Product Description

Bitten by a genetically altered spider, high school student Peter Parker is suddenly empowered with supernatural abilities, including web-slinging, wall-crawling and super spider senses. Jump into the suit of a fledgling Spider-Man as he learns how to battle the forces of evil in a stunning 3-D New York City. Crawl, leap and swing amongst the dizzying heights of skyscrapers, looking to catch criminals and super-villains in your web. Come face to face with your nemesis, the Green Goblin in death-defying aerial combat. Just like the movie, this could be Spidey's toughest battle... or his last. See if you can be the hero of the city by defeating the Green Goblin. ... Read more

Features

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

Reviews (189)

This game is alright
This game is cool for awhile if you like to swing around the city and save people but the graphics are a little crappy and you do the same bull over and over again like save people and hear people scream spiderman help me over and over again.Gets old fast but if your die hard spider dork you need to buy this but if your an average gamer like myself you might want to rent this for a couple days.

Spider-Man: Cool or Fool?
This game was super awesome, but the game was too easy. The only thing missing was another level. It could have used another level.Finding those combos are hard.For those who are reading, here's a chaeat that enables all levels: ARACHNIDCool, huh? I give it an 8.4. But really, it requires skill and strong focus, but seriously, it could have used another level.

fun for action players
This game overall is one of my favorites. It really deserves 4 and a half stars. But one of the things is a lot of the things in the game don't happen in the movie. This is not a problem for me and probably for most. In the game you not only fight the Green Goblin but the Shocker, Vulture, and Scorpion, with the addition of Uncle Ben's killer (who really isn't a supervillian). Another nice thing about this game is the combat, which can also be a hassle at times. In the game you get WAY more moves than in the previous games. In the beggining you don't get many awesome combo moves, but as you progress through the game your moves get more interesting. Another nice thing is the graphics. At times you'll just want stand and look at the buildings which reflect the other things outside and the designs on Spiderman's or Goblin's outfit.This games bosses are challenging and willmake you want to fight them again. Buy this game.

Pretty Good Spiderman Game
This is a pretty good Spiderman game let me name some good and bad parts bout this game.

The Good
It goes beyond the movie
pretty decent graphics
fly around
pretty long playing time

The Bad
You cant go all over New York
The storyline was kinda like the movie, but should of been more
if u go down to low when flying u end up falling down and restarting the level.

Overall: 4.0/5.0

Cool Game
This is a great fighting game. I love the moves, and the addition of Spidey-Sense. A game for kids from 1 to 92. Although it's been said many times, many ways, get Spiderman for PS2. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The Dreamcast's Virtua Tennis was a hit because of its gently climbing learning curve and compelling TV-style presentation. Its sequel, Sega Sports Tennis for the PlayStation2, retains everything that was great about that original game and improves it with 16 male and female tennis stars (including cover girls Venus and Serena Williams), three difficulty settings, and a create-a-player feature.

At first, playing the game is almost as simple as Pong: Move your character toward the ball and press a button. Provided they're close enough to the ball, they should be able to return the volley. To progress through the increasingly tough challengers, though, players will need to learn how to direct the ball, perform lobs and smashes, and use finesse with topspins and backspins.

The game still has a few areas that could be improved. First, there's no way to change the court perspective--one side of the court is always in the foreground, the other in the background. It's easier to play the game when your character is right in front of you, but the characters switch sides between games in the set. It makes sense in the two-player game, since having the camera move with the character would require a split-screen arrangement, but gamers should at least have the option of staying with their tennis pro during computer matches. The only other complaint is that while Sega Sports Tennis has an excellent two-player game--with both the singles and cooperative or competitive doubles--there are no three- or four-player options, as there were in the Dreamcast version. Granted, there are only two controller slots on the PS2, but plenty of other games get around this by using the Multitap accessory.

Still, even with only two at a time, Sega Sports Tennis is a great party game since the matches are short and anyone--even those who know nothing about tennis and have never played a video game in their lives--can pick up this game and have fun. --Porter B. Hall

Pros:

• Easy to pick up and play
• Gentle learning curve
• TV-style presentation
• Competitive and cooperative 2-player doubles

Cons:

• Fixed court perspective
• No 3- or 4-player option

Reviews (24)

boring
so simple that my 4 yr old can win.

This is the best TENNIS game out right now!
I'm not even into tennis, but I have played several different tennis games (both on PS and PS2).Sega Sport Tennis outplays the other games without hesitation.The play is so much smoother, faster and EXTREMELY EASY.You don't have to be a tennis pro to play this game!!I love to play the pro tour mode... and go through all the training and matches to see my player move up in the ranks.Everyone I have ever talked to who has played this game, including me, has become horribly addicted to it.You sit down to play a few minutes and realize that several hours have flown by!!!It truly is a fun game to play by yourself or with another!!:)

FANTASTIC - Loads of fun!!
I've been playing a friend's copy of Sega Sports Tennis and just ordered it for myself.I have purchased Sega Sports Tennis and also Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament, by Namco, both for Playstation 2. Sega Sports was released in July 2002, while Smash Court was released on March 2002. Sega is MUCH more fun than Smash Court. The graphics are VERY good and the play is, albeit slightly less realistic, much more practical for using computer controls...with Smash Court if you're not at the right place at the right time, you miss the ball (hard to see 3D in real life, impossible on a TV set - Namco:it's a game, make it fun!Sega:Good job!).
Believe it or not, this game has helped my game in Real life, allowing me to be more aware of all players' positions in the court.
You can create your own character(s) - one male, one female - train them and battle it out with the others.

Good fun
Good fun for playing with friends, but the graphics are not as good as in SmashCourtTournament.

The best tennis game out..sigh...
It's the best, alright.But its competition is...well, none existent, really.

What I liked about the game was its attention to detail.Unlike other tennis title, your character actually developes in skill.At first, your ground strokes and serves are pathetically slow.Fortunately, so is the footwork of your opponents.There are alot of training games you can play (it's more of a mini-game) to improve our skills.Want to have a blazing serve?Then 'train' in either the serve bowling game or the shoot for prize game.

There are 2 training games for each skills, which include: groundstrokes, volleys, footwork, and serve.Those 4 sets of skills are also divided into individual sub-skill sets.For example, on your serve, you have power and control skills sets.And for your ground strokes, you have power, control, and angel, all divided into left and right hand groups.

You gain rank by playing and beating your opponent.At first, there won't be much tournaments you'll be able to attend to due to your low ranking.Soon, however, after much training, you'll be able to attend the top tournaments, such as Wimbeldon and U.S. Open.

Now the dislikes...you don't improve your skill by playing matches.Training in those mini games is mandatory, instead of something to pass time on.I'd also loved to have a realistic partner training to improve your skills.Also, as with every other tennis game I played...the service is a joke.I have nearly maxed out my service yet I have only scored a couple aces.Serve a power service going 120mph, and your opponent not only returns it with ease, they'll return it with such pace and angle, you're left playing catch up the whole point.It also goes the same for your opponents service.The only time they get aces is when I pretty much let them.

Also, due to the lack of skill improvement by playing actual matches, attaining the top 10 rank will take too much time.It took me over 10 years to attain that rank!

Hopefully sega will release a new version in the near future that addresses many of the finer points. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

In this game, Kelly Slater leads a team of pro surfers that includes Lisa Andersen, Tom Carroll, Tom Curren, Nathan Fletcher, Bruce Irons, Rob Machado, and Kalani Robb. The surfers are represented by realistic, high-resolution 3-D models and animations reflecting their personal styles. A proprietary wave engine powers state-of-the-art graphics, physics, and motion, allowing Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer to capture the essence of surfing and its culture.

The exotic real-world beaches of South Africa, Hawaii, Australia, Tahiti, Spain, and North America will immerse players in the virtual surf world. An intuitive control system allows players to execute the most technical pro maneuvers and experience ever-changing wave conditions. The game offers multiple play modes, including career mode, special events, and surf trip. Additionally, a large variety of real surf tricks and events, licensed boards, wetsuits, and clothing lend the game authenticity. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Cool game but lacks details....
Cool game, but I lost interest quickly as
there is no season tour so you dont have anywhere
to go after achieving all of the goals - - If this
had a full world tour it would be great - - but
the noly competition with others is a few heats
and that is it...

Good even for people who dont surf too
Ok, I myself dont like surfing.This game is great fof everyone though.I dont have the game,but I played it at my friends house for hours,and i must say if you dont surf, you will still have maximum fun on it.With great graphics, good gameplay,and awsome surf spots.PS: yhis game has many of the same of the tony hawk series.Buy this and have fun.

Great Surf Game
This game was great.Full of location and video surfers.I would have to say that the only thing that bugs me is the fact that the waves never end.Just play Transworld Surf and you will see how a surfing game should do waves.Overall, Kelly Slater is the better game of the two.The objectives are easier to accomplish.A great game to overcome your stress on those flat days.

get yo' surf on dawg
Activision's 02 series may seem to drop Tony Hawk clones if you glance beyond the surface of titles such as Hoffman or even the new wakeboarding game, but Kelly Slater is one that that stands on its own 2 feet.They really spent some time on this one; and it shows...in the end, what you have is a realistic surfing game that is actually fun to play.

From a visual standpoint, this game would get a perfect 10.The waves look realistic and smooth, as does the surfing itself.No choppy or sluggish action on this effort.There are quite a few beaches to visit, although none of the goals are really all that difficult.

Sounds are good, so is the music for the most part.Basically what you would expect from Activision.

So, why not a perfect 5 star rating?Well, replay value for one.After you blow through the challenges there isn't much left.Sure, it is still kinda fun to try to bust high scores, but not much to work for to keep someone hanging on.Also, even though there are a ton of beaches to visit, it is a far cry from opening a new "level" on Hawk.Basically each beach is kind of like the one you just visited.You drop in on a big wave and do your thing.End of story.

Oh, on the plus side, there is a lot of cool surf footage to enjoy if you are into it.Each surfer and each beach has some footy, plus there is a 30 minute video which is a behind the scenes type of deal.Good stuff.

I am hearing that this game is being discontinued, so try and pick up a copy while you still can.

"Under The Influence" Kelly leads the Momentum generation
This game is the best surf game there is obviously. I just wish there were more Florida dudes in it. Like Damien and C.J. Hobgood. Or Cory and Shea Lopez. And what's with that damn Jack Johnson song???? That song was in almost every surf video that came out last year. Just because Jack Johnson is a surfer himself, that doesn't mean his music has to be listened to by every surfer and put in so many surf videos. You don't hear Jane's Addiction in any surf vidoes. Although Perry Ferrell has a song in Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer. Anyway, check out this game! It's a good one for sure ... Read more

Product Description

Guide Frodo Baggins and the characters of The Fellowship of the Ring through the villages, countryside and dark forests of Middle Earth in the Fellowship's great quest to protect the ring. Meet all the characters of J.R.R. Tolkien's first book of The Lord of the Rings and share in their journey and direct their actions. But you'll need all your wits and best strategy to elude the terrifying servants of the Dark Lord who seek to claim the ring for their own evil purposes. ... Read more

Features

• Missions require problem-solving as well as combat
• Gorgeous maps
• Play the greatest story ever written
• Introducing Legolas as a playable character
• Play as Hobbit Frodo, Magician Gandalf, Aragorn, or Legolas

Reviews (135)

easy if you have good coardination!
Ok the two towers and return of the king were games where you wasent solve anything just wars but the fellowship is amazing you get problems to solve and every detail is like in the book the music is really beutiful in the shire and it gets darker the more you progress like the atitude of the enviroment. The ringwraithes in the game are hard to get past you have to have keen eyes like me if you are going to get past the one on the bridge. The reviewer (Ian) was right the wargs do look like overgrown rats and overgrown skinny rats too.there are only a few properly designed wards in this game the ones in the shire and the ones in buckland dont forget the place where you meet tom boombadil and goldberry. If youv read the books you get pretty far on this game but if you havent you are going to have a tough time. The only complained I have is that I was expecting to play as the entire fellowship and that intro at the top is wrong you dont play as legolas in this game. and hes my favorite character. And frodo is the only character that can jump over all a good game.

Hmmm....
It's hard to say how good this game is.I'm stuck on the part where you have to sneak past the Black Riders, which is about 10 minutes into the game!It's so hard b/c they kill you and you have to start over!!! *cries*
But I think the game will get better once I can get past that part:)

"Here, have a cookie!" *shoves an imaginary cookie down your throat*

Great game, when your playing it
This games is fantastic for anyone who loves Tolkien's works, not the movies based on them. The story is from the books, so some of the scenes might be confusing for someone who has only seen the movies. The only setback to this game is that i doesn't take long to finish, if you work at it. The first time I played through the game, it took me about 11 hours. Now, some people might be thinking " well, you play games all the time, and you are crazy enough to review a game." Here are the ratings i would give it and the explainations.
Story: 10/10 What else could it be!
Graphics: 8/10 There are great graphics, but sometimes the camera is difficult.
Audio: 10/10 good blend of music and real life sounds.
Gameplay: 7/10 it can be entrancing at times, but some of the levels can become very frustrating.
Finally, this game takes some INTELLECT, and is not just a hack-away adrenaline rush game. And since it has been out for a couple of years, the price you get it at is a total bargain. This games should cost at least $25, but it only costs $15. Good deal!

Now that's Lord of the Rings!!!
Hello. The names DC and here on Amazon, I rate movies and video games that I own or have played before. I have to say that this is the Lord of the Rings video game to buy, a lot better than EAs LOTR video games. The game is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's first book in the LOTR trilogy, not the movie. Vivendi has done an excellent job with it, but there are a few things that I'd like to point out. First off, I wish there were more playable characters and two, there should have been more levels. Other than that, It's a great addition to any LOTR fan's collection. I had bought it two years ago and had beaten it but it got stolen. I'm recently borowing it from a friend and I'm going to buy it Febuary 1st. I giving it Five stars and recommend that you buy it since it's only 19.95.

A decent, fun trip through Middle Earth
With the movie trilogy finished, it's a pretty safe bet that a lot of people have forgotten about the games based on the books.With EA's uber success with thier game adaptions of the movies, poor Vivendi had the unenviable task of competing with thier own games that could not look or sound anything like the movies.It may have been too tough, because the second and third books were never made into games (what a shame).But we still have the Fellowship of the ring game to go through.

The Fellowship of the ring is a third person action adventure game that allows you to take on the role of Frodo Baggins, Aragorn, and Gandalf as you play through the story of the first Lord of the rings book, which means that you get to visit areas that are not in EA's game, such as the villiage of Bree, Rivendell and Lothlorien (granted, its only one room in the latter two, but they are pretty).You also get to meet Tom Bombadill, fight Barrow-rights, and even fight the Balrog!(which EA did not have until The Third age)

The gameplay here is very simple.You move your charachter around an enviornment while solving a task or a puzzle.You shoot projectiles, swing your sword (or stick), and can jump (only while playing as Frodo).Nothing too fancy or complicated.Perfect for young gamers or those who dont want to memorize dozens of moves.I personally loved playing as Gandalf, who gets to use magic to kill his foes (and lets face it, playing as Gandalf is going to be cool no matter what).

The fighting is simple as well.You can run up and attack with a sword, or weaken a foe from a distance by firing either rocks, arrows, or bolts of fire.You can also reduce damage by blocking.Thats it.No combos to memorize whatsoever.I do like this simple combat scheme, as you dont have to memorize lots of moves and try to recall them all in an instant.

You'll face lots of dangerous foes on your journey as well.There are lots of orcs, lots of wargs (but why do they look like oversized rats?), some rather mean towns-folk, the Nazgul, and the fiery Balrog.The AI of your foes is rather basic.Combat for your foes consists of running towards you ("Charge!") and swinging away.Orcs do try to block your attacks, but thats it as far as defense goes.I found that almost any foe could be beaten simply by running in circles, slicing at them one blow at a time.They would stand there, andy by the time they got around to fighting back, I attacked and stunned them again! Simple, and a little silly.

Thanks to the book liscene, you get to visit a lot of places in the game that were not in the movie based games.The green and happy shire, the slightly gloomy woods between the Shire and Bree, Bree itself, the troll-shaws, Weather-top, and Rivendell are but some of the places you'll visit on your journey.Every location is rendered well and the looks fit the atmosphere well.The shire is bright and cheerful while Moria is dark and forbodding (Skeletons on the walls are always good at conveying gloominess).

Graphics for the game are pretty normal.It's not flashy or wonderful, it just gets the job done.There are some great locations, such as the bridge of Khazad-Dum and the river Anduin that look really great.The audio is pretty good.The voiceovers are for the most part well done, but at times they feel very unenthusiastic ("Gandolf.No.").The music is quite catchy, especially in the Shire and Moria.

However, the game suffers from some big problems.There are no bonuses for finishing the game, aside from playing it again.The camera is tricky to get the hang of, but can be managed with practice.At some points the game feels a little amaturish (such as text that says "The next day"), as if the game were made by people who just finished gaming school and were unused to making games.

But in the end, I enjoyed my trip through the game.I thought it was fun, and had some great elements in it (such as fighting the Balrog in real time combat instead of an RPG battle).I personally recomend it, but you should rent before you buy. ... Read more

Book Description

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 stays true to the heritage of the NFS series by housing a stable of over 20 exclusive and exotic cars from the world's most coveted licensors including Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini, to name a few.

The game includes a variety of open road environments that truly come to life, consisting of river crossings, waterfalls, beaches, volcanoes, and brushfires. Over 20 courses, some of which are more than 15 miles long, provide the widest variety of driving challenges. Animated drivers and cops give life to the drivers within the game, bringing added emotion to the world of these exotic super cars.

Become the king of the road by conquering numerous racing events, all carrying rewards such as cars, tracks, and high-performance model upgrades. The game challenges the driver to dodge traffic, police, and natural elements in high speed and high style--true NFS style.

Be the Cop mode lets players actually get behind the wheel of a police car and attempt to bust those pesky lawbreakers. For added multiplayer enjoyment, square off against a friend to see if justice can be served. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

cop chases, nice cars, sound good already
i only had this game for three days and from what a played let me tell you it's good. fast ferraris, mclarens and much more then i want to write. want some fun, get the game and be on the run........

Best game EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tis game is 1000000000000000 times better than underground2!
its graphics are oustanding and the cars are so exotic! ive had
xbox for a year and havent found anything like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if your interested in cool cars-2 words...GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fun at first but boring after a while.
I thought this game was cool at first but after the first week it got extremley boring. Whats up with the cars driving on the wrong side of the road. The graphics are ok and the good thing is the custom soundtracks because the games soundtrack sucks. Instead of buying this one buy underground 2

Possibly the best nfs ever!
I can't see how anyone can say anything negative about this game. The graphics are excellent, almost as good as underground, and gameplay is great. Personally I thought that this game had well mixed simulation and arcade driving physics. I mean you can still do a powerslide using the handbrake, but you don't go into annoying oversteer like in nfs porshe. And now to come to the title point of the game. Hot pursuit! This has been vastly improved from the original tilte. In nfs3 you could only race against 1 other racer while in hot pursuit mode, but now you can race against a full grid. Plus you earn points from gettting away from the police. It's a bit easier to get away now, but if you get caught once thats it. And you see a great movie of your driver getting hauled into a police car by about 6 armed cops. This cracked me up the first time I saw it. The cops use an even greater variety of weapons to stop you, including a helicopter that drops bombs onto the road! So you end up driving on a winding course, trying to pass your opponents while escaping from police and dodging other police coming from in front of you, and avoiding flaming bombs dropped from helicopters.(and pushing the cops and opponents into them!)
The only complaints I have to make are that the cars are not realistic in their stats(like a ferrari 360 spider can outrun a Porshe turbo in this game, while in real life it couldn't), and that your opponents never seem to get busted by the police.
If you own a PC or PS2 you should definetly get this. You'll love it if you liked nfs4 and nfs3, or any other arcade racers, or even if you liked the racing part of underground. But if you liked the great physics in nfs5 you may be dissapointed at nfshp2's fast arcade style gameplay.

High-quality racing
This game provides a lot of races, half of them involving being chased by the cops as you race.Sure, the cops cheat a little (going from 0-120 mph in a second or two), but it's fun anyway.The controls are pretty good and the steering feels tight.Course design is generally pretty interesting, with lots of different paths as you go through the levels.Graphics aren't the greatest, but they get the job done and they run at a constant 30 frames per second.There are a lot of cars and tracks to unlock with your winnings, and there's a four-player multiplayer mode.Overall, quite a good game and worth picking up (especially since it became a Platinum Hit). ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Star Wars Starfighter is finally here, and, as expected,it serves up Wookiee-sized portions of action and adventure. Flyingfrom either a first- or third-person perspective, players must fighttheir way through 14 sprawling missions that weave together the livesof three seemingly unrelated pilots. Set during the same time period asStar Wars: Episode I, the events in Starfighter parallelthose of the movie, letting players participate in the conflict againstthe Trade Federation from a slightly skewed perspective.

Although the main missions can be completed in an afternoon, it cantake weeks to earn the bronze, silver, and gold medals that unlock thegame's bonuses. These include extra missions, a few two-player modes,and the ability to choose any ship for each mission (including DarthMaul's incredibly powerful Infiltrator).

Most of the missions are intense, involving efforts like racing throughan enemy-infested canyon or defending a base against a ceaselessprocession of droid air and ground forces. The game engine can throw anoverwhelming number of 3-D objects on the screen at once--such as amission where more than 50 hostile fighters swarm nearly a dozen largecapital ships. The beauty of these large battles is mesmerizing, withlasers crisscrossing, massive explosions thundering all around, andconstant radio chatter alerting players to new threats.

The controls for the various fighters and bombers are extremely basic,and combat is straightforward, but there is always so much going on atonce that the game mechanics almost need to be simple. The only realdrawbacks to the game are a few bugs that occasionally crop up andprevent us from completing missions, and the fact that planetarymissions have a low "ceiling" that prevents us from climbing very high.Even with these faults, the game exceeded our expectations, and noarcade, action, or Star Wars fan with a PlayStation2 will wantto miss it. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• No Jar Jar
• Stunning graphics
• Exciting, massive missions

Cons:

• Some mission-stopping bugs
• Simplistic combat will disappoint simulation fans looking forsomething along the lines of X-Wing Alliance

Reviews (97)

Needs Some Work
To tell you the truth, I disapprove of this game.I like the graphics, yes, but I strongly sugggest one of the other Star Wars games.It isn't very fun because of the difficulty of dodging enemy fire.The level in the desert is my favorite.Other things that I like are how it is:
(1) in third person
(2) starship weapons
(3) nice graphics

I suggest that Lucas Arts puts in squad-based air fighting or make the game a litle easier and longer.Still, I am a big fan of Star Wars.Good luck on the next game Lucas Arts!

Star Wars Starfighter is a Phenomenon
Overall, the graphics are great, the story seems original and the characters are fun.The wingmen commands are great, being able to fight alongside other pilots.Its levels are very well-designed and quite extensive.It expands on the Star Wars universe very well.Its shortcomings are the dogfighting action.Its flight modle is not great.You don't feel like you are really flying.It seems you are floating with speed.It could have used the flight model as Rogue Leader (one of the greatest space combat games ever!).The last level is very disappointing to me.I was expecting something like a military like attackprocedure kind of thing.Not a flimsy attack with a few Bravo squadron pilots and just about forty droid fighters.I was expecting like 20 naboo pilots and hundreds or at least some high number of droids.Lucasarts could have made getting revenge on a pirate scum a mission just before the last level on some other mission.All in all pretty nice game but because of the flight modle, the fun wont last.When you turn it doesn't even ban, just turns like its on ice or something.Really disgusting flight model.I got this game years ago (2001?) and is reviewing now becuase of bordeom, I have no life.

Wonderful game, not just another flight simulator.
I had already mastered Star Wars Rogue Squadron when I got this game.Starfighter is much better.It is very realistic.You get recharging shields, and only one life!That is a real pro for me.You don't get the unrealistic business of your x-wing crashing and resurrecting.However, the recharging shield I mentioned earlier makes you as hard to beat as in games where you have 3 lives.
P.S. I actually got the PC version, but it's basically the same.

Star Wars Starfighter: My Review
I received this game as a gift for my birthday in November of 2001, along with METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY. I completed the first mission and quickly fell out of it. The game sat on my shelf, un-played, until November of 2003 - two full years later. The only reason that I picked it up again was so I could properly beat it and put it to bed once and for all. I had recently decided that I had to many incomplete games, and was refusing to purchase another until I had finished all of the ones that I had.

One thing is for sure, this game grew on me. I wasn't a fan of it in November of 2001, but I sure am now. Probably most comparable to STAR WARS: X-WING VS. TIE FIGHTER for the PC (which I love), this game features you piloting one of three characters on a variety of different missions on a variety of different worlds.

In game graphics are really good. Ships look very detailed and accurate to the specifications that the movies set forth. Controls are perfect - I've got no complaints.

While missions rarely are ever anything more than "Shoot a bunch of stationary objects while avoiding fire from various fighters", they always manage to be fun. They do, however, also manage to be frustrating at times. For one thing, you seem to be the only competent member of your squadron in the air at any given time. If you don't complete mission objectives, they won't get done. Asking for covering fire from teammates will help you very little, if at all. And despite always hearing your teammates cries for help, enemies tend to single you out pretty consistently and you are frequently bombarded by a large amount of laser fire, missiles, etc. This alone definitely hurts the final score.

Another thing that hurts the score is the length. While the game consists of fifteen missions, very few will take you more than one try to complete.

The story takes place around the events of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, and while it is better than the movie, it isn't anything to write home about. The introduction of the character works well enough (Character A's story will overlap with and serve as Character B's, effectively introducing the latter character), once it expands beyond that it tends to fall flat. Events come off as unmotivated, and above all confusing.

The presentation here is very high. From detailed level locations to John Williams' classic score, nothing here fails to impress.

All in all, I do believe that I should have given this game more of a chance two years ago. It was fun while it lasted (which wasn't very long), and it definitely made me want to go out and pick up STAR WARS: JEDI STARFIGHTER, which is something that I was totally against a few days prior to playing this game again.

A great flying game
This game is one of the best flying games in the world! It's always fun to play when I'm bored. About 15 missions with 3 pilots to battle your way to save Naboo from the Trade Federation. The great graphics and many bad guys are cool. This is like real life. The last level is the best where you and your team battle with at least 40 bad guys flying everywhere in space. If you like Star Wars or any type of flying game then this is for you! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The keys to a successful basketball video game are its controls,artificial intelligence, and pacing. NBA Courtside 2002 excels in allthree areas, with only a few problems. One is the defensive AI, which oftenleaves itself open to dunks and fast breaks, and is generally a slouch when itcomes to rebounds. This can be remedied with the higher difficulty levels, butthat makes the computer a flawless shooter, even from behind the line.

The controls are good, but take some getting used to if you've spent a lot oftime with other basketball simulations. Players use the C stick on thecontroller to pass the ball. No button pressing is necessary; just point thestick at the desired player and the ball is away. Unfortunately, this samesystem is used to select defensive players, and that can be difficult,especially if the action is moving fast and furious. The game does feature quitea few game modes: practice, exhibition, season, and even an interesting modethat takes place on top of the roof.

As you might expect, the player models are smooth, crisp, and photorealistic.The animations are detailed with nary a slowdown or glitch. Even the crowd looksgood, and benched players are likewise in full 3-D. The audio isn't soimpressive, however. Never have I heard such uninspired and slow commentary--itoften seems to be describing plays from another game, or worse, talks aboutplays that happened 30 seconds prior to the current action. Not a game breaker,but definitely not as good as the competition.

NBA Courtside 2002, aside from the minor flaws described above, is stilla stellar entry in the basketball fold and an asset for the Nintendo GameCubelibrary. It's worth the purchase now, and with a few fixes, it'll be a realcontender next year. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Fast action; good fundamentals
• Terrific graphics

• Slow, inaccurate commentary

Reviews (60)

Fun... for a Ten Year Old
NBA Courtside's an entertaining game, a very easy game to learn and play.The biggest drawback of this game is that it's just too simple.There's practically no skill involved in playing this game.There's very little control over dunks, blocks, shooting, and everything else.

The players and their likenesses are in the game, but in terms of skill and everything else, it's just not there.Players' real-life talents and abilities are not relfected in the game, with the exception of Shaq being a poor free-thrower.

The graphics are also very generic.The crowd looks very bad.The two announcers are those who call Clippers games, and are decent, but their limited phrases get old really fast.

One of the minor redeeming qualities of the game is that you can create your own player.This feature is great in that you can customize a large list of physical characteristics about the player.Of course, when it comes to basketball skills, the attributes aren't specific enough to make a noticable impact on game-play.

So if you're looking for a very simple, unrealistic but easy-to-play basketball game without much customization, this one's for you!If you'd actually like skill to be involved in the outcome of a game, look elsewhere.

Basic Basketball title
While this game may be pretty fun, other companys offer so much more and for so much less.This is the prime reason this game was overlooked.If you're looking to buy this, then go buy NBA 2k3 instead.It's waaaay better.

why buy this?
this game is the absolute worst game i've ever played bcause...

Pros:
There are none

Cons:
Players make imposible dunks
Graphics are horible
Slow gameplay
Fans are real wierd( they take your attention of the game)

overall the game is real bad

TOO HARD!
I was in the store and I was looking at the games and there was NBA Courtside 2002. My Mom was with me and she was going to get it for me because it was on sale. But I told her I would want to rent it first. I AM SO GLAD I DID! the menu is hard to under stand! the D is harder then geting a computer with nothing to read or tell you hoe to put it togethere! And the dunks look so odd. There taking steps before they get to the hoop and there not moving! NBA*Street is yhe only other NBA game I'd played for GameCube and I have.If you like fast running, high jumping, crazy dribbaling game NBA*Street is the way to go.

DON"T BUY NBA COURTSIDE 2002!YOU WILL HATE IT!

Gamecube Gives a bad impression
When I purchased this game I thought it would end up being one of the best basketball sims I've ever played. Instead, it turned out being one of the most unrealistic games with fair gameplay and outrageous stats. The average player, whether it is Austin Croshere or Shaq averages around sixty points a game and twenty rebounds and fifteen assists. The league leaders average over ninety ppg. The transactions are so unrealistic and you could trade every single player on the Clippers for every single player on the Lakers, or you could create a tean of franchise players. The average score in a game is 200-190. You can steal and block balls as easy as you can say 1-2-3. Forget about this one and do yourself a favor. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This is a special limited-edition, platinum-colored Game Boy Advance console.

When you first pick up the Game Boy Advance system, you'll be amazed at how little it weighs. 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 is 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 you see on big consoles, 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. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Gameboy Rules!
First of all,I want to make it clear that I'm not giving this 5 stars because it's platinum but because it's gameboy.I would have given it 5 stars if it was blue,too.The point is that I just love gameboy.I have a GBC too and I still love it as much as I love my GBA.If anyone was ever going to get a game console,I'd reccomend a GBA.

WOW
this was a realy cool hand held system especially if your playing Golden Sun 1 & 2

Game Boy Advance Review
This is the greatest handheld system over. The game are cool because they come all other consoles too. I mean like there making the PS2 hit Grand Theft Auto 3 for GBA, Super Monkey Ball Jr. from Gamecube,and ect. It has a 32-bit processor and GBC only has a 8-bit processor. There are some sick accessories now so you can turn it into a tv, digital camera, mp3 player, radio, and more. You have to get this. The top 10 games are * Super Monkey Ball jr. * Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 * Golden Sun * Mega Man Battle Network 2 * Zelda:A link to the past * Crash Banticoot: The Huge Adventure * Crash Banticoot 2: N-Tranced * Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder * Spider-Man : The Movie * Mat-Hoffman's Pro BMX You have to get this thing now. p.s. Game Boy Advance SP is coming March '03 so you might want to wait for that. I hope you really invest in a GBA and a light you won't be sorry.

GBA Limited Addition Platnium
I love the GBA, and am amazed at all the cool things that are available for the GBA. At times I wish the graphics were better like that of the the Playstation 2. But you know the deal, want in one hand and ____ in the other. Ha!
seriously the GBA is truly great and the Platnium is a really good looking color, not so generic like that of the see through kind.
Only problems are finding the best light and screen protectors.
I got some screen protectors that are adhesive when applied it had a ton of scratches on itright out of the package.
And the Flood light eats batteries like you wouldn't believe.
The GBA is great because you can carry it anywhere ya want camping, long car rides to the beach. This smal investment in pleasure turns into a television to see your favorite shows, and turns into a digital camera so you can send pics to all your friends via email. It can't ggety any cooler than that.
Games for the GBA seem like there really geared to kids, but some are cool for adults, hey there are plenty of people in their late twenties who are still a kid at heart, but I think they should make a few geared towards us grown ups.
I think they should also make the Simms a GBA game aswell as a very realistic pin ball game that actualy looks like the real kind you play at the pizza joint, that would be cool.

GBA TOP RATES
GBA IS THE MOST INTERESTING HAND HELD GAME OF ALL TIMES. IT HAS GREAT COLOR AND LOADS OF NEW AND EXCITING GAMES THAT YOU CAN PLAY ON IT INCLUDING OLD NINTENDO GAMES. IT ALSO HAS GREAT EXTRAS THAT YOU CAN ADD ON TO IT TO MAKE YOUR GAME PLAY EVEN BETTER, GET GBA BECAUSE IF YOU DONT YOUR'RE MISSING OUT ON TONS OF FUN. ... Read more

Editorial Review

One of the best things about the Game Boy Color is that it'sbasically an original Nintendo Entertainment System that can fit inyour pocket. What this means for gamers is that many of the great gamesfor the classic system are being ported to the Game Boy Color, givingus a chance to re-play (or in some cases discover) the best game titlesfrom the '80s.

Nintendo's own Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is among the first ofthese conversions, and it certainly remains one of the best. Actually,calling this game a conversion really doesn't do it justice. Thisversion actually contains more levels than the original game, includingthe entire Japanese version and a slew of extras (such as a two-playermode).

The controls in this game are easy to grasp--even for novice gamers.All Mario can do is jump (and shoot fireballs with the right power- ups), but it is amazing to see how much gameplay can be squeezed fromthese simple actions when the controls work in direct harmony with aplayer's thoughts. The only element of this game that could have beenbetter is that the Game Boy Color's screen isn't quite large enough toshow the entire layout of the original game screen, so players mayoccasionally need to press up and down on the control pad to see someoffscreen action. While this can be distracting, it ultimately hasminimal impact on gameplay. If you are looking for the quintessentialside-scrolling platform game, you can't do much better than SuperMario Bros. Deluxe. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Classic side-scrolling action gameplay
• Lots of extras

• Screen isn't quite big enough to show the entire layout of thegame

Reviews (159)

Momma mia, what a come back!!!!!!
I was a vivid gamer back in the day, and Mario was always one of my all time favorites. I have long since moved away from the video game scene, but now and then I play the classics on the PC. And when I played this version, I was amazed at how great it had been revived to the GBA. The graphics are the same, the gameplay is the same, the sound is the same, but there is new extras and bonus stuff, a pathway to choose, multi player ect.. I have to say this is the best Mario Bros. (1) game ever! Even better then Mario All Stars (snes) version!!!

the best
i had this game and its great i love the fact that it is exactly the same except for the fact that instead of 3 lives you start out with 5 and when you die you are asked if you would like to continue or start over. two great pros to the classic game which make it even better. also the new levels are challenging but great. i lost my copy of this game a fewyears and now i cant find it anywhere! :'(

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe - A True Classic
Super Mario Deluxe was my first Gameboy game ever.It was my first video game ever.It was my best video game ever.Even after buying 16 other Gameboy Color and Advance Games, this is still one of my favorites.
I know what you are thinking: This is a Gameboy Color game!It must have horrible graphics and ridiculously simple gameplay.Well, you are wrong.Yes, it is a Gameboy Color game.Yes, I bought it 2000.But, it is a great game.The graphics are blocky (What do you expect from a Gameboy Color game?) but still pretty good, and the gameplay is anything but simple.
You play as Mario, and you have to collect gold coins, jump on enemies, and save Princess Toadstool, more commonly known as Princess Peach. Once you complete every level in Regular Mode, you have to go through the same levels again as Star Levels.They do have minor changes to make them harder, such as replacing Goombas with Buzzy Beetles, but they are pretty much the same as their regular counterparts.Also, as you complete each level in Regular Mode, it becomes available in Challenge Mode.When you complete a certain amount of the game, the You Vs. Boo Racing Option becomes available. (You can also race against a friend via a link cable.)After you complete more of the game, the Super Mario Bros. 2 Option becomes available.But, that is still not all.You get a table of ten high scores that you can combine with a friend's table.You unlock pictures for your photo albums and other features that can be printed with a Gameboy Printer (which hardly anyone has) and you can tell your fortune and record important events on a daily calendar.Whew, that's a lot of features!
As you can see, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is a very complex game.It took me two months to complete the Regular and Challenge Modes alone, and I haven't fully completed any of the other modes.Super Mario Bros. Deluxe never gets old, though.When I brought it to school in 2003, four or five kids were swarming around me asking to play it, more people than were ever asking to play a Gameboy Advance SP game all at once.I have summarized my review in the following list of pros and cons:

Pros:

It has tons of different features and modes.
It takes a very long time to fully complete.
Even after you beat the game, it never gets old.

Cons:

It has blocky graphics.
Many of the features require a Gameboy Printer, which not many people have.

Wow

This game is the account to the SNES version, its graphics are way better than the original, it even holds alot of secrets, EX. Get enough points and you can play "The Lost Levels, boo race" and more! not to mention this game is such a great gift for the little ones, it is so easy, my little brother (Whose is 6) has almost completed the game!

Great Game!
I have this game and I Love It. It is a challenging game and teaches good stradgy.I rate this Game 5 stars. Buy This game you will love it (or whoever you are getting it for will). ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Although the game will seem very familiar to Sonic fans, SonicAdvance is an entirely new creation that's been built from the ground up.The gameplay, graphics, and sound borrow from the classic Sonic games on theGenesis and are successfully translated to the Game Boy Advance. The game'ssingle-player modes are relatively short 2-D platform rounds--each run takes twoto three hours--but replay value is added through the game's various characters.Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy each have different abilities that make gettingthrough the game a unique experience.

The real star here is the game's link capabilities. The Chao Garden allows youto raise your little critters and upload them to the GameCube via the link cable andSonic Adventure 2:Battle. Having one cartridge lets up to four GBA players compete in oneminigame. Gamers can play two additional minigames if each player owns acartridge. Although the single-player game is quite good, the link options givethe title tremendous value.

The only notable problem stems from the series itself: There are still entirelytoo many cheap deaths resulting from the title's high-speed gameplay. You'llfind yourself zipping along a level only to be hit by an obstacle you had littlechance of seeing, let alone avoiding. Ultimately, the only way to get past thesehazards is to memorize where they are. This minor flaw doesn't detract from thegame's excellent value, though. Sonic Advance offers a very goodsingle-player game and some of the best link options of any GBA title.--Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Classic Sonic gameplay
• Outstanding link options
• Four characters add to replay value

• Classic Sonic cheap deaths
• Single-player runs are short

Reviews (158)

What's the big deal?
What's the big deal with this game? It's not fun at all. It's way too fast. I mean, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle was fast, but not like this. In this game, you can't even see where you're going. And there's no explanation for anything. I was expecting a cool action/platformer with a few story segments. Instead, I was dropped straight into the first level with no explanation, and there was no break-up between levels, boss battles, and worlds. I was just so confused. It moved so fast that my eyes hurt, and I didn't understand it. It was a big fat waste of money.

Sonic Advance rocks!!!
Sonic advance is a great Game. If you Like action Games or The Classic NES series Gameboy Advance Games, you should get this Game. I've played Sonic Advance 3, but the original Game is alot better. You can choose from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose. I also own Pokemon Leafgreen And Classic NES series Pacman. Sonic Advance rocks!!!

i got it!
remember me?im taht perky girl who made that review that i got it on ebay and such and such.well now i have it!tails and knux are my favoorite.its also pretty chalenging,so fun is at the top of its rate.its educational cause u get 2 raise a chao and thats like raising a kid.(u can buy it a tv)its durable cause when u keep it in your gba it doesnt break.o yeah in the final zone its real easy.play online at www.arcadepod.com and get practice.at the last dude,stay far back.when he moves,jump.light,duck.ball,stay calm,then dodge.hand,when it moves jump,run and attack him.the end is cute.hope u like it!

still waiting....
my friend,natasha,brought a sonic advance game to our locker room.i saw her play and it was SOOOOOOOO cool.sonic is my all-time fave character,so i played him first.it was ok,yet i felt like something was missing.I WASNT IN THE SONIC SPEED THINGY(...).(i kept jumping)then i played tails(i flew across),knux(...cool...),and amy(i kept using the mallet,then i pressed pause,and it was like i was crushing the pause thing).I saw it on ebay and bid for it.(drum roll....)i got it!now im waiting for it to come from hong kong and soooo...youve heard my amazing story..now go buy!!!!Pros:Fast,fleet,and fun.Its fun to play over and over again.Different guys,different moves.Cons:there are no cons Speed:5/5Replay 5/5 Fun 4/5Overall:10/5 (....)

Sonic on a Nintendo system? Is the world ending?
At the dawn of the twenty-first century, Sega shocked their long time fans. The company aborted production of its (relatively-new) Dreamcast console, and decided to become a third party exclusively. This meant the unthinkable would be happening - Yes, the Sonic The Hedgehog series was going to be on Nintendo systems! And a traditional-style Sonic game got released on the Game Boy Advance not long after. Read on for my review of Sonic Advance.

PROS:
-THE GAME PLAYS EXACTLY LIKE ITS SEGA GENESIS COUNTERPARTS. If you played the old Sonic games on the Genesis, you're going to feel right at home with this game.
-IT'S A TOTALLY NEW GAME. This game isn't just a port of one of the old Genesis games, but rather a new game of the old stylings. This series was long overdue for a revival!
-YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF FOUR CHARACTERS. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy are all selectable. Having multiple characters gives the replay value a huge boost.
-EACH CHARACTER HAS HIS OR HER OWN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. Sonic has his classic dash move, Tails can perform a "helicopter" styled descent with his tails, Knuckles has his classic "glide and grab walls" move, and Amy can whack the bad guys with her mallet.

CONS:
-THE ONLY THING REALLY WRONG WITH THE GAME IS THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY BRING ANYTHING NEW TO THE SERIES. To put it simply, if you didn't like any of the older Sonic games, there's not going to be anything new here that will win you over.

OVERALL:

Old-school Sega Genesis gamers are going to feel right at home with this game, and should purchase it without hesitation. The Sonic series (the side-scrolling games in it, anyway) were long overdue for a revival - and here Nintendo gives them one. ... Read more

Features

• Take on opponents in cage and weapons matches
• Features all-new wrestler entrances complete with authentic clips and pyrotechnics
• For 1 to 4 players
• Wrestle as one of your favorite WWF superstars including The Rock, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Create-a-wrestler and edit modes let you design new characters with unique appearances and mannerisms

Reviews (149)

wresltemania 2000
i got this the day it came out while i love the variety of wrestlers the road to wrestlemania in this game was boring and had no storyline to it whatsoever it was just random matches for the most part and took away from the fun of it for me.

HHmmm....
the discription with that "Steroid powered" is like the game, I love no mercy but well Hmm.....at least this one has the best back stage I've seen. And there's no better comercial.

Get No Mercy Instead
When THQ lost the rights to WCW and gained the WWF this game was a must have for me. I loved this game for ages, more then REVENGE, but as great as it was for a while, I must say I advise you get the step up version "WWF NO MERCY" it was the new and improved version and left this one for dead.

the easiest wrestling game on earth!
the controls are very very easy to pick up.you can,with very little real effort do spectacular feats of dexterity and skill.you can also make your own wrestlers.no i dont mean some wanker with someone elses moves.i mean you make him and you program like 180 different moves into him!theres like over 10 types of suicide dives alone!it rules!if you dont like the guys you get,you can go in and change them also.you cant change the moves,just the appearence.youll be on medium level in no time!

horrible horrible
do not buy even horrible for the time but please read this and take consideration thank you

graphics for time 2/5
fun 1/5
gameplay 1/5
thank you for reading this i made the bad choice of buying it you dont have to ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

On the heels of their successful Shogun: Total War Creative Assembly moves back in time and westward on the map to shed some light on the Dark Ages. Medieval: Total War concerns the power struggles of pre-Renaissance European kings and Middle Eastern powers, as well as the conflict between the last vestiges of paganism and the growing influences of Islam, the Orthodox (Eastern) Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. These were violent and passionate times to be sure, perfect for a historical strategy game that thrives on brutality, dynasty, and war.

There are three time periods to choose from, the earliest of which features more fragmented factions and primitive weaponry, the last represents a more unified period where most power struggles have been decided and gunpowder has entered the scene. With three time periods and 12 factions representing three different religions, there's a lot of replay value in the strategic game alone.

Like Shogun, the game is divided into two parts: strategic and tactical. The strategic part features a map of Europe, some of Asia, and some of Africa. It's divided into territories à la Risk or Axis & Allies, and each territory represents a kingdom. Each faction begins with its own holdings and must quickly begin to out produce and conquer its neighbors. Each kingdom has its own population, loyalty rating, economy, and religious affiliations. Installing a feared or loved general as governor can enhance the kingdom, but giving an unscrupulous general the job could lead to revolt. Building structures can enhance the kingdom as well; a dock or a salt or silver mine can lead to riches while a castle protects. A bowyer or spear maker can outfit new troops. As time progresses, your king will grow old, have children, and die. If he dies without a male heir a revolution can occur. Daughters are used primarily to reward your governors and generals or offered to allies as wives.

The tactical portion of the game is the 3-D battlefield, complete with deserts, rivers, rolling hills, forests, mountains, and the vast rainy plains of England. It is here that you will decide the fate of your empire. You have to use terrain effectively to win, managing your varied troops with efficiency and skill: pikemen against mounted troops, mounted troops against archers, archers against pikemen. The specialized troop types of the Turkish, Byzantine, French, and other cultures offer unique abilities and open up combat options to wily generals. Guiding the actions of thousands of meticulously researched troops and watching them execute historical military maneuvers on a giant battlefield is a joy, but if deep tactical combat is not to your liking, you can skip individual battles or have the computer control them for you. Creative Assembly added sieges to the game as well, and those can be spectacular undertakings--complete with castle walls, sorties, and machines of war. A multiplayer option is offered, but only using the tactical battle engine. There are also a few warfare only historical battles and scenarios.

The two halves of the game make a rich whole. The AI is sharp, and a sense of history permeates the game. From the eerie medieval chanting that underscores playing as a Western power to the lively Islamic music that you'll hear if you play as a Middle Eastern power. The game recreates history well, but more importantly it's also fantastic to play. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Excellent gameplay; strong AI
• Two perfect game engines working together

• Deep, intellectual subject matter might be too dense for some
• Multiplayer only exists in battle mode

Features

• 400 Years of Medieval Warfare - From the preaching of the first crusade in 1095 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Guide your kingdom's fortunes through the early dominance of the feudal knights and longbowmen to the emergence of gunpowder and the advent of heavy siege cannons and handguns.
• Turn-Based - An in-depth turn based game, where players must manage the affairs of their kingdom by forging strategic alliances and marriage treaties, creating trade routes, constructing castles, deploying naval power, training warriors and more.
• Real Time Strategy - Spectacular battles featuring over 10,000 troops in real-time 3D terrain over hundreds of distinct battlefields from the lush farmlands of Western Europe to the arid deserts of North Africa.
• 12 Playable Factions - Each with distinct playing styles and unique units, including the English, German, Byzantine, French and Turkish Empires.

Reviews (195)

??????
does your computer need a 3d acellerator card???? to play shogun total war
??????

Look at All of the Wonderful Things to Eat!
The download and install were uneventful, if rather long. The mod is available in two sizes: small (28MB) and large (140MB). I chose the large version and downloaded from the mirrors available in this forum post. The mod itself will automatically install itself into the Medieval: Total War directory on the player's hard drive, so the process is as hassle-free as they come. Once done, simply fire up the game as always.

Immediately noticeable upon starting a campaign is that the game is now running in version 2.0 (without any other patches applied), some basic screen art additions, alterations, and a big, sloppy smorgasbord of new features. If the player truly loves medieval European history, Medieval: Total War XL may be the only game played for months, if not years to come.

Choosing a faction and era to play in almost made my head explode, in the best way. Besides the additional factions added by the Viking Invasion pack (Hungarians, Sicilians, and the Aragonese), the XL pack doubles the amount of playable factions to include Armenians, Bulgarians, the Crusader States, the Knights Hospitaller, Lithuanians, Norwegians, Portuguese, Scots, Serbs, and the Teutonic Knights. Older factions like Italy are broken up between two new factions: the Genoese and the Venetians, and formerly unplayable factions like the Golden Horde and the Papacy are now playable. All of the old factions (English, French, Spanish, Holy Roman Empire, etc.) are still all playable as well, of course. In addition to doubling the amount of playable factions, the Medieval: Total War XL mod also adds a number of faction specific units: every faction now has at least two or three unique units. Some are modeled on older unit models, but some are all new creations added by VikingHorde himself.

Many of the newer units are ethnically and geographically based, such as Slav Javelin men, found in Balkan provinces, and some very exotic Eastern European and Islamic units. As I applied both the Viking Invasion pack and the Medieval: Total War XL mod back to back, it was difficult for me to be able discern which were added by the modder and which were "officially added" by Creative Assembly. It can only be to the modder's credit that determining the difference was no easy task.

Besides new units and factions, the map has been further broken into additional, historically accurate provinces. They are scattered across the entire original map, throughout every region, and are subtle and not noticeable until the player really gets a chance to study the map by investing some game time. Other more subtle changes to the programming of Medieval: Total War are tweaks to the economics of the game, specifically trade balances and farming income.


The Medieval: Total War XL patch is a little slice of gaming heaven, but alas, it's not absolutely perfect. There are scattered little typos in some of the added in-game text. Nobody is perfect, and I know this may not bother some, but as an editor and writer I couldn't help but notice them. More importantly, the load time between turns on the strategic map has become absolutely spirit-crushing. On some occasions it took the AI up to three or four minutes to complete its moves, much greater than the time it took for the same turns in the old Medieval: Total War. The game never actually crashed, but it appeared to be hung up. It only occurred on the strategic map, and there was no slow-down in any other parts of the game. The turn was always [eventually] completed, but I was able to leave the room, do the laundry, and let out the dog on some occasions between moves. Hopefully this is addressable in an available patch somewhere, because the Medieval: Total War XL mod is terrific and absolutely immersive. The replay value evident with Medieval: Total War XL goes beyond any other game I can recall, with such a variety of factions, units, and provinces to explore that any Medieval: Total War fan will be entertained for a very long time. Despite the problems, Medieval: Total War XL is a great demonstration of what PC wargaming can be: engaging, expandable, entertaining, and even [gasp!] educational. Wargamers with a taste for a more distant, darker history owe it to themselves to check out the Medieval: Total War XL mod.

The best strategy game i've ever played
This game was great. The battles were amazing, and it what they use on History Channel's Descisive Battles. Wonderful graphics, it was like a Lord of the Rings movie. The only part I wasn't thrilled about was the board game-like map. It could have been a little more interactive. Anyway, if you buy this game, you will not be wasting your money.

Battle Axes, Brew & Plunder!
You sit hunched near the prow of the Longboat, listening to the oarsmen gasp as they heave against their burden and shove the boat bearing steely death through the North Sea.There is a close, deadly chill, but the sea is cloaked with a thick and heavy fog that roils up off the whitecaps like steam, as if the furnaces of Hell churned beneath the waves.The Huskarls were blessed by the Jarl's priest hours ago; they clutch their battle-axes and snarl through their teeth, their faces streaked with a cow's blood, the berserker rage upon them.

Soon the dragon's prow will gouge into the Saxon shore; soon your berserker-band will leap across the side and crush skulls, spill blood, scatter the feeble enemy, rape and pillage and burn and plunder.You will drink the enemy's blood in a cup forged of his feeble skull and sing of Valhalla.You will not sully the honor of your ancestors.You will stare up to heaven and cry out in victory under the eternal one-eyed glare of Odin the All-Father.

********

The Omens warn of Death and Destruction.Just a fortnight ago, you watched as the heavens were filled with fire.The earth itself has turned against your people; the fields lie fallow, the crops barren, the yields puny.The people starve.Dogs run feral in the woods, even in the streets.

Your Saxon grandfather's grandfather hacked his way into this unforgiving wilderness, pushed the barbarian Celts back into the western hills, forged a life and a kingdom.You wear that uneasy crown even now, but God---how that cold iron crown digs down into your skull.The Christian priest speaks of the armor of the Lord, but how much more would you give for stronger steel and more men against the coming of this new scourge: orange-haired giants stealing throught the fog in their dragon ships, wielding steely scythes of death, slaying your men and defiling your women.They wear horned helms like the Demons the priests preach against.They are barbarians, savages, bloodthirsty monsters.They are thescourge of an uncaring God: they are the Vikings.

*******

A year ago I picked up "Medieval: Total War" (the original, without the Viking Invasion expansion).Several beer barrels of coffee and three sleepless nights later, I decided Medieval was the single most addictive videogame I had ever played.I picked up the full Battle Collection last week, armed only with the modest expectation of a minor tweak to the basic game that would enable me to send hordes of screeching, beer-guzzling horn-helmed warriors roaring across Anglo-Saxon England.

Boy was I wrong.

Here's what you need to do: if you just got Medieval Total War: Battle Chest, you absolutely must load up Viking Invasion.It's not just an expansion: it's a massive overhaul to the MTW game engine that boosts immeasurably the original's playability, and (sigh) addictiveness.The flaws that hampered the original---and occasionally brought the game to a screeching halt or aborted it altogether---have been fixed.

Now there are four ages to choose from: the original three and the Viking Age (from 793 A.D. through the Norman Conquest in 1066).Apart from the Viking-era powers circa 793 A.D., you can now play an additional three factions: Hungary, the Kingdom of Sicily, and Aragon.The expansion includes a horde of new units to further your ambitions and smash those who oppose your imperial will: Slavic footmen, Hungarian Jobbagy, Russian Druhzina cavalry, Arab infantry, ferocious Heavy Steppe Infantry, the brutal Organ Gun, and of course the Viking units: miserable Viking thralls, doughty Viking landsmen, Saxon Fyrdmen, and fierce Viking huskarls.

Best of all, the design flaws that made the original Medieval: Total War nearly unplayable as the game progressed past 1300 have been fixed or eliminated:

1) Rebellions: In the old game, I would curse as constant rebellions turned my imperial map into a bloodbath of red, leaving islands of rebel armies knotted across my kingdom.Invading?You could count on a massive "rebel" or loyalist army left in your wake---piles of chivalric knights and feudal footmen boasting technology not available to the most advanced power on the gameboard!

Rebellions will still break out, and if you leave a region undermanned or overtaxed for years there's always a chance some long-vanquished pretender to a throne will resurface to unite the disaffected---but overnight rebel super-armies are long gone.

2) Ragnarok Abort Bug!Happily done away with.The original MTW used to be nasty to abort in mid-game, or when you went to save, or when you looked at the computer crosswise.Since loading up the Viking expansion I haven't had the game abort once.

New Stuff:Using archers against an enemy building?Light `em up with flaming arrows!Digging in against an enemy siege? Laugh it up as the gatecrashers scream in agony as you dump boiling oil on them.

The sleek new Battle Summary screen is also nice: now you get a full-screen display with a 360-degree view of the countryside, pictures of both unit leaders, details on both sides (if you've got spies or watchtowers), and an option to tailor your units before you get them on the battlefield.

A quick word about the Viking era itself: ever wanted to dispense with all the careful maneuvering, throw the battle-axes and ale kegs into the dragon-prowed longboats and just sail off to raid and plunder the British isles, and generally kill people and break things?Play the Vikings.

Enough talk!Open up the doors to the Temple of Odin!Raise your tankards to Loki in the drinking hall!Let the raids commence!

JSG

Great game, except.......
Total War: Medieval is very enjoyable, but it has an unendurable glitch -- the program occasionally aborts and returns to the operating system, without saving the game. This happens usually during battles.

My computer exceeds all system requirements, and this is simply unacceptable. It ruins an otherwise fine game.

After the 4th or 5th "abort", I broke the CD to spare myself further frustration. No more Activision for me. It is unbelievable (in 2004) that a company can market a product with this kind of glitch. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Do you have good rhythm? Mary-Kate and Ashley have organized a girls night out filled with hip fashion and some hip-hop dance moves. First, you've got to have the right look to get into the club: select from the twins' wardrobe of clothes, shoes, and accessories. Then it's time to dance the night away. Like other popular music games, Girls Night Out will challenge you to repeat a series of key-press patterns to the game's music. Dance well and you'll unlock new dance moves, new songs, and even clothes. You can also rock the house by playing DJ for the club. The game lets you create and save your own music mixes from techno, house, and disco clips. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

So Fun!!!
This is my favorite video game! You get to mix your own cds, change the girls outfits, have them dance and so much more! Don't do level hard-extreme because it's impossible to do.

Great Fun!
Girls Night Out is a really fun game! You get to chose Mary -Kate or Ashley for your dancer, and your set of difficulty. You have a closet where you can chose the clothes you want the player to wear, [shoes, pants, shorts, shirts, and even hats,] and you can even change the color of the clothes, from red to black! You unlock clothes, songs, [the songs last about one to two minutes and don't have words] dance moves, and sounds! The game also has this thing called Jam, where you can kinda make your own song with the songs ans sounds that you unlocked!
To be honest, this game is really fun! And really, after you buy it, you will be glad you bought it.

I loved this game
This game is all about girls of course. I am a huge FAN OF DANCING. And Britney Spears i have her dancing game to i don't like itas much as i love GIRLS NIGHT OUT. So go out and buy this game u will be glAD you did

This game rocks!!
You should definetly get this! You can dress them up, with close you unlocked, make music videos, create a remix to songs, can practice your moves and try them on the dance floor!!When your done with all the levels, you'll see your charecter danceing to a song called London Triump. They makke this game so it's not for babies but not so hard!! Trust me. This game is COOL!!!

Oh dear
This game isn't up to standards. I enjoy some of there acting but there games are just rubbish. If you want a real game try super mario or sonic advance but this is lame. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

This is a great game for rookies, champs, and bored kids!
This game is fun, exciting, and easy to learn how to play. I got this for Christmas last year, and I still love to play.Trust me, I have a very short attention span and a complex mind and found this game great.

Pros:
*cool monsters to raise
*tournaments to win
*many secret breeds to unlock
*many tasks to accomplish
*lots of monsters to pick from
*challenging for pro gamers
*enjoyable for untalented gamers
*rules aren't confusing
*good graphics

Cons:
*people talk a lot
*monsters only have 4-5 year life spans

This game is varied so that a variety of people can enjoy.At first it is Ahhh,uhhh, okay.Then once you understand, it becomes great fun.

I had this game in fifth grade and my friend and I shared so much laughter and good memories.This is a good game for anyone, so try it.

This is a great game for rookies, champs, and bored kids!
This game is fun, exciting, and easy to learn how to play. I got this for Christmas last year, and I still love to play.Trust me, I have a very short attention span and a complex mind and found this game great.

Pros:
*cool monsters to raise
*tournaments to win
*many secret breeds to unlock
*many tasks to accomplish
*lots of monsters to pick from
*challenging for pro gamers
*enjoyable for untalented gamers
*rules aren't confusing
*good graphics

Cons:
*people talk a lot
*monsters only have 4-5 year life spans

This game is varied so that a variety of people can enjoy.At first it is Ahhh,uhhh, okay.Then once you understand, it becomes great fun.

I had this game in fifth grade and my friend and I shared so much laughter and good memories.This is a good game for anyone, so try it.

Good but repetative
I played both Monster Rancher Advance I & II.Certainly, it is neat to enter random sequences of letters and numbers to generate new monsters.The story is reasonable strong although slow paces.Unfortunately, I found the game tedious after a while.The challenge of training monsters wears thin after about the 1ooth time.It is particularly frustrating when your monster is forced into retirement just before completing a battle that would advance the story.Also, the time frame is somewhat unrealistic, I figure that my game lasted about 100 years or so (within the game).Each monster lasts roughly 4 years and it took me about 25-30 monsters to complete the game. Although monsters age your character and other characters in the game do not.I played this through to the climatic battle, and while that was cool I'm not sure it was enough pay-off.If you like doing the same thing hundreds of times, this game is for you.If you like a good story and can tolerate doing the same thing over and over, you might enjoy it too.

The PERFECT game!
I've played Monster Rancher 3 (for Ps2), and I think this game is better because 1. Regenerating monsters is easier, 2. You can go exploring, 3. It's easier to earn sertain monsters (Dragon, Durahan, etc.),and 4. Monsters don't die, they can retire or turn into coaches, so you can train your other monsters more effectively.

On the other hand, on Monster Rancher 3 1. food is cheaper, 2. You can battle your rivals more often,and 3. you can train in different places.

They're both good games, but you don't need to use other games to regenerate monsters on MRA 2, and you can take it anywhere.That's good enough for me.

Monster Rancher Advance 2
The agme starts out with good game play, but after a while you lose the needed story line. ... Read more

Features

• Intense dogfighting and storyline featuring "The Yager Missions"

Reviews (1)

Take to the Skies in this Futuristic Flight-sim!
A little history: Aerial Strike: Yager was originally released as "Yager" for Xbox and PC in Europe and Japan, but not in North America. So it remained mostly unknown in the US...until now. As far as I know, it's the same game with a new title. Though it's now two years old (ancient in video game years) it still deserves attention for it's all around excellence.

Aerial Strike: Yager is a futuristic FPS combat flight-sim. The Earth has been divided into huge trade zones by maga-companies and competing factions fight for control of territory and trade routes. You play Magnus Tide, wisecracking, freelance pilot for Proteus, who's trying to recover his reputation after he crashed his ship on a routine delivery -- causing Sarah, a communications officer at Proteus (the good guys) and now former girlfriend, to be demoted. Magnus' attempts to win back Sarah is a subplot.

What sets this game apart from the typical FPS is the combination of a FPS with action-adventure. You interact with 20 characters (in varying degrees) and the story unfolds according to how you play.

The graphics, though not up to the lastest technology, are still stunning. Swoop down to view the surface in beautiful detail then fly up to see intricate, animated crafts. Water and sky are rendered especially well. In the first few missions I found myself mostly flying off to gawk at the gorgeous graphics. There's movement everywhere with assorted other crafts crusing around, as well as birds, dolphins, even grazing buffalo.

There are 22 free-roaming levels with an engaging storyline and variety of locations and settings, from the idyllic Free Zone Coast to the dark and foreboding Bitterfeld. The cinematic cut scenes provide a good continuum between missions and are some of the finest I've seen in any game.

You fly a futuristic jet craft called the Sagittarius using a great physics engine allowing you to make radical moves, though I found the controls a little too sensitive at times. In addition to the jet-mode, there is a VTOL (Verticle Take-off and Lift) allowing hiding in the varied terrain, making stealth attacks and quick stops if you're about to hit a mountain! The ship is well-equipped with weapons, including lasers, machine guns, missiles, a rail gun and in some levels a napalm gun. Except for the lasers, which are powered by the Sagittarius's engines, the weapons have limited ammo, but there are glowing pickups scattered throughout the expansive levels that provide extra ammo and speed boosts. The HUD is effective and uncluttered, providing all essential info, i.e. friend and foe locations on your radar, hull shield condition, direction and weapons status in a clear format.

What I especially liked about Yager was the character development and interaction. Voice-acting and scripting are well done. Magnus gives you commentary and hints throughout and I often found myself chuckling at his sarcasm and wisecracks. If you manage to piss-off an enemy they will make you aware of it in no uncertain terms on your ship's comms! The AI is quite good. Enemy craft work together in coordinating attacks and do a good job of trying to out maneuver you when pursued.

No game is perfect and I have a couple gripes with Yager. The first are the height and side boundaries. On a few levels the height ceiling seemed a bit low and I had trouble going over some mountains and some of the side boundaries extend well within the maps. If you fly into one your ship is turned around, often directly at the enemies! And on at least two levels the boundaries allowed the enemy crafts through but not mine.

The other is the inability to save game at checkpoints. If you fail a mission you can either restart it or continue at the previous checkpoint as long as you stay in the mission. If you exit you have to start the level over from the beginning. However, this does lend an urgency to the missions and there's a high satisfaction quotient when you finish a level, as some of them are difficult. But I'd prefer to have the ability to save in the longer missions.

Yager is intelligently laid out and there are usually ways to strategize your best options to complete a level by doing some exploration and testing the enemy. In fact, the entire game shows an attention to detail in all aspects, from the stunning graphics to great character development to exhilarating dog fights. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Fans of Mega Man side scrollers, rejoice--Mega Man Zero has finally come to the GBA. It may be the best Mega Man game designed on any platform, even though it doesn't exactly star Mega Man himself.

Mega Man Zero has basic Mega Man gameplay, though there are some notable differences. Zero can run, jump, dash, shoot, and swing a sword like Mega Man, but now he can also slide down the sides of walls and jump from wall to wall like Jackie Chan. Despite the fancy new moves, be warned: This is probably the most difficult Mega Man game ever made. Zero can't duck, nor can he shoot above or below himself. This makes fighting the many, many enemies difficult--especially when they approach from various angles.

While a side-scrolling action game, Mega Man Zero has definite role-playing game elements. For starters, Zero's skills improve over time. As Zero uses the sword, he will eventually be able to make double--and subsequently triple--attacks. Between missions, Zero can explore the resistance base, talk to people, and "download" various skills via the new Cyber Elf system. There are 70 Cyber Elves scattered throughout the game, and they're broadly lumped into three groups: Nurse Elves that heal, Hacker Elves that alter surroundings, and Animal Elves that boost Zero's abilities. Zero can even feed his Cyber Elves, and increase their power.

In some ways, the graphics of this game surpass the Mega Man games for the PlayStation. There are some outstanding anime cutscenes, the levels are well designed, and the sprites are tight and amazingly detailed. For looks alone, you should buy this game. The sound isn’t as stellar, but adds good ambience. --Bryan Karsh

Pros:

• New moves
• Gorgeous graphics
• Engaging story (including surprising twist with Mega Man)
• Cyber Elf system

Cons:

• The game is very difficult--you can’t duck, nor can you shoot up or down
• You no longer absorb skills from defeated bosses

Reviews (42)

An honest attempt to revive a dying series...
Mega Man fans have had it tough over the last few years, with the obvious decline of the original Mega Man series and the once great Mega Man X series (although Mega Man X Command Mission was one of the more recent brighter spots).

To me, Mega Man Zero is an attempt by Capcom to resurrect the classic Mega Man X gameplay that was lost soon after Mega Man X4. After X4, the series began to seriously suffer as it seemed Capcom just made sequels just for the sake of making them.

Mega Man Zero is a many ways a sucess, but at the same time is not. On the plus side, I was very pleased with the inclusion of many RPG-like elements that the game employs, such as the leveling up of weapons and how crystals act as experence points for the cyber-elves. The addition of an elemental damage system is also another high point (even if it makes some battles pathetically easy). In lacing the game with RPG elements (like they did in Mega Man Legends), Capcom has added a whole new layer to the gameplay.

The inclusion of different weapons was also nice, as you could change your weapon on the fly to adjust for certain situations. The fact you no longer gain abilties from enemy bosses isn't such a problem due to this.

Unfourtately, Mega Man Zero falls short in many categores. The fact you cannot revist many of the games locations once they are completed is very troubling - if you miss a cyber-elf in a non-revisitable area you are out of luck (and your going to have to play it again). This means you must know where everthing is and thus takes bite out the exploration factor that Mega Man games are known for.

While the RPG-like cyber-elf system is a very nice change, but many of the elves crystal requirements are simply too large. You'll easily double your playing time trying to get them all to the higest level (unless you cheat - and you shouldn't - as cheating is wrong! lol). Some of the elves are also too powerful (the one that removes all the spikes from the game is so cheap it isn't even funny).

Mega Man Zero also ditches the tired and true "stage" system that is used in practically every other Mega Man game. While this too is nice change, the fact many places aren't accessible later in the game and many of the places look nearly identicle (and very drab looking as well), it proves that the tired and true stage method is much better.

Storywise, the game is really nothing special. Even with the use of many story screen stillshots and the useage of more dialogue than one would usually find in a Mega Man game, one will find Capcom did more with less in the past Mega Man X games.

Mega Man Zero is a good addition to the Mega Man universe, but one has to wonder how many sequels Capcom will have to make before this series starts to crumble and wither like the otherseries (especially when your pumping out a sequel every year). Will the Mega Man Zero series survive Capcom's habit of smashing their game series with "the sequel shovel"? Only time will tell.

An excellent addition to Mega Man titles
Mega Man Zero is, in my opinion, an excellent game. It expands on the story of a favorite Mega Man sidekick, Zero. This game has a plot that features an evil X, it is continuously changing, and lots of cool enemies and bosses are in the game. Along Zero's journey, you will encounter bosses such as:
- X's Four Guardians
- a giant elephant
- a monkey that makes miniature clones of itself
I really liked this game and the way that it still keeps several elements of the classic Megaman games. I strongly recommend this product to any fan of the Mega Man series who enjoys a good challenge.

Mega Man Hero!
To be truthful the Mega Man X series has started to become disappointing.Now capcom is giving us a new Mega Man series... but without Mega Man! How could this possibly work? By putting in one of the most loved characters from the Mega Man X series of course!

For those who don't know (and I certainly hope you do know this!), Zero was first introduced in the very first Mega Man X way back in 1993.He has since become one of the most beloved characters in video games and now he gets a game all to himself.

Mega Man Zero takes place in the same world as Mega Man X only years into the future where X and Zero are reveered as legends.But years have passed and Zero seems out of comission.He's later found by Ciel, who makes him operational again.Now questions arise such as where X might be.Not only that but X is presumed to be evil and up to no good. Now Zero is going to find out.

Mega Man Zero doesn't present any different gameplay for the Mega Man veteran.Its the same 2-D sidescrolling that Mega Man fans have grown up with.But this is NOT an easy game.Mega Man Zero is perhaps one of the hardest GBA games I've ever played... and I'm a Mega Man veteran.You select a level to go to just like past MM games.You battle through each level mauling through enemies until you get to the boss.

The game is a little different than other Mega Man games, however. For example, Zero ONLY gets a Z-Sabre and his arm cannon.He doesn't get abilities from bosses like Mega Man did.But his weapons do level up.For example his arm cannon (called a Z-Buster) begins with only firing one shot at a time.As his weapon levels up he'll be able to fire four shots and even charge up.He also gets different kinds of weapons such as the triple rod or a shield boomerang.

Mega Man Zero also throws in a few other twist.The game now has "Cyber Elfs" which are given to you by defeating certain enemies or you have to find them.There are over 70 Cyber Elves in the game and they give Zero remarkable abilities.Some restore his health... others slow down enemies.The creators also made it so that once you use the Elf, it's gone.This teaches you to use strategy.

That's not all the gameplay offers.The game also throws in some twist with the levels. Not everyone is "go for the goal".Some levels require you to beat it in a certain time, or reach certain objectives.You may also find a wounded ally and have to help him by taking him back to the beginning of a level once you beat the boss.So the game certainly isn't boring.

Mega Man Zero also looks and sounds BRILLIANT!A GRAND looking game, no doubt.For the GBA these graphics are top notch and the music definitely reminds some of Mega Man X.The games looks smooth and just wait 'til you see the detail on the bosses.The game just looks incredible!

The game does have its drawbacks however.The biggest problem is of course that its too hard for younger gamers.This game is NO cakewalk as it will take you the better half of the day to master it.The other problem is that its too short.The game can be completed in a day if you really work at it.

My last gripe is the control scheme.It takes time to get used to the controls for this game considering a HUGE emphasis is put on the shoulder buttons.It takes a moment to get used to (especially if you're playing on your SP since those shoulder buttons are small).

Mega Man Zero is an incredible game to behold.Any fan of the Mega Man X series should pick this up and give it a try, this is a GBA game to own!

The Good
+Amazing Graphics
+Great Sound
+Zero gets his own game now!
+Improved gameplay
+Classic Mega Man gaming!

The Bad
-HARD Game.Newcomers will have LOTS of trouble
-Too Short
-Control Scheme takes time to get used to

Short Precise Review
Please take note about some people saying the game is hard. It doesn't necessarily mean it will be hard for you. If you're use to megaman, than getting use to zero would be simple. The game, in my opinion, was fun, challenging at the early stages until I upgraded and become too powerful for my own good, and simple and easy to understand. Finding the elfs is fun and simple, the game play is fun and simple, simple as that. That is why this game is so effective and successful in my opinion of "great games". If you're tired of tedious item finding and objective completions, than this game would help. Releave your stress and have fun, thats what games are for, not to frustrate you more.

This game can be more difficult if you don't use the elfs, it is possible to win but to many, its hard. Play this game well, because part 2 adds slight frustrations, you'll see. And once again, don't play a game that frustrates you and makes you want to bash your system. Play a game that is challenging, but simple, clear, and fun. Thats what games are for. Enjoy your day and I hope this helps.

Finally, Capcom gave the REAL hero his own game
Whn I first glanced at the cover art for MMZ, I was worried that Capcom screwed up yet another Mega Man game (cough, MMX7, cough).I saw Zero's new look and began to wonder if Capcom gave Zero the treatment he deserved.Thankfully, all of my doubts faded away as I began to play the most difficult Mega Man game since MMX3.One striking difference is that the tried-and-true method of beating a boss with a particular weapon is gone... somewhat.Instead of beating a boss with a particular weapon, MMZ uses elemental chips where virtually every boss has a weakness to one of the 3 types.In the beginning, the game's 1 life per continue concept will be hard to grow accustomed to, but don't fret.Once you have upgraded the Z-Saber enough to charge it and obtained the appropriate elemental chip, the bosses are a breeze to beat.Especially copy-X.I was expecting a long, protracted battle, but copy-X was a total wimp.To the newbie or casual gamer, if you have not played and beaten MM1 & MMX1-3 I highly doubt you'll be capable of beating this game.To anyone who is tired of today's average games (Great graphics and sound but non-existent substance or challenge), play this game.This game really separates the gaming elite from the wanna-be's. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Fun but falls flat on its face.
Sure the graphics are much more colorful than the last GBA Castlevania but the graphics and enemies look downright like cartoons in most parts.

Plus whats the deal with your main characters blue shadow?
I think that was a bit of a overkill.
And the magic system has been severely, and badly, toned down from the Castlevania: Circle of the Moon.

And the two identical castle system really lacks imagination and makes the game very very tedius near its end.
Exploring every area of the game TWICE does make the game longer but it definitely doesnt make it funner...

Depressingly Dissapointing
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance is Koji Igarashi's second take on the CV franchise (his first being the critically acclaimed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the Playstation). While many have dubbed this as "heir apparent to Symphony of the Night," I beg to differ.Even as SotN is one of my favorite games ever, and even as I am a Castlevania fan, Harmony of Dissonance (HoD) has come across as an incredibly disappointing gaming experience in many respects.

Please read: I love Symphony of the Night to death. I hate Harmony of Dissonance.

Displaying different play mechanics, level layout, atmosphere, and many other traits, it is quite radically different from SotN, and pretty much any other Castlevania.Is this good, or bad?We'll take a look and see.

Let's start out with the story and the beginning of the game.Juste Belmont, grandson of Simon, decides to follow his friend, Maxim, to the area where Maxim saw a castle appear out of nowhere, and where he believes their friend, Lydie, is being held captive.Could it truly be the legendary Castle Dracula?
The characters certainly have some personality, such as Juste's "newcomer" characteristics as a Vampire Hunter, but, overall, it's nothing special or deep.The dialogue in HoD is quite mundane and forgettable. Castlevania has never really been about story, but after SotN's excellent plot and nearly "biblically-quotable" dialogue that was pure gold, I'd hoped to see better from Igarashi than what is here.Sadly, the girl, Lydie, is just another pretty face with basically no personality, and who is basically seen in less than 1% of your game playing time.

I've heard a lot of people praise this game's graphics, and say they are incredible step up from CotM's.I will indeed say that the graphics are more varied than CotM's, in that CotM's look was basically was comprised of brick-walls/pillars background, one after another.Oddly enough, though, CotM evoked so much more atmosphere than HoD does.With its huge rooms, and majestic and shadowy architecture, it truly gave off a sense of your smallness and its magnificence, and was quite unlike anything I'd ever experienced before in a game.In short, CotM pretty much got it right in making me feel like I was in a castle of darkness, mystery, and evil.HoD, unfortunately, leaves behind all notion of atmosphere in its more varied locales (except in the Entrance and the Chapel), something that is crucial in a video game, especially in a series such as Castlevania. The Castle Treasury is the first biggest piece of evidence for this subject.Offering us a mainly drab, gray background with various bits of unexceptional detail, it is randomly interspersed with unique, yet still unsatisfying, backgrounds, like the crystal filled hallways, which pale in comparison to CV4's lovely treasury, and are pretty much boring in their own right.There is no real level of progression.Rooms feel so randomly connected and unrelated that one sometimes gets an unnecessary feeling of confusion or longing for some type of continuity or relation.The lack of transition rooms between areas makes this more potent.

Numerous examples of HoD's boring level design can be seen in the "Aqueduct of Dragons," HoD's "sewer area."Besides the areas' rooms being basically 2 rooms repeated over and over, the lack of pretty much any details that catch our eye is depressing.The exceptions to HoD's dominant drab areas are the Corridor in the Air/Sky Walkway (HoD's chapel), and the Cave of Skeletons.The Chapel is such a breath of fresh air.Lovely, curvy architecture fleshes out this area, and there are all sorts of neat details all over, such as the statues.The scrolling clouds effect from SotN is back, though in a less impressive version, yet it's still nice, if a little disappointing that they so blatantly ripped something off from SotN and didn't come up with something new.In the "Alternate Castle" Chapel (more on this later), as you get farther and farther up in the towers, lightning will flash, and shadowy faces will randomly appear in the windows.Inversely, it also breaks my heart that more of this care to detail and beauty couldn't be dispersed throughout more of the Castle.The Cave of Skeletons isn't really pleasing as it is interesting in some parts, in that there are nods to other Castlevanias in the various backgrounds, such as the skeletons of Slogra and Gaibon displayed on a wall in the lower parts of the level.Other than that, it's another one of the forgettable places in HoD.In HoD, to put it simply, the "real castle" is too colorful, and the "alternate castle" is just way too gray and uninteresting.Areas like the Luminous Cavern and the Room of Illusion in the Marble Corridor are meretricious and colorful to the point of neon-vulgarity.Some may like this; I found it to be rather repulsive.HoD gives up the feeling of being in a true castle to the idea that certain aspects have to grab your attention, no matter how unattractive it is in its display, and in so, loses that subtle, wonderful progression of your realization of the surrounding environment, which SotN and CotM so excellently displayed.

Level design...something very, very crucial in games.It can make or break a game.Sure, a game can have spectacular gameplay mechanics and other special features, but can be brought down significantly by shoddy level layout (Lament of Innocence, I'm looking at you).HoD has some parts that are just great and fun to traverse, like the Chapel area, but ends up failing miserably on almost all accounts with its extremely repetitious nature.80% of the time, the room you'll be in will be some straight corridor with nothing to do but pretty much run down it and kill the small number of enemies populating it.Without a doubt, the low point of HoD's level layout is its vertical rooms, which, unfortunately, make a lot of appearances, including the infamously bad "elevator rooms."A description of these rooms are as follows: a room, which basically consists of a vertical route with multiple levels which you reach by walking to the left to, jumping up, walking to the right, jumping, walking to the left, and so on to get to the top.These are just horrifically, mind-numbingly boring rooms, and really detract so much from the experience.You'd have to experience them to see what I am describing.The Clock Tower is chock full of these rooms, some of the biggest ones in the game, in fact, and, as such, is one of the most dull areas in HoD.Other things that come to mind are the "Skull Doors," doors that require a certain key in order to get past them, and which are placed in your way to, more or less, make backtracking to areas even more difficult and less convenient.They're not blocking anything interesting, like some helpful equipment or armor.They're merely there just to extend the game's playing time by making the player needlessly backtrack through areas the player does not want to go through again, since they block off entrances which would make transitioning from area to area much easier.I'm all for backtracking, as the previous "Castleroids" are full of it.But, HoD just has such a boring and strangely laid out Castle when compared to SotN and CotM that it's more of a chore than a pleasure.As a whole, Harmony of Dissonance feels very unfinished and unplanned in the execution of the castle's layout.It's impractical in its design.

HoD's alternate castle is not turned upside down like the one in SotN.It pretty much is the exact same thing, with slightly different enemies and color schemes.HoD's alternate castle has different items to collect in different places, and different bosses, and that's about it.This time, it's crucial to traverse through it in order to beat the game, whereas in SotN it's more of a joyful revelation.As HoD's castle was not interesting to me, finding out that I had another nearly identical castle to explore was more of an unpleasant surprise than a godsend.

Exploring the castle is closely tied in with gameplay, and how the game feels, so I'll move onto that, next.You'll instantly notice that Juste feels "airy" when compared to CotM's protagonist, Nathan.His jump is more "floaty," and right from the get-go, he already slightly runs.Each shoulder button on the Game Boy Advance is used for the new dash feature, which allows Juste to slide across the ground in a burst of speed, either to traverse through areas more quickly, or to dash back from an enemy's attack.However, I felt that the dash attribute really dumbed the game down to feel like you're ice-skating through the castle.That's not something you want to be reminded of when you want atmosphere.You will pretty much use the dash feature to go everywhere.Why walk when you can dash?It was just an unpleasant experience for me that felt overused.It was almost as if the developers wanted you to rush through all the areas in hopes that you wouldn't notice the startlingly unimpressive level design.Juste loses in terms of his whip-handling skills when compared to Nathan, as when you whip and jump, you cannot change your direction until you land.This, obviously, leads you to accidentally jump into the enemy more than you care for.A lot of the time I just felt like the character was controlling me, not him.Not a good thing.This game controls nothing like SotN, or CotM.Don't believe otherwise.

On to the designs of the main character and enemies.Again, Juste loses in terms of believability and fluidity when compared to Alucard and Nathan.His gait is quit humorous and graceless, comparable to someone doing a strange type of running workout.His falling animation is quite pathetic as well.Hair half turned up, as well as his coat, and his legs completely vertical, it's actually quite comedic to see in action.While he has more frames of animation than Nathan, his actions are much less believable, and look more outlandish.There is also the sense that parts of Juste are too large or goofy looking, such as his hands.Iga chose to put some type of blue glow around Juste, and give him an after-image, as well.I suppose this was to let the player see him easier, but this made me cringe; first of all, it's ripping off Alucard's trademark of essence trailing out behind him (though it is still a lot less graceful than Alucard's), and second of all, it just looks too bright and silly.It really just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.I would've been able to see him just fine without it.

Some of the enemies are reused from SotN, though they're all a little less impressive looking, as the graphics are being displayed on a system with Super Nintendo capabilities, not Playstation.Generally, though, the legion of enemies this time is much less impressive than SotN's and CotM's.Perhaps this is due to most of them being comprised of variations of a single enemy, such as the Skeleton enemy, or the Living Armor.I was left feeling unimpressed.The enemies' A.I. is stupid and non-aggressive for the most part, and they usually won't attack until you wait a few seconds, and when they do attack you, they hurt very little.There are no "super enemies" in this game, like the Guardians from SotN, and the Dark Armor from CotM.The bosses are equally lame, usually not moving around much, always extremely easy, and having uninspired designs, such as the "Biggie" enemies, like the Giant Merman, or Peeping Big.Only three bosses caught my eye.It's evident that all the bosses in HoD were made merely to show off the G.B.A.'s capabilities, rather than to present a fun or challenging fight.

HoD is quite possibly the easiest game I've ever played.SotN was easy, too, but made up for it by being pretty much perfect in all other aspects.CotM was going the right direction with its difficulty, exploration and combat-wise.For HoD, the only slight difficulty one may encounter during the travel through the castle is finding all of Dracula's Relics, and probably the final Spell Book.As far as status effects go, "Poison" basically has no effect in HoD, whereas CotM's poison status was a beast."Curse" status makes Juste walk slower and unable to use his dash move.As I mentioned before, the enemies are all very easy to defeat and don't require much thinking, if any.Bosses are complete pushovers.A majority of them are big, and, sadly, that's all they have going for them.Most boil down to you whipping them in one spot, dashing back from one of their slow attacks, and then coming back to whip them mindlessly.The worst boss of all is probably Max Slimer, who never has gotten an attack in on me.All one has to do is crouch right next to it and whip it until it dies.It's all very dull, and there is never any sense of accomplishment when you defeat a boss.It's all made more annoying by the fact that some have a lot of HP, but don't present any challenge.Don't think that it's easy just based on the enemies; you can find so many potions and healing items in rooms and from dead enemies that you'll never really worry about your condition.As this game is like an RPG in the leveling up aspect, it's disappointing that it's pretty much impossible to get past the level 50s, considering basically every monster gives only 1 EXP once you reach the levels near the 50s. This gives the player very little incentive to fight monsters later on.First of all, any item that en enemy may drop can be merely bought from the merchant or found in the castle in easy to find spots.Also, enemies won't drop weapons like they did in SotN, as your only weapon in HoD is a whip, so that is another reason to not kill them.Suddenly, the enemies become mere speed bumps.

Remember how you had to work really hard or get really lucky to get the best equipment in SotN and in CotM?Remember killing the 100th Guardian and finally getting the God's Garb, or beating the Battle Arena and getting the Shining Armor, and feeling that great sense of accomplishment or excitement?Well, not here.Merely get to a certain area by doing a special jump, and voila, there is one of the most powerful armors in the game.I can't tell how much this gave the game an anti-climactic feeling, especially when I got the best armor basically handed to me.There are many whip types; some are characterized by Elemental attributes, but this still doesn't make a difference.I switched up my Fire attachment for a Lightning attachment during the Giant Merman fight, and noticed only about a 5 or 10 damage difference.It's all very negligible and useless.The only helpful whip is the one that breaks apart the occasional cracked barrier that is in your way.Why does HoD have so many pointless things?Another thing that detracts from HoD's experience is that you won't be getting any cool items to use, like SotN's Power of Sire, or the Monster Vials.You'll find none of those great trinkets here in HoD.This game just gives you healing items as things to use.

There is a merchant this time around; unfortunately, he has absolutely no value in this game.The only things he'll ever sell to you that are remotely interesting are the Spring Boots, which let you jump forever, but even this is useless.You're handed so many potions and good armor during the course of the game, the merchant is rendered obsolete, ultimately.

Feeling he needed to best the DSS Card System from Circle of the Moon, Iga has implemented his own gameplay gimmick, the Spell Book Fusion system.As you traverse through the Castle, you'll come upon books of different Elemental qualities, such as the Wind Book.By equipping these books with certain sub-weapons (such as the Cross, Holy Water, Dagger), you can trigger certain spells.For instance, if you combine the Ice Book with the Bible, you can trigger a series of shockwaves to spread out on either side of you, damaging all enemies on the ground, and in the air, if they're low enough.While the Spell Book system sounds good on paper, in actuality, the Magic spells are simply too powerful, and there is no real "penalty" for exploiting the system. You regain MP at a quick rate, and you use little to no Hearts when you cast spells in combination with your Sub-Item. Most bosses fall within a few spell casts. Once you find the Wind Book and Cross combo, any challenge the game ever had (which is basically none at all) is gone. The worst part is that normal Sub-Items become entirely useless. One of the cornerstones of the series has suddenly become obsolete.On top of this is the fact that none of the Spell Books are hard to find; basically, you'll walk into a room, and it will be sitting right there.This also ties into the fact that HoD is nearly rid of any kinds of secrets, except for three.SotN was full of breakable walls, ceilings, and floors all over, and CotM had an incredible amount of hidden rooms, some that were truly very difficult to discover.Why HoD loses this aspect of exploration, I have no idea.

The music...yes, indeed.HoD sports what is probably the most controversial soundtrack ever in the series.The developers of HoD claimed that in order to achieve the certain graphics they got in the game, the sound department had to take a hit, rendering HoD's soundtrack on the same sound quality level of Gameboy or NES music.Having played Aria of Sorrow as well, I can't understand how this works, as AoS's graphics are notably better than HoD, yet the sound quality in AoS is significantly better sounding, quality wise, than Harmony's.As a side note, let me say that I rather enjoy the Castlevania NES soundtracks.Though they're chock full of the "beeps" and "boops" of the glory days, Castlevania 1, 2, and 3 all manage to produce probably the best soundtracks for any games on the Nintendo Entertainment System.The sound wizards at Konami managed to pump out some seriously fitting tunes for the games.

Now comes HoD, more than a decade later.As I've mentioned before, the songs for the Entrance and Marble Corridor are both pretty good.HoD is a departure from the preceding recent Castlevanias, in that it has a very action oriented soundtrack.While SotN had a wide variety of music, it mostly was melancholy.The N64 games were atmospheric forays into the world of music for Castlevania, and CotM brought back a lot of the old tunes, and demonstrated a very majestic and "large" score.As I've also pointed out, the music begins to take a dip when one reaches the Castle Treasury.While it could be said that the early Castlevanias were action soundtracks, too, they beat out HoD in every aspect, as HoD fails in presenting fitting songs, and even some awfully composed ones.The bottom of the proverbial barrel in HoD's soundtrack is the Clock Tower theme, which is odd, considering most Castlevanias' Clock Tower themes are usually one of the highlights of the games' scores.Starting off interestingly for perhaps the first few seconds, it slowly morphs into a sea of depressing sounds.The climax is truly something that needs to be heard in order to comprehend its horror; ripe with squeals, whines, and, funny enough, dissonance, it's the main song that makes me turn off the sound of my GBA when it comes on.Castlevania shouldn't make one turn off the sound; rather, it should make one turn it up.The Luminous Cavern's song apparently is trying to go for a dark and mysterious feel, and starts out interestingly enough, but it ends up being extremely repetitive.In the Chapel, like some others, the melody starts off very originally and beautifully, sounding almost like a Gameboy quality SotN-grade song with its almost sad, ebbing notes.Sadly, it degenerates into a speedy mix of opposing beats and melodies about halfway in, which really is out of place for an area such as the Chapel.It just feels too fast-paced and un-focused.Those are a few examples, but overall, I wasn't that impressed with the score.It was too drab and out of place, and even depressing.Castlevania 4 perfected the "depressing" music of a Castlevania game, but still maintained an incredible amount of atmosphere and beauty in its soundtrack.Again, I'm not taking points off because of the sound quality (which doesn't help, either), but because the songs failed to evoke very much emotion with me and weren't memorable.It had too much of a fast and active feeling soundtrack for such an empty feeling castle.Experimental?Yes, very.Good?Depends on your tastes.

In trying to emulate SotN, HoD merely lets itself down by displaying itself as an inferior rip-off of an incredible game.It seems as though Iga thought he could throw in a bunch of stolen ideas from SotN and automatically make the game brilliant.However, these ideas weren't realized to their full potential, and, thus, create the feeling that the game is somehow incomplete, like a test version of a Castlevania game.Gone is the challenge; gone is the wide array of cool items; gone is the incredible music Castlevania is known for; gone is the genius level design; gone is the atmosphere; gone is that "Castlevania magic" that makes this series so endearing; gone are a lot of aspects, which ultimately make HoD a failure of a Castlevania game, and a very, very mediocre game on its own.

A great adventure at times obscured by myriad blemishes.
Harmony of Dissonance (HoD, for the contraction) begs to be compared with any and every Castlevania game that has appeared since the series began in 1986, but despite the large number of cameos and overall classic feel it is best to ultimately judge this title on its own merits, providing comparisons merely for reference. It accomplishes what it sets out to in providing a gameplay experience that has some incredibly strong points and a variety of goals, but tastes as though it has had some artifical extenders added into the mix.

The GBA's shoulder buttons allow you to dash left or right at nearly any time, setting an emphasis early in the game on making an attack quickly and dashing away. Tellingly, there aren't any poisoned waters you will be collecting a necklace to treat; while many upgrades will be familiar from Circle of the Moon (CotM, Konami's 2001 GBA Castlevania), Harmony of Dissonance adds some of these essential items as whip upgrades and effectively integrates them into the game. In place of CotM's DSS card system is a new Spell Fusion system which allows the player to use only the classic subweapons (a dash of holy water or a thrown axe in your enemy's face) or to pair a subweapon with a particular type of elemental magic to great effect. Inscrutable enemy tolerance/weakness come into play once again, but an Encyclopedia of fallen enemies will help you figure out what's helpful - though the trouble of changing your whip upgrade or Spell Fusion combo is usually greater than simply whipping away at the enemy would be. As a bit of a spoiler, at least one combination allows you to rotate your d-pad to get something extra out of the attack, and it's also possible to use one type of music by itself (though you must lose the subweapon first - can you figure that one out?)

The magic and item systems are responsible for the wealth of "bosses are easy" comments. Played in a traditional fashion without magic or using healing items during battle, Harmony of Dissonance is indeed challenging. Even with some use of the Spell Fusion system against bosses, they absorb many hits before you can finally vanquish them and their attacks often deplete a fourth of your life meter or more.

HoD also differs from Circle of the Moon in that characters are is much larger than in CotM, while areas are smaller in scale and don't feature the same panoramic vistas of that other title. HoD provides, pixel for pixel, more variety and actual content in all areas despite this.

At release, HoD was considered to be a significant step up from CotM in terms of graphics with many highly detailed backgrounds taking the place of CotM's usually repetitive ones (in addition both games have paralax scrolling in many areas). Visibility is now less of an issue with the introduction of the GBA SP and the GB Player, but at the time the "neon castle" approach was very appropriate (it reminds one of the original Rastan arcade game in a way), and fans were relieved for the reprieve against visits to the eye doctor and purchasing Afterburner kits. Harmony goes overboard with tons of large artwork pieces to be found that fill a good section of the screen and many large details filling in parts of the environment - it actually manages to compete with the third GBA Castlevania, Aria of Sorrow. Unfortunately, this game also contains some amazingly ugly and repetitive areas; a few of the game's tallest shafts are nothing but a series of floors to jump onto over and over, with a slow elevator in the middle. Harmony would have been served better to have some of these less interesting areas spruced up a bit; a few superfluous elements to the game should've been axed to make it happen. The save rooms in particular simply look pathetic, with a silly bouncing ball in the middle. The sprites for the three main characters also aren't anything to look at; your hero's running animation is comical. Overall, though, many of the trippy graphical ideas come off excellently.

HoD has taken a severe pounding for its music. Notably lower in quality than Circle of the Moon's neat music which at times sounded on par with the SNES; the reasoning here is that to provide the (usually) incredible graphics they had to fall back to PGM sound - basically back to programming sound for the Game Boy Color. Given this, the music sounds very good, with some incredibly strong tracks such as Successor of Fate (the Entrance theme), Offense and Defense (the next area BGM), and Chapel of Dissonance (the Sky Walkway area BGM) is rather nice as well. That said, some of it might be favorably described as a strange attempt to set the mood (the Luminous Caverns track)...or simply unpleasant to listen to and even depressing. This is a mixed bag, but Juste's Theme (the Entrance Theme again) has become a personal favorite from not only the game but the series.

There are some other minor quirks, and the game employs a trick to allow more of the same castle to be visited (along the lines of SotN). I felt that this idea was executed brilliantly overall; sometimes the changes are quite stunning and unexpected. On the down side, some interesting references to previous Castlevania games in the item list were botched for the English translation - Sypha (the female magician from Castlevania III) became Cipher, and a curious item that allows you to fling fireballs from your whip when at full health is no longer called Christoper's Soul. There's also a bit of (humorous!) unedited translation in the script that should keep you chuckling. The "true endgame" is very hard to find and figure out, but the pieces are all within your reach early on.

This is a great game - not great enough to make one a fan of bangles and room decoration, but it's a solid game overall with some incredible moments that few other games have.

good... but there are better...
Being a long time castlevania fan, I was really excited about this game. I however was somewhat disapointed with it. What the game gets right is great play controll, cool areas, some neat items and a neat gothic-vampire-esque story. But this game has almost no difficulty (except for collecting ALL of the relics... that is a chalenge)... To be honest, the only time I died was while playing the final boss, and even then, that death could have been easily avoided if I had used one of my 13 potions. The magic system in the game is ok, using spell books with weapons to create powerful magic, but these spell books are too easilly obtained (except for the last book, the summoning tome, which reqires a little bit of searching)and just a little too powerful. The bosses are also VERY uninspired and boaring compared to previous castlevania bosses. The game is a great time killer and is fun, but if you are looking for some gothic, vampire slaying action, You should probably look at Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, or Castlevania lament of Innocence.If you're a fan, then pick it up ..... but if not, you might want to consider another castlevania game.

Castlevania continues it's reign of quality
The Castlevania series are my favorites, for sure, and this one's another gem for the collection.This one's about Juste Belmont, blood descendant of Simon Belmont,a master vampire hunter who has slayed the Count on multiple occassions. The plot is different than just slaying Drac though. Juste's friend Lydie has disappeared within the walls of Castlevania,and Justeand
his childhood friend MaximKischne setout tofind her, yeteverything endsup goingawry somehow...Just to boot, Maxim's body is invaded byDracula's spirit...BUT...Thereal aim of this game is to find all of Dracula's Remains(Fang, Tooth, Nail, Ring, Eye, Heart) though most players will not realize this without help froma strategy guide of sorts...

As for the actual review, there are a variety of things right and wrong with this game. To boot, we have superb graphics, boasting some of the most vivid, easy-on-the-eyes background scenery on the Game Boy Advance, but the blue aura surrounding Juste makes him seem somewhat out ofplace. Not to mention when he walks and jumps, he seems like he'smagnetically attracted to the ground-but that's a completely seperate problem!

The castle is huge. There's so much to explore, and I'm glad they brought back the teleporter system, which predecessor Circle of the Moon sloppily butchered.There are two castles, one being a harder version of the other (a Symphony of the Night element.) with greater puzzlesandchallenges. Everything's easy to adjust to, andit never seems like you have to guess where you'regoing, which is another thing Circle of theMoon didwrong. Alsobrought back is the currency system with the Merchant's Shop though the items are a little cheap...which can add or take away challenge depending on what the player wants...even though the game is challenging without being strenuous as it is.

The music is well orchestrated, but the sound quality is a throwback to the days of NES. A select few compositions are simply superb, while the rest are mediocre. Listen closely for the one in the Sky Walkway, which is haunting. Moving on...

The bosses are redundant and oftenpointless (Gettinga jewel that inreases MP restoration rate for getting rid of one of the game's harder bosses for example...and MP is not important) but some areuniqueand well-thought of (the Devil, for example.)Death (Grim Reaper) also makes a lovely appearance (or four) One thing they stole from Symphony, however, that they shouldn't have is the cheesy dialouge. Yes, it's back. Misplaced curse words and utterly stupid scriptwriting at some points add a flavor of kiddy gameplay to the game- not that the game is, however, a kiddy game. My biggest qualm, however, is that thegame is simply a pain (...) few points, if that tells you anything. Some enemies have no pattern to them, hence, they're so unpredictable that it makes the game frustrating.But you'll adjust over time, and thegood faroutweighs the bad. The best of the three Castlevania GBA games, by far, if simply for the replay value (very, very high...) and the overall quality. It would have made asuccessful Playstation game. The 2nd best in the series, in my opinion, even with the negative points.

BOTTOM LINE: Harmony of Fun
GRADE: A ... Read more

Reviews (30)

OVER 5 stars!
My game boy is like my baby,Gameboy Color,Gameboy advance,Gameboy SP,Nintendo Ds,But Now I want my Gameboy Color back!

Great system!
This system is my favorite. Although I already have a nintendo ds I still use the game boy color systems. It dosen't really matter which system you get just as long as YOU like it. Sometimes if you try and keep up with the trends it can get really expensive example: nintendo ds=$150 games for the nintendo ds=$40-$50 and game boy color new=$30 used=$10 games=$10-20. Choose wisely!

Buy a gameboy color
The game boy color is one of the best gameboys made. I never waste my time sitting playing gameboy in the house. I have gamecube and PS2. I play my gameboy color on long subway rides and in waiting rooms. Buy a gameboy color!

Well I Got Another One
[...] i said I would like to get another one. Well I got it. It is Kiwi Green and it works great. I still Rate this iten 5 stars because it is one of my favorites ( I got an SP so that is my new favorite but I still love my blue and green Gameboy Colors).

Bad graphics
I was disapointed. This game has so bad graphics. It stunk on ice. You don't know when it will run out of batteries. Get a gameboy advance SP because it has a light. It's worth the money unlike gameboy colors. To bad the stars don't go into negatives. ... Read more

Product Description

In the legends of superheroes, Spider-Man is an original. A genetically altered spider bites run-of-the-mill high school student Peter Parker, and a superhero is born. Suddenly, he is empowered with supernatural abilities, including web-slinging, wall-crawling and super spider senses. The visionary power of the Xbox makes Spider-Man: The Movie video game a force to be reckoned with. Jump into the suit of the young Spider-Man as he learns how to fight the forces of evil in a stunning 3D New York City. Crawl, leap and swing amongst the dizzying heights of skyscrapers, looking to catch criminals and super-villains in your web. Come face to face with your nemesis, the Green Goblin in death-defying aerial combat. It's up to you to help Spidey survive what could be his toughest fight...or his last. ... Read more

Features

• Platform: Xbox
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Action/Adventure

Reviews (107)

WHAT THE F*** ?
Did a blind man design the camera system? You can't see who is attacking you! You're getting your butt handed to you becuase you are encircled by a gang and are helpless to do anything about it? W T F????
This game COULD have been awesome, THANK GOD they got it right with spiderman 2. It's a shame because the graphics are good, but the controls are AWFUL. Avoid this like the plauge, spend the extra bucks and get the second spierman movie game....it's a world apart becuase that game is actaully good while THIS ONE SUCKS

Great Game
I loved this game.I have played levels over and over again.It is really fun.I don't think it's all that hard.Okay so the big machine in Oscorp and hiding from the Oscorp is a little challeging, but overall it is fairly easy.I recomend this game to people who love to go across the city via web and to anyone who liked the movie.

Nice, but....
Visually attractive, the storyline is loyal to the movie plus some adds to it like the scorpion chracter. Cool combo moves and nice backgrounds. Ok, here's the dilemma, when Spiderman is searching for the bad guys, where the hell is the web hanging from? a cloud? a helicopter that follows Spiderman wherever he goes? I know it's just a little detail but it is very notable. Besides that, the game itself is good but it gets from very easy to very hard from one level to the next. Buy it if you liked the movie, rent it if you want to distract yourself a while.

NOT WHAT I HAD HOPED FOR
I thought that I was in heaven during the first eight levels of this game.It was fun and challenging, but I got through them with a smile.But pretty soon it seemed the levels were getting impossible.I tried over and over again to beat some of the levels and i finally realized that it wasnt gonna happen.So i gave up.This game is great for anyone really looking for a challenge.I love a challenge... but this game just seemed like an impossibility.Definitely not a game for the younger crowd.

Too hard but its an ok game.
Well this game is ok, but there are several cons. You see I got this game and started playing for hours, but it kind of gotboring and hard, so I got tired of it and quit playing. I reccomend you to get this if you like hard challenging games, because this one is. But I dont like challenging games so im planning to sell it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Spider-Man: The Movie brings your friendly neighborhood web slinger to life with engrossing realism, proving that a superhero game of such complex nature can be achieved with nearly flawless and nonintrusive gameplay. Be it wandering the city's environs in search of villains, or just checking out your surroundings by web-swinging high above them, you truly can do whatever Spider-Man can. It's all here: high-flying aerial battles, the ability to web up and yank your enemies close for pummeling, and the capacity for crawling or web-zipping up, down, and over any surface--and that's just for starters. All in all, this is one involved game that does not fail to live up to the hype.

The game parallels the motion picture's story line, steering you through a progression of challenges that begins with the hunt for Uncle Ben's murderer, and ends with a final showdown with the Green Goblin. You begin as Peter Parker dressed in his wrestling costume and must defeat a variety of thugs throughout each level before advancing to the next set of challenges. The game gets progressively tougher as you encounter, in turn, Shocker, the Vulture, Scorpion, and, of course, the Green Goblin.

Visually, Spider-Man is a treat: cityscapes unfold in realistic detail and are enhanced by sunlight shining between buildings; cutscenes offer seamless animation; interiors are painstakingly re-created; and Spider-Man and his enemies are well rendered, moving about the screen in clean fashion. As an added bonus, most characters are voiced by their movie counterparts, and the training mode features the sarcastic wit of Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell. --Larry White

Pros:

• Detailed controls bring Spider-Man to life
• Challenging gameplay enhanced by numerous fight styles
• Stunning visuals at every level

• Camera angles slow to respond at times
• Some interiors too dark
• Repetitive one-liners

Note: This review refers to the PlayStation2 version of this game. ... Read more

Reviews (94)

Pathetic
This game isn't nearly worth what I payed for it. The camera for the game is backwords and you can't fix it, and it has other camera glitches that get very irritating. I decided to get a cheat so I could play the last level instead of wasting my time, but five minutes looking for the cheat wasn't worth playing the last level. I beat spider-man 1 for the playstation 1 at least 7 times and I would recommend it instead of spider-man the movie if you have a playstation 1. (...)

im sorry this games pathetic
its waaaaaaay to simple it takes 5 minute a mission thats 5 times 22 it equals 110 minutes of gameplay that not even two hours.even oon hard mode its simple.Im sorry i just dont understand why it got peoples choice but i hate it. but the graphics are all right and the fighting is all right thats why it got 2 stars. But its just way to simple even on hard mode.

FUN FUN FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the most fun game in the world!You can throw tires at the bad guys!Fighting Vulture is the best!FUN FUN FUN!!(...)

Does whatever a spider can....almost
A key part of the marketting machine for summer blockbusters is a tie-in game. Usually these are horrible efforts, lacking originality, taking major liberties and expecting the license to sell the resulting mess. Amongst a sea of these, Spider-Man is a tie-in game done right.
The story of the game is similar to the film but also takes cues from the comics as well as some ideas from the game creators. You start off on the trail of Uncle Ben's killer, swinging from roof top to roof top to try and get information from local thugs (the implausibility of them all being on the rooftops as they are is nicely spoofed in the dialogue of a side quest). This leads you to a warehouse where you discover your Uncle's killer is a gang leader. You have to battle through the rest of his goons to ultimately get a showdown with him. Afterwards the game has you facing off against well known Spidey villains as well as OsCorp, who are after Spidey to study his blood for their human enhancement serum. After getting familair with all your skills and staying one step ahead of OsCorp's efforts, your greatest enemy enters onto the stage- the sinister Green Goblin.

The range of combat available is impressive. The game takes Spidey's webbing and agility into account to create some interesting attacks. Web enemies up, swing them around and even go for a piggy back ride. Your attacks can be upgraded by collecting golden spider icons hidden throughout the levels. The more attacks you unlock, the more fun you can have combining them into cool combos to take out enemies. The levels are large enough to encourage exploration and experimentation. That's not to say that there isn't problems- in the outside levels, trying to go down to the sidewalk will cost you a life. You're stuck just swinging from building to building and fighting airborne enemies. Thankfully this has been corrected for the sequel.
Completing a level requires you to fill mission objectives. For example, you may be required to help the police fight thugs, rescue civillains in peril or keep up with a fleeing villain. If you know where you're going you should have no trouble completing the neccesary tasks.

The game has some star voice talent in the form of Toby Maguire, Willem Dafoe and Bruce Campbell. Maguire's work as Spidey is a mixed bag- sometimes he nails his lines and other times he sounds like he wants to be elsewhere. Spidey will throw out random quips as you play, which your enemies will reply. Call them ugly and they'll tell you where to shove it. Sadly, the game seems to favour the same one liners over and over which can get annoying. Dafoe plays Norman/the Goblin as well as he did in the film. He really seems to be enjoying himself and makes Goblin the menacing villain he needs to be. Campbell brings his well known humour to the game. He's the narrator for the training levels and the in game tips you'll encounter early on. He brings a spirit of fun to the proceedings, coming out with some of the best lines of the game. Didn't take the training levels before you started playing the game? Campbell will put you in your place.

A fun part to the game is the cheats and unlockables. A well thought out bowling mini-game, animation tests and the ability to play the game as the Goblin are waiting for players who rack up enough points. The Goblin is well worth unlocking. Although the levels are the same as Spidey's, the Goblin (Norman's son Harry looking for answers) has different powers including super speed, pumpkin bombers and the Goblin glider.

In all, a great game and a display of how tie ins should be done. The sequel may have improved on most areas, but the original is still worth picking up.

DO NOT BUY!!
This game is not worth buying. If you want a good Spider mangame pay the extra money and buy spider man 2. You will be glad you did. ... Read more