Product Description

At the far edge of the Lylat system, a lush planet is in turmoil. Once a primordial paradise, Dinosaur Planet has been torn apart by an evil dinosaur named General Scales. This monster has caused sections of the planet to be ripped up and flung into low orbit, and his legions of mutated dinosaurs are running wild. It's been 8 years since the best pilot in the Lylat System, Fox McCloud, defeated Andross, and Fox's team has since disbanded. So when word of Dinosaur Planet's plight reaches General Pepper, it's Fox alone who must shoulder the burden. ... Read more

Features

• Platform: Nintendo GameCube
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Action/Adventure

Reviews (277)

4 and 1/2 stars
Starfox Adventures is a great game, though not without its faults. Dinosaur Planet is being taken over by the evil General Scales. It's up to the Starfox Team to get him out of there!! So the great Fox McCloud sets off to accomplish just that. Along the way, you will interact with interesting characters and the plot takes a few twists and turns. Gameplay consists of finding items-do this, pull that, kill him, etc, etc. Some of the puzzles can get pretty arduous, however, so I reccomend buying the strategy guide. The game goes above and beyond in terms of length, clocking in at about 30 hours for the average gamer. To top it all off, Rare went above and beyond and made the graphics B-E-A-Utiful!!Buy!!

Starfox SUCKS!
Starfox 64 was great. But now they have gone to this "Use your crappy magic staff" formula. And guess what? It was a BAD idea! What happened to getting in your ship and blasting the hell out of everything in sight!?!? You use magic powers in some dino-land, with crappy magic going on! Fox uses blaster rifles, and the arwing! Not magic staffs and ancient dinosaurs! This is a very very very boring game! Fox, whats up with the magic staffs??? THis is like taking away Arnold Swartzenegger's AK-47 and giving him a lollipop! DO NO BUY.

A Different Kind Of Fox
It always becomes as a surprise about just how much Nintendo puts out there for so many of their delightful video games. Yet, with all of those characters to choose from, some of those remain as cult classics. In 1997, Nintendo hit the nail on the head with the revolutionary Star Fox 64. The game was not just groundbreaking in the game, but also for the player it was groundbreaking because you could feel what the game is like. Nintendo has tried it again with a different kind of Star Fox. This one seems more as if Fox has joined the cast of The Legend Of Zelda, rather than made it as a game of his own. No matter for Fox and Company, because they still have made it a great game to undergo.

Star Fox Adventures for the Nintendo Gamecube, is a different kind of Star Fox game. The idea of the game is to restore the Dinosaur Planet, Sauria from fatal destruction from the villainous General Scales, and the even more foolish, Andross. The game places Fox, trying to do whatever it takes to save Krystal, a young war fighter from General Scales, with the help of Tricky, and a mighty staff that can do just about anything. The graphics and the sound on the gameplay are just amazing, and gorgeous with every beautiful detail. The storyline also hits a home run as well, with each nook and cranny told beautifully. The control does function quite well as well. It is very simple to operate, and the gameplay is very well put in itself.

While some may feel that Star Fox Adventures isn't worth the challenge as it is with Star Fox 64, or the recently released Star Fox Assault for the Nintendo Gamecube, the game is really a well worth one for anybody who wants a challenge for the Gamecube. I suggest this as a add-on for anybody who is into the feel of Fox McCloud.

Graphics: A-

Sound: B+

Control: B 1/2+

Fun & Enjoyment: B

Overall: B 1/2+

Starts out fun but becomes boring
When I first got Star Fox I thought it was great! It was fun, hard, interesting and cool. Then when I got towards the end it got boring. It really is a bad game. If you are someone who starts to like a video game then doesn't like it you will not like this video game. I would not recommend this to most people.

Exceptional (the soundtrack especially)
As you probably know from some of the other reviews above, the storyline centers around dinosaurs and putting the planet back together. Gamers who come at this looking for another sci-fi shooter will be sadly dissapointed, as this game stalks Zelda in playing style and genre. The graphics are all exceptional (some of the best!) and the music is absolutely sensational (particularly the scores in places like Thorntail Hollow, Cape Claw and Krazoa Palace) The voices are well done and acted within a realistic sense and not over dramticized. The only complaint I have is that twice when I moved the camera, these colored lines would cover 60% of the screen, clearly a bug from Tricky's programming.(Tricky is your dinosaur companion for the game.) Otherwise the programmers convey a seemless world, with a changing landscape and history. The varying tribes- the Snowhorns, Thorntails, Earthwalkers, Cloudrunners, Redeye, Hightops, Lightfoots and Sharpclaw are well presented, with even a few miscallaneous and very nasty raptors thrown in. Two storylines abound when Fox must collect both the four Spellstones and eight Krazoa spirits and then return them to their rightful places. While this leads to quite a bit of temple-trotting, it doesn't feel tedious as the programmers mix things up to keep it interesting. Overall, this is what people mean when they talk about a quality game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Get ready to dance the night away with all-new songs and game modes in this sequel to Dance Dance Revolution. Players can save and edit dance steps to create their own dance routines. The special workout mode allows you to have fun shaping up while also tracking the calories you burn. And you can re-create the arcade experience with Konami's Dance Dance Revolution controller. The game includes more than 50 high-energy songs in a variety of genres, including pop, disco, Latin, techno, and house. It also features a completely redesigned interface and new graphics, plus a special edit mode that allows players to customize dance steps for every song, develop player-specific routines, and trade dance patterns with friends. Also included are new songs never released in the Japanese version. Burn up the dance floor with two-player modes, allowing players to dance cooperatively or competitively. Multiple options and difficulty settings make Dance Dance Revolution Konamix easy to learn for people of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

AWSOME!!!
DDR Konamimix is very, very, very, ect. fun!! It is great for working out and losing weight!!!!! I was introduced to this because my school had it!!! belive it or not the princable lets us play with it all recess!!!! I am planning to by this game to enjoy it more that ever!!! YAY!!

DDR<333
Only problems with Konamix, to me, is that it's not set up like the arcades (which is where I play half the time) and "basic" mode is the same as light on the other games (thought it would be standard). Other than that, it's great.

As for accessories, I got one of the really thin mats and it quickly got destroyed with friends who don't know how to pick up their feet and the mats would get scrunched up into a pile. So, I invested a bit more in a mat with a 1" foam insert and now, I'm putting forth a bit more to get a metal dance mat.

(I put 1 star for educational, because the most I see you getting out of it is a good work out and foot/eye coordination...=/)

Tight Game, but its missing something
I hate video games, but DDR is to good to be considered a video game. This game has helped me build stamina and quick thinking skills. DDR Konamix has an awesome song list with the original Paranoia and this is the only US release which features the very complicated Orion.78[AM-EuroMix] So why would I give it four stars? Because you can't use speed modifiers.[x1.5,x2,x3,x5,x8]
I know most DDR fans don't really care something like that, but some songs on here are impossible to do with only one speed.

This game is still a good buy, but I recommend DDRMAX or DDRMAX2 over this one.

A full fledged hooked on game
This game Rocks! For ps it has great graphics. And as an owner of the whole set of DDR games, you should listen. I like Yuni and Emi personally. Take my advice, get the game.
If only I had a memory card for ps.

Great fun and workout!
This is a fun game! Every day at an arcade I see many kids there playing this game!They simply love it!I highly recommend buying this game! There are 52 songs to try! Theres even a workout mode so you can actually see how many calories you burned!GREAT! ... Read more

Product Description

Born into a famous thieving family, young raccoon Sly Cooper must recover his family's heirloom, The Thievius Raccoonus, which was stolen and divided among a marauding gang of intruders. Joined by his friends Bentley and Murray, Sly will have to exercise all his cunning and stealth to locate the book's many sections, scattered across a far-ranging landscape. ... Read more

Features

• Platform: PlayStation 2
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Action/Adventure

Reviews (121)

Exelent Game
I've had this game for a couple of month's now. It's a great game overall, there's really nothing wrong with the gameplay, audio graphics and it never gets boring. The only thing that could be changed and was changed in sly 2 is that you don't really have any freedom in roaming around the enviroments. I reccomend this game to anyone but you should buy it with sly 2 and the upcoming sly 3 (Supposedly coming out in fall 2005)

Wow What A Great Game!!!
This is a great game!!! It is easy for anyone to become addicted to! It is one of the very few games that I have gotten all the way through. If you are looking for a GREAT game for PS2 grap Sly Cooper.

Great action game
Sly Cooper is a game that could have easily escaped all notice- at first glance it probably looked too cartoonish to some older gamers, and the game play may have turned out to be a bit difficult for some kids.The game evidently took off though, and its success is certainly deserved, as its a very entertaining gaming experience.The gameplay is basically "linear" - you run straight through the missions without a lot of side missions - but the graphics are so impressive it seems a bit more complex.The game looks great, and gameplay is challenging without being maddeningly difficult (with the possible exception of finding some of the bottles).Overall, this game is well worth checking out, along with its more complex sequel.

Sly Cooper pulls off a slick operation...
I first saw previews for this game in a magazine and thought the "cell-shading" graphics looked cheap and unprofessional. By the time the game came out, I couldn't wait to buy it. I recieved the game as an A Honor Roll present, and it was excellent. The graphics are incredibly smooth and all-out amazing. I now actually prefer this style to the traditional 3-D graphics. The shadows amazed me.

I loved to play this game because the controls are so easy to master it makes you feel light and quick. Many a time I felt like I was a light-footed, smooth-talking raccoon. Certainly, Sucker Punch achieved the thievy, quick-like action Sly should have. Another thing that amazed me was the storyline. The characters are perfectly placed and make you see the "bad" thieves because Sly is evidently a "good-guy with morals" deep down. Sometimes very deep down. The only thing was that I wanted more! The game really wasn't as long as most other games. Finding all 30 clue bottles in each of the levels wasn't extremely difficult, although some gave me trouble. Also, the music is exciting and intertaining, unlike so much of the annoying music we get on other video games. My personal favorite music was on the Panda King's domain :) The time trials were challenging, but not so impossible like collecting all the precursor orbs on Jak 2 and Jak 3 (bleh).

I was extremely happy when Sucker Punch came out with another excellent game, Sly 2: Band of Theives. I would strongly suggest buying both of them, as the first one is a kind of introdution of all characters and getting Sly's book back, and the 2nd is more involving with a much more complex storyline. Both of the games were excellent, but this one just wasn't long enough. 5 stars for the pure fun and excitment, 4 stars because it was just a little too short. Another thing, you DO NOT need to buy any guides whatsoever to complete this game. Have fun exploring all the interesting worlds that Sly visits on his exciting journeys.

I like it
Sly Cooper is a sneaky raccoon who is trying to steal back his family's book, Thievious Raccoonous. He has to go through dangerous challenges to get back his family's book. He is in love with Inspector Fox. She is a fox who is after Sly Cooper. Sly Cooper is a fun game. I enjoyed playing it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

It’s a pretty bold claim but for many, Mario Party is the best multiplayer game series ever. No need for guns or complicated role-playing elements here--Mario Party is fun because it’s simple. The original N64 game created an entirely new subgenre--an unlikely combination of traditional board games and lots of ultrasimple arcade titles. The idea is that you travel around the board trying to collect stars, which must be paid for with coins, and you get coins by competing in minigames, which occur at the end of every round. These minigames generally don’t last longer than a minute or two, and many are based on old Game & Watch titles. There are over 50 minigames in Mario Party 4, and each involves either a free-for-all, two players against two, or one against three (depending where you land on the board at the end of your turn). These can involve anything from skydiving to basketball dunking, or car racing to hide-and-seek, to name a few.

Admittedly, this basic description of the gameplay might not sound too exciting, and indeed if you’re playing with less than three human opponents it can be pretty tedious. But play it with the full complement of non-virtual rivals and the game’s infinite capacity for cheating, backstabbing, and ganging up allows it to completely transcend the humdrum sum of its parts. There’s nothing terribly new in this third sequel except that the graphics are much improved and the minigames are all new, but that really misses the point: get this game out at Christmas instead of Trivial Pursuit and you’ll wonder how you ever got through the holiday without it. --David Jenkins, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Features

• Choose favorite Nintendo video game characters and compete in a series of contests to win the birthday present.
• Take advantage of the Mini-Giant system - players can use items on the boards to grow larger or smaller in order to access different areas of the game boards and trigger special events.
• Bump, whack and bang away in the newly introduced Tag Battle, which lets players pair up in two-man teams and compete at collecting stars.
• Set a handicap that allows players of all ages and abilities to compete against each other.

Reviews (137)

I love Mario.
I love every Mario game known to man and this one rocks!!!! (I
actually don't like Mario Party 6 but that's it)!!! I played this game 2 summers ago all the time!!! This is a good game and it has really good graphics. I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!

slightly dissapointed but hey who cares!
I'm Espio and I love all of the mario party games from 1-6 but Mario Party 4 is one I was dissapointed in. First lets go through some downsides. Its quite slow compared to some of the other games,some of the items are...well...chee-seey and some of the boards are not so great.Hey now for good stuff.Shy-Guys board rocks!plain and simple,the mini games are great and the graphics well their boss! So if your a big fan of the series like me then get it it's cool but if your looking for your first Party then I recomend Mario Party 1 or 2.

Love this game
I love to play this at frieds houses!The mini games are the best.It's the best one in the Mario series!

Sorry Mario, but Mr. Insanity is crashing this party.
This game functions and no more. If you want to Mario Party, I would recommend all three for the N64.
First I will wail on the graphics. They are good and smooth. It does not feel like the characters are made of polygons. But everything is empty. Eye candy is good, but we need more. The board maps are like a empty field.
Sound was a big thing in the first three parties, but has become weak. The annoucer was a big part, but seems uninterested. Music is WAY too simple for what the first three had.
Gameplay: Functions but is uninteresting.
Game: It's your birthday and some guys want to throw you a party! Yes, the stories may have been weak in Mario's parties, but you do not care. You go from map to map with six in all. What you do is collect money and try to buy some stars. The one with the most stars wins the game. In between rows of die you play a mini game. Which destroyed this game into so-so. They are all creative, but they many have the same controls. I bet there are more than three games there that ask you to hit the A-button as fast as you can!
Overall, this game functions. And you should look for an N64 for Mario's older parties. I am not going to review them, but I strongly recommend the first three.

A Game That'll Keep You Asking For More
To start out with, I'd like to say that I only have Mario Party 2 and Mario Party 4. To me, 4 seems better board-wise, but 2 has funner mini-games.

Mario Party 4 introduces, instead of the normal Toad hosts every game formula, different hosts for each board. The boards in this game are spectacular. Ranging from tropical soirees to haunted houses, Mario Party 4 seems to excell in boards.

The only board I was a bit disappointed with was Toad's Midway Madness (an amusemant park board with a roller coaster you can ride, and the only board in the game hosted by Toad), and it's because of the first part. The tea cups- which alternate directions everytime someone rides them- can leave someone wasting pointless time running around in a circle for half the game. I like the tea cup idea, but not if it's going to send me in circles!

Goomba's Greedy Gala (hosted by Goomba) is a casino board, and in the earlier Mario Party games, there is always a board that is seperated into four different boards (for 1 it was Wario's Board, for 2 it was Mystery Land). This one is the board for Mario Party 4. In the middle is a roulette, and you spin it to decide which small board you're going to go to. If the ball lands on a star, you get to chose which direction you go in and you get 20 coins!

Shy Guy's Jungle Jam seemed like the most boring board on Mario Party 4, but in truth, it's actually quite fun. You can go in all sorts of directions, and you can have Shy Guy- the host of the board- flood the river which runs through the middle of the board, so players cannot cross it for a certain amount of turns. The biggest bonue of this one is the eagle, who can fly you from one point of the board to the other, and sometimes it'll let you collect coins on the way.

Boo's Haunted Bash is hosted by none other than Boo. This haunted board, instead of Mario Party 2's Horror Land, which is just a field full of monsters, is a haunted house, and it's probably the most creative. I enjoyed the ghosts. They looked like real ghosts (you could see through them), and the ghost train is a big advantage if you want to get somewhere fast. The see-through floors that appear only when Red Boos stalk the corridors can be annoying, but they make an excellent challenge if you're an expert player.

And to top it all off, Koopa's Seaside Soiree! This is my favorite Mario Party board yet, probably because it's hypnotic. You could sit for fifteen minutes just looking around at all the beautiful sites (made by Koopa, the host). The aquatic water is what fills most of the board. You can see fish swimming in it. Where the beach part of the board is, there are fruits sitting on tanning chairs. Koopa's Seaside Soiree isn't my favorite just because it's the prettiest, it's because the game is very challenging! The monkeys have you slip on banana peels, sending you in a random direction, and if you land on a question mark space in front of Koopa's resort, then you could end up paying a huge sum of coins while watching a tsunami tear the building down! You can also ride a fish to get to different points in the board.

There's also a Bowser Board too, hosted by his son, that's unlockable, but it's nothing much. The lava was nice looking, but it didn't give you many options on where you wanted to go when you got to a fork in the road. If you're mega and you pass Bowser you'll face him in a Mini Game, but that's all that comes to mind for this board.

The mini-games in Mario Party 4 are fun, but some can be a pain. Repeatedly pressing the A button over and over as fast as you can in games like Domination and Slime Time is really annoying, and sometimes you could waste all your energy for nothing. But other games like the skiing game (name, anyone?), Mario Medley and Hop or Pop are very entertaining.

Mario Party 4 has many bonuses that Mario Party 2 doesn't seem to have. The graphics, of course, but also the option to chose the amount of turns you get to have (10, 15, 20, and counting by fives all the way up to 50). Another is the custom mini-game mode, where you get to select a set of mini-games, and that set is the only set of mini-games that will appear at the end of each turn. This is nice for getting rid of those few horribly annoying games that you just can't stand.

All in all, Mario Party 4 is grand game, and is definately worth the fifty bucks! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability, a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations, smart power management that extended battery life, and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultraportable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedule, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as people are already calling it) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can even network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed at how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have tried to put even more power into this Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inch (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Features

• Platform: Game Boy Advance
• Includes Pokémon Crystal for GBA & GBC

Reviews (367)

Very Good
I used to own a game boy color, but i updated to a gba, for the better sound and graphics. I found that the ONLY downside is that it has no backlight. I am going to buy a gba light and sheild asap to fix that, and i will reveiw it too. I am just starting to collect games, as i only have one, but i am hoping it will be a long time before i get bored and get a gba sp. the price is good, but if you really want a good experience, and you have the money, get a Nintendo DS. My brother has one, and he enjoys it. The downside to a DS is they only have 3 or 4 good games out.

Good...........but outdated sad but true
The game boy advance is definetly better than a game boy color.Bigger screen, smaller game consoles, and better grafics.Why only 3 stars.Well, this system just can't compare to the new psp or nintendo ds.If you want a cheap gaming console, this might be the way to go. It is inexpensive and has lots of games.If you however don't mind spending a little (or a lot) more money than you should propably go with the psp if you are older or the nintendo ds if you are like under 12. Like I said this was worth it like 3 or 4 years ago but just like the game boy color before it, this system is getting old.

hello
this game boy sucks it close and it has horible graphics.you should get the nintendo ds

Great System after 3 years
I am here to say that I am not too big on the whole SP idea. I bought a Platinum SP about 2 years ago when they first hit shelves and I can't honestly say it was the greatest purchase I made. If you ever have time to kill, go on Ebay and compare what you can get a Regular Model for to what you pay for a SP. There is no comparison, for lack of a better word I'd have to say looking back on it that the SP was overhyped and priced. The controls give a sick feeling of clausterphobia and the light is something useful only to those that take long trips day-in and day-out. I recently was able to purchase a 3rd GBA system on ebay for the jaw-dropping price of $35.00, and the real shocker was that the system was BRAND NEW. The original GBA model had the SP beat in so many ways it is hard to look back on it and think what a mistake I made for ever buying the SP. This system is the complete deal, I wouldn't pay the listing price of $70.00 for it, but if you find a bargain like I did, go for it. The graphics are crisp and it too is small enough to just slip in a pocket, I wouldn't recomend storing it in a pocket because of the scratches it may cause. The light is the only thing that the SP has over the standard system. I personally believe that the GBA regular has better battery life than an SP. I am playing Zelda Minish Cap on a system that came out 3 yrs ago and is still running strong. Over the past years I've played it, I've played some of the best games on any console such as Metroid Zero Mission and Fusion, not to mention the Castlevania series which in my opinion ranks as one the best series for any system to date. With games like these becoming harder to find, it sure would be nice to find more regular GBA's on a store shelf...

Steller Handheld with steller line ups
Put it simply...this is a great edition to the nintendo franchise.Advance has a great line up of games like
Metroid Zero Mission
Advance Wars
The Mario Games and Zelda games.Awesome must have handheld for this year, and if you don't already have it get SP then!

4.9 out of 5...A great hand held to own.. ... Read more

Product Description

Take advantage of enhanced visuals, richer tactics and strategic gameplay as you build your fleet and engage in 3-D space combat. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Lose yourself in the sequel to the groundbreaking 3-D real-time space strategy game Homeworld
• Platform: Windows 98/Me/XP/2000

Reviews (146)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some nice additions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then mission 4 hits you, hard and heavy.

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

A detrimental mistake!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com Product Description

Gauntlet Dark Legacy is the all-new iteration in the 3-D "hack 'n' slash" time-honored arcade classic Gauntlet franchise.

The revolutionary Gauntlet game design allows players to work as a team as they venture through eight dangerous worlds. One to four players can select one of eight different characters. Using force of arms and exotic magical powers, players vanquish creatures, search for treasure, evade traps, and embark on quests. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

THE BEST GAME EVER
THIS IS THE ONLY GAME I CAN PLAY SO FAR.I AM 23 AND NOT REALLY INTO VIDEO GAMES BUT THIS GAME WILL KEEP ME UP ALL NIGHT I NEED TO FIND A SIMILAR GAME LIKE IT SO MAYBE I CAN SWITCH UP OR SOMETHING I WISH THEY WOULD MAKE ANOTHER PART OR A GAME SIMILAR THAT GOES THROUGH BOARDS AND STUFF.I RECOMMEND THIS GAME TO ALL.IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY GAMES LIKE THIS ONE PLEASE EMAIL ME.

Great Game!
This is fun and easy game to play. There are many characters to chosse from. As you advance in higher level, the game is more difficult.This game will give you weeks of fun. Try it, you will like it.

EXTREMELY BORING
Well this game was pretty basic... a bunch of freinds all get to gather to kick evils butt. sounds fun right...WRONG. in this game all you do is toss projectiles at what ever comes your way. the only thing i enjoyed was the boss battles. hahaha all four players would be slaughtered! any way i dont reccomend this game.

Best long-term game ever
This game was a wonderful hit in my world. When I first got it, I was worried that it might get boring after playing it for days. I was amazed at the way it pulled me in. I didn't want to stop playing it. The only problem with it is you do the same thing again and again. The enemies don't really change much. This game is the best multiplayer game ever! I loved it. The boses make up for the normal enemies. There hard and fun. I love to go up levels. I've been playing the game for half a year now, and I'm not even half way done! When you go up levels, you get stronger and better. I'm almost at level 50! You get bigger and better every ten levels. Wonderful game. Rent it first, make shure that you agree. Then buy it!

Gauntlet Rules all Kingdoms on XBOX!
Well when me and my friends rented the game all i did was complain. "This looks boring" "lets rent a star wars game" but everyone told me it was cool. so we took it to my xbox and we just couldn't get off it! It is a 1-4 player team co-op game. I never new what a gauntlet was all i knew was that its just some arcade game. But know i am like a number one fan! Its so cool collecting gold to power up your character (that you chose at the begaining from 8 different ones) you also fight vicious bosses, zombies and other creatures. This is an interesting game because you are on your friends team to find all the sharms but at the same time there is alot of compitition againist your friends of who gets the treasure and whos this strongest whos the fastest and whos the on the highest level, whos weapon is the strongest and so forth. This is the absolute best sleepover game to stay up late and play. whats also cool is that u can't fall off cliffs your player will just stop! (AWESOME) I am so tirered of stupid games where i keep dying from cliffs.I think its fun for all ages and it is not super complitacated, the fighting part any way, So even my lil bro can come in and kill some zombies! This game is great! The only bad things are if u change your character in a game the new person is at level 1. And the plot is kind of odd but still an awesome game i got to go play it now seeya! ... Read more

Book Description

Suikoden III is the deepest and most innovative installment in the series’ rich seven-year history. With multiple endings, three styles of combat (party, army, and one-on-one battles), and the ability to recruit from over 100 characters throughout your quest, Suikoden III raises the bar for RPGs everywhere. Also new to both the series and the RPG genre is the Trinity Sight System, which enables players to experience events from the viewpoints of three different characters. ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Well, this Suikoden is...
I've never given four stars to a game I liked, so I won't but this Suikoden has a few problems that may tick Suiko fans off. I especially got hooked on this Suikoden solely because of the Lizard Clan. They are actually what convinced me to give this game five stars, otherwise...it would have received a dreaded four. In any case...

Story: The Suikoden series has always followed an intricate and amassed story of a leader gathering an army to fight against a great threat. This Suiko does not fail here, especially since you play the story roles of not one, but four people. In each story, you guide the central character through a series of events that makes him/her meet up with the other three main heroes. Also, the story of the True Runes is brought into the spotlight more in this Suiko than the previous volume, so if you've been wondering, you should be satisfied with what you learn. However, the whole gathering of the Stars of Destiny bit has taken a nap and is not even mentioned in this game and Leknaat will not be there in classic form to explain it to you.

Characters: The four main characters are Geddoe the Harmonian mercenary, Hugo the Karayan hunter, Commander Chris of the Zexen Knights and Thomas the soon-to-be castle manager. Each of them have their doubts and reasons for being involved in the game's events. Each of them, along with their most trusted group members, are developed enough to not to appear boring. At one point, you will have to choose someone (not Thomas) to be the final leader character to guide the 108 Stars of Destiny and their army to victory. Although, if there are characters who deserve praise, it's definitely the Lizard Clan and the Duck Clan party members. They along with the members of their Clans make for another classic Suiko experience since the previous games also had non-human allies.

Music: Uh-oh. Well I'm not one to complain about music, but I find some songs in this game a little lackluster. The boss, event and town themes are great, but the standard battle themes are very mediocre because they sound either too perky or too lacking. The standard battle theme is very important in RPGs, so if it stinks, it's hard to enjoy combat. This game also seemed to lack a good song of sadness, which is surprising since the other two Suikos had heartbreaking sad themes.

Gameplay: Another gripe here. Map travel is quite annoying in this game since in order to get a certain area, you are required to go through a rather unnecessary hike along a meadow road to get back on the main road. This is something you will end up doing a bit too much and it may bore the heck out of you. Gathering the Stars of Destiny seems to have remain unchanged as you either receive people by story automatically or you go on some errand to earn their aid.

Battle: Double uh-oh. What happened here? The battle system is somewhat of a joke in this game. Thankfully you still can have six people at a time, but you pair up the characters into three teams. What this means is you have three teams of two people who are responsible for each other only. For example, Alanis the mage girl is teamed up with Dupa, the Lizard Clan chief. Alanis can use medicine to heal Dupa but she can't use it on Koruku the dog or Geddoe the mercenary. Also, if you want double combination attacks at all, you must always pair up those same two people (can be annoying if your setup is composed of various characters). Magic also has a new system where there is an actual charge time to spells before they can be cast. The speed is determined by skill level (which you can raise at schools and libraries) and if the character is generally very good with that elemental rune. What makes this bad is that one element has to be cast with caution: fire. If you're not careful with the spell's actual execution, you can end up cooking your teammates instead of the monsters. Thankfully, a turn meter is available during battle to show you the point at which the spell will be cast. On a final note, there is no longer a Rune combination feature for the big spells, so don't bother trying to cast two spells at the same time for a big Rune attack.

System: Well the newest system in this Suiko is the skill system. Skills are the abilities of characters that improve their combat efficiency. Skills are either innate (by level) or bought at learning centers to add to a character's list. Each character can reach a certain grade level with skills. Anything from B+ to S is great while B and below is average/horrible. Skills cost skill points (which are earned after battles) to first attain from a center as well as upgrade. Depending on what the highest letter grade they can attain, the point cost for upgrading can either be grossly high or happily cheap. You can also tell how good a character can be with a skill by reading the skillmaster's comment. If the master says you need way more practice, skip it; if he says you have unbridled potential, grab it. These skills greatly improve your fighting and spellcasting to the point monsters may not ever get a turn in, so you should definitely invest in skills to get anywhere.

Overall: Suikoden 3 is cool in some ways, while quite lame in others, and because of this odd contrast, Suikoden 2 will seem way better to fans of the series. Give it a try if you're a fan, otherwise beware the downsides. For completing the game, you do get a nice extra which will please fans of a certain character who has been in all the Suiko games to date. If anything, the game's ups outweigh its downs.

pleast suprise
Ok heres the story...your a boy from a native american/aztec ish tribe...your also a leader of a division in the harmonian army....also a knight in the zexen army....my memorys a little fuzzy....u play as these three for three chapters...then u choose who u want to play as for the next two chapters...these peoples destinys are interwinded....the thing i love about this game is that its storyline revolves around war/goverment/politics I LOVE THAT...which is why i really enjoyed this game...the abd thing is theres no voice overs and the bad thing about no voice overs is..i cant pronounce geddoes name...how do u pronounce "geddoe"?

An RPG achievement in almost every way.....
Suikoden 3 is an excellent RPG in almost every way imaginable.

The Good: Fun battle system, variety, tons of characters, cool story, trinity sight system, fun feel, combos.

The Bad: Bland graphics and characters. No cutscenes.

Bottom Line: An excellent RPG that should be played by an RPG PS2 owning fan. I highly recommend it.

BORING!Has the World Gone Mad?
To me, the appeal of Suikoden 3 to so many people is one of the world's greatest mysteries, right up there with Roswell, Stonehenge, Easter Island and JFK's assasination.Why did so many people enjoy this game so much?My theory is that someone switched the discs in my game when I bought it, and that I was actually playing a fake version of Suikoden 3 that really, really, REALLY sucked.

Well at any rate, I'll review the game that *I* played.

Suikoden 3 is terrible.It is one of the most boring games I've played in my life, and I played all the way through it.Up to the very end, I kept telling myself that the game MUST get better (based on the reviews I read).Yep, right up to when they started rolling the credits I promised myself the game would get better.

It didn't.Elizabeth R. Powell's review is actually a pretty good description of my experience, though I would disagree with her contention that Hugo's plotline was worth playing.It wasn't.The worst part of the game hands are the game triggers (those events that happen when you enter a certain place that "triggers" the game to progress).Some of the game triggers are so random it's ridiculous.Sometimes, the game doesn't even tell you what you need to do next (like the chapter you spend recruiting people, and you have to talke to EVERYBODY in ALL the towns you visit).I spent countless wasted hours running from screen to screen trying to figure out how to progress that damn game, baffled because apparently I was supposed to know I to go to some remote corner of the castle to speak with some character I've never even met before.How in the world was I supposed to know to do that?And of course the overly high random encounter rate, coupled with the boring terrain and terrible music made the whole experience dreadful.

The story hardly makes up for the game either.In fact, if the game had good gameplay, I'd probably complain about the boring storyline.The uninspiring characters make you think Konami game designers flung darts at a personality chart to come up with their characters.

All in all, not even worth a rental.But I do implore you, if you are the least bit curious about the game based on the other reviews (reviewers bribed by Konami no doubt, CONSPIRACY I tell you), RENT, don't buy, the game.Don't worry, I'm sure you won't mind if you don't finish it in time.

Great story
Most of the next gen RPGs have great cuts scene and graphics, but no real story or game play substance. This is the first ps2 RPG that seems to have a great mixture of everything. No annoying 10-minute cut secences. Lots of action, memerobal characters and much as 100 + game play. There are a few minor problems, and some areas seemed unfinished. Looking forward to Suikoden IV. ... Read more

Features

• Add any of 25 different Six Flags roller coasters from 5 different locations
• Match wits against world leaders in a quest to build the ultimate empire
• Build, explore, conquer, and rule; new pathways, strategies, and tools
• New graphics engine provides stunning maps, animations, and graphics
• Create and run the ultimate amusement park with new rides and gameplay

Reviews (1)

kyle (andro)
listen to me! civilization iii is like, the best computer game out there (not game cube) and rctycoon is second. i don't have this set but I have civilization iii and the first rctycoon. If you like civilization iii, get the conquests expantion pack. something interesting is that these are two of the most addicting computer gaves ever. if i could, i'd play this game for ever if i could. these games are the best ever made by atari! ... Read more

Product Description

With a new magical, carnival-themed location, over 175 new items, and a host of quirky new characters, Makin' Magic is the largest Sims Expansion Pack ever. New gameplay includes making, gathering, and questing for ingredients to brew magic spell recipes. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Family
• Mission: Your Sims can now harness the supernatural, casting playful or mischievous spells
• Platform: Windows 98/2000/XP

Reviews (87)

Not the best Sims expansion...
I found magic to be very inconvenient and expensive to use.As in all other Sim games, it is hard to keep your Sim happy for more than a few days, and also make enough money to live off of.It is only fun to go to a premade house and play with the premade sims, but that's not the point of the game...

They should make this for the Sims 2
Sure, it will make #2 unrealistic, but it is a whole lot of fun! Imagine how great the graphics will be if this was a Sims 2 expansion pack! I could only imagine how many more spells and reactions there will be if this was made into a 2 expansion pack. But, being it is still in old school form, it is a pretty fun, pretty addictive game. I can't believe how much the price went down!

Get it while the getting's good. You won't regret it. It combines a sort of Harry Potter-type world, complete with roller coasters, mummies, a skeleton maid, and magic crystals.

Ouch
I'm so glad I don't own this expansion pack, but I was "fortunate" enough to experience it at a friend's house. I found it extremely silly. The Sims is already pretty fake (as in most expansion packs really don't offer a whole lot as it seems to in the store), with expansion packs building on this characteristic, but Makin' Magic overdoes it completely. Maxis and EA probably came out with this expansion pack after seeing such a huge response to spells and fantasy and magic in Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and the like. In a way it clashes with Livin' Large. Both of them have "halloween" themes about them and the supernatural and blackmagic occuring. Through hearsay, the only things I can remember from the top of my head found in Makin' Magic is the ability for Sims to own a vineyard and something called MagiCoins. Also, potions can enable your Sim to be a rockstar instantly as well as make any Sim fall in love with yours.

I truly don't recommend this. It's as good as cheating by getting everything you want through brewing potions and such. It took me long enough to get addicted to the Sims, but this is so exaggerated. My Sims collection stops at Superstar.

Beware, your sims are witches and wizards, AWESOME!
this being the grand finale for the original sims, they made it grand! they gave you new powers, you can now control other sims lives completly, and not just the ones you create! you can cast love spells to make the process of love a little quicker, mind control sims to make them do as you please, transform gnomes and flamingos to come alive for an amount of time, and if someone annoys you, just turn them into a frog! you have all new items and and a new town. you can also do another spell that makes the game all worth it! if you have the sims 'Unleashed' you can transform your pet into a new sim to add to your family! it gives you new looks for your sims, and an all new currency! 'Magicoins' they let you buy spell items and new houses in Magictown that give you special powers and items you get in the regular game. this is by far the best expansion they have came out with!

Brilliant Idea!
Whoever thought up this one sure thought up a winner!!It's so fun to try out each spell.It sure takes a long time to get boring because you have to find all those ingredients!It takes longer than you might think.
There are also new objects and a whole other world- Magic Town- to explore!You can earn MagiCoins (to buy ingredients) by performing magic tricks and so forth for the crowds there.It's very cool.Just make sure those spells don't backfire on you! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002 lets you hurtle around the track at speeds in excess of 170 mph as you experience jaw-dropping graphics, realistic physics, and boundless white-knuckle action. You can compete on 12 real-world tracks from the World of Outlaws racing circuit and race as one of 24 official World of Outlaws drivers. The graphics are based on the award-winning Ratbag Difference Engine. Modes include single race, championship, and career. The game features spectacular collisions, damage modeling, and screaming 3-D directional sound, plus exclusive World of Outlaws driver interviews, racing footage, and DVD extras. ... Read more

Features

• Race as one of 24 drivers around 12 tracks at speeds over 170 MPH
• Choose from single race, championship, and career modes
• Enjoy screaming 3-D directional sound
• Unlock racing footage and other extras as you play
• For 1 player

Reviews (44)

DIRT TRACKIN' FOREVER!
WOW,This game is awesome. Hell with NASCAR, Dirt is where its at!
Power sliding thru the turnsand pulling wheelies down the straights makes this game the best racing one i've ever played. Can't stop playing it.Hope RATBAG makes future games with sprints or modifieds with guys like Pauch, Horton, Hearn, Brightbill, etc.....

Why I bought PS2
I am a big fan of "The World of Outlaws" and when I heard this game was coming out I went out and bought a PS2.I have yet to get tired of this game, endless fun and the best career mode to date.

The most intense racing game I've ever played!!
This was received as a Christmas gift back in December 2003, with the impression from the giver it wouldn't be received too well.Being a dirt track racing addict, having played Dirt Track Racing on Windows 98 by Ratbag, which this, in addition to Dirt Track Racing 2, must be made for a Playstation 2 (hint, hint) to keep the other dirt track addicts at bay; this game has every element a racing gamer demands.The graphics are outstanding, realistic sounds of the announcer, engine revving, crowd noises, options being numerous, and I just can't stop playing it.If your thumbs aren't calloused and numb, forgetting how to blink your eyes, and experiencing sharp pains in your palms, arms and your lower left side of your body because of the "leaning left syndrome" after a couple of hours of racing your custom sprint car, then this isn't the game for you.Racing games are supposed to be just as white knuckled induced as the real thing and this fits the bill.I can't describe how incredible this game really is. It's so good that I haven't even opened my other Playstation 2 games yet. You have to try it yourself, either by renting it first before you purchase it or buy it outright, to be a true believer as myself.So, you'd better get it now before it becomes obsolete and hard to find.

WoO Fun
I love this game its fun and easy to control the car. I own the PC version first and think of the two this is the best. the people at RatBag did a great job at this game. Real tracks, real stars, real fun.

Best game ever
Being a passionate race fan and driver of a dirt track stock car I have good experience and judgement to compare any race game too. This game is the closest to real life experience I have ever had. I literally haven't taken the game out of the machine since I bought it (8 months ago) and don't plan to until they release another Sprint Car or Dirt Stock Car game. (Hopefully with online capabilities) If you are a race fan or race participant at any level you must have this game. You will be blown away. GT3 doesn't come close. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

A long time ago, an awesome real-time strategy game set in Earth's pastnamed Age of Empires II was unleashed on an unwitting public. Almostimmediately, it took its place among the best games of its genre. GalacticBattlegrounds takes many of the elements that made Age of Empires IIso good and gives them a complete Star Wars makeover. The gameplay is sosimilar, it's hard to recommend it to anyone with a copy of AOE II.However, if you haven't played AOE II, or you're a hard-core StarWars fan, you might just find this game to be strong in the Force.

Battlegrounds offers you the chance to become a leader in deciding someof the most important battles of the Star Wars mythology. As in otherreal-time strategy games, you'll concern yourself with such things as keepingyour troops fed, advancing technology, and trade. And, of course, keeping yourbase from getting completely wiped out is generally considered a plus.

Among the few enhancements Battlegrounds makes to the Age of EmpiresII engine is the bigger technology tree (more stuff to invent and play with)and air and anti-air units (TIE fighters, X-wings, etc.). Most of the favoriteraces, machinery, and characters of the films are also well represented.Wookiees, Jedi, the Trade Federation, Darth Vader, Luke, and the rest of thegang (including Jar Jar) are all there for you to command in the campaign mode.Those looking to wage war in the battles seen in the films might be somewhatdisappointed, as many of the missions, while no less important, take placeparallel (and usually very close to) those shown in movies.

Thankfully, a few of the better-known skirmishes have been incorporated in thegame--just don't expect to significantly alter Star Wars history. Forexample, when controlling Imperial forces in the Battle of Hoth (the snow battlefrom The Empire Strikes Back), you lead your troops in an effort toannihilate Rebel scum before they can flee the planet. Can you change theoutcome of the battle seen in the films? Aside from losing your commander andimmediately losing the game, no. But the stories behind the skirmishes depictedthroughout Battlegrounds do fit well into the Star Wars myth andare usually fun. There are also quite a few standalone missions, a random mapgenerator, and tools for creating your own battles. It's enough to keephard-core Star Wars fans ignoring their earthly responsibilities for a good longtime.

Battlegrounds is, at its core, a modification of Age of Empires IIand it plays about as well as can be expected. Fortunately, despite its somewhatoutdated graphics, Battlegrounds' famous characters and locales add justenough Star Wars flavor to help make it a solid game in its own right.

Pros:

• Puts you in command of AT-ATs, stormtroopers, and Jedi
• Familiar Star Wars locales, characters, and music
• Uses the familiar (and very good) Age of Empires II interface
• Interesting main campaign that spans the films and goes beyond Return ofthe Jedi

• Outdated graphics lack definition and are rather flat
• AT-ATs too small, TIEs and X-wings hover instead of fly

Reviews (127)

Star wars galactic battlegrounds is awsome!!!!!!
Star wars galactic battlegrounds is awsome!!!!!! the game has good grafics and is fun to play. they teach you how to play in the menu.
to make it better you should get an expantion like star wars galactic battlegrounds the clone compainion.

Great game, but lacks a certain something
Let me preface my review by stating that I am an enthusiastic Star Wars fan, and bought this game because of it. The gameplay is fun and interesting and the SW locals are great; however, when compared to AOE II (the game from which this is derived), there is a slight lack of cohesion and balance. It is harder to find unit combos that work seamlessly together, and there are too many top-heavy units (AT-AT and the rebellion tank, for example) which don't cost enough to make (it is VERY easy to build 15-20 AT-AT's and steamroller across a map). The flying units are a mere annoyance, lacking any real power when faced with anti-aircraft, and a sheild generators and towers make uber-strong defensive combos that take eons to remove, especially in the face of defensive siege weapon emplacements.

To summarize: This is a good game, but if you are playing someone who has a similar skill level, prepare to be playing a LONG time.

Good game
I had a lot of fun playing this game. There really was only one problem. This would be that it is a total clone of Age of Empires 2. It is the AoE game engine set in a Star Wars galaxy. The units are exactly the same. For example, there is a unit in AoE that is called the ram, it is resitant to arrows and destroys buildings. In Star Wars there is a unit called a pummel. It is resitant to lasers and destroys sturctures. This sounds pretty similar, right? I suggest that you buy Age of Empires, and you love it, to buy this game. You should try AoE out first.

wonderful
I am an avid RTS gamer, and of course I fell in love with Starcraft the first time I played it. But SC does have its faults, namely the biggest one being it was too limited. I always wanted to load up with 100 or so carriers and raid someone's base. But alas, unit limits keep you from doing such a thing. But then I discovered Battlegrounds, and was satisfied. It has an even more detailed tech tree then Starcraft, and of course the unit limits were more forgiving, so I was able to take 150 at-ats and raid bases at my whim. Of course, its challenging to keep your base going long enough to do this, so the difficulty I had at playing SC never really left either. Of course, you could sit around and complain that the graphics arent 3d, the story mode doesnt have Starcraft's excellent cutscenes, well, to that I say, hard cheese. If you like Starcraft, Star Wars games, or just strategy games in general, this is worth the cash.

A good RTS with a star wars twist
this game is overall good, although it's hard to play the random battle mode well. the CPU's are either dumb as rocks or hard to beat but never in between. also it has easy to access online gaming but limited players unless you have the expansion. in the end, this game is a great star wars RTS but is very limited with out the expansion. ... Read more

Book Description

In the tradition of the multi-award-winning Star Wars: Jedi Knight, Star Wars, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast features rebel agent Kyle Katarn in exhilarating first-person action. Several years have passed since Kyle avenged his father's death and saved the Valley of the Jedi from Jerec and his band of Dark Jedi. Allowing his Force powers to languish for fear of falling to the dark side, Kyle entrusted his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker, vowing never to use it again. But when a new and menacing threat to the galaxy emerges, Kyle knows he must reclaim his past in order to save his future.

Players assume the role of Kyle as they employ a unique mix of weapons, Force powers, and the lightsaber in both single- and multiplayer modes. Jedi Outcast features expanded and enhanced use of the lightsaber, with new attack and defense moves. Tap into the powers of the Force, including jump, push, Jedi mind tricks, and more. Employ combat or stealth, depending on the situation. When a fight is necessary, be at the ready with an arsenal of weapons: stun baton, Bryar blast pistol, and blaster rifle, to name but a few.

Explore breathtaking Star Wars locales such as Cloud City, the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, Nar Shaddaa, the smugglers' moon--plus some never-before-seen locations. Multiplayer options include capture the flag, free for all, team FFA, duel, weapons-only, and Jedi master. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

GameCube and Star Wars: Disturbance in the Force?
Can anyone tell me DEFINITIVELY why LucasArts, et al., are NO LONGER making games for the GameCube?Legos Star Wars and Sith are being made for GameBoy Advance/DS, but not for the 'Cube.What's up with that?

I've heard a number of things:

*Star Wars titles never sold very well at all for Nintendo, whose strength still lies in its Mario and Pokemon franchises, among several others.But not Star Wars games.And in 3rd place in market share behind both Playstation and Xbox, making a 3rd version of any Star Wars game was a guaranteed money loser.(Not so for GameBoy which still owns the handheld domain.)

*The new Star Wars games require more buttons on the controllers.The others have them, GameCube does not.

*GameCube has no game playing interactivity, though I fail to see this as a showstopper.

Your thoughts?I really want to play Star Wars games like Battlefront but unless I move to another platform I am SOL.Any guesses if Nintendo Revolution will address these shortcomings?

JAMES BOND MEETS STAR WARS
THIS GAME IS EXACTLY LIKE THE JAMES BOND GAMES. THE MULTIPLAYER IS WAY TOO GOOD AND THE STORY MODE IS VERY CHALLENGING. WHEN YOU SWITCH TO THE LIGHT SABER YOU GO INTO 3RD PERSON MODE. IT IS A VERY COOL GAME.

IF YOU PLAY MULTIPLAYER IT KIND OF STINKS WITHOUT THE FIRST PLAYER HAVING A LIGHT SABER. I ENTERED IN THE CODE FOR IT AND A FEW OTHERS JUST FOR MULTIPLAYER AND TO MY SURPRISE THEY WORKED IN STORY MODE. DON'T I REPEAT DON'T USE CODES IN STROY MODE. ONCE YOU GET UP TO A CERTAIN LEVEL YOU ARE CHALLENGED TO DUEL A LIZZARD AT THE END OF A LEVEL. IF YOU HAVE INVINCEABILITY ON YOU CAN'T LOSE TO GO ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL. YES, YOU HAVE TO LOSE THE BATTLE. YOU CAN'T TURN CODES OFF IN THE GAME SO WATCH OUT.

THEY WAY I DO THE CODES FOR MULTIPLAYER IS TO LET THE GAME LOAD THE LEVELS AND CHARACTERS. THEN WHEN YO GET TO THE MAIN MENU REMOVE YOUR MEMORY CARD. THEN ENTER THE CODES. IT WILL NOT STOP YOU FROM MOVING ON IN STORY MODE AND YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT MULTIPLAYER GAME GOING.

I MADE THE MISTAKE OF ENTERING THE CODE WITH THE MEMORY CARD IN AND HAD TO DELETE THE DATA AND START THE GAME OVER JUST BECAUSE I HAD TO BE DEFEATED IN A BATTLE. WATCH OUT.

THE GAME IS VERY GOOD. IT HAS SOLID GAMEPLAY AND A GREAT MULTIPLAYER. THE LIGHTSABERS COLORS CAN BE CHANGED AND THERE IS A BUNCH OF OTHER STUUF YOU CAN CHANGE.

JEDI OUTCAST IS ONE OF THE BEST GC GAMES.

FOR THE NINTENDO REVOLUTION IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY RELEASE A SEQUEL AND HAVE IT GO ONLINE.

IF YOU LOVE STAR WARS, YOU WANT A GREAT ADVENTURE GAME WITH SOLID MULTIPLAYER GET THIS GAME.

BY TEXX

BEST
This is the best game I have ever played and I very highly recomend it. Yet it is also rated Teen due to mild violence because your running around killing people yet itisnt that bad once you get past that.

THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
I'm 13, but it's easier to use the kids review....
This game is awesome! If you are a star wars fan, you have to get
this. You can do jedi arena and choose from like 6 games, like 15 places, and who knows how many characters! You can customize your character and change stuff such as lightsaber color, force powers and physical abilities. Sadly, there are no vehicles, but this game makes up for that in weapons. It's very entertaining to use grip and hold a guy up,....and then throw him down some stairs or a pit!!!! You can do multiplayer without 2 people, I do all the time and it's just as good, considering the
AI(artificial intelligence) bots. The bots make it very realistic, you can have tons of them and they make the battles fun, being so unpredictable. They will snipe you or sneak up behind you, and they respond to the weopon choices you make and such.Try this game, it's a great game, trust me!!!

Wonderful game
I don't understand why people give this game a bad review. Granted the single player story mode can be a little slow at times, and there is that one level where you can't be invinsible, because you have to be able to die at the end, but once you beat it, you can just warp to any level you want(I personally like to skip, Nar Shadda and go straight to Bespin), and once you beat it, you can play multiplayer, grab a friend or play alone, with 10 bots, there is a capture the flag mode where you can activate invulnerability go to the warring factions level and set human (1 or 2) against computer (1-10), but don't worry because you won't be totally invinsible, that map has narrow pathways and a deep hole under all the map, and you can be affected by force push and grip(you just can't choke to death, but at a high enough level it can be used to move people off a cliff). Now I seem to have forgotten my point, so I'll leave the desicion making up to those who do not have it, but I like the game, I've had it for almost 2 years, and few games could even be considered a rival to it for me. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Nintendo first dabbled in video games during the industry's early years of the mid-'70s. Generations of successful gaming console releases through the years led to the much-hyped 1996 launch of Nintendo 64, a system that represented a giant evolutionary leap in video game technology. Within the first three days of launch, hundreds of thousands of gamers hunkered down with Mario 64, considered by many to be one of the greatest video games ever created. Even today, the system's excellent design continues to host an ever-expanding library of breakthrough games.

Nintendo 64's popularity among younger gamers is no surprise. Well-respected games featuring such long-lived and much-loved personalities as Mario (of arcade classic Donkey Kong fame), Zelda, and Banjo-Kazooie are easy to learn and offer enormous replay value. But times are a' changin' and the system's ever-growing library of titles has expanded into every genre of games imaginable, including games better suited for older gamers. In fact, some of the most acclaimed--in some cases, groundbreaking--games available on any platform today are packed onto N64's old-school cartridges.

Under the system's hood, its appeal to the young certainly didn't produce a less mature gaming machine. On the contrary, the 64-bit system boasts impressive graphics, stereo sound, and numerous accessory enhancements, including a high-resolution pack that boosts graphics to awe-inspiring resolutions.

Start your library with Goldeneye 007, Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, and Star Wars: Episode One Racer--these titles represent a decent start to any N64 cartridge library.

With the recent launch of Sega's Dreamcast system, Nintendo 64 is being left behind as the leader in video game technology. And with newer game systems featuring CD-based games, the system's expensive cartridge format is proving itself an archaic and unconventional storage format. But, at a sub-$110 recommended retail price for a console with two controllers, innovative accessory enhancements and a great library of games keep the system's rabid fan base satisfied, if not eager for Nintendo's next evolutionary step. --Eric Twelker ... Read more

Reviews (123)

The Nintendo that didn't have a fair go
Nintendo will never be out-done, just out-priced.

Nintendo started off making small hand held electroic games before creating the 8 bit system in the 80's. And when they released the Super Nes they had the 2 greatest home video game systems of the day. Sega never stood a chance because they rushed things just to compete with nintendo, where as nintendo took there time when releasing systems to make sure they where the best they could be. Only the people whose mothers bought them a Sega instead of a NES or SNES where the ones who would defend the Sega systems. But the segas where slow, graphics wernt as good and the sound was as bad as the game play handling.

Nintendo had completly beaton Sega in the market of games. But sega brought out an attachment for the Genises/Mega drive that allowed you to hook on a CD ROM drive to the machine. And nintendo decided to make an even better one to attach to the SNES. If you look on the bottom of a SNES console, you will see where it would attach. The CD Rom for SNES was being developed by Nintendo and Sony. But arguments arose between Sony and Nintendo and Sony seperated themselves from Nintendo and went solo on the project that eventualy became the Playstation!

The playstation was only twice as powerfull as the SNES. The snes was 16 bit, the PS was 32 bit. So ninetendo developed a 64 bit system, twice as powerfull as the playstaion, better graphics, better controll, and better potentiol.

But when the 64 was released, it did not get the fair attention it should have. Why? Because of the CD's Sony used. Not because they where better, not because they where slower, not because they where more fun...no... it was because people where buying them ripped / copied / burnt / bootlegged for a small price. And this still goes on today. That was the biggest reason why Sony was having more succsess then nintendo. Because those CD rom games where able to be copied and the cartridge of the nintendo was not.

The PS games only surpassed with slightly better sound, the 64 could play high quality sound, but it was up the games developer on wether or not to use up space on the game with sound or not. That is about the only advantage the PS had, sound, particuly just music. Some people say the controllers of the PS where better then the N64, but I preffer the 64, it did take some time to adjust to it, but that is personaly taste rather then anything.

The nintendo 64 suffered a blow when more game developers wouldnt make games for the 64 anymore because it was easier to put them on a CD and develop them that way, then to program them for cartridges. So, that is not nintendos fault, that is the game developers fault for being lazy and just wanting to make quick games instead of decent and good games.

Nintendos team called RARE where the ones who always pushed the boundry on games. Just like they did with Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, they broke new ground by not just using the full potintiol of the system, but by finding ways to go beyond it's full capabilty! They released one of the best games on the 64 called "Golden Eye". The James Bond game was the 1st to use the full potentioal of the 64's capability. The game is amazing and still hard to beat by todays standards. The game did not even need the expansion pack the 64 soon offered.

The best games where coming from the game developers who put the effort into making the great games, and the playstaion never had anything as fun to play as the 64 offered. The graphics where so much smoother, the game play was so much more responsive and the fun was there. One of the first games I compared was WWF ATTITUDE. And pretty much like I said, the PS version took longer to load, wasnt as responsive, the graphics where horriblly blocky, and the only thing that was better was it had more sounds from the commentators. And maybe some of the entrance themes where longer. But apart from that, nothing (maybe video footage) but that was never apart of what you where playing which is what counted and the PS was the thumbs down, but because of people able to buy copied games, the PS became popular that new comers to the sytem THOUGHT it was the better system. It isnt.

These days the battle goes on between Nintendo, Sony & Microsoft. But I know for sure, Nintendo will always supply quality games, games worth playing, games using full potentiol of the systems capability, and most important...respect.

nice thing to have
THIS N64 IS COOL BECAUSE IT HAS A PLAIN CONTROLER AND A NICE CONTROLER PLUS THE SYSTEM OF N64 AND IF YOU KEEP BUYING GAMES YOU WILL END UP WITH A WHOLE COLLECTION OF GAMES ANDA SYSTEM OF N64. SOME OF THE GAMES FOR THE N64 ARE THINGS LIKE THIS: SUPER SMASH BROS., HEY YOU PIKACHU, STAR FOX, PAPER MARIO, SUPER MARIO 64,AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

N64 ROCKS!!!!
I love the Nintendo 64. The N64 has some of the best games like super mario 64 and the legend of zelda the ocrina of time. If you like the older systems, then you need to pick up a N64 because it is awesome!!

Amazing Console with amazing games..
The N64 had some of the best games on the planet and eventhough N64 was a great system it ended too quickly cause of the Gamecube.The N64 launched in some were in 96' and it launched some great titles and some incredible games.The N64 is one of the best systems ever but it also had a short lived history.I mean they could have come up with wayyyyyy more games No...

The N64 was one of Nintendo's finest and is probably better then the gamecube.The gamecube didn't have much launch games but N64 did.It had some amazing graphics and some really amazing games.

The N64 was at one point BETTER then Playstation and It could have but in the end the PS beat it.But make no mistake about.The N64 launched some pretty amazing games.Hell SOME OF THE BEST GAMES EVER Created.Sure N64 is old and cheap but it still has some really awesome games like

Super Mario 64
Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time(greatest game ever)
Perfect Dark
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Starfox 64
Paper Mario
F-zero X
Didy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong

and some more....

You will get your 5 bucks worth of this system and I think it should cost more then that eventhough it's out dated

It has amazing games, an amazing console and some really impressive graphics and that is why this is one of the best systems ever...But it aint' no Dreamcast I can tellz ya that.

This systems earns a 5 out of 5 stars

Let alone Getting Ocarina of time is worth this system.Get it!!

It rules!

Lates

THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok i have ps2, nintendo gamcube, and xbox.THEN her comes nintendo 64 i just got it in my room it is soooooooo fun!!! so if u don't have it get it the games are mario party games on nintendo 64!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Chessmaster is a good introduction to the rules of chess, as wellas a useful tool for experienced players looking to improve their games. Asplayers continue, they'll learn more advanced strategies and tactics while theirskill levels increase. The game also features a tutorial mode to acclimate newchess players to the basics of the game; 150 famous recorded games; sixopponents; 10 chess sets; scalable gameplay for chess players of all skilllevels; and a two-player mode via the Game Boy Advance link cable. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great for what it is.
Cons: the menus could be a bit more intuitive, and it does play at a high level for someone who isn't a pretty serious chess player (even the weakest players on the weakest setting).

Pros: challenging to good players and people trying to improve their game.I'm not beating it very often, but I am getting rid of bad playing habits.Once you get used to the menus, there really is a lot to this program:different AI opponents with various playing styles, tutorial stuff, and a few hundred classic games to review along with some chess history, and it saves your game if you need to put it down.

I also like playing chess on my GBA and can get in a couple of games a day just by carrying it in my pocket and taking it out when I'm not doing anything (waiting in line).Also nice to have a chess computer that I know isn't going to break.

Good little chess game
I like this game but there is room for improvement. First, the AI is really tough--even the lowest level opponents are probably too tough for the casual gamer. Second, the chess tutor section is pretty poorly done, in my opinion. Good points about the game include the graphics and the play control. It also lets you redo all the moves of a game, which is good for learning.

It needs a manual or game guide
Fun but hard to figure out how to get to earn chess sets. It needs an instruction manual

The GBA chess game for serious enthusiasts.
Chessmaster for the GBA is a better choice for real enthusiasts
than Virtual Kasparov.It was released several months later, and its obvious than Kasparov and its obvious that this game fixed some of the shortcomings.

Some very important features this game includes:
A true save feature instead of Kasparov's antiquated password system.
Ability to undo moves.Helpful for when you want to experiment strategies or simply make a silly mistake.
150 classic matches from real masters.its takes a few seconds to load, but gives a fantastic lesson in strategy as a game actually unfolds.
Ability to choose different pieces.A bunch of them are useless (like dog theme pieces) but several are excellent to play with and give nice options.
Tutorials on moves, strategies and notation.I find the notation tutorial to be especailly helpful for players who want to learn more detailed strategies from books and other sources.Great job including this!

I do agree with some of the other comments ofr this game..the difficulty is a bit high for novice players or children who aren't the next Bobby Fischer, but for enthusiasts who want a chess challenge at thier fingertips this is great.There isalso a comment that selecting pieces takes several clicks to register.I never encountered this problem, the game plays just fine.

A strong Chess program for the GBA
I have both Virtual Kasparov (VK) and ChessMaster (CM).I wish I could combine the best features of both.

First off, CM plays at a much higher level.Whereas most of the VK personalities make occasional blunders, very few of those in CM do.This means that you really have to earn your wins against CM.Youngsters and novices (below say 1300 ELO) are likely to get walloped by most of the CM characters.
Also on the plus side:CM reports the moves in standard algebraic notation (VK does not) and allows infinite undo and redo.CM also contains a large library of famous games for review.
On the minus side, as the previous reviewer comments, I find I frequently have to press the arrow keys several times before CM acknowledges my move (and then frequently shoots past the piece I'm trying to pick up).This is quite annoying.
Also, CM does not automatically record the board position (VK does, which is useful when your batteries suddenly run out).CM also expects only a single user (VK records board positions and preferences for up to three different users).
Choose CM if you're a strong chessplayer or are looking for a real challenge.Choose VK for youngsters or novices. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Through Jango Fett--father of Boba Fett--players will plunge into thedark, deadly world of a bounty hunter. Inspired by events between EpisodeI and Episode II, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter presents anoriginal, compelling, third-person action experience that establishes JangoFett's place in the Star Wars galaxy and his connection to the notoriousClone Army. The game draws players into Jango Fett's sinister and seedy world,where thieves and assassins thrive. Using his cunning and a host of deadlyskills, Jango Fett ventures into the rarely explored dark side of the StarWars universe to track down the elusive leader of a mysterious and deadlycult. All the while, he'll compete against a brutal rival from his past in aquest to capture the ultimate bounty, dead or alive.

Gameplay emphasizes intense combat and physical action in the relentless pursuitof prey across six fantastic worlds and 18 levels. Jango Fett faces off againstan onslaught of the worst scum in the universe, including crime lords, corruptpoliticians, and enemies of various species. He is equipped with an arsenal ofpowerful weapons such as dual blaster pistols, a flamethrower, missiles, and adistinctive jet pack. ... Read more

Reviews (72)

Not as great as expected, but still not that bad
First off, I'd just like to say this is an average game. There are more cons than pros. The game has a good sense of showing the Star Wars universe to you, but most of the time it's just constant enemies reappearing around corners that you can kill with your blasters in 3 shots. A really bad problem about this game is that the structure of the environments are so hard to follow and there are quite a few technical problems as well. The A.I. isn't that dumb, but way too simplistic. You do get a jetpack, you can burn people with your wristwatch, you can use your cable to wrap people up in, or just your fists and blasters to get the job done very easily. Youd do feel like Jango Fett, but you also feel this isn't a sensational game.
A huge dissapointment was when I saw the intro with the incredible, polished, cinematics and then when the real gameplay hits, as soon as it begins, you'll see the graphics aren't as expected. The only thing I think the game almost had to perfection was the sound. Whenever you are in danger or in a battle, the loud orchestra of music begins to play, and all the enemies have the same type of voices compared to the movie. This is indeed a fun game and I'd recommend this to anyone that is a big fan of Star Wars, other than that, it's an average game, for which I give it a 3 out of 5.

Star Wars Bounty Hunter rocks!!!!
This is one of the greatest Star Wars games! Not only do you get to claim bounties other than the main baddies, but you can fry civilians! Nothing can satisfy you more then the sight of a well-done resident. You can use a bunch of weapons, like saberdart launchers, twin blaster pistols, whip-cord, ID scanners, and more!

You can't stop playing this game once you start. The graphics are great and the music is fabulous. The voices are also good. Bounty Hunter takes place through episodes one and two, so there's plenty of game play.

You will travel through many worlds and places like the home of some tusken raiders, or the skyscrapers of coruscant. You have to take out millions of Republic guards, aliens, out-laws, and rival bounty hunters. This game is over-all a great, must have game!

Where's Meeko!!?
This is a phenomenal game. If your a Star Wars fan especially, you'll be knocked out by the Lucasfilm Archives sound effects (Ithorians, Jawas, Tuskens, and Gonk Droids to name a few).

I don't understand the complaints either with the gameplay. Those who claim to have "beat" the game in a single day are simply playing video games too much. The mere length of the game would require, literally, a day...and that's providing a perfect performance on your debut outing! But then, I suppose anyone who plays video games that much isn't going to be surprised by much; many games have structure similar to this one, but I've seen few pull it off with as much panache and grace. The controls are pretty easy to master, offer a ton of variety, and the enemies provide ample challenge. As far as the bounties go, I had a blast looking for them. They don't offer anything necessary, per se, for the gameplay to take place (in other words, you can simply blast 'em all if you want), but provide a personal & fun challenge, much like trophy hunting in Tournament Melee does.

The atmosphere is simply enchanting, atmospheric and increasingly creepy as the game goes on. Ultimately, as a Star Wars fan, you will be submersed into a convincing, enveloping world that is already familiar to you from the movies. It will be a joy for you just to walk through it!

The voice acting was done by Temuerra Morrison (Jango), Clancy Brown (Montross) and even the woman who actually played Zam Wessel in Attack of the Clones. Extremely well done with great cut scenes and outtakes.

I only hope a sequel will appear someday.

Aliens beware!
This game is awesome!With great graphics, great gameplay , and a great storyline.There's so many weapons and devices to choose from you can blast 'em, burn 'em, catch 'em, shock 'em, explode 'em, and just totally demolish them!The only drawback is you have to keep tapping buttons in the middle of a fight to get the weapon you want.And that sometimes hurts your health.It's a fairly hard game and is very enjoyable!It's awesome dodging bullets, fighting dozens of baddies at once, flying around and shooting everything!There's alot of great things to this game that makes up forthe little nuisance of switching weapons around.Stick with the dual blasters and have a blast!!!

A New Twist on Star Wars
This is a simply amazing game.The graphics are awesome, and the voice overs are great too.In nearly all of the star wars games for any platform, you're a jedi, facing wookies with blasters, and cutting thru them like a warm knife thru butter.This game presents a challenge, not to mention that Jango Fett is awesome beyond imaginable.You face enemies that arent easy to kill and you do so with graphics that are unpresidented for a star wars game. The story line is good and easy to follow and Jangos wit is definitly cool.I would recomend this to any gamer who likes star wars, and a decsent challenge. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The successful Dead Or Alive fighting game franchise is known as much for the bouncing breasts of the female combatants as for its innovative and consistently fun three dimensional gameplay. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball is a spinoff game that entirely drops the fighting game elements in favor of focusing on DoA's other claim to fame.

The game begins with you selecting one of the girls as your character. Each game is broken up into a two week vacation, and each day is divided into morning, daytime, and evening. You spend each segment of the day playing volleyball, gambling in the casino, shopping for swimsuits and accessories, lounging around the island, or trying to befriend the other girls on the island.

I'm not sure it's fair to classify DoA:XBV as a volleyball game. Sure, you'll spend a bit of time playing volleyball, but the gameplay is so basic that there are literally only two buttons: one to pass to your teammate and another to send the ball to the opposing side of the net. It's probably more accurate to label DoA:XBV as an unusual "relationship" game, with volleyball just one of several ways to earn money to spend on gifts for girls. Each girl has a set of items that they like; the actual object of the game is to figure out what those items are, where to buy them, and how to present them to each girl. Well-wooed girls will partner up with you for volleyball matches, or allow themselves to be convinced to try on slinkier and more exotic swimwear. For example: if you want Kasumi to try on the barely-there "Venus" swimsuit, you're going to have to shower her with gifts of strawberries, balloons, and origami.

What the game lacks in depth, volleyball gameplay, or features it makes up for in eye candy. The well-modeled, bouncy characters attract the most attention, but the island’s beaches and jungles are also universally gorgeous--and most of the volleyball courts can be played at different times of the day. If nothing else, Xtreme Beach Volleyball is a great display of the raw graphical power of the Xbox.

When considering whether or not you should purchase Dead Or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball it's important to remember what it is and what it is not. It is not a volleyball game. It is an incredibly pretty collection of small but moderately amusing mini-games played by buxom cartoon babes. Fans of Lara Croft, rejoice: the next generation is here. --Jon "Safety Monkey" Grover

Pros:

• Fantastic graphics
• Exotic tropical setting
• If you ever wanted to see the girls of the Dead or Alive franchise run around in bikinis, here's your chance

• Volleyball portion of game is simple, not a lot of fun
• Only supports two players--only then in Exhibition mode and not on the same team
• More a collection of cut scenes than a real game
• May make you feel dirty

Reviews (146)

Boring and a total jip
Ok not to sound like a pervert but I heard there was topless women playing volleyball games and I was like damn I gotta buy this. LOL! But none of that was in there and in the intro before the game, you see a topless woman but it looks censored. And the exploring around was stupid and playing the game itself was boring. I wasted $20 on a used copy of this. $20 I can't get back. Don't buy this. It ain't worth your time and money!

Great Game for Girls.
This is a great game for some of our female players who don't like violence. It's great because it is very unique and has beutiful grapics. I love the characters of this game. I enjoy playinggames and hope to play more in the future. It is appealing to both genders. These women are the most attractive women in fighting games. If you like these characters check out Dead or Alive 3 and Dead or Alive Ultimate.

Good to look at, not fun to play.
This is volleyball? The actual volleyball part of the game is When I hear the title "XTREME" Volleyball, I want solid gameplay, but you get none of that. And what makes it extreme anyway? Sure the bodacious babes are a big plus, but the gameplay relies on just hittin the ball over the net with 2 buttons and hoping you get points. I just felt the lack of interaction. Heck, Tecmo didnt' even bother to apply the scoring rules to this volleyball game. Only A and B buttons are used.There are basically only 2 things you can do on offense, hit the ball up in the air for your partner, then spike it over the net. Fun? Um, not hardly. The computer basically decides the matches and who wins. There is no strategy involved, it's just game for looks and busty babes, nothing more. This is Tecmo, the makers of Ninja Gaiden and DOA Hardcore? Anyway, then after a boring day playing volleyball, you have to go back to the lame Island mode and waste time going through useless and boring places on the island. You try to earn the love of other girls by buying them swimsuits and gifts. Why would one find this enticing?I'm sorry, this game sucks. Sounds like a harsh description, but if it wasn't the redeeming factor of the sweet graphics, this game would be a total disappointment.Is it the worst volleyball game ever? No. But when you pit it against the quality of Sega's game on the Cube, it's just further proof how bad the volleyball engine really is.

The graphics are amazing though. The ladies look better than ever and if they were real I'd defintely want a few dates. It's actually the same engine Tecmo used in Dead Or Alive 3 for the XBOX. You'll recognize one of the beaches being taken directly from the 3, and it looks amazing. Seagulls flying in the background, warm sand curdling your girls feet, and the ocean hitting the sand over the horizon. There are also new beaches, jungles and islands to play volleyball. Once again, lush scenery, fantastic animations and great graphics are nice, but when the gameplay sucks, who cares? For the guys that bought the game strictly for the babes, they might appreciate the "Gravure System" as Tecmo calls it. On days when you want to be alone with your girl, you can take her somewhere alone on the island and just look at her basking in the morning sun. You're thoughts of being there with her might be fun for awhile and mind you it is ultra realistic. You can zoom in on her, change the camera view and take her to different locations. For added visuals, you can also give your girl a nice tan and hook her up with countless bikinis. You can buy tanning oil in the accessory shop and you can watch them over time get a lush golden tan from the sun. If you want to keep them healthy, you can also buy sun block. Sigh. This sucks. I'll say it once and I'll say it again, visual splendor alone, this game rocks, but the game sucks, it really does.

Relaxation
Though you may think it's only for the ladys, this game actually takes some skill to play well. I enjoyed schooling my friends who thought it would be a no-brainer to play. But while this game is a great way to chill after playing some hard-core RPG, it doesn't have enough to keep you playing it for weeks on end. All the objectives are self-made, so once I got the Venus suit for both Lisa and Tina, that was it for me. There aren't enough things to do, but the volleyball was done very, very well.

Surprisingly Addictive...
I bought DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball a while back because I found the idea of characters from a fighting game playing volleyball to be wonderfully funny.
Given some of the comments about it that I read, not to mention the adult-oriented nature of some elements of the game, I was not expecting very much from it.
You can imagine my surprise, then, as this game quickly became one of my favorites out of any game I've played on any of the current systems.
The control of the volleball matches is relatively simplistic, though there is somewhat of a challenge to where it is still fun to play.
The minigames (casino, hopping game) are also very entertaining.
For those of you who buy games for "hot" pixelated women, this game is filled to the brim.
This strikes me as a game which could work well in a small party environment.
If you like fun, reasonably simplistic gameplay, then I definitely recommend this game for you.
If you are looking for something complex, might I suggest playing the latest Tom Clancy game, or something of that nature. ... Read more

Product Description

Play this award winning gaming phenomenon of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II with all-new modes and exclusive content. Play with the new split-screen feature allowing 4 friends to battle it out at the same time. Witness all-new character classes, weapons, items, enemies, quests and more. Episode II features an exclusive new full-length adventure. ... Read more

Reviews (129)

BEST GAME EVER
This is the best game ever made. Ive been playing it for about two years now and its still soooo exiting. The online play is excellent as is offline. There are endless amounts of weapons, clothing, characters, levels and tons of servers for online play.

It is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEST.....GAME.....EVER!!!!!
I think this game is awesome.If you don't like it you're insane.I never played the dreamcast version of this (waaah)but i did get to play gamecube (YAY!!!)hunters are the coolest.Without a doubt, this is the best MMORPG ever created.

my rating

Graphics 4.5
they could use just a bit of improvement...

Control 5
i like cept you can't really pause

Sound 5
the music is really cool

Overall 5
this game rocks! i especially like the offline feature you can use to level up your char

Excellent!
I played this to DEATH on my Dreamcast. Now it has both games from the dreamcast days and Episode 2! Its a phenomenal game that is ALMOST perfect! the ONLY two things I must say stink are the "NON" targeting mode and not being able to rotate the camera. Even amidst these two issues the game still shines BRILLIANTLY! With camera rotation and option for lock on this game could have been the best game EVER made! It shines online the most but is JUST as much fun with two or more players offline. Customization is done very well etc also.

BUY THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ive played this game before and anyone that dosnt have it needs 2 get it!!!Its the best game ever id have 2 say its the funnest game ive ever played in my life!!!!!!!!

99%goodness,1% Badness
My friend showed me how fun this game was. And the only thing bad about is on the boss Dragon the camera is tilted and you can't see very well.
I haven't played online or episode 2.
But if I get the game, my username is going to be Vash the Stampede.

GET THE GAME! (But don't say it's bad.) ... Read more

Product Description

The Sims: Double Deluxe is the ultimate compilation. Double Deluxe includes "The Sims," "The Sims: Livin' Large," "The Sims: House Party," "The Sims Creator Tool" and exclusive Double Deluxe content. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Create and develop your own unique person by choosing from hundreds of characteristics
• Platform: Windows 95/98/XP

Reviews (29)

Well Worth The Price!
Just like the title states, this is well worth the price!
This includes the original The Sims, The Sims House Party EP, the Sims Livin' Large EP, some bonus objects, walls, and floors, and The Sims Creator tool.
If you don't have any of The Sims games, this is the perfect place to start.The Sims and the two EPs have so much stuff in it for a Sims novice, you won't need the other expansion packs for years!It's virtually impossible to get bored with infinitely many possibilities.
The Sims Creator is a program where you can make Sims skins.My sister is no artist but she made some pretty good Lord Of The Rings clothes for the LOTR heads she downloaded.It's a good thing to experiment with.
Buy this if you don't have it; you won't be sorry!

SIMS BY FAR
THE SIMS IS THE SIMS HAVING THREE EXPNSION PACKS IS BY FAR THE THING.THEY MAKE AOT OF MONEY U KNOW U LOSE AND EXPANSION PAK U BUY ANOTHER ONE./BUT WITH THIS SET THERE NO NEED. BUT STILL POPLE WOULD DO THE SAMEE.THEY CONTIUNE TO BUILD UP CAPIAL FORM THIS.

Good game not so good playability
Good game with lots of neat objects and items. The iteractions are cool too. Everything you need to throw a great party. But you get bored of it after a while, and don't get it and plan on not spending more money on another expantion pack. The Sims Makin Magic, Bustin out, and Hot date give you a lot more to do so you are never in a position where all your mood bars are full and you dont have something to do.

Greatest PC deal/game of all time!!!
I first recieved Sims DOuble Deluxe as a Christmas gift. Much to my dismay i needed Windows XP to run it. I waited patiently and when the game did work, I found myself staying up late to play it!
First of all...
GRAPHICS 9/10
This game has some of the best graphics I've ever seen. Unlike other games it also does not need to load thest graphics.
GAMEPLAY 10/10
With fires, moods, and work, you are kept alert and on your toes. With buy and build mode, there is no limit to how big your home can be!
SOUNDS 8/10
The only problem...repetitive music. It's not bad, but not good either.
REPLAYABILITY 10/10
Like i said, you won't want to turn off the PC!
EXPANSION PACK ?/10
I haven't loaded it yet.
OVERALL 10/10
This is a great game and i think you would be a fool not to buy it if you can.
Need I say More?

I love it except for...
First off I have to say that I became one of those addicts after I first got this.I'd spend hours and hours playing it and playing it,trying to get my people happy and rich and so on.Its a really great game EXCEPT for those of us who get so addicted we wanna add on more expansion packs,such as oh say Hot Date.The Hot Date has enough problems on its own,I'm not saying it isn't fun but the sounds usually hard to get right if you can get sound on it.I tried to point on Hot Date after Double Deluxe and its just a pain.I've been doing nothing but installing and installing and nothing works,always telling me I've got the wrong CD or it wouldn't play for this reason or that reason.So my advise to you is that if you buy Double Deluxe,don't try to install the Hot Date Expansion Pack after it because thats just impossible.Oh yes,for those of you who can't seem to get it uninstalled,goto the Sims official website and download the SimsEraser. ... Read more