DS Phoenix Wright 2 (Japanese version; English language) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Phoenix Wright 2, was originally released on Gameboy Advance, but, like Phoenix Wright 1, has made the jump to Nintendo DS.

The English translation in this game is very well done.It has many more puns and Internet pop culture references than Phoenix Wright one.Apart from the Judge always calling the new (female) prosecutor 'sir' the English was perfect, and much funnier than the English Version the first Phoenix Wright.

Amongst all the old faces, several new characters are added to the lineup, including, perhaps the most ferocious prosecutor yet,Franziska von Karma and Maya's adorable cousin, Pearl.

Not surprisingly, the gameplay, music and graphics are almost identical to Phoenix Wright 1.A few new elements has been added or improved on.Maya gives you her Magatama, a magical jewel that allows you to see when someone is lying.While this can not be used in a court scene, it can be used in the detective scenes between court sessions.

Also, in Phoenix Wright, you had 5 exclamation marks in the court scenes.When you made a false accusation, one of these were taken away by the judge.This has been replaced by a blue bar.Now, if you make a large error, the judge will take away a larger section of the bar.It's now more risky than ever to take guesses.Evidence is everything in courts.

These two editions make the game significantly more difficult than the first.In addition, the cases are longer, and more complex.

However, unlike the first game, there is not a new DS exclusive case.There are only the four original Game Boy Advance cases to play.

Unfortunately, there is very little replay value in this game.

Click Here to see more reviews about: DS Phoenix Wright 2 (Japanese version; English language)

Product Description:
Enter a courtroom like no other in the sequel to Capcom's surprise hit Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All (aka. Gyakuten Saiban 2 in Japan) introduces four new cases featuring new characters, plot twists and gameplay features. Players resume the role of Phoenix Wright, a defense attorney who must prove his client's innocence against the toughest of odds and most ruthless of adversaries.As in the first Phoenix Wright game, each case involves two distinct storylines. In the investigation phase, you survey crime scenes, interview witnesses and gather evidence that will be used in court. Then it's on to the court phase, where you pesent findings from the investigation to support your case, listen to testimonies, cross-examine witnesses, and tease out fact from fiction so you can prove your client's innocence. All presented in a comical anime style.Just like its predecessor, Gyakuten Saiban 2 features full English/Japanese text support. Just press the lower button on the game's start screen to switch the game into English.Gyakuten Saiban 2 is the second game in the popular court room battle series from Japan and ported from the original GBATM version Gyakuten Saiban 2 to the Nintendo DSTM. The game is released as "Best Price" budget release version right away.

Want to read more honest consumer review about DS Phoenix Wright 2 (Japanese version; English language) now ?

Suikoden Tierkreis Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I haven't finished the game yet, but so far it's reasonably enjoyable.However, I feel compelled to write this review now, on the basis of one single glaring flaw: the dialogue and voice acting are appallingly bad. In the world of computer gaming, there is voice acting that's so bad it's good (i.e. you listen to it just for the amusement value) and then there's voice acting that is so bad it's painful. This definitely falls into the latter category. The characters sound like they were voiced by a group of random Canadians (that's not a dig on Canada, most of the voice actors really do have obvious accents) who spent about 4 hours one afternoon in a conference room at their offices doing the recordings and called it a day. It is truly, truly awful. My initial reaction was to be impressed that they crammed as many voice samples as they did onto the cartridge. But after 10 hours all I want now is to find an option to delete the voice track entirely.It is that bad.I don't consider voice a must-have in a DS RPG by any stretch of the imagination, and in this case, the game would have been much better had they just left it out.

As for the gameplay, it's average JRPG stuff. You navigate from place to place on a world map and then run around in a 3rd-person view (fixed camera) within each location. Lots of random battles as you run around the individual locations, but the individual fights don't take very long and you usually only have to traverse maybe 3-4 screens to get where you're going, so it's tolerable.When you get to a town you are presented with a list of locations you can visit (which I actually like; sometimes it's a pain in these games to run around the towns trying to find every single NPC hidden in every nook and cranny that you might want or need to talk to).

The combat system is a bit disappointing -- it's very simple, even when you manually give commands to your characters.(Overall, the game is very easy so far -- I am playing on the "Normal" setting, and I generally just hit the auto-battle button and watch my characters wipe out the enemies in either the first or second round of combat.) You have a basic attack option based on the type of weapon you wield, and the individual characters quickly learn a magic option with different spells of the expected types (damage, status conditions, healing, etc.) Each character can have up to 4 spells ready although there are a larger number to choose from as you progress in the game.There are two "ranks" (front and back) and the characters in the front rank protect those in the back rank (although there are also reach weapons, ranged attacks like bows, and magic, which can hit across ranks). Your selection of equipment makes a huge difference in the amount of damage you deal -- equipment seems to be far more important than level. That's about the entirety of the tactical depth I've seen so far, which is a bit of a disappointment, but maybe it gets more interesting later.Seeing the fight play out in 3D is nice, but I would rather have more tactical options (such as moving around the battlefield).I haven't played any of the previous games in the series but the description on Amazon made it sound like it was more of a tactical RPG than it really seems to be.

Definitely the best thing about the game is the graphics -- they are excellent, and there is a lot of variety.The character portraits are done in anime style but each character has a 3D model and you can see it in some detail on the equipment screen, including the equipment/weapons you're currently using, which is cool.There are some animated cut-scenes which are fun to watch (usually too short, but nicely done). I am from the old school of RPGs so super-spiffy graphics aren't a must-have for me, but I definitely appreciate them when they deliver, and the graphics in this game do indeed deliver.

Apart from the battles, there is a "trade goods" system that lets you buy low and sell high among the various cities you visit; it's easy to make a massive amount of money this way, so you should always be able to afford to buy the best equipment. The quest rewards are also generous.Some of the quests take on a mission type structure where you have to pick your party (there are combat characters and support characters) and then play through a pitched battle. I'm hopeful that perhaps this mission system will evolve into something complicated and interesting as the game goes along, with multiple battle groups that each have to complete different objectives or something along those lines.Fingers crossed.

The story seems like it has the potential to be interesting (travelers between an infinity of worlds, the classic debate between free will versus pre-determination of each person's destiny) but I'm having a hard time getting past the poorly-written dialogue and the horrible, horrible voice acting. To be clear, I don't think the dialogue being bad is a localization issue -- there aren't a bunch of typos and nonsensical word choices as one would find in a bad translation -- it just seems like whoever wrote the English dialogue really needs to go back and take some creative writing classes.It doesn't help that the main character seems to have the IQ of a gnat and is apparently surprised by more or less everything no matter how blazingly obvious.Half his lines are some form of "Huh?!?" or "What!?!"

So far this game is a definite "meh" which is too bad as I had high hopes based on what I had seen of the previews. We'll see if I can tough out another 10 hours or not.The combat is easy enough that I don't expect to hit any speed bumps, which means I will likely finish the game just to see how it turns out.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Suikoden Tierkreis

Product Description:
The Million World universe lies under threat from the mighty One King,who harbors a plot to sow chaos throughout its vast expanse. The onlyones who stand a chance of opposing the One King's plan and thwartinghis evil machinations are the 108 Stars of Destiny, a group of magicalwarriors. When the members of the 108 Stars of Destiny come together,it will unleash a stunning battle of good vs. evil that will span theMillion World universe's near-infinite parallel worlds.


Customize Your Character
View larger.
Suikoden Storyline
View larger.
Lush Environments
View larger. Synopsis
In Suikoden: Tierkries, the first handheld game in the enduring Suikoden RPG series, you'll use your DS to gather the members of the 108 Stars of Destiny and help put a stop to the One King's plan. Explore the vast Million World universe as you travel across parallel worlds to a variety of exciting cities, and experience a gripping, cinematic storyline that will immerse you fully in the battle to overcome the forces of evil. Send your warriors on exciting quests via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to level up your characters and savor the game's rich online community.

Key Game Features:

Experience the excitement of the first handheld game in the long-running Suikoden RPG series
Gather the magical warriors who comprise the 108 Stars of Destiny tothwart the mighty One King's sinister plan to create chaos throughoutthe universe
Travel across a universe of exciting parallel worlds in which you'll discover a variety of exotic locations and cultures
Savor a cinematic gameplay experience complete with new characters,rich animation sequences and gripping dialogue with voiceover
Send your characters on quests to be completed by other members of the Suikoden: Tierkreis community via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Suikoden goes online via Nintendo WiFi Connection!
This all new, epic RPG in the long running Suikoden series incorporatesmany innovative features to the handheld RPG genre. An active onlinecommunity experience is encouraged by allowing players to send theircharacters on quests that other members of the Suikoden: Tierkreiscommunity will complete for them via Nintendo WiFi Connection. As yourcharacter travels around the community and completes quests he willeventually return to your party with new abilities and treasures. Thisprovides a new way to level up characters your characters which helpscreate a sense of community and provides a new way to experience RPGson handhelds.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Suikoden Tierkreis now ?

Digimon World DS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Firstly, this isn't really a game called Digimon World 6.This game is Digimon Story, translated into Digimon World DS.Chronologically, in America, it would be Digimon World 5.

To start things off, this is a really fun game.The premise is that you are a human who is brought to the digital world to raise digital monsters, or digimon.Throughout the game you can raise your digimon from Baby to Mega levels, even degenerating to make them more powerful.Furthermore, there is a training area, called a digi farm, where you can put your digimon to grow while you are out battling.

The game is an RPG.You gain levels and stats increase, allowing you to digivolve once certain requirements are met.You can also equip swords, shields, and accessories.

Pluses -

You can own over 200 digimon, and choose to make your favorites as powerful as they can be.

If you are a fan of the show, it's great to see your favorite digimon show up in the wild, be it Gabumon, Angemon, or even Myotismon.

North America is introduced to Digimon Savers, the new series running in Japan.There are many character that appear in the game that are from the series.

Negatives -

The game can be a bit glitchy.Some things may not load right away, and I once experienced the top screen, which holds the digi farm, turn black.This was remedied by entering the digi farm and talking to one of my digimon.

Some of the evolutions of the digimon aren't the same as the television series.Angewomon doesn't evolve into Magnadramon, Impmon doesn't evolve through to Beelzemon...Matadormon doesn't become Grandracmon and so on.It's not a bad thing, just a tad dissappointing to the die hard fans such as I.

All in all, Digimon World DS is a great game.It follows the RPG genre very well, creating an enthralling world for players.One warning though, just because you may be a Pokemon lover doesn't mean you will like this game.The style and speed of gameplay in both games are very different.

You should purchase this game if you are a fan of the Digimon series, the RPG genre, or are just looking for a fun game to put 30 plus hours into.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Digimon World DS

Product Description:
Digimon World 6 is the latest and advanced new game that gives you two screens' worth of Digimon adventure! Over 250 unique Digimons will be at the fans command -- build Digi-Farms to raise, evolve and communicate with your Digimons. You will also be able to exchange Digimons, engage in online battles and together create rare kinds of Digimon with your friends via Wi-Fi and local DS wireless connection. This is the evolution of Digimon games.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Digimon World DS now ?

Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is one of those games that, despite it's flaws, is worth playing for what it is. And it's a halfway decent JRPG with a somewhat interesting fight mechanic and awesome character design... which is basically Trigun-meets-Mobile-Suit-Gundam-meets-Girls-on-Trampolines.

The humor and overall vibe of the game is something that is distinctly Japanese, and the developer didn't change a thing. So the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense, everything is over-the-top, the dialogue is in Japanese, and yes - the heroines of the game have bouncy Anime boobs. But it was meant to be more funny than anything and blessedly - the game never takes itself too seriously.

I've never played any of the other titles in the series, and I bought this b/c I was looking for a new DS game and the trailer looked fun. And the game is fun. Atlus delivers a unique experience that is certainly worth your time and money.

The gameplay is simple and the battles are fun. The sprite actions and animations are nifty, silly and often times full of boobs. The only downside is that they are repetitive...but then again - it's an RPG, so...uh...yeah.

If you've seen the trailer for this, and thought to yourself "Hmmm...that actually looks like it might be worth playing." I can tell you that it is.

Is it going to blow your mind because it's the best game ever?

Nah. But the point is - it doesn't need to. It just needs to be fun. And it is.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier

Product Description:
The famed Super Robot Taisen Role-Playing Game (RPG) franchise comes to DS. Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier is a unique single player sci-fi, fantasy RPG that takes place in the "Endless Frontier," where different worlds are separated with barrier-like "dimensional walls." With a mixture of traditional JRPG (Japanese RPG) gameplay elements and fast paced, action-packed combat not unlike the very best fighting games, Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier manages to deliver the kind of grand RPG experience fans of the series have come to expect, while offering a multitude of new and exciting gameplay mechanics that are sure to appeal to franchise newcomers.

Classic RPG item upgrades.
Viewlarger.
Flexible battle formations.
Viewlarger.
Wide selection of weapons.
Viewlarger.
Mature RPG gameplay.
Viewlarger. Story
Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier is set across a variety of worlds, ranging from an apocalyptic wasteland covered with the hulks of downed spaceships to a fantastical place of fairy tales and dark magic. Join Haken Browning: gunslinger, professional bounty hunter, and amateur ladies' man, along with his motley crew of robots, were-beasts, secret agents, and busty princesses as they delve deep into the mysteries of how their worlds came to be and face a threat that imperils the multiverse.

Battle
While engaged in combat in Endless Frontier players utilize everycharacter available, but only four characters will be acting as front-linefighters. Use the formation option to rearrange your party, where charactersin the front will be the ones getting up-close and personal with enemies,and characters in the back will be available to provide support for attacks.During a battle each character will make use of HP, SP and COM. HP isthe character's health. When it is down to zero the character is knockedout and can't be used in battle until revived. If all four charactersin front are knocked out, you've lost the battle and the game is over.SP is used for skills and spirit commands. These provide a variety ofuseful effects like healing or special attacks that deal status effectsto enemies. COM is what allows you to perform attacks each turn. Eachattack a character makes has an associated COM cost. More damaging attacksrequire more COM and if a character doesn't have enough COM to continueher/his attack sequence, the turn ends. Each character regains some COMevery turn, and some items or spirit commands will refresh a character'sCOM as well.

Hit Count and Combos
Every time you strike an enemy, that enemy will be lifted off the groundslightly. As long as the enemy is in the air each successive hit willadd to the hit count. The higher the hit count, the more damage you'lldo in a series of attacks. In addition, your chance of getting criticalhits increases in direct proportion to the current length of the combo.Critical hits deal a lot of damage. To keep your hit count high, use carefultiming to chain your characters' attacks together into an unstoppabletidal wave of pain. These tricks will keep you fighting at the top ofyour game.

Chain Attacks
While one of your characters is attacking, if the next characters to attackis another one of your characters, you can begin the second character'sturn before the first has completely finished his attacks. This mightseem wasteful, but it lets the second character jump right into combatand begin attacking while the enemy is still being juggled from the attacksof the first character, further increasing the hit count and dealing moredamage through critical hits. You'll also get a boost to the frontiergauge, making it even easier to use overdrive attack more often.

Support Attacks
Characters in the back row can still help you out, even if they're not part of the fighting force. Call upon those members of the party to use support attacks, during which they will quickly jump into battle, deal a few hits, then leap away again. This takes place while your party members are attacking, so you can continue attacking on your own. Let the assisting characters attack, or use this opportunity to chain in more characters to extend the combo even further.

Key Features

Fighting style combat - Combo attack your enemies and never let them hit the ground to deal the most damage. This unique "juggling" gameplay and timing-based attacks keep every encounter fresh and exciting, unlike most RPGs.
Story intended for mature RPG gamers - Intended for the more seasoned, older gamers, the story includes more nuanced, complex characters and manages to mix drama, romance, and humor to great effect..

Get 6% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier now ?

Jurassic Park III: Park Builder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This game takes after games like Sim Them park and Rollercoaster Tycoon. You must create and manage a theme park that is based on dinosaurs, like the movies were supposed to do. You can manage restaurants, shops, attractions, and dino health. There is some link cable support, as you can trade the DNA of the 100 something dinosaurs in this game.
In this game you can choose the entry fee, feed and track dinosaurs in your park, and come in complete control over Jurassic Park. This game should be a hit, in that it relates to all the Simulaters for PC and Mac.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Jurassic Park III: Park Builder

Product Description:
Do you have what it takes to manage a successful Jurassic Park? Jurassic Park III: Park Builder allows players to create a simulated version of the dinosaur theme park. Construct a park from scratch, complete with restaurants, shops, and attractions. Search the world for DNA samples and use them to create more than 100 dinosaurs for your park, or trade DNA with a friend. But you'll need to be careful that your dinosaurs don't become sick, or, even worse, escape!

Want to read more honest consumer review about Jurassic Park III: Park Builder now ?

KORG DS-10 Synthesizer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Wow.I was expecting this to be a lot simpler than it turns out to be.It's almost like a tiny pocket-sized version of Propellerhead's Reason software.Obviously it's very limited by the DS hardware, but if you like messing around with music and music software then you can have hours of fun with this.

You get two monophonic synths with their own sequencer tracks for note/gate/pan/volume, plus a couple more tracks that can be assigned to modulate a long list of parameters and settings.The synths are simple but have most of the things you need to replicate classic analog synth patches, and there are a few relatively novel routing options and modulation sources.Synth patches can be saved and loaded separately from whole compositions.

You also get four "drum" voices which turn out to be four more instances of the same basic synth, though with a few less options and much simpler pattern programming.So in total you get as many as six sounds happening at once, plus a very basic global effects section.The drum sounds each get their own FX though.

A complete song is made of up to 100 strung together instances of 16 different "patterns".Each pattern encompasses up to 16 beats/notes plus the programming for each synth and all its sequencer data.So each pattern can sound and act completely different.

All the programming and composing is pretty much done at the pattern level.

Just about any knob or setting can be twiddled in real-time during playback, and you can interact with it through a two-octave on-screen keyboard or an X/Y "KAOSS" pad in addition to editing events directly in the sequencer view. You can also play the 16 patterns back manually so there quite a few performance opportunities.

The manual is of course very limited and someone could write a book about programming and making music on this thing.It strikes me as a product where the developers had way more fun than their bosses thought they should have.There are lots of well thought out details and some things that the manual can't even begin to discuss in enough depth.

It's not really a "game" of course so much as it's like buying a 1995 vintage synthesizer workstation that came with documentation in Japanese.You need to be inclined towards this sort of thing in order to have fun with it, but it has much more depth than many pocket sized synthesizers and sound modules of the past.

Anyhow, if you have any interest in classic synthesizer hardware or music software, you'll probably love this.Probably not a good gift though for a child who isn't already motivated in that direction.One of the better "adult level" titles for the DS though.

Click Here to see more reviews about: KORG DS-10 Synthesizer

Product Description:
Whether you are just looking for fun on the run, or a way to work out your next hit song, the KORG DS-10 Synthesizer for Nintendo DS could be your newest best companion. The DS-10 combines the superior interface of the Nintendo DS with the design concept of the famous KORG MS-10 synthesizer to bring you portable music-creation software without rival.


KORG DS-10 Synthesizer brings portable music creation to the Nintendo DS.

Various sound textures are made possible by implementing the two VCO's, three filter types, and more.

Notes that you perform can be recorded in the sequencer, allowing for further editing. A Professional-Grade Synthesizer in the Palm of Your Hand
The ultra high-quality sound sources for the DS-10 come from KORG, maker of some of the world's finest musical instruments. Korg spared no effort in creating this ultra-portable yet powerful and easy-to-use music software with tons of the latest features-- and all with the unique accessibility of the Nintendo DS touch screen.
The KORG DS-10 Synthesizer gives you the choice of sculpting your own unique sounds with expansive on-screen controls, or starting from a preset template. With two dual oscillator synth parts and four synth/drum parts, users can create synth and drum lines using the on-screen touch keyboard and drum pads, or engage the elegant six-track, 16-step sequencer.
With powerful features such as KORG's KAOSS technology, users can add custom modulations in real-time, tighten the mix with a full-featured mixer, polish their grooves with multiple effects, and create complete songs that they can save on the spot.
The DS-10 features a chorus, flanger, and delay parameter that can be applied individually to each synth or the drum machine, either individually or as a whole. In addition, each of the editable drum sounds can have a separate effect added to it. Various sound textures are made possible by implementing the two VCO's, three filter types, and more, while notes can be recorded in the sequencer, allowing for further editing. This broad functionality, combined with patching functionality, makes the DS-10 suited to even the most avid sound designers.
Intuitive and Easy Use
The sounds made by each of the two analogue synthesizer emulators are modified using virtual knobs, and users can patch particular parameters for further modification. The user interface is mainly through the DS's touch screen. Notes can be played using a two-octave keyboard, or through an interface that detects the X and Y position of the stylus on the touch pad, simulating a KORG KAOSS Pad.
The Nintendo DS's dual-screen touch panel is used to the fullest to provide a feel and operability that is unsurpassed. Although there are many expert-level features available with synthesizer, the DS-10 can be appreciated by the complete novice as well as the seasoned professional.
Music Without Limits
The KORG DS-10 Synthesizer offers two types of wireless play in Multi-player and Data Exchange modes. Up to eight separate Nintendo DS players can connect via a wireless link to perform as an ensemble. Each DS-10 synthesizer can be played as its own independent instrument, or they can be assigned a part to create a band, allowing for virtually limitless applications.
What's more, users who have created new riffs, tunes, or complete songs can exchange their session data with other KORG DS-10 users. It is even possible to send session data in advance to your friends, so you can all play to the same tune. Not only does the DS-10 bring stylus music to the world for the first time, but this robust connectivity allows for performances and compositions that simply aren't possible on a single Nintendo DS.



The keyboard and KAOSS pad can be played directly with a stylus.

Want to read more honest consumer review about KORG DS-10 Synthesizer now ?

Fighting Fantasy Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First thing I'd like to point out is that this game is very remniscent of the first couple elder scrolls games and that is right but essentially this game is smaller in scale. FF:TWoFTM is a dungeon crawler very similar to Elder Scrolls that is based off of the first installment of the book series of fighting Fantasy. In the book, you are a lone adventurer who travels to a mountain with red glowing vegetation on top called Firetop mountain. The mountain was once a Dwarven city but was taken over by a powerful Warlock named Zagor and his many Orc minions. It is said that Zagor has a treasure chest that may only open if you find it's two keys which are spread out very deep in the keep.

In the game, the goal is the same but the story is not nearly as deep as the book itself. You are an adventurer who takes a boat to the port village near Firetop Mountain and from their the quest begins. This game is beautifully detailed for a DS game, perhaps even better detailed than the actual first couple of Elder Scrolls games which many compare this to. This is not one of those games were the developers cheap out and make the environments look the same. The detail in this game is amazing as well with bloodstains on walls, papers littering the floor, pictures on walls, chairs, beds, etc. Everything makes the game feel like you are actually going through a dungeon or underground city rather than an endless maze with nothing interesting like Deep Labyrinth or Moon. The game is also very difficult and changes the enemies as you get stronger I.E. when you backtrack, you are going to see monsters on par with your level rather than really weak monsters that were hard when you originally passed through the area. The game also randomly generates mobs and auto-saves for you when you go through a door so I you don't like the mob you got, you can just respawn, etc. Often, the monsters will seem a step ahead of you and you may feel like you skipped a level when in truth, you are on the right track but you need to reequip or level up.

The game uses a strange control scheme that is basically a two-in-one. You use the bumpers to attack, the d-pad to move, and either the stylus or the face buttons to look. If you'd rather use the face buttons, you get access to the right bumper which does a different attack then the left one but playing this way makes casting spells, hotkey pressing, or healing, or just plain talking and opening doors(all of which uses the touch screen) very difficult. That is why I use the stylus. In this respect, the game resembles Metroid Prime Hunters.

One bad thing people might find is that the monsters and you yourself are sprites. That is true, but it doesn't detract from th game. The sprites are very well detailed and you hardly notice after a while. The sprites are sort of remniscent of Doom enemies. But regardless, this is one good game in terms of adventure and atmosphere because the game is dark and creepy in places and it's really fun to explore in tis game. Also, I'd like to point out the absence of music. The game has no music whatsoever except for the title theme. There is ambience though, but some of it can become annoying. It is also a short game but then again, with the amount of detail in this game, I can understand why the game is so short. I mean, they really went out of their way to make this game detailed because if everything was the same, this game would fail miserably in the hands of reviewers. Even with the detail, the game is failing miserably with reviewers, but then again, reviewers are usually wrong about things so don't listen.
P.S. I'm not sure if this is for preorders or not but you get a free Fighting Fantasy book bundled with the game. Gamestop gave me mine when I bought it and I originally thought that was only if you preorder so either they screwed up or you get it with the game.

Graphics: 10
Controls: 8
Sound: 3
Gameplay: 9
Grade: 9.5(not an average)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fighting Fantasy

Product Description:
Fighting Fantasy is an elaborate role-playing game based on the legendary book series by Ian Livingston and Steve Jackson. The Game puts the player on a path of vengeance where they will brave the treacherous Firetop Mountain keep-the scene of the first adventure in the book series-on the way to a final confrontation with the evil warlock Zagor.

Get 3% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Fighting Fantasy now ?

Bella Sara Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great horse game for the DS whether you're into the Bella Sara website or not. I grew up during the pokemon card craze so having a game where you collect cards was a nice throw back to my younger days. It took me just under a week to complete all the challenges and find all the cards. The cards represent beautiful artwork. There are three different trails with different challenges for each and then there are three different jump courses that you can ride multiple times to collect all the cards. You get 6 different magical horses to ride, the 6th being a winged horse you get after completing all the challenges. Who wouldn't want to play a horse game where you get to ride a winged horse?
However there are cons. The graphics are sub par. The cards look great, but the actual horses you ride look like they're poorly molded from clay. Not much detail was paid to how the game horses look. Also the horse tires too fast in my opinion. After it gets tired, you have to go through the grooming, feeding, cleaning the stall, and petting routine all over again. This gets tiring and repetitive, especially when you have six horses. A third complaint is that you get the flying horse too late in the game to do much with it. The challenges are all complete. I used the horse to go through the jump courses again and collect cards and I suppose this is what you're supposed to do, but I would like to see some challenges designated just for that horse as some of the other challenges are.
Overall it is a very fun game and worth the purchase if you're into horse games.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bella Sara

Product Description:
Based on the hugely successful trading card and website for girls, Bella Sara will immerse the player in a world filled with fantasy horses. Players will be able to ride, care for, accessorize and trade horses with friends over Wi-Fi while discovering secret items, exclusive cards and codes to activate on the official website.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Bella Sara now ?

Dino Master: Dig Discover Duel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Remeber Qix? You get a big field where you move a little guy to swipe portions of this field while avoiding attacks. You do so until there is a small enough portion of field and then you get rated. Yeah... you remember, this game remembers too which is why they use it as the way you get new fossils.
There's a decent selection of levels to choose form and a multitude of baddies to try to stop you from stealing the field (All giant bugs for some reason) making that portion of the game fun. Just like it was way back when.
The problem arises when you try to use the dino battle system. It can be described as slightly more advanced than rock/paper/scissors. As a matter of fact it's so bad that if you really want to train little dinos for battles I'd pick up Fossil League DS Instead. It has level gains, exploration, and teams of dinos to train and battle.

this is great for the Qix rip-off but leave it there, or at least try it first.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dino Master: Dig Discover Duel

Product Description:
Dino Master drops you into the role of Dave the Digger on his hunt for the biggest and best dinosaur fossils around the globe. Capturing these fossils won't be easy as you move quickly to surround your dig site while trying to avoid giant insects and other nasties. Once you've excavated your finds, bring them back to the Laboratory to rebuild them and then pit dino against dino in Battle Mode.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Dino Master: Dig Discover Duel now ?

Desktop Tower Defense Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've played DTD online at Kongregate until my fingers bled.I love it, and the challenges it presents.So I was glad to see there was a version of the game for DS, so I could play it at times when I didn't have access to my computer.

If you're buying this for something new, you're likely to be disappointed.But as a new way to play the same game, it's a very faithful version of the game, with a few slight twists on how the game works.

Definitely one of the best TD games out there.Now if only they would bring a version of Gemcraft to the DS...

Click Here to see more reviews about: Desktop Tower Defense

Product Description:
One of the most played online gameshas come to the DS. Highly acclaimed and awarded, Desktop Tower Defensehas been played over 66 million times. This highly addictive single playerstrategy game is true to the original's game style while adding compellingnew features that utilize the DS' innovative technology, including the abilityof players to draw their own towers and attackers with the stylus.

Gameplay
In Desktop Tower Defense players are tasked with eliminating a hordes of invading enemies known as 'Creeps.' To do this they construct a combination of turrets to fight from, which surround the Creeps' invasion path and place mazes in Creeps' paths to keep them in range of the weapon-mounted turrets. This is more complex than it seems though. The game contains many different kinds of Creeps, each with different abilities, meaning players must constantly be aware of which mazes and turrets are where, and be able to update these on the fly when necessary. Key Game Features:

Eliminate Creeps - Tactically place protective towers of differing defensive and offensive capabilities throughout the playing field, all while invaders known as "creeps" attempt to march across the screen.
Hundreds of Levels - Through strategic placement, carefully create mazes to ambush the invaders and protect their holdings through hundreds of challenging levels.
Bigger and Better Turrets - Upgrade your turrets to gain even more power.
So Many Creeps, So Little Time - Battle against group, flying, immune, spawn, dark and morph creeps all with different skills to challenge the best of players.
Customization - Create your own addictive experience by drawing towers and designing unique unrelenting "creeps" using the innovative technology of the Nintendo DS stylus, for a game experience of unending possibilities.

Screenshots:

Design your turrets.
Viewlarger.

Get 13% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Desktop Tower Defense now ?

Jumble Madness Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As a word nerd who loves puzzles and looks for great puzzle games for the Nintendo DS--I found that Jumble Madness is great.If you normally do the Jumbles in your newspaper, you will love this game.Not only can you do the regular jumbles, there is a jumble crossword and a story mode in which you gain lost objects when you play a word jhong type games.I highly recommend this very addicting game!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Jumble Madness

Product Description:
For over 60 years Jumble has been one of the most popular word games in the world. Both in print puzzle and new online, Jumble has entertained millions with its simple mechanics and brain-teasing anagrams. Jumble Madness is the next evolution, bringing classic Jumble puzzles and new variants to the Nintendo DS.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Jumble Madness now ?

Kirby Canvas Curse Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you've played Yoshi Touch & Go for the Nintendo DS then you already have a basic idea of what this Kirby game is like.Kirby will roll automatically, it's up to you to control his movements by touching him and drawing rainbow paths for him to cross.

It will take agility and quick reflexes to safely guide Kirby through all the dangers that await ahead.Younger and inexpereinced gamers might be vexed by the multiple strategies and different ways of control.For example, you can just touch Kirby to make him roll with high speed and knock out enemies, or you can touch the enemy to stun him and then once Kirby hits him he will be taken out.

Multiple unlockable mini-games give you reason to keep on playing once all the levels have been beaten.They range from the tried and true time trail to a memory game where you have to connect the dots in the correct order.These mini games are fun and I must confess I've had more fun with them than the main adventure.

There's no doubt that the touch controls give Kirby a whole new level of interactivity, but make no mistake, this is your standard collect stars-destroy enemies-find hidden items-defeat boss-repeat, type game.If you're a long-time gamer from the 80's like me then you may find the control mechanics aren't enough to hold your interest in this type of game.I've simply played too many of them.Kirby is a stong, polished title but not nearly as innovative with its gameplay as it is with it's control.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kirby Canvas Curse

Product Description:
Kirby: Canvas Curse is Kirby's debut on the DS. In this 2D action game, you'll use your magic wand to guide the pink hero, stun enemies, and launch special attacks. An evil witch turns Dream Land into a "picture" world - but she left behind a magic paintbrush that draws rainbow paths. Help Kirby regain his shape and save Dream Land!

Want to read more honest consumer review about Kirby Canvas Curse now ?

Digimon World: Dusk Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Dusk Is part of a set of two games. The only real difference between the two is what specie are available so make sure you check which version you really want. The plot is typical follow an up and coming trainer as some unspeakable evil tries to conquer the world, but the real attraction here is the gameplay. Lovers of pokemon will be familiar with the party of critters battle system though the creation and abilities are a lot easier on Digimon and don't detract from the game. Farms have changed a bit, theme music and skins now make farms suited to one type or another.
Overall it's very much another version of digimon world for the DS, new species, slight improvements longer story. Not bad all in all though extremely young players may struggle with the aspects of monster raising as they're more complex than pokemon.
The verdict: Not bad, pick it up if you like this type of thing.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Digimon World: Dusk

Product Description:
Digimon World Dusk DS

Want to read more honest consumer review about Digimon World: Dusk now ?

Dragon Ball: Origins Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is an excellent game.

It seems like every holiday just wouldn't be complete without a new Dragon Ball game release. Since these events seem to be occurring annually, I expected a few DB releases on pretty much every system for the 2008 holiday season. Though every release on the home console systems tend to be fighters, I was happy to see this land on the DS.

I am not going to give this game a 5 star rating. But I must admit it comes pretty close. It has its minor kinks but the positives outweigh the negatives. First of all this is an action adventure game much in the vein of the previous Dragon Ball DS game and the Dragon Ball GT DS game. The difference here is that the game is seen from a ? overhead view in the exact same manner as the Zelda Phantom Hourglass DS game that was released not to long ago. The game is completely 3D and not a 2D side scroller. DG Origins has a few RPG elements in it but this game is mostly an action adventure game. The RPG elements are the excessive conversations that go on. But this is a full blown action adventure game and I am glad it is because I can't stand RPG's unless it's Zelda. There are also many animated sequences. Of course its not top notch animation as this is the DS were talking about after all. The great plus is that you can control Goku with either the control pad or the stylus, which to me is great because you get the best of both worlds. It's a shame that the Wii doesn't incorporate that feature into all of their games because the Wii Nunchuk is getting tedious & boring REAL FAST!!!!

The game progresses exactly like the Dragon Ball series. You go from episode to episode in the exact same order as the comics/anime series, right from episode 1. Even the dialogue that happens on screen is word for word how it appears in the DB DVDs. I was a bit upset that there isn't any voice acting involved. Occasionally you'll hear Bulma speak 1 word, but that's about it. Also after you meet Bulma in stage 1 she follows you around. So it's nice to see two heroes on screen. I haven't gotten that far in the game yet but from other reviews it says you can control Bulma in a few stages.

Overall I am very happy with this purchase. I am sure it will drop in price by ten dollars after the holiday season but I had to get this when it was released this week because I love Dragon Ball. I love DB even more now that the DVD Uncut box sets are released at such affordable prices. With the releases I was finally able to watch the show that swept across America to become an international phenomenon. It's also nice to see that there are still video game releases for a franchise that is over twenty years old.

On a side note, I truly wish they made more DB action/adventure games on the Wii, PS3, or Xbox 360. All the games that land on the home consoles are fighters. Fighting games get pretty tedious and get boring real fast so it would be nice to see a DB Action adventure 2 player game hit the home systems some time soon. But the major plus side is that your favorite DB characters are now portable in your hand for a quick play on your way to work, a long train ride, or a vacation trip to another country. Pick this up even if you're not a DB fanatic because underneath the surface is a really is a great game.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dragon Ball: Origins

Product Description:
Product InformationIn the beginning...Every great journey has a starting point; every epicadventure has an Origin! Product FeaturesMaster the moves of young GokuTeam up with Bulma to battle powerful enemies in a timeless struggle ofgood vs. evilCollect rare items and trade them with your friends in DS Wireless mode.

Get 50% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Dragon Ball: Origins now ?

My Chinese Coach Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)...I have to compromise with "4".

*******
NOV. 8, 2009 EDITED TO ADD:Just noted the price drop! Wow. I thought it was a great value at $[...] but its now under $[...]. My recommendation: "Buy, buy!" if you are at all interested in Chinese or in going to China (where this really -could- be helpful, if used properly). And...if you're an educator teaching Chinese at ANY level, I'd strongly urge you to buy a class set! This is a fantastic deal now. What a learning opportunity!

******I've had some Chinese classes in the past so...I think I understand the strengths and weaknesses of "My Chinese Coach" for the variety of people who might try it.

First, the excellent. Spoken Chinese is difficult because of the tones of words. "My Chinese Coach" lets you practice tones and train your ear. A great feature is that you can listen to a word or phrase read in Mandarin, then record yourself saying it, then--if you want to--play both together to see how close you sound. This is a terrific feature, especially practicing tones.

Another good thing is the vocabulary unfolds just like it would in a class--not a lot of words in each lesson, grouped by themes, and with a cute gimmick of advancing you through landmarks in Beijing (Nintendo tried to get it out during the Olympics but just..couldn't quite do it.)

So...you have good vocabulary, practice with tones and recording yourself if you want, many different games to get through the lessons (you start with 4, but unlock 12--I think--I've only got to 5)..

The written Chinese language has characters--no alphabet--and one of the games gives you practice with writing. They're very picky, but it's still fun to practice (and people will recognize it if you come close enough--the game is pretty exacting, though, so don't be discouraged).

The phrasebook and dictionary are great! Even if you feel insecure about pronouncing and using Chinese in conversation, these two features would be a great help to someone traveling in China.Just find what you want to say and let the native Chinese speaker hear it from the DS! It's a great idea. (You could also use characters to communicate, if their spoken Chinese is something other than Mandarin).

So...why not give the game five stars?The reason, for me, is the lack of pinyin. Usually you learn Chinese with the alphabet ("pinyin") system first--then gradually learn characters later. This game incorporates written Chinese much too fast, imo, and cuts back on the pinyin (from what I've seen so far) much too soon. (There is a game where you type answers in pinyin, but I'm not sure how a beginner would have become good enough to be able to do this).

Many people who just want to learn conversational Chinese NEVER learn characters (real literacy will take...forever for most Americans).So Nintendo's choice to use characters in the drills--much, much more than pinyin-- in my opinion, would be a real problem for anyone who hadnt already studied Chinese a lot.

If they had used pinyin for the vocabulary practices far, far, into the game it would be SO much easier and approachable and helpful. With pinyin, even someone who knew NO Chinese would be able to learn quite a bit from this game.

Without much pinyin, I think it would be very very hard (unless you have a good enough ear to hear the words--use your own pinyin to memorize them--and then use "Flash Cards" to practice with the sounds, just ignoring the characters, for the most part).

It is also important to not freak out when you start being tested with the characters (written or spoken). Because the first game you unlock is "Flash Cards" and that is a much better way to learn the vocabulary than the other games before it. (I don't know what other games are unlocked later--hopefully, some with more pinyin used).

Pinyin IS used (as well as English) in the phrasebook and dictionary and that (plus the features above) still makes this a great deal in my opinion, for anyone who'd like to use Chinese--or who's planning to travel to China and wants a "translator" that will be much better than reading from a phrasebook yourself.

This is good for travelers, great for students, and fun for anyone who has interest in spoken and written Chinese (and a little patience with the learning curve, especially at the beginning).At $[...], I think it's a great bargain.

Click Here to see more reviews about: My Chinese Coach

Product Description:
My Chinese Coach DS

Want to read more honest consumer review about My Chinese Coach now ?

Playmobil: Pirates Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm a 38 year old male gamer with an 8 year old son who still enjoys his Playmobil toys. Playmobil toys have always had a soft spot in my heart because my son grew up on them, and as a parent I love them because they're sturdy, adorable, and delightfully simple while offering interesting themes and endless variety...they're a lifelong classic toy like Legos.

Anyway, out of my admiration and nostalgia for Playmobil toys, and the fact that this game was only $20, I figured I'd give it a shot. Although I have a DS like my son does, I haven't found many games I enjoy playing on it, because I just don't get the point of playing a game on a 3-inch screen...I have trouble immersing myself in something so tiny. But there are a special few games that I've found engaging on the DS...Lego Batman is one, and this Playmobil Pirates is another. The graphics are great (especially the cut-scenes), the dialogue is funny, the gameplay is entertaining and challenging without being frustrating (except for a few cases), and the minigames are fun and a neat addition.

The game is well done, melding game elements from proven performers. For example, I recognized a lot of the successful elements from the Grand Theft Auto series, where (in this case) you must earn enough dough to buy, repair and upgrade your pirate ship, and a decently long story-driven mission structure that also allows you to spend hours in diversionary activities like earning money by trading goods across the islands, sinking ships for their loot or fighting sea monsters for cash, and playing the minigames on the islands whenever you're ashore.

There are also two minigames found on the high seas themselves, should you be lucky enough to stumble on them (although they're included in the missions as well if you don't find them just sailing around): a "rescue the castaways" time-limited game where you fling life rings to drifting castaways in the water, and a "diving for treasure" game where you must catch bubbles but avoid jellyfish on the way down to the sea bottom, grab the treasure chest, and repeat the feat on the way back up. Diving for treasure is great fun. Rescuing the castaways was a bit more challenging and less satisfying, but I got better when I prioritized the nearer castaways over the ones further out, because the nearer ones allow for a faster reload of the next life ring.

There were a few parts of the game that were frustratingly hard and required several retries, but the game is forgiving, as you never lose the money you've acquired to date, no matter how many times or ways you die (although you can lose your ship if you're not careful, and if you don't have any money for a new one, it can be a long climb back up to the lifestyle you became accustomed to!).

One island I found particularly difficult to traverse, so I just mostly avoided it. The final mission calls for a fully-tricked out ship and decent maneuvering skills, as you must first battle and sink six ships before you can even land on the island to rescue the mermaid where she is being held captive. If you've gotten used to the more advanced side-shooting ships throughout the game, it shouldn't be too bad. I had trouble at first with the side shooters, so I stuck with the cheaper front-shooter. But that meant I wasn't really ready for the final mission when I got to it, and I had to practice that attack several times before I could break through the protective blockade. The moral of the story is to get used to the side-shooters early!

The game supports wireless play with a friend with 2 DS cards, and will even do one of its minigames (its version of Battleship) with only 1 DS card shared between the two players.

A note to parents: I was surprised to find the word "damn" in one line of dialogue, and the half-censored word "sh.." as in "the bird sh.. in my eye," which is an actual line of dialogue in the game. Even the marketing language has the word "pimp" as in "pimp out your ship," which seems a little over-the-top for the target audience of kids. These three instances of stronger language gave me pause with regard to my 8-year old playing it, but are not a show-stopper. However, some parents may find that too objectionable and ought to be forewarned. But aside from these few exceptions, I found the game quite harmless, and it always carries the sunny, light-hearted spirit of the Playmobil toys themselves.

This is a delightful, colorful, and fun game that I couldn't put down until I finished all 70 missions, which I did in about 15-20 hours. I highly recommend it!

Having enjoyed Playmobil Pirates so much, I can't wait for Playmobil Knights when it comes out in a few weeks!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Playmobil: Pirates

Product Description:
Playmobil: Piratesis a playful pirate adventure for DS and DSi that will thrill andentertain players of all ages. Set within the faithfully reproducedPlaymobil Pirate universe, Playmobil Pirates features a 3Drendered gameworld full of sea and island environments to exploreas you engage in 70 missions, collect treasure and struggle to savea damsel in distress on the high seas. Additional features includeship customization, six pirate-themed mini-games and wireless multiplayerfunctionality via DS single and multi-card options.

Live a pirate's life on your DS.
Viewlarger.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Playmobil: Pirates now ?

Zhu Zhu Pets: Special Edition with Baby Hamster Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We gave this to our three year old daughter last night (she will be four in July).She was able to figure the game out quickly with limited assistance from us.You begin by taking care of one little hamster, feeding, exercising, taking to toilet, watering, etc, and then you can play games that unlock other levels including more hamsters, games, etc.After playing for forty five minutes, she had three hamsters, and we put them to sleep for the night simply by closing the DS.This morning she played for about twenty minutes and already earned a fourth hamster.It is a cute, simple game that I would recommend for younger children.The hamsters have little icons that appear near them showing you when they need food, sleep, play, etc. so there is no reading involved, other than simple things like yes or no, which they learn quickly.Our daughter's favorite part of this game is the ability to collect lost little baby hamsters.She has only found one, and it stays in the nursery, but just from last night until this morning, he had grown, so I suspect that it will join the other hamsters before long.As we have only had the game one day, I can't tell how long the fun will last, but I am certainly happy with the purchase and would highly recommend it to other parents looking for clean, simple fun on the DS for their little ones.One note on the free little hamster, he is cute, but will wear quickly as his "fur" wears off in play.We have none of the Zhu Zhu Pets and our daughter isn't aware that they are a retail item, so we can't say how the free one compares to the hamsters for sale separately.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Zhu Zhu Pets: Special Edition with Baby Hamster

Product Description:
Based on the wildly popularline of robotic toy hamsters of the same name, Zhu Zhu Petsintroduces Nintendo DS and DSi players to a new level of fun in theZhu Zhu Pets universe. Featuring nine different Zhu Zhu Pets to playwith in-game, as well as distinct game environments, 30 levels ofplay and a wide range of Zhu Zhu Pets toys, this new handheld animalsimulation adventure promises familiy-friendly fun that both childrenand parents will relish. This special limited Edition also includesthe "Baxter" Zhu Zhu Pets baby Hamster non-motorized figureshown below.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Zhu Zhu Pets: Special Edition with Baby Hamster now ?