Disney's Toontown Online Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been playing ToonTown Online for close to 2 years now. A co-worker got me hooked on it after her child got her hooked on it after seeing a commerical for it on The Disney Channel. Yes, it is an online game (hence the name ToonTown Online) and it very specifically indicates on the packaging that a recurring fee is necessary to play it after the initial 2 month game time has expired.The game is downloadable from the ToonTown website and the retail version is NOT a necessity to have. The game is a HUGE download and the CD is great to have if you have dial-up internet access like I do.

As for play value, it is great.I have 2 active toons (you can have 6) on my account that I play on a regular basis.Yes, it is geared towards kids but many of the players I encounter are adults that were hooked by their children.It is safe for kids as there are pre-made phrases that you use for your toon to communicate with other toons.There is the option for real-life players to "code" with each other so they can speak freely with each other.Even with the free speech being available, it is heavily filtered for bad language.I have tested many different "bad" words in various spellings and even inserted spaces and other characters to attempt to get it to let it come across but it won't.Kudos to Disney for being proactive in anticipating what lengths some people will go to spoil kid fun.
The concept of the game is not different than any other MMOG like EverQuest, Final Fantasy etc.You are given quests to complete for jellybeans (money), gags (weapons) and laff boosts (strength). The only difference is that this game is designed for children.

It is well worth the $10 a month and the game is always expanding. Since I have been playing there have been 2 major updates and a 3rd is scheduled for sometime in April or May, giving toons an additional neighborhood/Cog HQ to play in with new tasks and rewards.

Happy Tooning.

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Product Description:
Created especially for kids 8-12, but enjoyed by all who are young at heart. Players are Toons who join forces to save the world from Cog's, humorless business robots who are attempting to turn the colorful, happy world of Toontown into a dark metropolis of corporate monotony. Because Cogs can't take a joke, Toons use their favorite weapon-humor-to save their world.

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Sim Theme Park: Gold Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)We've had this and sold it, and are now re-buying it because we love it soooo much! It's so much fun! You get to build your own park and manage it. Even my 7 year old can play it.

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Product Description:
2-cd set

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Time Crisis 3 with GUNCON 2 Shooting Action for PS2 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is by far the best Guncon2 game for the PS2. The action is fast paced and the graphics are suburb. The story line is weak and boring, but that is not why most people play a shooting game anyways. The game its self is not terribly long, but no shooter really is. A good piece of advice would be to take it easy on the Guncon2 light-gun. Though they are very accurate they are also very fragile, remember squeeze the trigger don't yank it. If you like shooting games you can not go wrong here. Some other decent Guncon2 games you might want to check out are "Vampire Night" and "Ninja Assault". See You Space Cowboy.

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Product Description:
Time Crisis 3 brings the massive arcade hit to life, with all-new features and gaming modes!GUNCON 2 Light Gun included for superior shooting action

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Command and Conquer Generals: Zero Hour Expansion Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)Although Generals added a new standard of graphics and several new and interesting departures from the original C&C game design, it was something less than revolutionary. Zero Hour goes a long way toward addressing this issue, and really turns Generals into a completely new game.
The expansion adds a new campaign for each side, with about 5 missions each. The campaign is interesting, and adds a few new elements, but is actually not the best part of the expansion. There are full motion video cutscenes (reporters talking about what's going on) to add some depth to the story, which is pretty straightforward stuff that could happen sometime in the near future (though we hope not). The missions add unique buildings and locations, all well done, as well as objectives that are pretty fun to carry out. Some of them are quite difficult, and there are a few stealth commando missions that Generals sadly lacked. There's also some campaign-only powers, such as the ability to call in battleship artillery and carrier strikes in one of the USA missions.
The real meat of the expansion starts with the new units and upgrades. Each side has new things, some of which go a long way toward filling holes in the armies' capabilities. China, for example, gets some much-needed surveillance by way of the Internet Center, and a worthwhile stealth detector in the Listening Post. Frenzy, a new general power, increases the firepower and armor of units for a brief time. China also gets added airborne firepower with the Helix and the ability to carpet bomb. The GLA gets several low-tech solutions, most of which are still geared toward outmaneuvering rather than outgunning the opposition. The Battle Bus, however, can pack quite a punch in a frontline role. Fake structures, a sometimes-useful throwback from Red Alert, can also be purchased. More interestingly, they can be upgraded into real ones, which is a nice way to play with an opponent's mind. The USA gets a powerful base defense with the Fire Base, which is garrisonable, effective against infantry, and doesn't need power to shoot. They also get a mobile anti-air unit in the Avenger, making it unnecessary for you to bring weak Missile Defender-packed Humvees along in future battles. Three new tech structures are also added- the Repair Bay (repairs all your ground units), Artillery Platform (shoots at enemies with a howitzer), and Reinforcement Pad (produces a tank on a countdown).
The upgrades and units are standard expansion fare, but Zero Hour adds something else- new generals, each with their own combat styles, units and powers, and personalities. There are three for each side- Air Force, Lasers, and Superweapons for the USA; Toxins, Camouflage, and Demolitions for the GLA; and Nukes, Tanks, and Infantry for China. Each of these has a doctrine that you must adhere to if you wish to use them effectively, and have weaknesses that hold you to it. For example, the US Air Force general cannot make tanks, but has aircraft cost reduced, unique and better air units, and a point defense laser on all airplanes that along with the standard countermeasures upgrade makes them practically immune to missile fire. China's tank general can build the Emperor Overlord, which is the newest and baddest vehicle on the ground. The GLA camouflage general can make literally everything invisible to the unaided eye, and turns the GLA into a real guerilla army (his Scud Storms are especially scary). All of these generals can be used in skirmish or multiplay, and there is a special 'generals challenge' campaign in which you pick one and play against all others. Your opponent is always on territory that favors their doctrine, and it can get pretty tough. This is a great way to accustom yourself to the various generals and pick your favorite, and is also quite fun since your opponents continuously taunt you during the games.
It's worth mentioning that several nice tweaks have been added to the engine. For example, fighters on an airbase will automatically attack nearby enemies, and both superweapons and scouting powers (e.g. radar van scans) appear as a sidebar icon with a number indicating how many are ready, if it's more than one. This makes it no longer necessary to separately hotkey practically every unit you have. Multiplayer options have been added, such as how much cash to start with, and no superweapons. The already excellent graphics have been improved, with even more fantastic fireballs, flotsam and jetsam, and better water effects. The result is undoubtedly the most graphically appealing RTS out there, though you might need a new video card if you want to run at max detail.
In summary, Zero Hour is for all intents and purposes a completely new game. Some have argued that it is what Generals should have been from the start, but I'm glad EA took the time to do a good job on this rather than rushing it for release. I honestly have no complaints about the expansion- it's one of the best ones I've seen for any game. It's a definite must for any Generals fan, and even if you weren't overly impressed with Generals, Zero Hour might just change your opinion.

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Product Description:
Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour challenges you to face off against other military leaders using the most advanced arsenal in history!

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Final Fantasy XII (Collector's Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Final Fantasy XII is a magnificent game. I have been a fan of the series since the very beginning, but recently I have become disappointed with recent games until I played the latest installment.

The artwork is fantastic! Rich Desert landscapes, misty woodlands, ruin-filled caves, floating mines, prison dungeons, exotic palaces, and majestic cities create a vibrant and compelling world to explore. The Near-eastern influence to the architecture enhances the exotic and mystical senses while exploring this new world. There is certainly a good reason Square Enix can be proud of their record for high quality game art.

For reasons unknown to me, some critics dislike the new battle system, I say it is the shining glory of the game. The battle system parallels that of a MMORPG. There are no random enemy encounters or separate screens for battles. Battles take place in real time. The really amazing part of the battles is how Square Enix was able to include the strategic precision of a turn-based, tactical RPG, like Final Fantasy Tactics, in real-time action through the Gambit System. In the Gambit System, the player assigns a list of prioritized, conditional actions for party members to take. This allows the player to control 3 active party members in a real-time battle, assign specific roles, and enjoy leveling more than the story completion. This is the first RPG I have played where the gameplay and battle was so compelling it distracted me from pursuing the story on my first play through the game.

The lowest point of FFXII however, IS the story. It is by no means a total wash. The Characters are likable, interesting and engaging. The plot and presentation are all fine, but the story development and character interaction loses its flavor just past the half-way mark. The ending leaves you wanting more of an ending and feeling like the script was hastily and clumsily tied up instead of drawing to any meaningful conclusions. This is the same disappointment I've had with several of the Final Fantasy Installments since FFVIII. Instead of a glorious finale, it feels like mowing over a plateau. The effects and cinematic sequences are very high quality, but the character stories feel incomplete.

Overall, I highly recommend this game. Not everyone is a harsh story critic like I am. The art, world, and battle system are so compelling, that you will play over and over and still want more.

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KORG DS-10 Synthesizer Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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



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

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Chaos Legion Review

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(More customer reviews)I read lots of bad reviews of this game and was all set to forget about it rather than buy it. Then one day I read a Penny Arcade comic in which they declared that Gabe hated Chaos Legion. Well, if there's one thing I've learned from my years of reading PA, it's that if Gabe hates something, it's probably pretty good. He hated Kingdom Hearts, Gunvalkyrie, and most notably, Halo. The man is obviously not a bastion of good video game taste. Therefore, when he hates something, I assume it's worth buying. And so I went ahead and bought Chaos Legion.
At first I was inclined to agree with the reviews. My first couple of hours playing seemed to indicate a shallow and repetive game. I was expecting more of an adventure game with some exploration and such. There is none. CL is actually something of an arcade style beat-'em-up for the 21st century. You fight wave after wave of baddies. When they're gone, you fight a boss. Lather, rinse, repeat. However, the game became pretty difficult suddenly on stage 3 or 4, and I almost threw in the towel. For some reason, instead I decided to study the aspects of the game that I hadn't really been paying attention to; namely the Legions themselves. The legions are what make this game shine. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses and abilities. You have to use them to strengthen them, you have to strengthen them to make them useful, and you WILL need their help to beat the game. The more they do battle, the more experience points they earn. You then get to choose how to spend those points to build them up. You can increase their attack power, their defense, their special abilities, etc. Learning how to use them effectively is the key to the game. Poor Gabe must not have been able to figure that out.

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Product Description:
Chaos Legion takes you into a world torn apart, and challenges you to become the hero who can reunite it!

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