Jigsaws Galore Buildings and Interiors Puzzle Game for Windows PC: Castles, Contemporary Homes, Cottages, Chalets, Condos, Country Mansions, Kitchens, Houses, Interior Scenes, Architecture Review

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(More customer reviews)I found many of the puzzles challenging and fun.I wish there were more that came in the set.After going through all of them, I am starting on my second run and still find them challenging.

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Product Description:
These jigsaws contain a selection of modern and ancient buildings from around the world. In these sets you'll find castles, contemporary homes, cottages, chalets, condos, country mansions, conservatories and corporate buildings, in fact any construction that makes for an interesting jigsaw. Also included are some delightful interior shots of kitchens, bedrooms, dining rooms and living rooms for added interest. For anyone with an interest in architecture this is sure to please.

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Scrabble Blast Review

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(More customer reviews)Not really like scrabble, hard to win against the game.I prefer Bookworm for gameboy advance.You can save your game, and you can take your time.

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Product Description:
Scrabble Blast! is an exciting update to the classic original board game. The world's most popular board game can come with you as you double & triple your word score in three great play modes.For 1-4 players

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Resonance of Fate Review

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(More customer reviews)**Updated April 25th**

I have finished the game (it took about 80 hours) so here is the final review. I have also added combat tips to the end.

First of all, I love the game. The combat is awesome if you like strategy games. The game has more in common with strategy/rpgs rather than traditional JRPGs. As in any rgp you can roam inside the cities, get side quests, and explore the world map. However, the combat and the missions are very much like that of turn based strategy games. In fact, ROF is more like a strategy game under a JRPG disguise.

Although the combat looks flashy and cool, as I saidbefore, RoF is not an action oriented game. The combat is very deep and strategic. Also learning curve is steep, it takes several hours to learn all the intricacies of the combat, and I will not attempt to explain it here. (I have added some tips and tricks at the end). However, the turn system is very similar to Valkyria Chronicles, it is a mixture of turn based and real-time (while you are moving the enemy also moves and can attack you). Flanking, timing, the type of attack etc. all plays a key role in combat and makes it very satisfying. They are nice to watch too, although your eyes would be on the action gauges most of the time.

There is a tutorial that introduces every battle action but it does not tell you about the tactics. (Think of chess, you can learn the rules in half an hour but you'll have absolutely no idea about the tactics). So the game got better as I played because I began to discover some of the mechanics and the tactics not described in the tutorial. It also has some real-time elements that require timing, which keeps things interesting and gives you some more tricks to help you. (For example, you can manually evade physical attacks if you time your movement right). It takes a long time to master every trick of the combat, but it is very satisfying when you discover something new.

Leveling and customization is all about the guns not the characters. There are 3 types of weapons (handguns, machine guns, and grenades). As the characters use a weapon they get more proficient with that weapon and level up. A character's level is the sum of all 3 weapon levels. For example, a level 20 character can be level 15 handgun, level 4 machine gun, level 1 grenade. As they level up their hit points and respective gun weight limit improve. Also they gain some additional effects (5% stun chance for instance).

You can only customize your weapons. Guns have 5-6 attachment slots (magazine, grip, sights etc.) that you can upgrade with the parts you found. Also you can add extensions to all slots(e.g. adding another barrel to the barrel). However you have space and weight limits that you need to consider. Finally, you can also craft special parts from the basic materials you get from monsters. There is no other customization. There is no armor either, however characters can equip two rings some of which are protective. You can buy a lot of different dresses but they have no effect other than changing the looks of your character (this also affects cutscenes as they are done with the in-game engine).

The story is slow to start. It starts to pick up after Chapter 5 (which would be 10-20 hours into the game depending on the number of sidequests you do), but it is one of the weak points of the game. It does get interesting, but a lot of things are left unexplained even after the game is finished. Simply put, this is not a story-driven game. There are a lot of fetch quests at the beginning but at least the NPCs are quirky, and the interaction between the characters can be funny sometimes. Later on, I got more interested in the story but game only hints at what's going on and never fully explains the background or the motives of the characters.

In sum, this is not a traditional JRPG like Final Fantasy or Lost Odyssey, it is more similar to strategy games like Valkyria Chronicles. Also if you want fast paced, action oriented, quick resolution combats (e.g. Tales of Vesperia) then this is probably not the game for you. If you like turn based strategy/rpg games (Jagged Alliance, Front Mission, Valkyria Chronicles, etc) with a lot of depth then I believe you will like this game.

*** Some Combat Tips and Tricks ***

In ROF, you have access to the full combat from the beginning (opposite of Final Fantasy XIII from what I hear). However, as you play you get a better understanding of the mechanics and the tactics. In other words, the combat opens up naturally and always stays fresh. Below are some tips but I believe half of the fun is discovering them. If you feel confused, then these might help. Also the guy next to the billboard in the guild gives one new tip each chapter. Always talk to him.

-The letter next to the enemy bar indicates which one of your characters the enemy is aiming.
-The enemy won't shoot until the end of the turn (even if their aiming bar is full) unless they are aiming at the character you are moving.If they are aiming at the character you are moving, they'll shoot in real time when their aim gets full.
-During hero runs you are invincible and also you can regenerate more because the turn lasts longer (depending on the distance). However, that also means enemies will have longer time to aim at characters.
-The circular green bar around the enemy is their equipment health (weapon, armor, shield etc). You will not be able to damage their body until you create/find an opening.The green bar is not always a full circle and if that's the case, you can make a hero run (or walk around while they are aiming at somebody else) and shoot when you have the right angle to hit the body. Or if you jump during hero run you randomly hit all body parts, you might get some hits to the body even if they are shielded.
-Getting rid of the enemy parts (equipment) will give you materials for upgrades.
-Try to set up the tri-attacks in a long range. The longer the running distance, the more time to shoot (and regenerate).
-You can make a tri-attack even with 1 resonance point. This can be helpful if the distance between the characters is long. You can also use it to move one of your characters to safety if he is going to be shot as soon as you end the turn of the current character.
-Charge acceleration is very important. Try to add barrels as much as you can. Also try to shoot at the highest possible charge to activate the skills.
-Dual wielding helps a lot in the later game(after chapter 10-11). It doubles your damage and chances of activating skills even if the second weapon may reduce some of your stats.
-During a tri-attack, the enemies inside the triangle won't move, the ones on the outside will.
-If you are outnumbered stun and electro grenades can give you valuable time.

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Product Description:
Face opponents in fantastic, cinematic gun battles with a fighting system that blends real-time and turn-based gameplay. Built around the gigantic machine city, the story delves deep into fate and the machinery that controls it. Masterfully crafted environments illustrate the deep tapestry of this dystopian world. Customizing your characters and weapons changes your playing experience visually and within the gameplay.

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The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff Review

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(More customer reviews)I still believe the stuff packs are overpriced for the amount of stuff they offer. $12-15 would probably be a fairer price. So if you happen to find a sale, definitely go for it.

Mansion & Gardens Stuff is by far the best stuff pack EA has offered. The three decorating styles; Second Empire, Moroccan, & Art Deco, are lovely. The flowers are shrubs are beautiful, a welcome addition to landscaping. I like how the windmill & solar panels will lower the sim's bills. The ceiling fans are a decorative object, but they do actually move so it's a nice realistic touch. I haven't noticed that they affect the temperature of the sims so they are probably merely decorative.

I love the Mansard roof pieces. It makes it so much easier to have attic space that my sims can live in without being affected by the weather. I've had issues in the past of them freezing or getting heat stroke if I had bedrooms in the attic with certain types of roofs.

Knock on wood, I haven't noticed any major glitches with Mansions & Gardens. What a relief. The grand staircases are very nice, but they sure do take up a lot of space. Your sims will autonomously slide down the banister. Usually we do not get any new interactions with stuff packs, so this was a nice surprise. Our sims can smell the flowers too.

The only thing I didn't care for is that some of the new siding is too dark and there's only a few selections. I'm not really fond of the screaming bright yellow. I wish they would have added some of the previous siding colors we've had with the new corner trim. EA could have made this a real expansion pack with more items and options and I would have been over the moon.

I'd consider this stuff pack a must for Sims 2 players.

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Product Description:
Design impressive estates and meticulous gardens for your Sims with three all-new styles. Infuse your Sims' mansion with the intricate beauty of new Moroccan designs, add a touch of retro-modern style with stately and new Art Deco elements, or build in the imposing new Second Empire style. With a host of new architectural and landscaping items to choose from, your Sims homes will look more stunning than ever!

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Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut Review

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(More customer reviews)There's a lot going on in this game and so many devices and sub-games to keep you addicted. Not so much a DX than an updated version of the Sonic Adventure, from the now obsolete Dreamcast, with better graphics, new missions and loads of extras.
You play the game as seven different characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big the Cat, The Robot Dude and (much later) Super Sonic. The Sonic, Tails and Knuckles levels are the best. The Big the Cat levels are really boring and slow. Each character has their own story and their own power-ups, all happening at the same time. The result is almost an RPG-like game. If this were taken a few steps further who knows how great the game could have been. Though it's still brilliant as it is.
The structure is also genius and easy to get to grips with. As whatever character, you run around massive levels like Station Square and The Mystic Ruins which leads to many different action stages. The action stages can range between casinos, snowboarding, racing through sky-high circuits, go-carting, flying around in Tails' red bi-plane, flying through wind tunnels, chases across the city rooftops and racing across sandy beaches. As always the Sonic world (curiously earthlike and nothing like the planet Mobius from before) is absolutely gorgeous with an exotic feel, eternal sunshine and the bluest of skies.
What I like best about the game are the Chao. The cute little creatures you hatch and raise between levels. They are so great they became my reason for getting through the game. And as a bonus all Sonic games from the old Sega Game Gear are included. Each one is unlocked after every 20 emblems collected (1 awarded after each mission complete and others scattered about levels).
Some parts of the game can be awfully repetitive. Certain FMV sequences were used more than once and there was no point in that. And intros to certain parts of the game took too long and became quite annoying when losing a life and starting again.
The self-controlled camera was cool and useful. Though in cramped quarters it seemed to get stuck and being unable to see the character due to the spasming camera sometimes resulted in the loss of a life. That was quite annoying.
The music is great and I strongly suggest you get all the soundtrack CDs (I did). There are brilliant, fun-loving themes that totally carry the action along. The voices however, were a bit off from the original Japanese lip movements.
A totally brilliant game that you simply must get. Sonic Adventure DX will keep you entertained for ages.

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Product Description:
Dr. Eggman is up to his old tricks again, but in this special Director's Cut version, there are a whole lot more of them to trip up Sonic and his pals. Get ready to go on 50 new adventures in the all-new Mission Mode as you strive to dismantle the evil genius' plans to rule the world. There are 12 exciting Bonus Games to unlock in the form of classic Sonic Game Gear titles. Whether you play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, or E102 Gamma, you'll get a unique adventure every time as each character has their own deep storyline and unique type of gameplay. Don't forget to visit your favorite Chao in the Chao Garden where you can take a break from saving the world and pit your Chao against others in a variety of tournaments.

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John Deere: Drive Green Review

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(More customer reviews)My husband and I are both farmers. We have some of the previous John Deere computer games and wanted to try this newer one. Over all, it's a great game; being able to drive all the different pieces of equipment is nice, along with doing jobs for other farmers. Ways to improve: a yield monitor in the combine would be nice, so would earning money rather than JD tokens for harvesting crops. The previous game had weather, livestock, loans, and your choice of crops. This one focuses more on the equipment and operating everything, hence the name "Drive Green." Even so, it's a great game for everyone, definitely worth purchasing.

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Product Description:
Farm the Heartland with Genuine John Deere!Product InformationNo job is too big or small! Domore grow more and earn more than ever before with John Deere! Bale hay plantsoybeans harvest corn and more – a John Deere makes every job easy andefficient. It'sup to you to do the job right! See what you can do with 500 horsepower of GreenMachine!Product FeaturesDrive any of the great John Deere vehicles or equipment you own. Buyadditional equipment with Deer Dollars you earn from helping local farmersChoose from over 15 John Deere vehicles and implements including the 9860STS Combine 8530 Tractor and 4930 Sprayer.Complete each job with precision and efficiency to receive bonus DeereDollars. A job well done is a job well paid.Grab your gloves and hat and hop on an authentic John Deere brandedequipment.Collect and use Deere Dollars to unlock vehicles and implements for yourfarm.Windows RequirementsWindows XP VistaPentium IV 1.5 GHz processor or faster256 MB of RAM64 MB Video Card – NVIDIA GeForce or ATI RadeonDirectX 9.0DirectX compatible Sound Card300 MB Hard Drive Space4X CD-ROM driveKeyboardMouse

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Harvest Moon: Animal Parade Review

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(More customer reviews)What a great addition to the Harvest Moon series! I think it is definitely HM at it's best, no doubt.

For those new to the series, the concept is that you are a farmer-rancher who just moved to town. You are given a house, introduced to the townspeople and started a new life. Once you get to your new abode and settle into the town, your mission is to find the Harvest Goddess. Once you talk to her, the problem becomes clear: there are five bells missing and you must find them all to restore the power of nature, reviving the Goddess Tree. Along the way, Finn, a harvest sprite, will guide you. You also have the option to seek the love of bachelors and bachelorettes, provided you know just what they like. A major feature in Animal Parade which differs greatly from other HM titles are the animals. Throughout the "world" you will find and be able to befriend wild animals, if you so choose.

So thats the basis of the game. I will now break up my review into parts:

STORY: I love the adventure in this game! Your quest to find the bells pretty much starts once you locate the Harvest Goddess, and at this point the adventure takes off.You have to complete one side-quest or two before you can actually speak with the Harvest Goddess and begin your quest, but these are simple and take three game days at most. She makes it clear on what your goal is and you can always go back if you have questions. But Finn is very helpful by always giving you hints and guiding you in your mission. Personally, I was able to deduce what I had to do before Finn told me, but if you get stuck then Finn will definitely help (sometimes I did need him to point me in the right direction). The first bell you get provides just the right amount of challenge. Once you get the red bell, this opens up the option to find all the other bells. This really gets the game going. I loved how the adventure was an integral part of the game, not just some optional thing. It is a blast trying to find all the bells because you have to interact with a lot of the townspeople to do so. You might have to complete some side-quests for them or have certain items in order to proceed, but it is always fun and rewarding once completed.

TOWN: The town is well made. I like how there are several places to explore. You can visit Harmonica Town, Garmon Mines, and Flute Fields. Toucan Island only becomes available later in the game (I haven't gotten it yet). Within each place are worlds within worlds, so there is more to explore once you get somewhere. The load screens aren't too bad, either. At first they become tedious, but then you just get used to it. They really aren't that bad, it just gets annoying to see the name of the place pop up every time you go somewhere.

TOWNSFOLK: What I love most about the people in this game is that they are very good hint-droppers. Sometimes they make it really obvious and other times I have to kind of deduce what they are saying, but its funny at how they give me little hints on what to do. There is a good variety on people and they each play a role in the game. It is fun that they give side-quests for you to do, especially since they usually lead to your progression in the game, not just something to do and you get no reward.

DATING: I'm not gonna lie, its hard to get hearts in this game. So far I am at the end of spring (not so far into the game yet but I've been playing it) and I have more hearts with the animals than I do with people. In fact, I have no people hearts. The eligible girls and boys are wide in variety so if you like a certain trade (mining, cooking, jewelry-making, fishing, etc) there is most likely a bachelor/ette perfect for you. Luckily the friends menu allows you to see what each person likes and dislikes, making it easier to give gifts that win points. However so far I've noticed those recommendations only show items that people "like." I have yet to figure out what they truly love and what will earn me hearts. You can also track people on the menu, making it easy to give gifts if you can't find someone.

ANIMALS: I really like the addition of animals to the town. Not only can you have livestock, but there are several animals roaming in the wild. Each location has its own animals. So far I've met such a variety as dogs, cats, boar, squirrel, snake, raccoon, rabbit, frog, turtle, bear, and many more! Its really fun to discover new ones. You can make friends with any animal you meet by visiting it frequently and feeding it something it likes. Like for friends, the wild animal menu shows what they like and dislike. The location stays the same but some only stick around in a particular season or climate, so you'll always know where to find your favorites. If you get enough heart points with an animal, they can become your pet and help you around the game. With the starting house you receive, you can only have pet but once you expand, you get to have more and more. I thought this was a great addition to the game concept.

DIFFICULTY: This game is in the middle. It is not painstakingly hard (obviously its HM) nor is it ridiculously easy (again its HM). It has the right amount of challenge for the seasoned HM fan/gamer but enough hints for newcomers. I would recommend it to any wii fan and especially to fans of the HM series.

CONTROLS: The controls are straightforward and easy. One thing that bothered me for a little was some lack of explanation in the manual. They don't tell you that when you buy new furniture you have to open up the furniture menu to place it. This frustrated me for a while but then I got it. Its not a big deal but they could have explained that in the manual. Another thing is the camera. No complaints there except that sometimes you can't see a path, which means you're missing an entire entrance to a new location. Luckily I was exploring and happened to find this new stretch of beach that was barely visible unless I had been really looking (it was on the edge of the screen thats why, most locations are clearly visible). If I hadn't stumbled across this one path, I don't know how long it would have taken me to find the yellow bell. Guess I was lucky! But other than that, the controls are super.

DS vs WII: I've gotta say I prefer HM on the wii any day. I have island of happiness for ds, and while its a fun game, HM is the type of game that I feel plays better on the Wii. The big screen allows you to experience the world better. You can explore more thoroughly and the graphics are so much better. Overall its just a better gaming experience on the Wii when it comes to HM.

I know this is a long review but I wanted to be thorough. Thanks for reading it all! This is a great addition to any Wii game collection and while it is somewhat addicting, I think its a lot of fun and has good replay value and longevity for a game. Definitely worth the price. A whole lotta fun! I would recommend playing the whole game and taking advantage of everything; don't skip the adventure, thats the best part! Oh and the animals, too!

Have fun!

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Product Description:
In Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, the divine tree which once stood in the middle of the Harvest Goddess' pond is weakening, the creatures are beginning to leave the land, and the five bells have lost their power. The Harvest Goddess believes that only the strength of the Harvest King can help revive the earth and bring the tree back to life. It's up to the player to help the Harvest Sprites ring the five mystical bells, summon the Harvest King, and revive the Harvest Goddess' tree and the land.

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War -- Dark Crusade Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The kind of review I like to read tends to be full of all sorts of info on new units and how they do in the game.I guess we will find out if anyone agrees.

So far in my Dark Crusade career I have beaten the game with the new T'au race and the Space Marines.This is what I have learned.

First the new style of campaign play.Many have equated it to the board game Risk not unreasonably.But it's both simpler and more complex.The "board" is the planet of Kronus blocked into about 15 "provinces," each with a unique property/special ability.However, unlike Risk, the only unit that moves is your commander.And although some provinces provide units you can buy to take in with the commander for each attack/defense, essentially each time you attack a province it is a skirmish game.You must destroy the other's command building to win.

Pros: Because of this style, players can actually pick which race they want to fight against and how hard it is likely to be.Most provinces allow players to buy "honor guards" who start the mission with the commander and give an early advantage.The maps are universally fun, ranging in size from tiny to massive.A few other provinces come with "special abilities" that enhance your game, like the star port that allows attacks anywhere (almost) and the industrial section which starts you with more money.These special maps, as well as the race specific "strongholds" or starting points, are more than simple skirmishes.Various objectives are given, like having to kill 140 enemy units to gain the "rage" special ability.These maps tend to be a good escape from the simpler head on matches and require skillful unit management.

Cons:It's great to run amok on the Risk style board but so does everyone else.Having taken a Chaos province early in the game, I was forced to defend it against an attack every turn until I finally took their stronghold.This meant essentially replaying the same map at least 6 times.Since buildings built while taking the province or defending it stay on afterwards, I could field top tier units immediately while my enemy had only its honor guard.With little effort I could "usually" rush their base and just kill the main building.Still, it grew boring.

Furthermore, the special missions one goes through to win unique abilities, while fun, were questionable.If I had been Orcs fighting Space Marines, could I have achieved the kill ratio necessary to get 140 guys before the computer?In another mission one side gets only units and the other gets only its buildings.The attacker has to kill all buildings but can't get more men.Fine... except the attacker gets a VERY powerful line up.Playing as Space Marines I got 3 Predators, 6 Dreadnoughts and 2 Land Raiders.Plus a bunch of infantry.That's pretty overwhelming.

Finally, while the strongholds are the FUNNEST mission to play, they are also decidedly easy compared to most others.By this I mean besides an initial rush of units, players are given plenty of breathing room to slowly develop a base, gather units, and overwhelm sections of the enemy defense.Rarely does one have to face the overwhelming sorts of attacks that can be found in regular skirmishes.

The New Races:

So now that that is covered, time to move on.The two new races in Dawn of War are both visually stunning and tastefully different from everyone else.Having now played the Necron, I can speak about playing them.

Necrons(REVISED):By and large the advantage of the Necrons is in their infantry. These tough little units take a pounding and keep going.The base Necron Warriors alone can stand up against a determined attack.Added to that the ability to be revived by other units and a Necron player can literally storm through anything.As a plus, the Flayed Ones, the Necron close fighter units, can be dropped anywhere on the map.This means, not unlike the Space Marines, that Necron players can disrupt unit formations when up against large numbers of ranged units.Equally important, the Wraith, a Necron scout unit, is an actually useful "true sight" unit that is difficult to kill.It comes at a cost though.Necron vehicles are universally underwhelming. They have no tanks with multiple guns or siege units to blast stuff from afar.Only getting a mobile Monolith going seems to equal this out and that takes a bit of doing.So while I suspect the Necrons will be played by plenty, their online usefulness is suspect.

As for the vehicles themselves, they are not entirely without merit.Necron counter grav vehicles move faster than most other races stuff such that a strong force can cross large distances in time to make an impact.As a final note, the Lord Destroyers ability to posses enemy vehicles is nice... but smart players can easily defeat this with infantry support.Be that as it may, the Necron Tomb Spyders offer an interesting problem.Each Necron player gets 4 max and they are sitting inert in his/her base at game start.If one dies, it lies in its place of death until it is bought again.So if you lose your spyder in the middle of a turret field... it could be hard to get it back.By the same token, let a tomb spyder die in the middle of a big lost battle, move the fight elsewhere, then use its special ability to ressurect some of the lost Necrons lying on the field.Suddenly you have a second attack force built nearly instantly.

But it is the Necron buildings that are the show stoppers.Necrons only get one unit production building.The Monolith covers all your bases for production.Thats both nice and not.Its an expensive building so if you need men faster, its a chunk o change to double your production.But if you get the Monolith mobile, it can build men as it moves about the map breaking stuff.As well, all Necron stuff only costs power.And there is no limit(such that I have hit) of how many generators you build.With enough time on map, Necron players can get enough power to buy anything.If the Monoliths get moving, you would not even need to worry about holding strategic points as much, since they only increase unit cap.

The T'au Empire:

In the first game, most people I talked to decided the Space Marines were unquestionably the best.They hit harder, lived longer and could teleport stuff all across the map.Now... the Tau are in a position to challenge the champs.

Tau units are all awesome.The initial unit, the Stealth Suit, requires no research like Marine Scouts to be invisible and can take flags while cloaked.They have good firepower and can EMP vehicles, stopping a vehicle rush.Beyond them the Tau have units to fill every gap.Close in is covered by Kroot Carnivores and Hounds who can tackle enemy units and do good melee damage, though less than some of the other melee units in the game.Long range has the Tau Missile Hovercraft whose ability to plaster an area with a missile barrage destroys defenses quick as well as breaking up infantry concentrations.But most important, the Tau have three units which are nearly impossible to kill.Their top unit, a giant dino bird kinda thing can be sent into an enemy base, ignored, and when you come back to it it will have killed most the buildings, wrecked the infantry and still it will be in the green.Behind the "Greater Knarloc" in damage but not in toughness are the Krootox.These ape like things tear through infantry and vehicles alike and are nigh indestructible.Plus a total of 5 can be fielded, making them unstoppable as a unit.As well the Tau can field a tank not far under a Marine Land Raider in damage potential but faster as well as being able to build two instead of just one.

Besides being indestructible, the Tau have a good line up of stealth units, the most important being a stealth troop transport that can carry three infantry units.Since the Tau commander can also get stealth, it is possible to field a totally stealth unit with enough firepower to take on a determined assault.And probably kill any sensor units quickly.

An equally devestating (read cheap) tactic is to load the new XV88 Broadsides into the transports.Not unlike Dreadnoughts, XV88s are the mobile turrets for the Tau and as such, can dish out massive damage to vehicles OR infantry.And three units of three can be places in a stealth transport.So it is possible to sneak in just one vehicle and suddenly have 9 "turrets" built in an enemy base.Add more transports for greater effect.

What are the weaknesses?They are pretty small actually.Tau cannot build turrets, relying instead on the walking turret Broadsides.However, with three to a unit and coming equipped with uber powerful guns, this is not much of a weakness.It can actually be a strength since the transports can carry Broadsides, allowing a player to quickly move them to where they are needed.

The Tau also suffer a lack of tough Hero units.Unlike the walking meat tank who is the Space Marine commander, your Tau commander is actually a soft target.The secondary commander, the Ethereal, is even softer and losing him cuts the damage and moral of ALL Tau units.But again, this in no real handicap.The Tau commander can gain stealth, making him hard to find and target.And the Ethereal's special benefits are global, meaning there is no reason to take him along for attacks.

Finally, though I don't know how much of a weakness this will be, the Tau must choose what top tier units they want.One way is big tanks and armored suits somewhat like Marine Dreadnoughts.The other way is the afore mentioned Krootax and Hounds.Either way works fine but a special building must be built and a 400 requisition + 400 energy research is...Read more›

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Product Description:
Expansion pack to internal THQ studio Relic Entertainment's critically-acclaimed real-time strategy hit Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War. Dark Crusade features an all new single-player experience and 2 new races - The Necrons and The Tau - allowing the gamer to play up to 7 unique races from the Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War universe. Based on the world of Warhammer 40000 - the dark futuristic universe from Games Workshop - Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade offers massive non-linear strategy. System Requirements:Windows® 2000/XP DirectX 9.0c (included on disc)2.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent AMD Athlon XP processor 512 MB RAM 3.5 GB free hard drive space (not sure about this one yet) 4x CD-ROM drive32 MB DirectX 9.0b compatible AGP video card with Hardware Transform and Lighting DirectX 9.0b compatible sound card 16-bitKeyboard and Mouse.Format: WIN 2000XP Genre:ENTERTAINMENT UPC:752919492987 Manufacturer No:49298

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Left 4 Dead Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Original L4D review of Nov 18, 2008

'Left 4 Dead' is a great new 4 man co-op or single player FPS game from VALVE.

The GAME:

This game is a 4 player journey of survival; it can be played as single player (with 3 computer comrades) or with 3 other people on-line. The trek begins in any of 4 different locations and ends in another part of town with an extraction to safety if you survive. (or a nice mention, in memoriam, if you don't)

The Pros:

1.)Great graphics and audio. The atmosphere is very dusky and eerie; lighting is sparse in buildings except for your flashlight (kind of reminds me of 'Doom 3'). Creeping into a pitch black room with only a flashlight to find it either empty, full of zombies or even worse, harbouring a super mutant is visceral to say the least.

2.)The action is fast paced and hectic; there is not a lot of down time between one attack and the next. Attacks either by a hoard of undead or a super mutant comes at a fairly regular clip. Half the fun here is trying to find out what weakness the monsters have and what works best against them.

3.)Weaponry come in the form of guns (shotgun, sniper rifle, automatic machine gun and pistols) explosives consist of pipe bombs and Molotov fire bombs.

4.)You can start the game from the beginning any one of four campaigns OR at the beginning of any chapter within a campaign. Each section of the game is reasonably short, so you don't have to redo the entire game if you have to shut down for a while [see Cons: 2.) below]. Also, if your team dies while playing, you restart from the last 'safe-house' you made it to.

5.)The game resets weapons, monsters, and health packs for every new game; so each game is slightly different than the last, although played over the same geographic area.

6.)Certain 'achievements' are awarded throughout the game for accomplishing certain things. I initially thought these were a perk or upgrade, but now I don't think so...they just recognize certain 'accomplishments' i.e. setting a 'tank' afire or pushing away a 'hunter', and many others.
They add absolutely nothing to the game play and they were not available in the demo.

7.)You have the ability to set up a game from the Undead point of view; haven't tried this yet.

8.)A couple of nice on-line game features:

a.] you can change the difficulty setting ANYTIME; great if it's too easy or if your taking a continual pounding

b.] if you have a player that is 'disruptive' to the team play, you can kick that player out of the game by simply taking a vote among the other three on-line players. (I was surprised that this actually happened a couple of times while I was playing)

c.)And finally, a truly great feature; You can 'Take a Break' from an on-line game by pressing ESC> Take a Break> anytime while playing; great for a call to the BR or to take a phone call. When you 'Take a Break' you go 'Idle' while your away and your computer player takes over until you get back into the game (by pressing the left mouse key).

The Cons: (all minor)

1.)A fairly linear game; only a little room to travel off the prescribed path. Yet, in retrospect, having played this game many times, it would be difficult for this game to function properly with a 'open world', given the fighting style required for on-line co-op; each segment is a fairly short 'meat' run from point 'A' to point 'B'.

2.)No game saves...none; and this is understandable from the 4 player on-line game. However with the single player game, the chapters aren't terribly long BUT they do require a degree of concentration and work to finish, especially on the higher difficulty levels. And somehow losing all your hard fought gains if you have to leave the game unexpectedly, seems a little unfair; you'll understand more clearly what I mean once you begin to play.

3.)The AI of your comrades in the single person game needs one small modification; your buddies will guard you, heal you and stay near you BUT, they won't pick up the extra pipe bombs or Molotov bombs that often sit there before them. And it would be really helpful in the single person game-play if they did, especially on advanced and expert.

Suggestions:

I can not stress how much headphones/microphone add to the enjoyment of playing this game on-line; especially with communicating with your on-line playing partners. If you can, try playing with a headset, you won't believe the difference.

Conclusion:

A new FPS that requires 4 player co-operation (in both single and on-line play) to be successful.You may get away with a little 'individuality' on 'Easy',but on 'Normal', 'Advanced' or 'Expert' forget about it; if you don't travel and fight as a pack, your toast.

The on-line co-op version is one of the greatest games EVER...IF played with the 4 players who have an understanding of the game concepts and are willing to work together. And that being said, having a maximum of 4 players for on-line play is probably the perfect number; 3 would not be enough to fend off the hoards (except on easy maybe) and with 5 players you'd be getting in each others way.

The game chapters are fairly short and there are no game saves. However the game play is intense and visceral and you do tend to become wrapped up in the action that is taking place around you.

And finally, this is one of those rare games that I just don't ever get tired ofplaying, (at least, with the on-line game)...and a game with this quality has to be in the running for game of the year.
4 1/2 to 5 Stars

Ray Nicholson (cujo)

Addendum: Oct 07/09

"Crash Course"...some comments

First impressions from a co-op viewpoint...initially disappointing, but better since they've updated it (see comments below).

A very short game...maybe 30 minutes or so consisting of only two segments. The map is mostly made up of streets littered with abandoned cars and trucks, and the buildings are mostly warehouses. This added map, although playable as single player or co-op, was primarily intended I believe, for Versus players.

This map has improved since its original debut; updates have apparently removed a lot of the excess ammo and guns, making it a better challenge.

The finale...interesting and takes some planning (although the final run to the rescue vehicle is extremely easy). Which leads to the one drawback in this new map...if you all die in the finale, you must restart at the last safehouse...about 15 minutes of travel to the ending.

Conclusion:
Now that the game (with the removal of all the extra guns and ammo) has become more of a challenge, I'll probably play this map a bit more...too bad they didn't make it a full map like the others (probably didn't want to divert too much attention away from the upcoming L4D2).Addendum: April 22/09

"Survival"... some comments,

Well the much anticipated update for Left 4 Dead has finally arrived. The new game is call 'Survival' and it IS aptly named. There are several new individual mods to this new game that use slight variations from some of the different sections of the 4 established games i.e. No Mercy, Death Toll, Dead Air and Blood Harvest. There is one brand new locale called 'Last Stand'; its setting is at a lighthouse and it's probably the most difficult game of the lot.

Rather than a prolonged campaign these games are very short; and make no mistake about it, you are going to die. The challenge here is to see how long you can last; 4 minutes gets you a bronze medal, 7 minutes a silver and you get a gold medal if you last for ten minutes. Unlike the regular game, there is NO option for easy, normal etc. difficulty; just the one standard for everyone; "brutal" might be a good name for this newness addition.

In the regular game you get attacked by hordes of zombies, with an occasional smoker, hunter or tank thrown in, but usually not all at once. However in this game, you get attacked by ALL types of infected, all at once. In addition, there is no long stretch to outrun a tank; not that that matters, as you are fighting the horde, smokers and hunters the same time as your trying to fight off the tank...yup, just about impossible.

Impression:

Intense...yes. Gut wrenching...yes. FUN...hmmm, I'm not sure. One of the great strengths of on-line Left 4 Dead was the co-op fighting style needed to get through the advanced and expert campaigns. Here in 'Survival', co-op is needed but somehow, after a battle that begins with about 1 minute of 'easy', all chaos breaks-out. And because your being attacked from all side by ALL types of infected, the co-op gaming style, that made the regular L4D sooo enjoyable, is gone; gone because at this point, it becomes a game of personal survival, rather than the group...and that's the real shortcoming of this update.

And finally, I could play the regular on-line L4D for hours and never (well almost never) get tired. But with this game, I found that not only did it take quite a lot of time/effort to strategically set up gas cans, propane tanks etc. in the area you want to TRY to defend, but also, that after 3 or 4 tries I wasfrustrated, weary and eager to return to the regular game.

I must admit, in fairness, that I've never been a great fan of time based/get the highest score, type games, so I'm probably a little prejudiced. I'll continue to 'give this a go' for a while; maybe it'll turn out to be a great game. But somehow, I think I'd have liked a new regular campaign map better.

R.N. (cujo)

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Logitech G27 Racing Wheel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had the privilege of owning its predecessor several years ago, the G25, so I knew mostly what to expect with this new G27, but I was still expecting so much more from Logitech. The expression "Logitech giveth and Logitech taketh away" seems most pertinent.

So, let's start:

Opening the box and getting everything out is very simple. All the parts are well designed, but you're immediately greeted with what I think is the biggest issue with the G25/27 set, - the cables. So many cables! 400 cables! (at least it feels like it)

The wheel has a cable coming out of it that goes into your PS3; the pedals have a cable coming out of it; the shifter has a cable coming out of it, and then there's the power brick that has a cable to be plugged in. All these cables plug into the wheel itself, and it's definitely not a pretty sight. I don't know about other people, but I don't have a place where I can leave my steering wheel/shifter/pedals plugged in 24/7, so setting all this up and putting it away again is a COMPLETE pain in the rear.

Putting the cable issue aside, there's a lot to like with the G27. It's an improvement over the G25 in many ways:

1.) The G27 wheel uses helical gears (or diagonal-cut gears) vs the G25's straight-cut gears. What this means is that there's a reduction in noise when turning the wheel, and it's also smoother while maintaing powerful force feedback! Great stuff!

2.) The shifter on the G27 no longer has a sequential mode (i.e. clicks up and down only), which is no big loss to me. I prefer either the regular 6-speed or using the paddle shifts on the wheel. While it may seem that this is still a LOSS compared to the G25's 6-speed AND sequential shifting, the new addition to the G27 is that the gears don't CLICK into place. On the G25, every gear change would greet you with a CLICK as the gear was put into place. Logitech have removed this sound so the gear movements don't hurt your ears with their plastic sounds as the G25 did. Now, some people have modified their G25 shifters to remove this sound, but it voids your warranty and I've read of several people irreparably breaking their shifters by doing this... In any case, for me, the G27 shifter is an improvement over the out-of-the-box G25 shifter.

3.) The pedals are now adjustable, which makes it a joy to heel-and-toe while racing. The pedal layout is a huge deal more comfortable than on the G25 pedals. This, for me, is a huge improvement. My right foot would get very uncomfortable with the G25 layout.

4.) There's a new set of tachometer LEDs on the wheel, though I've yet to play any game that supports them yet... It's a neat little feature, though, if it does as advertised.

5.) The G27 also has some more buttons on the steering wheel, which you can customize, of course.So how does it play?

VERY well, depending on the software!

Need for Speed: Shift PS3:

I first tried out Need for Speed: Shift on the Playstation 3, and was pleasantly surprised to see that no setup is needed, and the controls just work. In fact, it even shows you a picture of the wheel/pedals on the control screen (albeit just the G25, but still...). It's great to have the wheel work out of the box with no tinkering. THAT said, there's perhaps too much force feedback in Shift to be particularly comfortable. The faster you get, the more the wheel fights with you. At 120mph, it's very hard to keep the wheel straight. I've track-driven several times at near 150mph speeds at times, and I can safely say my steering wheel doesn't fight me in real life like it did in the game...

So, for ease of use with Shift, I'd say 5/10. It's just too hard to keep the wheel straight at relatively high speeds...

Gran Turismo: Prologue PS3:

NOW we're talking. None of the fighting I experienced in Need for Speed: Shift, and plenty of smooth corners and subtle force feedback. It's fair to say the force feedback is a tad muted in Prologue, but it's infinitely more comfortable to play than Shift, and a real joy to hit those apexes time and time again. 9/10.Overall, this wheel is excellent, but the pain of setting it up is just too much to ignore. It really is a cable nightmare. The wheel, pedals and shifter could easily be wireless by this point, meaning the only cable needed would be a power cable to the steering wheel for the force feedback to work. I suspect the inevitable G29 will remedy this, as the way the G27 currently works is a direct copy of the G25 which is 3 years old as of November, 2009.

Overall, though, a great wheel, if you can be bothered to go through the setting it up...!

4/5

Note: This wheel is for PC AND PS3.

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Product Description:
A simulator-grade racing wheel, the Logitech G27 Racing Wheel is designed to deliver the definitive sim racing experience for the PC and PLAYSTATION3. It features a powerful, dual-motor force feedback mechanism with exceptionally quiet helical gearing; a six-speed shifter with push-down reverse gear; integrated RPM/shift indicator LEDs; a comfortable 11-Inch leather-wrapped rim; and steel gas, brake, and clutch pedals.

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F.E.A.R. Extraction Point Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Where to start, I was expecting much from the addon to the great game FEAR. Instead you get little. They reused much of the same textures, dark area's, and characters from the original.

No new characters to speak off,non exsistent story line even weaker thanthe first. You will have a hard time finding much new here.

The game is far too short, you can finish in about 3-5 hours, and its too easy, even on the hardest setting.Ohh and to top it off it adds nothing to multiplayer at all, no new levels, characters or weapons, not even a new mode.

If you never bought the original, you can have the multiplayer for free! Truly there is no reason to pick this up at all.The game is still fun in the way the first game was fun, but feels less like an expansion and more like the last few levels they left out of the game :(.

Not worth 30 dollars in anyway shape or form. Best to wait and buy in the bargin bin for 10 dollars or less. In other words don't support developers who put this kind of "stuff" out at almost full game price, its a rippoff at best.

We need to Show big companies Like EA, Activision, and Vivendi that its not alright to rip us off, the only thing they understand is not buying their products. I finished this the first night I bought it in 3.5 hours of none too exciting gameplay. Then you can uninstall and use as a coaster, an expensive coaster.

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Product Description:
As an elite soldier called in to deal with paranormal activity surrounding Armacham headquarters, you came to realize this crisis was one that could not be contained.Once the hunter now the hunted, your new mission is simple...escape.The Replicas are no longer your only nemeses, as powerful supernatural entities are wreaking havoc on everything and anything that crosses their path.You are trapped in a desolated city and your road to freedom hinges on the ability to destroy all that get in your way.The only question that remains is...can you reach the Extraction Point?

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LocoRoco 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)One of the most brilliant games on the PSP is back for a second helping, and it does NOT disappoint.Really, this is one of those PSP games that will have your unit shutting off because you didn't notice how long you had been playing and how low your battery is running.Like its predecessor, LR2 is a classic because it is so simple to learn and easy to control, yet you need skill and practice to pick up all the berries, mui muis, and other bonuses.Apparently there aren't as many worlds in this sequel as in the original game, but there are more goals to achieve in each world, including collecting and playing musical notes.There are also new minigames, including some sort of jousting game with ad hoc multiplayer support.Game levels and graphics, plus the variety of game play, are again inspired.LR2 is quite simply a must-have for PSP owners, and one of the most exciting exclusive titles for the system.Just about the most fun $20 can buy you these days.

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Product Description:
Armed with a deadly song that kills all living things, the evil Moja army have returned to enslave the LocoRoco! Help the LocoRoco bring life and music back to the planet in this exciting new sequel. Experience the addictive "Tilt and Roll" gameplay that made it an instant classic and discover brand new abilities and challenges.

Fun Environments
Viewlarger.
The New Purple LocoRoco
Viewlarger.
Underwater Adventures
Viewlarger. The Story
Living peacefully on a faraway planet, the LocoRoco and their friends, the Mui Mui, help grow vegetation and look after nature, making the planet a pleasant place to be, playing and singing the days away. When the Moja Troop comes to the planet to take it over, the LocoRoco do not know how to fight against these invaders from outer space. As such, the player assumes the role of "the planet" that is capable of tilting back and forth, and bouncing the LocoRoco in the air, to defeat the Moja Troop and rescue the LocoRoco. The player will also meet many different characters along the way, some of which are unknown to the player. The player must find out how to interact with these characters, and find out what they know, while determining if they are beneficial or should be avoided as foes. Mui Mui can be found in secret areas within the game.

Key Game Features:

25 colorful new stages with hidden challenges to uncover
Enhance LocoRoco by collecting music notes
Play 6 exciting new mini games
Challenge friends Ad-hoc 4 player battle
New LocoRoco Actions: Climb into shells to roll and destroy obstacles, Swing on vines and Jump across grass blades, Sing together and collect notes, Swim underwater

Gameplay
The player controls the planet the LocoRoco inhabit to move the LocoRoco around. The player can also split larger LocoRoco into individual LocoRoco, and then recombine them. Splitting is required into order to fit through tight spaces and also solve many puzzles. (For example, smaller LocoRoco start singing when left idle for a while, which is required at the end of the levels.) There are 5 worlds to clear, each consisting of 8 levels.

The object of each level is to find and eat as many "berries" as possible to increase the size of the LocoRoco, to a maximum of 20. There are also "Pickories" and "Mui Mui" to find. The "Pickories" are used as currency for playing the minigames Mui Mui Crane and Chuppa Chuppa, while the "Mui Mui" unlock more minigames and music for the Loco House. The player must also be careful to avoid enemies, mainly "Burrs" (spiky obstacles) and "Moja", which can cause them to lose LocoRoco or even die if the last LocoRoco is lost.

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Runaway Dream of the Turtle 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I really enjoy the Runaway series. I originally got into them because Adventure Games of this type are very rare these days. Games like Broken Sword, Full Throttle, Kings Quest, ect all games that I thought were really amazing games that held my attention. So far both Runaway games have done a wonderful job of keeping me glued to my computer. The graphics are really pleasing to look at. The story is wonderful, and a nice thing about the sequel is, they bring back characters from the first game. However they do it in such a wonderful way, that even if you've never played the first one, your not going to be completely lost as to whats happening. I am very pleased with the company who makes this series, and am looking forward to the 3rd Runaway game. It's very rare to see a video game company that actually cares about putting out a quality game, rather then just something thats just gonna turn a profit. The people who make the Runaway games are a dying breed, and have my loyalty as a gamer for the simple fact that they are in tune with what players like me really want.

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Product Description:
Humor, hotties, hijinks and a hilarious plotline all combine to make Runaway: Dream of the Turtle a fantastically fun adventure. Players travel the world, from Alaska and Hawaii to the depths of the sea and the sky above. A groovin' soundtrack combined with a colorful animation style provide the game with a charisma and charm rarely seen in adventure titles.

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Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As an big fan of the Guitar Hero games and owner of the previous three installments on the PSXII I was VERY excited for GH3.HOWEVER, after playing for a few days now I am very sad to say I'm rather disappointed as I have mixed feelings over GH3.

First off is the aesthetics looks; obviously Activision made a great effort to appeal to contemporary audiences and, from a marketing standpoint, this is very understandable.However, I feel as though the Guitar Hero franchise is now becoming a marketing tool for new bands and songs instead of following the formula of playing great songs both old and new.Granted there were many songs from the 1980s on back, but in many instances songs were from the past year or so; some were even being initially produced during production of Guitar Hero 3, which reinforces my theory.

To be fair, there were many songs I was very pleased to see make the final cut such as Welcome to the Jungle and La Grange.I'm a big classic rock fan and it was a blast playing Rock Ya Like a Hurricane.I would've chosen some different songs for say Aerosmith, Cream and The Who but you win some, ya lose some.I should also be fair in saying I did enjoy some of the contemporary works such as Priestess, I actually went out and bought their CD because I fell in love with the song they used... but that's where my love for the new songs end.They also butchered some songs, most notably The Devil Went Down to Georgia; I was skeptical at first because it's a fiddle song and my fears were confirmed as I noticed it became a death metal song.*le sigh*

Then there's the severe lack of diversity in the songs.It appears to be half death metal, half classic rock; almost all from primarily white bands.I've seen better diversity at a Trent Lott Christmas party.No Hendrix, no Stevie Wonder, no Michael Jackson, no Prince, no Rick James ("I'm Rick James!"), no Vandross, no nothing.Carlos Santana seemed to be the token minority group in the entire game, granted they did an excellent job doing Black Magic Woman and that one is probably my personal favorite to play.

The bonus songs, to me, were all worthless.It's almost all one genre; garage bands.Granted this is primarily the basis of the bonus songs in previous Guitar Hero games, however, at least Red Octane placed songs everyone could enjoy such as Dethklok and even Strong Bad.This time around, I did not find one bonus song I liked.

Then there's the layout; it's waay too contemporary for my taste.It seems to be marketed entirely to heavy metal, death metal and (dare I say) emo fans.Aside from glam rock character Izzy and Motown Xavier (which they only had one song contributing to) the characters, arenas and styles all reflected contemporary rock themes.The British Invasion is subtlety hinted although they use Weezer as an example when other songs would've personified this much better since Weezer is 30 years late.I just wish there would've been more balance between contemporary and classic.The only arena I liked was the prison, which I thought was nice.

I also thought way too much emphasis was placed on aesthetics than actual game play.The stages were beautifully done and some of the characters looked considerably better than before... but, then again, most of the time our focus is on the fret board and not what is in the background.It also made it very difficult to read points and, more importantly, star power.I had considerable trouble discerning my star power level given the new layout.The old layout from the first three installments was considerably easier to read on the fly.

Then there's the versus boss mode... which I think is the most worthless feature they included, which you are forced to do if you wish to proceed.Despite being a seasoned player, it took me several trial and error sessions to beat each boss especially the final boss Lou.It was literally a toss of the coin as half the time the boss would strike back and the other half he would not.Not to mention you have to cause the boss to fail before the music stops; you could have triple the points the boss has and still lose which is hardly how a guitar battle should be engaged.If anything, the battle should be based on points at the end of the song, which would've been great with The Devil Went Down to Georgia.I just wanted to rock dangit!!

The difficulty also seemed to be considerably off.I thought I'd start small on medium and played through the game.I noticed the first few songs were super easy, then towards it the end it got considerably harder than usual.Songs on medium seemed to be hard but without the orange button, especially on the last two genres.Particularly in the song One by Metallica, the song goes into a long solo of run-offs similar to hard if not expert songs on previous installments.While this made me a better player in the long run, it will deter casual players.

And perhaps it is just me but others and myself have noticed the screen appears smaller.I checked my screen settings and even put on widescreen mode to see what was the deal and, sure enough, the fret buttons and screen was condensed to allow the player to see the stage, characters and background better... which is kind of pointless since you're supposed to be focused on playing the game, not admiring the scenery.This made it REALLY hard to do harder songs since I had to scoot up to the screen and squint my eyes.

Lastly, there's the loading time.It is considerably longer than before due to the large emphasis on backgrounds, characters and animations instead of gameplay.For previous Guitar Hero fans this will prove to be cumbersome as you will be tempted to hit the green button thinking the game is waiting for your input when, in reality, it's still loading.

However, there are some pros.I really enjoyed the co-op career mode since I typically play Guitar Hero games with friends and this allows us to move towards an attainable goal.

All in all, Guitar Hero III could've been done a LOT better.Activision and the four million contributing companies with rock intros strayed heavily from the formula and will disillusion many long-term fans.I strongly recommend you rent this first and try Guitar Hero 2 if you really want it; the second installment is much better executed with all the features you'll really need with a diverse soundtrack.

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Product Description:
Unleash your inner rock legend with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Face off against guitar icon Slash, from Guns N' Roses, and others in insane boss battles featuring original tracks recorded exclusively for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Defeat opponents to achieve legendary status in head-to-head competition including the all-new Guitar Battle or share the glory with a friend in the new Co-op Career Mode. Realize a true rock concert experience with all new venues, incredible lighting effects, authentic instruments and sick character moves. And since rock is all about the music, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock features over 70 of the biggest and loudest songs ever compiled in a single game disc.

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PSP USB Cable Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered this cable to have a cheap way to sync my PSP on the road. I was rather surprised when I got a retractable cable that also includes the proper charging tip for the PSP. (Not what shown in the photo.) It's an added bonus, as the retractable plays well when you just want to throw this into a bag and take it with you, and it's nice to be able to charge the PSP on the road without bringing the whole stock charger with you. If you have anything else that uses the same size AC plug (my old Dell Axim with the dongle, for instance) you can use it, as well as using the Mini-B end to charge other accessories (most new Motorola phones, for example.) I charge both my TomTom ONE and my Motorola bluetooth headset with this cable. It's multi-use *and* indispensable.

Pros: Retractable, includes PSP charger tip, compact.

Cons: Charges slower than a wall charger (limitation of the USB port...not the design of the cable.)

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Product Description:
Transfers data and recharges your PSP or PSP 2000. 4-foot 7-inch cable length.

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Best Seller Series: Starcraft Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Starcraft is the ultimate real-time strategy game.In a world of games that lose their appeal within a year of release, Starcraft keeps bringing players back.Blizzard Entertainment is known for its excellent RTS-type games such as the Warcraft series, but the company's high water mark is Starcraft.The set-up is that a long lost space colony of humans finds itself in mortal conflict with two alien races, the Zerg (nasty reptiles) and Protoss (ancient psionic warriors).The game allows you to play all three races in turn, and revolves around the collection of resources to buy more units, buildings and technological improvements as you try to fulfill mission objectives.
As we've come to expect from Blizzard, the gameplay itself is superb - intuitive interface, interesting units that complement each other in interesting ways, and graphics that are adequate even if they are showing their age.In my opinion, the balance between the three races is as close to perfection of any game I've played.Each race is utterly distinct and requires completely different strategies to play, but none has an obvious advantage over the others.But where the game really goes over the top is in the storyline.Blizzard is NOT known for great plots.For example, the Warcraft III storyline has some unbelievable plot twists that have to be overlooked to keep playing.In contrast, Starcraft has an absorbing plotline that flows seamlessly throughout the single player campaign and actually made me gasp in astonishment a few times, which has never happened since in an RTS.
I assume that any fan of real-time strategy computer games already has this one.If you have any interest at all in RTS, get this game.If you passionately hate RTS, Starcraft is the best bet to change your mind.

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Product Description:
In the distant future a small group of human exiles have been doomed to fight for survival on the edge of the galaxy. Through military strength, espionage and deceit, a unified Terran government has maintained an uneasy peace. As resources run short, however, these Confederate nations find themselves looking towards the rich worlds of their alien neighbors, the enigmatic Protoss. To further complicate matters, it seems that a previously unknown and deadly species known only as the Zerg has entered Protoss space and is destroying everything in its path. The time for war has come... Rating -ESRB = T Teen

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This review is for the contents of the collectors edition package, not the game itself.

The 175 page art book is fantastic. It's hardback and has a nice protective sleeve covering it. The sleeve depicts Deathwing as seen on the Cataclysm website. The concepts and literature inside are great to read/view and it's really cool to see the artistic visuals of all the new NPCs, clothing items, zones and even stills from the cinematic trailer. Many pieces of art depict several different stages of concept certain characters passed through over the period the expansion was developed. Some pieces give a visual representation of events that have transpired and affected the current storyline (there is a piece showcasing the Garrosh/Cairne duel which ultimately ended in.. well i won't spoil that one for you ;) ) The artwork is just really cool. Blizzard certainly has some very talented artists working for them. Various letters written by characters in game are peppered throughout the pages which give insight to the events which have happened and served to shape the new world since the shattering. While not essential for casual fans, they are still a great read for those who love the lore behind World of Warcraft and the book is a wonderful addition of graphic art to any person's collection.

The soundtrack features 17 absolutely phenomenal orchestral tracks from in game. I'm a huge fan of the music of World of Warcraft and the new tracks are very beautifully done and really invoke a real sense of "epicness". The title track is the best its been since the vanilla days (it even incorporates the original Legends of Azeroth theme), and the addition of revamped tracks from old world zones like Elywnn forest and Durotar are a nice, nostalgic touch. I enjoyed the score from Wrath of the Lich King but i think i enjoy this one much more.

Also included:

- In game Lil' Deathy companion pet. He has a welp model, but looks like a midgit-fied Deathwing. every character you'll ever start again will receive him along with a feat of strength. Standard and digital versions of Cataclysm will not receive this pet.

- Mouse pad depicting Deathwing looking upon the ravaged continents of Azeroth. I use an optical mouse so i really have no use for a mouse pad, but it may very well serve as a nice showpiece for any player looking to add a little flavor to their desktop.

- Wrathgate starter deck with a Landro's Gift loot card. Not really useful to me since i don't play the trading card game, but the loot card can provide a very lucrative reward if you're lucky. For instance, one of the possible obtainable items when you receive your gift box is a swift spectral tiger, which bar none is the rarest mount in game and very expensive if purchased from anywhere else. I wasn't lucky, and only got Papa Hummel's pet biscuits.

- Behind the scenes DVD featuring insight into the development of Cataclysm, which is about an hour long. I haven't watched it yet, but i would say it's a fair guess that the DVD is top notch. No hardcore fan of the game would pass up the chance to see how the creative process at Blizzard works, since we rarely if ever have a chance to outside of blue posts.

** After writing this review i was able to watch the DVD in it's entirety. Let me tell you, i didn't expect much going in but by the end my expectations were well exceeded. There is a lot of information packed into this disc and Blizzard went into great detail about all of the changes that were made and explained a lot of the secrets behind their programming magic. There are thorough explanations behind why old world flying was never included in the last 2 expansions, the reasoning and logic behind many of the zone changes, and the developer's went into great detail on the process of creating new zones for this expansion, the challenges they faced in creating content that would rival or exceed what we saw With wrath and their desires to create an experience that was rewarding not just for new fans but for old veterans of the game as well. Also discussed on the disc was the process behind creating the cinematic movie for the expansion ( a project that proved to be far more challenging than i ever thought it was), Warcraft History and a plethora of interviews by developers and artists associated with the World of Warcraft.

- And the expansion itself, which comes on 1 DVD disc. The beauty of this expansion is that the bulk of the material was already patched in before release, so all players really needed to do was provide their activation codes and wait until the servers went live. since all the content can be digitally downloaded once your account has been upgraded, the DVD is more or less a means to reinstall the game without an internet connection.

The package is very sturdy and well put together. All the items that come with it rest in little cutouts on a tray which are lined with felt to prevent scraping or scuffing of your items, and everything fits in smoothly without sliding/bouncing around inside. the tray slides into the outer sleeve kind of like a really big DVD set. You can stand the box vertically and it will remain still, or you can put it on a shelf like a book. Either way is up to you. I would personally rather display it out in the open since it looks so cool, but that's me.

A worthy purchase at 80 dollars, and a great addition for any fan of the game out there.

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Product Description:
An ancient evil lies dormant within Deepholm, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire. Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.

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