PSP 3000 Limited Edition Ratchet and Clank Entertainment Pack - Silver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So this is the 3rd iteration for the Playstation Portable.
I've personally experienced the first 2, selling my original PSP Phat for the PSP Slim (2000).
I've done the same again and sold my slim and bought the 3000.

The improvements over the PSP 2000, are a improved LCD screen which I must say is pretty improved, and a built in Microphone. (Finally I can make use of the skype feature as well as chat online in psp games.)

So is this a justifiable upgrade? For the improvements not really.
But if you're in the market for a PSP right now... The PSP 3000 is an ideal step into the PSP World.

Also following up the PSP 3000's launch is the Firmware 5.00 which brings Playstation Store (found on PS3) to the PSP.
But this firmware will be hitting all iterations of PSP.

So...Great purchase for me...Hope all of you here on Amazon do the same :)

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Product Description:
The PlayStation Portable Limited Edition Ratchet and Clank PSP-3000 Entertainment Pack brings together the latest revision of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) with the fun mayhem of the latest Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters game. Play technological games, listen to music, connect to the Internet, and do more with this Entertainment Pack.


The PSP gives you plenty of entertainment options during a flight. View larger.

The Limited Edition set includes an exclusive silver-colored PSP and the game Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters. View larger.
The PlayStation Portable Ratchet and Clank PSP-3000 Entertainment Pack:

Features the latest PlayStation Portable with built-in microphone.
Includes the game Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters.
Lets you look at your photos, listen to music, and watch videos and movies on the go.
Has built-in WiFi for multiplayer gaming action and connecting to the Internet.

PlayStation Portable - Now with Included Microphone and Brighter Screen
The latest Playstation Portable revision, the PSP-3000, has everything the older PSPs had but now includes a built-in microphone, which lets you take advantage of voice features in some games as well as the PSP's built-in Skype functionality without having to use a headset. The new PSP-3000 also includes an improved anti-reflective screen that offers higher contrast and clearer visibility in well-lit places and can even be used outdoors.
A Full Entertainment System in Your Hands
The PSP was designed to handle all varieties of applications and entertainment -- music, video, communication, wireless networking, and, of course, gaming. Users will enjoy top-notch 3D games with high-quality, full-motion video, and high-fidelity audio. The 4.3-inch wide screen display is bright and beautiful, and works well under many different lighting conditions. If you prefer, you can also connect your PSP to your TV. The PSP utilizes the Universal Media Disc (UMD) for a storage medium, each of which holds 1.8 GB of data.
Hundred of Games to Choose From
The PSP gaming library is hundreds of titles strong and covers a wide variety of genres. Whether you are seeking the hard hits of football or the strategy of a puzzle game, there's sure to be many games for you. The PSP is capable of graphics quality that is comparable to the PlayStation 2, but in a pocket-sized package that you can take wherever you go.
Watch Movies and Videos On The Go
When you just want to sit back and enjoy a movie on a long plane trip, the PSP has you covered. The PSP offers two options to do this: you can either purchase full-length movies and TV shows on UMD, or you can download videos onto your computer and transfer them on a Memory Stick Duo for playing on your PSP. Included in the package is the movie National Treasure 2 on UMD.
You can also watch recorded television content downloaded to a Memory Stick Duo with the TiVo-To-Go service. (Please note that this requires $24.95 fee, you must have a TiVo Series2 connected to your home network.)
Listen to Your Music Collection Anywhere
With the ability to play MP3, WAV, WMA, ATRAC3+, and MP4 files, you can easily use your PSP as an audio player. Simply place your music on a Memory Stick Duo, and you can navigate your collection using the PSP's XMB (XrossMediaBar) to select your song to play.


UMD discs can hold 1.8 GB for epic games and full-length movies. View larger. Show and Share Photos With Your Friends
With the PSP, you can show a slideshow of your photo collection with your friends by simply placing them on a Memory Stick Duo and accessing them via PSP's XMB. Additionally, you can beam photos wirelessly to friends who also have a PSP.


Download content from the PlayStation Store onto the PSP. View larger. Built-in WiFi allows for Internet Browsing and Online Gaming
With built-in WiFi, you can access the Internet from any accessible hotspot. Once connected, you can surf the Web and download exclusive demos and content for your PSP from the PlayStation Store.
The WiFi also allows you to battle other gamers, both over the Internet and in your local vicinity.
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters Game Included
With this Limited Edition set, you'll get to play Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters right out of the box. A combination of a platformer and shooter, Size Matters delivers the over-the-top humor and fun that the series has come to be known for.
As is Ratchet and Clank's hallmark, the game features large cache of weapons, each of which can be upgraded to become larger and stronger. It's the sheer wackiness of the weapons that makes the game so much fun: among the many weapons at your disposal, you'll have the option of wielding a shotgun, a pistol that shoots killer bees, and a gun that shoots out robots.
The game makes full use of the PSP hardware and incorporates multiple lighting and particle effects without any slowdown in gameplay.
With this Limited Edition Entertainment Pack, you won't be lacking in entertainment options when you're on the run. In fact, you might actually start looking forward to your long commute.
What's in the Box:
PSP-3000, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters UMD game, National Treasure 2 UMD movie, 1GB Memory Stick Duo, PlayStation Network game download voucher for echochrome.



The Limited Edition Entertainment Pack includes everything seen here.

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Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga Review

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(More customer reviews)Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is perhaps one of the best GBA games we've received this year. Rich color and textures along with new gameplay elements make this a must have for the GBA!The third RPG in the Mario franchise we've seen.Mario and Luigi combines the elements of Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG to create yet another RPG masterpiece.
To start off are the graphics.The graphics presented to us are very well done.Rich colorful environments decorate this game in a way we've never thought possible on the GBA.Mario, Luigi and other characters are visually stunning.The animations in battle are simple, yet fun to look at.You'll no doubt be impressed by the graphics the first time around.
The music and other sound in this game is also quite good.Music from nearly all the Mario games is mixed into the bunch as well as introducing new tunes.The new tunes are quite remarkable, especially for the GBA.While some tunes get a little repetitive and loop around much too quickly, you'll quickly get used to it, as it is a minor flaw.
The story is that a witch named Cackletta from the neighboring Kingdom of Beanbean has stolen Princess Toadstool's beautiful voice and has replaced it with explosives. Each time Toadstool speaks you'll see a lot of symbols pop up in her dialogue box and then come down to the ground with an explosion.When Bowser comes to kidnap the Princess he soon realizes that she would probably ruin his castle.In short, Bowser decides to help Mario and Luigi.
What was even more remarkable are the voices in the game.Mario and Luigi don't scream, grunt, groan and moan for every action they do, but they're voices are still pretty well done.Bowser's voice is also impressive.Voices are very well done on this game so you shouldn't find yourself turning down the volume a whole lot.Mario and Luigi never really say anything; instead you hear them speaking gibberish a lot of the time when they communicate.
The game also presents a lot of moments that'll without a doubt make you laugh.Even the opening cinema and beginning of the game are pretty funny.So you'll find a lot of entertainment with this that I think you'll really love.
The battle system is quite different from your standard Turn-Based RPG as well as on the field.For example, the A-Button controls one character and the B-Button controls another.The start button switches Mario and Luigi around so that the other one leads (so if Mario is leading push start and Luigi steps in front).So they're both on the over world map.If Mario is leading the A-Button Controls him, and the B-button controls Luigi and vice-versa.
What's even more important is that in battle the A-Button ALWAYS controls Mario and the B-Button ALWAYS controls Luigi.This is always true in battle.There are four commands in battle: Solo Attack, Bros. Attack, Items and Run.The Solo Attack allows your character to attack of course.But remember that if it's Luigi you use the B-Button.Much like Super Mario RPG you've got "Timed-Hits".Pressing a button right before the attack connects causes a more powerful hit.Bros. Attacks are different. This is where Mario and Luigi do a duel attack to an enemy.You must execute by entering the right button commands as they appear on screen. If you decide you want to make them harder to pull off you can do them without the aid of button commands and have the speed at which the attack is executed at increased.Of course the harder one you choose the more damage it'll do.
What's also interesting is that you can dodge attacks.When an enemy comes to attack you, press the button that corresponds to that character to dodge the attack.So if an enemy attacks Mario you'd press A.
Mario and Luigi can also use techniques on the field.Luigi can jump on Mario's head and perform a high-jump and Mario can jump on Luigi's for a spin jump.They can also use hammers which they can smash blocks with too.
I've only about one or two cons with the game.One is you only have Mario and Luigi. No one else joins the party.This isn't really a con but for an RPG there are some RPGers who expect more characters to control. The other con however, is that they included the arcade Mario Bros.While this isn't necessarily bad, it's on EVERY Mario game on the GBA!It was nice at first but after the second Mario Advance game it just began to lose my interest.I'm sure many will probably overlook the Original Mario Bros. Game.
However, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is excellent for the GBA. It's the first original Mario game on the GBA and for that I'm glad.This is without a doubt one of the greatest GBA games we've ever seen before.

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Product Description:
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga is a strange and funny new epic that takes the brothers on a great new quest!

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Worldwide Soccer Manager 2008 Review

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(More customer reviews)Having played this series since the end of the previous century, this version is the best yet. For long time fans, there have been plenty of tweaks and additions to make the game that much more addictive and consuming. For virtual newbies, the game may at first seem daunting in its complexity. Fear not, SI has your back. This year they've included a tutorial to help get your feet wet. They also got a new assistant function that will give you context sensitive suggestions. Once you've got your bearing, it becomes a bit like the Microsoft Office Paper Clip. Fortunately, it's a feature easily turned off.

In general, the game play is fantastic. All the aspects of an international career in management are present. You've got your first team, your reserve squad and a youth set-up. You train your players to keep them fit and make them better. You design your tactics the way YOU want your team to play. Then you set them loose on game day to watch them ignore your best laid plans and get trounced. ;)

Be warned: The popularity of this game is not based on fancy graphics or fast-twitch muscle fiber. To succeed at this game you've got to be patient and attentive to detail. It's very much a marathon, not a sprint.

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Product Description:
Experience the Greatest Job on EarthProduct InformationThe world's most complete and in-depth soccer management game Worldwide SoccerManager 2008 lets you challenge yourself bytaking full control of any of over 5000 manageable teams from around the worldincluding clubs from leagues such as Major League Soccer English PremierLeague and the Mexico Premier Division. With club and international teams from50 countries available experience the realism in making every managementdecision and the intense pressure to win.Product FeaturesFully Updated for the New Season- Accurately updated with over 5000playable teams from over 50 countries players will be able to select theirfavorite club or international team and guide them through Cup matches LeaguesEuropean Championships and even major international tournaments.Match Engine Improvements- A greatly improved match engine once againutilizing the soccer brain of former Republic of Ireland international playerRay Houghton as well as other tools used by real-life managers to make the mostaccurate simulation of soccer in a computer game. The ability to change thepitch dimensions at the start of the season to suit player's styles of playbetter has also been added.Match Flow- Match flow brings more atmosphere to match-days with matchpreviews team talks opposition player instructions the match itselfhalf-time and post match and a mini-radar pitch displayed while tacticalchanges are made all keeping you in touch with what's happening out on thefield.International Management - International team management has been completelyrevamped with new media improvements international retirements playerinteraction international scouting improved pool selection captain selectionand a separation of international and club morale for players.Easier to Use- Brand new advisor system helps players through various areasof the game. A new notes and notebook system a perfected navigation system andan updated tutorial and manual all

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Soul Calibur 3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)To begin with, theres a huge amount of unlockable content in this game. You will be unlocking new costumes, characters, weapons and things every single day you play... for weeks!
This is an awesome addition to fighting games, which i feel lose their replayability too quick.

The new content adds a lot to an already jam packed game.
Theres 30 characters to take through story mode and theres a giant strategy/fighting side game called chronicles of the sword. This side game took me 12 hours to get through. Thats a pretty decent chunk for a side game.

Theres also a decent amount of fun little games in the mode called Soul Arena though some of the games are a bit too difficult.

The thing that seems a little screwy in this game and is its biggest flaw is its AI. This game has no difficulty adjuster so the game is always locked in the same difficulty. The AI is extremely smart, or cheap, and can string together fast moves and reactions that a human opponent cant. Its extremely lame to lose 75% of your life bar to one string of cheap attacks by the computer.

But strangely, even though the computer AI is very good and cheap, there are some basic moves which the computer just cannot block. Want to beat the game without losing a single battle? Pick Sophitia and just keep pressing triangle.
Its very lame that the computer will block and dodge the most advanced tactics but cannot block the most basic move. Its funny to see the hidden final boss, Night Terror, get beat with the most basic attack in the game.

While this game is boatloads of fun and an awesome fighter, it still isnt without a few flaws because of its strange and unbalanced AI. And thats what makes it 4 stars, and not a perfect 5 in my books.

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Product Description:
The legendary battle of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge moves to the next phase in SOULCALIBUR III, the latest installment in the celebrated weapon-based fighting franchise ? offering players unprecedented variety in gameplay modes and fighting styles. Players can guide the fate of their favorite character in the narrative Tales of Souls mode, play head-to-head with a friend in VS Standard mode, create their own custom fighters in Character Creation mode and battle as these custom fighters in a real-time simulation in Chronicles of the Sword mode. Players can also engage in unique and original battles in Soul Arena mode and even recount the history of the franchise in Museum mode. With an additional three new characters to the existing family of classic warriors, there is a collection of more than 25 playable characters, each with their own unique fighting style.

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ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)As an adult who doesn't have a whole lotta time to spare, this game is great for short 5-20 minute gaming, but can easily result in longer play time because of how addicting it is. The greatest things about this game are 1) the vastness of the tracks, 2) the serious air you can get with the ATVs, 3) the flexibility of the ATVs and 4) the wide range of play options.
The wide tracks allow a lot of room for mistaken swerving. Although there are some narrow spots, even if you bump into the walls lightly you won't fall off. This game is very forgiving when landing basic jumps. I've landed 50 yard jumps on only one wheel or even at an angle and still continued on racing. Landing after tricks is a bit more challenging but a good one for casual gamers. Speaking of tricks, only on another planet would you be able to pull off some of the crazy jumps in this game, but that's part of the fun. Who cares if you can't pull off a 360 backflip on an ATV in the middle of a rock quarry in real life. You can in this game and it's a lot of fun seeing how high and far you can jump during a mad dash to the finish line.
Some of the cons:
-The soundtracks do get old after awhile and allowing an option to upload your own MP3s onto the playlist would have been sweet.
This doesn't detract much from the game though.
-No replay cam. Would have been nice to rewatch some of the insane tricks.
I bought this game for $... at Fry's and it's worth a lot more than what I paid for.

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Product Description:
ATV Quad Power Racing 2 takes you off-road for bumpy fun on the dirt trails!

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Halo 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Halo 2 is an excellent game, there's no doubt in that. The core of the game still remains the same as the original, making it almost impossible to take a step backwards. The thing to think about here is how have the changes and improvements affected this game over its predecessor.

For campaign mode the story is not quite as captivating as the original. In addition you need to have it on Heroic for any type of challenge. And, as many other reviews have said, the game is simply much shorter than the previous (the cut scenes graphically were a little dissapointing too). However, the game is really entertaining. The maps are much more detailed, there's more variance in the layout between checkpoints. They did a pretty good job in making the layout not as repetitive. Plus the scenery is pretty interactive and makes you do a lot more cool stuff to accomplish a mission.

Weapons as well have changed a lot. They have increased the types of weapons, as well as improving ones that used to suck (the needler) and taking away some power from the pistol. The much talked about dual weilding is defiantly a nice advantage. It takes a little getting used to know how to use it best and the best combinations of weapons. Although people have complained about the fact you can't throw grenades while using it, it's more realistic (you do only have two hands). So they've made it a powerful tool, but they didn't want it to be unstoppable. Basically it seems like they've leveled the playing field more and although you may be disappointed because something isn't as dominate as before or than you thought it would be, ultimately it's for the better.

Same thing goes for vehicles: you have more to choose from, with different advantages, but they also made each a little more vulnerable and less unstoppable (the rocket launcher lock helps tremendously from the last game).

The multiplayer part of course is amazing. Looking past some minor faults (not all maps are good, the energy sword is too dominate here, etc.) this part really makes the game a cut above anything else.

The limited edition version here only really provides an extra DVD with the making of (which is interesting but not really necessary... you could easily have a friend tell you the stuff on there that's worth knowing). Besides that and the metal case, it's the same. It's really up to you weather $10-15 bucks difference is that big of a deal for you, cause it's not that big of a difference.

Bottom line: Halo 2 is a great game. It's definitely a lot of fun and very enjoyable. It's a little disappointing because the original Halo was such a huge difference from anything out there and I think everyone was expecting Halo 2 to do the same. Unfortunately, it didn't make any drastic leaps that leave you stunned, but maybe (besides living up to the hype) it didn't really need to be. What it did do was make a lot of tweaks, to try and improve on something that was already incredible. You have to praise Bungie for trying their best to please everyone. In the end the hype may have been too much, but don't let it deter you from enjoying this great game.

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Product Description:
Halo 2 Limited Edition continues the story of Master Chief, the heroic super-soldier who defied the invading alien Covenant and survived. The Covenant leaders within Halo are angry at this unheard of event. To save face, they launch an invasion of our planet. Earth's defenses are breached, and we're all in danger -- unless Master Chief can lead a small military squad to victory against Covenant forces, in all-out guerilla warfare!Special Limited Edition includes DVD with behind the scenes making of footage, deleted characters and cinematics, art gallery, developer commentary and moreComes in special edition tin case

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Barbie of Swan Lake Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this game for my daughters for Christmas in 2003 and they still play with it at least once a week now (dec. 2004).There are matching games, problem solving excercises and they have to find hidden objects.They love the music, the games - all of it.This is a great gift for any girl from age 3 - 8!

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In Barbie Swan Lake, Barbie becomes the princess Odette, from the classic fairytale "Swan Lake". Help her return beauty to the Enchanted Forest in 6 charming locations!

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Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Review

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(More customer reviews)This game is so much fun it is difficult to express how happy I am having spent my money on it.

Graphics: 10/10. The graphics are absolutely incredible for being on a GBA. I've been playing Chain of Memories (CoM) on my Nintendo DS and often thought "wow, this DS does have good graphics..." just to remember I was playing a GBA game! In particular, the cinematic cutscenes could easily be N64 quality.

Music: 8/10. Original themes from the original Kingom Hearts. Well transposed to handheld, but nothing exceptional.

Story 9/10. If somewhat linear and not extremely original as the first Kingdom Hearts, CoM presents a genuinely sweet and enveloping story. Grown ups and kids should love it both, each one capturing and apprciating some of the sides of the story the other would not.

Gameplay: 10/10. This is where the game is actually great. It manages to insert a "card game" into a live action brawler. In combat againsty the heartless you command Sora through cards you collect and buy during the game. The cards can be combined to create enhanced effects and to deal major damage on your enemy. You will find out that creating a well balanced deck is vital to sucess. One suggestion: you have 3 possible decks you can keep at the same time, make one for normal heartless duels, and custom make another for boss encounters.

(One of the coolest combos is using 3 Cloud evocation cards.)

Finally, you will be exploring and shaping the worlds you explore through "map cards." In fact, every time you reach a door you must open it with a "map card."
These map cards are found as loot after duels and deciding which variety will affect the sort of "area" you will end up in and its contents. This adds a lot of fun and strategy to the game.

Bottom line:
A MUST BUY FOR ANY GBA OWNER!!!
Moreover, if you like at all Final Fantasy or Disney, you need to have this game.

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Product Description:
Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories delivers an unsurpassed gaming experience to players. Watch as new high-quality movie sequences show you an incredible new story -- where Disney and Final Fantasy characters meet! The heroes of Kingdom Hearts - Sora, Donald and Goofy - have walked into a room that took away their powers and magic! To get them back, SOra will go on a series of unique card duel -- where she'll summon characters from the popular Final Fantasy games!

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Mega Man X6 Review

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(More customer reviews)[I want to apologize for making this review so long, but I felt as though this game needed to be explained thoroughly.]
Mega Man X6(2001). Part six of seven.
After the somewhat disappointing X5, another sequel appeared less than a year later. How is this possible? According to another reviewer, apparently both X5 and X6 were created at the same time by two different teams under Capcom. For the most part, X6 is a combination of X5's style and X3's complexity. It contains the same graphics and classic gameplay as the previous two X games, but there are several features to this game that set it apart from the others. Here's the breakdown:
PROS:
-THANKFULLY, THERE ARE NO MORE MANDATORY ALIA MESSAGES! Capcom realized this mistake from X5 and made this feature optional. A small "!" appears in the corner when you reach key points in the stage and if you ever need them (true MM junkies don't) just press select. Finally, we get completely uninterrupted gameplay!
-The difficulty has been Vamped up drastically. This can be a good thing and a bad thing (more on the bad later). The good thing is that the game is no longer a cake-walk to beat like X4 and X5. The enemies will definitely give the player something to keep busy with.
-Perhaps the most non-linear X game in the series. By that I mean all the levels are vast, containing two different exits, and large arena-rooms to explore. Plus, the secret items are all cleverly scattered. You have to do more thinking than ever before to obtain some of them.
-The sound effects are slightly different than before. Now the explosions really let out a BANG! Also, some of the stage tunes are a return to X4's techno hardrock style, namely the Heatnix, Wolfgang, Mijinion, and Shark stages.
-Rescuing the 128 different reploids. This adds even more depth to X6 and allows the player to gain enhancements by rescuing them.
-X can now use the Z-saber! While it is not very good as a rapid attack weapon, it does help to reflect projectiles in the heat of combat.
CONS
-Okay, now the bad thing about the difficulty: SOME AREAS IN THE GAME LEAD TO POINTLESS FRUSTERATION. When I say that enemies come in endless waves, I mean that they throw everything and the kitchen sink at you. It comes to the point where even a veteran MM gamer cannot make it through each stage without losing lives. THE NIGHTMARE SYSTEM DOES NOT HELP THIS. Often times annoyances like meteors, fireflies, blackouts, and impassible silver blocks will take more effort to get through than normal stage enemies, which is nonsense. AND ITS ALL RANDOMLY GENERATED.
-THERE ARE TOO MANY NIGHTMARE ENEMIES. In some stages like the museum, most every enemy you face will be one of those. A little more variety in the bestiary would have benefited.
-Besides the four tracks I mentioned, the rest of the music is dull, boring, popish, and often annoying. I personally cannot stand the museum stage tune. AND WHAT'S WITH THE GRUNGE INTRO TRACK? This does not even fit with the X universe!
-LEVELS ARE NOT RANDOMLY GENERATED LIKE THE BOX CLAIMS. Okay Capcom, I don't care if the levels were actually random or not, but it's a really bad move to make a boast about a feature that's not there.
-Once again, the bosses are rather easy to beat. This is a bit of a letdown after how incredibly hard some of the stages are. Contrary to this though, the mini-boss High Max, seems almost too difficult to beat.
-Like the whale stage in X5, THE REPEATING JUNK-BALL MINI BOSS IN HEATNIX'S STAGE GETS TEDIOUS AFTER GOING THROUGH THE STAGE MORE THAN TWICE. It hurts the most when you're going back to rescue just one reploid.
-The story pretty much shot down the drain with this game. The cutscenes, though voice-acted in Japanese, drag on for a looooooong time. Like I said with X5, BRING BACK THE ANIME CUTSCENES! Zero should either be here to stay or gone for good. None of this "dramatic death and resurrection" junk. One other thing, STOP RESURRECTING SIGMA! Play X6 for the gameplay itself, not the story.
-Once a reploid gets caught by a nightmare, he can never be rescued again. In order to get him back, you have to reload the game. This can get annoying with some reploids.
-X can obtain two excellent pairs of armor (Blade, and Shadow), BUT GETTING THEM REQUIRES YOU TO ENDURE THE RANDOM NIGHTMARE SYSTEM UNTIL THE RIGHT HAZARD COMES ALONG IN A PARTICULAR STAGE. You can't acquire anything else without them.
X6 as a whole is a fun, challenging, and more often than not, a frusterating game. However I only recommend this one to experienced gamers, as this is one of the hardest MM titles to date. With a bit more work, this game could have easily been a classic. Despite all the shortcomings, it succeeds in retaining the classic 2D gameplay that makes Mega Man games what they are. I'm only being so critical on this game because I am an incredibly big MM fan who cares about the series. The story is the weakest part of X6, but give the game a chance. It's at least worth playing through one time. Get equipped with bubble lead all over again and go give it a shot.

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Product Description:
1 player, memory card - 1 block, and vibration function compatible.

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Cossacks: Back To War Review

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(More customer reviews)Great game, very good graphics much better than Age of Empires, Civilization and etc. Lots of nations to choose from and a lot of missions that make it fun. Of course playing against a live opponent, instead of AI, is even better!

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Return to the brutal era that defined modern Europe as you control the legendary Cossacks! / Rated T: Teen

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Phantasy Star Online, Episode I & II Review

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(More customer reviews)Hunting down Game Cube's only online title may be a chore that some people may not be interested in, while hunting down the broadband adapter is even worse... thankfully I found both, and had a credit card handy that day, and boy am I glad I did.
I was a fan of he Dreamcast original, and so when Episode 1&2 was announced for GameCube I was very happy. Regardless of what anybody has said about graphical enhancements in the past I cannot stress enough that there has been drastic enhancements to the graphics, to the camera, and best of all to the controller sensitivity, defending you character is so much easier because the game is a lot more responsive than its previous incarnations.
There are more character types to choose from, new strengths, new weaknesses, a few new monsters, etc, and it is plenty fun on its own without going online.
Sega also included the option for four-player action offline, which is also a blast.
There is one complaint I have for this game, and only one, the lack of a keyboard, or headset for communication. Despite the addition of hotkeys, conversation online is a big pain because typing through the control pad is too slow, and by the time I finish my sentence my comrades have already left the lobby. Nintendo needs to release a keyboard for the GameCube, even if it's only for PSO.
Be aware that this game is not out of print, its just that demand is extremely high, and during the next few months it may be difficult to find, but not impossible. Some websites are reporting that the product is discontinued, but this is not the case. The game is a lot of fun, and if you don't mind doing a little hunting for it it's well worth the price of admission. Hopefully this means Nintendo will get its act together with online games and start getting serious about an online plan.

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Product Description:
Play this award winning gaming phenomenon of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II with all-new modes and exclusive content. Play with the new split-screen feature allowing 4 friends to battle it out at the same time. Witness all-new character classes, weapons, items, enemies, quests and more. Episode II features an exclusive new full-length adventure.

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NEW TP-Link TL-WN821N USB 2.0 300M 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless N Wi-Fi LAN Network Adapter Card Dongle Review

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(More customer reviews)price meets performance and then exceeds it!...If it lasts me a couple years it'll have been well worth it....now I have the speed and bandwith throughput I was looking for without spending a fortune to retrofit my wireless network to the higher performing 'N" standard. I also like the usb extension that comes with this adapter which helps me position it in a safe and functional manner.

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Product Description:
The TL-WN821N Wireless N USB Adapter complies with IEEE 802.11n (Draft 2.0), IEEE 802.11g, and IEEE 802.11b standards. Wireless transmission rates can reach up to 300Mbps. The adapter employs MIMO technology and has internal Intelligent Antennas providing even better wireless performance, transmission rates, stability and coverage. At the same time, CCA technology automatically avoids channel conflicts using its channel selection feature. This product supports 64/128-bit WEP encryptions, as well as WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryptions and mechanisms in addition to the adapters QSS (Quick Secure Setup) feature, allowing users to quickly and easily setup wireless security. This product can also simultaneously operate bandwidth intensive applications such as voice, and video. Applications using a lot of bandwidth that are sensitive to interruptions such as voice and video applications are given priority in order to assure quality. It also works well with other 11g and 11n protocol wireless products.
Features:
1. Provides two methods of operation: Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc.
2. Adopts MIMO technology for wireless rates of up to 300Mbps.
3. Adopts CCA technology which automatically avoids channel conflicts using its channel selection feature .
4. Quick Secure Setup, complies with WPS for worry free wireless security.
5. Supports 64/128-bit WEP, complies with 128 bit WPA standard(TKIP/AES), supports MIC, IV Expansion, Shared Key Authentication, IEEE 802.1X.
6. Simple configuration and monitoring
7. Supports roaming technology, guaranteeing efficient wireless connections
8. Supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista OS
Software Specifications:
Standards: IEEE 802.11n(draft 2.0), IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, CSMA/CA with ACK.
Frequency Range: 2.4-2.4835GHz
Wireless Transmit Power: 20dBm(MAX)
Modulation Type: OFDM/CCK/16-QAM/64-QAM
Security: 64/128 bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES)

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WRC: World Rally Championship Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, maybe that is a bit much, but at least the cars can get damaged, unlike in Gran Turismo. Unfortunately, they seem to get damaged very easily. But, hey, that's the WRC for ya! After all, one guy in the WRC smoked an engine this year when he clipped a snow bank with the front of his car thus blocking the air flow to to the radiator with a mess of ice and snow.
But, on to the game. First off, this game is presented exactly as you see it on the WRC TV coverage. Same graphics, same narations, and pretty much the same camera angles. Even the music is the same. So, if you like watch the WRC, you are in for a treat.
The graphics are some of the best out there. The headlights at night when you do some of the night time rallys are a treat. The sun gets in your eyes at times and makes it hard to navigate some of the mountain sides.
The scenery is top notch. Spectators are as dumb in this game as they are in the real world - they stand right at the side of the road all over the place. And they have those can-o-air-horn things as well. The terrain is spectacular, and on some stages you will get to see it as your car flys off the side of a very large mountain. Everything is modeled very well. The cars look like the real things.
An added treat to all this is the navigator. I finally learned what the heck he was saying as I never could figure it out when I would watch WRC on TV. Now I know. Learn how to do his rally notes and you too can drive your friends nuts when you ride with them.
There is one down side to the game though - when you are doing the in car camera and are watching the driver and the navigator, the navigator seems to be throwing his voice and doing a ventriloquist act. Would be much more impressive if the programmers had actually made the navigators mouth move while he is reading the notes.
The game is hard, but is not extremely hard. I managed to get 1st place in the driver's championship as Marcus Gronholm (who won the real WRC DC this year, btw), and managed to get three extra rallys open by finishing in 1st place in them. You have to get points in each rally to move on to the next one, so you really have to push it. I did this with the medium difficulty level. Younger folks may have some troubles doing this.
I sure hope bam! comes out with WRC 2002 soon. If you are a fan of WRC, you are gonna love this. It is a very good representation of what kinds of nuts become WRC drivers. They would have to be after seeing some of these courses.

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Product Description:
World Rally Championship is an officially licensed product that features all the cars, teams, and drivers from the official 2001 World Rally Championship. You will battle your way through 108 heart-pounding stages in 14 rallies located all over the world. The tracks are set in gigantic picturesque environments populated with fans, cameramen, and wildlife. The game features extensively detailed 3-D cockpits and drivers, animated by fully inverse kinematics for a true-to-life representation. More than 40 elements of each car have been accurately modeled to determine their individual physics. Cars can pick up dust, mud, and snow and receive collision damage--from shattered windows to torn-off bumpers.

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Grandia 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Ok I was a little mad when I saw the reviews of this game.How can you write a review when you don't even HAVE this game?Well I have this game and I am here to tell you how good it is.First of all this game is fantastic, the graphics are the best for Dreamcast yet and the battle system is completely amazing.The best way to describe the battle system is like lunar: SCCC's battle system in 3D.Also in the battles everyone can be moving at the same time.Another thing about this game is it is SO detailed.In some of the stores you can knock over bottles or knock a picture out of place.Another example of the great detail is in the battles.When a character hits a bad monster, the character blinks there eyes, and when you hit them, you might yell AAAHHHHH or another thing.These are just some of the great things about this game.I won't keep going on telling you how good this game is, you will just have to play it for yourself.This game took me about 30 hours to beat and I literally spent about 10 of my hours battling because it was so fun.Now after you read this I hope you buy this game, the story is excellent and it can be emotional at times.Do not pass up a great game like this, because I can not tell you how good it is and how it changed my life.

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MTX Mototrax Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned this game for over one year and i still play it often. The graphics are great and the controls are very easy to learn. The tracks are awsome, and there are tons of different tricks. Being an FMX fan, I especially liked the special X Games level. Overall, this game is good all around and is definetily worth it to buy.

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Product Description:
MTX: Mototrax is the hardcore motocross title that brings every aspect of motocross racingto your system. Jump right into the action and become the ultimate MX athlete. It's time toride your way into fame and fortune -- pull ahead of the pack & never look back! Comprehensive online multiplayer experience -challenge more than 7 other players on over 25 tracks in such varied locations as the Hawaiian Islands, the Bayou and the Australian Outback Features world-famous racer Travis Pastrana, plus 12 other top pro riders

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Max Payne Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While it won't go down in history as one of the greatest video games ever, Max Payne does have plenty of intriguing areas that make it a fun game to experience.
1 - Bullet Time!Being able to shoot, dive, and roll in slow motion to take out a room full of baddies is just plain addictive.I never got tired of recklessly running into danger with both guns blazing.
2 - Dialogue!If you're a fan of action movies then the dialogue in Payne will have you cracking up.Yes, it is supposed to be THIS bad (the people at Extended Play missed the boat here).
3 - The Story!I was always wondering where this game was going to take me.Each time I thought, "This is the end!" a new level began.Every level also made me smile as I could see how film noir and action cinema helped forge the areas that I would be battling through.
4 - Time!Unlike many games you don't need to devote your life to playing Max Payne.It's an excellent weekend renter as it's easily winnable within 10 hours.True fans though will enjoy the challenging difficulty levels that can be unlocked once you win the first time.
All in all I recommend Max Payne for Xbox owners who want to spend some time smiling and having a fun time blowing away the bad guys.

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Product Description:
Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent cold urban night. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder he's hunted by cops and the Mob. Max is a man with his back against the wall fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Prepare for a new breed of deep-action game. Prepare for pain.Format: XBOX Genre:ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating:M - Mature UPC:710425290923

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Space Rangers 2: The Rise of the Dominators Review

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(More customer reviews)[last updated 11/03/06]: Note that Space Rangers 2 (SR2) is now available without copy protection [...] Instead, they use the same approach that they use for Galactic Civilizations II. I can only hope this means that updates for SR2 will be released.

By conventional wisdom, Space Rangers 2 (SR2) shouldn't be such a great game. After all, it contains a mixture of widely disparate game types:

-- 2-D turn-based space travel, including ship-to-ship combat;
-- 3-D ground-based real-time-strategy (RTS) combat among robots, with the ability to 'step into' one of your robots and control it personally;
-- 2-D 1980s arcade-style (real time) travel and combat set in a stylized "hyperspace" within a black hole;
-- text-based "choose your adventure"-style quests and challenges, some of which are quite tough.

All of this exists in a setting of sixty (60) star systems, with over 250 planets, space stations, and the like. You play a single character, of a given race (five available) and starting profession (also five available)--and you pretty much take it from there. There are another 50 or so non-player rangers zooming around the game universe in their own ships and pursuing their own paths and inclinations, as well as lots of traders, diplomats, pirates--and the dread Dominators.

And you know what? SR2 is a blast. In fact, as noted above, the longer you play, the more fun it gets. Part of that comes from increased personal skill; part comes from your character's development (not to mention your ship's development); and part comes from realizing that you're not in a "railroad game" (to use the term my friend Wayne Holder coined over 20 years ago), but that you really are free to choose any number of paths and find any number of approaches.

You can trade, gather asteroid fragments, explore planets (simple and a bit dull), hunt pirates, be a pirate, fight the robotic Dominators that are seeking to enslave humanity, or even try to get on their good side. You can trick out your ship, upgrade or swap out components, catch diseases, take various stimulants, pay for military campaigns against the Dominators, get loans, or even get a race-change operation (a good move if you've become too unpopular).

You're also free to suffer the consequences of what you do, which is why frequent game saves are a good idea. It's easy to die; it's not that hard to wipe yourself out financially; and it's even possible to get most of the known universe upset with you, as I did, inadvertanly in one game (the moral is, be careful when accepting a mission to track down and destroy another ship--some such missions are court-sanctioned, but others are simply political assassinations).

I have mixed feelings about the "choose your path" text adventures. On the one hand, it's a clever way of adding a great deal of varied content without having to come up with user interfaces to encompass situations as varied as being in prison, managing a ski resort, racing ground-based pods, competing in an interstellar (and trans-species) pizza contest, and so on. And you're never compelled to do them (except when you get thrown in prison), so you can avoid them if you wish.

On the other hand, I tend to approach new text adventures with a bit of wariness and weariness. Some can be relatively simple, but some can be quite difficult (though I have managed to eventually complete all the ones that I've actually started). And given how gorgeous the graphics are in the rest of the game, the simple sketches and text-based screens can be a bit of a letdown. On the whole, however, I'll take the content over the presentation, and I think SR2 is stronger for having these adventures in their current format than it would be if it lacked them entirely. Besides: they're a good fallback when you find yourself running low on cash and nobody wants you to carry some important object from one planet to another.

I find it interesting to compare SR2 with Microsoft's Freelancer. I had very high hopes for Freelancer and bought it as soon as it came out. Within a day, I had put it down again, and I haven't played it since. Freelancer had better eye candy and a more 'realistic' approach--but it felt far more like a railroad game than SR2 ever has. It is a classic example of the difference that good game design can make.

And that's what SR2 has plenty of: good game design. Trip Hawkins (formerly of EA and 3DO) famously said that a good game should be "simple, hot and deep." And that describes SR2. In spite of the variety of gaming styles--or, more likely, because of them--SR2 is addictive and fun.

SR2's greatest game design strength is, I think, the natural manner in which you can leverage yourself into having greater power and influence without ever losing the sense of your character being an individual. Natural (instead of arbitrary) tradeoffs keep you in line. You never command fleets; but if your leadership ability is sufficiently high, you can pay 1 to 6 other rangers to work for you for a while. While you can leverage up your ship and its components to take on the Dominators, you can still get killed if you get careless or overconfident--and there are still times you need to run away. Likewise, you may find yourself earning larger and larger sums for completing tasks and quests--but you may also find yourself spendings thousands or tens of thousands of credits in repairs and missile resupply after a single battle with pirates or Dominators.

Along those lines, your insystem-speed (including during regular space combat) is a function of the ship's size (carrying capacity) and the compnents and cargo inside. This means that a big, hulking ship, loaded with lots of weapons and other goodies, may be _more_ vulnerable than a smaller, less-equipped one, since the enemy can 'surround and pound' you. (With a fast enough ship, you can actually outrun missiles and torpedoes.)

Full disclosure: over 20 years ago, the abovementioned Wayne Holder and I designed and developed a real-time graphical space adventure game for the Apple II called "SunDog: Frozen Legacy". Needless to say, it was a constrained and primitive game, since it ran in 64KB of memory and fit (along with the operating system and all game data) on a double-sided floppy disk (280KB total). (Note: that's _kilobytes_, not megabytes or gigabytes.) Our vision was of a much richer and more complex game than we could possibly fit within those constraints.

SR2 encompasses everything that we did, attempted to do, or every wished we could do in SunDog, but with 21st century technology. It is for me such a delight, 22 years after SunDog shipped, to finally get to play the game that I have been carrying in my head for all this time.

==================
PROS (besides those cited above):

-- The game is rock-solid stable. In many, many hours of play, I've had SR2 crash exactly one, and it did so gracefully. This is in stark contrast to many other commercial releases (Civ4, GalCiv2, Battle for Middle Earth II, etc.). In fact, SR2 is very robust when dealing with external interruptions; twice I've had my system drop back into WinXP due to some kind of alert box from another application (unrelated to SR2); each time, the SR2 bar at the bottom of the screen change to read "Click here", and when I did (after handling the alert box), I found myself right back in SR2 where I left off.

-- SR2 does an automatic autosave every time you lift off a planet (overwriting the previous autosave). As noted, you can save your own games as often as you'd like (but: see below under Cons).

-- The user interface is very slick, very attractive, very fast, and works very well. Likewise, the graphics and music make the game very enjoyable.

-- For most actions, SR2 gives you a choice between automated and user-controlled.

-- The ground-based robot RTS battles are quite fun; the ability to take over and directly control one of your units (with a ground-based view) makes them even more so and opens the door to some more intelligent strategies.

-- E-Games/Cinemaware Marquee (the US producer/distributor) provided very useful support when I had a problem with one of the CDs on my original copy (and simply swapped out my copy for a new one). (Thanks, Nicholas!)

CONS (besides those cited above):

-- As noted elsewhere here, SR2 uses the controversial Starforce copy protection system, though I've had indications from the manufacturer that they plan to replace it.

-- SR2 was developed in Russia (and in Russian); some of the text translations are a bit obscure or confusing, though at times that simply adds to the sense of speaking with an alien whose grasp of human languages might be weak. While in prison, I did find one screen of text entirely in untranslated Russian, but it's not a critical screen.

-- The more games you have saved, the longer the save/load game panel takes to come up (though it always has eventually come up). Since I tend to save games often, this can be an annoyance. My solution is simply to delete saved games more often.

-- You can't save games at all while doing one of the ground-based robot RTS battles or during one of your text adventures. However, both of those environments give you the option of restarting should you lose or fail.

-- There are only two graphics resolutions supported in most of the game: 1024x768 and 800x600. (This is probably one of the reasons why the game is so stable.) However, the ground-based robot RTS subgame also supports 1280x1024--and SR2 will automatically switch back and forth between that resolution and whatever your chosen resolution is for the...Read more›

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Product Description:
The Dominators have risen as an ominous new threat throughout the galaxy. As part of a planet responsible for producing war androids, it has become self-aware - producing The Dominators - a mutant force which has advanced beyond their sole programmed ability. They have developed their own intellect, force of will and agenda and are now striving to destroy everything in their path and expand their own horizons by conquering the galaxy...one planet at a time.

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