Guitar Hero World Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)I preordered this game from Amazon, but impatience got the better of me, and I bought it from Wal Mart on opening day.My review is based on that band kit, but I will be taking it back today.Why, you ask?

I played this game through two songs (Sweet Home Alabama and The Joker) and realized something wasn't right.I'm normally a 95% player on medium (On Rock Band 2) and a 90% player on hard.Yet I was scoring in the 60's on medium.After checking my calibration settings, I went over into the training mode, and realized that I couldn't even make it through the basic training because the red pad was not registering every time, and was not registering hard hits at all!

I switched over to the song recording mode, and it verified that the red pad was intermittent at best, thus the reason it's going back, and I will hope the one from Amazon is a better copy.

Now, let me say, overall, I give the feel of the drums two very big thumbs up.The pads felt much better, and they were much quieter than I was used to.However they get a thumbs down on quality.And before you think that this is just one bad experience, check around.There is a very big issue, first with the sensitivity of the pads (Apparently a program is coming out to allow you to change the sensitivity using your home PC) and second with the pads working intermittently.This second issue (Which I experienced) seems to be the most concerning, and from other sites, it looks like I am just the tip of the iceberg.I'm reading about people having to go through 2, 3, even 4 drum sets to get a good one.Many of the stores are not sold out, but are returned out.And this apparently stems from the wires to the drum pads simply being held on with silicone which is not holding everything together.

I really really can't wait until they get this set completely fixed, but since Activision is requiring YOU to pay for shipping if it's broken out of the box, might want to delay, at least for now.

Also, since I bought this game based on the promise of cross-compatibility, it should be stated that the drums do NOT work with Rock Band 2 at this point!Hopefully it's just a matter of a patch coming out, but it's a little disconcerting.

*******EDIT 11/10/08*******

As I was still having problems with a cymbal, I did contact the nice support people, who sounded quite exasperated, but immediately sent me out a tuning kit.This kit allows you to modify the sensitivity of each drum pad (Or cymbal, or pedal) to where you want it to be.Too sensitive, it may trigger when you hit another pad.Not sensitive enough, it may not trigger it all.

Now, I previously stated that some sites had talked about loose wires causing problems.In an effort to be thorough, and since my cymbal wasn't working, I did take apart the cymbal to look at the sensor.At least for my cymbal, I noted that the wires were definately SOLDERED.I was relying on information previously supplied by someone else in stating that the wires were not soldered, and I still do not know the condition of the wires on the drum pads themselves.As I said, this was my individual yellow cymbal.Since then I have sent it back through the RMA process, which, yes, did require me to send it (insured and traceable!) at my own expense.

Also, as of this date, the GH:WT drums are still not working with Rock Band 2, which is still a bit frustrating!

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Product Description:
Start a Band...the Guitar Hero Way

Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero's signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines advanced wireless instruments with online and offline gameplay modes including online Band Career and 8-player "Battle of the Bands," which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online.The game features a slick redesigned guitar, an authentic electronic drum kit, and a microphone, as well as a Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n' roll anthems.

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SimCity 4: Rush Hour Expansion Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)I love Rush Hour!
In many ways Sim City gets a whole new feel with Rush Hour. It is not only the much talked about U-drive-it feature, a new building set, or a few more transportation options - quite a lot of smaller changes were made that tremendously add to the gameplay!
First of all, the game runs a lot faster now on my computer(Yipee!).
Then I especially like the changes to the traffic simulation engine. Now you can see how and from where sims get to a building. Not only gives this more transparency to what is actually going on, it also gives the player a lot of feedback. Plus: the traffic simulation makes more sense now (sims now use the fastest instead of the shortest route - so your highways are no longer unused if the onramp is a few blocks away). So cool: now you see trucks clog the roads in industrial areas whereas residential suburban roads are packed with vans and SUVs.
Maxis also added different difficulty levels as well as new tutorials. If you play on easy you no longer need to spend 90% of your time on super-micromanagement tasks like adjusting the number of teachers in every school.
Many people think the U-drive-it feature is purely hype. Well, it is not THAT special. However, after an a while of laying out zones and roads it is always fun to just click on a mission and drive around the city in a police car with sirens on, pushing other cars off the road.
I heard somebody say he feels that Rush Hour breathes a lot more life into his city. And I totally agree. Now you see car accidents on big crossings, you do see trains (or the fancy monorail) bring in commuters from the suburbs in morning and evening hours. In many ways the city just feels more real and alive now.
Sim City with Rush Hour must be the most complex game ever - the sheer detail of what is simulated is breathtaking. And it is also a lot of fun. Intelligent and entertaining! Let's be honest: many things like avenues should have been included in the original game already. Now, with RH, Maxis adds so much to the game that it is hard to complain. I hope we'll see many more expansions like RH.
P.S.: no, i am not paid by Maxis, I am just a happy fan ;)

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This software is BRAND NEW. Packaging may differ slightly from the stock photo above. Please click on our logo above to see over 15,000 titles in stock.

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Dance Dance Revolution Max 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Go to your local arcade and the game with the crowd around it will be Dance Dance Revolution.The arcade game, which was wildly popular in Japan first and is now becoming so in the U.S., is up to its 8th version in the arcades, and even more than that on Japanese consoles.Meanwhile, this is only the fourth DDR game released in the U.S.
Fortunately, it's the best so far.There are quite a few songs NOT taken from the DDR arcade games that most people will recognize, such as Days Go By from the Mitsubishi commercials, Heaven, Get Down Tonight, etc.Some may be disappointed that the difficulty of these new songs is not great, even on the hardest levels.But they're fun and sound great, and one of them (A Little Bit of Ecstacy) has a tricky tempo change.
There are a lot of old favorites here that arcade players will recognize:Burning Heat (remake of a song from an old Nintendo version of Gradius), Maxx Unlimited (one of the hardest songs ever), Kakumei (based on the classical Chopin piece "Revolutionary Etude"), Let's Groove, Twilight Zone (the jock-jam anthem), So Deep (so hard), and a couple of Captain Jack songs.
New to this mix is the Nonstop Mode, which lets you play predetermined or random sets of songs with no pauses in between.Also new is actual videos behind the arrows in several songs, and the dancing characters and Endless Mode (dance 'til you lose) are back from previous mixes.
Some have complained about songs repeated from other U.S. versions.Yes, it's annoying.I'm dealing with it.Hopefully next time, we'll get all new songs.
If you want to take this game seriously, I recommend you research and buy a metal dance pad from eBay or Red Octane.Soft pads (available at stores) will work for the less, er, intense players.
One more note, I have been using this game as my workout regime for the last year.Benefits I've noticed so far have included increased stamina and lung capacity and stronger calf muscles.I've played almost every day since August 2002 and I'm not even close to tired or bored of it. In fact I own only three games for my PlayStation 2:this, another DDR game, and a third game I've played only once.
Unlimited replay value, fitness benefits and great fun: you can't lose.Buy it now.

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Product Description:
MODEL- 20061VENDOR- KONAMI FEATURES- DDRMAX 2 Dance Dance Revolution The dance revolution rolls on with DDRMAX2 for Sony PlayStation 2 packed with the ultimate mix of hit American songs. Gamers will beup on their feet and dancing all night long with new game modes andthe return of past favorites including "Work Out" mode and "Edit" mode where gamers can count calories and customize dance moves and routines. * DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution Partial Song List (Not including HiddenSongs): "A Little Bit Of Ecstasy" - Jocelyn Enriquez "AM-3P" - KTz "Break Down!" - Be For U "Busy Child" - The Crystal Method "Celebrate Nite" - N.M.R "Conga Feeling" - Vivian "D2R" - Naoki "Days Go By" - Dirty Vegas "Destiny" - Naoki feat. Paula Terry "Do It Right" - Sota feat. Ebony Fay* New game modes and graphical interface featuring music videos* Customize dance steps in Edit mode and exercise in Work Out mode* Links with previous games for special features -- SPECIFICATIONs -------------ESRB Rating : E for EveryoneGenre/Category: FamilySystem: PlayStation 2 SystemNumber of Players : 1 Compatible Peripherals:

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Playstation 2 Dance Pad Revolution 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a total DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) Newbie.(For now.)And this is the pad I've chosen to start with.
This is the least expensive pad of reasonable quality I have found yet.
It is a soft pad and can be folded.But you really should remember to fold it in thirds so the stepping areas don't get creased.(I don't know what happens when the stepping buttons get creased, and I don't plan on finding out.)
I have a somewhat cushy carpet, but that combined with the softness of the pad, it does NOT seem to negatively affect the sensitivity of the controller.
There does tend to be a little bit of slippage during play.(They do include some sticky disks that are supposed to help with that, but I want to be able to put the pad away so I'm a little dubious.I can probably fix the problem with some self adhesive Velcro or something.)But the slippage is not enough to seriously hinder gameplay for a fair number of rounds.(At least, not the way I dance, your mileage may vary.)Even without sticky stuff or Velcro, it's not big deal to step off the pad between songs and nudge it back into place with your toe.
The bottom is a smooth neoprene, the top is vinyl, and the padding in between sounds like crunchy plastic type material.
No, this is not the best made pad in the world.
But it's a good pad at a good price.
If you're just starting out and you're not sure that this type of game is for you, or if you're just on a limited budget, you would do well with this dance pad.

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Product Description:
MODEL- 47051VENDOR- NAKI FEATURES- Dance Pad Revolution for PlayStation 2 The original Dance Pad Revolution! The original dance pad just got better now with a new Non-Slip Floor Grip to make sure you're the only thing moving.

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Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Review

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(More customer reviews)The game microphone requirements are not clearly specified.Microphones supported include Karaoke Revolution and Logitech USB.

We had Singstar microphones which are not compatible.

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Karaoke Revolution: American Idol lets you become an American Idol contestant! After you audition, you'll earn an invitation to Hollywood and perform in front of the crowd on center stage. Choose to sing from 40 all-new songs, including hits from the show, and receive verbal feedback on their performance from the judges. Build the perfect contestant with new skin tones, clothing, hair styles and accessories. Players can also import images of their face with the EyeToy USB camera brings you directly into the action. Karaoke Revolution: American Idol delivers an immersive Idol experience as players sing their way to victory.

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Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm an enormous fan of Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series, and play the game almost every day of my life.The concept is so simpe - just hit the arrows once they're at the top of the screen, yet once you get going, it's a lot more addicting than you'd expect.What's incredible though, is that doing this for a long enough time can burn up some calories and tone up your calves.It was life-changing experience for me that out of nowhere got me from being lazy to athletic.It's getting bigger and bigger every day in the US, but too bad it still isn't as appreciated as it should be, thanks to monster franchises such as GTA and Halo.

DDR Extreme 2 is the sixth installment that Konami has released in the United States (seven if you count the Disney Mix), and it's by far the best one, and it proves to be a great comeback after the largely disappointing Extreme US (although that game is still the recommended one for beginners).

Hardcore fans of DDR will be most pleased to see not just the menu interface returned to normal (with the songwheel, groove radar, etc., that were removed for DDR Extreme US), but also a significantly better list of selectable songs.Such classics as "Cartoon Heroes", "Sakura", "Colors (For Extreme)", and a whole lot more, all made the cut and should not disappoint any true long-time lover of the series.By the way, instead of "Max Dot", the "boss song" in Extreme 2 is "PARANOiA Survivor Max" (which is acompanied by the original "PARANOiA Survivor").Also worth mentioning is that US players finally get a taste of the popular song "Butterfly" with the upswing remix as well as "Boom Boom Dollar (K.O.G. G3 Mix)", also an old favorite.The selection of songs that everyone will recognize is also chosen much more cleverly.Instead of a bunch of songs from like 25 years ago like "Kids in America" and "Like a Virgin", we get some recent electronica/dance hits from the likes of Sean Paul ("Get Busy"), Fatboy Slim ("Wonderful Night"), Delerium ("Silence"), and more, although I don't understand what a horrible cover of "Oops I Did it Again" (not the one from 5th Mix AC) is doing on here (it's not the year 2000, Konami, and almost nobody even cares about songs like that anymore).The choices for repeats from older DDR games is also great.One big problem that Extreme US had was that it overrepeated stuff that already made appearances, which hogged up a lot of room for better stuff.This time, there are less than ten repeats, and almost all of them are from PS1 editions, which gives a chance for old fans of those songs to play them with much better graphics and a much better scoring system.I must admit, playing songs like "Dive", "Dynamite Rave", and "PARANOiA" is much more enjoyable to do on Extreme 2 than it was on Konamix with that slow transmission and poor scoring system.

Also worth noting are a few new features.Instead of simply playing songs over and over again to unlock new ones, you need to clear different stages in the all-new Dance Master Mode.Replacing Extreme US's Mission Mode, Dance Master Mode is loaded with several different scenarios with certain songs and a certain task to clear in order to advance to new stages.Along the way, you'll discover some unfamiliar songs on areas and must clear them.If you do that, they'll appear in the shop for you to buy with your credits (received for clearing songs, DMM or not).This is a wise strategy that adds a plot to the game and allows players to choose which songs they want at the same time.

Another addition is the Online Mode.This will allow players from around the world to go head to head with one another online, and yes, I'm sure that the population of onliners almost entirely made up of the masters that can receive an AAA on "PARANOiA Survivor Max Oni" with relative ease, but this is still a great way for those people to go seriously competitive without having to enter a tournament.

There were only a few noticable flaws.One is that the Training Mode was made less intuitive, as it takes a longer time to set up your song, although I am pleased to see that Konami brought back the feature of slowing down difficult songs to practice.The Party Mode (a feature that was full of many different mini games) has been entirely removed from DDR, and while I won't cry about that, the usage of the Eye Toy Camera is much lower, as the only time you actually use it is when you are playing the Hands and Feet Mode.One more thing, "Love Love Shine", one of DDR Extreme AC's most frequently selected songs (also one of my favorites), did not make the cut, but the similar "Candy*Heart*" is on, which also symbols that "Love Love Shine" is practically guaranteed to be on next year's installment.

With all things said, DDR Extreme 2 is easilly the best overall home version that the US can get their hands on so far.With an excellent song list, great new features, and excellent graphics, this game is a true winner.If you were unhappy with DDR Extreme US from 2004, you won't be with this, so buy it now if you're interested at all and start dancing the night away!

Two more words of advice:

1. I know that I said that DDR Extreme US was a disappoint among many people, but I also said that it was great for hooking new players.I highly recommend you to buy that game first, and then get this.Trust me - the layout is much friendlier to beginners.

2. If you are a novice player, stick with the plastic pads available in the stores (since they're easy to use and don't cost much), but be sure to use the metal arcade-style mats that can be ordered online if you're an expert (they're harder to get used to, but are more sensitive than soft pads and don't slide around to heavy usage).I recommend the ones from Cobalt Flux because they've held together for months and work marvelously.

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Product Description:
DDR's newest best seller, Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2, has EyeToy USB Camera so you can compete head-to-head with others from around the world. Featuring popular artists, smash hit songs and more unique modes, DDR Extreme 2 pumps up the volume with over 100 minutes of energetic dance music.Get in shape with the popular Workout Mode Customize your own dance steps in the Edit Mode All movies and cutscenes are newly created adding fresh flair to the DDR universe

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Guitar Hero World Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)Having played Rock Band and RB2 at a friend's house for some time, we were waiting with great anticipation for GHWT as our first rhythm game purchase. I have to say that my feelings about the game are mixed now that I have played it a bit. I like quite a few of the songs, and I like the bass guitar and lead guitar parts fine, although they do raise the difficulty level from previous GH titles.

My chief frustration with the game is its vocal part. It is MUCH more difficult than RB's vocal part, and I think the way that it scores vocal performance leaves very little room for error, even at the "easy" setting. The mix seems off in many songs, making it hard to hear well enough to sing correctly, and the "freestyle" parts can be very annoying when you know perfectly well that there isn't supposed to be any vocal track in that part of the song and you have to make up something just to fill up the empty space (honestly, RB's cowbell/tambourine part makes much more sense).

I'm not "hardcore" by any stretch of the imagination; I play guitar on medium at best and prefer to 100% on easy rather than struggle through a higher level. However, since I know a lot of guys out there buy band games with their families/girlfriends/wives in mind, it seems useful to point out that the women and casual gamers in your life will be MUCH happier singing along with your band in Rock Band than in GHWT. I feel that RB's approach to vocals is easier to follow and to hear, while GHWT's is overly precise even at low difficulty levels and makes for a very frustrated singer. I would sing RB songs until I lose my voice completely and have a blast the whole time, but I get angry with GHWT after just a few songs and switch back to playing bass instead. I think a casual gamer ought to be able to enjoy the game and do well on EASY, and that's just not the case with this title.

In short, the hardcore folks will love it, but those wanting a game for the whole family or for casual groups of friends might find RB2 the better choice.

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Product Description:
Start a Band...the Guitar Hero Way

Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero's signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines advanced wireless instruments with online and offline gameplay modes including online Band Career and 8-player "Battle of the Bands," which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online.The game features a Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n' roll anthems.

*Note: The instruments are sold seperately.

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Logitech Wii Cordless Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)I can't understand why Logitech advertises this solely as a Wii product. It works flawlessly as a PC keyboard as well!

I searched quite a while for a light, compact, easy-to-stow-away wireless keyboard for my home theater media center PC. Every one I found was the same old thing; big standard keyboard, with a mouse, with a big receiver, etc.

Finally I stumbled across this little guy; small, light stylish, keyboard only, and a tiny USB receiver half the size of a pack of chewing gum.

But... the packaging listed support only for the Wii. Wii required!, it said, in big, bold, scary letters.

Well friends, I'm here to tell you that it does *not* require a Wii! it works *perfectly* with my 32-bit Windows XP home install. My PC is locked away in a closet, and this thing has no reception/lost keystroke issues at all from 10 feet away (with a reasonably heavy door in between the receiver and the keyboard)]

To summarize:

>Pros:

>+ Small, lightweight
>+ PC compatibility! Works great with XP
>+ Easy to install, great reception even through walls
>+ Good key feel, similar to a high-quality laptop with a short key throw


<- A little bit expensive. I'd give it a solid no-holds-barred 5 stars if it were thirty-five smackers or less.
<- Slightly cramped arrangement of the arrow keys
<- Product fails to mention PC compatibility! They're sitting on a goldmine here for media center/home theater PC enthusiasts

4.5 stars, highly recommended.

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Product Description:
Now it-s even easier to use your favorite game console to surf the Web, read the news, check the weather, browse YouTube, send e-mail, and communicate with members of the Wii community. The Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii - enables natural typing for easy surfing, searching, and sharing on the Wii Internet Channel and in chat-oriented games.With its 2.4 GHz wireless technology, compact design, easy setup, and dedicated Wii system keys, the Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii helps you communicate, share, and explore the online world from your living room.

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