Suikoden II Review

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(More customer reviews)I have played the suikoden series from the beginning and suikoden II is by far the best of them. If you enjoy enjoy an rpg with a good story and gameplay mechanics this should occupy your time. The major battles are one of best parts in my opinion. Your basicly playing a tatic game with recruited character for your army. Also there are a lot mini-games in your caslte. If you like a challenge try to recruit the 108 stars for your army. If you think a couple hundred dollars is too steep for this game wait a year or 18 months. Suikoden II should be released for Psp in 2007. Psp is remaking old rpgs for its system and this is one of them. I will get my copy even though I own the original. I just like the idea of playing one of my favorite games on a potable system. Overall suikoden II is one of the best 2-D rpgs of the 1990's. If your a retro gamer this is a game for collectors value and a fun game to play. And for rpg players, if you don't like to read play kingdom hearts or diablo 2.

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Tactics Ogre Review

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(More customer reviews)I must confess, I bought this game only because I had played Final Fantasy Tactics and loved it. Desperate for a strategy/RPG fix, I got TO because many of FFT's creators had worked on it. But just because it preceded FFT does not mean it's not as good...on the contrary, it actually is more fun and absorbing than its slickly polished descendant.
Let's start with the bad news. Tactics Ogre was originally released for the Super NES, and it shows. With small, blocky sprites and the inability to rotate a camera (because the background is also 2D), TO won't be winning any graphics awards anytime soon. The in-game speech portraits are nice, though.
Tactics Ogre can also occasionally get monotonous - the most common culprit being the constant need for training. There's also a special 100-floor (!) dungeon that is not for the faint of heart.
Now the good news: The story is absorbing. TO takes place in the island nations of Valeria; you play Denim Powell, a young member of the Walstanian ethnic group. He, his sister Kachua, and his friend Vice are determined to lead Walsta out from under the oppressive hand of the ruling Gargastan. They're helped in this aim by a group of exiled warriors from Zenobia: the heroes of the first game in the Ogre Battle Saga. Eventually the scope of the conflict widens to include the rest of Valeria, and culminates in a bitter struggle for the High King's throne and for the power of an incredibly powerful magical artifact. TO's story would be its strongest point...except for one thing.
The gameplay.
Dear God, the gameplay. It's like a sundae smothered in hot fudge, chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, and with a cherry on top: wonderful, but occasionally overkill. TO's gameplay is definitely deep; while it doesn't have the huge list of jobs and abilities that its descendant, Final Fantasy Tactics, does, I can't help but feel it's without a doubt more complex in terms of strategy. With over a dozen sidequests, not to mention three distinct paths through the game (each of which has its own special characters to get), there's no question that TO has even more replay value than FFT. And that's really saying something!
Tactics Ogre is definitely a game not to be missed. While Atlus is no longer making the game, if you can buy a used copy, do!

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Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time (Collector's Edition) - Nintendo 64 Review

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(More customer reviews)Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
(1998)con., Nintendo 64, pub. Nintendo, dev. Nintendo EAD)

There are few things I could say about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that have not already been mentioned by critics, fans, journalists and Nintendo enthusiasts in some form or another at some point in time.The reason being is that Ocarina of Time IS (whether you love it or hate) one of the most praised, well-respected and highly regarded video games in the history of the industry.The game also remains my favorite video game of all-time.It is my intention to discuss certain aspects of the game that I find enjoyable, as well as a few of the facets of the game that I did not take pleasure in.This narrative is more of a personal reflection of the game than a critical review.Please keep that in mind while reading.Let's get stared!

The production/creation of this title was no easy task for our old friends over at Nintendo. Not only is there pressure enough in creating a title from the Legend of Zelda series, as a great portion of the gaming public hold the franchise in very high esteem and expect much for each new title, but the series had to also evolve and incur a drastic change from the familiar and successful 2-D realm to the (at the time) very new and unpredictable world of 3-D.Fortunately, Nintendo had some prior success in this transition process as their most famous and beloved mascot, Mario, had made the "jump" from the traditional and beloved 2-D platforming to the realm that is 3-D.Super Mario 64 launched with the Nintendo 64 console in the U.S. on September 25, 1996.The result? Most video games fans and critics, alike, refer to it as one of the greatest video games of all-time.

It worked for Mario, would it work for Zelda?

Mr. Miyamoto and his development team put a tremendous amount of time and effort into the completion of this game.It took some three years and a staff of over 200 folks to complete this daunting task.It had been 6 years since a Legend of Zelda console game was released (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past SNES-1992) and the Zelda fans were starving for a new title.After all the screen-shots, after all the articles and features, after all the hype and after many delays, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was finally released in the U.S. to the masses on November 23, 1998.

Was it worth the wait? You better believe it.

Critically and publicly acclaimed, Ocarina of Time literally changed the face of the gaming world and completely altered the rules, the mechanics and the overall style and structure of video games as we know it. The 3-D realm seemed a perfect fit for the style of gameplay fans of the Legend of Zelda franchise have come to know and love.It remained as faithful to its 2-D predecessors as it possibly could and enhanced, refined and completely polished the Zelda series and, in essence, brought the franchise into the future of gaming.It remains a truly magnificent accomplishment and an absolute most welcomed edition to this extraordinary series.

It is my strong belief and conviction that the quality of gameplay has always remained the most redeeming quality of any video game.In this day and age of progressively scanned imagery and (soon to be) high-definition quality graphics, along with orchestrated music, full-blown original/compiled soundtracks (comparable to those of major Hollywood motion pictures) all presented in glorious, THX certified (some do) digital surround sound (a lot do), I have always been of the opinion that the quality gameplay mechanics, which are the foundation for the success of the industry, of games would, in a way, "take a back seat" to the aforementioned aspects that seem to be dominating ALL forms of our entertainment.

Don't get me wrong.I'm as much of a tech nut as the next guy.I just don't want the gameplay quality to suffer as a result of "dolling" up the game.The game must be enjoyable. The game must be fun. I don't care how it looks, how it sounds or what the content is - if playing the game is not entertaining, if the controls are stiff, unresponsive and hinder the experience, if the overall gameplay mechanics are not up to par, I don't care how many copies of the game sold, it will be a flop to me.I firmly believe that Nintendo understands this concept.They believe the fact that solid, innovative gameplay is the key to a truly rewarding and fun gaming experience and they trust enough in their fans and the general gaming public to recognize this.Needless to say, Ocarina of Time is one of the best examples of perfection in terms of quality gameplay mechanics on any console to-date.

Playing Ocarina of Time is a joy from start to finish.It's the perfect blend of solid 3-D action/adventure/RPG elements with a superb fighting system, spectacular environments, nearly endless amounts of exploration, quirky and fun NPCs, challenging dungeons & puzzle solving, awesome boss battles, an incredibly well structured story and wonderful in-game sound effects and catchy, hummable songs that are enjoyed by me and others to this very day. *Hugs OoT Soundtrack*

It is a grand and epic game that completely immerses you in a way that no other that I have ever played. This sense of immersion occurs, whether you are exploring the brilliantly designed and unique dungeons, riding your loyal steed, Epona, across the immense Hyrule Field or gazing upon the magnificent and majestic Hyrule Castle.You feel right in the middle of the action and excitement. You become part of the journey; you become part of the quest.You, in essence, become part of the legend.

Gameplay

The controls and the overall gameplay are as close to perfect as I have ever experienced.Two essential innovations that require specific mention are the camera system and the lock-on targeting system.What can I say?They are revolutionary. Most in-game cameras can often become a nuisance. They obstruct, rather than help. The in-game camera in Ocarina of Time never misses a beat.It never hinders the player's progress or perspective and serves as a tremendous aid during your adventure.Bottom line: I have never played a console game with a better camera system than Ocarina of Time.

In conjunction with the camera, the lock-on targeting system proves essential to your enjoyment of the game and will prove very useful while controlling Link in battle against the assortment of different enemies you will encounter during your quest.You simply tap a button on the control deck (Z-button) and this action allows you to "lock-on" to any particular enemy (or NPC) you are looking to engage (or talk to). The camera will stay on your target, retaining its over the shoulder position and allows you to circle your enemies and slash at them while side-stepping, back-flipping and shielding yourself from the attacks.It makes for a much more enjoyable and satisfying experience.The lock-on targeting does NOT make the game easier or minimize the difficulty.It simply serves as an important "weapon" for the player that allows them to strategically outline an attack plan and tactically take on multiple enemies in an efficient manner.

Both are most welcomed and most appreciated additions to the series.I must warn you though - after experiencing the Ocarina of Time camera and lock-on targeting, you will truly be spoiled for the rest of your gaming career.

In addition to the camera system and lock-on targeting, Ocarina of Time also managed to redefine the controls of the 3-D adventure with their introduction of the context sensitive (B) button.There a many actions Link will need to utilize during his quest.You will need to: pull, push, crawl, read, dive, climb, jump, talk and myriads of other actions.The context sensitive (B) button allows you to perform all of these tasks effortlessly.When you happen upon a specific task that requires a certain action, the system will automatically recognize the action needed by flashing the word of the action on screen for you.For example, if you walk up to a sign, the action button, (B), will flash "read" on-screen. You need only to hit the (B) button, and you will be able to read the sign.Simple, yet very effective and very intuitive.All games should work like this.It's brilliant.

Lastly, I would like to give some mention to the overall feel of the game.I like to call it the, "go anywhere, do anything" feeling.If you see something during your travels, chances are, you can go to it and interact with that part of the environment in some manner. This gives the player a tremendous feeling of freedom and adds a new dynamic to the overall gaming experience.Great detail was put into the creation of the magical land of Hyrule, and it shows.

Now I get to nitpick

As much as I love Ocarina of Time, there are a couple things I may have done a little differently.These are incredibly minor, minor problems that I have had with the title.First off, I was a little disappointed that the original Legend of Zelda Overworld theme was not included in the game.It was substituted for the Hyrule Field theme. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the Hyrule Field theme, but, I feel that putting the original Overworld theme in the background while traversing through Hyrule Field would have been perfect.Lastly (yup, only two) I wish there was an option to turn Navi off.At times, I found her incredibly annoying and her constant "whisens" always seem to come at the most unwanted times.But I digress, as Navi served an important role in the adventure.Because of her, we are able to "lock-on" to our targets.Navi flies over to the target and floats over their heads, allowing Link to...Read more›

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zelda rpg for nintendo 64

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Xenosaga Episode III Review

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(More customer reviews)Xenosaga: Episode 3 (Also sprach Zarathustra) brings back the magic of Episode 1 and fixes the vast majority of the problems that occurred in Episode 2.The story here, as rich and complex as ever, is brought to an appropriate and moving close as Shion and company battle to uncover a deep-seated conspiracy unlike anything else they've ever encountered.The fabric of the story itself, the voice acting, and the cutscenes are all truly superb - it's remarkable that the makers at Namco/Bandai managed to pull all of the loose ends together to make the story finally make sense.To boot, it's a pleasure to watch and listen to -- who could ask for more?

As for the battle system, it finally regains its fun in Episode 3.I simply wasn't a fan of Episode 2's system, so the return to "basics" was a blessing in my mind.The characters still do battle in their unique ways, as each has his/her own customizable skills to obtain, but long gone are the days of ridiculously long battles against painfully weak enemies.Here, in both ground and E.S. (mech) battles, your ability to strengthen and customize your party shines through and you are always rewarded for your hard work.Replay value is moderate-to-high as well, since your party consists of all the familiar players for most of the game; if you have a habit of using the same three or four people (like me; yay for chaos!), you can always play through again with a different group.

Shops return in this Episode, making buying and selling your merchandise once again possible.The only thing lacking is this game is a little more in the "extras/side quests" department, of which this game only offers a handful.While some of these take longer than others, a few more side quests would have been nice, particularly since this is the last in the series.

I can't rave enough about how impressed I was with this title.It rivals Episode 1 in every way possible, and the trilogy's epic story outstrips other RPG competition without question.If you're looking for fun battles, a fantastic story, and beautiful graphics, then look no further; Xenosaga: Episode 3 is for you.

I can only hope that someone changes their mind and decides to make another one -- after this exceptional closing Episode, it's hard not to wish for another game to come along in the future.Very highly recommended.

Summary:
Story: A+
Cutscenes: A
Graphics/Rendering: A
Battle/Skill System: A
Extras/Side Quests: A-
Replay Value: Moderate-to-High

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Xenosaga EPISODE III: Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) - A year has passed since Xenosaga II, Shion has resigned her post at Vector Industries after realizing that the company is deeply connected to the cause of the Gnosis phenomenon. She has thus joined Scientia, an underground organization, in order to unveil Vector's true objectives. The development of KOS-MOS is to be cancelled, and a mysterious android, T-elos appears to be taking KOS-MOS' place. Shadows of suspicion and conspiracy surround T-elos. Uncover the future of mankind in this much-anticipated conclusion to the Xenosaga trilogy. An In-Game Database is Your Veritable Xeno Bible -An easily accessible database of every detail such as important events, people, items, keywords, locations, weapons, back-story, phenomenon, townspeople, associations and companies Challenge Yourself and Friends with new Mini-games -With 60 pre-made levels to complete, the Xenosaga puzzle mini-games add a new type of challenge for the player, and rewards his performance. The mini-game map editor also lets players create, play and share their own custom maps with friends

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Paper Mario Review

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(More customer reviews)Gamers everywhere rejoice as Mario the most popular character in video game history-returns in Paper Mario, a brand-new adventure for your N64.
Paper Mario is filled to the brim with familiar faces, places and items, all presented in a fresh new light. As you guide the plucky plumber on his journey, you'll encounter such Mario mainstays as Boos, Bob-ombs, Koopas and Goombas. Most of them are enemies, but sometimes one will break ranks and fight by Mario's side. You'll also meet up with a rogue's gallery of old friends and foes, whom may include Bowser, Goombario, Kooper Koopa, Princess Peach, and Kammy Koopa.
Paper Mario is a game that has something for everyone. It'ssimple to learn and fun for younger gamers, yet complex enough to keep even battle-hardened joystick jockeys playing for weeks. Followers of the Mario craze will be pleased with the recognizable faces and worlds, while RPG fans can rejoice at the thought of one of the deepest and most customizable RPG's to come along for any system in a very long time. Add a gigantic world, hundreds of special moves, dozens of items, and some very funny dialogue and sight gags--the result is the Mario game we've all been eagerly awaiting.

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Paper Mario N64 Game. Paper Mario is the follow-up to Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars for Super Nintendo!

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Master Of Olympus: Zeus W/ Poseidon Exp. Review

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(More customer reviews)My daughter and I are addicted.Best city building game I have ever used. Easy and not over detailed, takes plenty of planning so you have to play the game multiple times to get it right. ALways a challenge no matter how many time youplay it. Once you play you are hooked. DOnt bother with Pharaoh, its the same game, different graphics. I find the other city building games too detailed or stress too much war/battling.This would have been a great game in 7th grade to to learn all the mythology. They need a NOrse version!

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Zeus: Master of Olympus is the sixth game in the award-winning Impressions City Building Series, which has sold over two million copies worldwide. Zeus: Master of Olympus, set in a mythological ancient Greece, serves up a world filled with the likes of Hercules, Athena, Ares, Medusa, the Minotaur, and many others. Players build and rule Greek city-states while summoning heroes and gods to protect their land from monsters and other Greek cities. Easy to learn, and quick to get in and out of, Zeus promises to be one of the most fun city-building games of 2000.Poseidon: Zeus Official Expansion: Return to ancient Greece and rule Atlantis as described by Plato! In Poseidon: Zeus Official Expansion, you'll rule an advanced civilization that built monumental pyramids, sanctuaries, observatories, and great libraries. You'll summon Bellerophon and Atalanta, and battle the terrifying Chimera. You'll meet ancient civilizations from both sides of the Atlantic, and decide to trade or conquer. Poseidon: Zeus Official Expansion features new gods, heroes, monsters, and resources. Play more than 45 exciting episodes in six epic adventures. Conquer or trade with Mayans, Egyptians, Phoenicians, and more. Meet such new gods as Atlas and Hera. Poseidon offers unlimited play. You can even design your own myths with a simple yet powerful Adventure Editor.

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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Review

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(More customer reviews)Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is such a perfect game.When I heard that a new zelda sequel was coming out, I was afraid that it would have a hard time living up to the greatness of the other zelda games, but I wasdefinitely proven wrong.
First of all, the world which you explore isgorgeous.Ever felt like exploring a fairy-tale forest of elf-children? What about a cavern that lies behind a magical waterfall, or maybe a sunnymedieval marketplace, or how about an adobe desert fortess, or even asimple peaceful mountain village?It's all in Zelda 64.
The gameplayitself is awesome.Link is easy to control, and the 3-D motion of the gameis great.The challenge level is perfect too.I played the game without astrategy guide, and I'll admit the infamous Water Temple took me seven daysto beat, but the puzzles are respectably challenging and you feel greatwhen you solve them.The bosses are also nicely challenging; it's rare tobeat them on the first try.Also, you have a wide variety of weapons anditems to find along the way, and there are plenty of extra-hard side questsfor the hardcore zelda players, like the never-ending quest to kill thoseelusive skulltullas, or the always-present goal of finding all the heartcontainers.
The music is great too.New themes such as the bouncy newLost Woods theme, the sultry Gerudo Valley (gotta love those castanets andSpanish guitar), or the relaxing massage-for-the-ears Zora's Domain jointhe soundtrack in addition to old favorites from SNES' "A Link to thePast", like Zelda's Lullaby, the Fairy's Fountain theme, the Ganontheme, and Kakariko Village.
My only two small and pointless complaintswith the game are that you can't go in the majestic Hyrule Castle, and therecognizable classic Zelda themesong was left out.However, the newoverworld theme is cheerful and catchy too, and after a few minutes into itthe careful listener can hear the first few notes of the old zelda themewoven into the new one, a subtle homage to the game's historicalpredecessors.
Basically, the game is a masterpiece.My friend has thesountrack and we always listen to the songs to cheer up, especially the"Shop" theme :) And when we think about the final scene in theending of the game, we always cry!Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time setsthe standard for a quality video game.You're sure to love it!

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Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time N64 Game - The first game of the classic Legend of Zelda series for Nintendo 64! Extremely rare - Guaranteed to work perfectly!

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Metroid: Zero Mission Review

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(More customer reviews)Metroid: Zero Mission" is a Game Boy Advance remake of the game "Metroid" for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which started the "Metroid" series of games. Many people consider the original game to be the best, in regards to storyline, originality, and etcetera. The new game includes improved graphics, sound, and enemy AI, along with some new missions after the point where the normal game would be completed.
The storyline will be familiar to all fans of the series, seeing as it's the same as "Metroid". The bounty hunter Samus Aran has been hired to go to the planet Zebes and destroy a race of energy-draining creatures known as Metroids. She must also destroy an evil entity known as Mother Brain. Samus herself was orphaned on this planet by the evil Space Pirates (that's actually the name of their species, at least to the humans) and was rescued and raised by a race known as the Chozo. These highly-advanced creatures gave her the power suit that she wears, so that she may destroy the Space Pirates (as Zebes was also at one time a Chozo colony). Now, using the power of her suit and her natural skills, Samus must destroy this threat to the galaxy.
The graphics in this game are very well done, and are a little bit better than the graphics in Metroid Fusion. They are beautiful and immersive. Samus has her original suit, not the bizarre blue punk-style suit she had in Metroid Fusion. Samus gets multiple suits during the course of the game; the basic power suit (which is dark orange), the heat-and-cold resistant Varia suit (which is bulkier and light orange), and the water-pressure resistant Gravity suit (which is like the Varia suit, but purple). There is also a part where Samus loses her power suit and runs around in a jumpsuit, armed only with a pistol (this is a sequence that wasn't in the original game).
The sound in the game is not really impressive. Even though it's better than the NES game, it's still basically blips and bleeps. The music isn't bad, and sets the tone more than the sound effects. There is also a very annoying "low health" sound, which is a little siren that sounds if your health is less than 10% of its maximum. So basically, if you're really hurt, you just hear "beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep" over and over again until you get some health, which isn't always easy. The same problem occurs in the "Legend of Zelda" games, too. Of course, if it's really annoying, the sound can be turned off, but then you miss out on other sound effects.
The gameplay is satisfying. Bosses are often of the "hit its weak spot with a particular weapon" variety, though they still look pretty cool. Samus can perform all sorts of maneuvers, such as her morph ball form, in which she can roll around, her freeze missiles, which can freeze enemies and make them into stepping blocks, and her grapple beam, which she can use to swing around on hooks. There is also a good variety of locations, from ancient Chozo ruins to volcanoes.
Overall, this game is very, very good. It's a nice way of introducing newer gamers to the beginning of the Metroid series. For old-school gamers, beating the game will get you the original NES Metroid game to play.
9/10 (I'm taking one point of for the Low Health Beeps).

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Metroid: Zero Mission delivers a huge, action-packed adventure for real fans of platform-shooter gaming. It's a whole new experience based on the classic Metroid game from the early days of Nintendo. Relive Samus Aran's first battle with the Metroids in a completely new way! Beautiful graphics and an eerie soundtrack bring the dark world of the Metroids to life

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Metroid Fusion Review

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(More customer reviews)The famed 'Metroid' series really hit its stride with the release of "Super Metroid" for the Super NES platform.It did away with the monotony of "Metroid II" and enhanced the gameplay and environment of the original "Metroid".The puzzles and challenges presented by this version captivated all kinds of gamers.It re-hashed the original story and gave it some extra kick.New weapons and abilities were introduced, as were more complex storylines.Having never played any of the 'Metroid' games before this one, it was quite a spectacular introduction.

Now, fast foward a few years.Knowing that the new GameBoy Advance System is making quite a profit out of porting old Super NES games for handheld, I was interested to see if Nintendo was going to put "Super Metroid" on the GBA.Well, they did, sort of.The game that ended up being developed for GBA was called "Metroid Fusion" and it resembles "Super Metroid" in many ways.However, there are several distinctions.For starters, this takes place AFTER "Super Metroid" and adds a new wrinkle to story by creating a new nemesis called 'parasite X' which was able to procreate after our hero, Samus, wiped out all of the Metroids on SR 388.This parasite is a menace to the entire universe and all traces of it on SR 388 and the orbital research lab must be destroyed."... Fusion" takes place entirely aboard the orbital research lab and employs most of the same gameplay that "Super Metroid" did.It's still a side-scroller and it presents many of the same obstacles of its predecessor.There are numerous different types of doors that are sealed and unable to be accessed unless certain criteria are met.There are other access points and hidden entries that can only be discovered if you have the right weapons or know where to look.In addition, throughout the game, there are several different bosses Samus must defeat in order recover certain powers.

It's hard to truly describe how satisfying this game really is.You really need to play it yourself to see first hand.Rest assured, though.If you liked "Super Metroid", you're going to love this game.

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Metroid Fusion is a side-scrolling action game that's more in line with the series' NES origin than its GameCube contemporary, the first-person action game Metroid Prime. In this one, players take the bounty hunter Samus on an extermination mission through a research facility to kill X parasites--nasty creatures that absorb and assimilate the powers of their host. After she survived an X attack through the use of a vaccine made with X parasite DNA, she can now absorb the parasites to regain health and obtain special powers, like the morph ball, space jump, and wave beam. The problem is that the parasites are quickly making their way through the research lab's many dangerous projects and subsuming their abilities.
As a special bonus to GameCube owners, Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion can each unlock special features in the other game via the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable. For example, by completing Metroid Fusion, you can unlock the original NES version of Metroid in Metroid Prime. By completing Metroid Prime, you can unlock Samus's fusion suit for use in Metroid Prime.

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The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the second best Role Playing Game ever made. Period.
Role playing has been deluded from it's original intentions, playing a ficticious character in a fantastical world with all the perks and hardships associated with it. Previous ventures (anything Diablo, Dungeon Siege, Everquest) have all been experiments in one of the fundamentals of Role Playing, character development. With Baldur's Gate, a cohesive, player-centric universe was created and a flimsy story along with it to increase immersion. Not until the advent of the best Role Playing Game of all time, Planescape: Torment, had a game captured the player with a beautiful, tragic story, colorful, detailed characters, and a fluid, easy to use interface.
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is the only game since Planescape: Torment to grab my attention and make me actively participate in it's story. In Dungeon Siege the plot was based on leveling up to defeat the main guy, all well and good, but in Morrowind my goal is anything I want it to be.
I remember playing a level 4 mage in Daggerfall for months, just because there was so much to see and do that I never got around to the main quest. In Morrowind, you can either not follow the main quest at all, follow it, or follow it once in a while and explore the rest of the time. The amount of open-endedness in this game is only surpassed by it's feeling of soul, for some reason this game feels alive moreso than any other game I've played (sans Planescape: Torment).
Casual gamers will not be able to play this, they'll get confused, frustrated, lost and stop playing, claiming "it's too non-linear!" Die hard pen and paper RPGers will not be able to play this, "you have to use the mouse to see things!" But any computer game player with half a brain, half a memory and at least 100 hours to play this game will find an experience they will never forget.
Reno, layeroffrost.com

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The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is an epic, open-ended single-player game where you create and play any kind of character you can imagine. Be the hero embarking on an epic quest or a thief rising to leadership of his guild. Be a sorcerer developing the ultimate spell of destruction or a healer searching for the cure to a plague. Your actions define your character, and your gameplay changes and evolves in response to your actions. The Collector's Edition comes in an exclusive black box and includes a Morrowind soundtrack CD, an Ordinator figurine by Rawcliffe, and a 48-page book called The Art of Morrowind.
Players can choose to follow the intriguing main story line or set off to explore the province of Morrowind and the many interesting people and exotic locations it contains. Vast cities and remote villages dot the landscape, each with its own unique look and feel. Hundreds of quests and adventures await as you interact with characters and learn more. Regardless of whether you play a murdering assassin or a noble knight, the game holds endless possibilities and allows you to revisit the main story line at any time.
With Morrowind, the Elder Scrolls character system is coupled with an increase in the world's richness of detail. Utilizing the advanced 3-D technology, Morrowind features hyperrealistic textures and polygon counts, real-time shadows, vast landscapes, skeletal-based animation, and a complete weather system. Gameplay is further extended with the inclusion of The Elder Scrolls Construction Set, which allows players to modify and add to Morrowind in any way they see fit. Change character or creature attributes and skills, introduce new weapons or dungeons into the game, or create entire new worlds to explore.

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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review

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(More customer reviews)Simply put: this game is incredible.I've played RPGs for years, but I've never had a more seamless experience than I've had playing this game.

First, the training mission.I didn't even realize it was a training mission because the events happening around me were directly related to the overall plot of the game.The only notion I had that the game was actually training me was the occasional on-screen message to press this or that button, but those messages didn't appear until I really wanted to do the action they taught me.

Second, the graphics.This world is gorgeous.I've found mysef just wandering through fields looking at the sights because of the level of detail and beauty -- the EFFORT -- that was put into the game.The sun rises and sets, the clouds pass by overhead, birds and animals react to my presence.It's a joy just taking it all in.

Finally, however, the gameplay.This game is fun.I can advance in whatever skill set I want simply based on whatever I use.If I want to become skilled at using a bow, then I just use the bow all the time, and I get better at it.If I want to be a powerful mage, I just keep casting magic, and I'll get better at it.The NPCs lead their own lives, talking and wandering around whether I interact with them or not.I can just stand around in a pub and listen in on the conversations around me, and I'll learn so much about what's going on in the realm.

This game raises RPGs to a whole new level -- a level that, as an old-school D&D player, I've been waiting to experience within a computer game for years.

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Gears of War Review

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(More customer reviews)Gears of War is a high energy, well detailed sci fi shooter set in a dismal future. You are a muscular, well trained soldier wearing pounds of gear, armor and weapons - and it'll barely be enough to keep you alive.

This game is compared frequently to Halo, but if Halo is the lighthearted ease of Star Wars, Gears of War is the non-stop assault and clinging to life of Alien. You're not jumping around like a kangaroo here, blasting at foes. You are heavily laden, crouching behind anything you can find to shield you, trying your best to stay alive for five more minutes. You have to work strategically with your fellow soldiers to climb forward every inch.

The graphics in Gears of War are very impressive. The game is done in a palatte of browns, greys and reds. The dismal skies above, the swarms of black birds, the dented and dingy equipment - this is a world on the verge of despair. Enemies don't stand out with brightly colored costumes. You have to really pay attention to know where they are and to take them out.

The sounds really help drive home the urgency of your mission. Voices cry out on all sides for help. The hammering of the machine guns and rapid fire weapons ring in your ears. The soundtrack is pounding and epic. If anything this is all TOO pounding - after playing this for weeks, I really can get a headache :) I'd turn it down, but then I wouldn't be able to tell where the enemies were sniping me from sometimes.

The storyline really helps involve you in what is going on. It's like being at the center of a high power action movie. There are decisions you can make along the way to help guide the story. I really enjoy the "fight for every inch of soil" way it has you feel like you are involved in a real challenge. It might seem TOO challenging for some new gamers. Stick with it - it's well worth it.

I do wish, with all of their emphasis on taking cover and being cautious - that you could CROUCH. I understand not being able to jump - you're wearing hundreds of pounds of gear! However, you can crouch behind cover. Why can't you crouch when you're not near cover, to lower your profile a bit? I think that would help out in some situations.

Still, that's a minor complaint for a fantastic game. If you're a mature gamer (there's a fair amount of blood here) that enjoys shooters, definitely pick this one up!

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Gears of War, an Xbox 360 exclusive game that blends tactical action with survival horror, thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing tale of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. The storyline plays out like a Hollywood blockbuster -- lead character Marcus Fenix pits advanced human technology against the overwhelming Locust Horde. Built around a revolutionary third-person tactical combat system and breathtaking, high-definition visuals from the Unreal Engine 3, Gears of War immerses you in a horrifying tale of war and survival.


Gears of War is harrowing tale that pits humankind against the Locust Horde.

Marcus Fenix and his team battle nightmarish creatures. View larger.

In Gears of War, you must take cover to survive. View larger.

Gears of War presents a focused and well-paced cinematic experience. View larger. The gameplay is focused on a fire team co-op so advanced that your A.I. teammates are indiscernible from human players. Voice recognition and real-time lip synching heighten the absorbing experience. The Unreal Engine 3 technology brings out the smallest details in the largest of battles. With GOW you're sure to experience a rich, dynamic world where characters spring to life. Speaking of life, the battlefield is a lethal place. To survive, you must suppress your enemy with blindfire, take cover in interactive environments, and use weapons and teammates to outwit your dreaded, inhuman foes. And with a title like GOW, it would be shame if you couldn't get online and challenge live gamers. With the next-generation of Xbox Live, you'll be able to experience individualized matchmaking, view player statistics, earn player achievements, customize games, and build personalized gamer profiles.
Gears of War shined bright at Microsoft's pre-E3 press briefing, but a deeper demo at Microsoft's E3 booth revealed many of the game's mechanics. GOW is built with both the hardcore and casual gamer in mind. But, instead of selecting a difficulty level at the start of the game, GOW offers a choice at the beginning of each level. In the vein of choose your own adventure, you can select between a difficult or easy path. And it's not just a simple choice of battling tougher enemies; each path (explained by a comrade) represents additional content that is crucial to the storyline. After easing your way into the experience of the gameplay with the simpler paths, you can go back and test your skills on the more difficult routes and never feel like you've played through the areas before.
Standing around in the open is likely to get you killed in GOW. You must use cover to survive. With a context sensitive A button function, you won't have to sweat memorizing cumbersome button combos. The A button will:

Slam you into cover. As you approach cover in GOW simply tap the A button to slide and make immediate use of cover.
Vault you over the cover. Once you're in cover, pressing up and A will vault you over your cover to engage the opponent or next cover opportunity.
Evade enemy fire. When you're forced to be out in the open, tapping the A button will engage a roll maneuver to evade enemy fire.
Activate a "Swat Turn." When taking cover on the side of a doorway, pressing the A button will spin your character from one side of the doorway to the other, helping avoid fire.

Ripping a magazine free and replacing it in the midst of bloody combat is no easy task. GOW simulates this difficult action by forcing you to perfect your reloading skills. To be effective in combat you'll need to allot for time to successfully reload your weapon. Do it well and the battle is yours; do it poorly and you may actually jam your gun. Time it perfectly and you'll earn a bonus with a temporary damage boost. Though GOW clearly showcases a sci-fi experience, its roots are in tactical, realistic combat scenarios. Therefore, running and gunning makes for seriously erratic shooting. Think about what you're doing. Unless wasting ammo is your goal, you better stop, aim, shoot, and then move on. Otherwise, the Locust Horde might swarm you and take your life.
Gears of War presents a focused and well-paced cinematic experience, and nothing ruins that faster than a time-consuming exploration of every switch or button to find the elusive trigger to open a door. This game introduces a "point of interest" button that comes up on the screen so you can immediately interact with the necessary item to move forward in your gameplay. GOW certainly offers drool-worthy graphics, but the mechanics have also received equal attention. Keep your eyes and ears on high alert for a release date, as Microsoft hasn't let the cat out of the bag on when gamers will be able to tackle this great-looking and great-playing title.

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a review written by someone who has played both versions.In this review I'll not only touch on the aspects of Twilight Princess, but also tell you a few differences between the Wii and Gamecube versions, because some will most definitely be curious.

The Legend of Zelda is one of the most popular games of all time. When a new Zelda game marches forth, the fans are always there. Now, after spending years in development, with delay after delay and ultimately being pushed onto the Nintendo Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is finally here. It's pretty generous of Nintendo to keep the game on the Gamecube as well as pushing it to the Wii.It's great that even those without the Wii can experience this amazing game.

Twilight Princess is by far one of the most instantly absorbing in the series. The game begins with you as Link in the village of Ordan. Things are going well for Link and his friends until a band of monsters riding a boar come and kidnap two of his friends. When Link awakens, he's suddenly thrust into a twilight realm where he meets a creature named Midna, who decides to aid Link on his quest. From the get go, The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess is instantly absorbing. The storyline is by far one of the best in the series and is very engrossing and absorbing.

The first major difference between the Gamecube and Wii versions are the controls.On the Wii you swing the remote and Link swings his sword.Here, it's just the press of a button.For anyone who played the Wii version, it's surprising how much time it takes to get used to the control scheme.When using the slingshot or hero's bow, aiming also feels strange.It's far easier on the Wii.The controls for the Gamecube version are good, though.It's just that if you played the Wii version you have to adjust to it.However, it actually is an entirely different experienece all together.This doesn't mean if you have the Wii version you should go out and buy the Gamecube version.They are, after all, the same game.

The heart of the challenge from the game mainly comes from the puzzles rather than the actual dungeon crawl itself. Most enemies are easily taken down by a couple of sword swings.Some of the puzzles, however, can really throw you for a loop.This also brings about another key difference between the Wii and Gamecube versions.The environments are completely mirrored.In other words, Link holds his sword in his left hand instead of his right.A path that was on the left in the Wii version will be on the right in the Gamecube version.Anyone who played the Wii version first will no doubt find this to be rather confusing.However, most of you are probably getting the Gamecube version because you don't have a Wii.So this is really no problem at all.

A unique twist to the gameplay of Zelda is that Link not only goes around in his normal form, but can become a wolf as well. As a wolf the controls are virtually the same with the exception of Link being able to use senses and dig. You'll also be forced to solve puzzles in wolf form as well, and it does indeed add some variety to the game. As you progress in wolf form, Midna sits on your back and is there to offer advice for you. Gameplay wise, Twilight Princess knows how to keep you immersed in the game.

Visually a Gamecube game has never looked better than this.It's fairly lifelike.It also looks very identical to the Wii version.However, the Gamecube version doesn't play out in widescreen so there's letterboxes whenever you view one of the cutscenes.The game sports some amazing detail, though.Link has never looked better. The land of Hyrule has never looked better. Your enemies and some of the cinematics also sport some awesome detail.

The music still sounds pretty good. A lot of tunes you'll recognize from previous Zelda adventures, but the new stuff sounds pretty good too. There's no voice acting, though, and that still bothers me about Zelda to this day. The Windwaker could've used voice acting and so could Twilight Princess. The story is so absorbing, and it probably would've been better had they added voices to it. Link grunts and such and from time to time one of the NPC characters might yell something, but there's really no spoken dialogue throughout the game. It would've been really exciting to see some of the cinematics brought to life through fantastic voice acting. In the long run this probably won't bother anyone, and its a small price to pay for a game that's as fantastic as this.

For what its worth, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is very good. Its by far the most absorbing story in the entire series, and its gameplay is unmatched. Fans who have followed Zelda since its days on the NES will be pleased at just how far the series has come with Twilight Princess. Its one of the best in the series.

On a final note, the Wii version is superior to the Gamecube version.While they are virtually the same game, the controls of the Wii version are better, and some of the environments look smoother.The control scheme and mirroring of the environments alone makes playing both versions a different experience.However, if you own the Wii version, this different experience isn't so different as to warrant the Gamecube version a buy.The reverse is also true.If you invest in the Gamecube version, it's hard to say, "Get the Wii version too."

Whichever version you get, however, you'll be satisfied either way.

The Good

+Absorbing story
+Fantastic Gameplay
+There's a lot of great detail given to the game
+The puzzles are quite challenging
+The game still sounds good

The Bad

-All this time and the series still lacks voice acting

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The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess brings you back tot he land of Hyrule, as you uncover the mystery behind its plunge into darkness. Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows. Link must explore the vast land of Hyrule and As he does, he'll have to enlist the aid of friendly folk, solve puzzles and battle his way through dangerous dungeons. In the Twilight Realm, he'll have to use his wolf abilities and Midna's magic to bring light to the land. Revisit classic and new characters -Link, Zelda, Midna and many others

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Review

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(More customer reviews)Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTA:SA) is, simply put, a great game.The six month wait for a PC port was worth it; although still not state-of-the-art, if you've got the rig for it graphics are noticably improved over the PS2.I'm a bit biased having been addicted since the original GTA came out- Gouranga refers to the easter egg you get for taking out a line of hare krishnas in the original - but the game is probably the best of the series as the world is richer and the missions more fun.My only reservation is that the violence and plot here have no place anywhere near kids, but for adults this is the best of the genre and deserves 5 stars.

GTA has fully evolved from a pure-action game in the original GTA to an RPG with a good deal of action in GTA:SA.The majority of the game revolves around completing missions rather than simply jacking cars and running over people as in the early versions.The good news is that the RPG works.Missions are funny but brutal.

It's important to note this isn't the tamer, slightly cartoonish Scarface-inspired Vice City.Instead, this is the very nasty world of early 90's South Central LA with a gangbanger-influence and language that many will find disturbing.With the revelation that interactive softcore porn is included, this very much deserves the new AO rating.(All the infamous 'hot coffee' mod does is unlock some hidden but pretty rough sex simulations and take off the computer-generated clothes of those involved - if you're disturbed by the gangbanging the in-genre scenes will make it even worse.)One wonders if the rumor that TakeTwo leaked information about the hidden code to the hacking community as a marketing stunt is true - if so, it's massively backfired and it's hard to argue they don't deserve at least some criticism for at the very least not being far more upfront about its inclusion.Even before hot coffee this was pushing the upper limits of an M rating and probably deserved an AO one.Then again, any parent who let their kid near this game - or incredibly, a litigous grandmother buying this for an unsupervised 14 year old when M is clearly marked for 17 year olds - really isn't doing their job either as its incredibly obvious this is not a game for kids.Caveat emptor, and it looks like the AO version is about to become a collector's item.

Regarding content, there are so many more things to do compared to even Vice City.The world is, in a word, huge.It takes at least 20 minutes to drive from one end of the world to another (although if you're creative you just jump the airport fence and fly a plane for 2 minutes instead).Sure, there are standard GTA missions, like mugging drug dealers and drive-bys.But there is a lot more.Want to play death from above?Complete a ton of missions and get the easter egg of a Hunter gunship that can blow anything in the game away.Want an insanely fast car?Don't steal one; go to the docks and import a Super GT.Want to show off your moves?Enter the lowrider contest or go dancing with a date.Where the change from action game to RPG is most noticeable is in the addition of skill-based character advancement.CJ needs to eat and be in shape, but more importantly needs experience with weapons if he wants to hit something besides his foot. It's not onerous by any means, but it's a noticeable difference.One other note for veteran GTA players: this is probably the first GTA in which you'll use your keyboard a bit.The shooting missions are easier with mouse control for targeting, although I definitely prefer my Logitech gamepad for driving.

The PC port is clean although several of the PS2 cheats I tested don't work.Several things are better than the console versions.Besides making your own radio station from MP3s (although the GTA ads still air in between songs), graphics are improved.If you have the hardware to run it, high end tweaks like shadowing and draw distance (meaning you can actually decipher signs among other things) are nice.This isn't a showpiece game like Half Life 2 for your 45" LCD monitor by any means - the PS2 development still shows in a vaguely polygonish feel - but the port is a definite improvement over the consoles and the previous GTAs.(If Rockstar insists on an exclusive PS3 contract going forward, hopefully the 1080p PS3 will force improvements in the next game.)I like the special guest voices (like a corrupt Samuel L. Jackson) and the 5.1 surround in general, and have fortunately not experienced any of the numerous reported sound or running problems.(I'm running a 6800GT and a dual Opteron 246 setup which probably helps.)

It's probably not the best PC game of the year based on the legacy limitations of developing this for the PS2, but it is a genre defining game and is a must play for anyone who likes being bad.Five stars.

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Medal Of Honor Review

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(More customer reviews)Speilberg does with Medal of Honor to the video gaming world what he did to the film world with Saving Private Ryan and what the History Channel does 24 hours a day: reinterested America with the Second World War. I haven't played a good shoot-em-up since Wolfenstein 3-D, and brother,it's been too long. This game excels at everything: top notch controls (useboth analog sticks, trust me, just do it), graphics (some minor clippingprobs, but hey, it's a Playstation), and gameplay (ooooooooh yes),authentic weaponry (no bogus gun names here... Browning, Walther, Colt,Thompson, Panzershrek, these are the real deal), behind the scenes detail(original artwork, your charatcter's training records and collegetranscript) but what really drew me in was the sound. The ambientbackground noise - dogs barking, planes flying overhead, German commandersshouting orders - not only make you feel like you're behind enemy lines,but you actually believe it, while the superb and unparalleled soundtrackmakes those enemy lines feel like they're in a classic war film. My adviceto you is to also purchase theaccompanying music CD, it's that bloody good.Hopefully this will spawn a new revolution in historical-based period piecevideo games instead of the cookie-cutter action games set in the presentand near future. Congratulations Dreamworks Interactive, you've made mycentury.

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