Panzer Dragoon Review

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(More customer reviews)I have very fond memories of Panzer Dragoon. It was the first game I bought for my SEGA Saturn back in May 1995, meaning it was my first taste of 32 bits. It was such a different time then, because the Sony Playstation hadn't been released yet, and the 16 bit systems were still reigning supreme. A real Clash of the Titans, Nintendo's SNES vs. SEGA's Genesis. It was hard to declare a clear winner back then, so the idea of SEGA dominating the 32 bit era didn't seem so absurd. I remember seeing a few tiny pics of Panzer Dragoon screens in magazine previews, and that was enough to get me interested, even though I couldn't really see what was going on. When I finally played it, I was completely blown away. Team Andromeda (the developer) did an amazing job of creating a unique fantasy world. Well, sort of unique; it was heavily inspired by the manga/anime Nausica'. As for the game itself, it's a 3D shooter. It followed in the footsteps of Space Harrier, and Star Fox. The bulk of the simple gameplay was controling a crosshairs and locking onto targets with guided lasers. One feature that was new at the time was the 360' view control. Enemies could attack from any direction, so you had to be quick with those L and R shoulder buttons. Another thing that set Panzer Dragoon apart from other shooters was the presentation. It opened with a beautiful cinema, setting the stage for a war and showing just how you come to possess a flying dragon as your steed. It had its own ficticous language, increasing the player immersion. It was a true masterpiece. About a year later, the sequel was released, Panzer Dragoon Zwei II. (Redundant, I know, but that ~is~ the official title) It stayed true to the original, but threw in some new elements and improvements as well. Unfortunately, by the time the third game in the series (Panzer Dragoon Saga) was completed in 1997, the Saturn was already all but dead in the US. The Sony Playstation, which was initially met with a great amount of suspicion and distaste from the gaming community, had become the most successful game console in history and absolutely crushed its competition. Panzer Dragoon Saga came very close to not being released in the US at all, but in the end SEGA saw fit to produce a severely limited run of 6000 copies. It was extremely hard to find a copy. Those who did find it were treated to one of the most enjoyable and unique RPGs ever made. After PDS was released, members Team Andromeda declared that the Panzer Dragoon trilogy was complete, and they disbanded. They went on to work on other projects. One of them was Omega Boost, a 3D shooter for the Playstation that plays almost identically to Panzer Dragoon. [EDIT: Since writing this review I've been told that no one from Team Andromeda worked on Omega Boost] And now, a Playstation 2 game called Rez is on the near horizon. Supposedly there are no less than seven former TA members on the Rez staff, and would you believe it, it too looks to play much like the Panzer Dragoon shooters. Finally, oddly enough, a fourth Panzer Dragoon is on the way to the Xbox. I would have loved another RPG in the series, but apparently this too will be another shooter. Oh well, good enough.

I didn't expect to ramble on this long. If there is anyone out reading this who owns a Saturn but doesn't own the games in the PD series, do yourself a big favor, and get them. All of them. They're well worth it. But get this one first.

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Product Description:
Synopsis:The game universe is set in the distant future, thousands of years after a great war between humans and their biologically engineered weapons.By the time of the game, humans have regained some level of organization, forming everything from small tribes to large nations. One nation, The Imperials, have discovered a tower that gave them access to large amounts of ancient weapons which they used to beat back and control the ever-present monsters in the world. The Imperials were corrupted by their power and became conquerors of other people as opposed to liberators from a violent world.Gameplay:The player is set along a rail of gameplay with the game moving forward at a predetermined pace. The only time the game pauses, thus giving the player control over how long the game lasts, is during boss battles. The player has a small degree of control, being allowed to move about the x and y-axis, but the overall direction of travel is uncontrollable.The player has a full, 360-degree field of view, and can quickly look left, right, forward, and behind the dragon. Enemies will come from all directions and vary in size and health.The player has two weapons, the hand gun held by the rider which can fired with a single button press, and the homing laser fired by the dragon which is controlled by holding down the fire button and highlighting enemies with the aiming reticle.The game is set out over six levels and a final boss battle. Bosses are encountered at the end of each level, with the exception of the sixth. Cut scenes illustrating plot details are placed before the beginnings of some levels.

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Dragon Force Review

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(More customer reviews)Dragon Force is one of several games that is excellent, but completely unnoticed and forgotten because it was on the Saturn.I'm going to say right now, if you have a Saturn, you should definitely get this game.
Dragon Force is a basic strategy game in quasi-realtime, which was pretty well-done, and it has tactical combat.None of it is too in-depth, but the mechanics are good.There is a pretty cool role-playing element with your leaders.They are the most important parts of your army.Often your soldiers' only goal is to kill the enemy soldiers, leaving your leaders to duel.It has a good story for a strategy game, which fits better than I would have thought, especially the ending.In the same vein of thought, the characters and different factions are awesome.
There isn't much to say about the graphics.They're nice, but old.The anime cutscenes, of which there are only 2 or 3, where pretty cool.Dragon Force has pretty nifty music as well, but it was nothing special.
The main thing here is length (a good 50 to 60 hours) and replay value (playing through the game with 2 or 3 factions is definitely worthwhile).Dragon Force is just plain cool.If you have a Saturn, I highly recommend it.

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Product Description:
Dragon Force is a real-time strategy and tactics video game from Sega created for the Sega Saturn. It was created in Japan and translated for U.S. release by Working Designs in 1996. A sequel, never translated, was released for the Saturn in Japan in 1998. The first title was re-released for the PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages series.

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Double Dragon Advance Review

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(More customer reviews)I remember when I was a kid getting to waste all my Mom's change on the original Double Dragon arcade game.When the game hit home systems, it was a massive hit and helped inspire countless other 2-D side scrolling beat 'em ups like Streets of Rage and Final Fight.Double Dragon Advance mixes the addicting gameplay of the original with many upgrades and elements from the various sequels released after the original.Plaing as twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, you go up against the Shadow Warriors in hopes of locating Billy's kidnapped girlfriend.You get to punch, kick, and use many a weapon, in your mission as you go against a host of baddies from petty thugs to well manicured suits (who look like the Agents from The Matrix) to the infamous buff, bald headed, and bearded Abobo to even Machine Gun Willy.The controls are tight, the graphics bring back plenty of nostalgic memories, and the music is ever catchy.The only drawback of Double Dragon Advance is the game is ultimately too short, and by the time you beat it you'll be wishing for more.All in all, fans of the original game who own a GBA will find plenty of great memories with this game, and those new to the genre should give this a look.

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Metal Slug 7 Review

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(More customer reviews)At first I really had my doubts about the quality of this game because SNK Playmore chose not to make an arcade version first.Arcades are great quality-assurance mechanisms because machines are expensive and they need to be fun enough that people will continue to put money in them.

I'm pleasantly surprised to find that not only is this game great, but I would say it is the best Metal Slug since 3.This takes the refreshing mechanics of Metal Slug 6 and adds excellent, always fun level design and fantastic bosses.

Naysayers will be quick to point out that the graphics are grainy because of down scaling and the backgrounds are uninspired.Personally, I stopped noticing or caring about the graininess 10 minutes into the game.They're certainly not bad enough to impact how fun it is.

SNK Playmore has restored my faith in them with this game.I would even go as far to say that it's my favorite game of the year.

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Product Description:
The Metal Slug series is the pinnacle of 2-D action-shooting games. Since the first title appeared in 1996, the series has dazzled legions of fans with its simple control mechanics, frantic action and superb game balance, making it a highly addictive experience. Metal Slug 7 is the latest in the series and exclusive to Nintendo DS

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Super Mario Kart Review

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(More customer reviews)It's hard to think of where to begin in a review of a game as great as Super Mario Kart.Super Mario Kart was the first racing game of its type, and now there are a lot of games that have copies its formula, such as Looney Tunes Racing.
In Super Mario Kart, you can choose from many of the famous Nintendo mascots.They are: Mario, Luigi, Princess, Bowser, Donkey Kong Jr., Toad, Yoshi, and Koopa.Each of the racers are equipped with a go-cart, and they all have their own sets of strengths and weaknesses.For example, Toad has fast starts, but is weak and will get bumped around a lot.Bowser is big, so he has slow starts, but doesn't get bumped around that easily.And Mario doesn't have any major ups or downs, he's average in all aspects.
The trend that Super Mario Kart began in racing games is being able to use unlikely weapons such as turtle shells, bolts of lightning, banana peels, and more, against the other racers on the tracks.Each of these weapons have different effects.When a racer runs over a banana peel, or when a turtle shell hits them, they will spin out and come to a complete stop for a few seconds.Lightning causes all the players to shrink, which slows them down and makes them more vulnerable to being run over and flattened flatter than a pancake.Stars give the racer temporary invincibility, mushrooms allow for a short burst of speed, ghosts allow you to steal somebody else's weapon, and feathers will make you jump so high that Michael Jordan would even be jealous.
There are at least 20 tracks that are available to race on in Super Mario Kart.The tracks all have great variety.There are beach tracks, chilling ice tracks, normal dirt tracks, a road made of rainbow, haunted ghost tracks, and many more.
There are a few modes that are available in Super Mario Kart.First is the Mario Kart GP mode.This is the mode that you can race in a one-player game or a two-player game, in which you go up against several computer-controlled players.Once you complete a few laps and finish the race, the standings will come up.If you come in a good enough place overall, you have the chance of winning a bronze, silver, or gold trophy, and possibly opening up new tracks.That brings me to my next point.
In GP (Grand Prix) mode, there is a 50cc, 100cc, and a 150cc mode.50cc is the easiest, with 100cc and 150cc getting progressively harder since the computers will get much faster.While racing in the GP mode, you can use the various weapons and powerups I described earlier, and you just need to come in first place if you can.
Next is the Time Trial option.In Time Trial, it's just you against the clock.When you complete a race, your overall time will be saved on a list of the best times if you were fast enough.
In the VS. mode, you and a friend can race against each other on any of the tracks in a two-player game.This is a good way to bring up a lot of trash talking.
Finally and best of all, is the Battle Mode.In Battle, you and somebody else (it's two-player, you can't go up against the computer in Battle Mode), go to one of four specially designed tracks and duke it out against each other using the turtle shells, bananas, stars, and more.Both you and your opponent have three balloons circling your go-cart.Every time you get hit, you will lose a balloon.The first player to lose all three of their balloons, is the loser.
Everything about Super Mario Kart is simply classic.The graphics are colorful and well-rendered.This was the first game to use the Mode 7 graphics chip, and it was definitely a plus.All the characters are well designed, and the tracks themselves look detailed for a 16-bit game.The sounds sound just like a Mario game should, which is different, but great nonetheless.The music is very catchy and classic.As for control, it's a cinch to make your racer/battler do anything that you need them to do, without any frustration included.
Super Mario Kart is simply one of the best video games ever made!It's one of those games that NEVER gets old no matter how much you play it and it's so fun that fun isn't a good enough word for it.Whether you like racing games or not, you will love Super Mario Kart!I'm not a huge fan of racing games and it's one of my 10, if not 5, favorite video games of all time!!
If you have a Super Nintendo and don't have Super Mario Kart yet, get this game now!!Your SNES collection isn't complete without it!

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Product Description:
From the Manufacturer The first Go-Kart Racing game to come out for the SNES. Featuring all of the Super Mario bunch like Mario, Luigi, King Koopa, Toadstool, and the almost forgotten Donkey Kong Jr. Collect many power ups like mushrooms to speed you up; throw Koopa shells or banana peels at your opponent's to slow them down, plus many more items. The Battle mode is an excellent two player game, use the split screen view to watch both players battle it out. Super Mario Kart is fun and exciting addition to family of Mario games.

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Contra 4 Review

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(More customer reviews)Konami's legendary Contra series makes it's debut on the DS in all it's old school, arcade shoot 'em up action glory.Proving that the series is best in the realm of 2-D, Contra 4 is a throwback to the glory days of the original arcade game and the 8 and 16-bit era of gaming, as it provides huge levels, insane weapons, and unnerving difficulty.The game's grueling levels are spread about using both of the DS' screens, as enemies come at you from all sides.This alone makes Contra 4 worth checking out, and only adds to the game's difficulty, which even on Easy mode, is provides quite a bit of challenge.The controls are dead-on, the level designs are flawless, and the boss battles are epic; all of which adds up to one of the best action games to hit the DS yet.There are extras included as well to celebrate the Contra series' 20th Anniversary, including a Museum that reflects the series' run on consoles over the years, and an interesting Challenge mode that once completed, can unlock the NES versions of Contra and Super C.The only downside to Contra 4 is what has already been said: the difficulty.The difficulty may be a turn-off for new age gamers who didn't grow up with the Contra series, but for the rest of us who did, Contra 4 is a sheer blast.

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Product Description:
Set after the events of Contra III: Alien Wars, the game follows mercenaries Bill Rizer and Lance Bean as they battle to save the world from a new extraterrestrial threat. Contra 4 takes advantage of the dual screens of the Nintendo DS to deliver larger than life action, with massive enemies, detailed platform gaming and mind-blowing set pieces. Using a variety of upgradable weapons, take the fight to the alien army of the Black Viper and reclaim Earth for Mankind in single-player or 2 player co-op mode.

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Classic NES Series: Bomberman Review

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(More customer reviews)In 1987 Bomberman was a nice fun and addictive game. The "Classic NES Series" version is fun too but it feels as if something is missing.
Bomberman has a very simple concept to grasp. You're placed in an arena with monsters and you must destroy these monsters with bombs.There are also walls and such blocking your path that you can bomb.Bomberman has 50 levels so it'll keep you busy but its the same thing throughout all 50 levels.The enemies begin to move faster and faster as the levels increase.
The original version had long passwords to right down.Thankfully this version lets you save your game when you get to another level (kind of like the original NES Metroid in Metroid Zero/Prime).You can just as easily push the L and R buttons at the same time.
The problem with porting a classic is you port the problems too.Bomberman is fun but being 50 levels long makes the game rather boring and tedius. Especially considering you're dropped in virtually the same arena.
The other problem is that since the original Bomberman never had multiplayer, neither does this.Multiplayer is what really made Bomberman fun.
This is a nice Classic NES Game but to be frank, the original version wasn't much so why would this port of the original be any different?There are still fifty levels and it still gets boring in the middle.But at least unlike other games with the same basic level it has an end.
Easily this is for anyone who is a fan of Bomberman, and I mean a die-hard fan.I'm not a die-hard fan of the first Bomberman.

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Product Description:
Bomberman - Classic NES Series is the game that started the Bomberman series. Move throughgrids, using strategy to drop bombs at the right spots to destroy walls & enemies. Collectpower-ups that increase the blast area of your bombs, or time the explosions perfectly. Wipeout all your enemies and move on the next arena, as the crazy bombing hero!

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Blue Dragon Review

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(More customer reviews)Blue Dragon brings back a lot of good memories of classic RPGs ive played over the years. While not groundbreaking in any way, Blue Dragon takes all the eastern rpg conventions to near-perfection.

This may come off as a kids game when you see the childlike characters and cartoony animation style, but for every time you see some cute animals dancing you hear someone yell "that bastard!" or you encounter some ridiculously challenging boss. even the hardcore RPGer will find a challenge in some of these bosses.

The music is always fitting and usually quite beautiful. when you have the composer of FF I-V would you expect any less? i gotta say though, the boss battle theme feels a bit out of place. the total cheezemetal wouldnt be as bad without the vocals, and i know Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) is capable of much better. the voice work was all done exceptionally well though, with the main character Shu being voiced by the same actor as Izzy from the original cast of digimon. very recognizeable voice. i hadnt seen that show in at leased 5 years and i knew who it was right away. thats kind of pointless info, but i thought it was cool.

The main thing that drew me toward this game was the job system. If you've played Final Fantasy V you'll feel right at home with this job system. you select a class (sword master, black mage, ect) for each character. you can freely change class when not in battle, and as you grow in each class you learn the skills and abilities associated with that class. as your characters grow in level you can unlock new classes for them, although there are only 9 classes total, which i found a little disappointing; however, the job system is still my favorite aspect of the game. character growth and trying to balance the right mixes of classes for each is done better in this game than most others ive played. its simple yet very effective, like most aspects of this game.

Graphically, i think this game looks great. the world is full of unique and beautiful environments. from the characters to the environments and buildings, this is Akira Toriyama art all the way. this is one of the most cinematic games i have ever played. impressive pixar quality cutscenes and animations abound.

Blue Dragon plays out in the standard turn based style, however, there are no random encounters. you see your enemies walk around the areas as you explore. making contact with them will start the battle. when the battle starts you have a list of commands (attack, defend, spell, ect) and you choose one for each character. i feel a much stronger sense of strategy in this than any other game like this ive played. there is a list at the top of the screen showing you the next 4-10 turns. certain skills can be charged to increase power. the more you strengthen the attack, the more turns you have to wait for it to actualy happen. the charging is done with a mini game similar to the 3 click swing of golf games. little things like this add some extra depth to the combat.

the story itself doesnt shatter any conventions by any means. if you've played Japanese RPGs before you know the idea. evil being trying to overthrow the world/ragtag group of young heros set out to stop him and meet new friends along the way. its just that, like the gameplay, the characters and their underlying stories are done so well. i find myself actually caring what fate is in store for these characters. nearly everyone in this story has such a strong sense of charm and perseverance that you cant help but root for them.

The experience offered by Blue Dragon will make the seasoned RPG player remember exactly what got them into these games in the first place. For those who havent played one of the many Japanese RPGs over the last 20 years, this is one of the best places to start.

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Product Description:
Product InformationFamed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker and developer Artoonpresent the highly anticipated Xbox 360™ exclusive Blue Dragon. Featuring thecharacter design of Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball Z and music by Nobuo Uematsuof Final Fantasy Blue Dragon is an epic role-playing game that centers on ayoung boy named Shu and several of his friends.These unlikely heroes possess the power to control phantom shadows thatmirror the actions of their masters giving Shu and his comrades miraculousstrength and magical powers.The warriors can create and develop their combat styles by utilizingdifferent types of Shadow Change including Sword Assassin and Power Magic.Shu and his friends must use the shadows as weapons and wield their skills tosave their world from impending doom.Encountering various people on a planet where numerous ancient ruins remainthe characters and their shadows travel through a world full of mysteries andillusions where the slightest touch can cause reactions of unparalleledmagnitude.Product FeaturesInnovative RPG gameplay features: As their quest progresses warriorscan create original attack methods by utilizing several types of ShadowChange including Sword Assassin and Power Magic. You can choose tofocus the hero on certain areas of expertise. Shadows level up and gainnew abilities associated with the job they are currently doing. Oncegained abilities are not lost and remain available to use when needed.Massive scope and engrossing environments: Shu and his companions battletheir way through an immense world filled with vividly illustratedremnants of ancient civilizations long forgotten.Stunning graphics: Taking full advantage of the power of Xbox 360 BlueDragon engages you in a world and characters that are brought to life withvibrant colors and detail from Shu's wild hair to his martial arts-stylegarb conveying the beautiful simplicity and sense o

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