicle upgrades have been unlocked), i must say that it has held up well, although some of its flaws are more noticeable, nothing major per say, but worth mentioning, 1st one being the most important.

1)It's much easier to be a skilled pilot then to be a skilled engineer w/the rocket launcher.

Apache helicopters with missles are extremly unbalanced. What i mean by that is it is far to easy for a skilled pilot to get an insane amount of kills, to the point of feeling unfair because it's so hard to take it down. None of the rocket launchers "LOCK" on, yes you can guide the rocket, but you can't actually "LOCK" on, which is frustrating. When playing 'rush' on the map featured in the demo (the snow map which takes place during the day), there is a powerful Apache on that map, but you're given a good amount of tanks which help with taking it down, so it's not that extreme.

But......

This unbalance issue is taken to a whole new level on the map consisting of the 3 islands (with an autumn backdrop), when you're playing 'rush', the defenders are given an EXTREMLY OVERPOWERED Apache helicopter when/if they reach the 3rd island. I've played 2 games thus far where my team was about to seal the deal and take the 3rd island when the defenders hopped in that freakin apache and annihilated everyone, it got so bad that most of my team dropped out, including myself. No point in playing any longer when you've died 5 times in a row because the apache is hovering over your spawn base firing rockets at you as you spawn in. I equipped the engineer class and so did half my team and we were shooting rocket after rocket trying to take it down, nothing was working. By my 5th death in a row, of not be alive more then 30 secs, i dropped out.

The first time it happend, it was extremly frustrating because my team was actually good, everyone was playing their role well, that's why it seemed extremely unfair.

The second time, i knew the drill at this point and gave it 5min, if it wasn't taken down in that amount of time, we dropped out. At that point, it just becomes a waste of time.

This is by far the biggest flaw i've found in the game. Basically, you've invested 20-30min to get that far in a match, then putting all player skills to the side, it boils down to who can get to the Apache first. They need to either lower the health of that particular Apache or make the rocked launcher system easier to use against it, ie-better guidance, tracking, more powerful, something! It just seems incredibility unbalanced.

2)Spawning is a lot better then MW2, but could use a bit of work.

I was playing a 'rush' match and my team was defending and we were actually able to jump the spawn base of the attackers and smother them the entire match, they didn't get to set one 'com station' off, seemed unfair for the other team, we should'nt have been able to do that.

Also, i've spawned into mortar strikes twice (spawning on a teammate), that was purely bad luck on my part though, nothing against the game.

3)Match making protocol can use some work.

I've found it useful to hit/hold the 'back button' when i first get into a match because some of the time i find that i'm put on a team that only has, let's say 7 people, compared to the other team which as 12. Or i'm put on a team where the top player has 500 pts and the other teams top player has 1600 points, usually a good measure of how "good" your team is going to be.

Again, my rating still stands, it's a great game and a ton of fun, just be aware of the 3 island map playing rush, try to get to that Apache first, if not, be ready for game over.

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It's not a bad game; in fact, it's quite good. This review is in regards to the multiplayer as I have not completed the single player yet. I'm sure most people are primarily getting the game for multiplayer like with COD.

I'm sure there will be an influx of reviews giving the game 1 star and complaining about the graphics or comparing it to MW2. Here's a few things to remember:

1) The environments are gigantic

2) There's vehicles being used all throughout the map

3) Destructible environments

What does all that mean? It means that the game just isn't going to look quite as good or have a comparable framerate as MW2. The Xbox has finite resources and when they make a game of this scale without any loading taking place during gameplay, you have to sacrifice something.

However, I wouldn't necessarily say that a sacrifice in graphics or framerate is a bad thing. When you experience the magnitude of the giant playing fields and the destruction taking place, you should be able to quickly forget all about the smooth polygons in MW2.

Probably the biggest pro for me in this game is that it encourages teamwork. In MW2, most people are just worrying about their K/D ratio and trying to complete challenges by getting the most kills. In BC2, more points are rewarded for assisting the team an completing objectives. If this is something that intrests you and you're sick of all the "lone wolves," then you should definitely check this game out.

BREAKDOWN:

GRAPHICS: 9/10

AUDIO: 10/10 (It's really quite impressive)

GAMEPLAY: 10/10

REPLAY: 10/10

TO sum it up, the graphics, gameplay and audio are really quite impressive for a game of this scale. The most important thing about this game, it's fun. I love MW2, but sometimes I just don't have fun playing it. Everyone gets so angry and frustrated and worried about their k/d ratio or getting their killstreak. In BC2, I feel like I'm just having a fun time and I'm getting a lof of points regardless of my kills. The only thing I'm worried about is trying to win the game rather than reaping carnage without purpose.

Also, the knife melee function is really sweet. It's an overhead stabbing motion that feels a lot more real and intense than in MW2.

If you're a fan of the BF series or just looking for a break from 5th prestige in MW2, you've got to check this game out.

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This game will blow you away. It is everything MW2 wasn't. Don't get me wrong, MW2 is a good shooter... but not on the same tier as BC2. I will review the multilayer aspect, because that is really all I purchased this game for. That being said, I enjoyed single-player on Bad Company 1 and expect it to be at least as good in BC2.

The maps are BIG. You don't run around a small little sandbox that has hills dividing it into separate sections that give it the impression of being bigger than it is, you run around a big map with distanced objective points. The weapons are varied, the classes are unique and all have a use in the chemistry of the team, and the game has a very balanced feel. One doesn't choose the most "powerful" class, they choose the one that they personally like the most and it all balances out from there. The gametypes remind me of BF2 for the PC. They are polished, strategic, and rewarding. Where this game really shines is that the maps have vehicles. This means you can fly a helicopter to transport people from your main base to the other locations that you want to capture. You can also drive around in Hummers, or a tank. The tanks are powerful, but a smart player can spawn as the proper class and eliminate them. Why was Modern Warfare 2 considered a good game? What other online shooters did the 360 have? None really... that is why. Sure, Halo 3, Gears, to name a couple, but in terms of "gritty-realistic" online games, there weren't many. Now that this shooter has made its appearance on the 360, I don't think there will ever be any going back.

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This game is everything MW2 isn't, everything but graphics. The graphics are good but don't beat mw2's but i would rather have a good game than a bad game. I am sick of people ruining mw2 with cheap classes, (no help to some of the game developers.)

This game eliminates that factor, no cheap KILLS! and no over powered guns A IDIOT FREE GAME!

As for the campaign; it is good, and it isn't bad in any way, it actually has a sort of plot rather than going to random areas in Modern Warfare 2 as MW2 has a LOT OF GAPS IN THE STORY. In BFBC you actually get to see some sort of explanation of what is happening during the game, like in game videos. Plus, it might just be me but i think some of the lines in bfbc are actually kind of humorous.

This game beats modern war 2 as the game developers knew what would ruin the game, such as overused, cheap perks in MW2. Plus you can use ACTUAL DESTROY-ABLE vehicles in BFBC's multiplayer mode. And it just seems more real, more natural noises, no boring maps, not like dull boring environments, and cheap respawn killing that takes place during the game. Plus, now when you shot a RPG at the building it actually gets destroyed, not in a cheap way, a very realistic way.

( i am 16 and a guy, don't look at the tag)

OVERALL GAME rating: 9.75/10

MY MW2 rating: 9.25/10

Graphics 8.75/10

Enviornment 10+/10

Weapon variety 9/10

Vehicles 10/10

longevity 9.5/10

*game is true to the price*

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First off, to let you know which FPS's I've played: all the RB6 and Ghost Recons games (GREAT games), Borderlands (GREAT game), MW2 and Black Ops (SP was good), first Halo (eh) and L4D2 (fun at first, got old quick). Of these, only ones I played MP were MW2, BLOPS and RB6. Not the mose extensive gameplay but enough to know when I found a winner. BC2 has EVERYTHING!!!!! Mind you, I never played any of the previous titles from the BF series but wish I did, they were mainly PC games but I'm only console, didnt have money to shell out for a gaming PC. I guess the best one to compare to is what everybody and their mother compares to and thats MW2/BLKOPS and folks, its not even close!!!! The maps in BC2 are ridiculous!!!! easily 4-5 times bigger than any map on the other 2 games. The graphics arent even close either, the detail to the BC2 maps is insane. and did I mention destructible maps!!!! OMG, this had to be my biggest thing that split the to games apart. no place is safe to hide as a noob tube, a tank shell, or RPG can take u out of ur hiding place and into ur grave with the quickness if u aint careful. Plus riding the vehicles, Black ops has a lil remote control car, gimme a break!!! BC2 lets u drive tanks, helis, speed boats, dune buggies, etc!!!! and each has its purpose, its just not filler. and the sounds in this game, the guns are off da hook. Nothing sounds so good as a sniper rifle cracking the wind as its shot, or its bullet whizzing by u if the sniper missed. even the players in the game, everybody is yelling and saying things, what, u think war is a bunch of ppl running around quiet!!! the 4 classes each serve a purpose and u decide on ur play style or whats needed for the situation at hand, any true player in this game will tell you that not one class is overpowered, everyone has a strength and a weakness, cant say that bout MW2 aka sniper paradise. but best of all, this game is all bout strategy and gameplay, no run and gun here or u wont last 5 minutes. this game promotes teamwork, especially in the Rush mode, without it, u will lose. and best of all, this game rewards u for team work by giving each class a "job" to help the team out. kill streaks serve no purpose here so keep ur nukes, u win in BC2, ur team earned it, thats why I feel this game is WAY more realistic and the "truest" war sim out there, even when you kill or get killed, the ragdoll doll effects of the body, especially after an explosion, are entertaining. and I believe thats why so many blk ops ppl put the game down, because of the challenge it takes to play. youtube it and any of the pro gamers will tell u that BC2 is more satisfying for the level of degree it takes to play this game. the ONLY drawback I see to this game that is better on MW2 is the SP mode is horrible on BC2 and dat depending on what weapon u use, it sometimes feels like u are using a full clip to kill someone in BC2 as opposed to fewer bullets in blkops but to me, dat is WAAAAY too minor with all the other pluses this game has. Blkops is ok but step your game up and play a game that will get u addicted, ur family and friends will hate u cuz all u wanna do is play this game....

Reviews of Axis & Allies - PC

Customer Ratings:

If you ever talked to my friends they know me for me a first person shooter type gamer. I can't deny it but i like to branch out sometimes. Before i got my xbox 360, this was the game i always played except for halo combat evolved. I was confused with the idea of a strategy game but i got the hang of it real quick. This was my first strategy game and i loved it. I would spend hours playing it because of all the ways to play it. Between infinite money option, full enemy and ally views to see everything, and randomized maps it was awesome. I did make a stupid decision in letting my friend borrow it and i never got it back. Staples ran out of copies so i looked to amazon for a new copy and amazon wans't selling it(they need to its a good priced game for only 10 bucks). So i finally found a copy by a different seller that was fulfilled by amazon which seemed good enough for me because it works the same as buying it from amazon. They give you free shipping with it. I love axis and allies and many gamers should get there hands on it.

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This is a really good RTS game and pretty engaging. Of the WWII RTS games that are out there I've tried most of them, CoH is still probably the best but Axies and Allies lets you play against all factions and is more along the lines of Command and Conquer than CoH. Overall the game has a bit more base building and supply line concerns than those in favor or rapid attack RTS games may like. But I prefer building up base locations and putting down artillery and machine gun nests. There are quite a few additions/subtractions that could make this game more interesting, but overall it's a fun game to play. And worth the time. The individual campaigns are fun, or you can move into world map mode which I think they intended to be like the board game. Either are fun.

The best part is that you play all sides (American, British, German, Russian, Japanese)...I don't know of any other RTS that as a stand alone game offers that.

There are some parts of the game which can be unnerving. You can't build ships, so you work with what they give you. DDay can be excruciating to figure out as the German lines are so long their armor just keeps rolling around messing up any foothold you try to gain (sort of unrealistic given how they held their panzers back on DDay). You can build nukes in the Japanese campaign, but they don't do as much damage as you'd suppose an actual nuke would. Airplanes are kind of limited in their actual use in this game, more control over airfield building would have been better and infantry units at times can be garbage compared to the mechanized units.

Overall the game is fun though, certainly one I keep in my library to play when I'm bored. I don't know of an RTS that has attempted to take on so many theaters with so much actual RTS development. I wish they'd release a second edition of this game, as I don't know of any games that successfully have allowed you to play the Japanese in RTS (aside from boring Pacific Fleet games) or the Russians, though I suppose CoH2 comes out this month. This game has a combination of all. The game is fairly polished as well. I will say that the complaints about how this isn't like the board game are just dumb, it's an actual RTS game with the board game's name. Read what a game is before you buy it thinking it's going to be a board game for your computer, RTS is way different.

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I like real-time strategy, but I actually wanted the board game too. If you wanted the board game, try under board games. If you like real time strategy, this one is good, pick it up.

Honest reviews on Axis & Allies - PC

Having tried to learn the boardgame (and giving up pretty complex) I came across the electronic version here... I was hoping it would be similair to the boardgame (with the computer handling remembering all the rules) and what I got was a real-time strategy. I was expecting it to be turn-based still, but what it does, it does pretty well.

The game is a few years old now, so it's not cutting edge graphics but has held up pretty good over the years. There's sooo many different units to build and send off to war... The included maps have kept me busy for hours, and the enemy AI is pretty good. The most fun has been playing with a friend and taking on the computer players. Definetly worth the ~$8 I paid for it... would definetly encourage friends to pick it up to have some LAN fun.

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Excellent!!! Lots of fun. I lost the code to my last one and ordered a new one I love it so much!

Caladrius Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Caladrius is a shmup from developer Moss (known most notably for Raiden 3-4). You fly a ship from an overhead view, shoot enemies with a variety of weapons, and dodge bullets to stay alive. This game is region locked; I use a Japanese 360 to play it.

The cool feature in Caladrius is weapon variety; the game lets you choose between several characters, and each one has four unique weapons. In addition to your standard shot (which has a unique spread for each character), they each get three elemental weapons. Most of these are offensive, however some have defensive properties as well to absorb or deflect enemy bullets. These each have their own power gauge that depletes as you use them.

Elemental shots recharge when not in use, or collect certain items to give them a boost. Also available are bombs, which clear the screen of bullets and do good damage to all on-screen enemies, and a "burst" attack that uses all of your elemental powers in a grand display of fireworks.

Each of these attacks gets a separate button, although you can also activate a burst attack by pushing multiple elemental buttons at the same time. Take care not to accidentally trigger bursts this way if you want to conserve energy.

The scoring system is easy to understand: defeat enemies with any of your elemental shots to raise a multiplier, and avoid getting hit which resets it. This is held in check by your limited use of elemental shots. Elemental shots typically won't recharge fast enough to keep using them non-stop unless you're doing a good job of finding all the recharge items in the stage. In a pinch, you can weaken large enemies with standard shot and the finish them off with an elemental shot for the same benefit. Also adding to your score are point items released by enemies, which add to an end-of-stage bonus, and raise a meter that awards powerups between stages.

Also hidden in the stages are small purple crystals which award an extra life once you collect enough, and towers that award bonus points (Moss shows their heritage here as they are very similar looking to Raiden DX).

Boss fights are huge and very cool, with multiple hit locations you can damage and destroy independently. Certain attack points will release a hidden item, so experimentation here is useful. Destroying the boss quickly results in a "cutin break" which gives extra point items and some alternate boss graphics. Interestingly enough, enemies can do this to you as well if you die while holding several point items.

As you finish the game with each character, you unlock their elemental shots for customization. This is where the game gets even more awesome! When starting a game, after you select a character you are given a choice to take their default weapons or to customize. You can mix and match any weapons from any character you've finished the game with. You can go all-out with powerful offensive weapons, go defensively with a bunch of anti-bullet shields, or any combination in between. There's a lot to try out an experiment with here. Also note there are two DLC characters, if you want to splurge a bit and increase your weapon variety further.

The difficulty selections offer a good variety of easy and hard modes. On normal or higher, don't expect to pass boss fights unhurt the first time you see them. The very easy setting, on the other hand, lives up to its name and makes most enemy bullets destructible. Caladrius has an extra stage if you can finish the game without using any continues, so practicing the game is definitely worth it.

Caladrius is a very fun game that's fully customizable, with lots of bonus content and artwork to unlock as you play it more. If you have the ability to play Japanese games on your 360 and are interested in shmups, this is a great buy.

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I'm a lifelong (34 years) shmup fan, so I thought it would be appropriate for me to write a review on Caladrius seeing as nobody else has yet. First off, the game is region locked to Japan/Asian XBOX 360's, make sure you have one or you won't be able to enjoy the game.

Now, for the game itself. What a terrific little surprise this was. The game plays like a cross between the developers other shooter Raiden IV and (in my opinion) the excellent Radiant Silvergun. Instead of just a shot/bomb system, you also have three unique elemental shot types for each character, essentially making this a six button shooter (rare these days). Score multipliers depend on the use of these elemental shots so it's important to manage each effectively (they run out/auto replenish once they drop to zero). Chaining shots together while keeping an eye on your resources is part of the excellent gameplay challenges you can experience if you are a more hardcore shooter fan. The boss battles are lengthy and feature some of the best visual designs I've seen in a long time. Bullet patterns change and sweep across the screen and require you to use your elemental attacks in creative ways to protect yourself. The music is beautiful (sort of upbeat/classical/goth) and the graphics are superb. Lots of color and unique environments. For less hardcore players, the game features a cute storyline and easier difficulty modes if you aren't concerned with scoring and just want to play to see the "end".

Also worth noting is a separate DLC music pack featuring a total redo of the game's music (even menus) in an old school 8-bit soundtrack. It's AWESOME. a little pricey but definitely fun for people looking to customize a bit.

Moss created a great little surprise here, Caladrius definitely flew under my radar but I'm very glad I picked it up. My only complaints about the game are that you can't switch to a vertical orientation for vertical monitors (like you can with most 360 shmups ala Dodonpachi/Mushihimesama). But it's a minor gripe.

If you are interested in the shmup genre or are a hardcore fan, this is a great title. (I bought mine new on EBay for far less than Amazon is charging...look around before you plop down the cash).