Product Description

After Archimonde and the Burning Legion were defeated at the battle of Mount Hyjal, a new threat rises throughout the land and it's up to you to defeat it. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Experience a vast new chapter in the epic Warcraft saga
• Platform: Mac OS 9.0 or higher, OS 10.1.3 or higher; Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (88)

Great addition to a great game!
When I first went to my friend's house to play Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos, I had lots of fun! I didn't enjoy the normal maps too much, sadly, and I wasn't really looking forward to buying the game.

Then, I went online with my free Battle.net account and downloaded a player-made map. I really loved the map, so I decided I'd save up and buy Warcraft 3. The game kept me entertained on and off. I'd play it for hours on end, then I'd stop for about 2 weeks, then go back to play it again! New maps are made almost every week, as players love to find fame. I, myself, have made a number of maps.

Anyway, when my friend got the expansion pack, I played a few Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne maps at his house. WOW! They were great! I couldn't stand having the game without the expansion! So, I got my allowance, and bought the expansion!

I recommend this to anyone who likes RTSes (real-time strategies) or even people who DISlike them, because the game could be called an "Action\Adventure Role-Playing Strategy Sports Driving Sim" or something! It's a multi-genre!

good stuff
this is definatly a good expansion set, just like the regular Warcraft3 itself. if you beat the first one, i suggest you buy this. graphics improved, more gameplay, and more fun. online action is great, including 1 new hero per race. i love this game and so does everyone i know who owns it.

1 year of frozenthrone playing and im not yet tired of it
Alright people that think this game is boring and it should have a Naga race and a Drenei race is stupid. I mean it would be pretty fun, but it would take lots of balancing and stuff so...no. Humans, nighrelves, undead, and orc are enough and the game is fun enough with out those other 2 races. I mean u can still play as adrenei or naga in the single player...and even on custom games...i was playing open rpg islands and i was a naga and i was swimmin anround shootin things with the naga seaweitch. The game really isnt that hard to play when u get used to it. Heros make everythign so intense and exciting which is why when ur fighting the enemy you really should take out the hero then work on the units.

The thing that i kinda hate about warcraft frozen throne and warcraft roc is the blademaster...cheap crap. he just got cheaper in this patch i mean now he can run through my units. Im always undead...and if youve been undead race u know what im talking about. Death to that dam blademaster. BUT finaly, they just got 2 new heros in a patch a alchemist and a firelord. I am very impressed with the alchemist he can take on the bladeamster pretty well.Anyways, people been saying how starcraft is better then warcraft and im like why? they say because its too shiney. I'm like ok...period over gotta go to enxt epriod...get this game ur kids will liek it buy it!! wee!!!!!!!!!!!Sinferno rulez!!!

Tried and true style of game works yet again
There really isn't much original about the Warcraft 3 game, and its expansion Frozen Throne campaign.It's yet another clone of itself/StarCraft/Ages Of Empires, etc. etc. etc. where you build, upgrade, build some more, upgrade, start sending your forces out, upgrade, replenish your forces, upgrade, repel enemies that may be attacking your base(s), start wiping out major concentrations of enemies, replenish your forces and complete any upgrades not already made, and finish off all your enemies.This has been done a hundred times before, and I'm sure it's not the last strategy game which will use the same method.The hero unit in Warcraft is cool, though.

The game is really easy to start, and gently eases you into the game.The cutscene movies are incredible, the best I've ever seen in a game.It's hard to say which campaign was the best, but I'd have to say it's a toss up between the Orc and Night Elf ones.I didn't like the Undead campaign, but the summoning of buildings was kinda neat.

I did get tired of hearing "Frostmourne hungers" everytime I moved my Undead hero, though.

the beast at this game beassssssssst
Warcraft is my favorite computer game. It has a lot of fun especially when you kill your allies. I'm level 100 because I play every minute of my life except for now and when I'm at school. When I play nobody messes with me. I'm the best person you could find on the game except for my brother. You should definitely buy this game. ... Read more

Product Description

Since the Beginning of Time the forces of Order and Chaos have been engaged in an eternal struggle to decide the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now come to the Mortal Realm... And neither Man, Demon, nor Angel will be left unscathed.Diablo, Lord of Terror, and youngest of the Three Prime Evils, awoke from his long sleep beneath the dark earth. Setting in motion a grand scheme to free his exiled brothers, Mephisto and ... Read more

Features

• Five all-new character classes with unique attributes and abilities.
• Four different, fully populated towns complete with wilderness areas.
• Multiple dungeons, caverns and crypts in every town for players to explore.
• Expanded world filled with all-new quests, weapons, spells, armor, monsters and non-player characters.

Reviews (533)

Best of the Genre
Diablo II is a helluva lotta fun.I'm not so much a single player person, but a multiplayer person.The gameplay is well thought-out and engaging.The plot is corny, but, then again, this is an RPG.

The graphics are kinda mediocre, but the gameplay makes up for it.The expansion is a must.Playing online is incredibly addictive, which I don't like, but I get a kick out of it.What makes this game is the interaction in multiplayer.

(...) is easy to use.They catch a fair few cheaters.

My main complaint is that there are many lamers.There is a group of people that buys duplicated items of the internet at like 10 dollars a piece.This is what I don't like.There are other people that hack accounts and steal characters and equipment, and that is just lame.Thankfully, this has not happened to me, although my brother got hacked a long time ago.

Even so, the fact that your account might get hijacked just adds to the reality that it is, after all, just a game.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The single player is a lot like the multiplayer.It is a good way to learn how to start out independently.In fact, the multiplayer is like single player, but just with more people.(surprise)

There aren't many glitches, and there is skill involved, up to a point.

Buy this game.It's worth your money.So is the expansion.

Great game!
Diablo 1 players. Yes, I know you have suffered, but Diablo 2 fixed all their problems and this game is 700 times better! Get it!

Learned some lessons from DIABLO, but quests more restricted
DIABLO 2 can be summarized as "like DIABLO, but more so." DIABLO 2 has more locales, more varied scenery, more (and more elaborate) AIs, more control over developing your character's skills, more types of characters to play, better play balance, and so on.

Like the original, DIABLO 2's settings are (mostly) randomly generated, so that with the exception of some set-piece areas (like the Skeleton King's lair in the original), no two games follow exactly the same map. DIABLO 2 has four acts covering 5 locales (including Tristram, the setting of DIABLO). Each act has very different climate/geography and monsters differing accordingly.

You're following the trail of the Wanderer (the hero of the first game) as he locates the other Prime Evils, Diablo's brothers, before leading you into Hell and the final confrontation with Diablo himself. The settings in general have much greater variety and eye candy, and include outdoor segments as well as dungeon crawls.

Act I is a generic-Europe setting, with a lesser-demon Level Boss rather than a Prime Evil. Act I most closely resembles the earlier stages of the original DIABLO, and contains references back to the original, as the player's task is to help the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. (The Rogue from DIABLO was a member of the order; your closest-equivalent player character in DIABLO 2 is the Amazon, who has a different backstory.)

Act II is a desert scenario, with a sort of Egyptian flavor to the tombs, and a different, more formidable type of undead. Act III, by contrast, is a rainforest, emphasis on poisonous insects, water monsters, and fast-moving little AIs with blowpipe attacks. Act IV's revamped version of Hell is much more larger and elaborate than that in the original, with an assortment of demons and new attacks. The succubae weren't retained, but as a tradeoff Act I has hordes of renegade Rogues.

Many of the AIs have been revamped to make them tougher and to give them more distinctive appearances. While the distinct colour schemes were retained, the details are more elaborate and they're tougher opponents. The carver-type AIs now include shamans, who in addition to their own magical attacks can raise the fallen. Animated skeletons on higher difficulty levels may now have mages as well as archers with them.

That's one of the biggest changes from the original. Monsters not only regenerate after you've cleaned out a level (even lesser "unique" monsters, though not Level Bosses that have to be killed to end an Act), but many monster types can raise the dead or harvest energy from corpses. There are also delayed-action attacks, as poisons and antidotes have been added.

Other changes from original:
- Multiplayer and single player now use the same limited set of quests, rather than single player having a random selection of a larger set of quests.
- Play balance on character abilities now includes active and passive skills, differing by character type. Not just any character can learn spells.
- In addition to mana and life, player has stamina. While you don't have to eat or sleep as in, e.g. DARKSTONE, you either have to pace your character, stock up on stamina potions, or be content to move slowly.
- In addition to Town Portal spells, each Act contains a set of fixed waypoints, and the player can return to earlier Acts if desired.
- Towns are more elaborate. Apothecaries selling potions are now separate from magic sellers, and at least one NPC per Act can "gamble" with you. You can hire and equip NPCs who will follow you and fight what you fight. If they're with you, your experience points are divided with them, but they level up and become more formidable over time.

Some lessons learned by the designers:
- Local smiths can upgrade weapons, e.g. installing runes or gems in them. Partway through Act II, a quest item allows you to combine multiple gems of the same type to get a single gem of a better grade, so strategy is a factor.
- In town/camp you have a chest in addition to the inventory on your character's person. Items in the chest are safe, but if you're killed and resurrected, anything you were carrying has to be retrieved from the body. Since you're fined a large amount of your total gold when you're resurrected, you're motivated to scavenge your own body anyway just to get some of it back.
- Partway through Act I, you revisit Tristram and rescue Deckard Cain, who now has enough gratitude to identify items for free instead of gouging you.
- Some unique items now come in sets (e.g. helmet, breastplate, gauntlets) that are stronger together than apart, and mostly effective for specific character types (e.g. bonuses apply only to a paladin). Strategy comes into play: is it worth saving an item in the hopes of acquiring the rest of the set?

In summary: the thing I miss most from the original is the randomized quest mix on single player. The active/passive skill system is interesting enough to make up for restricting the player's ability to create super-powerful spell-casting Rogues and the like.

As in the original, even in single-player a game can't be saved in multiple states; you can only have multiple characters working through different scenarios. In multi-player, items can be transferred between characters by drop-and-switch, but that's about it.

nothing tops this
there have been many trys by different developers to copy the play style of diablo 2.they are no doubt good but they are NOT diablo 2.diablo 2 has the best story, fun factor, sound, cinematics, addictiveness and replayability.i stopped playing this a long time ago because i was hooked on starcraft but i am going to start a new character tonight just to see how fun this game is again.my previous barbarian only got up to lvl 46.i've been playin WoW and have a lvl 60 alliance human paladin but there is not nearly as much loot as there is in diablo 2, thus making many characters look the same.(to the post below- all mmorpgs require a fee to play...its what basically gets them paid to make updates, fix the servers, etc.)cant wait to start diablo 2 again!

Another increible Blizzard's production
Lord Of Terror
When Diablo came out almost 4 years ago, it was the surprise hit of the 1997. One day there wasn't Diablo, the next it was on store shelves, and the day after North American productivity plummeted 25%. Although Blizzard liked to classify it as a RPG, it wasn't really one. More like an action-RPG, since so much of the game relied on reflex and mouse-clicking. The story development was slim and roleplaying aspects non-existent. Yet the simple, addictive gameplay hooked us all and had us begging for more.

After years of development, a few promises, a few leaked features and dozens of delays - Diablo II is here. The Second Coming of Hell and another dip in all IT stocks came to my desk less than a week ago, and grudgingly I accepted the job of reviewing the game.

For those of you who've been in a timewarp the past 5 years and never heard of Diablo or Diablo II, let me give you a brief rundown on both.


Diablo
Diablo was a game where you played a hero of one of three character classes - Warrior, Sorcerer or Rogue. This hero operated out of a small town called Tristram, underneath which Hell itself was opening up. At first simply trying to clear the local corrupted Cathedral of vermin infestation, the hero soon discovers that something much more sinister is afoot. Hence you keep going deeper and deeper through the game until you discover that none other than the Lord of Terror himself - Diablo - is at the root of all the problems. You see, he, along with his two other brothers - form the Three Prime Evils. They got banished from Hell by lesser evils and then rampaged around the world until they were captured in soulstones given to mortals by the angel Tyrael.

Through 4 different dungeons having 4 levels each you fought, died, and recovered your own corpse. You'd restart the game when it got too hard to gain xp in easier areas, and go back in again. It was all about getting to the next level, getting the next spell, getting the next better weapon or armor. It was simple to the point of being idiotic. Click the mouse to move somewhere, then click-click-click-click-click at some monster until it dies, and move on to kill more. That's an over-simplified description, of course - but the point is that Diablo was extremely addictive.
... Read more

Reviews (28)

Games not realistic!!
I played the tournament Texas Hold Em poker and there is no way you can get pass the second round. You can have 3 of kind, and the other player would have 4 of a kind. You can have a flush, 2 other players would have a straight flush. This is what it is like almost every hand. Anyone who plays poker knows you don't see that many good hands out there.
Blackjack is way to unrealistic. If you have a 20 and the dealer has a 5 face up, he seems to always to get a 6, then a 10 to get 21. I played 10 straight hands, the dealer had 4 blackjacks and 6 20's. That is almost impossible for a dealer to get that lucky. And if you see the dealer has a king faced up, just surrender unless you have 21 because the dealer ALWAYS has another king down.
If you want to learn how to play the game, you should get this, but if you already know how to play, don't buy this, it is a waste of money!

I would give this game 3 1/2 stars
I bought this game for under $10 bucks which also included shipping.For that price, You can't lose!I was reading the reviews for Hoyle Casino 2004 which had all the worse reviews I've seen yet.The reason I bought Hoyle casino 2003 instead of the 2004 version is the fact that there really isnt much a difference.Plus with the 2003. I can play without having the cd in my drive. Which is a BIG PLUS! I was hoping to see if the Texas hold'em tournaments were gonna be like the world poker tour.SADLY ENOUGH IT'S NOT. They dont have a NO LIMIT game.It would of been exciting to go all in and see if anyone or a computer match it. But still can't knock sierra just yet.Because it is still fun.I want to try out the new drink system but only if they improve two minor issues.One: They have a no limit texas hold'em tournament and Two: CD optional if people want it in the drive. If you are in the market for a casino game.Get this version because you would save money.But still waiting to see what newer version will bring.So if Hoyle casino 2005 comes out.I'm reading reviews before I buy.Don't want to make the mistake by buying the 2004 version.

Hoyle's Casino 2003 - Best Ever
I recently purchased this from Amazon and received a manual along with it that I find very helpful as I'm new to Poker and Blackjack.The characters are so realistic and it's fun to listen to their conversations.
The first time I clicked on the AutoPlay screen to start playing I could hear sound but my screen went black. I have Windows XP Home Edition with DirectX 9.0. I was sure this was the latest version of DirectX, but when I went to Microsoft's Help & Support Center, on the list was the question did the screen go black. I then went to Microsoft.com and found there was an update called DirectX 9.0B. It took a little over 30 minutes to download this version. When I clicked Play on the AutoPlay Screen this time, the place where you hear what seems to be a frog croaking, it worked fine.
When some of the reviewers blame Hoyle for problems it could be Microsoft has an update that will make everything go smoothly. Hoyle creates extremely clever games and I'm very happy I bought this CD. The only games that can even compete with this are the Bicycle Card and Board Games which I also own. None of the other Casino games can even begin to compare to Hoyle's Casino 2003 in my opinion.

Lot's of fun and good practice
The table games are great and the play is very realistic. The players voices are a turn-off after a while so I play with the sound off. It is a great way to sharpen your skills before a trip to Vegas or AC. I had never played Pai Gow Poker but I learned from this software and look forward to trying it in a casino. The craps and roulette are fun too. I don't play slots in a casino so I don't use the slots on this either.Overall I think this is a good buy for some fun on the PC.

Fun Game
Very nice game. Graphics are well done.Facemaker is fun, and it uses the face I created in Card games without me having to tell it to go find it.The table games are well done, the speed of play is easily adjusted, graphics and audio are clear and crisp.There are so many gmes it is difficult to tire of this game.The slots could be a tad better, in that none of them are copies of real machines.Also the "feel" while playing them is not quite right.They are certainly playable though, as these faults are minor.I gave 4 stars out of 5, because the characters comments get annoyingly redundant very quickly.Of course, you can turn the character speech off if you want. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Most role-playing games are set in a fantasy world, and if they're notdirectly related to Dungeons & Dragons, they at least follow the blueprint ofthe D&D rules. Not so with Arcanum. Set in the world of steampunk--agenre of fiction that puts forth the idea that computers and other advancedtechnology existed back in the late 1800s--Arcanum's world is fantasticand instantly recognizable at the same time. The game begins with the crash ofthe L.F.S. Zephyr, which you were aboard. Things go from bad to worse asassassins try to kill you. Meanwhile, you struggle to understand why peoplethink you are the reincarnation of "The Living One."

Developed by Troika Games--which is staffed by many of the people who createdthe excellent Fallout games--Arcanum takes the conventions of the RPGgenre and turns them on their head. Instead of binding players to a specificcharacter class, such as Paladin or Barbarian, Arcanum lets you create acompletely unique character. Experience points can be distributed in any area,so you can create a character that's a thief, magic user, and gunslinger all inone. In addition, you can specialize in either magic or technology, which willimpact how the other characters in the game deal with you.

The world of Arcanum is simply massive, and the story is extremelydetailed. The main plot will provide you with 30 to 40 hours of gameplay, andthe side quests will add another 10 to 20 hours to that figure. The quests runthe gambit from fetching items to finding a cure for lycanthropy, and they'reall well designed.

Arcanum is viewed from a third-person isometric view--similar toDiablo II and Baldur's Gate II--and the graphics easily comparewith any other RPG on the market. The characters are modeled nicely, and thebackgrounds and structures are very detailed and really add substance to thegame. Unfortunately, even on a high-end system such as an Athlon 1.33 GHz, thegame suffers from long loading times, and will occasionally slow down duringcombat.

Those minor problems aside, Arcanum is a sensational game. The open-endednature of the character-creation system guarantees replayability, and thesetting and story will offer relief for anyone tired of Diablo II'sdungeon crawls. --Kilmic Robbins

• Great story
• Numerous quests
• Ability to completely customize character

• Long loading times
• Interface can be overwhelming at times

Features

• Character Creation: No More Character Classes. Arcanum uses a classless, point-based system where players use points to "buy" attributes. You're only limited by your own creativity in guiding your character's development.
• Complex Stat-Driven System: Take charge or your own growth in the game environment. A deep and complex statistical system underlies every event that takes place within Arcanum. These include:
• 8 basic stats (including Strength and Charisma), and more than a dozen derived stat (such as Poison Resistance and Character Speed)
• 16 primary skills (such as Gambling, Healing, and Lock-Picking)
• 80 spells within 16 colleges

Reviews (122)

Sail On Software - Dishonest Company
We ordered a DVD through Amazon via Sail On Software. They sent us a used DVD (no packaging), which did not work. After stringing us along, we returned the DVD and were promised a replacement or refund. Needless to say, they have avoided our e-mails since. I would recommend NOT dealing with Sail On Software.

Involved Gaming - complex ? ... worth the learning curve !
I don't want to rehash what everyone else said. I agree with their reviews. This is a wonderful game. Can be a bit overwhelming, but with patience, you will "enjoy the ride".
I wanted to inform those looking to purchase this fine game, you can find the game/new at eBay, fifty% cheaper(...I paid twelve bucks) than what the new marketplace sellers are requesting. If you need a manual, you can download a .pdf version some 100+ pages long. Do due dilligence and you won't regret it.

A nice refreshing break from hack and slash RPG's.
First things first, I LOVED ARCANUM. Man it was so nice to have a decent RPG come out that was not centered around hack and slash. Not to bash Diablo or anything but the repetive hacking can get old and with a background story that does not care what you do leaves me wanting just a little bit more. Thats where Aracnum comes in. It basically takes the best of Fallout and puts it into a richly detailed and unique fantasy world. The beginning of the game was very good and had some nice hooks to draw me in. And then after that it didn't let up and I had to keep playing to figure out more of the cool story, complete all the cool quests and see the new areas. I absolutely loved the alternate situations throughout the game. I believe that is one of the biggest things that made the Arcanum game stand out from all its predecessors. And another cool thing was that if you beat the game with one character you could replay it with another character and have a brand new experience. The only drawback I had with the game was the level limit. I reached level 50 way before the end of the game and found myself running from almost every random encounter because I could not reach a higher level and it was getting real boring beating up every monster that came after you. And another drawback I found was the ease with which the end guy could be beaten. I expected a very tough enemy, but it only took me two tries to beat him down. The first so I could see what he was all about and the second to counteract all his moves and put the smackdown on him. But those are very minor details and the overall game was a satisfying RPG experience. I hope to see more types of these RPG's in the future and less action oriented RPG's. Sorry action fans, RPG does stand for Role Playing Game which means playing a role not clicking a mouse button as fast as you can. Maybe they should come out with a new genre Hack and Slash and keep it seperated from RPG.

Sleeper masterpiece, but missing a few touches
Arcanum is a good example of a sleeper hit on the PC RPG genre.Although many have forgotten, or have not even heard of it, it DID win 2001 RPG Year of the Award and other accolades from various sources.And at $9.99 (without shipping/handling), it's quite the bargain as well.

Arcanum's strong points lie in its original concepts, well crafted storyline and well scripted events.Betrayal abounds, and it's hard to know who to trust.

Arcanum was the first major game to offer two different sides in the form of technology and magic.Wield a nice automatic gun, or maybe a tranquilizer rifle.Or become a stuffy mage, carry a flaming sword, and send bolts of lightning out of your fingertips.Teleport yourself to distant lands, or ride the train.

The game is also very imaginative in terms of character interaction.If your mage becomes too powerful, the railroad conductor may eventually not even let you on the train, for fear that the warping of reality around you will damage the machine.The world is quite realistic- there are tailors, ordinary folk who just live in houses, blacksmiths, guards, etc.Some things will only happen at night.And unlike many other senseless RPGs, if you break into someone's house in plain view, it IS a crime.You want something valuable in that house?Sneak in through the shadows!

Arcanum is just an amazing game.The number of characters you can develop is startling, and the dialogue options available for each character are equally so.They range from the normal, to the cautious, to the sarcastic, to the outright absurd (i.e. "You're too nice.You have to die now.")

The spellcraft in Arcanum has been impleneted very originally.Casting a spell causes fatigue instead of mana, and spells actually will cost a certain amount of fatigue to upkeep, which allows for many interesting balances between technology and magic.Gun runners will never be afraid of suddenly getting too tired, and just running out of spells.On the other hand, they will be quite afraid of running out of bullets.

Of course, a game as ambitious as Arcanum also comes with several weaknesses as a result.Like any other pioneer in its field, Arcanum has a few pitfalls that kept it off the wish lists of some players.Arcanum has a steep learning curve unless you played a similarly styled interface (e.g. Diablo II).

Second, technological characters will find their time more difficult than the spellcasters because in the early game, they have to search everywhere- even garbage bins- for enough components to build decent weaponry.This perpetual scavenge hunt can quickly tire some less advanced players.

Third, some spells are simply too good.Disintegrate for instance, simply destroys the enemy monster.There is no equivalent for this on the tech side, and even if there was, it'd still be quite "broken" and unfair.There is no challenge in simply walking up to a boss monster and simply playing one spell that knocks it away into oblivion.

Another major complaint is that combat in Arcanum is too biased towards melee.Oftentimes the person who survives is neither the mage nor the techie, but the ogre who's got some good armor and a really, really big sword.Ranged weapons, as a general rule, are quite weak.The ones that aren't (i.e. explosive grenades are sort of good) are usually rare, even the components for them.

Last but not least, the controls in Arcanum are a bit clunky and the way the world map works is counter-intuitive.The game slows down periodically for little reason, even on fast systems, which suggests that the programmers may not have written entirely efficient code.Anyway, look at the advantages and disadvantages, and invent your own rating.

P.S. Arcanum does not support Windows XP officially.You have been warned.It may or may not work, depending on your specific PC.Also, some computers with older CPU's will have problems with their 3d acceleration.Try safe mode.Worked for me.

Load times aren't that bad
Ok let me start by saying this is a very good game, you have tons of quests and your charter is very customizable.

Ok ived read alot of reviews on this site and they all seem to say this game has long load time well it dosen't. It dose however have alot of stops in the game(while your battleing or try to cast alot of spells in a row) but if you have alot of ram you won't have that problem.(when i first got the game i had only 256 mb ram and had alot of stops while playing, but after i upgraded to a 1 gb of ram i didn't have the stoping problem anymore.)So if you computer is decent like mine you shouldn't have any major problems playing this game. ... Read more

Product Description

In the distant future a small group of human exiles have been doomed to fight for survival on the edge of the galaxy. Through military strength, espionage and deceit, a unified Terran government has maintained an uneasy peace. As resources run short, however, these Confederate nations find themselves looking towards the rich worlds of their alien neighbors, the enigmatic Protoss. To further complicate matters, it seems that a previously unknown and deadly species known only as the Zerg has entered Protoss space and is destroying everything in its path. The time for war has come...

... Read more

Reviews (23)

The Best Strategy Game Now and Forever
Chess has been around for centuries because of its depth and strategy. Monopoly, some decades.

StarCraft BroodWar will be that computer game that you've tucked away in the closet, and upon finding it dust-covered, you'll reinstall it and play it again and again.

GET IT
If you have any doubt about getting this game, drop those doubts and get it. First of all, this is one of the cheapest online games in the world nowadays. Get it. You WILL thank me.

GREAT GAME
Starcraft, produced in 1998 by Blizzard Entertainment, is still as popular as it has ever been with thousands of players still playing it on Battlenet. When it was released in 1998, it was an instant hit, selling over 1.5 million copies that year and receiving numerous awards.The game play isn't revolutionary in the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, following closely to the blueprint of its predecessors, Warcraft and Warcraft II, but it's still a well-crafted game, offering hours of entertainment.
The storyline in Starcraft is compelling, leaving the gamer craving more after each mission is completed.The graphics are two-dimensional, lacking, the rotational option in the newer RTS games, Warcraft III and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War, but it's still impressive even with today's standards.The buildings and units are well-crafted and detailed.The cut scenes are captivating with their excellent animation and voice acting.The music is dark and melodic, which is appropriate for this game.
The single player campaign offers 30 missions, split evenly between the three warring factions, Protoss, Zerg and Terran.The three campaigns can be played in any order but the recommended order is Terran, Zerg and then Protoss.This is because the difficult of each campaign increases and the storyline also follows that order.
Each race is completely unique from the others, containing different units, build orders, and playing styles, but they are still well balanced.Each Zerg unit isn't particular strong, but they are agile and the cost of building each one is relatively inexpensive so players are able to mass many of them.Zerg buildings are living organisms so they cannot be repaired, but instead they have regenerative abilities.The Protoss units are strong, but that strength comes with a price, so each unit should be valued.Protoss structures, unlike the other two races, are teleported in, making building faster.Terran units are a mix of Zerg and Protoss, not particularly strong, and moderately expensive.Large Terran buildings have the ability to lift and relocate, which is useful when moving to another mineral patch, or escaping from an onslaught.
The single-player campaigns are interesting and offer hours of entertainment, but for most players, the single-player campaign is just training for the multiplayer games.Players can play against each over local area networks (LAN), direct connect, modem, TCP/IP or over the internet using Blizzard's free Battle.net servers.
Battle.net is an online community where thousands of Starcraft players go everyday to chat and play.There are many different chat rooms for players to communicate ranging from technical support, to gaming strategies.Players can create their own game or join an existing game.Each game can contain up to 8 players.The artificial intelligence (AI) for Starcraft is impressive, but it's nothing compared to playing another human player, who can think, deceive and exploit weaknesses.Most "newbies" playing over Battlenet will be defeated with the infamous "rush," strategy where players quickly build several units to attack the opponent before he/she is prepared.The games come with a replay option at the end so players can review their games and learn from their mistakes.With time, players can learn how to stop the "rush."
Starcraft isn't only limited to head-to-head games.There are a variety of maps and games ranging from free-for-all, to using map setting (UMS).Players even have the ability to create their own maps using Starcraft's easy to use campaign editor. Players can modify an existing map or they can create a whole new map from scratch.
For those who loved the single-player campaign, they can continue with 24 new single player missions in the expansion, Starcraft: Brood Wars.The game play and feel of Brood Wars is exactly the same as Starcraft and the story picks up where Starcraft left off.There are also seven new units in Brood Wars: corsairs, dark templars, and dark archons for the Protoss, valkyrie and medics for the Terrans, and lurkers and devourer for the Zerg.
Though a bit dated, Starcraft is still an excellent RTS game.With its well-designed game play and its excellent visual and sound, it is one reason why it is still the standard by which newer RTS games are compared to.For those new to RTS games, Starcraft is the perfect gateway into the newer RTS games, and for those who love RTS games, Starcraft is a must play.

Something to note
Im a huge fan of this game and have played it online for several years now... although my computer has rejected the most recent updates.

The only complaint I have is that it's not really a strategy game... no real-time game is.When you play online, chances are that the victor will be the person who can mass the most units the fastest.Granted that requires a degree of strategy, but it really comes down to who's played longer and is more familiar with the buttons.Battle.net has done much to remedy this and there are many games available where the rules stipulate "no rush", which allows all sides to build their forces and then strategy does actually enter the picture.You also get creative scenarios with "use map settings" games, where it's possible to upgrade units hundreds of levels and you dont have to harvest resources.All told, it's a fantastic game that has given me much joy and my opponents much sorrow.Just be aware that this is not really strategy.

If you really want strategy I would recommend any of the "Total War" series, depending on your computer's abilities (in order of increasing technical requirements: Shogun, Medieval, Rome)These games are turn based, but when you fight battles you have the option to command your troops personally.It is real strategy, with factors such as weather, terrain and morale affect the battle seriously.

Best Game EVER!!!!!!
Computer games were never very interesting to me.That is until Starcraft.My CD-Drive failed recently, and I couldn't stop thinking about how when I got it repaired, I was going to play Starcraft for at least 10 hours straight.I am proud to say, that I made it not 10, but a full 12!Starcraft and Starcraft:Brood War are the most addictive RTS games ever! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

A collection of seven games in the classic King's Quest PC game by Roberta Williams. Also includes several bonus games. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

you can get it cheaper
you canbuy kings quest 15th anniverary with games 1 through 6 much cheaper and then purchase kings quest 7 separately much cheaper

I need help playing my King's Quest on XP
I got the King's Quest Colection Series a while back, only paid 30 bucks for it so I see that I am lucky :-), anyways, I LOVE these games but I just got a new computer with XP and all that and now I can't play the games!! I read in a review below that it is possible to play them, I just have to turn my compatibilty back to Windows 95 but I looked and can not find that anywhere! Someone PLEASE help me with this because I absolutely LOVE these games and want to play them now... Please Email me at kel192004@yahoo.com with any information. Thanks everyone!

Getting Hard To Find
For those of you criticizing the prices here on Amazon for this amazing collection i find it kind of funny. Most of you (myself included) have no problem plopping down 50 bucks for a new game but when it comes to the greatest collection of games EVER released including the first 7 Kings quest games, and a remake of the first 1 - with better graphics only available in this collectionas well as a host of other classic adventure games and other bonuses to numerous to list 100 bucks or so starts to sound like a bargain - and believe me you probably wont save any money on ebay on this one - hard to find is a gross understatement. (Supply and demand)

I have my copy and i love it.

You can run games on XP
I won't bother repeating how wonderful ALL of the games are, because everyone has either said it or already knows it. I am writing this in response to the review that says you cannot run it on XP- you can. You must change the compatibility settings to windows 95. Right click, and go to properties. You will see the compatibility tab.Just change the settings to windows 95 and check all the boxes.

Great ride but not worth the price of admission
The Kings Quest collection is, in my opinion, the best adventure series ever but these prices that the people are selling them at are utterly and stupidly ridiculous! Now as far as the games are concerned, EVERY game in the series is great and awesome there really isn't a bad game in the whole series and the way each game connects from the last is done perfectly and brilliant. I think the best way to describe this series is like playing a awesome novel that always keeps ahold of your attention. Now as far as the price concerns obviously these greedy jackasses are asking for WAY too much. Mainly because these games are meant to be played on older systems, KQ 1-4 are DOS games and KQ 5-7 were designed for WIN 3.1. I have a Pentium II processor and run WIN98SE and I sometimes have problems running KQ 5-7 so I could imagine this collection wouldn't work too well if at all on more modern systems. Even if you do have an older computer and want to purchase this collection you could find it for alot cheaper on ebay (little hard to find but be patient there's usually someone selling it.) So to summarize, Awesome, kick ass, rocking games but overpriced by greedy jackasses so check Ebay. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best RPG ever!!!
This game is sooooo fun.It also keeps you playing over and over again.I also like that none of the creatures your character has to kill are human.I love to build characters starting from the ground up and make them special according to how you pass out skills and stat points.

A good collection, but technically disappointing
The biggest problem with this collection is its variable technical standards. While the cinematics presented here arguably look and sound better than the versions that come as part of the individual games (the WARCRAFT 3 and DIABLO 2 cinematics are presented here with optional Dolby 5.1 surround sound), they fall short of what is expected of the DVD standard.

DIABLO 2 and STARCRAFT are presented in non-anamorphic widescreen with a somewhat low bit rate. Both look quite blurry, although the contrast and color levels are quite good. However, their aspect ratio (which worked out at around 2.20:1 in the game versions) is not presented correctly. The image is stretched, resembling something like 1.85:1. I also felt that they were quite jerky, especially DIABLO 2.

WARCRAFT 3 is theoretically superior, with an anamorphic transfer. However, the image is marred by an odd "blocky" effect that look like the resolution was converted very poorly. While perhaps not noticeable on a small TV, it was clearly visible to me on my 48" widescreen. The positive side is that the colors are nice and deep, and there is none of the jerkiness that the other two titles exhibit.

The extras are mostly very good, with interesting audio commentaries. The WARCRAFT 3 commentaries are a little dry, but they do impart some interesting facts.

Awesome CGI shorts on less than stellar DVDs
These CGI short films are collected from Blizzard games of the past few years - Starcraft, Diablo 2, and Warcraft 3.Great games in their own right, fans were amazed that the cinematics reached Hollywood-level quality.Early work in Starcraft was somewhat crude, but Blizzard's latest efforts are the best in the industry, showing subtle lighting effects and beautiful art design.No feature films, not Shrek or Monsters Inc or Final Fantasy, can match the wonderful mix of realism and exagerated fantasy in Blizzard's work.I strongly recommend this box set for any Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or gaming fan.

The DVDs are seperated, 1 for each game, and they come with standard extras - audio commentary for each film, concept artwork, storyboards, trailers and commercials, and even a Warcraft trivia game.I delve into each individual DVD below, but....

Sadly, this box set is less than perfect.Blizzard could have - should have - combined everything onto 1 DVD, there is so little material here.Instead, you get the same 3 DVDs already available for each of these games: the Starcraft DVD and the 2 DVDs from the collectors' editions of Diablo 2 and Warcraft 3.If you own these things already, you'll discover nothing new here.

Blizzard's greatest crime was to forget the cinematics for the Diablo 2 expansion, Lord of Destruction.You won't find it in this collection.The story for each game is hard to follow for anyone who hasn't played the games (although the audio commentary sometimes helps).Also, the enhanced resolution for these movies isn't that much of an improvement - Diablo 2 and Warcraft 3 films look virtually the same, and Starcraft movie improve TOO much, such that their faults from old-age show through.

STARCRAFT:This DVD is the oldest, and the crudest, the simplest.However, it is interesting to watch Blizzard's artists grow, and the films are still entertaining, especially a Marine investigation on a science vessel that turns into a 5 minute remake of Aliens.The films from the Starcraft Expansion are considerably improved, more complex, more atmospheric. The story involves 3 races in a galactic war, with a huge cast of characters and events.The human Terrans are at war with each other when the organic Zerg horde attacks, while the mysterious Protoss wait in the shadows.The commentary will help you figure out the plot, and is entertaining in itself.

DIABLO 2: This is easily the best DVD of the 3, because the Diablo movies are the most compelling, most visually striking, and they tell a complete story, which runs parallel to the players' quest in the game.It follows the tragic failure of the Wanderer, a hero who once defeated Diablo, Lord of Terror, only to become possessed and later consumed by the demon.The films show incredible battles, one between Diablo and beautiful archangel Tyreal, and another in a burning inn, with skeletons and other nightmares leaping straight from the flames.

The game ended in a cliffhanger, and Blizzard choose not to include the films from the later expansion which resolved this.However, the teaser trailers for Diablo 2 are the best "new" material in the box set, because they show things you won't find in the game.There is also some early Blizzard CGI work, from Diablo 1 and Warcraft 2.Watch this, THEN watch Starcraft, and you'll understand why we were so excited when SC first came out.

WARCRAFT 3:While WC3 is the newest and technically the best of the DVDs, I feel that the artistic direction was somehow a step backwards for this game.The WC3 films are bright and very, very beautiful, but somehow they don't stand as "tall" as Diablo 2.

Warcraft 3, like Starcraft, has multiple races at war with each other.The human kingdoms are fighting each other when the Undead Scourge attack suddenly, all while the mysterious Night Elves wait in the shadows (sound familiar?).The orcs travel on a journey of racial freedom, and eventually join forces with the Elves and Humans to drive back a demonic invasion from another dimension, the Burning Legion.

Most of the films are very good, but those that feature the lord of the Burning Legion are boring, especially the climax of the story and the game, which was a major letdown.The audio commentary is also boring, getting lost in obscure technical details and not telling enough of the story to follow along.A Warcraft trivia game is a nice extra, though.

There, I hope I gave enough information... =)

This is GRRRRREAT
Mine worked GREAT!Don't you know you could have gotten a dud or something?Or maybe your dvd player was just messed up.Anyway, all three of them worked perfectly for me, with PERFECT tranfers from the game cinematics. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great game
Trophy Bass 3D was the first fishing sim I bought. TB4 is much better and has several very cool features. I like the point-of-view camera view (angler view). It gives you a real "you are there" perspective. The fish graphics are a bit dated (remember this is a 2000 game). The lure selection is incredible, and so is the variety of lakes offered. Something for everyone. Do a google search and download the demo. You will end up buying the full game. I switch back between this game and Bass Fishing 2003.

Realism Is the Key
Trophy Bass 4 is the most realistic fishing simulation I have ever played.Every weather condition has a different effect on the fish as to where they are located on each individual lake.Also every type of weather condition calls for different lure techniques for those situations. This game will test your knowledge and skill.If you do not have this game already I strongly suggest picking it up.

Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 4 will get you 'hooked'!
In the UK, as it could be said around the world, fishing has been described as THE favourite outdoor pastime and 'Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 4' has brought the thrill of the catch to the confines of your lounge.

It features over 30 species of freshwater gamefish including Stripers, Walleyes, Catfish and Muskies.

On your boat, you will have 1000's of rod, reel and lure combinations available to you along with underwater sonar, map and compass and two kinds of motor propulsion.

You can play either single fishing trip, career mode or even online in the multiplayer link-ups, fishing on dozens of reknowned lakes throughout the USA.

There is so much to this game that I cannot begin to give it justice.I'm 'hooked' and I can't even fish for 'reel'! (almost a pun there).

If you love to fish...
I love to fish but I had an unfortunate injury some 20 years ago and I use a wheelchair to get around. This lets me fish whenever & places that I probably would not get a chance to go fishing at. I only wish it had a few more lakes in the northern part of the USA or even Canada. Even the great lakes would be cool. Overall I love the game and all the options that it gives you.

I can't fish worth a lick but I love this game!
I got this for my husband and I think I've played it as much as he has!I love it!I am no good at fishing, so I put it on "easiest," and it is so fun!I just do it to catch fish and have a little fun, so "easiest" is a good level of difficulty for me ha ha.When my husband asked for this for his birthday, I thought, "eeewwww.Well if that's what he wants..." and now I monopolize it!It's great fun, even for the non-fisherman/woman. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

A fantasy game of the dungeons-and-combat variety, Quest for Glory 5: Dragon Fire allows players to customize a hero and send him to Silmaria, a country whose king has been murdered. In order to flush out the perpetrator, you must enter the race for the throne, completing seven Rites of Rulership. First, of course, you must earn the required entry fee, either by slaughtering monsters or competing in arena combat.

Sound all too drearily familiar? A few intriguing features do separate this game from all of its fantasy role-playing siblings. The greatest of these is a sense of continuity with the previous Quest for Glory games. Not only do characters from older stories re-emerge--sometimes newly married, or better established in their careers--but you can import your old characters into Dragon Fire. Instead of starting anew, you can continue a long seamless adventure with a familiar hero. Other nice touches include a rarely seen haggling system, whereby you negotiate the prices of food, weapons, and spells with their various venders. The occasional treachery of seemingly trustworthy characters and a great sense of humor also add nice dimensions to the Quest for Glory universe.

Being tied to earlier games, though, gives this one less flexibility. You cannot play a nonhuman character--you cannot even play a female hero--and players are restricted to a few very broad character classes. Character statistics and customization options are also on the simple end of the spectrum, making the game seem older than it is. On the plus side, Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire has sharp graphics, some very tough dungeons, and a streamlined, easy-to-use interface. Most of all, it tells a good story and allows long-term players of this series to retire their hero in style. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Time heals all wounds
To be honest, I was quite disappointed with this game when it came out.How could you end such a great series like this?Having played through the Quest for Glory series again just now several years later, I have come to a somewhat different perspective.The game had some inescapable strikes against it from the get go, and all things considered, is a fine ending to the QfG series.

When you get right down to it, the Quest for Glory series peaked with "Trial by Fire", the second installment, and it was all downhill from there.Besides being a ridiculously large, fun, complex game, you saved a nation (if not the world) from an insane wizard trying to release an evil god, and became a Prince as well as a Paladin or Wizard if you chose that path.After that, there really wasn't any place for the series to go.The third game was basically just a remake of "Trial by Fire", and the fourth while basically "restarting" the series by stripping you of your inventory and throwing you into a town where you had no friends (in a way a remake of QfG 1), ended up using more or less the same plot as QfG 2.

Another important part of the game that died with QfG 2 was the hated text parser.Apparently everybody but me hated typing commands in, but this was incredibly important to the series.All of the games are really like mystery novels in that you have to figure out who the bad guy is and how to beat him/her by the end of the game.To do so, you had to be a good detective and ask the right people the right questions.In QfG 3 and beyond however, this challenge is removed as in each conversation you are provided a list of topics to discuss.So it is possible to "brute force" every conversation by asking every single question available in order to solve the puzzles.

Finally, the fourth game took a different angle with the series by developing closer relationships between the main character and the NPCs, developing two potential love interests.It worked great for the 4th game, but it created a big problem for the 5th game:how do you write a story accomodating a choice between several different love interests (among other things)?The answer is, you don't.This is a problem of trade-offs that plagues ALL RPGs:because the game only has so much development time available, it can be made so that you can be/do whatever you want, but nothing really matters (Baldur's Gate, Arcanum), OR you can play a specific character the authors had in mind, which can involve an extremely detailed plot that you are not allowed to deviate from (Final Fantasy).Trying to do both is like making 5-6 games at once and selling it for the same price.By going with the "multiple ending choice" route, Quest for Glory 5 would naturally be much lighter on the details than the earlier games.

So it was a bit much to have expected QfG 5 to be some sort of masterful conclusion to the series.Especially since there seemed to be some major issues with development of the game itself.All in all, it turned out pretty decent.The combat/magic system I thought was pretty awesome overall, allowing for epic battles against large numbers of enemies.The graphics were very nicely done.There were plenty of new abilities/spells for the paladin and wizard.The plot was interesting enough and had all the old crew back.

I would say QfG 5 is BYOD -- Bring Your Own Dialogue.You're the main character, you know the characters well from the previous games.Imagine the dialogue and story playing out as you like as you play the game.Don't expect the writers to have to basically write 5-6 games to accomodate the possible choices you take.Above all, enjoy the game for what it is, a fine chance to complete your character's quests, say goodbye to your friends and close out the series.

Glory
Quest For Glory 5: Dragon Fire is not merely the end of a great series, but the end of an era for the entertainment compant Yosemite Entertainment. As a great fan of the series, "Hero" has journeyed from the town of Spielburg to the fog-ridden lands of Mordavia, Raseir, Fricana (not in this order) - and finally the village of Silmaria.

In a game of this ilk, graphics plays second fiddle to storyline and gameplay, and it is in these two areas that Qfg5 excels. Transported to the island of Marete and its capital, Silmaria(modeled after ancient Greece), "Hero's" last adventure is fraught with peril and mystery. The music is professional orchestral, with sweeping tones unlike any other game I have encountered.

Now to the plot. Decades ago, the peaceful island of Marete was plagued by a dragon. Seven pillars were constructed with ancient spells, forcing the dragon into its lair. Lately, however, following the brutal assasination of the King of Silmaria, invaders from distant lands rampage across the country, pillaging mercilessly. Compounding the trouble is the prophecy that the blood of a murdered being will destroy the pillars, freeing the dragon from its enchantment...

An enthralling plot, filled with characteristic offbeat Lorey and Corey Cole humor, fantastic music and solid gameplay cement Qfg5's position as a good final instalment to the series and possibly the greatest of the Quest for Glory epics, sure to please fans of the series and provide a closure in "hero's" final adventure.

THE BEST RPG EVER!
This truly is it.There is no other game that effectivley combines the previous games and truly comes up with a greater and more exciting conclusion.There are so many subquests and mysteries while on your quest to beomce the King of Silmaria.There's action, adventure, romance, and gorgeous 3-D graphics!You can choose you own destiny while being any one of four characters.I am a total rpg fan and I loved it!This is a game that you will truly want to play over and over again.

My favorite RPG of all time
I have owned this game for a few years now, and still I've found nothing I enjoy more. I have noticed some reviewers saying that QFG5 is nothing but a big inside joke with a hard to follow plot. I disagree. In fact, I have never even played any of the previous releases in the QFG series, and this one still ranks as my favorite. Even though I am not familiar with the characters from the previous installments, their appearance in this one doesn't seem out of place. You become familiar with the hero's past and just enough backstory is added so that new players can enjoy it just as much as the old. As for criticisms that the plot is confusing, I also disagree. I never had any problems following the plot except that there was one puzzle I couldn't solve without eventually seeking help. I knew what I had to do, but a mental block kept me just out of reach from the solution. My sister played this and figured out the solution immediately, so I think it's a flaw in the gamer, not the developers, so to speak. Ah, but where was I? Oh yes. Wonderful, magical, atmospheric game that is second to none!

A great game in a great tradition
The editorial review above is a little misleading. In no way is Quest for Glory - whether it's game 1 or game 5 or anything in between - intended to be Dungeons & Dragons-like. Rather, it is a unique blend of RPG and adventure. This is a game which requires THINKING, and there are often a number of different ways in which to tackle the quests in the game.
To begin with, the player has four options re character: fighter, mage, thief, or paladin (imported). Naturally there will be different skills involved.
The hero finds himself yanked to Silmaria (based loosely on ancient Greek culture) to answer a call for help. Someone's assassinated King Justinian, and to find the assassin is the hero's major job. However, he must also compete in a Leadership challenge, consisting of seven rites to prove his fitness. He has the option of also competing for the position of Chief Thief if he is so inclined, and using his fighting techniques in the arena. Some interesting side-quests can also be filled - for full points, the side-quests ought to be followed.
The graphics are beautiful, the atmospere of the game both exciting and with an almost fairy-tale quality - and it's filled with cute little one-liners and funny responses in the great tradition of Sierra adventure games.
It's infinitely more rewarding to play this game without reading a walkthrough - but if you get stuck, there are some excellent sites online to give you either hints or "spoilers" (detailed instructions for a particular step). The only quibble I had was that I felt Sierra had rushed the ending of this game somewhat. Yet in terms of enjoyment, it's a gorgeous game that focuses more on great storyline than kill'em slash'em games made today. For a charming and challenging game in the style that alas is not often produced today (let's hope things change), I highly recommend QfG5: Dragon Fire. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Build on the terror and adventure of Diablo with this expansion set. The software adds 12 new weapons, five new spells, 29 new foes, and the Monk, a new and powerful ally. There is also a whole new story to unravel and new demons to destroy. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Diablo fans must own
If you are a hard line Diablo fan, you must get this expansion otherwize your collection would be incomplete. I dont even have to play the game to enjoy it, just knowing I can play it anytime I want is good enough.

good...but can get boaring...
im surprised that there only selling a used 1 4 $20(can.And i realy like it because u can get a barb and a barbarian from just downloading a file!by the way...the Ka-rul(the evil guy in the game)doesnt match the story...like who heard of a guy named Ka-rul!but there are 8 new levels and new Quests...but is it worth it?I dont feel like getting diablo battle chest 4 $40(can).

Add more life - and death - to Diablo
System on which this was tried out: Pentium III 733 MHz, nVidia TNT 2 Pro, 128 MB RAM, Win98, with a monitor with 1024 x 768 resolution. Hellfire must be installed on top of an existing Diablo install, and requires the Diablo disc rather than its own to actually play.

Being a Sierra product, the installer will install Sierra utilities in your startup menu if you don't already have it, with no option to skip them (although you can uninstall it separately); the utilities are the Sierra-typical uninstall/readme/support/auto-update. Auto-update, if invoked, asks you to connect to the net, searches your system for Sierra products, then queries Cendant Software's site to check for any patches or other updates, including updates to the Sierra utilities package itself. (The original Hellfire release must be patched for the town characters to properly interact with you, for instance - otherwise their Gossip mode will be stuck.) The Sierra utilities wind up under Program Files on drive C, no matter where the user asked the actual game to install, and the icon for the utilities is added to the start menu.

Once you have Hellfire installed and patched, you'll see some differences from (actually, additions to) baseline Diablo right away as you start your next new character. A few new character types have been added. (For a basic Hellfire install, only Monk has been added, but if you download and apply the Purgatory modification on top of Hellfire, you'll get Bard and Barbarian as well; their icons look like Warrior and Rogue, respectively, but they have a different mix of skills.) Also, a new game can be started at any of 3 difficulty levels - but a weak character has little chance against the higher levels, so prudence is recommended.

A nice bonus is that Hellfire gives you the option of *running* in town, regardless of your character.

You'll also see new types of items to pick up.
- Oils. Some allow you to repair your weapons without running to the blacksmith, while others improve their statistics, such as Oil of Accuracy and Oil of Fortitude.
-"Runes". These aren't related to Diablo II's runes; they're plain-looking gadgets that cast a single spell when set off, like crude grenades, such as Rune of Fire, or Rune of Stone.
- New types of scrolls, such as Search (*very* helpful for locating any loot in your vicinity; Search temporarily gives them an aura and marks them on your map).

Hellfire also adds 8 additional levels. A new farmer character has been added to the town of Tristram, and he has a problem that he won't discuss with you until he knows you fairly well - that is, your character must have a minimum expertise before he'll give you the explosives you need to break open the Hive south of town. The Hive is 4 levels deep, and contains 2 new quests that you'll always receive leading to two Level Bosses. Defeating the final Level Boss in the Hive will give you the key needed to enter the remaining four new levels, via a crypt in the cathedral's graveyard.

The Hive's monsters are mostly variants of giant insects covering several different physical types with different kinds of attacks. As well as scorpions, spiders, and boar-like monsters, there are monsters that spit poison or acid, and giant floating orbs with tentacles that shoot energy bolts at you - and hunt in packs, of course. The Hive's labyrinth generates random mazes, as does the original Diablo engine, so the replay value is very high, and its atmosphere is well done - the 'walls' look like a wasp's nest, and instead of breaking open barrels to hunt for goodies, the Hive offers pods.

The Vault has an even wider range of new and interesting beasts: lichs (undead beings with a ranged attack), satyrs, Anubis-like creatures that look like animated metal statues, firebats like those who appeared later in Diablo II. The final Vault level is something of a set piece because of the Level Boss' prison. The Vault also provides the Cornerstone of the World, a place that is the same in all worlds - that is, a mechanism for allowing different single player characters to exchange items.

Lame
I was expecting something good from the expansion even though it isnt multiplayer, the only reason to play diablo is the multiplayer. Dont buy this. Go get diablo ii

If you like Diablo 1, you'll like this add on pack
First, if you are having troubles with games crashing or locking up on your computer, you probably need new video drivers. Go to the manufacture's web site and download them following the instructions carefully.

Second, I worked on this game so yes those "hacks/cheats" were put in there. We thought you folks who liked Diablo would like to have a litte more fun with the game.We couldn't get an artist to do the character work at the time. Sorry, so it reuses the character art for the Barbarian and the Bard. Oh well, use your imagination, the character class data is all there. There is art for the cow quest and the "theoquest" The later was pulled by the game design team after we had all the work done. So we left it in for you to judge and play with.

Yeah that cow quest has people laughing out loud. You will too. It's probably not as good as the Diablo 2 cow level, but we had a limit to the amount of stuff we could hide on the CD.

Ok, So you've got my interest, how does it work?
Well create a text file called "command.txt" in the same directory as the hellfire.exe file, using your favorite editor, in it put the following line
cowquest;theoquest;bardtest;multitest;barbariantest

You only get the barbarian with the patch to 1.01. (you'll have to hunt elsewhere for it. It's probably on the Sierra site, but if not, its still on a lot of the fan boards.) It doesn't hurt to have extra stuff in the file. It's only a text file for pete's sake.

Each of the names between the ";" enables a different feature. If you don't like them, just remove them from the command.txt file. Pretty simple huh? Well that's 'cause we designed it for you to be able to do this.

Oh, these are SINGLE PLAYER characters. And if you want real art, and full multiplayer support for these characters buy Diablo 2. It has a more fully developed Barbarian.

So have fun,.....Your game developers at Sierra...... ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

"Jumbolicious"--that's Jellyvision's entirely accurate and adequate one-word description of this uber-collection of You Don't Know JACK, their award-winning, cake-taking, mega-popular trivia game. JACK Jumbo is the natural evolutionary descendant of previous JACK packs (JACK Huge, The Irreverent Collection, etc.), but this one towers over its predecessors, boasting over 4200 questions in all. This super-size JACK comes equipped with five separate games: YDKJ volumes one through three (each weighing in at 800 questions), YDKJ: The Ride (800 questions), and YDKJ Offline (1000 questions).

The first three volumes are straightforward fare, certainly familiar to anyone who's seen or played YDKJ: you're convincingly immersed in a hip, TV-style game show, buzzing in (by yourself or with up to two other players) to answer questions for cash. As with all the JACK titles, it's not so much the idea of the game (trivia) as the incredible production values and the in-your-face, often laugh-out-loud delivery that makes the game such a kick in the pants.

YDKJ: The Ride makes a slight departure from the game show motif (no green room!), as contestants travel through different "floors" answering questions, but adds the nice touch of having hosts from all the previous installments come back to make guest appearances. YDKJ Offline--as you might have guessed--is the offline version of the popular JACK the netshow.

An excellent value, YDKJ Jumbo comes through with a heavy dose of JACK style, perfect for die-hard JACK fans or anyone looking for a lot of laughs and massive replay value. --Paul Hughes

Pros:

• All the fun and insanity of YDKJ in one neat package
• Tons of questions--game holds up well to repeat play
• Great for both JACK fans and those who don't know JACK

• Some players may be turned off by YDKJ's wit

Reviews (13)

Just get YDKJ 4 The Ride
I'm a big fan of you don't know jack, so i got this jumbo thing. I would highly recommend it. Great game, very witty, and fun for parties or grilling your friends to see who is "better" in general. My fav edition is 4 "The ride". IF you only buy one, get this one

buy it buy it
these are the five best ydkj games. they were the first that i bought.i like 3, the ride, and offline better than 1 or 2 but theyre good to have anyway.i;ve sat in front of m computer for hours playing and laughing at the hilarious questions.

JUMBO
You Don't Know Jack Jumbo contains V1 V2 V3 V4 and the all new offline V1 The game that started it all. V2 The sequel to the award winning party game. V3 New question types like impossible super audio etc. V4 The Ride the exciting JACK game Offline 1000 questions and ... about a question question. These games can (and will!) make you LOL. Warning. Rated T.

Excellent!
I love the 'You Don't Know Jack' games, and this has 5 of the best of them all together!The games are full of so much great sarcasm and they are a ton of fun! My friends and I love the questions and they build our uselessinfo knowledge! What could be better? These games are definately a bigplus!

One of the best party games ever!
the most fun I've had on the computer. The thing that gets to you is howits totally non-repetitive. The dialog is seamless unlike many sports games("forsberg SHOOTS! he SCORES what a great WRIST SHOT") Tons ofuseless information great for conversations. Dozens of play modesthroughout each version will definitally keep you playing. Another funaspect is the hidden stuff. New play modes, jokes and tricks pop up everyso often(Question: you know what would be really good right about now?Answers: A. Hot Dog B. Taco C. Pizza D. Nachos). I can reccomend this foranyone who wont mind simulated insults and the occasional adult themedquestion. Its also a great value. Buying all the games seperately(if youcan find them) would exceed this price by far. A nearly perfectcompillation! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Grand Prix Legends is a racing simulation based on the drivers, teams, tracks, and cars of the 1967 Grand Prix Season--a season known as the most dangerous in racing history. The game features fast unstable cars, historical racetracks, and some of the world's most famous drivers. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Updateable to current standards in 2005
Although the out of box product may appear somewhat dated, please note that the Papyrus design team have released a "GPL 2004 demo" as freeware, and this is in effect a complete upgrade to this product, produced with the co-operation of many modders/designers.There are new car graphics, sounds and force-feedback effects.Combine this product with the freeware "demo" and you have a state of the art historic F1 simulation which is still a bear to drive.The out of pocket expense is ridiculously low, given the price of new sims, and I would recommend this (with the upgrade--find it yourself) without reservation.But be warned: this is an uncompromising simulation, and hardly suitable for a casual gamer.

Classic is best..!
Thank you..!

Which is precisely why I prefer an old classic road car such as my humble 1500cc, 1971 VW Beetle, as opposed to a modern day all bells ringing, singing and dancing, clinical, spiritless non-DIY friendly modern day high performance vehicle.

Creature comforts aside, you don't have to break the speed limit nor the bank to experience the physical limitations of such cars.

Need I say anymore?

Case rested. For those who don't know now. You'll never know. Your loss is my gain.

Of course if you're of adequate means the above isn't an issue. Simply pay your fee and enjoy your track day etc. :)

Well done Sierra for enlightening the previously unfamiliar..!

Sonicpixy

This simulation is not 6 years old .
I think there is unanimity about the quality of this simulation . I just want to highlight the fact that, as soon as you install it as a 1998 graphically obsolete software, you have just put the foot in the door. In the next hour(s), through free downloads from the web, you will polish it into what I think is still the best road circuit simulation in 2004 : photo quality graphics, hundreds of circuits sometimes better than the originals ( you'll find the old Monza with the oval, Ile of Man TT, Limerock Park, Oulton Park, Le Mans, Laguna Seca ....) . Someone provides force feedback, someone else a Nurburgring tutorial ... it never stops. There are online leagues everywhere from Brazil to Sweden and you get all that stuff, legally, for less than $10 . Come on in !

A classic
Fond memories of this one.This game was way ahead of its time.I think it came out around 1997, and plenty of people still play it as of late 2003 from what I hear.It had/has very good graphics, outstanding engine sounds, and an excellent physics model.These '60's Gran Prix F1 cars are very difficult to keep on the track.And rightly so, because like their real world counterparts, they have very skinny tires and no wings for downforce.A must have for racing enthusiasts.

Grand PrixLegends
This game must be experienced to understand, very simply it is the best. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

i love warcraft 2 almost as much as warcraft 3
i love this game is really really good

here is my resuilts
overall -8
-graficks err whatever-4 really outdated
gameplay online-10 computer-3
controls -10 really easy love it
overall im sorry it is not that good im not good at writing reviews but hey i still play it and it is 2005 i really love it almost as much as warcraft 3 i am not a kid but i did not fealll like putting my name in...

Build Armies and defeat your enemies
Warcraft Two is a strategy and battle game.Not turn based, timing is of the essence in gameplay, building your farms, barracks, training soldiers and pesants to mine gold and chop lumber faster than your enemy in order to build your armies defeat the enemy.

However, I've found that computer opponents tend to be predictable, and so easy to beat.I've become practiced at playing the same scenario with one, two, three, four, and even five opponents.Because the computer generated opponents are fairly simple, they don't have much sense, and will get "stuck" at an obstacle, or rush blindly into traps.Still, with enough opponents the custom scenarios can be challenging and have you scrambling to keep up production of soldiers, catapults, dragons or gryphon flying fighters, and building walls of farms and cannon towers in defense of the onslaught.

Depending on wether or not you're playing as Orc or Human there are a few slightly different ways the individual charachters move or fight, and there are some entertaning speech recordings on all the charachters, just keep clicking them and they'll react with annoyance, or seasickness, or the secret of the sheep flock!

A classic game, and one which is still fun to play, and is often much more reasonable in price than many of the newer games out on the market today.Watch out when using cheat codes, as many of them will give the same benefit to your enemy as they do to you. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Better
I enjoy Hoyle Board Games 2004 better than previous versions.Would recommend it to anyone (if you can find this version anymore).

Rigged games
The programmers for Sierra Entertainment which produced this game, have a warped sense of "sadistic" humor. Many of the games are rigged, especially the backgammon game. The dice does not generate "random" numbers, but is coded to ensure the computer "opponent" always wins under certain configurations. My advice: Look elsewhere. DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF JUNK.

Fun to the last piece
Overall I've been very amused by this game. Games included were chess, checkers, chinese checkers, pachsi, dominoes, backgammon, mancala, snakes & ladders, zen bones, reversi, line 'em up, plane racer, and battling ships (AKA battleship with awesome screen effects). Some characters were annoying but I liked the T-Rex a lot. The ability levels were pretty good. Great screen effects and nice background music.

Awesome and lots of fun
I just got the game today and my 8 yr old son and I are having a ball.This is exactly what I was looking for.Had I known about it sooner, I would've ordered it.The main reason I bought this was because members of my family (up to 4 people) can play the games against each other instead of always playing against the computer like other board games cd-roms.Of course you still have the option of playing against the computer too.I don't know if Hoyle Table Games 2004 has the same capability.The graphics are sensational. They really look like the real board games. My son got a kick out of the noises it makes.Before purchasing, I tried desperately to find out exactly what games were on it and couldn't. So for those interested some of the games it has are Backgammon, Battling Ships, Checkers, Chess, Chinese Checkers, Dominoes, Double Cross, Mahjong, Mancala, Pachisi, Reversi, Rummy Squares, and Yacht, all are my favorites.Installation is simple and the Face Creator is so cool.No regrets here.

Delivered as Promised
Received in mint condition & delivered on time! Thanks ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Orcs and humans have waged fierce battles across the scarred earth of Azeroth for many moons, with never an end in sight. In a move sure to make peons whimper and paladins pray, Blizzard is extending the carnage with WarCraft II: Battle.Net Edition.

Given WarCraftII's status and dedicated fan base, it's no surprise that the single-player game is untouched. The excellent Beyond the Dark Portal expansion set is included with the original Tides of Darkness, creating four campaigns and 70 missions that remain fun despite their age. The Orc and Human armies obviously have nearly identical strengths and weaknesses, but as in the past, the art and sound cues make them feel worlds apart.

The real selling point is the vastly improved multiplayer experience. Aligning WarCraft II with Blizzard's other titles, more than one hundred multiplayer maps now let you take the struggle for Azeroth to the free "battle.net" service. Setting up games is simple enough for an Orc to figure out, and you can play against (or with) up to eight human or computer opponents. No AI can match the challenge of a human player's unpredictability, and thanks to the worldwide ladder, you can fight tooth and claw for rank against players spanning the globe. --Jack Gardiner ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of my all time favorite RTS games ever
Although Warcraft 3 and its expansion have come out within the last few years, I still prefer Warcraft 2 a bit more. Yes the game looks kinda dated now, but it is still a blast to play. The game was fun in that it never got too complicated or anything so that newcomers could always have a good time. The map editor was easy to use and the online play in the Battle.net edition will keep you busy for a while. Anyways, if you've only played Warcraft 3 then it might be difficult for you to enjoy this game since it is so old, but if your willing to look past the graphics then you'll find a real gem.

Oops
Great game.It looks like amazon actually posted a screenshot of warcraft I: Orcs and Humans, instead of a picture from this game.

Aging but still good
This game has definitely been around for awhile, but there's a reason it's still played.It's fun!The interface is easy to use, and the 'tech tree' aspect is fairly simple so that even people who haven't played other rts games should have to trouble learning it.

There are a couple of downsides to this game, though in my opinion they aren't much of an issue.One is of course that the graphics are definitely aging and nothing spectacular.It's nice to be able to quickly recognize your units so that you can make the best use of them (high detail can get in the way of that) but don't expect the graphics to wow you.Also, this game runs on a 2D engine, rather than the 3D engine that more recent games are using.

Secondly is that I wasn't incredibly impressed by the campaigns.They tend to get a little repetitive, so most of the time I find myself just playing a custom game.

Another similar game I might recommend instead of this one would be Starcraft.The graphics are slightly better, and the game is just as interesting.Then of course there is Warcraft III out now, which has a 3D engine and a couple of additional races besides human and orc.Aside from the things I mentioned, this game really is very good.I've been playing it for years and haven't gotten tired of it yet!

Best Game Ever- period!
Warcraft2 is an awesome game that has been around a lomg time...a classic. While some say that its graphics are aging, I love the undetailed, squat Orcs, among other things. Welcme to the World of Warcraft!!!

RTS legend.
This game is the first RTS game that I have played along with Starcraft and Lords of the Realm 2. But Lords of the Realm 2 (Starcraft is a whole diffrent stoty) didn't have what Warcraft had. The easy to get used to gameplay with great graphics in terms of running smooth, the very low system requirement, and the satisfaction of the Battle.net. I have not played this game since 2000 (Because my dad broke my CD. Read my Starcraft Battle Chest review.) so I don't know if anyone plays online now but all I know is that I had the most fun playing this game back in 2000. I remember the satisfaction that I had with my friends after beating the opponent with my ogres and the dragons. This game ran fine when I used to have Intel Celeron 400MHZ, 64mb ram, and 56k modem. So if you get this game right now, you shouldn't have any technical problems. Also this game is very easy to get used to with easy gameplay and great graphics for an outdated game. This game is definitly a must have if you are a RTS fan. You should know that Warcraft started it all. It started the great RTS gaming genre. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Larry Laffer is one wild and crazy guy, especially around the ladies. For more than a decade, Sierra has published Leisure Suit Larry titles, selling upwards of 3 million copies of the lowbrow adventure games. Now all the gorgeous gals and hilarious hijinks are available in one CD-ROM with Leisure Suit Larry's Ultimate Pleasure Pack. It includes both the CGA and VGA versions of the title that got the party started: Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards and Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places). Leisure Suit Larry 3: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals lets the player experience life as both Larry and Patti, making it the first computer adventure that offers a sex change. Al Lowe, Larry's creator, promised after volume three that there wouldn't be a volume four, which takes us to Leisure Suit Larry 5: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover Work, with the innovative Grope-'n'-Click interface and the now famous Bodily Function Keys. Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! contains all the pathetic pickup lines, scathing comebacks, and '70s mood music Leisure Suit Larry connoisseurs have come to expect. Lastly, there is Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail!, which includes scratch-'n'-sniff smells and a feature that allows you to include your voice and face in the game (don't ask). As an added bonus, play five Vegas-style games while chatting over the Internet in Leisure Suit Larry's Casino.

Warning: the Leisure Suit Larry games are for mature audiences; they contain adult humor, sexual innuendo, risqué implications, and mature situations. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

These games are great
I grew up playing these games, and personally, I think that Leisure Suit Larry 1 the remake, 6, and 7 are the best, I just wish they wouldn't have scrapped the project on Larry 8.Al Lowe is great when it comes to these games!

Years of fun
I have owned these games for a long time and it is probably the only series that I replay again and again every few years (OK I do the same with the King's Quest series).Lots of laughs.

Entertaining
I recommend this collection of Larry games. They are very addicting and really fun to play.I only wish that they continued making these games.Anyways, this is a sure hit.

larry laffer the swinger of all swingers
ok if you liked the first leisure suit larry in the land of the lounge lizards then youll love this i meen its all of them xcept #4 since al lowe couldnt come up with an idea for the game after #3 cuz he pretty much tied a bow around it after larry and patti live happily ever after and what not but anywayz now that i bought this i have doubles of a couple of them but thats ok cuz leisure suit larry was the first game and best game i ever played on a pc and for only 39.99 come on now you cant beat it its a great deal for really good games.

A Great Classic
Well if you have ever played any of the Leisure Suit Larry games you know what to expect. Includes all the games except the 4th because for some reason they had to take it off the shelfs. Includes the original game which is just text, no pics, and the remake of the first one. A great game for larry fans and anyone that likes a more mature stratage game. Hours of fun. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The fourth volume of the award-winning party game tests your trivia knowledge through an onscreen game show. You Don't Know Jack allows one, two, or three players to battle wits, and Volume 4: The Ride includes 800 new questions and four new question types. (Ages 13 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (16)

dont buy this game
This game was so vulgar.Very inappropriate.I thought it was a trivia game but all they do is call you names and say bad words.Don't waste your money.

YDKJ, Revemped.
Some people thought that this would be the same Jack Game as all the others, one host and categories.But they were dead wrong.This YDKJ changed the entire universe of the game forever.New Question types include Roadkill, Jack Bingo, and a new way to screw your neighbor called FlakJack.Nate, Guy, Cookie, and Schmitty all host it at some point.Buzz is limited to being sent to the bottom countless times.Every game starts off with a Moral Dilemma question that whisked you to different episode "floors" in some Jack-topian high-rise.It's about as tall as the Empire State Building.The Jack Trivia Buiding, who ever thought of that?

Instead of just choosing a category, you now choose the VALUE, that's right, you heard correctly, of the question.It's the best jack ever!Ever!

I wish I could give this six stars
Man, this is the best YDKJ game ever!I own vols. 1-3, YDKJ TV, Movies, and YDKJ Netshow and needless to say, The Ride beats em' all!I love the new features such as "Roadkill" and "Bingo."Hosts Cookie and Schmitty are my faves!The game's hilarity ensues further when Buzz (host of YDKJ vol.2) tries to make his way to the top to host the show.I'm looking forward to more YDKJ products in the future.

Fast-Paced Awesome Game!
This Game Is GREAT! This Fast-Paced Game Has New Features Like B-I-N-G-O, Road Kill And More. Has Hosts The Can Take Over The Game In The Beginning (Every Like 16 Games). You've Gotta Play This Game!

Fast-Paced Awesome Game!
This Game Is GREAT! This Fast-Paced Game Has New Features Like B-I-N-G-O, Road Kill And More. Has Hosts The Can Take Over The Game In The Beginning (Every Like 16 Games). You've Gotta Play This Game! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Bad Software
Couldn't get to load on my XP-Pro System. Crashed my computer every time I tried something to get it to load.When I called the number for tech support, I was told that the free tech support expired and I'd have to pay for help. NEVERMIND! I returned software for refund.

GREAT FOR THE KIDS
I got a new computer, and the old games didn't work with it, so bought this.My granddaughter loves to play Go Fish when she comes over,and she was ticked to death to see I bought it for the new computer. I enjoy playing Euchre myself, so these games get a lot of use.

Hoyle Card Games 2003
Euchre:
I basically play euchre when my phone line is tied up.Otherwise I play on Yahoo!

Overall, Hoyle isn't too bad, but I find that even on the "advanced" setting, your partner is too timid, mostly by failing to lead trump on your call or order.However, they often order up from first with 2 bowers and no support, when they could have had 3 or 4 trump by passing for "next".

Also, 1st chair never donates.

Unrealistic loners, the computer often takes trick 1 with trump or off Ace, and properly leads the Right, but then leads offsuit to give the opps a chance to stop the loner.Even when holding JJ9, AK.

Pinochle:

In viewing the meld, you gain additional information that can be used later in the gameplay.The computer never makes use of this.Say your P in double-deck has 3 aces of diamonds (which you only know after the fact) and you make diamonds trump with a run (so the computer should know you have the 4th ace).You lead the Qd.Your P should play the 10 of diamonds and lead back at least 2 ace of diamonds before playing other suits.

Also, in the bidding, if you are in a game to 3550 and both teams have around 3000, you cannot count on your P to bid even if you have no marriage yourself.This is very frustrating because you now have to bid a lot more.I think it is so the player can have the glory, but I want the computer to play with the understanding that you must bid to win.

Canasta, Go Fish, Old Maid, You Name It!
The Hoyle Card Games are really great! There are many characters you can play against in the different games, with different personalities. The facemaker isn't as great as some other Hoyle Games, but I got used to the difference quickly. The only other negative is that only one person can play the gamesat a time, because otherwise you could see each other's cards. This is a really great game, though! I give it a thumbs up!

Hoyle Card Games 2003
I am satisfied with most games except for Bridge, the main reason I made the purchase. The players take far too long to respond and even longer to play their cards. It is so bad that I never even play bridge!
In hearts, the players make inappropriate comments when playing the queen of spades.
In gin rummy, you don't get a good look at the cards when the game is over.
Overall, the older versions are better for both the games and the characters. I look forward to reviews for the 2004 version to see if there is any improvement before I think of buying it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Despite the Red Baron, the Sopwith Camel, zeppelins, and otherfamous reminders of the oft romanticized aerial battles of World War I,the conflict has been grossly underrepresented in the gaming world.That's a shame, because when a game as fun as Red Baron 3-Dcomes along it only leaves us wanting more. This upgraded version ofRed Baron 2 is vastly better than the game that preceded it,from the improved 3-D graphics (if you have a 3-D accelerator thatsupports the Glide API) to the new flight models.

Flight simulator fans used to screaming around the sky at mach 2 willbe in for a bit of a shock. Few of the planes exceed 150 mph, and mostof your time will be spent at double-digit speeds. However, the slowspeeds do not make for a boring game. Thanks to a handy timecompression feature, climbing to a reasonable altitude doesn't take toolong, and the inherent instability of these crates means activehandling is required at all times.

Many of the 22 flyable planes in the game are extremely fragile. Youcan actually hear the wing spars creak and groan as you pull tightturns, often followed by a sickening "snap!" when novices are at thecontrols. Players can fly a variety of single scenarios or participatein complete campaigns, but the real fun of Red Baron 3-D is theonline play. No matter how good you are at the single-player game, anexperienced human player will pull off moves that make your head spin.Fortunately this is one of those games where practicing is actuallyfun, and the game's low price (and free multiplayer component) onlyadds to the appeal. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Much improved flight model
• Graphics look great (if you have a Glide-compatible 3-D videoaccelerator)
• Online multiplayer battles are a blast

• Players without a Glide-compatible video card will have to make dowith older graphics
• Fragility of aircraft and lack of radar and advanced weapons makethe game difficult for beginners

Reviews (26)

Best All Around WW1 Combat Flight Sim
Yes it is true! Dispite being released way back in, what was it, 1998? Red Baron 3D remains among the top of tier of combat flight sims.

If you are looking for this classic sim the bad news is that all origional published copies are sold out. The good news is that used copies are not hard to find. Shop around and try to get the actual Red Baron 3D game and not the upgradable Red Baron 2. Also, try and find a copy that includes the Red Baron 3D manual. This manual is chock full of everything you need to know about every aspect of the sim. There is a large section devoted to the pilots and aircraft of the period covered in the sim and lots of period photos. It resembles a paperback novel more than manuals found with PC games these days.

Other good news is that although the game/sim is old it has been lovingly modded and kept up to date by a large community of artists and programers. The game in its current state of modification hardly resembles the game as it was origionally shipped.

The Campaign in RB3D remains to this day the standard to which all others are held. Really, there is nothing else in the world of 3D flight sims that can compare to it. It is the key reason why so many have been flying and modding this sim over the years. Very little about the campaign is scripted. Once you take off from your aerodome how events unfold from then on depends largely on the decisions you make while in the air. While flying a mission there is a real sense of a war going on all around you. Looking off into the distance dogfights and ground fire that have nothing to do with your mission can be seen unfolding. I have seen planes little more than spects in the distance spinning out of control towards theearth shot down out of the sky, trailing smoke.

The game was programed to run on the now extinct 3dfx Voodoocards and Glide graphics. The game can be run in Direct Draw with modern video cards but it looks [...]. In order to run the game in Glide with a Nvidia or ATI card a Glide wrapper or simulator is used. The latest is called dgVoodoo and works great!

Anyway, I wanted to write up this review because the sim is still in use and message boards with enthuiastic modders and simmers from all over the world are currently active and they are a great place to getstarted and ask Qs about anything having to do withRed Baron 3D or any of its many mods and patches.

Here is a good place to start if you are ready to take the plunge!http://forums.delphiforums.com/swwisa/start

Huge five stars for this awsome game!
A huge five stars: Still my favorite game after five years and three upgrades, Red Baron 3D continues to be addictive in 2004. Unfortunately, the company that made the game is defunct, but there is a huge online community keeping the game alive with lots of awesome upgrades and options.I hope some rich guy, or perhaps a savvy game company resurrects this awesome game someday. I'm a huge fan of combat flight simulators, so I routinely buy all the new games. Nothing comes close to Red Baron for the sheer joy of dog fighting, the thrill of the hunt, and the fear of flaming death. The campaigns are virtually unlimited in their variety. The missions vary from routine to absolutely terrifying, requiring you to `bug out' or die plummeting in a flaming wreck. Even at the height of your skill, the lifespan of your pilots can be very short, or perhaps you will survive the war captured in a POW camp, maimed in a hospital, or victorious with a chest full of medals. A player has to be cunning and skilled to play this game and survive, but with some training, a bit of practice and some luck, you can become a canvas falcon and rule the skies as the Ace of Aces!

Red Baron 3D, More Than Just a Flight Simulator
Red Baron 3D is not your ordinary flight simulator program.Red Baron 3D is a highly interactive WWI flight simulation where you can immerse yourself in honorable combat in the skies above France.Red Baron 3D can be played in a wide variety of ways.You can choose your aircraft and fly against any one of many enemy aircraft flown by an AI pilot in whats called the "Fly Now" mode.You can create a pilot and fly from the beginning of WWI, flying realistic computer generated missions in the "Campain Mode".As your pilot gains experience and as the War progresses, your pilot will advance in rank and responsibility. In "Single Mission" mode, you can fly your choice of a number of missions that will test your skills as a WWI fighter ace.You can even generate your own missions to fly, such asbomber escort or intercept, offensive patrols, even balloon busting.You can also play via the internet and pit your skills against other players in real time from all over the world.To play via the internet, you will need to download and install an official Sierra patch called RB3D1078.EXE.This patch will allow you to see and play in the many game servers devoted to Red Baron 3D since WON.NET no longer supports internet play.There are numerous Web Sites devoted to Red Baron 3D where you can get information on how to play the game.

Regards;
JGS4SparksJ79bCO
Commanding Officer JGS4 Jasta79b, Red Baron 3D On-line squadron

Red Baron 3-D
I purchased this game via Amazon.com after playing Red Baron-2. Installed it and had nothing but problems. My system met the requirements to run it but the Campaign portion of the game refused to work. I contacted Sold Out for tech assistance but they were unable to solve the problem. They requested I return the game so they could check it for flaws. I plan to return the game to them(at my cost)and see what they come up with.
I was able to play Red Baron-2,by Sierra, and really liked it. This version is less than I expected and unless the flaws can be addressed, I wont purchase another game via Sold Out.

3-D not much improvement to an already great game.
Red Baron is easily the most challenging game i've ever played. It continues to confound me after years of play. I've never been able to get the online version to work, but that's OK because the "campaign" level is great. You must master the controls and be able to look off into one direction, while flying in another. You will build your pilot up while fighting in the Great War. If you see a red Fokker triplane come after you and you're flying for the French or British, get outta there! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

For Lords of the Realm II fans, Sierra announces more excitement, new combat, plus head-to-head combat on the Internet with other Lords of the Realm II fans. The Lords of the Realm: Royal Collection offers you everything you need. Get the original Lords of the Realm together with Lords of the Realm II and the Internet-ready Lords of the Realm II Siege Pack in the Royal Collection. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Bad.Bad,Bad.
the new lords of the realm 3 is Bad it is not as good as the original.please save your money go and buy yourself the original game you will be a much happier perso!Bad Bad!all they had to do was alow the original to be able to be played on EAther xp or windows 2000 etc ,just up date the game and everyone would be happy IT WAS A GREAT GAME ,this new game is BAD

bad
the new lords of the realm 3 is bad it is not as good as the original.please save your money go and buy yourself the original game you will be a much happier person!bad bad !

A classic
Lords of the Realm 2 was the first strategy game I played.A friend brought it over in 7th grade, and in the past 7 years it's been the one game I've gone back to repeatedly.I have yet to grow tired of this game.

First, I love the game's soundtrack.I've actually put all the music WAV files in a playlist...and while I'm on the subject of the audio, if you haven't listened to setup2.wav, DO IT!

As for gameplay, it isn't exactly the most complicated of strategy games, but I think that's part of what makes it fun.If you're going to create an army, wait for one of the merchants to come through so you can buy ale.It's much easier to feed people on grain than cows, and it doesn't hurt happiness.The Knight is a spoiled brat.It is music to my ears to hear "The county is yours, my lord..."After countless hours playing this game, things like these are what you will discover.Oh, and defending your first siege without losing a guy (and no auto-calc either)...now there's a feeling of intense pride.

If you can manage to get the (now flaky) multiplayer system to work anymore (it sure as heck wasn't designed for XP!), you're in for quite a treat.The Siege Pack adds in a new gameplay form, the Skirmish.This is the real-time battles of the game played separate from the game itself.These are great for when you don't have time to sit through the typical hours for an RTS, but have a taste for medieval battle.

Simple mathematics give you a winner
Although i have this game already for over 5 years, i still enjoy playing it. Sound, graphics and gameplay are great, considering the age of the game. The only sad thing perhaps is that you can perfectly calculate what to do in order to win the game: 1 cow feeds 10 people, next season i will have exactly produced 124 bows etc... The only random factors, which you can't influence at all, are events like the plague. If calculated well, you can defend one county against an invasion of all other counties together. So don't set the difficulty too easy. For the rest it is a recommender although its age.

lords2
it not working on lords play....and the cd is broken? ... Read more