Reviews (24)

Ranks Up There with KOTOR
Well I beat this tonight after non-stop gameplay these last several days (I'd say about 20-30 hours of gameplay with side-quest completion). I must say I quite enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who liked KOTOR. They are similar in a lot of aspects, but at the same time gives you a fresh new RPG with many new things to discover.

The side-quests are quite enjoyable and proved to be much more creative and thought out than the "help with this person's problem and then give them money to get back on their feet." The story was also very good and their is a twist similar to the one in KOTOR, but completely caught me off-guard. It really did pull the story together though.

I will give this a little review in the aspects of the game for those interested--

--GAMEPLAY--
Decent gameplay. I'd say the actual progression of character is very cool. As you play and become stronger you get more power to your weapons and styles of fighting. The voice acting is superb and throws you right back into the classic witty KOTOR dialogue we love so much. There is humor, action, and story. The only downfall is there really is no love story. The combat is a little repetetive after awhile but as your weapons are upgraded, the more your enemies are decapitated and spirt blood from their necks, giving the game a kind of Kill Bill aspect. Very cool for those who love the splatter of blood. The characters are also memorable and stick with you throughout the game, each with their own story and purpose in the game. The only hinderence in gameplay is that it sometimes would glitch on itself when you talked to someone and the words didn't come out and then it would freeze up. This probably happened 4 or 5 times throughout my gameplay. Although this could just be an effect of my Xbox getting older.

GAMAEPLAY: 9.0

--GRAPHICS--
Bioware really maxes out on the graphics this time around. I noticed a bunch of improvement in character movement especially, leaving behind the looped and annoying gestures of KOTOR characters. The characters can point you in directions, kneel down, stretch their necks, motion embarassment, hassle you by pointing... the list goes on and on. And the setting is absolutely spectacular. Each place has a completely different feel to it, from the Ancien Dirge Chinese temples to the grassy and welcoming environment of the Two Rivers Martial Arts School.

GRAPHICS: 9.5

--SOUND--
The sound is simply EXCELLENT! The colorful music score done by Jack Wall (JackWall.net) is awesome, always having that rich flavor of the eastern culture. A CD is in the possible works and I will be getting one if it is released. And the sound effects themselves were very well done. Bioware commented that there were over 2000 different sounds created in a recording studio to get all of the sounds perfect. They really outdid themselves on this. Next to KOTOR, this is the best video game score I have ever heard.

SOUND: 10

Overall I would strongly recommend this game to anyone who is thinking about getting it. It's definately worth the money.

Also there are 3 different endings to the game instead of the standard two. One ends on a light note, one ends on a dark note, and one ends on a more compromising but ultimately dark note (perhaps could be called a failing note). I could watch all 3 in one game too, because if you change your pivitol decisions near the end of the game, your alignment can do a 180 on the outcome (including the last few lines of dialgue with the enemy which gives you the third ending).

Anyway really loved the game and would give it a 9.5 overall.

_Max

Wonderful!
I'm a female gamer and really enjoyed Jade Empire. The graphics were beautiful the plot compelling and the character models amazing. You play as an orphan raised in the school of your Mentor Master Li. You have everything,(except perhaps romance at least for now ;-0 ), but your life takes a downward turn when one of the students is kidnapped and your master asks you to rescue her.

At first I found the gameplay too hard. I'm not a big fan of fighting games preferring games similar to KOTOR. But eventually I got the hang of how to work the keypad.(I DO however wish there was a general attack button and I was not compelled to hit the "A" key constantly to force my character to swing her sword). I also enjoyed some of the NPCS. Dawnstar. Henpecked Hu. Sky.

Cons:

Some of the party members were rather useless...Such as the spirit 'merchant' who totally rips you off for silver, and the inventor, who stays at camp all the time.

I didn't care for the girl possessed by the Demon (sorry, she creeps me out. WAY too exorcist for me). =- )

Lack of ability to equip multiple henchmen.

GHOSTS. Way too many of them, and they are difficult for beginners to killI was bored.

Inability to customize your character's physical appearance.

Pros:

Fun romances

Snappy dialogue

Great story!

Wonderful Music

This game is rated M for mature. It has adult situations and violence.

If only ...
This game could have been so much. At first I thought this game was awesome, jumping around kicking peoples ass is do much fun. But later on, you realize how easy the game is. Sure, some people prefer to have fun rather than be chalenged, but that's what easy mode is for. Also, the game is way too short. I beat it in only 12 hours completing almost all of the side missions on hard.Which is a big dissapointment coming from bioware, considering I beat KOTOR in 20 hours on easy doing barely any of the side missions. The fighting isn't too good either. There aren't any special moves for any of the styles and it feels like you're just button mashing (even on hard). Don't get me wrong, the game is a blast, it's just not a challenge. It's way too short (there's only a few cities to go to) and the fighting can get repetitive. The story isn't bad but it's nothing special. You'll have a blast if you borrow of rent this game, but save your money for the KOTOR series.

The next great RPG from Bioware
As I type this, I finished Jade Empire only minutes ago...and I am quite pleased with what Bioware brought to the table yet again.Great games like this (and other gems like Knights of the Old Republic) are too far and few between, yet it only serves to highlight just how great a game can be... when made by the right people.

Although the lush graphics and fluid animations are certainly a high point of Jade Empire, it's really the fleshed out storyline that makes this game shine. Throughout the entire 17 hours and 16 minutes that it took me to finish Jade Empire, I felt I was very much a part of something "big".Each person you meet along the way has a part to play, and they feel much more than just supporting characters in a video game.

They bring their own hopes, fears, dreams, and even personal viewpoints... and are developed nicely. In essence, they not only help to move the story along its key points, but they feel like they are there for a specific purpose. Walking away from the game, I felt that all were crucial in my journey... something that is unusual in most games I play today (even my much beloved Knights of the Old Republic).Beyond the characters, the storyline itself was full of surprises, which fueled my desire to keep moving forward in the game. If you've played other games from Bioware, you'll know that things are not always as they appear.

Much like KOTOR, Jade Empire incorporates what we gamer's affectionately call the "morality system" into the game; though not as clear-cut this time around. Instead of choosing the path of "good" or "evil", players choose a demeanor based on the "Open palm" or "Closed fist" principles. Although some may view the closed fist as somewhat closer to evil than the open palm, it really just means that you are choosing a path based more on physical power, than inner strength, much like hard vs. soft styles in the martial arts world. What about the game play itself, you ask?

The game play mechanics were pretty neat, though I didn't find the normal difficulty setting all that challenging (for the most part anyway). The amount of styles you could purchase seemed unending, and choosing from each of them really wasn't that difficult. Mapping them to the respective d-pad was a cinch. My only regret was how little I used the strong attacks in the game, due to how open they left my character so open to counterattacks. Opposing characters could block your fast attacks, but getting past their shields was as simple as jumping over their heads and attacking again from behind.

Of course if you played the game on hard, this was much easier said than done. Bottom line though, you don't want to go anywhere near the easy difficulty, or the game might be a "pushover" for most of you. Difficulty settings aside, I greatly enjoyed the combat engine and the many fighting styles I could choose "on the fly".Besides being a boatload of fun, they enable you to personalize your martial style to your liking.

As I expected, the voice work and music was quite good. Though based on an obvious fictitious Asian world, the sounds (and sights of course) of Jade Empire are believable in every respect. It is obvious that much work was put into using the music to help convey feeling throughout the game, and shows. Overall, I think Jade Empire is fantastic, and I applaud this and the other great games Bioware has made for the Xbox.

The only real complaint SOME may have is with the length of the game itself. While I completed it in around 17 hours, I didn't do most of the side quests. Had I done so, I can imagine the game lasting somewhat longer. Of course you could play it through again using the opposite style of what you chose the first time, and squeeze even more game play out of Jade Empire. Bottom line? I don't think my time is really a good gage of Jade Empire's true length. Nonetheless, I loved every minute of the game, and I think most of you will as well.Though not perfect, Jade Empire is quite the game.

"gAmE bOi"

The 2nd best RPG!!!!
Jade Empire is an excellent game, period.It's not perfect, but what game is?Well, KOTOR came pretty close to perfect...so due to it's similarities and since many people played that game (either loving it or hating it) I think it is a good reference point for Jade Empire.

STORY -As usual with Bioware, the game is driven strongly by a great story and very interesting characters.From a young girl possessed by two different demons and a mysterious and feisty woman in black, to a huge axe wielding mercenary who only wants to drink and fight.The plot is filled with myth, magic, spirits,demons and a share of comedy.It has elements of classic kung fu movies which you will immediately recognize.The only downside to the story is that it's not that surprising.I think the plot twist KOTOR had will be very hard to beat...and Jade Empire has it's share of surprises, but nothing you can't see coming.I won't reveal the plot twist, but I think the impact of KOTOR's plot twist was that it involved the player's character directly, while Jade Empire's twist centers around an NPC.This is not necesseraly bad, since it serves the plot perfectly and ties up the story nicely...but the impact is not as strong.Regardless, Jade Empire's story and characters are by far it's strongest points.

GAMEPLAY - A lot of people complained about KOTOR's turn based system, so did I when I started the game.To fix that, Jade Empire's combat system is real time. This was done no doubt to try and get more people to play the game, not only RPG fans, and since it is a kung fu game it makes sense.The combat system is essentially a rock-scissor-paper game.The downside....it's too simple!Action gamers will not get as excited with the fighting system due to it's simplicity and RPG fans will miss the strategy behind the turn based system.Add the fact that the standard difficulty level is not too tough and you end up with a pretty easy game to beat.There's no real leveling-up, all this does is increase your health, chi and focus bars more, and improve your styles, which by the way you can get along with just two of them really.I beat the game with the first weapon style I got and the first martial style.The inventory is also trimmed down a lot to gems.While in KOTOR you had to customize your inventory for different fights or situations, adding to the strategy, here you can get along just fine with whatever it is you're carrying.In summary, the gameplay seems to be "RPG-Light" to try and get more people to play it, but it may be just a bit too simple.The moral aspect of it has no influence either.While in KOTOR being dark side or light side had meant different quests, different powers, etc. in Jade Empire it has really no influence during the game, probably just for the ending.Does the gameplay make the game less enjoyable...not really, but it is I think it's weakest point.

GRAPHICS AND SOUND - No complaints here.Graphics are awesome, the music great, and the voice over is good as well.The loading times are still long though.

OVERALL -As said at the beginning, the game is great...although I personally enjoyed KOTOR more.This one is also shorter which is a shame because it is good enough to make you want to keep playing it.Story, characters, graphics and sound are great while gameplay is good, but a bit trimmed down.That's why I think it's the second best RPG...KOTOR still being the best. ... Read more

Product Description

Building on the significant improvements and refinements already introduced in the current Game Boy Advance, the new Game Boy Advance SP features a revolutionary Front Light Screen making game play easy in any lighting condition. ... Read more

Features

• 32-bit RISC CPU
• Backward-compatible--plays all Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games
• Onyx handheld video game console
• Clamshell design with built-in lighting
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers 10-18 hours of continuous play (included)

Reviews (44)

A good deal
If you have a normal gameboy Advance don't spend your money. It's the same thing except they fixed all the mistakes (but they took ou the head phone jack). The new built in lighting system is the main reason I wanted to get it. You can play old and new games on it (you can't do that with the Nintendo DS). A verry good deal. I'd rather have this than any other new or old portable game system.

The 100% Better Version of GBA
The SP is a small step for gamers but a giant leap for Nintendo. The convience, fun, and portability of the GBA just got better. The SP is smaller, easier on the hands, and has an illuminator behind the screen so you can actually see the game you're playing. Also the SP doesn't switch games so you can still get the GBA Games for it.

Great things do come in small packages
I just purchased the GBASP, and while I have not played at great length, I must say that initially, I am blown away! I was attracted to it not only by the compact size and small screen, but the exceptional low price as well. It will be great to take my gaming habit wherever I want to go. In addition, it is not loaded with bells and whistles like it's newer brother, the DS, and is simple to use. I know of a few people whose only system is the Gameboy, so if you want something simple and portable, this is for you!
the SP is very easy and fun to operate. In addition, the endless list of games will keep you busy for a long, long time.
While everyone seems to be raving over the DS, I'm having a great time with the SP.

Tip. Be sure to get a carrying case, as if you put it in your pockets, lint, dust, etc. will get into the system.

Handheld Ecstasy
The Game Boy SP is the greatest thing I have ever held in my hands that was not distilled in Scotland.

I've never owned a Game Boy before this; my sister has had an original Game Boy for a good while, but I've had nothing in between. I hear the GBA was terrible without a light, and certainly this looks beautiful with its light; I actually like playing it in the dark, since I can see the excellent graphics so well. The rechargeable battery is sheer genius and lasts a good long time, even with the light on.

This thing is tiny and there's no problem carrying it around, but it manages to pack enough power to play some great games - Metroid Fusion is particularly pretty. The Super Mario Advance rereleases are a great idea, since those are some of the best games Nintendo has made; I bought Yoshi's Island, as it is clearly the best of the group (see my review). If you want to play the old Game Boy games, you can't get a DS, since that's only compatible with GBA games, whereas this will play anything from Super Mario Land (giggle, don't laugh) on up.

I would like to address problems people have had with this that have no merit before I get to the legitimate problems that caused me to rate this lower than five stars. The battery pack recharges five hundred times before you need to buy a new one. That's roughly five thousand hours of playing time. If wearing the battery pack out is a serious concern to you, get the following: a. a job; b. a girlfriend; c. a life. If you can play this enough hours out of the day to worry yourself that the battery might go bad, you need to step outside maybe once a month, at least to buy groceries.

It's true that older Game Boy games stick out of this since they longer than GBA games and the slot isn't designed for them, but you'd have to be a bigtime neurotic to care about this. When you're playing the game, you can't even see the cartridge, and if you're holding the system right up against your chest, you're a freak.

Real problems? As has been mentioned, the system is so small that you have to handcuff yourself to play it. Over extended periods of continuous play this can be very painful. Also, the system requires a headphone adapter, and can't simply accept standard headphones without this extra. I don't use headphones anyway, but this is certainly a disadvantage to the system.

My major beef is the control scheme, since the buttons are too close together and it's painful to play for very long, but I still give it an excellent four-star rating. For pure fun this is perfect.

Gameboy Advance sprocks!!!
The Gameboy SP rocks!
The first time I saw the SP, I thought it was pretty much the same Thing as The Gameboy Advance except it was shaped like a Laptop. But when I saw my Friend's Gameboy Advance Sp, I realized it had two BIG improvements, a Built in Light and a rechargeable Battery. Then, I decided to ask for one for Christmas. It was my best Christmas Gift ever! I also got some Games(Pokemon Leafgreen, Sonic Advance, and Classic NES series Pacman). If you ever get a Gameboy Advance SP, You should get a Case because they're delicate. The Gameboy Advance SP rocks!!! ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL - 15001NAMVENDOR - Namco FEATURES - Ridge Racer PSPThe ultimate new Ridge Racer is coming to the PSP handheldentertainment system offering the best of the ten year driftracing dynasty and more! Ridge Racer is poised to dominate anothernew platform with exciting drift racing gameplay, slick graphics,and an amazing soundtrack. Featuring nitrous boosting and new modesincluding wireless multiplayer racing, Ridge Racer deliversadvanced 3D graphics, smooth analog steering, and robust vehicleand course selections. Master the art of drifting and smoke theopposition anytime, anywhere, and in style with Ridge Racer for the PSP handheld system.* Featuring the best loved race courses from arcade classic Rave Racer andthe entire Ridge Racer series, 24 circuits of breakneck speed and exhilaration stand between you and racing glory. Beat the clock in TimeAttack Mode or test your racing skills against up to 8 players in WiFicompatible Wireless Battle Mode.* WIRELESS MULTIPLAYER RACES: Compete head-to-head in 8-player multiplayerraces through the PSPTM wireless connectivity feature. Multiplayer racesrequire every player to have the Ridge Racer game inserted into theirPSPTM handheld system.-- SPECIFICATIONs ---------------- ESRB Rating : E for Everyone Genre/Category: RacingSystem: PSP Number of Player: 1-8 On -Line Compatible : PlayStation Portable computer entertainment system;PlayStation Portable compatible Memory Stick Duo forsavesNice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theNamco 15001 - Ridge Racer PSP and all other Namco Video Game Handheld Soft ... Read more

Features

• Wireless Multiplayer Races: Compete head-to-head in 8-player multiplayer races through the PSP wireless connectivity feature. Multiplayer races require every player to have the Ridge Racer game inserted into their PSP system.
• Unprecedented Visual Quality: Experience DVD quality video in the 16:9 widescreen format, and enjoy more clean edged designs and richer colors on the high quality PSP system's liquid crystal screen.
• Robust Vehicle and Course Selections: Featuring 58 new vehicles, upgrades and 24 courses- the largest number of courses in the series! Classic courses from previous Ridge Racer titles return with entirely updated graphics leveraging the awesome processing power of the PSP.
• New "World Tour" Mode: In the newly added World Tour Mode, players challenge the vast number of courses from the first Ridge Racer introduced in 1993, to the latest in the Ridge Racer world.
• Special Features: Race faster than ever utilizing nitrous! Drift to fill thenew "Nitro Gauge" then boost ahead to burn the competetion. Conquer the World Tour Mode to unlock cars, courses, new tours, and more!

Reviews (29)

It's racing without the ridges
This is the first game I bought for the PSP and it's a great one. It really shows off the power of the system, the sound is incredible, the graphics jaw dropping, and it's immensely playable.

One minor gripe though is that the basic tour is waaaaaay too easy. Your car easily outpaces anything else on the track and finishing in first place, a mile up the road from the competition in all 30-odd races is no problem at all. Knowing you're going to win every race and spending every lap out in front on your own gets a bit tedious. The Pro section is a bit better however - although could still be a bit harder to get that podium finish! The controls are nicely customisable and intuitive and the cars have suitably different handling characteristics to make the game challenging.

But overall a great PSP game - really playable and a huge 'wow' factor from all my mates - well impressed ;-)

An amazing racer for the psp
For a launch title, Ridge Racer is an amazing game. It really shows off the great graphics on the PSP and the gameplay is great as well. Everything is near perfect on here. The graphics, sound, and controls are all outstanding although if you don't like arcade style racers you may want to avoid this or give it a rental. The game's use of power sliding works well and is fun although the game seems to be a bit easier because of it. Since the game require more streaming off the disk, the battery is life is shorter although I really don't mind it at all. Anyway, if you want a racing game for the PSP, one of the best is already out there waiting for you to pick it up.

when in doubt, just keep drifting
the problem of this game is this.. simply by deliberately drifting the car, you can avoid hitting the boundary, hence the reduction of speed.. although drifting too recklessly could slow you down.. but a well managed but a bit aimless drifting can help avoiding penalty.. and put your car back onto the right direction and track...which i think is a flaw... this makes the game a bit easlier to finish.. and a bit routine

Ridge Racer.......
Think of this Ridge Racer as a 'best-of' collectionthat has all the best bits of the ten-year long previous Ridge games and you pretty much got the idea of what this Ridge Racer holds in store. It boasts the largest selection of tracks in any previous version(24, to be exact), with a selection of 58 different cars, as well as upgrades for your cars. It's possibly the biggest and best Ridge Racer to date. Add to that, 8 player head to head competition(something that no other racer has, right now, except for Wipeout Pure) which can get really intense- at times-...let me tell you.Speed and control are dead-on, which is important with this type of racer. The graphics...well,...let's just say are simply amazing. Some of the best I've seen on the PSP so far. It's one of those games that shows the PSPs' graphical prowess. It's much sharper and realistic looking than the version of Ridge Racer for the Nintendo DS(which, in my opinion, looked downright horrendous). It's the second racer I've got for my collection(Need for Speed Underground Rivals being the first)of PSP games and is another that has kept me addicted playing for weeks on end.
If you're a Ridge Racer fan that wants to take a drive down Memory Lane for some all-out racing fun, this game is definitely for you.If, however, you're not big on the series...this game won't do much to change your mind about it.
I'll admit, I'm not much of a Ridge Racer fan myself but this game has been a blast to play. I love it.

Fourth best racer on PSP
This game has PS2 graphics and decent steering.This game is obviously better than the DS port it is lacking a realistic game play.It is too much of an arcade game, and I don't mean like a street racer, I mean like a game where you put in the 50 cents and drive.Also, like the other RRs, the cars are bunched up in small groups which you easily pass in half a lap so most of the time you are just driving around alone.The commentary is horrible.I bet Evenderr Hollyfield now wants Mike Tyson to bite off his other ear off too after listening to the commentary of the game.This game is ok but with the other good PSP games this might be one you want to pass. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In a surprising number of ways, the Nintendo DS is quite unlike any video game system that's come before. First, there's the two screens, one above and one below. The idea might seem like a gimmick -- the screens are far enough apart that you won't be able to see them as one long screen -- but the format works in a complementary way. Depending on the game, the DS serves action in one screen and details, maps, stats, or alternate views in the other. Switching your eyes between screens takes a little getting used to, but quickly becomes automatic, like checking a rear-view mirror while driving. Both screens are back-lit and a little larger than that of the Game Boy Advance SP, so they'll be easy to see in most conditions.

Players can control games using the touch-sensitive bottom screen of the DS.

The bottom screen also functions as a PDA-style touchpad. It comes with a small stylus, as well as a stylus that attaches to your thumb. This touch screen might be both the best and worst feature of the DS. One one hand, it brings the freedom of PC-style mouse control into gaming, but using it also tends to block what's going on in that screen. For example, while playing the Metroid Prime: Hunters, you could use the left thumb pad to move, the left shoulder button to fire, and the touch screen to look and jump. As you track foes on the bottom-screen map, however, your view will be partially obscured by your own right thumb.

The good news is that Nintendo has stressed a lot of comfort options, both in the operating system and in their games. Want to play Metroid without the touch-pad? Select a different control scheme in the game's option menu, which also includes configurations for lefties. You can even customize your DS to automatically play the inserted title or to start with the main menu, choose which screen to display your GBA games, to add a nickname for wireless play, and more.

Up to 16 players can connect wirelessly within a 100-foot radius.

That's right, the DS is wireless-enabled. Say good-bye to that daisy-chain of network cables that was previously necessary for portable multiplayer gaming. Nintendo's proprietary wireless format has a radius rated at 30 to 100 feet depending on environmental interference with its signal. Surely, it's more than enough for friends to game from one end of the bus to the other. We experimented in a small, nearly empty parking lot and got great reception at the upper end of that rating. The DS network can handle up to 16 users, though you can expect the maximum number of players to vary from game to game.

Also, unlike all but the earliest video game systems, the DS comes with a built-in application. It's called PictoChat, and it allows people to write and draw pictures in a chat-room format. Since it's built in to the DS operating system, you'll always be able to interact with other DS users.

The built-in program PictoChat lets you write and draw with others.

But not all is new; Nintendo has re-invested some favorite features of older platforms into the DS. It's backward compatible to the Game Boy Advance, which means that older Game Boy and Game Boy Color games won't work in this machine but GBA games will run fine (sadly, the wireless feature doesn't extend to GBA games). Like the GBA SP, the DS is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides approximately 10 hours of play on a four-hour charge. Old timers might recognize the A/B/X/Y face buttons from the Super Nintendo controller, though they're not in the same positions. The standard headphone jack and wide-body comfort of the first GBA model is back, coupled this time with the SP's screen-saving clamshell design. In terms of its ability to display graphics and sound, the DS is a little better -- and a whole lot smaller -- than the Nintendo 64.

Overall, the Nintendo DS represents a rather large leap in portable gaming. With some mystery shrouding the future abilities of its internal microphone (voice recognition) and its IEEE 802.11 wireless network, the DS may have left some surprises up its sleeve. --Porter B. Hall

Pros:

• Great design marries innovative new features with great features of old systems and lots of customizable options
• Wireless up to 100 feet
• Built-in PictoChat lets you write and draw pictures with up to 15 other DS users

Cons:

• Sometimes hard to see and use the touch screen at the same time
• Wireless multiplayer feature won't work with GBA games
• Can't connect to other wireless devices...yet

Reviews (12)

A Great System... but where are the games!?
I'll be honest, as I was in my review of the PSP.I don't care about the competition, and going up to my best friend saying "My system is better," that in itself is childish.Any self respecting gamer buys a system to play some games!I'm not looking for a gaming entertainment center, I'm looking to have some fun and play some games!I want everyone to know that this review is for the DS alone.You won't find anything in this review about the PSP at all.I figure if you're curious about the PSP, you'll be smart enough to find a review on it.

From a certain standpoint, this is quite a revolution in gaming. The Nintendo DS is without doubt one of the most amazing things Nintendo has ever presented to the world. The Nintendo DS is a handheld powerhouse.

To begin, this is not just another Gameboy system. This is a system capable of handling 3D graphics and smooth frame rate. It has wireless capabilities, and a touch screen.

Let's start off with the gold. What makes the DS a treasure. The DS supports 64-Bit graphics, making it possible to present games in full 3D. Not only that but the picture is clear and crisp. If you have a Nintendo 64 you'll also note that the DS presents games looking a bit more lavish (look at Super Mario 64 DS for instance).

The touch screen is a new addition to gaming, and the DS makes good use of it. Enjoying the DS's touch screen is just one of the biggest joys of it. Each DS comes with a stylus. Use the stylus to touch the screen. It makes some things more convienent than sifting through a menu.

The DS is also more than just a gaming system. You can set the date, time and even an alarm clock. The DS is also wireless up to 100 feet. Using the wireless connection you can go into chatrooms with up to fifteen other people. It also makes playing multiplayer a lot easier. No more link cable!

The sound is presented in stereo. There are now two speakers as opposed to one. Plug in some headphones and the games just sound incredible!

As for GBA games. There's a seperate slot to put them in. You can select whether you want the GBA to display on the touch screen or top screen. Regardless, GBA games look clearer than they did before. They show up much brighter on the DS than previously.

The DS also comes with a charger. As with the GBA it takes about three hours to fully charge. You can play the DS while it charges as well.

In addition to the games. If you have something you must attend to but don't want to leave the DS on, just flip it closed and the system automatically goes to sleep. It's much easier than having to press certain buttons or select "sleep" from the menu.

But with all the good comes some bad. Every system has some sort of flaw. And the DS unfortunately has a few flaws of its own.

Firat of all, the games are brutally small. They're about an ince tall and an inch wide. If you don't keep your games in some sort of game case, you'll undoubtably lose them.

Another problem is that the DS doesn't have any grand titles out.The lack of games is almost insulting.If it weren't for the ability to play GBA games, there would be almost nothing for this system out.

While the DS plays GBA games, it doesn't play normal gameboy games or gameboy color games. So just because you get a DS doesn't mean you throw your previous GB systems to the side.

The buttons are small! My fingers are pretty big and it sucks to press the "B" button and suddenly hit the "Y" button along with it. I was also disappointed to find you can't configure the "Y" and "X" buttons to act when playing a GBA game.

The touch screen is nifty, but the DS almost requires the Stylus. If you touch the touch screen with your bare hands you could damage it with the oils on your fingers. The stylus is also small and easy to lose. Luckily, the DS has a place that stores it for you. It may also prove troublesome at first to keep your eye on the touch screen and the top screen.

Lastly, wireless multiplayer doesn't work with GBA games. So if you want to play a GBA game up against a friend then you'll still need the GBA link cable to do it.

The DS is a wonder, true enough. But there are a few glaring things about it. It's worth the money, but a few small things about it may grow into big problems in the long run. It's an incredible system but the small problems keep it from being perfect.

The good
+It can handle more power than the GBA
+You can still play GBA games
+Surround Sound and Stereo!
+Touch screen brings more intuitive gameplay
+Lavish presentation
+Not too complex or complicated to understand
+More than just a gaming sytem. It has a clock, calender and alarm clock set.
+Wireless connection of up to 100 Feet
+Wireless connection is easy to use
+Chat with other DS holders
+Small and compact. It fits in your pocket just like a GBA

But of course those cons
-You shouldn't touch the touch screen with your fingers
-The games are SMALL
-You can't play GBC or regular Gameboy games
-The buttons are a little small
-Wireless Multiplayer doesn't work with GBA games
-Not enough games.

A great system with forgiveable cons. If you loved your GBA you'll only be doing yourself another favor by purchasing this.

N/A
I think this game is great overall but i know uve heard alot of complaints about the ds. people who tell u to get the psp and all saying it can play mp3's and videos well guess what? buy a dang mp3 or video player the ds is made to play games it may be big but it just means it holds a lot more stuff within like the mic or the pictochat even downloading games and it can play ur old games while the psp may be small but that just means the puny thing has no memory ha u psp people actually need memory sticks overall i think the ds is a greater buy.

Nintendo DS:Another failure!
A Kid's Review

I was dying to get one of these but I didn't want it anymore, because I found about PSP that has better graphics, memory, sound, features, and MUCH MUCH MORE. A PSP can play dvds, mp3s, and pictures. My friend got a DS for her birthday and it was big. A PSP is smaller and lighter. Anyway, a DS is not that fun as a PSP. By the way, PSP is a portable playstation 2. If you touch the screen on a PSP, it doesn't mess up like a DS. If you want to find out more about PSP, then go to www.EBgames.com. So take my advice, and PLEASE do not buy this. A PSP have all of the DS features AND more. If your looking for small, lightwieght, exciting portable entertainment, PSP is PERFECT for you.

[...]

NDS Rocks, the rest.... not so much.
Ok, these review is about the entire bundle, not just the DS (wich deserves a 5 star score on its own). I desided to buy the hole bundle thing because (in my partuclar case) it was cheaper than buying a single Nintendo DS concole at a store, beleive it or not... I'll just put everithing that comes with the bundle on a list a tell you my opinion:

Nintendo DS: its a brand new NDS, perfect condition. comes with the DS, battery charger, instructions, metroid demo, an extra stylus pen and a strap. 10/10

Brief case: grate for keaping the investment (150 dollars is a small investment to me) BUT smells like spray paint on the inside! Hoe can some one sell somethig like that, I mean if you leave it open for a while (a long while, I mean) it goes away, but I dont thuink thats fair counting the price. 6.5/10

Head Phones: Those are very nice, thy can get rolled in a n out. They sound just fine, the question is, for how long?... head phones are, in general, a poor desing, plus my ears arent made for them, Ive never had a pair of head phones that I could really wear. 9//10

Touch screen protector: these is a total waist of money. First, you don reaaly need it (as long as you don hit, and I mean HIT the screen). Second, it fell of right awy. Third, it makes the touch screen a lot less sensitive! you have to push harder in order to use the touch screen!... 5th. I think thats enough. 1/10

Strap: Not really needed but fine, its alot longer than the one the DS brings (but that one has a purpose). Its ok thou, it is safer because you can hang it around youre neck. 8/10

car battery charger: I dont trust these, basically because its not an original nintendo product and its not really needed if you charge the DS before going on a long trip. 5/10

Game holder: cheap little plastic box, holds Game Boy advance games but not the DS games. 7/10

Spider Man 2: the game is nice, a bit difficult! but entertaining. 8/10

I belive thats it, in general its ok, I play alot but I have to keep it stored for long periods of time. One last thing, the hole thing is very heavy.5 pounds. If you can get the DS with a different game (Mario 64!) and the lather case, I think hats the very best choice, I had my reasons to buy these thou.

NotAll THAT!
I was dying to get one of these but I didn't want it anymore, because I found about PSP that has better graphics, memory, sound, features, and MUCH MUCH MORE. A PSP can play dvds, mp3s, and pictures. My friend got a DS for her birthday and it was big. A PSP is smaller and lighter. Anyway, a DS is not that fun as a PSP. By the way, PSP is a portable playstation 2. If you touch the screen on a PSP, it doesn't mess up like a DS. If you want to find out more about PSP, then go to www.EBgames.com. So take my advice, and PLEASE do not buy this. A PSP have all of the DS features AND more. If your looking for small, lightwieght, exciting portable entertainment, PSP is PERFECT for you. ... Read more

Product Description

Get ready to race at blazing speeds and experience adrenaline-filled, anti-gravity racing action.The latest edition to the popular anti-gravity racing series for the PSP provides intense, hovercraft racing action!Supporting up to 8 players via a Wireless link for multiplayer gameplay, gamers will be able to take on their friends and attempt to blast enemy ships to pieces in a fierce competetion for top racing honors.Players who win a gold, silver or bronze trophy will earn fresh racing col ... Read more

Features

• Sony PSP
• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Racing

Reviews (25)

grrrrrrreat
this game is really fun. it has uber good graphics, and its soundtrack is really weird but cool. at first it was sorta hard, but then you understand a lot better..this is my first wipeout game, as i have a cube, and not a ps2. another reason i like it is because of the dns hack that lets you acsess the 'net using the download section. it is sorta hard, but ifa 11 year old(me) can do it than it is not uber hard. my fav car is auricom, i think, by the way.

Speed racing
Quickly, this is a great game for on the go gaming. Also, it shows off the PSP's awesome graphics power. It even has weapons?!? It can get boring at times though, no biggie. So for $40.00, you cant really go wrong with this game unless you hate racing.

Don't Blink!
After pinching myself to find that I wasn't dreaming looking at the graphics, I saw the fun of this game.I am not a big fan of the Wipeout series although I had played it on PS1.I got this as my first PSP game because of the talk I've been hearing about it.Anyway, this game is so much fun and addicting that you will find yourself playing over and over again.There are 8 vehicles and are all fast.There are 16 distinct and very different tracks.The vehicles go so fast the it is nearly impossible to control them.And just as you get the hang of the controls, you go on to the next of 5 speed classes where you go about 100kph fatser than the previous speed class.The grahics in my mind are equal to PS2 and if not better.Also be careful not to get a Wipeout.Every time you crash or get shot by an opponent's wepon, health is deducted from your health meter.If you run out of health, you wipeout which results in a last place finish, unless someone wipes out before you in the race.Note, that some vehicles have higher shields or take more hits to wipe out than others.This is the best PSP game out now.

Great game!
Awesome laucnh title - love it!!The look and feel of the Wipeout series has been perfectly captured on the new platform. Difficulty ramps up nicely after you mosey around the tracks on the starter levels and unlock the faster levels.Free-practice lets you learn a track inside and out until you're ready to take on a real race.
And once you're sick of playing against the AI it's dead-simple to challenge your mates head-on or merge their best lap-times with yours to beat on the tube.

There is however a gripe: you have to go through about 6 screens before you get to the main menu.. so switching from listening to music to playing Wipeout Pure takes quite a while.There should be a 'quick-launch' option - straight into the main menu with your save game auto-loaded.

A truly impressive game.....at first
WipEout Pure has proven to be one of the most visually stunning games I have ever seen on a portable handheld. The gameplay is mad-fun, sound and special effects are unparalled, and the music is pretty neat too.

However, this game does have its serious flaws that cripple the fun-factor only a short time after playing this game for the first time; when playing against the AI in tournament mode, its a real fun challege- a game wouldnt really be fun at all if there was no challenge involved, but if the difficulty level is ludicrously high, winning and passing a race would become nearly impossible. This is highly evident as you ascend through the tournament, and namely, one or two race-maps in "Ascension" mode, while playing it in "Flash" difficulty. This is especially true for people who are new to the WipEout Pure series, like myself. I honestly hate this game only 5 days afterbuying it, and now regret spending those lousy 40 bucks on a game that could have been so great. That's what makes me have a serious grudge against some game developers- they can never learn from their previous mistakes, and will always recreate games with very few innovative features, which suffer from some sort of fatal gameplay-imbalancement. Why is this still happening to a game whose series has been around for nearly a decade now?

In addition, there are some minor framerate issues- but I'm not surprised about that due to the amazing graphics quality in this game. Music length and selection is quite poor, but what they already have (electronic-dance) is great, and fits very nicely with the gameplay.

I highly recommend this game for everyone - whether or not you're a beginner - but if you want to go ahead and buy it, don't be surprised if you get extremely frustrated with some racing events.

Hope this review helps. ... Read more

Product Description

The Star Wars universe is expanded and enhanced in this action-packed game. You'll interact with droids, Wookies, Jedi and more as you battle across the galaxy. Travel to a total of 10 awesome worlds—both familiar and new. May the force be with you. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Action/Adventure
• Mission: The ongoing battle between the Jedi and the Sith rages on. Your actions determine the outcome of this colossal galactic war—and your destiny as a Jedi
• Platform: Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (206)

Play tester anyone?
I couldn't give this game a "fun" rating, because you have to be able to play a game to know if it's any fun.I ranked it a 1 because I certainly didn't have any fun with this product.

KOTOR didn't allow me that opportunity.

When I loaded the game, the framerate was something like 5 frames per second, and that was just the main menu screen.Once I got into the actual game, it ran at about 2 fps.

It's not like I was playing this on an overclocked 486 either.This was on a brand new computer that I had literally bought the week before I tried to play this game.

My specs:

Compaq Presario 4012 notebook
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor
512MB of RAM
ATI Mobility Xpress 200 graphics card

I spent three days mucking about with Bioware's tech support forums before I got an email back from Bioware's tech support that told me that ATI graphics cards in the family that my graphics card is in are incompatible with this game.If I wanted to play it, I'd need a card from NVIDIA.

Gee, that would have been nice to know before buying the game.Maybe they could have put something in the system requirements (Far Cry, for example, lists the compatible graphics cards in the system requirements)

Furthermore, that doesn't explain the fact that the reviewers at Gamespot (who for some inexplicable reason gave the game an 8.8 ranking) noted that they game flat-out wouldn't play on three of the four systems they tried it on.These are professional game reviewers.Surely, if a system exists that could handle this game, they would have more than one.(And one that it crashed frequently on, I might add)

The review is here:

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/starwarsknightsoftor/index.html?q=knights+of+the+old+republic


It's obvious that Bioware developed this game for one hardware configuration, and didn't playtest it on anything that didn't match that configuration.Bioware is currently blaming ATI for faulty drivers-- adbicating any responsibility they have to release a product that actually works as advertised.



Here's a word of advice:Before you buy this game-- or any game from Bioware-- make darn sure you contact their tech support staff and ask them if the game will work with your specific hardware setup.And don't accept a "should work" answer either.Otherwise, you might just wind up with a very expensive set of shiny coasters.

GREAT GAME
THERE IS NO PS2 VERSION!! FOR THE PERSON THAT SAID HE HAS THE PS2 VERSION OF KOTOR. ONLY PC AND X-BOX.

Awsome Game
One of the best games i ever played, great story, really 2 different games choosing light or dark sides, highly recommend to anyone, even not star wars fans, great game.

PlayStation 2 version
I have this game in the PlayStation 2 version.It's a great game.I would like to sell it if anyone is interested.

the best video game of all time!
if that doesnt say it all,i will elaborate.this is a star wars role playing game.you pick this dude,gather droids,a wookie,some soldiers,some jedis and such then travel many planets and getting into all sorts of high adventure!you can choose from a long list of force powers to have.there are weopons practicly falling out of the trees.unlike older rpgs,you have control of your characters during battle.you can even customize weopons with all sorts of cool upgrades.theres a lot of stuff to do but it is highly unstructured.you could pay very little attention to the actual story and still become powerful just fighting monsters.then theres a few more cool things.one is you can coax just about anybody into a fight.you remember the old days when a king just told your guy off and sent him on a perilous journey then screwed him out of his money later?well now,if he tells you off,you can dismember him and if you dont want to do the job,you dont have to.if he screws with you,more often than not you can force choke him or blast him.so no more putting up with mouthy npc authority typeson a power trip!the other really cool thing is you dont have to be a good guy either.now you can go to the dark side if youd like.every decision you make can ultimately lead to a dark or light side point being gained.here are some examples of bad things that can get you dark side points.............using the jedi mind trick to force a wookie to kill his best friend,or using it to make someone commit suicide,refusing to pay docking fees,smuggling,killing witnesses,going to sith school.the story even changes for whatever style guy you run.but ultimately,you fight the same last boss,just under different circumstances.this is definately worth checking out! ... Read more

Product Description

Star Wars Republic Commando is a squad-based first person shooter that lets you explore the elite world of the Star Wars military. Leading a 4-man squad of Republic Commandos, your missions take you deep behind enemy lines on over 14 intense and challenging levels through three different campaigns where you will face more than ten brutal enemies. You’ll have more than a dozen deadly weapons at your disposal, but none more lethal than your squad. What makes the squad in Star Wars Republic Commando so unique is the game’s innovative One Touch Squad Control’ system that allows you to engage your squad with just one button.

Features:

• The One Touch Squad Control’ system features intuitive and straightforward Squad Maneuvers and Squad Commands.
• Set in the uncompromising world of the Star Wars militaryAs a special squad unit in the Republic’s Clone Army, you’ll engage in all out firefights and intense gameplay.
• Take a sneak peek at Episode III content including: General Grevious, locations, enemies, vehicles and the ability to play Clones as they appear in the film. Both original and new content from the Star Wars universe, including a deadly arsenal of over a dozen weapons, a variety of highly intelligent enemy creatures and unique and varied alien locations. State of the art graphics utilizing the latest advancements in technology layered onto proven FPS gameplay.
• Multi-player capabilities including deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag.
• Play with up to 16 players online via X-box Live or out of the box Internet play on PC

Features

• One Touch Squad Control system features intuitive and straightforward controls and direction for your squad of Clone Army troopers
• Both original and new content from the Star Wars universe
• Single- and multiplayer modes (up to 16 players over Xbox Live)
• Squad-based first-person shooter that lets you explore the elite world of the Star Wars military
• Lead a 3-man squad behind enemy lines

Reviews (43)

KICK@$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Republic Commando, Star Wars 2.5, the best ever Star Wars game to date not tomention one of the best I've played,ever. It's just better than Halo and Halo 2.They got boring fast except for XBOX LIVE.This feels like it will never lose it's intention on making your jaw drop with stunning graphics, really incredible gameplay high quality sound etc. This isn't and 8/10 or a 4/5 it's almost perfect.My only gripe is that the clones voices are different, but it's probrably some voice masking device to tell them apart. AWESOME ISN'T ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE THIS GAME!!! GO GEORGE LUCAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pretty darn good if you like gunning games.
This game is good but it just doesn't cut it following up in Halo's wake. Less intense than Halo but the levels are basicly repetetive after the first. Plus, being able to revive your soldiers makes it a lot less challenging. Still, it is pretty fun.

Please wake me up... I fell asleep
This game was cool through the first level, but every level after that was almost identical. The weapons set seamed very weak, I felt like I was shooting a pea shooter the whole game. I also spent way too much time "Retrieving Bacta" (health for the squad) this game really seams two years behind in game play and definitely didn't live up to the hype. The squad control was OK but there is very little strategy when commanding them. The blue highlights around Snipe or Anti-Armor locations scream put a guy here, again eliminating any strategy. Buy the way "XBOX Live" game play is horrible, I will be trading this game in tomorrow.

Great GamePlay, I didn't find bugs or get bored!
Good game, better than Halo 2 and the sqaud is fun, handy, and intelligent. I have heard repotts about bugs but I didn't find any. The game is somewhat short but the good visuals and interactive envirments make up for that. The squad is very funny and keep you entertaned in the darkest places. Easy controls, and good acting, plus the missions don't get boring, even if you do them again and agian. I may have finally found the perfect game. Kinda a mixture between halo 2, Ghost Recon, and battlefront. With a variety of alien ***holes to kick and very powerful stategic requirements, this game is the best!

It's not in the league of Halo but...almost
The game adds aspects that you want in Halo, like being able to talk to your men and have more control utilizing them on the battlefield. Also the gameplay is very consistent as well as the physics and environment. Most visual aspects are clear and not shrouded in fuzzy darkness. I consider these major pluses. (Also the action keys are nearly identical to Halo - so you don't have to reprogram your fingers! Sweet!)

However the graphics, in terms of resolution and perspective,just aren't on the level of Halo. And your enemies have not much of a personality. (Whereas your teammates do - and even incorporate humor - but their comments recycle waay too quickly). There is a great lack in variability in game sequence. While it's not a 2D sidescroller, there isn't much freedom to manipulate the battle environment or how the sequence of subtasks unfold.

The physics of body desecration after a kill are pretty cool - and obviously the programming accomdates this quite well so who am I not to play all the aspects of the game?

The game disk jacket boasts a rating from GameInformer that says "perhaps the smartest squad AI ever seen." I thought this would carry over to enemy squads. Not at all. True, the AI for you and your teammates is top notch - but is wasted on monolithic enemies that rarely seek cover, change attack style, or retreat when you start to overpower them.

It is fun to play and a cut above most of what's out there in the genre. I would suggest renting first because you get a good feel for the gameplay in the first few missions.

Lastly, as negatives - you are on foot the whole time. There are no vehicles you can drive/fly. And what's up with no cooperative play?

... Read more

Product Description

Even with the Master Chief back in action, the situation looks dire - and this is at the beginning of the game, before things get a lot worse. In true Bungie tradition, the solo campaign in Halo 2 deepens and expands upon the story that began in the first game: old questions will be answered, new mysteries will unfold, and the truly epic nature of the story will finally be revealed.Multiplayer is an entirely different kettle of fish. Halo 2 is designed from the ground up to support internet mu ... Read more

Features

• Better control: sprint at twice normal speed, peek around corners, chain melee attacks into devastating combos
• Completely rewritten graphics engine allows previously unimaginable complexity and detail
• Multiplayer modes include Oddball, Race, Slayer, Capture the Flag, and exclusive modes only available for play over Xbox Live
• Covenant forces attack Earth, another Halo ring comes into play, and the Master Chief takes the battle to the Covenant
• New vehicles and weapons, destructible environments, low gravity, online play, Human vs. Covenant multiplayer battles, improved AI, and more

Reviews (220)

Awesome on live
this game is awesome. if you get it and have high speed internet, get Xbox Live. you will not regret it. i stay up all night, one night a week on the weekend with my friend and just have fun on live. its unbelievable how diffrent each game is. and the DVD is pretty cool too

2 Times The Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUY!!!!!!!!!!
Disc 1:The Game
Halo 2 is probably the best piece of work I have ever seen!!!!
Halo 2 is an all out action, sc-fi first person shooter!!! Dang I wish sc-fi movies were all like this!!! The story takes place right after the orignal Halo, if you didn't play the first game ... well... don't get me started; JUST BUY IT!!!!!!! The whole Covenant and Human conflict is still going on!!! In Halo 2 the game tells a lot more about the Halo universe *cough* the PROPHETS *cough*!!!! Halo 2 is a lot more stylish and has bascialy been refurbished!!! This game has improved in everything from graphics, to level structure, new and improved weapons, the dual wield feature, improved marine inteligence, vast landscapes and breathtaking scenery, awesome cut scenes which flavor the story!!! The new armor make gameplay at times a little easier with the shield able to charge up faster but, it can sometimes be bad if you can't find cover though!!! The new dual wield system makes the game much better with many deadly combos and so much opputuinty!!! I give credit to Bungie and Microsoft for making this possible, with all their hard work and dedication!!! The game itself has two different story lines: one being about the arbiter/ a covenant Elite/ which gives the game from the covenant point of view and of course Master Chief!!! The story in campaign mode spans out from 15 unique and just plainly unbelievable!!! In Normal mode the game takes about 10-14 hours of gameplay but, as you get into Heroic and Legendary modes it starts to get tough!!! As the Arbiter you play along as a member of a covenant Spec. Ops. group fighting against Heretics, from the Flood, to fighting alongside the humans the in an unlikely alliance against the Brutes. Well anybody who has played the first Halo knows who da' Master Chief is... so just give me a break!!! Fine, the Master Chief is a human cyborg (Spartan) who is known as Demon to the Covenant. With him you defend the Cario Space Station, chase them away from earth, take on a whole Covenant army on a second halo(a super weapon), pursue a Prophet, fight your way through the Covenant High Temple, and survive another encounter with the Flood!!!

Game Outline:
Levels:
The Heretic- cut scene kicking off the story of both the soon to be Arbiter and The Master Chief!!!
The Armory- A quick tutorial along wit another cut- scene!!!
Cario Station-/Master Chief/ Defend the stations MAC gun from destruction!!!
Outskirts-/Master Chief/ Rally scattered marines, in an counter- attack, clear hostiles out of outskirts of city!!!
Metropolis- Take Main Bridge, Drive Covenant out of Meteropolis. Defeat the Scarab.
The Arbiter-/Arbiter/ Infiltrate Space Station and eliminate all heretics and other complication *cough* THE FLOOD *cough*
The Oracle-/Arbiter/ Kill Heretic leader!!!
Delta Halo-/Master Chief/ Take out Covenant Army on second Halo , locate the Prophet of Regret!!!
Regret-/Master Chief/ Kill Prophet of Regret... at all cost!!!
*PERSONAL NOTE: I bet you that the Prophet of Regret probably regrets coming to earth, getting his fleet blown to pieces by the core, and managing to get himself killed!!!
Sacred Icon-/Arbiter/- Lower the shield protecting the sacred Icon!!!
Quarantine Zone-/Arbiter/- Retrive the icon at all cost... a short cut to h*ll if you ask me!!!
Gravemind-/Master Chief/- Stop the Prophets before it is too late!!! Is ther a gas leak in here because the covenant are shooting at each other!!! Well at least you don't have to do all the dirty work!!! Reminds me of the civil war if you ask me, dang history class!!!
Uprising-/Arbiter/ Join up in arms against the Brutes!!!
High Charity-/Master Chief/ Stop Truth, while Cortana deals with the index!!!
The Great Journey-/Arbiter/ form an alliance/ Human and Covenant/ keep Tartarus, leader of the Brutes, from activating Halo!!! Reveals cliff-hanger ending for the sequel Halo 3, rummored to be a starter game for the Xbox 360 next generation gaming system!!!

Besides all that typing I just did about the Campaign mode, there are many multi- player options and xbox live options!!! For regular multi- player it is the same stuff except for the new and improved maps, vechiles, and heck I guess everything like mentioned before!!! You can now play online and have 2 times the fun with people all over the world, which is so awesome!!! You also have profile opitions eithe being a spartan or elite!!! There is know reason to buy this game unless you are old enough because the game is rated Mature fro a reason, otherwise it is a must buy!!! 5/5 ***** stars Excellent!!! I will never forget this game!!!

Disc 2: Extras

By now you are probably tired of reading... so take my word on it and buy it!!! The second disc shows the making of the game, original artwork, and more!!! It also gives you some cool reading material from a covenant point of view!!! You could probably live without the extras but, for a fan like me it is worth it!!! It's only a few extra bucks so I just say get something worth your money like this!!!

The End

Best One Yet!
If you are a first-person shooter player, look no further! This game is all you could ever want, the story line has a different mode whereas you can play as Master Cheif on Halo 1, but in this game you are Master Cheif and The Arbiter(a covenant elite).This game has great multiplayer optoins especially on X-box Live. I could not wait to get this awesome game,but Bunjie and Microsoft have yet to show us their skills, in Halo 3!

This game sucks
I think this game needs a ladder to get above one level to Crap.

Great for the first Months
When i first played this game over Xbox live i was completely blown away by its great gamplay and graphix. i love every bit of it and couldnt stop playing it ever since then. i was like o my god halo 2 is the greatest game online. but now, after 5 months, im like, damn this game is boring i dont feel like playing it. it gets very very boring after you have had over 600 hours of playing time over halo.i am a playstation 2 owner and even now im not bored of SOCOM II but i am over halo. even my friends who usually play have there excuses for mot playing online. around the 12 people that played halo 2 when i first got it, only 4 of them are still on the game. i suggest that you take the free 2 month subscription and if your starting to get bored of halo, dont renew it, unless you are a diehard halo 2 fan and will never stop, then ok but i know most of you that have been playing this game since november are already bored now. in case you wanna play me on Halo 2 add me on either Detox Doc, Girlaphobia, Ben Coker ... Read more

Product Description

Join a New Generation of Online Role-Playing! Guild Wars takes the best elements of today's massively multiplayer online games and combines them with a new mission-based design that eliminates the tedium of those games. You can meet new friends in towns or outposts, form a party, and then go tackle a quest together. Your party always has its own unique copy of the quest map, so camping, kill-stealing, and long lines to complete quests are all things of the past. Within a quest you have unprecede ... Read more

Features

• Competitive online role-playing game with head-to-head guild battles
• Explore fantasy world while pursuing professions and acquiring skills
• Open battlegrounds where victory determined by skill and teamwork
• Fully integrated support for guilds; streaming technology
• Cooperative group combat; single player missions

Reviews (53)

Guild wars got it RIGHT
My experience with mmorpg's include DAOC, SWG, PS, EQ II and WOW...yes I am a geek. Guild wars got it right

MISSIONS & TRAVELING:
There are missions to do if you choose to, missions basically lead a player from one town to another. The missions use waypoints to make it easy. You can choose to group with henchmen (AI) or other players. It does not take long to form groups, longest I have waited is 3 minutes (no kidding). Traveling from city to city that you have been to is as easy as opening up the map and clicking (no more time sinks).

LOOT:
Loot drops are automatically assigned to each player of a group. There are 3 different types of quality loot: white (least rarest), blue, purple, yellow (most rarest). I am level 15/20 and I have only seen yellow loot drop twice, super sweet stuff. I love searching for loot drops fun :)

PVP:
2 types of pvp arena and capture the flag. Capture the flag is played in groups of 8, 6 teams and is for the level 20s. If you don't want to level a character, just make a level 20, the game allows you to do this to play capture the flag only. U.S, Europe and Korea compete in capture the flag and the winners are announced in system messages. Arena is AWESOME. No need to find a group, just click join and you are randomly grouped with others for a 4-on-4 battle, fun because it is so balanced. Skill is the only thing that matters, did I say super balanced :) I often find myself in 2 hour sessions saying just one more battle and you get experience.

EXTRA:
There is NO monthly fee. The load times of this game are fastest I have ever seen, 1 sec for me. No more time sinks. I should have bought this a long time ago. If your going to buy 1 game for rest of 2005, it should be guild wars.

Game is not for All MMO players
this game is a good game but its not for all MMO playersits mainly for those that get board easily hehe who are low income and also for those that whine about kill steals

I like this game as it is set to where you can do most things solo at a early lvl and later on when you are established in a guild you can play for the higher lvls or just look around for a group granted there is some that rush through and some that dont know what they are doing there are always people like this in games but it is rewarding when you find a group that knows what to do and dont leave anyone behind if possible

i have a lvl 10 elementalist ranger at the moment and i have solowed for the most part with myself or 1 person in game or npc groupof 3 others with myselfthe group max is 4 now i believe i havent done any pvp yet but from the reviews ive read i doubpt i want to there are some invisable walls but you arnt lead down a path all the time you can cut crossed country in alot of areas

Economy is like all other games can be high in areas as people are greedy most of the stuff is found and sold on a auction channel of sorts but most basic thigns are bough from npc's

the avatars in my opinion as a female very beautiful atleast the elementalist but yes as in all games you have scruffy looking fellows too

The bottom line here is what one man's or woman's opinion of a game is not always the opinion you would give a game my advice is try it if ya dont like it sell it used or something like that or see if there is a trial or spend all your time reserching it and let somone else dictate rather you will or wont like a game you will never know till you play it for yourself.

Julie

Beware: MMO-Lite..All that glitter is not Gold
I frankly just burned my $50 bucks with this game. This game is Bad with a Capital 'B'. There is something seriously missing from this game(if you are a Star Wars fan..'the force is unusally weak with this one'). I find it hard to fanthom how so many people are claiming this game to be the next best thing since sliced bread. Trust me its not.
This game doesn't feel like an mmo its mostly a persistent single player online game. One of the main attraction of an mmo is to be able to see other people running around in a persistent world. You can wave them, help them out, have a chit-chat or maybe even duke it out if they are hostile to you. There is no such aspect to this game. Every mission is 'instanced'; its just you or your guild or AI henchman(AI lacks and they feel like 'npc's too). You dont get to see anyone else.
They are invisible walls in this game everywhere. Unlike many other mmo's you just can't walk over to where you please like in a real persistent world. Instead you are forced to follow and play along a path chosen for you. For e.g...you are going on the road and there is a nice water-fall you see some distance away. So you decide to walk down the hill and check it out. Surprise...there is a invisible wall blocking your way. You have to stay on the road..it was all just a illusion or some cosmetic matte painting. This cuts down the real virtual world factor right there and than. Your only chance of seeing a group of people is in the cities and the way the game is setup you wont be spending much time in cities anyway.The city further lack the community feeling with no inns, housing or gathering places everyone just stands in the middle of the town.
As far as rpg element is concerned, the classes and their powers are poorly setup. Only 8 of your skills can be used at any time. I want to be able to use more than 8 skills sometimes. Combining two clases is a good idea but the 8 skills limitation further cuts down the charm of this aspect.
There is no player run economy as to speak...you sell stuff to npc's ho hum. Player run economy is an absolute must in my view for an mmo to get some sense of realism.
PVP is where this game really falls apart. This mmo strong point was its 'pvp aspect'; however this is where it fails the most. Instead of providing a real war like feeling that is so well done in 'World of warcraft' this game throws you in team based instanced arenas. Just imagine playing a online fps like 'Unreal tournament' or 'Counter-strike' with fantasty characters as well as weapons and you will get the complete picture. Dont expect to be the ubber champ if you haven't first played the pve aspect of the game lvl 20 + and unlocked specials skills. Because you get the standard Lvl 20 template for those classes if you decide to just go pvp but not the special skills that you can unlock if you had tried the pve aspect first. Some of those pve learned special skills are clearly superior to the standard pvp template and players already know this aspect and have learned to exploit it. So it means that whether you want to do pve or not you will have to if you want to be really good in pvp and reaching to lvl 20 is still a time-intensive pve grind. Now i come to my biggest complaint when it comes to pvp. So many people are touting strategy and true skill-based pvp in this game. Well the truth is far from it. Unless you have established guild with people you know you will be thrown into random 4 man teams with each player specilizing in certain skills like 1 is ranger, 1 is tank etc.. You are forced to group to pvp whether you like it or not, forget about any sniper or solo support role. Not to my surprise this random team of unknown people falls apart rather quickly. Most of the teams i have played in like to just rush in or charge without any ryhme or reason and resulting mayhem causes utter confusion with the victor being a warior or someone who can mash buttons the fastest. Or everyone just go into different directions once they get into arena and you are pretty much on your own and good luck here if you a pure ranger. There is no strategy atall that i have seen any team discuss or even apply so far. Another huge pitfall is those invisible walls blocking you from striking at the opposing player. If say you are on a hill and you see the opposing players down below. Well you think that you have a strategic advantage here dont you escpecially if you are a full fledge Ranger/elementalist. Surprise...you just cant attack them in most cases because of those invisible cost-cutting walls and have to run down the long winding preset path to get them and in the meantime giving your position away. So forget about launching a surprise attack on anyone in most cases which is one of the major forte of true pvp. You will see many more pitfalls especially the feeling that there is no real war going on in this game. There is really no gain or charm from pvp except just for the thrill of doing pvp. You character dont gain anything. PVP should be a integral part of the game rpg aspect not some side wrestling match.
Last but not least, the character creation is worst of any recent mmo's I have played so far. Some of characters look like misfits out of a bad Gothic heavy metal group...just have a look at the game 'Necromancer'. Others look like drag queens(sorry not to offend anyone its just a quip). Ontop of it you just have few templates and cosmetic choices to apply. As a result most people end up looking much the same with a real bad wadrobe case. And dont get me started at the Warior template. Supposedly the warrior is the start all and end all class. What we get is an over-weight and bald extra reject from the Gladiator movie.
This is the end of my rant. If you look at my other reviews I give credit where its due and discredit where it is also due. This game is far from what some people are making it to be. There is a reason this game is not charging you a monthly fee and it shows. Read all the reviews and make a educated guess its just that there are far better 'real mmo's' out there too. Dont let fanboy's or overly exicited people mislead you. This game tries to do a lot of things all at the same time while cutting costs but in the end ends up doing nothing well. No-monthly fee here is a double-edged sword here. I for one will throw this game into my garbage can and they can forget me ever getting buying their other expansions. I got suckered once because of all hoop laa that surrounds this game...but no more.

Some aspects are very good, others need some work.
The first thing that should be stated forthright about this game is that it shouldn't be classified as a massive multiplayer online (MMO) game.Much of the game takes place in private zones that approximately 8 people can access at a single time.There are towns and outposts that can harbor many more players, but these are merely gathering areas to form groups for your private instanced area; the vast majority of this game takes place in very small groups that do not interact with anybody else.In nearly all other MMO games, you're interacting with a large number of people all the time.I suppose there are perks to having your own private area to share with a few other people, but I found much of the playable areas depressingly lonely since there is little, if any player-player interaction.

The game is divided up into two spheres: Player-Versus-Environment, and Player-Versus-Player, with specialized characters devoted to each.Player-versus-environment characters can explore the world AND engage in player-versus-player combat, but player-versus-player characters are restricted to just that: player-versus-player combat.As you progress through the main storyline and other side-quests with your player-versus-environment characters, the skills and items that you discover will be unlocked for any future player-versus-player character you create.If you haven't unlocked any items and skills and would still like to enjoy player-versus-player combat right off the bat, the game comes with several pre-made characters you can use solely for player-versus-player combat.There are six classes of players: warriors, rangers, monks, mesmers, necromancers, and elementalists.Each character has a primary profession and a secondary profession, allowing for interesting combinations of characters such as a player that is primarily a necromancer, but can swing a sword almost as good as a warrior.Some skill combinations don't really work too well, but the fact that there are a potential of 30 different classes combinations is pretty refreshing.In addition, even if you're the same primary and secondary profession as another character, you most likely have a different set of skills, of which you're only allowed to have 8 equipped at one time).This also aids in helping your character feel truly unique.

The main storyline is very good, and I enjoyed progressing through each quest as more of the main story was revealed.When you play through the main storyline, your character and whoever you're partnering up with, be it other human players or computer controlled "bots", are the focus of the quest, and your actions in the storyline make it seem like you're actually doing super-human deeds instead of some trivial task like delivering a package.It is your character that saves entire cities from certain doom, it is your character that holds off armies of undead as they march towards your location; nothing you do is trivial.

But once the main storyline is over, all you're left with is player-versus-player combat, which I personally did not enjoy.There are many strong strategies that people have already figured out for player-versus-player combat, so some battles are more luck than skill.Whenever I played in the player-versus-player arenas, I got the feeling that I was just playing some glorified first person shooter like Unreal Tournament, but with swords and spells.You can go back and try to unlock more items and spells, but this gets very boring and tedious quickly.I tried to play through the main storyline with a different type of character, but didn't find it as enjoyable or engaging as the first run through.

However the main thing makes this game unbearable isn't so much the game mechanics as it is the people who play Guild Wars.There is no community, and you will never see the same person more than one time.Also, in a game that requires a lot of team play and coordination, there is an overabundance of people who simply don't care for tactics and are bound to get your character killed with their carelessness.

The best part of Guild Wars is the fact that there is no monthly fee, and the steaming content that updates as you play.I'm sure ArenaNet will be able to do some interesting things with their streaming content system, but there really wasn't enough substance in the game to keep me hooked for long after I finished the main quest.The player-versus-player combat did not appeal to me, however if you believe that you'll like it, you'll most likely enjoy Guild Wars.If you're going to try this game, I strongly recommend you do so with a group of people that you already know, as there is no player community to speak of.

Better than any MMO EVER!
I've played almost every mmo out there and this game is definately a step above. I thought since there was no monthly fee that there would be a huge lack of content but boy was I wrong!!! I have played it since release and there is so much to do and so many styles of play that I feel I will never grow tired of it. I've cancelled all my monthly fee games to play this one and I haven't regreted it since! ... Read more