Review of Galactic Wrestling Ultimate Muscle - PlayStation 2

Customer Ratings:

Good game...reminds me of the tv show alot...very simple controls with great cel shaded graphics...if you are a wrestling game player then this is a must play

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kinda fun game. It takes awhile to getting used to. Totally different than any other wrestling game out there. But it is still fun to play

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If you like Muscle toys, etc you'll probably like this game. I like that they have some custom dialoge for certain match-ups. It's easy to pick-up but not as in depth as other wrestling games is why I advise it for fans of the toy mostly. I had fun unlocking everything & playing every character to see which characters I could get on the top 10 records which I filled.

Good fun but will sit on your shelf after a short enough time. Try to get it for under $10.00 & you should be happy.

Honest reviews on Galactic Wrestling Ultimate Muscle - PlayStation 2

The game brings back a lot of memories and the graphics are actually pretty great. The condition of the game was good and the buying experience could not have been better!

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This is fun, cool, I like it. I can play this all day over and over. My book of mystery challenges is almost complete. Now I play for fun and traveling, make my own moves. This got me started to collect any related type of games. NL

Discount X360 Slim Vault - Gundam White

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List Price: $59.99
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Fits perfects. Increases ventilation and the controller hook is a nice touch. Very please with my purchase. Hopefully they'll make next gen cases

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First off, a screw to mount the controller holder was missing. No big deal, only needs 2-3 really to hold it in place. Next, I noticed it was made of fairly cheap plastic. I was expecting this to be a bit more sturdier with the name "vault" slapped on it. I also feared it not fitting properly as I put the casing on, but it proved to fit just snug after I was done.

Overall, despite the few negative things I saw... I actually like it a lot. This is definitely for someone who's looking for a touch of aesthetic appeal & a space saver. Which was exactly what I was looking for. So 4/5 seems fair overall.

If you're thinking of purchasing this product. Ask yourself if you REALLY think it'd be useful. If your answer is "yes", get it.

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i really just needed something to stabilize the system, as kids in the house tend to get rambunctious. for that its great. The color really makes the system stand out and goes great with the surrounding decor.

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This is a great item to have if you fear your xbox being knocked over, potentially causing damage. Good for homes with kids and pets.

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Got his for Christmas. My kids (all three of them) like this very much. it gives the Xbox stability which is a very good thing.

Also the price was right.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Xbox 360 Reviews

Customer Ratings:

You know, it's amazing that in this day and age, you can have a game with spectacular graphics and unbelievable surround sound and the game is just.... blah.

I mean, graphically Lost Planet is pretty nice. Beautiful, actually. There are some boss battles that are pretty astounding in how they are presented. There's one moment at the very beginning where a creature named Green Eye appears and the size of this thing is enough to make your jaw drop. There's also another moment when you're running across an open field getting chased by this monstrous worm thing that is an experience on its own. This is definitely a game that benefits from being played on an HDTV setup with surround sound.

But then the story kicks in and you can't deny that it makes very little sense, not to mention the fact that the hero of the story is really not an interesting character to begin with. The gameplay itself is a bit repetitive and really, the game just amounts to little more than eye and ear candy. Even when you're not on foot and riding around in the mechs, it just doesn't add up to any memorable experience.

The online portion of the game isn't enough to make you want to play it a lot, especially with games like Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas out there. It's kind of stale and just not that interesting.

I'm really down the middle on this game. I'd say that it's worth a rental and then if you like it, get it. I wouldn't call this an outright purchase as it just didn't grab me the way I would've expected it to.

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This game has amazing graphics and is really a lot of fun to play. So this is not a negative review, plus I have yet to use the Xbox live component, which I have heard is impressive. However, as far as the single player mode is concerned, the game is weak on a few fronts and you might want to rent it before buying

1.) The story is really crappy lame dialogue pointless missions and undeveloped characters. The developers were going for Sci-Fi action, but the storyline comes out as Anime. The characters are completely forgettable and in most cases annoying.

2.) The missions, and there are not too many of them, are simple and Boss-oriented. They all seem to follow the same formula ascend corridor -> fight boss, climb ridge -> fight boss

3.) The game is not strategic or tactical like Gears of War or COD. This is a "run-and-gun" shooter -that is there is not much "taking cover" or flanking and a lot of running around and circle strafing bosses.

So while this game is fun, you might want to rent for the 3 reasons above. Plus you could probably play through this game in a couple of nights. If you don't intend to use the multiplayer options (online only no split screen) you might want to rent or pick it up used.

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At the time of its release, Lost Planet was arguably the most hyped game from CAPCOM since Dead Rising blew the minds of many, myself included. While it boasts a load of potential it is ruined by a horribly fiddly control system.

Thrown into a cliched revenge story on a desolate ice-covered planet, we quickly learn the importance of a well thought-out control system. Sadly, this is what makes the game so painful; if it wasn't for the controls this game would have a lot going for it. The main problem is that the right analog stick controls your direction, but if you tap it quickly you spin quickly in that direction. So if you're facing one direction and tap down, you'll turn 180 degrees. What this means though, is if you're trying to aim at something and just want to adjust your site very slightly and you just tap the right stick, you're suddenly facing a completely different direction, which makes for VERY frustrating boss fights. And the control settings aren't modifiable! At least not the problematic ones anyway.

Most of the game involves action on foot or controlling mech warrior style machines called Vital Suits which are actually pretty cool. There are different types of machines to keep things interesting. Your character also possesses a Batman style grappling hook which is pretty cool but overall the gameplay really suffers due to the controls.

The graphics are very nice, with large, explorable environments with finely detailed snow and fog. The enemies vary in their quality but typically the bosses are very detailed. There are some very nice fire and lighting effects as well so overall the graphics are really very good.

But when it really comes down to it, the controls RUIN this game. It's probably even more disappointing because you can see the games potential as well. It's like when you meet a really hot girl and you start getting along with her great and then she says she has a boyfriend.

Honest reviews on Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Xbox 360

Lost Planet Extreme Condition is a classic run-and-gun game set on a frozen planet. This isn't a game of stealth or strategy. You see, you shoot, you move on.

There is a plot here but it's really best to ignore it. You, a young teen guy, are battling either ice monsters or other clans of pirates. Sometimes you fight both simultaneously. Missions in essence tell you "go here, kill everything".

Part of the fun is that you get to fight both on foot and inside a mech, hopping in and out whenever the whim takes you. This gives you a nice variety of weapons to choose from. Now, I have to comment that for a space-age distant planet colony, these weapons seem pretty modern times. You would think they would have progressed to laser cannons and plasma rifles as their sole weapons by now. I do like the grapple hook, though. It gave a fun, Zelda-like aspect to many of the levels.

To add to the arcadey feel, your health naturally depletes over time and the only way to stay alive is to collect replenishing energy. Silly? Perhaps. But no more silly than most other arcade games and the reasons they give for you to collect objects.

What's really impressive here is the way that large enemies seem "massive". You really get the sense that these are giant, ponderous beasts with weight and heft. The designers did a good job with enemy design and boss battles. From the small, intricate flying beasties to the larger main enemies, each creature is enjoyable to fight. Speaking of Zelda, you even get Goron-like rolling rock monsters.

But, to diverge into the storyline for a brief moment, isn't it a bit troubling that man-kind has decided to land on a super-snowy (i.e. not ideal) planet and when it found indigenous life there decided that the appropriate action was therefore to wipe it all out? Surely if we're going to be on a hostile-environment planet anyway, we could find one without current inhabitants ...

I also wish they had in-home multiplayer. Playing online on XBox Live is all fine and good, but with the relatively short built in missions, I'd really like to play co-op with a friend against them, and crank it up to super hard. That would be a ton of fun. I love playing this type of game multiplayer co-op, and for them to not even have that as an option seems a great shame.

So a nice start but I'd like to see a Lost Planet 2 with a better plotline, better weapons, and co-op play.

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I put Lost Planet: Extreme Condition on my wish list because it looked like Gears of War crossed with Robotech, featuring giant mecha and tiny soldiers battling huge monsters in a frozen environment. That's more or less what I got.

Our hero, Wayne Holden (modeled after Byung-hun Lee and voiced in English by Josh Keaton), loses his father to a giant Akrid known as Green Eye. When the archvillain of the game is chiefly known by the color his eyes, it's an indicator that perhaps the translation isn't perfect. Or to put it another way, we don't call Godzilla "Flaming Mouth."

Anyway, Wayne wakes up on the same frozen planet, rescued by the tasty purple-haired Luka (Christina Puccelli) and her aggravating little brother Rick (Justin Shenkarow). Rick's one of those characters who always wears goggles, as if they're surgically affixed to his face. He's a staple of anime, the energetic techie that tags along with the hot chick to make her more effective, since said hot chick doesn't seem to do a whole lot besides make poor fashion choices.

Yuri (Andrew Kishino), who looks like a villain, complete with narrow gaze and white hair, leads Luka and Rick. With Wayne joining their merry band, they're ready to go out into the frozen world and steal stuff.

They're Ice Pirates...sorry, I mean Snow Pirates. Well, not really they're actually the Rebels to NEVEC's Empire, battling on Hoth...

Wait, this isn't the Empire Strikes Back?

Which review is this? Lost Planet? Oh yeah, right.

Sorry, sorry, my attention wandered from the convoluted plot. It involves Wayne losing his memory, a bit of time travel, a weird glowy thing attached to his arm that powers the mecha (sorry, VIRTUAL SUITS...can't the anime community agree on a standardized term for these bloody things?), some rivalry between Luka and some other mannish-sound woman, and another bad guy (we know he's bad because he wears glasses) who wants to take...over...THE WORLD! MUAAHAHAHAHA!

This is a mech game masquerading as a third-person shooter. Wayne plods along, even when there's no snow. He stumbles when he jumps. Fortunately, he has a grappling hook that fires from his wrist and never manages to dislocate his arm. I ended up shooting the grappling hook at a lot of stationary objects and dragging Wayne along like a slower, dumber version of Spider-Man.

The other challenge is that Wayne requires heat to live. Fortunately, the Akrid provide it, which really motivates Wayne to kill them however he can. There are also huge vats of energy lying around that are just waiting to be shot up. What doesn't make nearly as much sense is why Wayne has to power up his heat energy when he's indoors. Or in a volcano. Seriously.

The Akrid are beautiful to behold. They are all weird, squiggly bug-types, each unique and varied and most of all HUGE. Lost Planet revels in the size of the landscape, throwing giant worms and massive moths at you as you struggle with poor mini-Wayne to get to a mech. Once you're in a mech, the game becomes much more fun, because you can move faster than a snail's pace and blow things up much more effectively.

The human opponents, also in mechs and on foot, are annoying and suffer from the I MUST SHOUT SOMETHING BEFORE I DIE syndrome. Every time. When you kill a lot of these guys, the slogans and rallying cries get old. The Akrid bosses, who don't speak, make up for it.

In fact, the game is all about the bosses. Each is innovative, challenging, and terrible to behold. However, Lost Planet is a game of attrition; on the longer levels it carries over the energy you collected in the beginning. Since heat energy and damage are tied together, failing to get enough energy or taking too much damage in an earlier part of the game can make a boss battle impossible. I had to restart two levels from scratch until I got it right.

But Lost Planet is addicting. I played it on hard and all of the boss battles were very close. Two of the boss fights ended with Wayne going through two mecha, a handful of grenades and a missile launcher. Now THAT'S a fun game!

Discount Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
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I wanted to try to offer a more critical review than the either glowing 5-stars or completely ignorant 1-stars. I will preface this by saying I got this game for a little less than half price from a friend, the day after release. I will get to the reasoning for that shortly. Game is WELL worth the price I paid, however if I had paid full price...I'm not sure I would feel the same. The lack of matchmaking in Co-Op, and some poor multiplayer choices are what prevents this game from being so much more.

I have not gotten very far into the single player, so I cannot comment too much on it. As others have said the story will definitely not blow you away, but I feel the gameplay is enough to make up for this. The tactical/stealth ability is enjoyable to play, but you can also use a run and gun style of gameplay if that is what you prefer.

Guerrilla mode is an awesome addition. I can't help but love any type of "horde" game mode (zombies/survival/you name it). However, as others have mentioned, the lack of matchmaking for the Co-Op game modes is a HORRENDOUS oversight. There is no justifiable reason to make the Co-Op modes strictly invite only, and is easily deserving of a one star reduction.

Now to the multiplayer. Overall thoroughly addictive and enjoyable gameplay. GR veterans will find that although it is definitely a departure from the series, there are little details that will bring back fond memories. The graphics may be viewed as slightly under par with other recent releases, but the game looks amazing on my screen, and the realism of character movement is impressive. I will say that it is NOT an easy game to play, and those who can't pick up on the style will be smacked around mercilessly. I count this as a pro and a con. I personally love the extensive use of cover style of play, however that is the style you MUST play in. Any thought of not adapting to this style will result in a completely unenjoyable game experience. For those who dig it, you can become a veritable killing machine once you pick it up. Unfortunately, you will find that this style can (sometimes) result in a total deluge of campers, who would rather sit behind a concrete barrier and wait for passersby than to actually get up and go after the objective.

The multiplayer cons are what bring the game down most for me, and also the reason that I was able to get the game so cheaply. In the GRAW games the host was able to choose the map, time limit, and weapon kit. This is gone. I'm sure private games still allow map and time selection, but the kit option is gone entirely. What you get is a choice to vote for one of two maps. Way to dumb it down Ubi. For those who are new to the GR series this may not mean much, but to the veterans, especially from GRAW I and II, this is everything. If you played GRAW II recently you would be lucky to find a sharpshooter (team deathmatch) player game running, but you could ALWAYS find a Pistols Only Blind Siege ranked game. These were/are the hardcore players who still played the game years after release. Kit selection is gone, blind siege is gone, sharpshooter is gone. Some have said that team deathmatch would be added, but why would it not be included in the game upon release? It makes no sense, and leads to one star reviews with people whining about "no team deathmatch?". Some will mock those who say that, but the fact remains that team deathmatch is the industry standard. To leave it out, or to intend for it to be in the game but not upon release, just makes no sense. The load times can also be extremely long at times, and I have had issues with losing connection to the server before loading the lobby and after entering the game.

I will be getting more into the singleplayer and Co-Op modes, and will edit/update this review as necessary. I was really hoping for this game to be a home run, but it is more like a double. Worth checking out, but I would rent or try to check out the gameplay first, so you know what you are buying.

* Update 6/01/2012 *

Single player is a little too linear as compared to previous GR games, but I enjoy it. The rendering of human faces in cut-scenes is really, really poor, as mentioned by others. Like they spent so much time making characters with masks look bad*** that they completely forgot about those not wearing masks or helmets.

I love the multiplayer experience in this game, however, major server issues are dragging it down. Almost constant issues with losing connection to servers, host migrations, lobbies that won't start, and lag that is absolutely ridiculous. I've shot a guy with two full clips who didn't even seem to notice my presence, and then he dies ten seconds later. No exaggeration. Hopefully they will get these issues ironed out in the coming weeks. It should also be pointed out that the info on Amazon states 16 player multiplayer or 8v8, when this is not the case; the multiplayer is 12 maximum.

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You can't compare this game to CoD, Battlefield or really any other FPS. If you absolutely need a comparison, it's a less sci-fi version of Gears mixed with a dash of SOCOM.

The controls are excellent, the campaign is lengthy enough 8 hours in but don't know how much more is left.

Guerrilla mode is fantastic different missions on each map, with up to 4 player co-op. Difficulties range from Recruit (easy) to Veteran (medium) and Elite (hard). I would start with Recruit if you're new to the Ghost Recon universe. Veteran is a decent challenge out of the gate. Elite was much too difficult for the party I was in, but I don't know if that was inexperience in the players, or if the difficulty was scaled by the number of people in the party. Still a great game mode.

Multiplayer is the "meat" of the game (with Guerrilla getting the prestigious "potatoes.") The game modes vary depending on if you have a uPlay account (stupid, but I don't take off stars it came with MY game, so I have a complete experience. The used purchasers may say otherwise...)

The four different modes are all unique enough that you have a different playing style for each Conflict is an objective mode, random objective locations, and respawns. Decoy is a game mode (one that I really enjoy) where there are 3 listed objectives, but 2 are decoys, and one is the actual target both the defenders and attackers don't know which is designated as the actual objective. Once that is found, there is another final objective to be hacked before the round is won. Respawns and emphasis on teamwork. Saboteur is a mode where you take one bomb on the map, and try to plant it in the other teams base. I haven't played but 3/4 games of this mode, but from what I did play, it was good fun. Siege is best described as a "Search and Destroy" clone no respawns, objective based, best of three rounds. I love that Seige allows the defenders to set up before allowing the attackers to spawn in at the beginning. It requires and rewards teamwork.

Gunsmith is a fan-freaking-tastic layer to the game. You basically get to customize almost every part of your gun barrel, stock, trigger, optics etc. The combinations are excellent. You earn unlock points in each class by leveling up, and most unlocks are available at the very beginning. You can test out each specific part of the modifications in the firing range right in Gunsmith, and it loads almost immediately, so you don't spend forever waiting at a loading screen just to see if you like the red-dot versus the Holo sight, or other various things.

No major gripes about the game just yet and I'll edit if they become apparent.

One very minor gripe there's a map (I don't know the name yet) but it went a little too far on the obstructed vision aspect. I get that it's probably very similar to what it would look like in an actual sand storm, but it doesn't mesh well with the gameplay. Every little while, everything pauses while everyone is blinded. Realistic? Probably. Fun? "meh."

4.5/5 Rounded to 5.

TL;DR great addition to the Ghost Recon family, definitely worth picking up (new better than used) and nothing major to complain about. Note: I've heard a few complaints "in-game" during multiplayer where people thought it was an FPS it's not, it's a Third Person (over the shoulder) Shooter.

Thanks!

Edit: 5-25-12. Major network issues. I get that it's only 3 days post launch, but the "ghost" kills, host migrations, unable to find players, and general in-match lag are very detrimental to the experience. It's not every match, but it's every couple. This should have been addressed after the beta.

Minus 1 star. 3.5/5 rounded to 4

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I recommend those who are tired of COD and/or Battlefield to invest the money for TC's Ghost Recon FS. I took a gamble on buying it and so far I am not at all disappointed. This game is so refreshing to play and so different compared to the senseless run and gun monotony of the latter games. Although this game claims to be more tactical than it actually is, you will not be disappointed with the campaign. I cannot really say too much on multiplayer or guerrilla mode since I haven't played them yet, however I would definitely give the game a solid 8.5/10 when it comes to fun and game play.

Some comments on the campaign. The story is pretty dull and lacks a decent plot or captivating dialogue, but this is easily overcome by the game play and style. It keeps you engaged and wanting to perform better in each situation. You can play each situation as tactical as possible, or simply barge in guns blazing where allowed. Certain levels will make you play tactically in which you cannot reveal yourself (which honestly just makes it way more exciting).

In terms of the difficulty of the game, I would have to say it was fairly easy. I played Veteran mode (which is medium in this game) and was able to complete it within 10 hrs. A solid 10 hrs might I add though.

I may have not included too many details on the game itself or its technicalities, but in all honesty pick this one up. You will feel a sigh of relief from all the tension of COD and/ Battlefield, not to mention that it is full 4 player co-op for campaign, guerrilla, and multiplayer.

This just means that if you have friends over your house or friends online who have the game, you will have way more fun playing thru campaign or any other game mode without having to worry about the stuff you have to worry about with other non-coop shooters.

I will admit though that paying $60 may not be fully worth the amount of content in this game, but either way if you are tired of all other FPS out there, you will not feel so burdened letting go of the money. If you do not have that much to front on a game that didn't need millions of dollars to be spent on marketing, then simply wait for used copies at lower prices.

Overall, this game is an excellent, fun, co-op, TPMS (third person military shooter) that will not let you down. You will probably end up playing through the campaign once by yourself and then multiple times with friends since it only gets more fun and satisfying as you get better.

Honest reviews on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier - Xbox 360

I picked up the game last night and absolutely love it. Cover system is the best out of every game I have played so far, third person (with first person zoom) adds a new dimension to the genre, and overall, Ghost Recon is an amazing game. Possibly one of the best features is that every mode, including the 12 hour campaign and 15 hour guerrilla mode, includes Co-op, which for me, makes the game even better. I love call of duty and battlefield, but this game is so refreshing. You actually have to play extremely tactically and if you are tired of the sometimes irritating and boring run and gun gameplay of duty and battlefield, you should definitely pick up this game. Kudos to Ubisoft

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This game has been a major disappointment. I bought it three days ago, but decided to write this review before finishing it to make people aware of some serious shortcomings.

I love most games that borrow Tom Clancy's name, and that was part of the reason to buy this one. I do play a lot of multiplayer, but a great part of my multiplayer is at home on a split screen (also online).

The menu is a mess. It takes a while to find what you want, and what you cannot find, it takes a long time to figure out why. I go into campaign to find the co-op campaign, and it is simply not there. What happened here is the following:

although the box is very misleading specifically stating there is a two player co-op that does not need live (orange color coded on the back), this does not include the campaign but just a little add-on.

furthermore, the greedy producers added a code to play anything multiplayer online. The gae comes with one code, but that brings the added problems. If you play in a different console, it is gone. Two players in your house nope. Have to buy more codes. If for one reason you buy it used nope, have to buy code.

Now, a 60 dollar game that you cannot truly play the campaign with someone in your house, despite the misleading box clearly stating you can is just a waste.

The campaign itself, alone or online with someone else that has a code, is good and fun, but nothing spectacular.

Multiplayer can be fun, but the menus are confusing and difficult to use even for someone that is on xbox live on a daily basis.

I am actually sick and tired of expensive games that require you to keep purchasing and paying more for every little thing that should be included. After this game I will never buy a ubisoft game again.

Review of Madden NFL 10 - Xbox 360

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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.

Buy Kinectimals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $10.99
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

Kinectimals is structured and directed more to a younger audience. My 5 year old daughter is addicted! The game is however quite inviting to the older generation, especially when I see how much my kid was enjoying her new pet!

Kinectimals isn't too advance in the form of a Sims game, but you do get to teach your pet several tricks (i believe there is like 10). You teach your pet to do tricks by performing them yourself, and after he/she has learned the trick you can either perform the trick so your kinectimals will mimic you or you can just give voice commands. Also, you have to show your pet love--to do this you will take care of it by petting it, congratulating it, brushing it, playing fetch or with other toys, buying accessories for it, and more! All these actions help build up a type of discovery meter, the more you do with your pet the more the discovery meter builds up and in turn the more of the map/island you discover. The more you discover, the more you unlock!

There isn't much of an actual storyline, except for the introduction you get on how everything came about and how the previous pet owner (some pirate/captain) left many years ago. Overall, your main objective is to eventually discover the whole island and defeat mini games on the way. You can also, use a magnifying glass to scope out your surroundings in the meantime to look for buried hidden treasures.

The mini games are creative and fun but a little bit repetitive. They utilize the same games but dress them up differently so they appear different. "Bumble" the guide of the game, a half bee/half mouse looking animal, flies around talking and sometimes I found to be quite annoying. There is a marketplace within furr town which you can purchase items from all the discovery points you receive. The items sold there can be used to decorate the interior of your home, accessorize your pet, etc etc etc.

My daughter and I are still discovering the island and the game for now, but I will post more as more comes. I believe this is a great game and great buy if you have a child in the age range of 5 15. But, if you are just an adult looking for a Kinect game for yourself, you will find yourself bored with the title quicker then a child would be. I only played a few times, and don't care to play to much more except for letting my daughter play.

*For people who are wondering if you can buy the plush animals and use them over multiple gamertags--well you can! The scan card on the plush animal isn't unique in any way and can be scanned multiple times to any gamertag.

**For people who have pre-order bonus codes for exclusive animals (i.e. the gamestop exclusive red-n-black tiger), after redeeming the code and downloading the content, the game will not let you choose the red-n-black tiger from the start. You must pick any animal, and after you leave the bonding circle to head towards your home...a pop up message will show up in the top left corner of your screen alerting you of a new friend in furr town. That will be your red-n-black tiger.

***For achievement hunters, the achievements on this game are extremely easy to get because this game wasn't made very challenging at all.

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I was astounded when Gametrailers gave this game an 8.5 rating and immediately had to pick it up for myself and my son. He is in love with this game and cannot stop talking about his pet Bengal tiger cub in which he affectionately named Patrick. Yes, he watches too much Spongebob.

The visuals are breath-taking; I didn't expect the game to look this polished as a launch title. The gameplay is fun; you go around learning and teaching your pet new tricks while playing mini-games and unlocking new sections of your island. It has some mystery involved, but nothing too advanced that my son can't handle.

I highly recommend this game to ANYONE with children, it's a must have.

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Most video games seem to be made for older kids, but not Kinectimals. My daughter and her friends absolutely love playing this game. In fact I have to ration their playing time because they could play for hours if I let them. The interaction is great and the interface is easy to learn, even for little kids. Definitely glad I decided to purchase this game what surprised me is that I also found it fun to play with my daughter.

Honest reviews on Kinectimals

OkayI am a 29 year old male, and I have no childrenyet I still played through this game. Why?because out of the many Kinect games I had the opportunity to try (I work in the game industry, and have the chance to play a lot of games), this stood out as something creative and appealing in a new way. Sure, virtual pet games are nothing new, but in the case of Kinectimals, the body motion driven interaction really adds something to the concept. Also, the execution and presentation of this game are very nice. I was honestly just refreshed to see a game that was clearly designed for kids, but wasn't rushed or lazy feeling. Oftentimes, games for children tend to be pretty... meh... like, the reasoning is that kids won't know any better; they won't realize that the graphics are mediocre or that the design is bad. But here, you have something that was approached with far more care, and even adults will enjoy it.

The game structure is very simple, and quite forgiving if you only want to 'finish' the story; the only real challenge lies in obtaining a few of the gold medals in the various contests.

Overall, this is a great game for families and kids. It is engaging, entertaining, appealing to look at and listen to, and manages to be fun yet non-violent/aggressive (which is pretty hard to do in game design).

If the idea of this looks good to you already, don't worrygo ahead and pick it up, it is very well done.

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If you have a little boy or girl, you can't go wrong with this game. It's probably the best Kinect game next to Dance Central. The game is easy for anyone to jump into. My 7yo learned everything it had to offer in about an hours time. She has never been so addicted to a game before. It gets them off the couch, and is a very active game. Lots of kicking, rolling, running and jumping. Considering it's a launch game, I was very impressed how in depth and how much the player was able to do. Besides the kinect motions itself, what really impressed me was how great this game looks. It's obviously the best looking pet game in existence and kids will fall in love with these furry funny felines as soon as the game starts. It's a good mesh of taking care of your pet and setting off a big adventure with your pet on this tropical island. I myself find myself playing it a little bit and I was amazed how much I enjoyed it.

The only down side with the game is that the controls can be frustrating for little ones and patience is the key. The kicking of the ball and throwing balls and toys at targets can be challenging. But it takes some patience and adjusting to the controls to get it down. The game also has voice recognition for your pet and sometimes it doesn't seem to always respond to your orders or tricks when called out. But overall, it seemed pretty consistent.

This is a must have game if you have the Kinect, and if you have children, it's a no brainer. Just make sure your kids do their homework before they play this one, because they won't want to quit!

Buy The Sims 3 Late Night - Expansion Pack

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $9.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

This is a decent expansion pack for The Sims 3. The town is great and reminds me of living in a 3D Sim City. The clubs are fun to go to but my only complaint is they are always empty! It is not very fun to go out as no one in the town is really ever at. Maybe 1 or 2 Sims will be in a HUGE club. Not like the commercials at all in this respect. I am happy you can now go inside the building facades, unlike the first Sims 3 game.

Being a celebrity has been fun as other Sims will come up to you and take pictures and ask for autographs. And the paparazzi follow you around.

I haven't started a band yet but that is what I want to do next.

I have noticed a few glitches as Sims will walk in slow motion while everyone else is normal or get stuck in the elevator for hours.

Overall a fun expansion pack for the Sims 3 game.

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I think what late night has to offer is great if you want to play the celebrity life in the new town. If you don't think playing a celebrity is what you would enjoy, the extra household items and outfits alone are worth the money you would spend to purchase this expansion.

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I usually only buy the actual game, but was interested in how the downloaded game would play on my laptop. I was a little skeptical at first because of the mixed reviews, but I figured it was on sale for a great price and it would be worth the risk. I am not the most computer literate girl, so I was worried about whether I would be able to install the program by myself. The install was great!!! It did not take long, it was simple and easy even for me! I was also able to register the game on the website and receive the free gifts that come along with the version if I had purchased it at the store. Game plays wonderfully!!!! Love it, best Sims to date!!1

Honest reviews on The Sims 3 Late Night - Expansion Pack

I really like this expansion pack, it adds late night activities as well as "celebrity" status. I like the celebrity status more than the late night part, the late night doesn't last that late, and all they do is dance around. It is more fun doing things for celebrity points, as I like a few goals to drive my game. I like the addition of a more city like town, with condo's and apartments.

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I was plesantly surprised once I started to really get into this. And since I've had the chance to play it for several days now, I can honestly say this has been the best EP EA has put out for the Sims 3. The fun factor is a win for me. I love the added objects, the super star aspects and above all else, vampires! And luckily they have a little bit more free roam to them than the vampires did in The Sims 2. Instead of one type of bite, you have two. They also have two different forms of getting blood other than biting a Sim. Don't wanna give away a whole lot but trust me when I say, if you enjoyed The Sims 2 Night Life, you'll love Late Night for the Sims 3