Reviews (2)

cooooool game baby !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
i think it is a dam cool game and i think it is worth buying and should get 5stars,buy it, it is a dam coooool game!!!!!!!!!!!!

25 to Life on my shelf
25 to Life is one of the few games I actually liked. I spent a good four hours playing it this morning (D*mmit, I spend that time a week or so on a game!) It was interesting to play as a cop or a gangster (Not a huge fan of the law in real life) so I had fun playing both for the heck of it.

It's no GTA, but it's pretty solid, though the story isn't too hot in my opinion. Controls are a dream to me, but it depends on how you like them, combat is kind of dull, uninteresting, but I'm interested in the story even though it doesn't appeal to me, it's average for me, but I'll leave the gameplay to you, happy gaming! ... Read more

Features

• Dynamic action as you fight it out in a fully destructible environment and robust sound effects
• Open-ended assembly as you choose from over 400 parts to build the best in combat units
• Complete freedom of movement in every mission environment, in fully-rendered 3D polygon space
• New Active Mission feature determines how players advance through the game, based on their in-mission actions
• Head-to-head multiplayer options enable up to 4 players to compete against each other throgh an i.LINK or LAN connection

Reviews (3)

Nexus is great.
Nexus is the latest installment of the Armored Core series, and instead of being an expansion as some AC sequels are, this game has a whole different feel than previous AC games.

Basically in Armored Core, players are pilots of mechanized robots who take mercenary jobs from corporations and governments. In order to succeed in these missions, players must first design their Armored Cores to fit both the mission and their piloting preferences, and Nexus offers a robust lineup, with hundreds of parts from which to make a core.

In addition to simply making a balanced mech, Nexus offers a new "tune-up" feature that allows players to add stats to certain parts(ie more armor for arm parts, or more weight capacity for legs) that adds another dimension to building the perfect mech.

While players can spend hours simply building a mech(and some of us do spend quite a bit of time tweaking), the main part of Nexus is the actual missions. The missions are where players actually pilot their mech and do a specific task that usually involves attacking and destroying rival mechs.

Fortunately, the biggest gripe over the AC series: it's "awkward" controls (though the fan would tend to scoff, it was a valid complaint), is fixed in Nexus. Nexus solves this problem by fully utilizing the analog controls of the Duel Shock and makes controls accessible to both fans and interested players through simple controller options. Personally I love the delicate controls the AC series has, and the tight control Nexus continues when selecting the default controls, but some of my friends who disliked previous AC games because of the controls actually liked playing with the newer controls.


The only two problems I had personally with Nexus was the inability to sell off the original parts. Normally I would start customizing my mech immediately by selling most of the stock weapons, but that was not allowed in this game. The second problem I, and many other fans, have is the inability to replay any mission once I have "beaten" the game; instead once the game is beaten, the missions start over, and players have to perform certain ways on specific missions to get to a different branch of missions.

Sound is great as usual, and graphics are polished. Many of the parts look similar to previous AC games, but you should note the stats and try them out in the training mode before assuming they are the same parts.

Granted there is only one difficulty, and it might be a bit too easy for some of us, the balance of the game, as well as the newest feature of Hanger weapons(allowing players to have small backup weapons when they drop their primary weapons) which makes the game much more strategic and in my mind the best improvement in Nexus, and the fact that Nexus has two disks(one being a remake of missions from previous ACs) makes Nexus a great game for both veteran Ravens and interested players who are finally catered to in this release.

A great game.

codemaster
one of the best games i have ever played, excellent graphics and excellent gameplay, the only thing is that it's just to darn easy to beat, but that's why there are two disks

BEST GAME EVER!!!!!
This is the best game a person could ask for! Its the perfect combonation of action-adventure.Plus you can design your own robots with armor,weapons, and of course, the CORE!I lloovvee
it! You should really think about getting this fantasy game! ... Read more

Features

• Create your own Role Playing Game from the ground up
• Create your own 3D world, characters, monsters, backgrounds, vehicles and weapons
• Includes a 60 page instruction manual
• Includes the sample role playing game, Fu-Ma
• For 1 player

Reviews (38)

NO DUH!
This game was made for people who wanna make rpgs now to the idiots who expect this game to be a high quality ps2 game maker yer really stupid 1st of all yuo wanna kno how to makegames like ffx or kh learn graphics but if you wanna have fun make a simple and fun rpg this game is for you NOTE:it is quiet obvious that they wouldnt make it a super graphic making software cuz otherwise were would gaming buisness go DUH!

MORONS!!
First I would just like to say that those of you whom reviewed this game and put it down, said you would give 50$ to anyone that could understand it, I would just like to say that you're MORONS!
you must at least take the time to play it.
As for the graphics and whatnot, do you really think that a company would produce a game that could make games just like the ones on the market? Businesses would be...well...out of business.
You people need to think before you type!
As for those of us who liked it and aren't morons, Cheerio!

This is a GAME DEVELOPMENT TOOL.NOT A GAME.
There seems to be A LOT of confusion as to what RPG Maker 2 is.Here's what it's not:It's not a game.You can't simply put the disc in your PS2 and start playing some magical adventure.It is in fact a Game development tool.Ya know?For making games.Then you can play them.
That being said, it's a VERY fun program to use.If you understand what RPG Maker 2 does, then by all means, you should try it.At least then you will find out with a minimal amount of investment if game development is for you or not. :-)

This is a hard one..
Once I heard this game was coming out, I had to get it (as others said). I was hoping this game would be a little easier, but it is definetly a challenge. I bought it in the summer and therefore had a good amount of time to play it. However if you can not donate 2-5 hours a day, this games not for you. I now do not have nearly enough time to create an RPG, and therfore havent touched this game in months. This game is also VERY VERY challenging, Not many have mentioned how hard it is, but it takes a lot of thought. Good luck with this one.

a truthful revew: fun and interesting
welcome to the world of rpg maker 2 the easy to use tool set to make a game

ok first offthis game is not made for evry one
it is met for thous that dream of becomeing a game maker
like me

i will be adding a star for each pro and takeing one away
for each con at the end of the review

this game is deep. I mean deeeeeep!
you can....
make your own stuff Du!
you can make the story line
you can make a platforming game
you can make a zelda clone
bla bla bla bla bla bla

Yep you guest it you can make any thing.
But the sad grathics and lousy inter face
keep it from being an apsute winner.
despite what game spot says this game
is NOT that hard if you spend at least
6-10 hours playing it or just look at something at
gamefaqs.com. im 12 and have masterd this game.
the sound and music is nice.
plus you can make your own.

pros
make any thing +1
good sound +1
fun visal fx editer +1
new concept +1
keyboard compatible +1
gives futer game degineerrs somthing to do +1
hours of content +1
great sample game +1
make your own music +1
in game help +1

cons
sad grathics-1
bad interface-1
vary hi learning curv-1
not for every one!!!!! -1

over allit gets a perect score
and if you do not like this game
then dont play it!!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 80573VENDOR- ACTIVISION FEATURES- XMEN LEGENDSThe first 3D action-RPG based on the popular Marvel characters, the X-Men, X-Men Legends challenges players to master the attributes oftheir favorite X-Men by creating, customizing and controlling teamsof four mutants in real time. Assuming the role of more than a dozen popular Super Heroes, each with individual mutant powers andfighting skills, including Wolverine, Gambit and Storm, playerslead teams of mutants as they battle the Brotherhood of EvilMutants and other Marvel villains on a quest to stop the extinctionof mankind and determine the fate of the world. -- SPECIFICATIONs ---------------------- ESRB Rating : T for Rating TeenGenre/Category: Action Adventure System: Playstation 2 Number of Players : On- Line Compatible : PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system; PlayStation 2 compatible controller, PlayStation 2compatible memory card for savesNice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theActivision 80573 - Xmen Legends PS2 and all other Activision Video Game Acc ... Read more

Features

• Fully destructible environments
• Penned by former X-Men writers and based on the Ultimate X-Men comic book series
• Up to 4 players in skirmish and co-op modes
• Stop Magneto from blotting out the sun and plunging the globe into eternal winter
• Choose a team of 4 from 15 playable Mutants

Reviews (41)

X-Men Is The Best
X-Men Legends is a very fun and exciting game and will leave wanting to play it more and more. The game truly shines in playability. The graphics are fun and comic-book style and very cool looking. The story is probably the best part about this game I love how this game isn't only focussed on one mission theirs about 20 or more missions on this game.
Overall This game is really fun and it is not only the best game of the X-Men series but the best game of 2004 in my opinion.

X-Cellent
At first I didn't know how this game was going to turn out so I put off buying it. Eventually I did buy it and it turn out to be great! This game is also multiplayer.
Playable Characters
Wolverine
Cyclops
Jean Grey
Rogue
Colossus
Nightcrawler
Professor X
Psylocke
Beast
Jubilee
Magma
Gambit
Iceman
Storm
Emma Frost

This game wasn't very challenging I beat this game fairly quickly the only one I had a problem on was Mastermold. He took almost all of my party but luckly I had enough money to revive my team.
There are parts in the game where you have to have a specific mutant in your party to get past that part. Which is sometimes annoying because you have to go back to a save point and change your members and if that mutant was knocked out than you would have to revive them.
Every mutant has four powers. For example Storm, Jean, and Rogue can fly which can get you out of some sticky situations at some point. Iceman can create a bridge of ice so you can get to the next area.
The graphics are pretty good I'd give it about a 4 out of 5.
Funfactor 5 out of 5
Overall 4 out of 5
All X-Men fans must get this game!

Read this before you bye the game.
This is a great game, but if you like games that you can keep playing,after you beat the game, you dont want this one. Dont get me wrong, this is a great game but when its over, its over. Once you beat the game there is no playing on. All you can do is re-play the game. Most games, you can play something extra, but as I said this game doesnt have that extra play. plus, this game is short. I think it took me a total of like ten to fifteen hours to beat it. It was easy. There are a lot of highlights though. The co-op is awsome. But it is fun in single play too. And you can play co-op and single player in the same file. There is alot of info on the x-men in the game too. if you like the x-men you will probably like this game. overall, its a good game and I gave it a four out of five.

Not an Epic But Still a Worthwhile Adventure
Ok, I'm a pretty decent X-Men fan - liked the comic books, liked the cartoon, liked the movies, though all three are like comparing apples and oranges.At first, I was a little stand-offish about an rpg video game.But I'm happy to say that overall I am quite impressed.

The storyline had a little to be desired.In traditional epic-adventure story devices, you begin with the rescue of the latest mutant recruit, Allison/Magma.From there on, story line trickles in through a series of missions and storyline interludes that take place at the Mansion.You're not getting a Final Fantasy epic tale, there are few loops and curves that really bewilder you with amazement, but what's there is fun and functional.In typical superhero fashion, the X-men's archnemisis Magneto is released and the heros must stop him before the fate of the world is sealed.

The game truly shines in playability.The graphics are fun and comic-book style, though with the quality of current gaming, I would have expected a little more detail, but you don't loose anything in the enjoyment of the gaming experience.
For each mission, the player selects a team of up to four mutants, controlling one and the rest act on AI.I've had horrible experiences with AI controlled npcs (can anyone say Arcanum?), but this is pulled off fantasticly.The computer controlled characters are very self reliant, jump at any chance to do a combo attack and usually don't get themselves killed.Should a character get killed, reviving them is no problem at one of the many extraction points in each mission.
As for team compatibility- you get plenty of opportunities to test out new mutants. Part of the strategy is to have a diverse group that can handle themselves and any obstacles and the possible team combinations seem endless.

In true RPG fashion, each character levels up with experience points.You can custom design which skills and powers each character progresses in.I found myself starting over several times at first, trying to figure out how to most effectively level up my characters.One mistake not to make: don't try and make every character completely well rounded, make sure they max out your favorite special powers or else you'll have a team mate who isn't exceptionally good at anything.

As for the multiplayer settings, it can be difficult for two or more players to share the screen - especially when two players want to run in different directions, but the multi-player option is a lot of fun.Unfortunately, during the unnecessarily long interludes at the mansion, when you're only playing as Magma, your friends will have to twiddle their thumbs with nothing to do.So, this isn't the game where you and three friends sit down and play all the way through on a Friday night.

Overall, X-men Legends is an excellent purchase and is worth replaying several times.One can spend hours simply practicing in the Danger Room and playing with all the characters.I do have a major complaint - the game is simply too short.It would be wise to re-release X-men Legends with several additional missions.I was quite looking forward to taking a whirl with Psylocke only to find that she doesn't join up until 3/4 of the game is over!

If you're in for a power team, do not overlook Storm and Jean Grey, who are probably the two most power characters.You'll have to sit through a lot of cheesey dialogue and poor voice acting - there's not too many surprises, but you won't get tired of the non-stop action.

Player
I wasn't sure what to expected when i got this game for christmas, but when i started playing it, i couldn't stop. The effects of the game were great. I found the game challangeing. The hardest part for finding the crew members on the ship.I like the fact that you don't have to play as one x-men but with a group of x-men. The only problem i had with this game was all of the loading. I felt like i spent more time waiting for it to load then i did playing the game.

The game tries to keep with the story line of the comic book. Magneto breakes out to destroy the earth and the only ones who can stop him are the x-men. The game is great for anyone who like to play long games or just enjoyed reading the x-men comics. ... Read more

Product Description

Hyper Street Fighter II Hyper Street Fighter II in itself is a compilation with a unique spin. Rather than simply including conversions of the five entries in the series: Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II Champion Edition, Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the game lets you mix and match characters from the different versions for a plethora of different match-ups and replayability. Hyper Street Fi ... Read more

Features

• Also includes Street Fighter III: Third Strike
• Mix and match characters from different games to create your own dream matches
• For 1 or 2 players
• Celebrates 15 years of Street Fighter supremacy
• Features Hyper Street Fighter II, a blend of Street Fighter II games in one

Reviews (26)

15 years of perfection (this game is awsome)
i got a chun li playstation skin from game crazy x and i also seen a street fighter aniversery edition controler they have all kinds of characters on them so i got the one with chun li on it because it mached my playstation 2 skin when i read the instructions it says its made for this game it looks like a sega controler with the six button configuration but has a street fighter character in the center the whole controler in character themed but if you buy this game i sugest buying the controler too
it feels like im playing street fighter on my sega again trust me its worth geting both items and a skin might be cool too
search for street fighter skins on yahoo or google and u will find them if u search the web

The Greatest Fighter, but Not the Greatest Collection
For old-school Street Fighter fans, no other fighting game series comes close to matching the greatness of Capcom's flagship fighter.The release of Anniversary Collection on Street Fighter's 15th anniversary should have had Street Fighter fans jumping up and down in delight.Instead, Capcom has delivered a compilation that, while worth the cost, is far from perfect.

Hyper Street Fighter II combines all five of the Street Fighter II iterations into a single game.Had each game been selectable on its own, Anniversary Collection would have been the best fighting game ever released.Unfortunately, all the versions are essentially crammed into a single game's space (think Mortal Kombat Trilogy here), and while human-versus-human battles are as fun as ever, the computer always plays as the Super Street Fighter II Turbo characters with all their super moves and what not.Worse yet, the CPU difficulty is set way too high on this game, so that even expert Street Fighter II players can expect to have difficulties on the easiest difficulty settings.

The addition of Street Fighter III: Third Strike to this package is nice, and anyone who did not pick Third Strike up in its original Dreamcast release should buy Anniversary Collection to add it to their library.Third Strike is practically arcade-perfect, and arguably represents the highest evolution of 2-D fighting games.However, next to the Street Fighter II games, Third Strike seems perhaps too evolved, incorporating too many advanced gameplay techniques and graphical geegaws.

For the price, Anniversary Collection is a must-buy for anyone who likes fighting games.However, fans from the Street Fighter II days who want to relive the old days are advised to track down the old PS1 Street Fighter Collection discs (and suffer through their long load times) for the best old-school experience at home.

Street Fighter is BACK!!!
Street Fighter II was the game that practically invented fighting games, and Capcom celebrates it's 15th anniversary with this compilation disc. There's Hyper Street Fighter II, which is basically all the different versions of SFII combined, so, for example, who could have the Super SFII Ryu against SFII Champion Blanka, etc. Then there's Street Fighter III: Thrid Strike, which is the best of the SFIII games. Beware though, as only the most experienced SF gamers can possibly learn all the combos and parries to succed. Also included the SFII anime movie, but it's the censored english dubbed version so if you didn't like the american voice actors you won't like them here either (personally I thought they were all right). Anyway-bottom line is this is a great collection although it would have been nice if they had included some more games and bonus features. As it stands though, if you consider yourself an avid Street Fighter player, then by all means get this game!

StreetFighter Anniversary Collection
I think that the game is so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
because the graphics are great and the game

Great for what it is, but could have been much more.
I'm a very big Street Fighter fan. When I first heard about Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, I was stoked. You should take the word 'Collection' in the title with a grain of salt though. This is a half baked collection, consisting of really just two games. The two games included here are top notch classics, though. Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition (confusing enough?) is a cool little collection of all the Street Fighter II games in one. However, they're all basically the same with some minor differences, and you'll notice that some of the fun little features found in the original Street Fighter II games, such as the car and brick smashing stages, are absent. Why, Capcom, why? Also, why cant you play these games seperately? And is it just me, or is Blanka's A.I. annoyingly cheap? Still, Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition is great fun, and even more enjoyable if you have a friend to play with you.
The real meat in this "collection"is the vastly underrated Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Although the first two Street Fighter III games werent included (SF III and Double Impact - again, why, Capcom, why? Are you going to milk us for all us gamers are worth? I guess so). Third Strike is a must play for any hardcore fighting fan, although the charecters aren't as good as the original SF II cast. The graphics are also pretty good for a 2D fighter - its a visual whirlwhind of 2D animation. That is what makes this worth owning.
Although this could have been so much more, its a great buy. You may rather want to purchase the Xbox version instead, though, since that includes online play. Now where is Street Fighter Alpha Collection? ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 63081VENDOR- Sega FEATURES- Tenchu: Fatal ShadowsAfter the disappearance of Rikimura, the ninja Ayame began travelingthe land in search of her mentor. Stumbling upon a burning villagefilled with the slain and dying, she quickly encounters the onlysurvivor- another ninja named Rin. With years of training andhearts filled with revenge, the fierce warriors employ ancientskills--super vision, wall running, enemy freeze, and more--todetermine who brought about this hideous crime.* Kill multiple enemies at once with new and improved stealth kill combos.* Two playable characters: Ayame from previous Tenchu games and an all new female lead, Rin.* Avoid detection by moving bodies and swim under the cover of water out ofenemy sight.* Enhanced stealth kill combo, new elements (weapons, items, etc).* Three gameplay modes, 18 levels, refined gameplay mechanics and tons ofunlockables.-- SPECIFICATIONs ------------------------------------ ESRB Rating: M for Mature Genre/Category : Action/Adventure System : PlayStation 2Number of Players: 1Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theSega 63081 - Tenchu PS2 and all other Sega Video Game Acc ... Read more

Features

• Avoid detection by moving bodies and swim under the cover of water out of enemy site
• Kill multiple enemies at once with new and improved stealth kill combos
• Play as either Ayame or Rin, collecting weapons and items for more powerful attacks and defense

Reviews (5)

Another great edition to the Tenchu series
As a big fan of the Tenchu series, I'm very pleased with the game. It's much more difficult than the previous games, which makes it more challenging to some, but might be frustrating to others. But it's still a lot of fun to anyone who enjoys role playing games and the creators have added some nice new features since the last Tenchu game (Wrath of Heaven).

The storyline and the music are great, although I feel that the graphics have taken a step back since Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven.

For those who have played Tenchu in the past, I'd wholly recommend this game, they won't be disappointed. But for newcomers to the Tenchu series, they might be more drawn to Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, because it's easier and more user-friendly. Hope this review helps!

This game stealth killed it way into my heart <3
People have been waiting for the next major Tenchu game since Wrath of Heaven. And it seems that Activision had left it in the hands on Sega to continue the series. Since Sega's line of game never let me down before, I was certain this game would rock!

Once I got my copy(and the awesome T-shirt) I was hooked! Even though the game takes place before Wrath of Heaven, it still reeled me in! Straying away from the supernatural evils of Tenrai and crew, and before Rikimaru made his return to the world of slice and dice, we have Ayame and a new character named Rin.

Ayame is still the same butt kicking chick as always, and still has some memorable one liners in her disposal And the new character Rin is one spunky ninja! And she's more physical than Ayame with her claw knuckles! Awesome! She even causes more damage on the enemy than Ayame OoO Amazing! And here I thought she would cause less damage than Ayame, or even Rikimaru for that matter.

The game still has the same old style of the previous Tenchu games, so veterans like myself should have no problem with it. Like other reviewers, I gotta agree that non-fans should keep away as that camera will get them frustrated. Plus the combat takes patience and timing to pull off. The stealth kills(like always) are a test of patience and timing, and the kills are awesome in this game. You can even see the skull shatter through a x-ray screen during certain stealth kills!

The A.I. sadly hasen't changed, the enemies are still dumb as ever to realize you're still around, even though you've been spotted over 4 times and you ran around the corner to hide. However, I gotta say the enemies are alot more aggressive this time around. Whenever they have you trapped in a corner, you barely can escape! Previous Tenchu games, the enemy or enemies would wait till you get up and ready to keep going. Avoid gang ups this time! You'll be done for!

What I also like about the game is that you can learn new techniques from picking up various scrolls from stealth kills. I like that, since you'll get rewarded for steath killing, fans will do more stealth killing instead of foolishly saying "screw this" and getting up close and personal. Gotta agree, we all get tired of getting THUG as a ranking.

The voices are good, Ayame and Rin sound convincing. But I miss the cheesy voice acting of WOH. I miss hearing enemies say funny stuff when they die like "My life....I see it passing by UGHHHH" or "I shall be back....in another form! Ughhhh" LOL But this game has new wimpier voices for the guards, and sexy deep tone Geishas who pack a serious punch.

All in all, this game rocks! It's missing the fun multiplayer missions of WOH, and another hilarious assassion of Echigoya(just kidding) but the story and crazy ninja action makes up for it! I recommended this game, for any hardcore Tenchu fan.

Instead of dishonoring the series, Sega has defined it. Way to go Sega!

Hard but Fair. Same old, but Fun.


This is for fans, me being one of them I love it. The producers did one thing right that the others failed to mention. This game is harder than the rest. {Cept maby 2} Definately harder than WOH at least, before the demon,spirit junk that appeared later in that game. I was overjoyed when I finished the first stage with a novice title. {I always got grandmaster in WOH} Therefore I was compelled to show this game who's boss. {Since they obviously have no idea who their dealing with} Its been awhile since I've had competition in games, I'm glad its come back in this last Tenchu entry.

Darker than you're expecting
If you're a fan of the Tenchu series, I'd definitely recommend getting this title. If you liked "Wrath of Heaven", but were a little turned off by the cheesy supernatural elements of the plot (i.e. the emphasis on demons and spirits and whatnot), you'll be pleased to find that in the latest installment of Tenchu, there's a return to the more wholesome, traditional ninja stories involving revenge, justice, and a whole lot of sneaky throat slitting.

Unfortunately, the male half of the series has decided to sit this one out, due to being lost during a mission in a rock slide, and so it is his female cohort, Ayame, who takes center stage here. Of course, she was always my personal favorite, so I'm not too perturbed by the loss. Still, it is saddening to be playing a Tenchu title where Rikimaru is nowhere to be seen (don't worry; play "Wrath of Heaven", which is supposed to take place after "Fatal Shadows", to see what became of our favorite white-haired shinobi).

Taking his place is a spunky, Peter Pan-esque kunoichi (female ninja) by the name of Rin, whose story is intertwined with that of Ayame's in a complex and interesting fashion. She's a new addition to the series, and instead of fighting with blades 100% of the time like Rikimaru and Ayame, Rin seems to prefer unarmed hand-to-hand combat, only stopping to unsheath a sword she carries on her back when she most needs it. I was pleased that her character design seemed down to earth and didn't feature super-skimpy "ninja gear". Hey, this lady has a job to do, looking hot isn't a prerogative. I like it when games are realistic when it comes to women...

The game itself is set up cleverly to mirror the dark, strangely gothic images from master director Akira Kurosawa's old samurai films, and some more up to date fighting anime. The game is arranged in a decidedly cinematic format, which delighted me, personally, but I would also understand if other players might be turned off by the involuntary toggling between characters. For the story toadvance, you're not given any other choice but to play one level as Ayame, and the next as Rin, and so on and so forth. There are some exceptions, and sometimes you get to play as one character in two chronological levels, but they're few and far between.

One of the latest benefits to the Tenchu series is that this game actually gives you the option to play the game with the original Japanese voice acting! It really adds a level of atmosphere absent in the titles that came before it. Hearing mangled Southern or "all-purpose-Asian-sounding" accents coming out of villagers and random guards just seemed to take a certain something out of games that were set in feudal Japan...

All in all, if you're a fan of the series, you should find some fun tidbits in this one, and be proud to place it among your collection. If you're new to the Tenchu universe, try checking out the original on Playstation or "Wrath of Heaven" on the PS2 to get a feel for the characters. This one seems to have been made for the more seasoned veterans who are looking for a different story this time around.

For Fans
If you are fan of the series then it's worth buying.
If you have never played the series before, play the original Tenchu for PS1 before playing any of the others in the series. If you are however considering THIS game and have never played the series before, play Tenchu Wrath of Heaven which should be at great discount now.

Pros:
- Game still gets adrenaline going.
- Fans of Tenchu series will like this as an add-on for the series.
- Story appears to be told from 2 points of view like in the film Rashomon.
- In easy level, if you die you can continue immediately where you left off.
- AI does appear slightly improved. E.g. In a botched stealth kill I landed in front of the enemy and got my throat slit and died instantly. Bosses appear to be more difficult too. You can't simply stand and block indefinitely anymore, they have special moves to counter blocks.
- I played this game initially in the most difficult level thinking it would be a breeze after having played all the other Tenchus. Nope. Had to go back down to Easy level to survive.

Cons:
- Non fans will find this game dated- especially having played Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell. Just remember that the original Tenchu came out roughly at the same time as Metal Gear so it is one of the pioneers in the field- which is why it has such a strong, but niche, following.
- Camera is still as difficult as previous Tenchus- but fans will have no problems. Non fans will probably want to throw their controller at the screen.
- Models of characters seem rather chunky even for PS2. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Another title to add to the Star Wars gaming shelf, The Clone Wars picks up where the movie Episode II: Attack of the Clones leaves off. In fact, the very first battle in this game re-creates the climactic battle in the movie, with you leading the clone army and blasting every droid in sight. Not big on strategy, Clone Wars is your basic arcade-style shoot-'em-up game. If you liked Star Wars: Starfighter, this game’s for you.

You control the Jedi leading the Republic's clone army, sometimes fighting as Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, or other familiar Jedi as the war takes you from planet to planet. As the leader, you may issue squad commands to teammates, allowing them to act independently and assist you in your mission. Your ships and weapons are varied, giving you the pleasure of piloting everything from zippy speeder bikes to the impressive Republic Gunship. Soar over ice fields and desertscapes, or maneuver through labyrinthine galactic scrap yards, leaving robotic wreckage behind as you blast through enemy ranks. And every so often you actually get to use your lightsaber as well.

The game is fun to play, the controls easy to master--but you won’t find a lot new or challenging if you’re an experienced gamer. Also, unlike its sibling, Bounty Hunter, the graphics leave a bit to be desired, but luckily this aspect of the game doesn’t detract much from the gameplay. The pure pleasure in this game lies in becoming a part of the Star Wars universe. And, of course, blowing up robots. --Maile Bohlmann

Pros:

• High-intensity play
• Fun, classic Star Wars music
• Four multiplayer modes

Cons:

• Silly voiceovers
• Graphics aren’t very detailed and color palette is limited
• Plotline is threadbare
• Overall, not very challenging or unique

Reviews (29)

I realy want this for myself
The game is great.You can fly or drive so many different ships.Its awesome.The best mission is where you evacuate a ice planet before its taken over.The multiplayer options areeven better.

very repetative
It seems to me, with very rare exception, that for the last ten years, 80% of the Star Wars games that are released are all (basically) clones of the old 'Rebel Assault' PC title.Dress them all up anyway you want, but when all's said and done, you're really playing the same game.

You will have several different vehicles to pilot as well as being on foot, but the whole game's plot is essentially the same: finish the level as fast as you can without getting killed ... that's it.There's not a lot of strategy involved past that, that's about it.Frustrating part is, they could have stuck to the mold and still added a little variety.For example, how about letting us pilot one of those AT-ATs for a little while?

The one thing that I had hoped may be a saving grace would be the animated cut-scenes between levels, but even they were a little sub-par.Aside from the animation being (at best) average, there were too few of them.Even the ending animation scene was only about a minute or two!I finished the game and that's all I'm rewarded with?

I'll also answer the question that I know at least a few of you have.No ... this game will not lend any hints to what may be ahead in the new Episode III and does nothing to advance the plot of the prequel trilogy.They may have been able to sell a few more titles if this game was a little more tied to the plot of the movies.The recently released 'Enter the Matrix' game as a terrific example to what I'm talking about.On a side note, it was nice though to see an old character from the comic books named Ulric Qel-Droma make an appearance.

So, as been stated before, if you liked Rebel Assault (I or II), Starfighter, Bounty Hunter, and Jedi Starfighter ... etc etc ... then this is probably going to be right up your alley.One the other hand, if (like me) you're getting a little burned-out on this style of play, this isn't going to do ANYTHING for you.

Very simple game
I was so excitedwhen I bought it, howewer I finished this game in just 1 week!!. I mean the last game I played was Final Fantasy and I spend more than 5 months to finish it. So this game is very very short.

a must have!!!!!!
alright i got this game for christmas but i was antisipating its arrival i saw the trailers for the game i read the reviews and it seemed to be great,AND IT WAS!!!! i put in the game and POW!!!!!! it happened!i was amased i loved it i was hooked on clone wars.but let me tell u about the game u play as anikan skywalker,obi-wan kenobi and mace windu,the first black guy since lando caleruseom lol.your mission stop dooku from bringing back an ancient sith wepon af mass destruction any ways you play in vihicles like repulic tanks,staps,in one mission you get to pilot an aat,also a speeder and a repulic gunship well what did i studder A REPULIC GUNSHIP!!!!!sweetness!!!!!! A MUST HAVE FOR ALL STARWARS FANS ALIKE!!!!!!!!!

Too short, too easy. 3½ Stars
When my wife bought me my PS2, I naturally wanted a Star Wars game for it and at the time my choices were Bounty Hunter and Clone Wars. I chose Bounty Hunter and while the game play was very repetitive- run and gun- it did provide hours of game play, great voice acting and superb cut scenes. A few of the missions, such as Tusken Canyon and Gardula's Lair were very tough, but ultimately playable. Everyone else I knew who had a PS2, Gamecube or Xbox kept telling me I should have bought Clone Wars instead, that it was a better game, that it offered more and varied missions than simply running around shooting everything. Well, I have Clone Wars now, but I am at something of a loss as to how it could be perceived as `better'.

Firstly, the object of both games is to run around shooting everything in sight. The major difference between the two is in Clone Wars, you drive vehicles whereas in Bounty Hunter, you're on foot. Essentially, the game play is the same- run and gun. Admittedly in Clone Wars you do get different vehicles from the TX-130 Republic Fighter Tank- a hover craft with guns and missiles; a Speeder Bike; the AT-XT, a precursor to the AT-ST- missiles and guns, plus a plasma shield. My favorite, the Republic LAAT/I Gunship with its multi-rockets, rapid fire blaster cannons and wicked continuous beam lasers, and the silliest one yet- the Maru, which is kinda like a big tauntaun with dual blasters mounted on it. However, regardless of what you're in the job is still basically the same.

Count Dooku, along with his allies the Trade Federation, the Galactic Banking Clan, the Commerce Guild and the Separatists armies are waging war across the galaxy, and looking for an... wait for it... an ancient Sith artifact, (surely not! -ed.) Don't get me wrong, I like ancient Sith artifacts, but given the volume of Star Wars stuff I have read, there have been an awful lot of them. The game begins right in the middle of Attack of the Clones- with Mace leading the infiltration into the Geonosian arena escorting transports full of Jedi, destroying anti-orbital cannons and finally using a Republic gunship to take out Techno-Union and Trade Federation Core Ships. Next, it's on to the planet of Rhen Var to evacuate it before the Trade Federation invades.

Then to Raxis Prime- a junk planet and the location of the Sith artifact, the Dark Reaver- the first mission of which is an irritating speeder bike chase where the terrain frustrates, because places that look clear of debris seem to have invisible walls that damage your bike and prevent you from going forward. Next it's on to one of the moons of the Wookie homeworld, Kashyyyk where Dooku plans to test the Dark Reaver- a tough mission as Anakin attempts to escape the life-leaching field of energy. Back to Rhen Var for some fun gunship missions- lots of stuff to shoot as you fly around attempting to bring down the planetary shield so the Republic forces can invade. Finally, all forces converge on the planet Thule, the planet where Dooku has set up the Dark Reaver, which resembles a giant segmented sphere that sprays out purple energy. You must also defeat Dooku's bounty hunter henchman, Cydon Prax.

Graphics are pretty good, but the PS2 really starts to strain when there is a lot of stuff going on around you and it starts to drop frames making for some pretty choppy visuals. Plus, if you get too close to objects and vehicles, the texture quality is quite low, as is the polygon count. For the most part I found the architecture, vehicles and visuals to be quite pleasing, especially on the planets Raxis and Thule. Mission maps, while pretty linear, are quite large, giving the player lots of places to go. Sound quality is excellent, but pretty standard effects for a Star Wars game- I did encounter some music problems where it seemed as though that part of the audio track was skipping. The big downside for this game with me was the fact that I finished it in less than 15 hours- less than half the time it took me to complete Bounty Hunter. Then going back to try to get as many bonus points to unlock extra features took perhaps another five.

DVD Extras include unlocking four two-player maps- big deal, playing games split screen just doesn't interest me. A unit viewer that enables you to look at all the 3D models from the game, a `making of' video, the quality of which is so lousy that it's annoying to watch, a jukebox function that lets you listen to music from the game, and a sketchbook of some very nice concept art. Plus you can watch all the cut scenes whenever you want. I must admit, Matt Lucas, who does the voice of Anakin almost convinced me that it was Haydon Christensen until I checked the booklet to make sure. LucasArts games can always be counted on to provide lots of little extras making their games a good value for Star Wars geeks like me.

A good game? Yes, it's a good game, just too darn short for my liking, plus I like a little more meat to my stories and game play. It's probably better on the Gamecube or the Xbox and would have been better on the PC, especially when it comes to graphics. ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 20072VENDOR- KONAMI FEATURES- DDR Extreme (Dance Dance Revolution) The greatest dance party returns with smash hit songs, unique modesand more features than ever before. Get ready to shake your groovethang with Dance Dance Revolution EXTREME. Over 100 minutes ofenergetic dance music and Eye Toy USB Camera (for PlayStation 2)support will have the dance floor pumping all night long. * Eye Toy Camera support creates a whole new level of interactivity!* New songs and popular hits by BT, Duran Duran and more!* New modes appeal to everyone from beginners to competitive dancers. * Special "Work Out" mode allows you to track the calories you burn.-- SPECIFICATIONs ------------------------------------ ESRB Rating : E for Everyone Genre/Category: Family/Music System: Sony PlayStation 2Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theKonami 20072 - DDR Extreme PS2 and all other Konami Video Game Acc ... Read more

Features

• With the EyeToy support, players will now be able to appear in the game as themselves in both single and two player modes
• Over 70 new songs -- with more than 100 minutes of new music from club favorites like Duran Duran, Junior Senior, BT and more
• Wild new game modes like Watch Me Dance -- players can participate in the background events of a video, while they dance
• New Hands And Feet mode gives you visual clues about thenext move, while Clean The Screen challenges you to remove all obstcales on screen with your hands
• Fantastic next-generation graphics recreate the blistering excitement of the arcade hit

Reviews (10)

Fun, engaging and exciting sequel...
There's been a lot of negativity brewing about this latest release in the DDR family, but with a much more accessible tracklist and some newer American hits (Move Your Feet, Planet Rock, Kids in America) as well as some forgotten DDR favorites, DDRMAX Extreme is definitely a good follow-up. It doesn't merit the criticism it has been receiving.

The gameplay is essentially the same, and with the addition of background dancers to choose from, players can not only beat levels to earn new songs, but they can also earn new dancers, as well as the different modes of gameplay (Party Mode, Endless Mode).

While the selection of songs might be more exciting than DDRMAX 2, the difficulty of levels is essentially less intimidating and more accessible to DDR beginners, save for naturally challenging tracks (Legend of Max, Drop Out, Maximizer). Hence, those players really seeking an EXTREME gameplay experience as the title suggests will be slightly disappointed.

Yet, as more songs are earned, players will have the opportunity to earn deft remixes of several of Extreme's hit songs (B4U, Higher, Drop Out, Tsugaru, Ecstasy).

In addition to the other PS2 releases in the same family, DDRMAX Extreme should a welcome component to anyone's collection.

Uhhhhhhhhhh..... What Happened.
Many People (including myself.) love Dance Dance Revolution Alot!!! Some people go as far as to do nothing else but strut their stuff for this game. But DDR Extreme while tring to make a better game loses something very good. Long gone are the vertical scroll menus and are replaced with a supposedly easier menu. Konami made the menus easy for beginers, but experts will fumble around a while looking for a hard song. The color system for the songs are non existnt and you have to enter two or more menus to get to a song. This does make difficulty selection a bit easier because now you select the difficulty before the song. So those who didn't like double tapping the up and down arrows to select diffculty will be relived.
Oh yeah the songs are sometimes a level off when it comes to dif. a song that is 7 dif. will probally be a 6 or 8. The songs ARE NOT THAT GOOD!!! for every good song like Tusagaru (sorry for the misprint.) there are 10 song that are not good. Instead of party mode, they should have put more songs on there. My advice: wait until next year, Buy the Japanesse version if you have an import PS2, play at the arcade, or play last year's edition (which is probally the best version.)
Die hard fans and newbies will love it, the rest of us, just walk away slowly. Very, Very, Slowly!! (P.S. I'm Not a kid and no i'm am not a adult either.)

The greatest game ever
I recommend this game for people who love to dance, are active and like music. You`ll enjoy either playing with a friend, starting a workout diary and much more! There`s some really cool songs like move your feet, y.m.c.a, and only you. Practice to master ddr. Keep cool, don`t jump around on the mat on fast songs, just practice one foot at a time like i did. You can also use the controller on 2 player but its best to use the mat.Maybe you could practice with the controller first to get the hang of the game. I hope you purchase this really cool game (don`t forget the mat!!!) and enjoy it!

Best Video Game Series In History
An ultra fun video game that gives a good workout just seems too cool to be true, but there is a game that has those attributes:DDR, which is easily the best game ever made for sure!

Dance Dance Revolution Extreme and all the other DDR games out there are 2-D games with one major point:Dancing with your feet.You have a dance mat (or stage) where you tap your feet on the arrows planted on the mat, trying to step on the arrow labeled the same direction on the mat as the arrow that scrolls up the screen, trying to tap your feet on the arrow at the same time the scrolling arrow is inside the outlined arrow in the same direction.There are five (or six) ratings you can get for your accuracy:Marvelous (Not on a regular game), Perfect, Great, Good (Which should really be Average), Almost, and Boo.You want to get the first ratings I listed, and not an Almost or Boo, or else your dance gauge (Which kind of shows your health) will start to slip until it runs out and you lose a song.At the end of the song, you can receive an overall grade, depending on your overall accuracy, of either an E (Which you get for failing a song), a D (Which you get for surviving, but receiving a poor score), a C, a B, an A, an double A, or a triple A (Which you get for receiving a perfect score).

When you first get the game, you start with 44 songs, and you can unlock 26 more songs for a grand total of 70 songs.To unlock the hidden songs, you must clear songs about 5 to 10 times with at least a C rating.Once you win about 5 to 10 times, a new song is unlocked.The first song you can unlock is called Scorching Moon, and the last one you unlock is called The Legend Of Max.You can also unlock new dancers for dancing in the backround in songs without real music videos, but I never use characters (Having a character is optional).

The Party Mode, which is new for DDR Extreme, is a futuristic-style way to play video games, as you can dance with both hands and feet while seeing yourself dance, although you need the camera for PS2 to do so.Being able to play with both your hands and feet while watching yourself is genius, and must be extremely fun to do.The Hands And Feet Mode is likely the highlight of the Party Mode; the other games are too simple and easy.

Along the way, you can unlock two new modes:Mission Mode and Endless mode.In Mission Mode, you dance to different songs with an unusual task to win.Be careful about the visual tricks that are used in many of the songs in Mission Mode.In Endless Mode, you keep dancing until you fail with a randomly chosen character.The songs that you dance to are randomly selected.The problem with it is that I might end up with the ugliest character in the game to use:Rhythm, an ugly barbie girl that's hard to look at.

The Workout Mode in the game allows you to keep track of your fitness, and allows you to figure out what you should be doing to keep yourself healthy.If it's on, you'll see how healthy of a workout you got after you finish dancing to a song.Your score will be better if you play fast songs like Drop Out or either of the Paranoia remixes, so play those songs if you want to get fit quickly.

The training mode is a mode where you cannot unlock anything, but you can practice the different songs in the game without being stopped by failing and without the thrilling backgrounds.

Finally, I'll take you to the information mode, which gives info about all of the different songs in the game.It tells you if the song you're studying is from a previous DDR game or not, what you should try to do while dancing to the song, or what kind of music it is.According to it, plenty of songs from Dance Dance Revolution Konamix have been brought back, but only three songs have returned from DDRMAX2.

But why is this 2-D game that has the same goal over and over again so great?Well, there are certainly several reasons why:

1. DDR Extreme has a total of 70 different types of songs to choose from.You can find the type of music that's best for you.From a typical energetic dance song (B4U), to a song that's easy to recognize (YMCA, Waiting For Tonight, Like A Virgin), to a jazzy song (On The Jazz, Funk Boogie), to a Japanese pop star song (Firefly, Pink Rose), to a supercharged song full of energy (Drop Out, I Feel...) to a song that combines a whole bunch of styles together (JaneJana, Do Me HIGEO Mix, Make It Better), to a theme song from a movie (Never Ending Story, Enter The Dragon) to even a classic song from previous generations of DDR (.59, Drop The Bomb), there's destined to be a song that you'll enjoy.
2. The replay value to this game is incredible, since you can build up your mad skills from beginner to expert, trying to successfully receive all Perfects on songs.You won't want to stop!
3. If you like video games, but you're out of shape, this is a game that can help knock off your weight and keep you fit.I've lost six pounds playing this game since November.I've never been very fat in my life, but I've suddenly started to love working out ever since I started playing this game.Awesome!

Then again, there are some downsides to this game, but minor downsides:

1. The host of this game gets on your nerves easily.Fortunately, you can shut him off when you're dancing, but not when it's most annoying:When you fail a song.His quote, "W-w-what?" is super annoying, as when he speaks in Japanese.
2. Our dance mat is very low quality.It has a huge tear in it, and it moves everywhere, while I get Boos out of nowhere.Then again, the problem with the metal stage is that the arrows are planted low in the mat, and it's harder to step on the arrows than with the mat.

Now, I'd love to grade the songs availible in this game in terms of how much I like their sound.

1..59:A
2.321 Stars:B (This one is easy to hate, but I can deal with it)
3.A:C-
4.A Stupid Barber:A-
5.Absolute:A
6.B4U:A-
7.B4U (B4 Za Beat Mix):A
8.Bad Routine:C+
9.Believe:B-
10. Bizarre Love Triangle:B+
11. Can't Stop Falling In Love (Speed Mix):B-
12. Diving:B+
13. Do Me (H.I.G.E.O. Mix):B
14. Don't Clock Me:B-
15. Drop Out:A+
16. Drop Out (Remix):A
17. Drop The Bomb:A-
18. Ecstasy:A+
19. Ecstasy (Midnight Blue Mix):A-
20. Firefly:A+++
21. Frozen Ray (For Extreme):B-
22. Funk Boogie:C+
23. Go West:A-
24. Higher:B
25. Higher (Next Morning Mix):B
26. Highs Off U (Scorcicco XY Mix):B+
27. I Feel...:A+
28. I'm For Real:F
29. JaneJana:A- (It used to be an F, but I'm no longer annoyed by it)
30. Jet World:A
31. Keep On Moving:C
32. Kick The Can:B+
33. Kids In America:B+
34. La Senorita:A+
35. Ladies Night:B-
36. Like A Virgin:A-
37. Love Love Sugar:D
38. Make It Better:B
39. Maximizer:A
40. Miracle:D+ (What the heck is a miracle to the singers of this song?)
41. Mobo Moga:A-
42. Move Your Feet:D+ (Boring topic.Plus, this song is outdated for the DDR it debuted on.It's new for DDR Extreme)
43. Music:A-
44. Never Ending Story:B-
45. On The Jazz:B-
46. Only You:B-
47. Paranoia Eternal:B-
48. Paranoia (Dirty Mix):A
49. Peace Out:B
50. Pink Rose:A-
51. Planet Rock:C-
52. Scorching Moon:B
53. Simply Being Loved:C+
54. So In Love:C
55. The Legend Of Max:B+
56. The Reflex:B+
57. Theme From Enter The Dragon:A-
58. There You'll Be:B+
59. Trip Machine:A
60. Trip Machine Survivor:B
61. Tsugaru:A
62. Tsugaru (Apple Mix):A
63. V (For Extreme):B
64. Waiting For Tonight:B- (I like J. Lo's version better)
65. Wild Rush:B+
66. Wild Rush (Remix):B
67. Wonderland (UKS Misx):C (For swearing in the song)
68. YMCA:B+
69. You're Not Here:C+ (The song is too sad)
70. Your Rain (Rage Mix):A-

Top 3 Best Songs:......................Top 3 Songs I'm Best At:

1. Firefly....................................1. .59
2. Drop Out..................................2. Firefly
3. Ecstasy..............................3. B4U

Top 3 Worst Songs:.....................Top 3 Songs I'm Worst At:

1. I'm For Real.............................1. I'm For Real
2. Love Love Sugar......................2. You're Not Here
3. Move Your Feet..................3. Theme From Enter The Dragon

Top 3 Hardest Songs:
1. Do Me (H.I.G.E.O. Mix)(On the Heavy level)
2. Tsugaru
3. The Reflex (On the Heavy level)

(I would've put on The Ledgend of Max except everyone would think that it's the hardest song, and I wanted a more interesting song to top the top 3 list)

Top 3 Easiest Songs:

1. Funk Boogie
2. Peace Out
3. A Stupid Barber

Final Grade:A+.The minor downsides have no effect on this incredible game.It's simply amazing.I will be buying the previous DDR games in the future as well to increase my amount of availible songs.

In relation to the last sentence from above, these are DDR games currently in my collection:

- DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution (Best Song:Hysteria)
- Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (Best Song:Firefly)

Great for all ages!
I'm a 46 year old mother of 4, and I got this game with two game pads for the primary purpose of 1) getting some exercise indoors without being bored out of my mind, and 2) having a fun game to play with my kids that involved more than sitting on the couch and pressing buttons.

On both accounts, DDR Extreme succeeds beautifully.It's easy to learn the basics using the tutorial, and the rating system makes it easy to find moves within my skill level as I get better.Since each song has several levels of difficulty, and the players don't have to be on the same setting, it's just as much fun playing with my eight year old as it is with my sixteen year old.

I invested in a pair of top quality DDR pads, with one inch thick foam inserts, so it's easy on the feet, even though my legs don't usually like high impact activities.In workout mode, you can set it to be low impact only, but I like the choreography better high impact.

DDR Extreme may be redundant if you have other DDR titles, but if you don't, you will be well pleased with the song list.I have an Eye Toy, and have tried the Eye Toy games, but they are just gravy. The dancing is the meat of the game. ... Read more

Features

• PlayStation 2
• T (teen)
• Adventure

Reviews (11)

Casual gamers need not apply
The last two years has seen some unorthodox RPGs.With Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and now the two Digital Devil Sagas, the Final Fantasys and other Square-Enix games have some creative competition.

After reading all the reviews and looking into this game, I was really excited to try it.I am about 20 hours (my characters are around lvl 44) into the game and for all intents and purposes I think I've only scratched the surface.I wanted to give my current review of the game up to this moment to let people uncertain if they want to purchase it what the game is about.

It has aptly been called a dark pokemon game.This is true in that you must negotiate with demons and find ways to recruit them to your side.However, a downfall to this sytem is that it boils down to you giving up hard won items like healing items, items to ressurect your people, 100s of Macca (the currency).And normally it goes, "that is not enough, give me 1 life stone...I'm still not convinced give me 500 Macca...okay you're starting to piss me off, give me 1 revival bead...no, I'm sorry but I don't want to join you."So you just wasted 500 Macca, 1 life stone and 1 revival bead on someone who just vanishes.If at any time you say no, the negotiations stop.Now, other demons you get can learn skills to help in the negotiation process.But, sometimes it's hard to justify an ability like Nag that is supposed to help get uncertain demons when you can only have 6 skills.If it comes down to learning that next heal spell or Nag, I'm going to have to go with the healing spell over Nag.So it can be frustrating to get some demons to your side.Other times it's s snap.

Then, you are able to fuse these demons together to create more powerful demons that share some of the qualities and skills of the previous two you had.More depth is added by the change of the moon cycle and the ability to sacrifice a third demon to make your demons even more powerful.It's a cool concept that works really well for the most part.IF you know what you're doing.

Which leads me to my biggest problem with the game.If you don't carefully plan out your demons and your demon fusing even early in the game, you will have a very hard time as the game progresses.You see, another concept that figures heavy into the battle system is the weakness/strength based on skills.Some enemies are weak to your skills, some nullify certain skills, some drain hp from skills, some reflect these abilities, etc etc.If you score a hit the enemy is weak against, you gain another turn to act in your round.If your attack is nullified, you lose turns.The same happens to you.So, if you end up fusing demons together and have to fight a boss that your new demon is weak to, problems can occur.Especially if that demon is your healer and is killed in round two...

On top of that, when you fuse demons you don't get all of the skills the previous demons had.You get a random assortment based on luck and what levels your demons are.The higher the level the more skills transfer.The result is that you end up getting two demons chosen for fusing, don't like the abilities, so leave the fusing process and go back in until you get a mix of skills you want.Also, each demon can only hold a certain amount of skills and when they learn new skills and the demon is maxed, you have to get rid of one of their skills.And that skill is gone forever.Chances are, you'll need that skill that you just lost at a future time.What seems unimportant now, can end up saving your life later.And it can be frustrating, trying to create your characters as the best of what they can do and then have normal enemies or boss battles trounce you in two rounds.

I have been playing RPGs since the very first Final Fantasy graced our shores.I have never found an RPG as hard as this one.In fact, with the exception being a COUPLE boss battles that I can count on one hand, I almost never die in an RPG.This game gives you two settings to choose from at the beginning, normal and hard.I chose normal.Traveling in the over world map, in areas where a character of my level is supposed to be can become death traps if you happen to run into an enemy that has attacks your party is weak against.Or, heaven forbid, your main character is weak against.Ran into a group of characters who have a death attack.I had spent about an hour grinding in the field (you'll also be doing that a lot by the way) only to have someone cast Mudo, a death type spell, on my main character.He's not weak to the attack but the attack went through, character died, there went 1 hour of my leveling.You can only save in terminals, not on the world map and in this instance I was pretty far from a terminal and didn't want to spend the extra travel time just to get back and save.Be warned, save often!

Also, in reference to the weakness/strength problem, you are given the skill Analyze.It will give you the enemies hp/mp and their strengths and weaknesses.So this is good, right?Well it doesn't work on bosses which can become a trial and error as you probably won't have the right combination of people the first time you fight the boss.Chances are, you will wipe.The guide book is more helpful in this area and can usually help you prepare better (see my book comment below).

The game can be classified as a dungeon crawl.Not in the typical sense, but in the sense that no matter where you go chances are there will be enemies to fight.Finding areas of safety where you won't run into random encounters are few and far between.In my 20 hours of playtime I have run into less than 5 I believe.Most "towns" (I use that term loosely) where you can save/heal/buy/sell/fuse/etc have enemy encounters.On top of that, the encounter rates are higher than most RPGs.Sometimes you can run through a room with little or no encounters.Other times, you can run into battle after battle.There is a glowing compas on your UI that is supposed to alert you by changing colors as it gets closer to an encounter but that's not always truthful.It has gone from yellow (the first step) to red (the last) in one step and a battle starts.

So far, the story is pretty linear and honestly not too exciting.As far as I know, it's mainly a quest to find this guy and stop his plans of unleashing a very bad weapon.Yes, the story is dark, deals with the end of the world and also has angels and demons and familiar religious mantra in it but at this point in time it's not too terribly exciting.I'm hoping that something will happen that will change the focus of the story.

I cannot recommend this game to RPG newbies.You will be frustrated and might not ever play an RPG again.This is not a starter's RPG; it's made for the hard core group of people as you have to put a lot of time and effort into it.I would also recommend picking up the strategy guide.I don't normally do or recommend that, but at 400 pages it is almost essential in creating the best demon combinations and working your way through some really tough bosses.

If you are new to the Shin Megami Tensei series, personally I would recommend the newer Digital Devil Saga (and its forthcoming sequel).Almost all of my complaints above are addressed and fixed in that game; it also adds sorely needed voice actors and at this juncture in time has a better plot.

I know it seems as if there are a lot of "complaints" in my review which might seem incongruous with my score of 4.But I'm not exactly complaining; I just want to make sure that those who are on the fence with this game know all of the good and bad inside.I think it has the ability to really frustrate some players and I would hate to have new RPGers come to this game and decide the genre is not for them.I am enjoying the game for the most part, though I think I might enjoy Digital Devil Saga I and II better.Truth be told, the dugeon I'm currently in (the Obelisk for those who know) is kicking my ass which made me turn to Digital Devil Saga.For Nocturne, the combat system is deep and rewarding for those who play right, the dungeons are (mostly) long but fun and I have a feeling the plot is going to rachet up another level soon.But casual gamers need not apply.

**By the way, don't you dare spend the $60-80 on this game that the people are selling theirs through this site!That's outrageous that people are already selling it at that price.Check out Ebgames or Gamestop, etc.I got mine a few weeks ago for $44.

Impressive gameplay, Great Storyline
This game is an excellent continuation to one of the best RPG series of all time. Though not my favorite of the series (my favorite was #2), there are numerous improvements over the previous games. Rather than having to go to an appraiser to get an item identified like in the previous games, in SMT: Nocturne the attributes of all the items are spelled out in the inventory screen. While some might find this removes some realism, I found that it improved gameplay by eliminating endless trips back to the appraiser to find out what that new item does. Also, the newly-added demonic compendium feature I found to be extremely useful, as well as providing some interesting info about the various demons.

The only area that disappointed me in the game was the removal of the equipment system, and such things as fusing demons with weapons and finding which gun/ammo combination is the best. Overall, however, this game is an excellent addition to the Shin Megami Tensei series, and shows good signs for the series future.

weak on music score and story
I guess I was a bit expecting too high from it, I've played persona on PS1 it was a good game, to be honest with I do like the system here better, since its very convenient the way they allow you to "manage" the devils you have summoned, I found myself having some fun on just studying each devil's strength and weakness and to create a better team. Unfortunately I couldnt go on as the story.. THERE"S NO STORY! All there is is some old guy and widow liked woman keep showing up explaining nothing at all bout what's issue there but they do know so well what they want you to do. The kid(your character) pretent he has no tonque, well thats fine as many japanese games are like that, you just feel like there wont be any answer enough clues about the game world it has made of. I finally so irritated and give up the game simply I can foresee there will be no explaination, conclusion whatsoever about whats going on but there certainly will be a nasty boss waiting... I guess my biggest complaint is there are just so few people are involved in the story, it feel so isolated/alone not in a good way. Many of the design in dungeons are too chaotic, non-interesting.. the music is simply boring, I dunno why would they think people would like to listen to the soundtrack it comes in, you can find a better one with similar style for 99cents on amazon. And the dungeons often feel unnecessary huge but pointless huge, they are so empty and I was irritated to find out later about 1/3 of the rooms are empty! And even when its not you find there only one guy to talk to and he give crappy information a little more important than saying "hello"! I wanna suggest people skip this give and forward to "digital saga" I havent played it yet, but there at least has a team of people! that its more likely you found yourself in a story. This game is about endless monster hunt or negotiation and fusing monsters.

Only 7 reviews?WTH?
This game is absolutely wonderful.I bought it by word of mouth and I don't regret it at all.It has many of the gods that I have studied and those of mythos which I have not yet studied.This game has the potential of expanding the mind,while also being awfully dark and naughty.Well,not really naughty,hahaha.The game is just edgy.The game gives you that feeling like the first time you ever see the first Matrix movie and you think,"OMG,CGI can actually do that?"The creators of this game have style and creativity to think out of the box for once.

Somewhere between HP Lovecraft and Pokemon . . .
The world has ended, and that's where the game begins.

SMT:N puts you in the shoes of a Japanese student who, in short order, watches the world end.Infected with a demonic parasite, in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo where a strange moon shines down on an inside-out world, he wrangles demonic and supernatural beings to help him fight many enemies.As various factions battle, he may be the lone person to decide what will happen at the Conception - the birth of a new world from the ashes of the old.

SMT:N uses the basic Pokemon/Monster-collecting mechanic to let you build and evolve a team of supernatural creatures, as well as your protagonist.Creatures and the player gain skills, evolve, and mutate.You can even fuse your troops into new ones, and unlock special creatures.This aspect of collect/evolve/fuse alone makes the game addictive.

Combat is very strategic for the most part (though sometimes you'll meet an enemy that due to luck will completely trounce you), requiring a lot of forethought and planning.Teams, skills, and equipment really make a difference - and subtle differences can be manipulated for powerful effects.

However, there's more.There's a lot of unlockable areas, optional bosses, and how the game ends is up to your actions.What could be a simple question or a seemingly pointless fight may well decide the fate of the world.Toss on a good soundtrack and a fascinating art-deco look and you have a winner.

Is it perfect?No.There's some odd puzzles, occasional points where you have to wander to figure things out, and a few cheap kills.Flaws aside, its an impressive, ambitious, and addictive game. ... Read more

Product Description

The object of Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland is to successfully save the village from being turned into a resort. Construction begins in a year, so you must find a way to save your homeland before that. Unlike previous Harvest Moon titles, Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland will offer nine unique ways in which to complete your task. Thus offering nine different endings to the game!Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland focuses more att ... Read more

Features

• Make friends with over twenty characters.
• Nine endings and plenty of events make every day on the farm anything but routine!
• Cook up new meals using recipes or invent tasty homegrown concoctions in your kitchen!
• Explore an innovative not-linear game system with a bushel of subplots and entertaining story lines!!

Reviews (92)

Just one year
I have played other Harvest Moon games and I like them all, and I like this one too. The only problem is that you only get one year. In the other games, you can form lasting relationships, get married, even have kids, get divorced, remarry, etc. year after year. This one starts you from scratch after a year (you lose) or you manage to save the homeland (you win). You get to keep your stuff, but all the relationships start over. It's cool that there are different endings, but I lost interest after the second one- and that's only because I was putting up a brave face since the kids got it for me for Christmas and I didn't want them to feel bad! I was pretty disgusted the minute I realized I'd lost all the ground I'd gained just cause I beat the game.

This was particularly disappointing because I thought surely the PS2 version would have all kinds of extra side quests and fun stuff to do after the first year.

What the...!?
This game has a great concept, lots of things to do, and a cute look. Why the low score? Well, the in-game time system is, in a word, wack. I would barely get outside and get my bearings, and it would be mid-afternoon already! Then, one time, I got lost trying to find a path in the "morning", and by the time I found it (a few real-world minutes later), it was "night"!! How am I ever supposed to build a farm and save the homeland if all the stores are closed by the time I get to them!? This game could have been Animal-Crossing caliber, but instead it's just confusing and weird. Too bad. I was really looking forward to it.

An Entertaining Game
Ok, the mission to this game is to save the Homeland from being... turned into an amusement park.
You meet many characters, and experience the life of a farmer. Farmer style. You can buy chickens and cows, adopt a stray dog, and earn a trusty steed from doing great work at Bob Brownie's Part-Time job.
I recommend this game to everybody.

Huh?
This is a weird addition of Harvest Moon. It's