Dave Mirra 2: Freestyle BMX Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My favorite PS2 game so far!Mirra 2 is definitely the best extreme game yet.The incredible size of the levels is amazing.With the awesome trick system and all the challenges it keeps you coming back for more in a big way.There's also a Park Editor which lets you create any kind of level you want.I've spent hours and hours making my own levels--it's like a game in itself!Another cool thing is the riders have both competition gear (helmets, pads, etc.) and street clothing.Another really cool thing is one of the multiplayer games is a contest to see who can wipe out the worst.It's hilarious watching your guy get run over by trains and cars and even golf carts!
I'm gonna be playing this game for a long time.

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Product Description:
See what a spiderman looks like with no hands, no feet and no bar spin! Featuring the top 14 BMX pros, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX2 lets you create more than 1,500 pro signature freestyle tricks that you've only imagined. A trick modifier and S.I.K. system easily maps the rider's motions from one trick to the next, so the transitions are smoother than ever before. 3000 polygons show minute details, like the bike's individual spokes and even the color of the rider's eyes. Made in USA.

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Armed Assault Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This game is not ment to be like battlefield 2 or any of the other battlefiled games so if your looking for that you might be disapointed.This is a realistic military sim.This game is capable of having way over 100,000(yes one hundred thoasand) people in one battle, includeing gorund and air veichles.I don't know what the limit of units is if there is one, but it really is only limited to how good your PC is and there getting better and better all the time as well as more affordable.For those that are not familer with the series.OFP(operation flashpoint) had TONS of addons made by a very talented and dedicated community.Hundreds of them.Tanks, planes, helocopters, weapons, maps, missions, campaings, different units from many many differnt countires.These addons cover modern stuff and other time periods, like vietnam, and world war 2, and even a american civil war addition.Heck there was even a zombie addon with great scripting to simulate their behaviour. This game will be no differnt, the zombie mods are already coming out as well a jurassic park mod thats looking great.So if you like realistic gaming and large scale battles, as well as lots of extra content get this game.The devolpers are also very good with fixing problems as evidenced by the support the first game got.Yeah there are some problems with this game but they are minor and will most likely be fixed.This after all was only really an "engine update".OFP 1.5 if you will to keep us busy will they work on their anticapated "Game 2".There really isnt anything at all that can be said about this game to give a reason to not buy it.You either like this type of game or you don't.

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

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Final Fantasy VIII Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The graphics for this game are just too damn sweet!This is one thing you will hear alot about from this game,I recommend everyone who wants to buy an RPG for PC.
The only prob is that you need hella hardware just to getthe damn thing working great.
Great Storyline and Gameplay make this asoild hit,please make sure you have alot of free time on your hands becausethis thing is Long as watching Private Ryan 30 times in a ROW! 90+ hours ofgreat fun and excitement.
The only problem I have with it is that thebackrounds are Pre Renered and are in LOW REZ,this would have made it A+qaulity but the Lo Rez will get on your nerves.
A Sure Great a SolidGame,Your Money will worth it and Amazon.com has a great price for it too!

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Product Description:
More than a sequel to the top-selling Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8 is an entirely new story, following the adventures of Squall, a young military cadet. Aided by an unusual group of allies, Squall must deal with a desperate rival, a powerful sorceress, and his strange dreams.
Set in a world where magic and technology coexist, Final Fantasy 8 provides players with a variety of weapon, magic, and transportation options as they explore the vast game world. Maintaining the best features of its predecessor, Final Fantasy 8 allows those familiar with previous games to easily adapt to the battle, menu, and exploration controls, while providing unique story-line elements, features, and minigames to make for a breathtaking new experience. Characters and backgrounds take on a much more detailed, realistic look through enhanced 3-D graphics and are seamlessly combined with nearly an hour of stunning computer-generated cinemas.

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Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)All of the songs on Volume 3 are kid-friendly.That is a huge plus and, in my opinion, the first of 3 volumes with this feature.One thing that is really fun about this game is that we play with our 9 and 11-year-old, and we are in our early 30s. This game gives us the opportunity to get to know songs that we wouldn't normally know.For example, I listened to "Beat It" when I was 9 years old, and now our 9-year-old son can enjoy it.

The songs were recorded as close to the sound that the original artists made as possible, and they did a great job with that. The vocals to "I Got You Babe," "New York New York," and "Twist and Shout" didn't really sound like the original artists but who cares.We were singing over their voices.

The songs to choose from for karaoke competition are as follows:
(All songs below are "originally by" the artists in parenthesis):

1) ABC (Jackson 5)
2) Ain't No Mountain High Enough (The Temptations)
3) Beat It (Michael Jackson)
4) Burn (Usher)
5) Careless Whisper (Wham!)
6) Don't You Forget About Me (Simple Minds)
7) I Got You Babe (Sonny and Cher)
8) If I Ain't Got You (Alicia Keys)
9) Leave Get Out (JoJo)
10) Love Shack (B52s)
11) Meant To Live (Switchfoot)
12) My Immortal (Evanescence)
13) New York New York (Frank Sinatra)
14) Oops I Did It Again (Britney Spears)
15) Respect (Aretha Franklin)
16) Take My Breath Away (Berlin)
17) The Reason (Hoobastank)
18) Twist & Shout (The Beatles)
19) Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers)
20) Under Pressure (David Bowie)
Those songs were listed on the box.These songs are also there:
21) Against All Odds (Phil Collins)
22) California Dreamin (Mamas & Papas or the Beach Boys)
23) China Grove (Doobie Brothers)
24) Come Clean (Hillary Duff)
25) Flashdance What A Feeling (Irene Cara)
26) Hold On (Good Charlotte)
27) Joy To The World (Three Dog Night)
28) Killing Me Softly (by Luther Vandross but performed by a female--The Fugees? Roberta Black?)
29) Shining Star (Earth, Wind, and Fire)
30) Someday (Nickelback)
31) Thank You (Jamelia)
32) When I'm Gone (3 Doors Down)
33) Why Can't I (Liz Phair)
34) You're the One That I Want (from the Grease soundtrack)Sometimes we let our 9-year-old be on the Easy level, and that helps him to do just as well as we do."Adjustable difficulty levels ensures that anyone can be a karaoke star," it says on the back of the box.And it's true.

Volume 3 has the option of singing a few songs as a duet. My husband and I would make the effort and go get another microphone, but the songs don't seem all that great, and the karaoke is satisfyingly entertaining already.

Volume 3 has a new hairstyle for one character, Dwayne. It's my husband's favorite.We call him the Mullet Man.And the facial expressions that the character makes is HILARIOUS while he sings!He's hilariously serious and all into the music.

OK one last thing I wanted to add.The microphone that can come with Volume 3 works just fine.It's durable (we've thrown it and stomped on it by accident a few times) and it works well.We don't have Volume 1 yet but I think that the microphone doesn't work with it, and instead you have to get a special headset.I will let you all know in a review about that as soon as possible.

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Product Description:
Karaoke Revolution 3 lets you show off your singing skills with all-new hits and the addedbonus of two-player action!

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Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction Review

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(More customer reviews)Bruce Banner feels he isn't a person any more - he's the HULK, and he walks a thin line between good and bad. He's a big, green timebomb - and he's ticking.

As you might tell from the game's intro message, this isn't about a "good superhero going out and facing down evil badguy". In fact, the training mission has you as a soldier in a VR environment, learning about the Hulk's moves in order to learn how to defeat the Hulk. As you move through the game, you get a general storyline about the Hulk, but really, that isn't what the game is about. The game is about destruction.

Where other games have touted their ability to have a "fully utilized environment", the Hulk delivers very nicely. Just about anything you see around you - cars, tankers, even moving people and cows - can be used as a weapon. Chase down the cow, grab it (with its legs waving wildly) and toss it at the enemy soldiers. Pick up the missile truck and lob it at the helicopter. The buildings can be damaged and destroyed. You can leap amazing distances and lob even very heavy items a quite long way. The results are often spectacular.

The graphics are quite good considering the number of objects that must be fully rendered in all phases of destruction. That is, they can't nicely create a "painting" effect knowing that object will always be seen in that exact same shape. The helicopters are a little blocky, but you can grab them, dent them, fling them at each other, and so on.

The sound is reasonably good - really, all you hear is BASH! SMASH! GRRRROWL! plus a few voices saying things like "he's coming!" and some Banner conversations. It's good enough to keep the game going, and the musical score is low key and rumbling.

You can unlock artworks, move along through missions, and expand the storyline. Really, though, you are primarily destroying things with great glee. You can fling soldiers at trucks. Fling cows at building. Jump up and smash rooftops. Take down towers. Destroy, destroy, destroy.

While this isn't a complex puzzle game, there are times in life where you want to put your brain on hold and get rid of stress. Some people go jogging. Some punch punching bags. With the Hulk game, it doesn't matter if it's raining or snowing outside. You can sit down for an hour or two, demolish a ton of things, and accomplish goals along the way. Think of it as a construction worker who has to tear down the old, broken-down building to make room for new apartment buildings. It's destruction with a purpose, and sometimes that can be great fun!

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Product Description:
Hulk: Ultimate Destruction lets you take losing control to a completely new level. You'll control the Incredible Hulk, one of the strongest and most destructive fictional characters ever created. Use his unbeatable strength to turn any object into a weapon and destroy everything in your way. The Hulk's old enemies are after him, and he must race against time while battling his inner demons. Help him avoid capture or death by some of the most powerful monsters and weapons on Earth.

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Rayman 3 Hoodlum Havoc Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're a fan of Banjo Kazooie, Mario 64, Crash and Spyro, ya know, games like that. Then this game is a good choice. It's a nice alternative after playing nothing but shooters and strategy games all the time. It's one of those games every day you wake up the first thing you think about is getting past where you left off. The only downsides to the game in my opinion is that there aren't many different kinds of enemies that you fight, you fight the same guys alot. Second is that the camera angles can get a little frustrating sometimes, but no big. Overall it's a fun game that's worth the money and it'll keep you occupied for a while.

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Product Description:
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc you face off against a bumbling but deadly army of stupidly evil dudes!

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Tony Hawk's Underground Review

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(More customer reviews)In order to keep the series from running out of steam, Activision decided add a "story mode" to the game.You start out as an unknown everyday skater who dreams of turning pro.There are plenty of "story scenes", starring you as the main character.As you progress through the game, new levels open up, and the drama of becoming a pro skater unfolds before you.All of this is a little bit cheesy, but nevertheless makes for an entertaining game to play.
Let me hit on the positives first.The "story mode" of the game does add a decent amount to the game experience.I found myself continuing to play so that I could find out what happens next.Also, the graphics are more detailed and the sounds are taken up a couple of notches as well.The levels are huge with lots of obstacles and spines to skate.All your favorite pros are back, with a couple of new ones thrown in too.However, the only levels you can play with one of the regular pro skaters are the levels you have opened up in story mode.Just so you know.
And now the negatives...
Not much to say here.While the story mode adds to the game, it isn't realistic.The same thing goes for quite a few of the "goals" you have to achieve.They have more in common with Grand Theft Auto than skateboarding.That aspect is probably the strangest part of the game.I guess the creators wanted some stuff in there that would appeal to that type of audience.
Anyway, I would rate this game a 9 out of possible 10.

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Product Description:
In a departure from former games in the series, Underground gives players the chance to take an ambitious non-pro skater from an unknown, to superstar status. For the first time in the series, players will be able to get off their board and explore the expansive levels on foot, or in a vehicle. Customize the look of your skater, your skater's tricks, and even create custom skateparks. Tony Hawk's Underground features nine sprawling courses, as well as a level of freedom and customization that is unprecedented in the popular series.

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great RTS game. It is very entertaining and there is always a lot of stuff going on. The graphics raise the bar for this game genre. Units are rendered great. Structure building is rendered great. And even the maps a re rendered very well. Animations are awesome. Battles in general seem epic. Kudos.

There are 4 different races in this game. They all play differently. It's not like playing a new game, but you will def. have to change your strategy and use different abilities and structures when you play different races.

Gameplay overall is great and entertaining. This is an RTS game similar to Command and Conquer. If you liked CC, then you will def. like this game. It should be mentioned however, that this game is not super-strategic in the sense of Total War or Combat Missions. It is a more accessible game that is made for the gamer who wants to be entertained rather than challenged.

The missions are generally interesting, although they do get repetitive. There are only one or two campaign maps that made me alter my strategy. I often approach missions relatively slowly and focus on building up a good strike force before I go after the oponent(s). There is nothing this game does to force me to play differently (such as a time limit or a defensive mission). However, for some reason that doesn't bother me so much in this game. Probably because the game managed to keep me very entertained.

Probably the biggest problem with this game is that the campaign is very short. 11 missions with only one race (Space Marines) is not enough! The campaign also isn't too difficult. I played on medium difficulty and didn't have to reload even once (although thinking back, I always seem to have felt reasonable challenged, so perhaps that is not a bad thing). Perhaps I should have played on "insane" difficulty.

What saves the game is that it has good skirmish maps that are almost as entertaining to play as the campaign, and with all the different skirmish options, this game can basically be played indefinetly. I normally play RTS games for the campaign only, but in this case, skirmishes are good. And then of course there is online play...

This def. tops CC as my favorite RTS game. Can't wait for the first expansion...PS: Some of the fellow reviewers seem to complain about the lack of features that are really there. Hotkeys for instance. In fact, I find that this game has better hotkey support and a better interface in general than other RTS games. What is lacking however is the manual. Some of the things I just found out through trial and error. Others through the strategy guide. It is a shame that game developers and publishers still sabotage their own efforts that way.

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Product Description:
On the frontlines there is but onecommandment...thou shalt killProduct InformationWarhammer 40000: Dawn of War follows the exploits of the Blood Ravens a SpaceMarine chapter whose past is shrouded in mystery. Brother Captain GabrielAngelos and his faithful sub-commander the powerful psyker Librarian IsadorAkios bring the Blood Ravens to bear on a growing Ork threat to the planetTartarus. However things on the battle-scarred planet are not as they seem andsoon our heroes find themselves in the midst of a complex plot involving OrksEldar and the evil forces of Chaos.Welcome to the new generation of real-time strategic warfare. Warhammer 40000:Dawn of War delivers a level of visual detail never before seen in an RTS.Hundreds of units clash on the battlefields of the dark future unleashingmassive destruction through a stunning battery of long-range weaponry beforeclosing in for the finish. Incredible kill animations bring science fictioncombat to life like never before and the gritty future-gothic Warhammer 40000setting provides a striking tableau for the chaos and carnage of this grim darkfuture where there is only war!Product HighlightsSquad-based TacticsCommand squads of units in the white-hot forge of battle. Reinforce squads onthe fly and adapt them on the battlefield to engage specific enemies by addingheavy anti-vehicle weapons rapid-firing anti-personnel armament or wargeardesigned to crush the morale of your opponents. Attach commander units to yoursquads to gain additional offensive and defensive capabilities. Deploy mixedforces of infantry armored vehicles lumbering war machines and daemons inyour struggle for dominance of the battlefield.Four Unique RacesCommand the army of your choice. Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War showcases fourraces from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40000 setting: the tough and austereSpace Marines the raucous and destructive Orks the enigmatic Eldar and themalevolent forces of Chaos. With a unique battery of units and structures at its

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Dragon Age: Origins Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So I purchased the Xbox 360 version of Dragon Age: Origins yesterday and have spent WAY too many hours in Ferelden when I should be doing far more constructive things.

Is it too much of a stretch to think that someone who names their blog after semi-mystical airships might enjoy a roleplaying game or two?

The game is not perfect. The graphics are decidedly sub-par, audio glitches occur far too frequently, and on a regular basis I notice tiny white specs, which are the "seams" showing between some images that display environmental graphics. Screen tearing, I think it's called. The latter wouldn't be so bad, if I didn't also have to look for a similarly white-ish graphic that indicates a chest or box or crate or body requires ransacking for the requisite reward. I'm always rotating the camera back for a quick second to be sure I'm not missing out on some loot.

But so what?

The game is deep, the voice-acting well done over all, and this may be the best WRITTEN roleplaying game of the current generation, even if the story itself seems safely (perhaps too safely) rooted in standard RPG conventions. Not even Mass Effect has dialogue options that are as "realistic" and rewarding to hear as what can be found in Dragon Age.

But, just to meet my "geek" and "nerd" quota for the day, I read some reviews. I've never seen so many one-star "reviews" based on just one or two aspects of what is otherwise a fantastic game -- one-star bashing based on (you guessed it) the graphics or the heavy (oh so time-consuming) dialogue.

My take is that this phenomenon exposes a fundamental shortcoming of this particular generation of games -- there simply aren't enough good RPGs that elevate story and dialogue as THE fundamental pillar of the game's success.

In just one short decade, gamers have forgotten how story-heavy games like Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale, KOTOR, and other RPGS really were.

In just one short decade, everything is about graphics.

What a tragedy.

Gaming has gone from a hobby filled with gaming enthusiasts with imagination and open-mindedness (in terms of what can be considered a successful kind of game), to a hobby filled with mindless addicts seeking the nearest, the quickest possible thumb-twitch to get their needed dose of adrenaline.

And the internet is such a "perfect" forum for them to express their distaste. Twitchers with short attention spans "write" quick, twitch-like reviews that say GRAPHICS SUCK and FAIL and give one star reviews, as if that's all that matters in a game.

Hardly.

Rather than pay attention to either the mostly positive or mostly negative reviews, rather than pay attention to the polarization that can occur in the review sections of buy-sites, be sure to check out Metacritic or GameStats or other sites that organize and collate reviews from ACTUAL CRITICS.

There's a concept.

Dragon Age is a fantastic game. Deep characterization and playing fundamentals/strategy (on higher difficulty levels), lots of looting and blood and gore, romance with a pretty guy or girl, long-term support from Bioware (hopefully) as evidenced by the downloadable content available on the day of release, and huge "bang for your buck."

Even at 60 dollars retail, that averages to at the very least a dollar an hour in terms of value, for anyone who completes the game. And this isn't 60 dollars of sandbox. Dragon Age doesn't appear to be as much of a "sandbox" game as Morrowind or Oblivion. While great games themselves, they left some players feeling a little left out in the cold, wandering around without enough of story-driven momentum to sustain interest. One can only loot so many caves, kill so many monsters, close so many gates, that don't have significant impact on finishing the game.

And did I say dragons, arch demons, and dark fantasy elements?

Anyone who enjoys RPGs should buy this game. Now.

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Product Description:
From BioWare, the makersof Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, andBaldur's Gate comes Dragon Age: Origins. An epic tale of violence,lust, and betrayal, Dragon Age: Origins is a single player role-playinggame (RPG) set in a fantasy game environment, and featuring three playablecharacter classes, accessible in the form of three races. In addition, thegame features extreme character customization, a new game engine, party-basedgameplay utilizing non-player characters and a built-in personal historysystem for each hero character rooted in a variety of possible origin stories.

6 possible hero Origin Stories.
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3 classes and 3 races to play as.
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Stunning 3D environments.
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Spell combining abilities.
Viewlarger. Story
In Dragon Age: Origins the survival of humanity rests in the handsof those chosen by fate. You are a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancientorder of guardians who have defended the lands on the continent of Thedasthroughout the centuries. Betrayed by a trusted general in a critical battle,you must hunt down the traitor and bring him to justice. As you fight yourway towards the final confrontation with an evil nemesis, you will facemonstrous foes and engage in epic quests to unite the disparate peoplesof a world at war. A romance with a seductive shapeshifter may hold thekey to victory, or she may be a dangerous diversion from the heart of yourmission. To be a leader, you must make ruthless decisions and be willingto sacrifice your friends and loved ones for the greater good.

Gameplay
Dragon Age: Origins is a 3D oriented RPG based in a dark, heroic,fantasy realm where moral choices have a lasting impression on the peopleyou meet, the members of your own party and the world around you. Theinclusion of subtitle "Origins" in the game's title refers to the sixunique origin stories available to new heroes as a new game begins. Eachof these has an impact on the player's motivations and his or her experience,and renders a unique prelude, path, and possible ending(s) to the game.There are many different endings to the game based on the origin storyof the character and the choices you make as you play through the game.The game features three character classes--warrior, mage, and rogue--andthree races of being--Human, Elf or Dwarf--that can assume these classes.Although most game elements, such as weapons, magic, etc., are availableto any character, each class and race has different strengths, abilitiesand affinities which lend themselves to better utilizing different elements.

Dragon Age: Origins is a single player game based on party-basedgameplay and combat where the player can join, control and quest withup to three non-player characters (NPCs). Players can also quest aloneif they so choose, but with the chance of survival are slim. ConvincingNPCs to join you, and treating them well may be necessary depending onthe varying sentiments between the player and the NPC, or between theNPC's in the party based on the chosen history written into the originstory accepted at the beginning of the game. This uncertainty allows fora variety of possible dynamics within the party ranging from open hostility,all the way to romance. The game progresses in real-time via a pause-and-playtactical combat system that allows the player to check inventory levels,equip a character, etc. in a slight vacuum. Additional features foundin the game include: a combination of a standard loot system and a currencysystem based on gold silver and copper; advanced character customizationfunctionality; the use of poison, traps and herbalism; dual-wielding skills;and "spell combos," which allow players to chain together different spellsto create a unique effects.

Key Game Features

BioWare's deepest universe to date with over 80 hours of gameplayand more than double the size and scope of Mass Effect.

Travel throughout dozens of environments and fully immerse yourselfin a shattered world that is on the brink of utter annihilation.
An epic story that is completely shaped and reactive to your playstyle.

Complex moral dilemmas offering no easy choices.

Tailor your Dragon Age: Origins experience from the verybeginning by choose from six different origin stories.
Decide how to handle complex issues like murder, genocide, betrayal,and the possession/sacrificing of children without the securityof a good/bad slider to tell you what to do.

Full character customization allowing the player to sculpt a heroin your own image or fantasy.

Elaborate character creator allows you to create your own herounique from anyone else.
Shape your character's personality and morality based on the choicesyou make throughout the game.

Engage in bone-crushing, visceral combat engaging in battle againstmassive and terrifying creatures.

Unleash legendary powers and choose from over 100 different magicalspells and skills.
Experience the adrenaline rush of brutal combat, beheading yourfoes or casting spells that make enemies explode from within.

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

Average Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The New Races:

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

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

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

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

The T'au Empire:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Namco Museum Battle Collection Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Retro games are good, but when they are done right, they can be great. This is easily the greatest arcade compilation I've ever played. Not only can you play these classic arcade games in the palm of your hand, but you can enjoy the best collection of them all in one. 20 games, including "redone" games of Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga and RallyX.

The quality of each classic is amazing and they play nearly exactly to the old arcade cabinets from the retro 80's, graphics, music, sound FX and all. The bestest of the best is clearly Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man, RallyX and DigDug. But it doesn't stop there. There are 4 new Arrangement games of those 4 classics, I like to view them as remixes. They are are redone, upheavels in levels, gameplay, sound and graphics. The arranged Galaga is very addicting and you'll be hooked instantly. Dig Dug remade is basically the same game with better graphics and new enemies. RallyX, which was a decent game in the 80's, is redone and very fun to boot. These "arranged" games could have been sold seperately and probably most would have been pleased with them.

The originals are as fun as you remember them and just as challenging. Getting to that "key" in Pac-Man is still no easy task. But for novice gamers, never threat, you can continue from where you left off on many of the old games. Some of the other titles included like Grobada, Motos, Bosconian, DragonBuster and Galaxian are very obscure, but amazingly, they still do offer some fun factor. The rest you may not spent much time with in the past and most you might not play much, but you'll be happy with it overall.

Some might be a bit "squinty" eyed playing some of the old games like Pac-Man, the ratio of the originals were made for horizontal screens, so it's very small on the widescreen PSP, but thankfully they offered a "stretch" option for most of the titles. It looks a bit weird all stretched out, but it's better than playing on the little playing field.

Overall, this is clearly the best PSP game to buy, especially if you like classic arcade gaming, this is how it all began, no quarters needed...

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Product Description:
Namco Museum: Battle Collection collects classic 80s arcade hits, while giving a few of them a facelift. Enjoy the original versions of beloved games in all their 8-bit glory, or try the enhanced 16-bit versions for a new take on the classic action. Games include: Bosconian - Survive against an army of space stations, while avoiding asteroids and other obstacles Rally X - Players drive around a maze while avoiding chasing cars, laying smoke screens, and collecting flags Also includes Tower of Druaga, Dragon Buster, Grobda, and King & Balloon Uses the PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities for 4-person multiplayer

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The Scruffs Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my first Amazon game download and, since it's 'free' I can't see how I could possibly complain.

The start is a little depressing: daddy just got fired and the family needs to sell the house but... wait... grand daddy, an 'old timer' kind of... remembers that there was something that, if found, maybe they didn't have to sell the house.

What follows is a series of puzzles where you must find various items inside rooms full of hundreds of artifacts. Then, if you do find them, you restore a torn picture off its fragments and then... there's some secret code that it's revealed if you find more items and so on, and so forth...

Not bad, for something that's 'free' (it was so when I downloaded it). You get a story line and you it's a pretty good brain tease.

The following are notable features:

- Compatible with Windows XP, Vista.
- Plays in a window or 'full screen' - resolution seems to be 800x600.
- Time constrained or 'relaxed' mode.
- Some help is available if you really, really can't find an item.
- When played in a window, the game (clock) stops whenever the game is not the 'active' window.
- I experienced no display issues on a Vista laptop
- I found no evidence of any malware/spyware attached to this game. So far, the game played cleanly, strictly on my computer - did not have to reach out over the Net for anything.

Overall, not a bad game, if you have the time and the patience. I've been actually playing it for the past couple of days and, to my surprise, my 11 yr. old kid asked that I downloaded a copy to his own laptop.

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Notes:

- I had to install Amazon's 'downloader' software before downloading the game itself. It was pretty quick and it appears to be harmless.
- When installed, if you keep the defaults, all games go as subfolders inside a folder named Amazon Games.

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Product Description:
The Scruffs need your help to save their beloved family home from being sold! Grandpa Scruff has a solution - a scavenger hunt to recover his valuable artifacts. But in a surprising twist, Grandpa Scruff reveals that he's been hiding something else - a shocking family secret! Help the Scruffs uncover the secret that will change their lives forever by finding lost items and putting together the clues they need! The Scruffs - laugh at their witty family banter and fall in love with their charm!

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