Amazon.com Product Description

Solitaire and mahjong tiles are two classic card games now available on your computer with spectacular graphics, fun animation, and great sound effects. Play 30 variations of solitaire and mahjong tiles, featuring large numbers on the cards to make them easy to read. Play by yourself, or with a friend or family member on the same PC. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Beware this outdated software
This software is designed to run on a monitor at 640x480 resolution.This means that if you are using a relatively new computer (less than 5-6 years old) your resolution is probably greater than 640x480.If so, the game area will not fill your screen, rather it will shrink depending on how high your resolution is.The window you are running in will fill the screen, but Sierra fills the space not used by the shrinking game area with black.My monitor is a couple of years old, but was designed to run at 1280x1024.The actual game area uses about the center 1/3 of the screen.The card backs on the Solitaire are so small I have to strain to read them.I guess you could change your screen resolution before you play and then change it back afterwards, but that makes the game too much trouble for me.It is a shame too, because the games are quite good (probably 4 stars) if you can see them.

Not very Mac OSX-friendly . . .
Not sure how this package of games works on a PC, but is is not very Mac OSX-friendly, from what I can tell.(It is listed as Mac friendly, but I suspect it is probably more PC-oriented.)There are no drop-down menus, and finding instructions for the numerous games - - when there are some - - is not easy, either.The printed materials are virtually useless for this purpose, also.Finally, it seems to be fickle about whether it will let you add players.In short:the CD has dozens of games you can play; but if you are unfamiliar with the game's rules or objects, you wind-up having to try to figure it out for yourself.All-in-all, this CD is a letdown and not what one would expect from Hoyle.

There IS an Undo Feature
I almost didn't buy it because other reveiws said the game lacked an undo feature.Perhaps in older editions, but the one I bout last week has an undo for every game I've tried so far.

This game is tremendously varied.It will take months of steady play to go through every game once.The MaJong tiles even have an option where you can design your own layouts, if you ever get tired of the ones they have.

And you can decide to play with someone elso, too!I'm glad I've got it (although it may take more of my time than it should!)

Don't Make The Same Mistake I Did...
When we switched from a Mac system to a PC system,I needed to replace the Eric's Ultimate Solitaire that I had enjoyed on the former system.Because Eric's isn't available, I replaced it with Sierra's Hoyle Solitaire and Mahjong Tiles, the best I thought available. Boy was I wrong!Sierra's Hoyle Solitaire DOES NOT HAVE FEATURES/OPTIONS that are available on other software (not only Eric's Ultimate):

NO "AUTOPLAY", so every card must be clicked and dragged even when winning is definite;
NO "RETRY GAME" - you get one chance and that's it;
NO "HINTS";
"UNDO" is good for only one play;
NO "FLYING CARDS" option.

Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for a solitaire game and don't make the same mistake I did.

It's great
Hello... my name is Kelly... I would just like to say that i think this software is excellent and extrememly good... the only thing that i wish was that there were even more games for everyone to enjoy the fun of!!! haahaa! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Jane Jensen's spooky private eye is back for another round of supernatural mystery in Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned. This installment offers greater challenge and interactivity, with a fantastic 3-D engine designed specifically for the game. Each scene offers multiple vantage points and may or may not bring you another step closer to solving the game's ultimate mystery.

Play as Gabriel or his assistant, Grace, as they race against time to locate the young kidnapped son of a dethroned prince in the small French town of Rennes-le-Chateau. The backdrop is used to heighten the tension and add detail to the story, for just over 100 years ago bizarre real-world happenings enriched the parish church and may have led to the local priest's untimely demise.

The game offers a great balance of puzzles and investigative problem solving, often shifting from one to the other between scenes. Only rarely are hints offered, so if you get stuck, you may have to do some real-life investigation to track down other players who have published online help, but you shouldn't have to be an enlightened master to make it through the game. For the most part, persistence pays off, and the lush visuals and outstanding voice talent should help ease the sting of frustration enough to keep you going through the rough spots. Gabriel Knight 3 appeals to the eye, ear, and mind as well as the sense of the macabre--pick it up before the conspiracy hears about it!--Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (99)

Wonderful story and characters
I was sorry to end the game -- you get very attached to the characters, and the historical background is fascinating.I liked the video in GK2 and would have to say that the villain there doesn't have an emotional equivalent here, but Grace gets to play an even more important role.Music is great, and there are lots of Easter eggs and humor as well.

If you are a religious Christian, you may not want to buy the game; the ending has the potential to offend.

I am truly sorry that GK4 appears to be unlikely, I would by it in a heartbeat.

Bloody Good Game
Gabriel Knight has been a highlight of the Sierra titles since the first game came out years ago.BotS, BotD continues that tradition in a fully rendered 3-D environment that lets the player become immersed in the scenes of the crimes that truly adds to the fun of being an investigator of the paranormal, like a mix between CSI and The X-Files.Though the puzzles can be weird at times (getting cat hair with scotch tape to make a fake moustache), and the locals French accents get annoying, you'll love the story, adore the characters, and start to hope that Gabriel Knight 4 comes out very soon.

A fantastic game
While the third installment of the Gabriel Knigh series takes third place in the series(in my opinion, mainly due to the ending where I think Jane Jensen overstep a few boundries she shouldn't have), it is still a fantastic gaming experience that is EXTREMELY rare today and when the game was release. Part of what makes this game great is that it is a TRUE Adventure. Since the game industry which had once spurred with creativity had changed direction for the worst when greedy capitalists took absolute control and decided their new customers won't want to bother trying something new or understanding games and genres the selection of games and quality have declined to a unprecedented low. This genre, Adventure, as it is presented in this game and the entire series embodies what games used and are SUPPOSED to be like! Normally I never write review but one review I spotted for this game was so very ignorant and misleading that somebody needs to point out the numerous errors. It seems that Mr. Jason Moore does not want to put effort into learning anything about the series that he purchased a game from. First of all, NO game from the Gabriel Knight series is based on ANY book! Jane Jensen wrote the Gabriel Knight series as GAMES and afterwards wrote the books which are based on the games. You cannot get a very good understanding of the characters from the books as much as you can from the games. The main character is of higher quality to a person who played the earlier games from the series but still well crafted and has an interesting personality(And yeah, Jason Moore, he IS southern! He's from New Orleans!). The graphics engine displays very good graphics which would be pleasing to anyone but it is very heavy on the CPU and would seem buggy on a slow machine. Calling graphics outdate is a clear sign of ignorance of games. Graphics can NEVER be outdated, just poor. And GK3's graphics are neither. Graphics must fit the presentation of the game.Calling graphics outdated would be like calling using paragraphs in a book outdated. As far as Jason Moore's comment on story: This is an adventure game! It's all about the story! The story is the single most important part of an adventure game! The story in every Gabriel Knight are incredibly well written and intriguing. Jane Jensen is a fantastic writer who is few can come even dare to match both in game design and in books. You never have to read the books to play the game. In fact it is impossible to read the book to understand the game because the books are written after the games and the GK3 book has never even been written as far as I know. Gamers like the one previously mentioned are exactly the kind who caused the game industry to rot. Most game players do not even know what an adventure game is any more(RPGs and Adventure games are very different genres, contrary to miscategorization on many sites, including Amazon.com).

How can you give this less then 4 stars?
Truly a great adventure game. Now I was an "old-school" fan of adventure games back when developers cared about that genre. now adventure gaming is a dying breed, with only about one or two new adventure games coming out a year and most of those slipping through the cracks where only devoted fans hear about them. True fans are forced to the classics. Now this game in my mind is one of the true great adventure games along with the monkey island series, space quest series, and heros quest series. The game itself may confuse some non-adventure gamers, who don't understand the point of adventure games, but it will leave a great taste in your mouth when you finish it. Regardless if you played the past two Gabriel Knight games you can pick up the plot pretty easily and it draws you in and never lets go. Sneaking around churches and cellars hearing screams and seeing claw marks help set the mood of terror and suspense throught the whole game. This game is similar to one of the movies where the movie dosen't become great until the end when it all wraps up. A must buy for adventure fans, and for those gamers sick of shooting the same space aliens!

The Best Tale In Years
A scary intense story with deep felt characters and a world of mystery. It is truly a game that will make you care and wonder about the exciting conclusion of the adventure game that ends the story Beautifuly. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Homeworld took real-time strategy into the third dimension, andthe latest installment takes the series to exciting new levels. Set 15 yearsafter the events in the original, Homeworld: Cataclysm comes with newships (some of which are upgradeable), enhanced gameplay, and a load of newtactical challenges. Once again, it's your job to lead a fleet of spacecraftthrough a campaign that involves past threats, a civil war, and eventually afrighteningly powerful menace that eclipses everything that came before it.

The basics are still the same, but now players can't see anything outside of therange of their ships' sensors. This makes defense tougher, because it's hard topredict where attacks will materialize; also, it requires the effective use of asmall screening force to avoid nasty ambushes. Your new mothership is a lowlymining scow, so it isn't possible to build anything but the most basic shipuntil a captured vessel is towed in and researched. There's also a new limit onthe number of ships that you can have in your fleet at any time, which meansthat it's important to build the right ship and make it count. There are a lotof new things to learn in Cataclysm, and all of them add to the game'sfun.

One of the best things about Cataclysm is that you don't need a copy ofHomeworld to run it, and the story line is completely self-contained. Anexcellent tutorial is included that will help players come to grips with movingtheir ships in a fully 3-D environment. The graphics haven't been upgraded much(but they didn't need to be), and the game runs smoothly on even low-end PCs, aslong as you have a capable video card. This is a must-buy for fans of theoriginal, although newcomers might want to start with the original (or wait forthe inevitable Homeworld/Cataclysm combo pack), so that they canfeel the full effect of this polished series. Then again, no real-time strategyfan will want to miss the multiplayer mode. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• More challenging and deep than the original game
• Doesn't require Homeworld
• Absolutely beautiful, especially at high resolutions

• Missions are large, but you only get 17
• The cutscenes can be somewhat lame, but this doesn't affect gameplay

Reviews (146)

Very good game
This was one of if not the most fun strategy game i have played. It has an amazing story, unbelievable graphics, and an interface that once you learn it is relatively easy to use.
Tbe only reason i didnt give it a 5 is because it is so hard as to exclude this game from some of the less hardcore stategy gamers. The game does take a hit as well from not being able to order your ships into formations (an important part of any space strategy game) but it is more than compensated by just generally being alot of fun. Now i am a fan of space stategy games and i thought that the toughness of the game was an asset because insted of just building a huge fleet and crushing your enemys (satisfing but doesnt take much brain power) you could manipulate the battlefield leaving your enemy crippled and unable to fight back (buy controlling recource spots ect.) I do have to admit i went through a few mouses because i broke a few in sheer frustration. So in conclusion i highly recomend this game to you if u enjoy a tough but satisfing game and your not one of the "gamers" who like to boot up warcraft and put in all the instant build cheet codes. This game is well worth $20 and it was worth it to me when i pre ordered it in 03 for $60. BUY IT PEOPLE!!!

Fun?
I just have one thing to say: this game is as fun as you can throw it underwater with your wrists chained to some wall.Also, the interface and mere gameplay feels like an act of congress (looking up how to do things in the manual!)To be frank, don't by this game even if they would give you money in return!

Loss of The Real Concept!
Look, I've been a Homeworld fan ever since I bought it when it FIRST came out, it was beautiful, the graphics were just delightful, and the stradegy was complex to a portion where I can sit in a room, for 20 hours of non-stop harvesting and planning of an attack with a lil' math and algebra on the side.

When I started to play Homeworld 2, I was hyped, and ready to complete the saga in my world of stradegy gaming other than StarCraft, WarCraft, Age of Empires, and all those other fun stuff.

I began by downloading the Demo from Sierra, and I was full blown by the new graphics it had, though my video card was really acting kinda messy since it was the summer time. (Yeah seasonal changes make items work slower or faster.) Anyways, when I started to play the demo, I used the mechanism of the keyboard and controls of what Homeworld 1 had, lemmie tell you this, TOTALLY DIFFERENT! I can't believe my eyes of what I felt and seen! Everything; the whole concept has changed, the keys and etc. Then I saw that the stradegies have changed, and there were only 3 formation patterns I could only choose for my fithers, I'm like, WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE THEY THINKING!? I really wanted to bust a few chops with my strategic mind... so then I thought to myself, eh, not bad, lemmie get the whole game and see what it's really worth...

Bought it, it's totally the same concept, doesn't relate to Homeworld 1, doesn't relate to ANYTHING LIKE HOMEWORLD AT ALL! I thought that they would stick to their story, but the whole thing changed... I was really mad about it.

The game-play suddenly became boring, just traveling with no real dog-fight, "Some destiny this is..." ok, maybe a few dog-fights, but the game just gets harder and harder *like any other game* But I'm looking at it, I swear to you, I would've beaten all these fools if I had all those formation patterns. This game has less stradegy in mind, and the shipmaking, is just build in bulk, something that a gamer would NEVER LIKE. Listen, usually, it's always great to build ONE AT A TIME... WHY!? BECAUSE HAVING THAT FEELING TO SIT ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT WAITING FOR THAT SPECIAL OBJECT TO BE BUILT REALLY SHOWS THAT IT'S A GREAT GAME. This however, was truly dissappointing... No wonder it was 20 bux. Not many people like it! For God's sake even Diablo 2 is 20 times better than this and the graphics can be as horrible as they want, but their game play is just completely mind blowing as well as the story line.

For all kids that love graphics, I suggest this game as a STARTER, but for gaming stradegy and story lines, I suggest that you should TURN BACK, THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE BUT A GAME THAT TAKES 20 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE JUST SITTING AND WAITING FOR NOTHING, BUT RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR ENEMIES.

Even Homeworld Cataclysm is better than this. I wouldn't call this game trash though, but would've worth a lot of money if they knew how to bring back the story line as what they were before, but spiced up, with more allies and enemies, and probably if Sierra was lucky, deception.

Wonderful Game
Before I start, I would suggest anyone who gets this game be sure to download the patch that has been made available.This balances out units a little better (not too much, but a little) and also decreases the difficulty of several of the missions (they are possible to beat without the patch, but they are hard).

This game builds wonderfully over the orrignal Homeworld.It has made several improvements in how things are handled and also polishes up things in general.In addition, unlike the orrignal Homeworld the different sides have very different strengths and weaknesses that are readily apparent when playing them.

Some nice additions:

You no longer build single fighters, but rather build fighters in wings.So long as a single fighter in the wing survives you can send the fighter group back to a carrier or mothership or shipyard and have the unit returned to full strength.This makes fighter units much more useful and practical then the frail things they were in Homeworld.

Resource collection at the end of missions has been automized.You will no longer have to sit around for hours after missions sending harvisters out to collect resources for you.Once all enemy units have been defeated all resources in the map are automatically collected and added to your resource pool.

Subsystems.You can now build subsystems that give your ships interesting capabilities as well as target enemy subsystems.Large ships (such as battle crusers, carriers, motherships) come with some standard subsystems that cannot be completely destroyed but can be dammaged to the point that they no longer function.This makes hit and run type attacks much more useful then they were previously since you can use them to dammage enemy capabilities or cripple enemy ships, while allowing access to some nice abilities should you chose to build some of the more unique subsystems.

The ability to capture any ship in the game has also been added.That is right, capture ANY ship in the game.Including motherships.In addition, the units which capture enemies are much less flimsy so while they do still need an escourt they can be counted on to not die immediately.

Fleet formations have also been added.While there are really only 3 choises for fleet formations, they really do make it easy to use ships of different classes together.When used properly these formations are extreamly powerful, however you need to learn when to use a formation and when to break it up.

There are a few things I am less than satisfied with however.It is for these reasons that I am only giving it a rating of 4 out of 5.

The first major thing I was disapointed with was the reduction on the number of formations.I remember that with the orrignal Homeworld there was a large number of fomrations to chose from.I kept wishing I had access to some of those, particularly the claw and the sphere.While it may be argued that the addition of fleet formations makes up for this change, I couldn't help but wish that I had access to many of the old formations.

The interface is something I am not 100% satisfied with as well.While I will agree that it is definately a step up from what was used with Homeworld, it does feel somehow cumbersome.I guess it is a function of too many menues when it comes to building units and researching.Even in this respect it isn't too bad though.

Also, the 3D nature of space has largely been ignored.This problem still existed in Homeworld, though it was a little less noticable there since they did fairly often launch surprise attacks from above or below.Homeworld 2 largely just uses the horozontal plane when it comes to combat.Units controled by the AI simply will not try coming from strange directions, but rather take a head on approach.Thankfully I was able to find a group of people to play with online who were not burdened with this problem.

My final real problem with Homeworld comes with the addition of a new unit: the shipyard.The reason for this has to do with multiplayer where its importaince overshadows even that of the mothership once it has been built.It has more subsystem slots than the mothership.It is the only unit which can build battlecruisers.It has all the capabilities that the mothership has and more.From a stand point of game ballance I can see why this may have happened (the game designers didn't want players skipping ahead in the research tree right to battlecruisers), however I cannot help but feel that if anything the shipyard should be more of a smaller mothership with more limited capabilities.Somewhere between a carrier and the mothership.

All that said, the game is still a wonderful game.It contains almost all of the orrignal Homeworld's good points, and gets rid of many of its bad ones with the introduction of few flaws.If you like the idea of controling an intergalatic battle fleet then I would definately suggest that you pick up this game.The campaign alone would be worth it, but multiplayer is where this game really shines since that is where you will see interesting tatics that can be used once the pesky notion of 2D is forgotten.

Visually stunning but shocking game play
In light of completing Homeworld 2 twice, the review is a brutal truth of what the game is---a game so challenging, so hard, it just simply isn't worth your bother. Ordinary gamers will derive no enjoyment from this. In a manner of words: this is a game with spectacular graphics, breathtaking naval fleet warfare, all hampered by arduous game play.

Fifteen missions long, the average player will find themselves struggling by just the fourth, if you finished the third by the skin of your teeth. Rapidly changing mid-mission objectives, wave after wave of enemy forces, you'd better be up to the challenge of preventing your shipyard from hostile takeover to graduate to the real fun.

Then mission 4 hits you, hard and heavy.

Players are simply not prepared so early in the game, after such breezy missions, for one of such difficulty. Continual enemy attacks never leave you alone, never giving you a breather, to collect resources, to replenish your ragtag fleet. Don't grin that smile yet, that massive frigate assault will wash it away. There's no time to get a feel for ship classes, what works best against which enemy unit, to experiment on new technologies. Took a stunning number of weeks to beat that mission alone. Just concentrate on bombers and pulsar corvettes and she'll be right mate. Homeworld 2, it seems, is one heavy mission after another, broken up by occasional missions so quiet you could sleep through them. Those restful missions would be ideal to build your fleet to full strength and maximum unit numbers.

A detrimental mistake!

An unbelievable attribute of the game---the stronger you are, the heavier the next mission's enemy forces will be. The astounding stupidity of this is simply shocking. Try full unit limits from the tenth mission onwards, when enemy forces are already considerable, you'll see. This isn't so bad, really, but it makes hill into mountain.

Homeworld 2 is a RTS game of its own, nothing like Starcraft-type games. Even the hardest Starcraft mission gave you time to rebuild a weakened army, fix your base up. You could explore the darkened map, tease the enemy from different sides. H2 won't let you do that. This game demands strict obedience to the mission objectives. You play to fulfil them, not your own agenda.

Even more absurd, whatever forces you have left you begin with next mission. Scrape a mission too finely, and what are your chances of survival, really, when come the enemy hordes, and come in numbers they will.

What H2 steals from you is enjoyment. This is for the determined player. Who doesn't want a challenge in a game? But it's not fun. Move! You can't sit idle at any time; you can't split your fleet up, to feint at an enemy base from different angles. You want to live, keep all eggs in one fleet.

The menu controls are shocking. Mouse scrolling doesn't work in H2. It takes valuable time to position and drag the tab down the page. You can't even press ENTER or ESCAPE keys, only mouse commands. Such is the Idiotic Intelligence of the developers, that you can't authorise commands with an ENTER tap. The screen panels where you click to load or save games are so slim you really have to position your mouse precisely over them.

The method of saving is a joke. Strict alphanumerical order, the starting letter or number determines its placement in the list. It's better to save games chronologically, like Starcraft and Jedi Outcast. In-game auto-saving works against you; replay a mission, and you might re-save over it.

Where in the game booklet does it say docked strike craft automatically repair? A tiny offhand mention in the Vaygr Battlecruiser. How would you think to dock your fighters when you need them active at all times?

Absurd to target warship subsystems (engines, weapons, etc) when destroying the ship takes just as long. Absurd to capture an enemy ship, not only from your strict unit numbers, but the ship will always target your marine frigate. Played game twice, still can't get cloaking technology.

Like viewing a sphere of blinking red and green dots all game long? You'll spend considerable time looking at your radar screen; it's the only way to see enemy units and positions, and easier to select targets.

Graphics are awesome, ship details commendable. Mouse-wheel scrolling permits easy panning and rotation of the camera angle. Fun to follow a bomber group on their attack runs, or zoom right in at besieged warships about to be missile volleyed. High comp system will avert the occasional slowdown when camera-close to a ship going nova; exploding capital ships are cool.

Mid- and inter-mission cutscenes are simple but satisfactory. Fleet Command voices sounds too similar; Makaan is chilling as the Vaygr warlord, smooth and polite.

Game music will become repetitive. Only two tracks stand out: the oriental Hindu-like music of the Keeper missions, and that brief heavy battle track in missions 9 and 12. Hammered by endless Vaygr fleets, your heart pounding as you brawl for survival, why the damn hell did they finish after two minutes? Superb and haunting, they rapidly faded back to that mundane battle music.

There is nothing special about mysterious Sajuuk, the one hope of your homeworld. Can't spoil you here, but the game designers are criminal fools to make the guy just that. And if that doesn't inspire your outrage, behold the short, simplistic final cutscene of the game.

This is Homeworld 2. Visually stunning, rigid game play design. You'd do well to think long and hard before sampling this farce of fun. All fine and fancy to spout rave reviews and the shine the five-star flag, but honest and informative feedback goes a long way to whisper the truth. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

WarCraft II isn't exactly the freshest real-time strategygame on the market, but that doesn't mean it's any less fun than it usedto be. For those of you who missed it the first time around, WarCraftII is set in a fantasy realm where knights hack at trolls withswords, deadly spells crisscross the battlefield, and powerfulfortresses dot the landscape. The game pits the evil orcs against thehumans, letting players choose whichever side they want in a series ofbattles over the world.With the WarCraft II: Battle Chest, players can experience themagic of the original game along with the added enhancements of theBeyond the Dark Portal expansion pack. Rounding out the BattleChest is a complete strategy guide that will walk beginners throughthe basics and provide more experienced players with advanced tactics sothey can master the game. That's good, because players will need all thehelp they can get challenging other WarCraft II fans online. It'spossible to challenge one to eight other players on the developer's freeBattle.net servers, while more solitary gamers can immerse themselves inone of the fun single-player campaigns or stand-alone missions.WarCraft II's finely balanced gameplay has lost none of itscharm, even if the graphics are aging. In most missions you start with asmall force and must gather enough resources to build a strong base ofoperations that can field a formidable army. We had the most fun withthe set-piece battles, where we had to shepherd a few beleaguered troopsacross an enemy-infested map to either link up with a larger force onthe other side or protect a hero on his way to some goal. Blizzard isfamous for delivering games with terrific production values, timelessgameplay, and lots of extras, and the WarCraft II: Battle Chest isan inexpensive reminder of why the company has such a terrificreputation. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• A true classic with timeless gameplay
• Multiplayer mode is a lot of fun
• Plenty of campaigns and scenarios to satisfy the single-player set

• Graphics are showing their age

Features

• Support for Win95/98/NT and Macintosh
• Multi-player support for as many as 8 players via Battle.Net or IPX network
• Battle.net. play features Unique User IDs and a ranking system for worldwide challenge ladders
• Play as both Human and Orc in over 70 explosive missions across 4 epic campaigns
• Over 100 Blizzard signed and approved maps, newly built or redesigned and specifically balanced for multi-player games.

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 Review

With 3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown Deluxe, you can build theultimate railroad system without cluttering up the entire basement. Constructa maze of rail lines for freight and passenger trains to ship goods and peoplefrom place to place, become the engineer of a steam engine, or even manage severaltrains at once as they pick up and deliver needed goods to the factories near the track.

The game begins with a series of tutorials that outline the basic functions ofplay--driving trains, moving from track to track, and managing loads--beforepresenting a series of timed puzzle scenarios. Younger players may find even thesimplest of these scenarios too challenging, and may prefer the options that allow them(or their parents) to lay out train routes on their own. The electronic element alsoallows for some creative settings, such as scenarios set on the moon or the North Pole,or ones that include dinosaur farms.

Despite these fictional elements, the program's best feature is the level of realisticdetail it provides on the nuts and bolts of train systems. Each train car has a specificfunction, prohibiting players from loading inappropriate cargo. Track repairs, coupling anddecoupling cars, refueling, track switching--all of the basic concepts that rule the railroadsare covered in 3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown Deluxe.

Though its approach is low-key, it's also very educational, developing in young players anappreciation for how trains and railroads work--not to mention how food gets from the farmto the local grocery store. 3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown Deluxe may well be everythingboth a parent and a child could want. It's engaging, well designed, and informative. Best ofall, playing it is a lot of fun. (Ages 7 and older) --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (6)

My 4 year old loves this game!
My little boy loves trains.When I came upon the Traintown Deluxe CD I thought I'd give it a try.He loved it.And now at 5 he still plays the CD and has truly excelled at the different levels. I reccommend this CD for any train enthusiast at any age. Its the best money I've spent on a CD game in a long time.

Want A Real Train Game Try Trainz!
Don't touch it. This is the most horrible excuse i've ever seen for a train game ew! This a bad game for kids to get into trains oh i love Lionel but they are not so good at games stick to the O gauge stuff.But seriously folks don't waist your money on this game.How about Trainz very good game awsome! well fell free to SEE MORE ABOUT ME Bye!

You Should LOVE This Too!
I've played with trains, train sims, and even fixed Lionel trains once or twice, and I can say how wonderful this game is to me! It has wonderful train music, and 3D sound, 10 worlds from a regular living room to a fantasy land, and the models in this game look just like the real ones! There are over 80+ puzzles from super-duper easy to brain-twisting hard! There are EVEN cheat codes if you just can't solve the puzzle. I surely reccommend this game to everyone! I LOVE it and you should too!

Excellent!
This is an awesome game for train lovers of all ages.It starts of with simple tasks, memory games, and thinking puzzles.The difficulty increases and becomes more challenging, even for adults.There are jobs to build your own train yard, deliver freight to their destinations, or to keep the train from crashing.There's math puzzles, sorting skills, and even some alien invaders.This is MUCH better than Lego's Loco.

Perfect
I haven't seen a program that's more fun for a train buff than this one. I haven't hit the big time with it yet, but I can't get over the simplicity of use and the graphics it has.I'm amazed at how complete it is and find new things to enjoy each time I start it up. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The moderator of You Don't Know Jack might be the only game show host in the history of celebrity judges, buzzers, and door-number-fours to consistently insult the contestants. (Well, maybe Bob Eubanks on a really bad day.) But Jack gets away with it--plus a whole lot of stuff that Bob Barker has only dreamed of--in a Gen-X answer to the typical trivia game format.

There's a lot to be said for earlier incarnations of Jack, including the original moderator (newer voices seem to be doing a derivative imitation) and sparse graphics that seemed retrocool in a You Bet Your Life 1950's fashion. But You Don't Know Jack--Offline offers Internet connectivity as well as Wired Magazine/Matrix-influenced screen decor.

Aesthetics aside, the brilliance of the game is its intersection of pop-culture history--movie and television characters, primarily--with textbook knowledge. Questions are put through the Jack blender until a quiz emerges that includes particle physics and Starsky & Hutch. Because of the clever (and prevalent) double entendres, You Don't Know Jack--Offline isn't appropriate family fare. Instead, pick up a copy for your favorite procrastinating graduate school student. They might not finish their doctoral thesis, but their life will never be the same. --Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Recycled Jack, Needs a little work
YDKJOL isn't a bad game. It has more questions then the previous games in the durable PC series, The best host in the game-Cookie-is again at the helm making sure that your quest for game dollars is a sarcastic and smartallecky one, and those phoney commercials at the end of the game as alwaysare gold.So why not 5 stars?Well this game has got some flaws, but theyall mostly fall in the same catagory.One is that it takes away from game4, THE RIDE format, which in my opinion was the best.THE RIDE helped withthe looping question problem as well as the possiblity that anyone can winnear the end, unlike others where it is sometimes pretty obvious.Butsince this game supposed to be best of the netshow game, it wasunavoidable.The biggest flaw is the extreme re-use fo older jokes, musicand sound bites from previous games, particularly game 3.Offline was theframe to hold the new questions on, for those who do not get the netshow,but I guess the jokes and sound slipped off the side.Regardless, Offlineis not a bad game, it is YDKJ, it is still a blast, and if you haven'tplayed any of the games, it's a good place to start, and veterans will morethen likely want it too.Those veterans however aren't going to findanything exciting or new, with the exception of the new Pissed About aQuestion feature, a slightly new question type in which angry players whovented to the company with their frustrations get well, vented back.Overall, a good game, but it could have been better. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Nile calls once again as the Queen of Kings takes center stage in Pharaoh Official Expansion: Cleopatra, with four new campaigns for Pharaoh. Offering a completely new story line, starting with the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, this expansion pack includes the mysterious and exotic time of Cleopatra VII. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Addicting, very addicting...
I can spend five hours playing this game and not get bored. That's how I feel about most of these city-building games like Zeus: Master of Olympus and Caesar 3. The only thing I didn't like about this game was that you always had to put the industrial buildings very close to the homes or else there'd be no workers. Unfortunately that brings down the neighborhood appeal, and then your houses devolve. Also the gods can be somewhat hard to please. Of course, since the mission editor comes with this game, you could always edit a custom mission and limit the gods to 3 or so. Overall, this is a great add-on to an already fantastic game.

CleopatraOfficial Expansion
I enjoyed this game.Of all the sim games I prefere the ones like Pharoah, Cleopatra, Zues and Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom.

Shameless Cleopatra plug
I play many city building games but I always come back to this one.

Its pretty good
First of all you need egyptian background. you love the game for the first 2 months but after that youll have no intrest. It is a great game though its so real you trade with other cities and built monuments and basically build an egyptian city. 1 word of advice always keep seth happy

Great Game!
Addictive, fun, great lesson in foreign AND domestic economics, ancient Egyptian history.I absolutely love this game, and never get sick of it!Lots of different choices, and ability levels. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The best ever!
I have quite a few modern games (Empire Earth, Age of Mithology, Rise of Nations, you name it!) but the aging Caesar3 is still my favorite, it is relaxing, fun, enjoyable. It is true you won't find zoom capabilities or fancy graphics or complicate interface, it is just the best! By the way, Sierra, where is Caesar4?

good city sims
cleopatra and pharo are some of my favorite city sims.I found ceaser 3 chunky and hard to play.But getting 3 games in one is a great value.Get ready to lose some major time here!!A good value.

Time-travel the easy way.....
I've played both Caesar III, and Pharoah, and enjoyed them very much. The graphics and sound are quite satisfactory, and the gameplay is very absorbing. The key to playing successfully is managing your resources efficiently.
If you fail to do so, you will have difficulty meeting your objectives. In one early mission, I made the emperor so angry that he sent legions to arrest me and destroy my town. I was given a different assignment.....pulling an oar in the hold of a galley : ( Challenges with the potential for glorious success or miserable failure is what makes the game interesting. If the game were too easy to win, then it wouldn't be interesting. The degree of difficulty is easily adjusted on a menu in the 'Options' if you wish to reduce the challenge.
So, build what you need in order to meet your goals, i.e. usually producing goods either to export profitably, or meet your own needs, and thus allow construction of facilities which raise the quality of life in your city. Just don't build too fast before you have a solid financial base.
I find that I tend to become very involved with the welfare of 'my' citizens. I love being able to do things which make my cities prosper, enhancing the quality of their housing, and providing a higher standard of living, etc, and likewise feeling badly for them when I forget to provide something, and they suffer as a result. The audio contributes greatly to this, when the population is happy, you hear them laughing and cheering, but when a plague strikes the city, they cough and moan piteously. Also, the sounds vary depending on what you are looking at, if your view is centered on a gladiator school, you will hear swords clanging against armor and lions roaring. If you are looking at a fountain, you may hear water trickling, etc.
Generally, detail on the buildings, and the animations for the various activities taking place are good. There are many different characters, each with distinctive costume, from the little kid happily skipping around the neighborhood of the school, to the long-bearded priest associated with the various temples.
Each mission in each game takes place in a different city. In Pharoah they also take place in a slightly different time, beginning around 3000 B.C.E, and moving forward through time.
When I play, I become very immersed in the games, feeling transported back to these eras, which to me indicates that Sierra did a great job in the overall design and implementation of the games. These are very worthy games by themselves, and expect to be spending a lot of time with them. I also look forward to playing Sierra's other games, Zeus and Poseidon.

Ron

Very good
The great Empires Collection is over-all a good buy.I would have rated this game four & 1/2 stars, but this was not an option.

The Games are a good mix, but all three games are basically the same.

Caesar III is difficult to an extent, and may get boring.The combat system is good, but it is hard to keep your houses from de-moting.

It takes a week or so, but Caesar III is easily to pick up.

Pharaoh is the same with the exemption of flood plains, roadblocks, and archers, chariots, and inpenterey instead of leagens, spearman, and mounted spearman; also you could build things like pyramids.

Cleopatra is the same as Pharaoh, but there are zoos, some new industries and pyramids building speed-up.

S.S.M.

These are the best challenging scenario games - They rock!!
I bought the Empire Collection just about a week ago now, and so far I have only played CaesarIII, but let me tell you, this game is exactly what one wants in a game: Great graphics, challenging scenarios, smooth running with your computer. CaesarIII is very addictive, as I realised one day when I woke up and spent from 9:30am till 4:00pm playing it. I was not even conscience of the time but even after all that time I still hadn't got bored. Personally, one thing I like is that it doesn't cause your computer to "stick up" even after playing it for hours on end. The graphics and sounds are like real life and it is really amazing how a game with such good graphics and sounds doesn't cause your computer to freeze after extended play. The only "con" I see in this game is that it is very time consuming and in many scenarios Caesar's demands seem impossible to met. You either have runned out of space or don't have enough money.
However, if you think you're a pro when it comes to strategy games, then I highly recommend you to buy "The Empires Collection". ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Best
This is the best game i ever played in my life

Where in Europe can I order this?
I'm a big fan of all the Police Quests series, and I'd love to have it. On this site, it can only be shipped within the US. Since I live in the Netherlands (Europe), I'm most unfortunate (what this is concerned) Has anybody got tips for me, where I can buy it in Europe??

All the cop action you can handle
From where it all began until Swat came out, this is the ultimate collection.Police Quest 1 (vga and svga) I liked the old version since the day i played it, it was much more fun, but both are great. Plice Quest 2 (vga) lots of fun, this was the first time i played it. Police Quest 3,4 (svga) both were great, 3 was better then 4, and 4 was... to put it nicely weird Swat. simply put fun for everyone who ever wanted to be part of the team. if you have or haven't played any of these games, get this you will enjoy it for hours on end.

Help Please Read!
In the pack that has PQ1,234&5 is the remade version of PQ1 in it? E-mail me at DBZ31689@aol.com, THANKYOU IF YOU HELP!

need help
I am in need for the hints manual for the first version of Police Quest. Please help me. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Unlike Age of Empires, which takes on a single slice of history,Empire Earth offers you the whole darn pie! You'll start a civilization,directing your cavemen to gather resources such as food, wood, gold, iron, andstone. Eventually you'll advance through every era of history, all the way tothe far-flung future where giant robots armed with lasers dominate thebattlefield.

Empire Earth is the first game from Stainless Steel Studios and Age ofEmpires co-creator Rick Goodman, and is everything that hard-core fans whoconquered the Age of Empires games could want. Stainless Steel Studiosmanaged to pack more sheer gameplay, units, options, and replayability intoEmpire Earth than any other real-time strategy game had before it. Bestof all, the game is very much based on the interface and gameplay concepts thatmade Age of Empires and its sequel so much fun, so players of the earliergames can jump right in.

The core concept should be familiar to any real-time-strategy fan. EmpireEarth has your citizens (called peasants in Age of Empires) gatherresources so you can build various buildings and units. You have to gather wood,gold, stone, and food, as in the earlier game, but Empire Earth adds ironto the mix. Food is gathered from various colorful animals dotting the map, woodfrom forests, and the minerals from deposits scattered around. Gather enoughstuff and you can advance through the ages; there are 16 of them here, fromhumankind's prehistoric past all the way to the future some 200 years hence. Atthe beginning, you'll be fielding club warriors, and at the end, massive robottanks. In the middle you'll build archers, knights, infantry, tanks, etc. Alltold, the game features 20 buildings and some 200 units.

One major innovation is the full 3-D graphics engine. The engine lets you rotateand zoom in anywhere, which yields some impressive visuals. More strikingly, thegame engine can showcase huge numbers of units in full conflict, and you willsee massive battles throughout the ages. The game offers full multiplayer,several historical scenarios, a campaign mode, and a random map generator thatcan be tweaked to play in any age against any number of opponents, which is agreat option.

There are other key differences that set Empire Earth apart from thepack. You can build prophets, who can then summon mighty calamities on yourenemy. Think of them as divine spells. You can start a plague, call a rain offire, or summon a massive earthquake, for example. Artillery, aircraft, andnaval powers are also represented. You can staff your outposts with citizens tomake them grow into more efficient town centers, thus increasing your power overthe map and control of resources.

This complexity is the game's greatest strength, but also its biggest weakness.This isn't a game for the timid, the new, or the slow. If you thought Age ofEmpires was complicated when compared to other real-time fare such asWarCraft, you haven't seen anything yet. This sophistication can be a badthing for new gamers, but Age of Empires players looking for a newchallenge are in for a treat. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Plenty of units and ages to explore
• Impressive new 3-D graphics

• Too complex for casual gamers
• High difficulty

Reviews (248)

Crushing Good Fun, yes, yet somehow troubling
Empire Earth is an extraordinarily well put together game from almost any objective, "within the genre" perspective, as other reviews have mentioned the unit balance and combined arms aspect is excellent.The challenge factor is very high, and it's difficult to get much ahead of the AI in the normal game mode.You can have a LOT of units in exsistence all at once, and I often found myself wishing I could deputize other players, for example, to command my navy or helicopter fleet while I led the army or managed the economy.The game is a ton of fun, addictive, and will get inside your head.

And yet.There's no real way to negotiate with the computer players, and the goal of the game is either wonder construction or utter conquest.I almost always chose wonder construction, and the computer attacked my wonders with godawful savagery.When you're able to defend the wonders or crush all the other non-allied players, you win, and that's that.The creators of the game are either just looking to make a game and not a world sim, or are Machiavellian, zero-sum worldview security nuts of the Cleonic stripe.I eventually stopped playing the game altogether, because I couldn't deal with the endless war and the fact that the game gives you no way to make a lasting peace with your enemy.I feel this limited the game's replay value, and I wonder what the implications are, if such games are influencing a large number of people's worldview.We live in a troubled world ourselves, and we need to believe that peace between many nations is possible.Sadly, in Empire Earth, it is not.

coooooooooooooooooooool$$$$$
this game is the best game i played.don't believe those layers this game is fantastic with cool grabics you can't stop playing it.if you want to buy it buy it dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its the best!
This game is the best! You get to build walls (unlike any other stretagy games) which has high hit points (HP) to protect you from most enemies and it can help your team mates!Building walls is fun! you can even put gates! Heck why am I saying this to you? You should play the game yourself and see if you like it!

No Title
Even though it's not really fair, I tend to compare Empire Earth to Age of Empires II in my mind because they're so similar.Also since I'm a huge fan of Age of Empires II.

Empire Earth is a really nice game.The grapics are nice, it's nice to be able to select more than 40 units at once, it's great to be able to play from prehistoric times to the future and I like how modern prophets are basically bums wearing doomsday cardboard signs.It's really fun.It's amusing to create scenarios where you can have panzers fighting against hordes of swordsmen or rock throwers.The vast ammount of time it covers allows a lot of flexibility in creating your own scenarios.

My biggest complaints (that aren't significant enough to actually dent my opinion of the game) are the lack of Age of Empires II features.Maybe this is unfair because they're different games, but I miss being able to trade surplus resources in the market for resources I really need.I also don't like not being able to create trade cogs or trade carts.

However this is a fantastic game that every strategy gamer should at least try.

Much better than Age of Empires
While Age of Empires only lets you control the far past, Empire Earth includes the past, the present, and even the future.There are a lot of great units which evolve as you progress through ages.The graphics are also much better than those in AOE.It is also full 3D.Also, the different scenarios, units, and structures are historically accurate.This includes the ancient Greeks and Romans, WWI, WWII, and much more.If you liked Age of Empires, you'll love Empire Earth.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The fast action and graphics of Professional Bull Rider put you in the arena.Features such as running color commentary, support for Force Feedback joysticks, and lifelike arcade play help make the rides some of the most exhilarating eight seconds you can experience at your computer. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good game
If you dont like rodeo then dont bother. If you like bullriding or if you are a bullrider like me, buy it. Don't listen to these other guys, who's only experience in bullriding is a 5 minute cruise on this game. I loved it and if you even just watch the PBR on TNN every saterday night I think you will like it, but if you hate bullriding, have never even watched it and are extremly close minded, then you are not going to like it.

Play the game before you review it, please
Okay, so it's not the most spectacular game concept around. It isdefinitely a "bubba game" catering to the mass market. Hard coregamers mock it.

But, have any of those gamers actually played thisgame?

I have. It's not my type of game, but I can see how it would befun. Check out the screenshots: it's pretty funny watching a bull kick acowboy sky high. The graphics are actually decent. It's not like this issome Wizardworks piece of garbage; it's Sierra, and Sierra makes qualitygames.

So, yes, it's not a sophisticated work of art like Deus Ex orSystem Shock 2. It won't keep you playing for hours and hours like Diablo2. But it's a fun little diversion, it's fun, and it does a great jobsatisfying a niche. Those who are into bull riding and rodeos will reallylike this game.

My question is, are people who are really into rodeos andbull riding also computer owners? Apparently so, because Sierra madeProfessional Bull Rider 2...

Oh joy, another bad game....
Have you ever watched water boil? It's a lot funner than this game. You'resupposed to stay on the bull for about 9 seconds, that's a lot longer thanyou should play this game.

Fool's Gambit
Alright, this game is the biggest joke in the computer gaming world. Thethought that Sierra could stab the backs of every gamer in an attempt tomake the 'big-audience sell-out' game is sickening and sad. This game hasbeen renounced by EVERY major computer game reporting agency and has beenliterally laughed off the shelves. But hell, if you always wanted to be abull-rider, or even a bull, and you like poorly designed slip-shod games,buy it, quick. Or take your money and give it to the homeless guy down thestreet. His little dance of joy should be 10x's more entertaining than the2.1 seconds of joy you'll get from this game. And that's from the titlescreen... Remember folks a feature is PLAYING AS THE BULL!!!

---silentlyweeps---

WOW:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
This game is very exciting and action packed. It is great for all ages. This game is great! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

For expert and novice puzzlers alike, Dell Crosswords offers variety, challenge, and fun for the whole family. New for 2001, Dell Crosswords includes a combination of 1,200 crossword puzzles from Hoyle Word Games, as well as a fresh new assortment of puzzles from Dell Magazine's crosswords. Also included is Webster's New World College Dictionary, a quick reference tool for when you're stumped on the meaning of a word.

There are 1,200 different puzzles with tons of options, including the ability to play head-to-head against a friend. You can select your skill level--easy, medium, or hard--or you can let the computer mix and match the difficulty level for you. Need help? Let the computer solve a word, a letter, or the entire puzzle for you. The mistake alert option notifies you when an error has been made. Use the puzzle timer to challenge yourself or a friend and keep track of your statistics. ... Read more

Product Description

As the military leader of our species, the player must gather the resources to train and expand the military and lead them to victory in a battle for land and power, as human exiles in the far-future struggle to survive on the rim of the galaxy. Engage in three different campaigns and 30 different missions in the battle for control over the fate of the galaxy. ... Read more

Features

• 30 unique missions will challenge you across 3 different campaigns as you control the fate of the galaxy
• Control any of 3 different species, each with unique units, technologies, attributes, and abilities
• Included Campaign Editor allows players to edit units and create their own campaigns
• StarCraft boasts award-winning advanced control features, such as waypoints and training queues, to provide enhanced gameplay
• Multiplayer games for up to 8 players over IPX Networks and Battle.net, 4 players with Direct Cable Connection, and 2 players with modem Connection

Reviews (270)

One of the best
... titles in real-time strategy games.
Starcraft didn't really set a new standard when it was release for graphics, engine and gameplay. However, as people played it they realized how perfect this rts title really was. Easy to learn, difficult to master. It retains its flavor and fun even after all these years and so many other titles that came out after it.
A great sci-fi rts game that should be in the collection of any fan of the genre. Don't miss out and make sure you also pick up the expansion back: Brood War.

A Game I Highly Recommend For Your Santa List
Space....the final frontier. In this final frontier, you embark on a journey to the outer reaches of the galaxy, where you encounter three races involved in a war for the future of the universe; the Zerg, the Protoss, and the Terran. At this time, the Zerg are invading everywhere and on every planet. Unfortunately, they have hit a couple of stops in the road of divide and conquer. On the planet of Earth; the Terran, future earthlings, are fighting to defend against the Zerg as they have been launching attacks without stop. However, the zerg are no match for the Terran unless the Zerg pull out the Mutalisks, flying beasts that can't be stopped without having great losses. In the meantime, the Protoss have also become a big pain in the BLEEP. The protoss seem bent on destroying their equals as the mission goes, but after the Terran put them in their place, the Protoss seem to want to leave them alone. Then, the Zerg have decided to launch one last offensive on the Terran people............
On the Protoss homeworld, the Zerg are also taking over. The Protoss are on the brink of destruction when one of their kind, disobeying the directorate, have called on the Terran to come to their aid. With the aid of the Terran, the protoss have new hope and more time to rebuild their armies. Most of the time, the Protoss go on their own, asking for help on the way. Then, in their final hour, the Protoss have to call on the Terran one last time. With their final attempt at a counteroffensive........
Now the Zerg, though they may be the "bad guys" in this game, are actually at war with the Protoss and Terran over a big misunderstanding. The Zerg only live to serve the cerebrate, to carry out the will of the Overlords, and just plain are slaves. The Zergs cannot exist without the cerebrate and the Overlords are the only reason the Zerg underlings can be created, to keep them in line. So, the Zerg are going to be on the brink of destruction as well until the Zerg capture Lt. Kerrigan, a Terran commander that now is infested with the Zerg parasite in their mind. She knows many of the Terran secrets and now the Zerg are planning to launch a MAJOR counteroffensive......

The Game of a lifetime of STINKAGE AND FUN!
Starcraft.....
the game of building a lot of stuff...researching as much crap as possible...and BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF THE OTHER PLAYER.

The game...it is partly strategic....but...the game is basically about building as many units as possible and hoping that the other guy doesn't have as much as you do.

if you are having trouble on the game...cheat...thats all there is to it...if the game gets so boring at times....Cheat.....thats all there is to it.

The game of Starcraft is complicated as you advance in the game....but..if you have friends in high places(wink wink)...you should be able to do just fine. But....the game is so easy at the start that you wouldnt even need to have friends in high places when you are going solo on it.

Now multiplayer........thats very complicated...you are basically battling against other players who have more experience than you do and you are HELPLESS to an attack by the people you are against. My advice....dont go into any rooms that say noobs only. the people in there are basically setting you up for the BIGGEST BEATING OF YOUR LIFE......i know.....it happened to me too. This is the area in which you NEED friends in high places. My advice..again...join clans...you will be surprised in what help you get there.

THE BAD POINTS OF THE GAME

Now my review basically looks like its all about bad points in the game....but it just goes to show that what i am about to tell you may be helpful....or u cant do anything about it...you decide that for yourself.

1. The game has LAG.....it has it in multiplayer and single..nothing you can do about it accept that you have to wait for it to stop.
2. You can get confused very easily as the game progresses further into the mystifying depths of starcraft.
3. You also can get very frustrated...easily...jist keep a cool head throughout the whole game or else get off and walk away for a while.

hope this helps you understand starcraft better...
W.G.J.T.

Easy to learn
i do not have this but am planning on getting it. I played it at a friends place and i learned to play it in 15 minutes. At the begginning i didnt even know how to move or build but after a while i got the hang of it. I got slaughtered because i only had 7 of those red dinosaurs (zergs i think) and the opponent sent a army of 25 marines to ake me out.

This game is really fun to play

VERY good game, especially if you do everything
I am a huge fan of stradegy games. However a lot of stradegy games loose there fun after a while because you have mastered it and nothing changes. This game is different. In addition to regular gameplay and missions you can play online for against other people play. There is also games called map settings games. this is why it never gets boring. People are always making map settings games that have nothing to do with the accual starcraft game. Anything from SCV football to snipers, these can all be made and played online againsed other players, and since new and different maps are being made all the time, it never gets boring. Definetly a good game for any gaming fan. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The $100,000 Pyramid from Sierra provides an interactive experience true to the original gameplay mechanics. Players will appreciate the nostalgic depiction of the original Pyramid TV series that ran from 1973 through the early '90s. From the familiar pyramid kiosk of categories to the animated celebrities and fast-paced play, The $100,000 Pyramid from Sierra is sure to be a refreshing, nostalgic addition to any virtual game closet. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Celebrity Help!
For a lot of game shows that have came out for the computer, they've always seemed to have a little bit of a blind-slighted feel to most gamers. They always seem to fall just a dash flat for a full-feeling of being in the actual video game. Still, most of them are still willing to find that out one day at a time. With several revamped versions of game shows on P.C. like Jeopardy, Wheel Of Fortune, and other game shows, there is one that actually tries to stand out a little bit, Pyramid. With the success of Pyramid being revived with Donny Osmond, has been an unbelieveable exciting game, but the P.C. game still needs a little fine tuning.

The $100,000 Pyramid for the P.C. was released before Donny Osmond came on with the revival of Pyramid. The game features three different versions of Pyramid, Single Play, where you have to get a certain amount of points to get to the Winners' Circle, Double Play, where two people actually play the same way like it is on the game show. Still, it does fall a little bit, without proper speakers. The third version takes the cake however. The party play version, gives a little more of an interactive version that you play with other people, like you're actually on the Pyramid. For that one, you really need to see that, and play it with more than one version. If you get this game, get it for this version of gameplay only.

Still, it would be nice to see Pyramid updated with a newer version, based on the recent revival. I just really hope that happens soon. Still, you're better off playing the version from the television, whether Dick Clark, Bill Cullen, or Donny Osmond is the host. The $100,000 Pyramid is just a fraction of the fun it was suppose to be. Try getting this one used.

recommendations
I suggest you put in a pre-order for this game so that way your first in line to get this game

I Recommend users to try it out
This game has thinking skills very educational for kids I recommend that you users out there buy this product

Fun for Everyone!
This game is just like the show! I got it and I just loved it. It isn't that challenging so people of many ages can play. Great buy. a+++

Fantastic for new Pyramid game (2002)
This is an excellent game for people who plan to audition for the new Pyramid game with Donny Osmond.Although I'm extremely familiar with the older version with Dick Clark and its contemporary counterpart, I feel like I've drastically improved my chances of winning by purchasing this game.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

After Dark Games is a collection of 11 fun, challenging, and addicting games for the entire family. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

After Dark Games
This is an awsome game!!All the games in After Dark Games are great, I can play for hours and I love them.

Perfect to play when you get home from work or school
The hilarity of the After Dark screen-saver has always been one of my best sources of stress relief over the past few years, and the After Dark Games provide even more interactive entertainment.With cute graphics, groovy music, and lots of madcap humor--not to mention the fact that they install *really* easily and they only take up a tiny amount of hard drive space--these 11 games are the perfect way to take a quick break from your work when Minesweeper gets too tiresome.They're not made to drive you away from your friends and family, however, so if you're looking for deep, immersive gameplay, you'll be better off playing an RPG.

A few of these games are simply classics with an After Dark twist: "Solitaire" is the classic card game, "Mowin' Maniac" is a whimsical and often maddeningly difficult version of "Pac-Man" that takes place in someone's backyard, and "Moo-Shu Tiles" is just like the game "Shanghai", only with a few scathing twists (layouts include the shape of a piece of roadkill, and the winning fortunes affront players with statements like "You look like something the cat refused to bring in from the rain.")The only one of these remakes I don't really like is "Foggy Boxes"--a version of the famous "dots and boxes" game--and that's just because I win almost every time even in the Hard mode.

The puzzle games, which are my favorites, include "Bad Dog 911", "Fish Shtick", "Zapper", and "Roof Rats"."Zapper" has the best graphics and sound of all the games, and it consists of a bunch of very interesting (but admittedly useless) true/false trivia questions in a race against the clock.You get bonus points and extra time for three correct answers in a row, and then the Zapper jackpot increases.It's not really all that difficult (my highest score ever was 9750 and the jackpot starts at just 50 points)."Roof Rats" is much more difficult, and it's a game where you have to rescue tenants from the top of a large building by detonating adjacent rooms of the same color.I have managed to beat the "Hard" mode in this game only 5% of the time.

"Fish Shtick" and "Bad Dog 911" are both games in which you have to unscramble words in a limited time period.They're both very fun, but they each have two little problems with them: first, words are taken from unabridged dictionaries, so they may seem obscure to people who've never taken courses in molecular biology before.(For example, "otceyo" can be unscrambled as "coyote" or "oocyte".)And second, the clock continues to tick while you pause the game, so you are not allowed to look for a dictionary or other cheating device at any time during gameplay.

The last three games are arcade-style, and they're the most original games of the bunch."Hula Girl" is a platform game that scrolls from top to bottom, in which Hula Girl jumps down platforms, picks up desserts and extra hoops, and tries to avoid things that make her "yuckometer" go up."Toaster Run" features the famous flying toaster, and you control his flight as he flies through a dangerous house in order to get into the nursery and put "Baby Guy" into his crib.And in "Rodger Dodger", you take control of a little purple spheroid and pilot him around, picking up the green things and avoiding the red things.These three games are also very fun, but they're overall a little less difficult than the others.

These 11 games are all different in gameplay, so they should satisfy any gamer who just wants a little distraction--whether it's using reflexes dodging killer red pyramids, or using the old noodle and trying to solve words.The only real complaint I have with this package, as a matter of fact, is that it doesn't feature some of my favorite parts of the orignial screen-saver; I was disappointed to see that there was no game involving "Daredevil Dan", or a version of "Rat Race", or the all-time classic trivia game "You Bet Your Head".These were, in my opinion, the funniest forms of entertainment that the original After Dark screen-saver had to offer.But what we have in the package still works as a funny and thoroughly engaging little diversion that never fails to delight."After Dark Games" is extremely easy to get into and undoubtedly difficult to put down, and I highly recommend it for anyone who hates being an easily-bored person (come on, you know who you are....).

It's a lot of fun
After dark game is enjoyable, and my kids love it. but I do think they should have added spades to it. But and all It's a lot of fun.

after dark games the best games ever
i really enjoy this group of games,there is something for everyone. im hooked on this and so is my whole familythanks

Roof Rats
I played the demo on my laptop.Now I would like to purchase it but cannot find it anywhere.Is it available?

Ora ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Welcome to the 5th Dementia, where hilarity is the only law. You Don't Know Jack offers award-winning, lightning-fast, sarcastic trivia mayhem. Witness repeated collisions of high culture and pop culture as you're blasted into the 5th Dementia. Play by yourself, or play against opponents at the same PC or online. The game features 600 all-new questions; themed episodes, such as Clichés; the ability to play against friends at home, find your opponents online, or enjoy the game by yourself; and brand-new question types. Setup and play is easy, making it an excellent party game. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A GOOD ol' game of You Dont Know Jack
This edition of "You Don't Know JAck" is very different from the other installments. In my opinion the 5th Dementia is no - way as much fun as the 4th volume (The Ride). The one very cool feature of this game is that it allows you to play online. Good luck though finding people, becuase its not everyday someone plays this game anymore. I suggest that this game is worth your [money] and I'm sure you'll love the hilarious humor used throughout the game.

SO-SO
This game is so-so. Their is one new game called Bug-Out. It's funnest one that's in this game. And you even get real photo's of who you are(I had to be an old man).

You dont know jack - the ride
The Ride is probably the best of the YDKJ series. I have played everyone of the games since they came out years ago. And hands down the Ride is the most hillarious one yet. I would like to see more questions on the others and more knee slappin' comedy. I can't wait for another YDKJ to come out that is as funny as the Ride, with the same or simalar game play.

Dementia Fever
YDKJ Dementia is the best game of all time. Unlike YDKJ mock 2 on playstation, YDKJ has the same Mock 2 questions, but the different things may apply. The Bug Out questions made me better, the gibberish questions made me smarter, and the Anagram question made me blow up. Before each question, any value between $250 and $10,000 is the value of the question, and Schmitty, he's funnier than Cookie. YDKJ Rocks!

Someone Doesn't Know Jack...think it's Sierra
Sierra offers little if any help on fixing the compatibility issue for YDKJ5 and Windows XP.

If you want a good laugh, compare their solution to the one Microsoft provides.You don't need a keen eye to notice that one of the tech support people cut and paste from their website, of course leaving out the key phrase "This behavior is by design."Beware XP users! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

ARE YOU READY FOR THE JACK ATTACK?
Aside from The Sims and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire You Don't Know Jack is my third favorite computer game and is one of the the two games in the YDKJ series which I own and the reason I like it is because it's real silly and is a good game to cheer you up when you're down.In this version you'll meet the very silly and sometimes rude host Cookie who always has a teasing word to say about you when you get a question right and the White Rabbitish floor manager Raul who always will try to make you hurry up and type your name so the show can start but if you do not they will make up a name for you {such as Doris A Jar}. Also new to this version is a round called Three Way in which you have to link seven names in which the category represents and the tough yet hard Impossible question where 20,000 points can be yours only if you get the answer right.Plus let's not forget the classic Dis or Dat Round and the final battle known as the Jack Attack which is similar to Dis Or Dat and the impotant Gibberish Question which is hard for me,
So are you ready for the Jack Attack?
Find out when you play You Don't Know Jack,
I would also like to recommend Head Rush which is also made by Jellyvision for more fun

trivia Blast!
For trivia fans everywhere, Jack is a refreshing slap in the face.The catagories are wickedly funny, the format is adorable and the breadth of topics is satisfyingly gluttonous.Rosie has nothing on Jack.I currently own YDKJ, YDKJ vol. 2, YDKJ 3, YDKJ the ride and YDKJ Offline.....and can't wait to get my itchy fingers on more.The game is dangerously addictive, yet every time Cookie gives me an insult I am eager to keep coming back for more.Those who appreciate trivia for trivia's sake will bask in the glow from Jack's screen.

JACK V3
The 3rd Game in the JACK series was a big success. With Super Audio and Impossible Impossible Questions.V3 might make game of the year.It is rated T.But I still play it.You Don't Know Jack Volume 3 has 800 questions and is hosted by Cookie Masterson.Who used to be Stage Manager.He's also got a different voice.Once again, the show where high cultureand pop culture collidemakes you Laugh out Loud. 1 to 3 players can play. The Impossible Questions are worth 20,000 dollors. That is a lot! You Don't Know Jack Strikes again with Volume 3.

Good, Funny, And Entertaing!
This is a great CD for parties, and just for fun, but it does has innopropriate things, and kids would not get the question, so it is mostly for adults. This is a very good trivia game for adults. It can beentertaining in a fun way. Also, what Jack sayd might be funny sometimes,and the questions might be a little wierd, but funny. This might never getboring because they never give the same questions, they never give the samesubjects, and they also have fun, extra bonus rounds. This is a great gamefor responsible 20 through 30 year olds. This might offend people becauseof it's innopropriate use, but it can be fun! If you really want anentertaining, fun, funny, and great software game for this summer you'vegotta get this! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

You Don't Know Jack: Louder! Faster! Funnier! dishes up dozens of episodes from You Don't Know Jack the Netshow, plus a brand-new question type, Wendithap'n. Play the "All Nude!" episode--dress appropriately--and then warm up with a Trivia Pot Pie. Experience 1,000 questions in the trivia showdown where high culture and pop culture collide. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

fun, but stick with original
Fun game.But... "Louder, Faster, Funnier" repeats the same exact games/questions...not too fun.Stick with the first edition/original, it's the best.

Louder Faster Funnier.
Sometimes you can never have a YDKJ game without more touch.You want Netshow?Than get Louder,Faster, Funnier!It's got a lot of stuff to get you in the game.There is a new question type.It's also got the funniest question type.(...) about a question question where they take a letter about something wrong with a question and put a question about it.This and offline are like the best.Get them.Or Mic (The bald guy), will get you!This YDKJ game contains 1000 questions from the ever so popular YDKJ Netshow.It is lear that that series is the best trivia games out there.(...)And when you start playing remember this.YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW JACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good game, but not much of an improvement
YDKJ L!F!F!is a hilarious, fun, and fast-paced game.However, it isnot much of an improvement over previous JACK games.It is not worthbuying if you already have YDKJ.

Jack is Alive, But Slowly Dimming
As a hardcore fan of the You Don't Know Jack series since it's inception almost five years ago, I was pleased to see the Jack gang at Jellyvision took a different turn after suffering from the disappointing Offlineaddition.Almost everything except the familiar format is different andjust as fun as the original version.Jack continues to thrill audienceswith it's irreverent humor and fast paced playing style.The game isgreat, but maybe a different format would give this ditty a top five starrating.

Contrary to popular belief I DO know Jack
The newest installment of You Don't Know Jack is indeed a lotof fun.Heck, I play all 9 CDs with an alarming degree of frequency.As the previous comment said, this is very much like the online game, where you choose an overall subject for your game at the beginning. Then you play the game like normal.Well almost normal.In the other games you choose between a 7 and 21 question game while in here you play 15 (the online version does too for those who never played it, neither tell you ahead of time about the change)... Also Schmitty hosts this like he does the netshow (he hasn't hosted on CD since the TV CD and parts of the Ride).Also we have a new person setting up the game for you, Raul has been replaced by Sandy. By the way, for those of you who only play the netshow, all the questions on the netshows are repeats of questions from the other cds so you might care to buy the entire series so you can have fun playing this without needing your internet connection...Enjoy an overall welcome addition to the Jack family. ... Read more

Features

• Breath-taking graphics (using the latest Unreal engine) that go beyond the cutting edge
• 100-200X poly count increase over Unreal Tournament
• Incredible physics engine controlling weapon and characters taking skill and control to the next level
• 6 races, over 50 characters, over 30 maps
• Latest version of the Unreal Editor, making customization incredibly easy and intuitive

Reviews (192)

this game is good but it lags for some reason
I Have broadband connection with a 1.2 AMD pc powered bya radeon 9600 graphic card and the game sometimes lags. Others times when I enter a room a black screen shows up giving a percentage of how long it will take to enter a room and sometime its take up to 2o minutes. Thats a long time even with dsl. I am newly introduced to the series so it will take me a while to get the hang of the multiplayer experience and the game in general.Other than that the game is fun to play. I recommend your get unreal 2004, but you should have a descent computer with a powerful graphics card. oh yeah if you dont have dsl dont bother playing online.

Very innovative
Brand new game engine [for 2003], new gameplays [bombing run].
The game is fun, however it drifted away from the Unreal Tournament franchise. There is no assault, there are a lot of Unreal Tournament 1 characters missing and there are no vehicles, as the developers promised.
The game is not worth your money, you are better off purchasing the next title, Unreal Tournament 2004

One of the best frag fest that you can have online!
This game is great man. I just got it and I'm totally hooked on it. This is the first game ever to make me uninstall Counter Strike. My hard drive is sadly only 40gb for my newest gig and I had to uninstall Counter Strike to install this game. I first tried the demo which takes only about 200mb of my hard drive and I bought the full verision which was larger and forced me to uninstall CS. I won't say much because you probably tried the demo or already played the full version before so you know that it is good. some people said get Unreal Tournament 2004 instead but this game is about the same. UT2k4 only has few more maps, more vehicles, and the new Onslught mode. If you already have UT2K3, then you can stick to it for another year. Not only that, there are many great mods and you will definitly like it. Sorry if this review was waste of your time but you should still get this game.

hi, ut 2004 is out guys.
get that instead of this thing.

Terrible Unreal Game!
The original unreal tournament is the very definition of fun. It was interesting, and I could play the demo for hours without becoming bored. The game remained interesting with cool characters, maps, and weapons. Then they released new maps, mods(relics in particular), and assault mode. That game was a success.

Unreal Tournament 2003 changes the original into a lame game. There are all new guns, and worst of all... There are uninspired new maps. The new 2-fort is a sand like level that doesn't have the same feeling. The other maps just don't have anything to be talked about. The all new guns I mentioned? Crap. They all blow except the redeemer. The new sniper rifle(lighting gun!) is retarded. The new pistol is pretty stupid. There's also a gun now which instead of doing damage, it pushes the opponent. This is rather useless in pretty much any situation. If you are on the top of a tower it is good, but that is rare.

Get the original Unreal Tournament or Unreal Tournament 2004. They both rock, and this game can just be skipped. ... Read more