Amazon.com Review

Set in the interval between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, this first-person adventure lets you step into the role of the galaxy's most heavily armed bounty hunter, Jango Fett, as you track a renegade Jedi across the galaxy, collecting information (and bounties) along the way.

In addition to Jango's trademark dual blaster pistols, your armor bristles with gadgets and weaponry: darts, flamethrower, blowtorch, scanner, cable snare, and--of course--a missile-launching jetpack. Use this arsenal to battle hordes of uncooperative guards, fend off rival bounty hunters, scale precipitous skyscrapers, and capture fugitives--dead or alive. The basic controls are surprisingly easy to master, and you've got enough armament at your disposal to fight your way out of almost any situation. Still, some finesse is required: as fun as it is to walk into a room and blast everything in sight (and it is fun--especially when you're the one wearing the jetpack), you may discover when the smoke clears that the guy you just fried was worth twice as much alive. Oh well...

The complex storyline is revealed by extended cutscenes that let you rest your thumbs while Jango follows up the next lead. (Star Wars fans will appreciate the quality and detail of these scenes, as well as the fidelity of the story arc--namely how Jango is chosen as the model for the clone troopers in Episode II.) And anyone familiar with the Lucas Arts suite of games will not be disappointed by the superior graphics, music, sound effects, and fully realized characters and locations. The pace of the game is up to you: methodically seek out the secrets of each level, or ruthlessly blast your way to the big payoff. --Maile Bohlmann

Pros:

• Impressive graphics and rich detail
• Excellent scripting and voicing
• Nice balance between action and strategy
• Controller setup is intuitive and easy to learn

Cons:

• Long stretches between save points
• Climbing sequences can become redundant
• Weapons must be holstered to use scanner, leaving you vulnerable

Reviews (79)

pretty good game
When you first start to play this game, you'll be amazed on how different is. Instead of running around with a lightsaber slashing people in half, this game lets you pulverize people with pistols, missiles,grenades,and an assortment of deadly weapons. It will provide countless entertainment(like watching people run around on fire) along with fustrating puzzles(it takes a long time to find out what to do).

A real downside of the game is the weapon system. you get cool weapons, but you mainly ues the pistols for the entire game. Also, some of the graphics are kinda bad.I remember I missed a guy with a sniper rifle and the game count it as a hit....wich was good. The extra bounty system is pretty cool, but it really doesn't affect the game that much.

Overall, it is a game that is worth your money.

Oh how I wish for a sequel to this awesome game!
This was the second game I ever got for PS2 and I just love it. I still go back to it after several years for nothing more than the thrills and good times it has to offer. Bounty Hunter isn't perfect but it is one of the better Star Wars games I've played and its a great third person shooter. I remember how much the graphics, cutscenes, effects, sound, and dialog blew me away a couple years ago and all I can do today is appreciate all these things more. Every time I play the game (I've played it a lot) I find new things to mess around with, whether it be small rodent creatures to blast or secret areas containing heavy weapons. The worlds are immerse with detail and most are actually almost beautiful. The explosions and laser blasts that fill the levels all look great, as do the characters, who's lypsyncing and motions are excellently executed. The action gameplay is fast paced with a very high frame rate. The sound design sounds as though it was taken directly from a Star Wars film. And most of all, the story is very entertaining, from your first encounter with the villanous scum Meeko, to your stealing of Slave 1 from an astroid prision, to meeting Tyranus. The story takes you all around the galaxy and be prepared to meet up with some familiar characters such as Zam Weesel. Many have complained about the game's repetetivness and lousy camera and I will admit that the camera tends to work a little strangly at times, but it certainly can be controled and is not something to get all worked up over. Bounty Hunter's action has never boared me and I find it's controls to be intruative and easy to use. Star Wars Bounty Huter is an excellent game with high production values and many good things going for it, I truely hope Lucas Arts releases a sequel for it because it is one of the best games I have ever played. Thanks for reading.

Overall? Mediocre.
I got thorough this game in a short while considering how long it's taken others that I know to get through it. During that time, however, I didn't have a life.
Though many got frustrated with this game I did very rarely. I'm the kind of person who loves a challenge and has a very high patience level.
In Star Wars I've always loved the Bounty Hunters, they seemed very interesting and were fun to study. I had to struggle a lot to find any information about Jango Fett and this game helped, it goes rather in depth with Jango Fett.
According to some of my sources some people like to 'feel' like a bounty hunter, if that's your only reason find another game, only on one level do you actually 'feel' like a bounty hunter.
I enjoyed this game mainly for the challenge, the levels got harder and longer as I progressed, I struggled with my last few. You often have to find very small ledges.
The graphics were well done in some parts, very bad in others. Sometimes Fett would become part of the scenery for a moment and then come back into sight so I tried not to get to near to objects.
If you like a challenge I suggest this game, but only if you're a Star Wars fan. To those with small amounts of patience, may I suggest another game?

Lets ruin a good concept shall we Lucasarts?
I got this game at my local Gamestop for $14.99 used, I had looked at the Amazon.com reviews, and they where good, I looked at the Gamespot.com reviews, and they called the game mediocre,
and they where right, the games concept is original, and the weapons are cool, but the gameplay just doesn't follow through, part of the reason is its excruciating difficulty, I spent 45 minutes on one level, and the only level I really enjoyed was Corusant, because you felt like you where really a bounty hunter, and I had to use cheats to get to that level.
This game could have been great, I mean come on what Star Wars fan Doesn't want to fly around as Jango Fett, collecting bounties before he gets his head cut off, the game needed many things, like difficulty settings, and being able to fly Slave 1.
The animations are very well done, but the neatness of the weapons, and the animations where not enough to keep me from returning it.

An Average Action Game...Hardly Anything More
After seeing Attack Of The Clones, the idea of a video game that might have some more background into the character Jango Fett appealed to me. Sadly, this game didn't live up to the expectations I had. Bounty Hunter is basically a cross of platforming, Star Wars and quick gunslinging thrown together into a strange result.

In the game you play Jango Fett [Of course], in the days before Episode II. Sure, Fett is able to scan crowds for bounties, swoop down on his jetpack and claim his money. Its an interesting feature, but the game's long levels are mostly a combination of tricky jumping platforming with the aid of a limited fuel jetpack. Fett is able to fly with his jetpack and utilize a wide variety of Star Wars weaponry including his trademark dual blasters, gauntlet flamethrower and toxic darts and a sniper rifle [Among others including special blaster guns that you find scattered throughout the levels].

The gunslinging atomosphere in the game is basically just flying around and shooting blaster bolts at everything in the room. Half of the time, when engaged in large firefights and using Jango's blasters, you can hardly see what is going on and end up firing bolts randomly until nothing is left in the room.

The storyline does put a little backbone and support into Jango Fett's story such as how he became to be the template for the Clone Army and how he met Count Dooku and Zam Wessel [You know, his assistant in early Episode II].

The graphics for some of the major cutscenes in the game are pretty good and detailed, though those that take place in the game are pretty poor. Plus, in several situations you find yourself sniping Tusken Raiders around Tatoonie and exit out of the first-person scope view only to find some large desert creature in the process of draining your health. This game is definetely not worth purchasing, but it may prove valuable for Star Wars fans. My reccomendation is to rent it first though. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

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

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

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

Pros:

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

Cons:

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

Reviews (29)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Product Description

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

Features

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

Reviews (121)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

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

Reviews (89)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bad: Bland graphics and characters. No cutscenes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com Product Description

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

Features

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

Reviews (44)

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

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

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

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

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

Product Description

Electronic Arts (14592) J. Bond 007: Nig. PS2 ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Dinodean
This is a 80/100 shooter game. For those of you who like Halo or Halo 2, this game is so-so. Very unrealistic. I was playing 1 player and this happens to me on every level: I am sniping, I shoot a guy in the foot. Guess what happend? He grabbed his stomach with both hands and fell over! SOMEWHAT UNREALISTIC GAME!

chEAp
I got this game a while ago. It's single player is pretty good. Though sometimes the missions get long and boring. Multiplayer isn't that good.youcan choose to create bots to fight you with a friend or something. But on some levels that you choose you can go in cable cars but the bots can't. you can go on the roof but the bots can't. You can snipe but the bots can't. You can use mounted guns but the bots can't. The only thing that bots can do is shoot you. It's basically just like doing target practice

Good.. for a while....
This game was very fun for the first week... but as soon as it got old... it got boring. The single-player missions are sooooooooooo easy or extremely hard, like the one where you are underwater and you have to destroy the submarines.. it's either easy or hard (depending on how good I'm doing that day). Once you get the hang of this game... it's too easy! I really like the multi player mode but... the courses aren't good. The Skyrail is an exception, though. The weapons are great, like the Sentinel, Scorpion, and the Phoenix Samaurai. The weapons also go back to GoldenEye weapons, like the PP7. The characters in multiplayer are in the game as of some of your "favorite" villains and Bond's allies (all ladies for MI-6, bad!). This a great game but gets old. I'm stopping you from buying this game... but I think only true OO7 fans who have a gaming system should get it. Otherwise, rent or skip this game.

Nightfire
The Multiplayer is great you can have up to 4 AI bots and also drive mini tanks and helicopter drones and shoot guided missile that you control! 1 player is fun and exciting and difficult which is goodand has a great story line bonds looks have recovered after agent under fire where he was SOO UGLY.The game would be even better if you could play online abnd shoot civilians without you failing a mission.Just needs more unneccesary death.

Very good game!!
I'm not a big fan of any of the James Bond movies or video games, but this is a very very good game! The tons of multiplayer games make it fun to play with friends. The only big disappointment was that some of the levels on multiplayer are just too small. Otherwise, it is an excellent game! ... Read more

Amazon.co.uk Review

A sequel which, like its acclaimed predecessor, puts fun right at the top of the agenda, Burnout 2 dispenses with niggling irritants like realism and instead delivers top-class gaming entertainment. So what’s new? Added locations for starters, and the highlights are a twisty road round the Rocky Mountains and an inspired airport-based level. A greater variety of vehicles are available too, and naturally enough you have to balance your need for speed with a vehicle capable of good handling, taking into account the weather and the kind of level you’re racing across.

Yet ultimately, the core of Burnout 2 is still arcade-style racing, and frankly there’s little else that does it better. Burnout 2 is incredibly accessible and an absolute blast to play, whether you’re competing through the suitably enhanced single-player options or hooking up with friends--it’s completely irresistible. Visually, the game looks great and moves very, very quickly. The action too is interspersed with elaborate crashes, and when you do hit something you shouldn’t, at least you’re rewarded with an action replay for your trouble.

Negatives? Genuinely very few. Those who prefer their driving games flavored with a bit more realism are going to be happier with a Gran Turismo game than this, and in spite of some good improvements and additions, there aren’t enormous differences between this and the original, despite the fact that a lot more has been added to it.

These are nothing more than very minor niggles though. Easily one of the most downright enjoyable games of recent times, Burnout 2 is an exemplary piece of gaming entertainment, and a welcome antidote to the growing band of games that just take themselves far too seriously. Treat yourself. You’ll be glad you did. --Simon Brew ... Read more

Features

• o help keep players rocking and racing.
• Intelligent trafficsystem, featuring three distinct types of driver behaviors.
• Unique new next-generation graphical effects - unrivaled on PS2.
• Vibration enabled controller compatibility, letting players feel every turn and crunch of the car.

Reviews (59)

Wait for the NEXT BURNOUT
This is for people that like driving really fast. This game is quite tense because you don't know if your going to crash into a car when you turn that corner. Sometimes you get frustrated by it. People are saying it gets boring but that happens with every great game. When I get a new game I play it(for first 10 days) nearly all day like for 12 hours and thats why I get bored of games like over people. People say it makes you sweat and grin and that's true.

It Gets Boring after a while
Burnout 2 is ok. It gets really boring after you played it 20 times. All you do is crash cars and race. Its grafics are ok. There not the best. You should rent it or borrow it from somebody its not worth 20 dollars.

Awesome!
I never play such an exciting & realistic driving game before. This totally beats out the GT series! It keeps you busy on non-stoping driving excitment.

MOST FUN RACING GAME I'VE SEEN YET!
I have played a lot of racing games and none of them captivated me like this one. When I first played it it was ok until my first crash. The realism and graphics on the crashes are amazing. It shows windows cracked and glass all over the place and unbelievably real damage done to the cars. The crash or destruction mode is awesome because is sets you up in perfect places to cause some serious devestation where the goal is to cause as much damage as possible. The first one sends you down a hill into an extrememly busy intersection full of suvs, semi-trucks, small coupe cars and many more.You just plow through and fly up totaling your car and causing a 9+ car pile up with mass meyhem.This is the best racing game I have ever played! Without a doubt you should pick this game up because I know you'll be going back to the crash mode again and again. Definately 5 stars!!!

Extremely fun!
I have always wanted to play a racing game that focused on the crashses as well as the regular game play. I like to see things destroyed, whether they are in movies, tv shows, even video games. When it comes to crashes in other racing games that I have played, they keep keep the POV (point of view) where your driving POV is. Then this game comes along, and during the crashes, it takes you to a 3rd party bystander POV (more like a movie, actually) so you can see all the horrible devastating effects your crash just had! :) The crashes are put into slow motion, just like the movies! Plus, the general game play is great, just like any other arcade racing game.

For the negatives (which aren't many): Though it doesn't matter to me on this particular game (although it may to some), you can't customize your cars.

More positives: There are 3 modes of gameplay. First, complete a set of races to open up more races, areas, and cars. Second, a pursuit mode. Although they should've taken more energy points away for harder the hits on the car instead of one energy point per hit, you get to pursue a car and hit him with your car until their energy bar is to nothing. Hurry up though, you have a short time (at least 4 miles) to reduce the energy bar to nil.

Third positve (and my favorite): Crash. You get to choose any car you want, the boost bar is always filled up for you, and you go out and make as big a mess as possible. Great for blowing off steam after that person just cut you off on the road coming home tonight, or any other incident you may get road raged about.

Absolutely fun game, and with only $20, you can't go wrong! ... Read more

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

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

Reviews (66)

Probably the best conflict game
This game is long and I did not complete it in 3 days like most games. I have played Conflict vietnam and it's the same game again but with a few things added and it's set in jungle. This game is hard at first then you get the hang of it, I played the demo and I was so addicted when crawling through the bushes to be not seen by a tank.
I remember on the demo level(Where in the cut scene Foley tried blowing up the bridge with c4 and got caught...)when I did not know how to control your friend so when I rescued Foley I kept switching to his character and did not know to order him to follow me, so my point is it seems complicating at first with the open maps that seemed big...
Conflict Desert Storm 2 is a very short game and you'll be surprised if you played it when the credits start.

DesertStorm is great
Conflict Desert Storm is a great game. Its Grafics are better than most games. Theres a lot of weapons to choose from. Theres The

M-16, Bust fire, single shot and granade
AK-47, Fully Automatic and single shot
M-60, Fully automatic and single shot
Combat Knife
M-18 Smoke Granade
granade
C-4 plastic explosive
Tank Mine
Combat ShotGun
And a lot more. Buy Conflict Desert Storm.

GET DESERT STORM 1 and 2
I got desert Stoem 2 and absolutly loved it so now i'm going to buy the 1st on i will tell you about it when i get it.

GET DESERT STORM 1 and 2
I got desert Stoem 2 and absolutly loved it so now i'm going to buy the 1st on i will tell you about it when i get it.

awsome game
this is a really sweet ass game. the grapfics are good, the sound is good,so that means the game is good. they have lots of diffre4nt wepons you can pick up during the game and alot of gagets you can use. the best part of the game is multiplayer. you can go co-op with up to 4 people. this is one of the best games for ps2 ever made. BUY IT NOW OR BE SORRY. ... Read more

Features

• Exculsive Career Mode for UFC:Throwdown. Create your fighter than gain strength and ability as you train and fight your way to the championship.
• Features 28 UFC fighters and all the real, unbelievable mixed martial arts moves found in the Octagon.
• 4 exclusive UFC Fighters for Playstation 2 including Carlos Newton and BJ Penn.
• Upgraded tournament mode lets you choose a new round robin tournament scalable for 6,8 or 10 players!
• Amazing special effects showing realistic facial and body animations including individual muscle movements.

Reviews (19)

Better then UFC 1 but still lacks
This games cool. My friends cousin is in the game. (Pete William) The graphics are pretty good. The modes are better then the first one. But my compaint is the same as the first one. Matches end way to quickly. I want more of a stragetic sim game engine involved. Why don't ground battles last 10 minutes or longer? It still feels like a button masher game. The moves are hard to pull off. The create a character mode is way too shallow. The games cool for a while but lacks replay value unless your fighting another live person..

Realistic Fighting
This is my favorite fighting game I have played. It combines striking with wrestling, letting you beat an opponent if you are skilled enough, even when you are about to get knocked out. Every fighter has his own patented moves and style, adding to the diversity of the game. My friends and I never get tired of the bone crunching hits and submissions. Unlocking new moves and fighters keeps things interesting while playing solo. If you want the most realistic way of beating people - without actually doing it, get UFC throwdown.

UFC Throwdown
Great game for UFC fan's. I love UFC, so I loved the game. But where are the legends of MMA, where's Ken Shamrock,R Gracie, Tank Abbott, etc.

Great game for UFC fans
This is a fantastic game for UFC and MMA fans in general.You can do your own version of some of the great UFC battles of all time, like the incredible Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz fight or Jens Pulver vs. BJ Penn, or have some fantasy matchups you wish you could have seen, like Vitor Belfort vs Ortiz or Shamrock.

My only complaint is that knockouts can come a little fast if you are playing the computer, or if two beginners are playing.If two skilled and practiced players are going against each other, the attacks and counters can truly become almost a sort of chess match.Against the computer or someone new to the game, you can score a knockout in 10 to 20 seconds, against other skilled players, I've had fights actually go to decision.

Another great item is some of the signature moves the fighters have that you can aquire after a while.

For beginners who just get this game and want to develop a feel for it, I recommend selecting either Frank Shamrock or Tito Ortiz.They are the best in the game, and in my opinion the best in real life, and the easiest to learn with, particularly if you are trying to figure out how to put together combinations.

After reading most of the complaints on here, it seems like it mostly comes from video game fanboys who have no appreciation for reality fighting and the UFC.They seem upset that it isn't a clone of every other fighting game out there.Big deal!I can get the standard fighting game by selecting something else.I wanted this because it's realistic.You won't find your characters jumping ten feet into the air and launching balls of energy at their opponents.If you want that, go get the new Mortal Kombat or something.

You decide
UFC Throwdown is a decent game. Not really much more to say than that. You either like it or hate it. Graphically, it's pretty basic and sometimes during truly intense match-ups, choppy. Realism is very good. Length of the average match, about 20 seconds. Again, you should rent this if anything else first because I'm sorry but no one deserves a ($) hole in their wallet. Have fun and Happy Gaming! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

See if this story line sounds familiar. You're part of an outcastmercenary class that upstanding folk don't want around until there's trouble.You're sent on a mission alongside an innocent, idealistic woman with whom youdon't immediately get along. Forces of darkness, safely contained untilrecently, have escaped and are threatening a world-ending clash with the forcesof light unless you successfully intercede. This is one of the safest templatesfor console role-playing games, and it pretty much covers the story inGrandia II.

Thankfully, everything else in the game is fresh and provides hours upon hoursof fun. The backdrops and character designs are colorful without being flashy,the game has a great pace (for an RPG), and players never have to stand aroundtoo long looking for the next thing to do. Even the writing, within itscookie-cutter plot, is smart, well translated, and occasionally funny.

The game's strongest element, however, is its battle system. Taking the best ofturn-based and real-time battle engines, Grandia II forces you to chooseyour moves carefully with respect to timing and position. The battles are verysimple in the beginning, but grow increasingly complex as you fight largernumbers of monsters with a growing party of allies. How you meet yourencounters--whether you initiate the fight, are ambushed, or meet headon--affects both the timing of the blows and the positions of the contestants.Battles emphasize counterattacks and combination blows, but you'll soon findthat movement and defense keep you alive against the tougher enemies. Elementalmagic, items, and skill books are just icing on the cake. Even if the battles dogrow old, the random fights are fairly easy to avoid, and a versatile AI optionlets you use cruise control through the rest.

Grandia II may be just the traditional role-playing game for whichDreamcast owners have been waiting. The question of whether it's too traditionaldoesn't matter, as it offers a better experience than most that have comebefore. --Porter B. Hall

Note: This review refers to the Dreamcast version of the game.

Pros:

• Battle system creates interesting, complex fights
• Solid, traditional role-playing game for a system with few others in thegenre

• Predictable plot and characters

Features

• Beautiful real-time 3D graphics and over 20 minutes of high-resolution CG graphics.
• Innovative, highly customizable combat system - part real-time, part turn-based.
• Fully 3D world with hundreds upon hundreds of people to interact with.
• Includes additional CD of Grandia II music as selected by composer Noriyuki Iwadare.

Amazon.com Product Description

Based on the original Gundam TV series, Gundam: Zeonic Front allows the player to experience the One Year War from the perspective of the Principality of Zeon. It's the year 0079, and the Zeons must fight to regain control of Earth as the Earth Federation, with its superior resources, begins taking Zeon-controlled territory one battle at a time. The player becomes the commander of a famed mobile suit company, and leads his troops in a fight for the Principality of Zeon's independence from the Earth Federation. The player commands up to three platoons in every mission, and devises his own strategy for accomplishing each objective. The abundant variety of missions, engaging story lines, and realistic battlefields make this real-time strategy game highly replayable. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

not as hard as everyone makes it seem
great game with lots of hidden levels/characters. great gameplay and lots of action. its only hard until you realize how everything works. once you do its just tons of fun. and for all of those people out there that like the federation forces...well you can unlock almost all of them including some pretty awesome gundams...any gundam fan should buy this. TONS of special features.

so so hard but very very fun
This game is one of the most difficultest game that i have but it a pretty cool and fun game!

A Bit Too Hard
I've had this game for about a year and I LOVE it! It's fun,challenging, and long. But it's a bit too hard. Like on mission 6. One hit from that mobile suit's beam rifle and BOOM! How are you supposed to fight something like that? I FINALLY got past it after about 13 tries. It's a great game, but I would have liked it more if it was a bit easier.

The Best Yet !!!
I love this game 10 out of 5 stars but I dont recomend renting this one because its a long one. Dont underestimate it if you cant get past the 6th level (THE GUNDAM one) because the real fun doesnt start until you've come across a dom. It's graphics are mind boggleing along with some tight game play, and a bitter taste of stratagy makes this one a real challenge even for a true gundam geek. I've had it for over 6 months (not includeing the 6 game rentals)and havent beaten it until a little while ago, and I think that shows you what a challenge it is learn how to set up routes or know what support is best for each specific mission. The enenmies in this one are equal to you in all aspects of the game like fire power or armor and the farther you go the the more relient your allies are of you with your skills. There are some really cool new machines like the Gundam Mudrock or the GM S-armor. So, with all of these traites I think this is the best one out there (compared to FED. vs ZEON or Journey to Jaburo.)

Mechanized, squad-based action at its best!
My little cousin gave me this game since he didn't really play it that much at all. I tried the first few levels and I was hooked. Basically, you experience the One Year War through the perspective of the Principality of Zeon. So, instead of piloting a Gundam, Guntank, or Guncannon you get to pilot the Zeon mobile suits: Zaku I, Zaku II, Gouf, and Dom. This game is kind of like "Rainbow Six", but with giant robots, so fans of that game should get this one. Anyway, you play each mission with 2 or 3 groups and each group could have up to three mobile suits, numbering up to 9 mobile suits at once! However, the safety in numbers routine won't always help, because sometimes the enemy (Earth Federation) outnumbers your team by a long-shot!

There are 13 missions in this game and almost as many training/simulation missions. Sometimes, the simulations can be more difficult than the real missions! Three of the simulations are almost impossible to beat: the first is when you must destroy the Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray. The Gundam is far too powerful to face head-on, so the best way to beat him is to make all the team members surround the Gundam or attack it all at the same time, get behind it while it faces your teammates, and take him out with a well placed bazooka shot or heat hawk slash.(Make sure that all your team leaders aren't killed in missions or you'll fail). The second hard simulation is when you have to destroy the Gouf piloted by Lieutenant Ramba Ral who is guarded by countless Zakus, Magellas, and missile turrets. The third one is when you have to destroy The Black Tri-stars piloting their Doms (which are practically unstoppable.) This game follows the Gundam series and you see how certain incidents in the series affect Zeon and your team, like the death of Captain Garma Zabi, the battles against the Trojan Horse, and the invasion of Jaburo. The gameplay is great and controlling giant mechs is certainly outstanding, so go ahead and buy this game whether you're a Gundam freak, giant robot fan, or cooperative game player. Although some missions are almost impossible, don't give up: if I can do it, you... might be able to do it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Grandia Xtreme, the first original Grandia title for PlayStation2, is a dramatic story-driven adventure featuring a sophisticated AI engine and deep character skill-development system. This new installment of the franchise features a highly refined battle system that captures the chaotic nature of group combat, and combines it with the elements of real-time and turn-based combat systems. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

ok, but much worse than the original grandia
i bought this game because grandia for dreamcast was one of my favorite games ever, because it was so simple and fun.grandia extreme however, was a major disappointment.though the graphics are a little bit better (the characters have mouths) and there is voice acting, the game itself had many flaws which prevented it from being enjoyable.i just liked to battle for the most part, and the battle system, which is why i like the game so much in the first place, is the same, which is a good thing.however, there are very few save points, and you could be running around for hours without being able to save (which you could only do in the village); some of the battles are pretty hard and you have to battle A LOT before you fight any boss, so theres a high chance of you dying and therefore wasting 1-2 hours of gameplay easily.also, you cannot upgrade skills or mana eggs, or even equip such specialties unless youre in the village which gets kind of annoying, since the actual equipping of these items take forever to get a hold of.another thing is the camera angle of the game; unlike grandia of DC, there is a very small area that you can see, it takes way too long to rotate view and it wouldve been a lot better if there were a button you could hold down to walk (or run) like in the DC version.as a result, playing this game, just moving around gives you a big headache.finally the story is just horrible, it made no sense and gets on your nerves; while the story of DC's grandia wasnt amazing, it was enjoyable. also the voice acting is terrible.i give it 3 stars because the battle system.if you just love to beat up on stuff, rent this game first.

I've had better...
Graphics. Fine, some load times are a little slow, but pretty normal for a PS2 RPG.

Gameplay. Interesting changes from the previous Grandia games. It's a little annoying that you have to be in town (of which there is only one), to change magic or skills, but all in all an enjoyable system. Bosses are actually challenging in this one. A few of them I had to play over again because I got whooped (including the final boss). As an aside, there are only 5 dungeons, of which 4 you are required to play through more than once to acquire all side quest items, and level up enough to actually be able to defeat the final boss.

Story. One word. WEAK. There is virtually no character background. You are not given more than a few snippets of how the "team" interacts with each other. At the beginning of the game, it was much more interesting. The different characters from different cultures who were once at war are thrust together to achieve a common goal. They fight and the hero, being the only one with virtually no national bias is named the leader (of course). But then we hear NOTHING about any of this for the rest of the game.

The whole Ranger thing was described so much better in the GAME MANUAL than it was in the actual game. You see, these Rangers, of which our hero is, are the only people who are able to travel through Geo Points. It's the only way to get out of dungeons and to get into certain ones. Anyway, Evann (the hero)'s father was also a Ranger, and at the beginning of the game he is not very good at doing the whole Geo Stream thing, and he is conflicted about it because his dad was apparently a great Ranger or something. But the thing is, once the gameplay begins Evann has abslutely no trouble using any Geo Point and nothing is ever said again about his doubts in his abilities.

We get these hints of character backgrounds and motivations at the beginning, but once the game gets going nothing develops of them. A handful of the other playable characters have personal feelings about the mission, as their lives were personally affected by it, etc., but once they have told their bit we hear nothing from them for the rest of the game. I got more of an insight into the characters' "character" from their battle behavior than I got from cut scenes.

And the cutscenes themselves were a bore. Once we get into the REAL mission (because there is always a REAL mission) it is just the same recycled garbage for the rest of the game. I don't think I will ever care to hear anyone ever say anything about "human individuality" again (this is an obviously anti-communist propoganda game, possibly made by the Japanese government to brainwash it's populace into fearing socialism, so it can continue it's post WWII tradition of comsumer culture and passive American attention, an idea that seems silly until you realize how sucky this game is, and how it obviously was developed by people who had no idea what they were doing, ie, goverment politicians).See, the ancient people of this world were trying to create perfection. Paradise on earth, (futuristic distopia? *nudge nudge*, eh?) you know the drill. So they experimented and created this being (Quanlee), who of course becomes the villain, because the only way he can make the world perfect is to make everyone his mind slave. Honestly, I started muting the game and not bothering to read the script anymore after the first ten times Dean Cain, er, I mean Evann started arguing with Quanlee about it (though I have to say, All-American voice actor boy, Cain, is the perfect choice for representing the Western World's symbol for Capitalism over Communism in this Japanese government's cautionary tale of giving too much power to socialists).

Oh, and the voice acting... I don't think I have ever played a game with worse voicework. Dean Cain, as we all know and not so much love for his Television role as Superman, sounded like he was reading the script for the first time when they recorded. He put pauses-where-pauses-shouldn't-go, and he EMPHASIZED-the-last-word-in-every-SENTENCE.

Luke, er I mean, Mark Hamill, did a much better job, though I stopped seeing Krutz, Kertz, er, Kroitz, yeah that's it, because after a while I started closing my eyes whenever he started talking and imagined The Joker from the Batman animated series. First, because that's the voice he was doing (yes, people, that was him doing The Joker), as it was impossible to avoid knowing this fact, and secondly, it made everything he said that much more entertaining.

Lisa Loeb. I liked her a lot more when I realized she did the voice of Lutina and not Diene. Not only was Diene terrible as a character (and as a name, "Diene?!"), her voice was also terrible. Lutina was a little better, and I can't blame Lisa for the fact that Lutina's character was under-developed and had weak combo attacks...

That said, the only redeeming characters in the game are the lovable Titto and Myam. Titto, as his name would suggest is a young adorable knife wielding elf who hits three, count em, three times every attack, instead of the standard two. He is the most honest and likable character when lame discussions are going on between the parties. He's kind of like the son you see crying when mommy and daddy are fighting. You just want to reach down and give him a big ol' hug and pinch on the cheek. Then there's Myam, who absolutely rocks. She is by far the most fun of any character in battle. Her pouty antics in storyline scripting aside, when she falls flat on her face after shooting her arrow attack, NEVER GETS OLD! And when the battle goes quickly and she is the one who does the final blow, her statement is priceless (I won't spoil it here, because I could not possibly do it justice in written form, all I WILL say about Myam's battle tactics is... "Vroom Vroom Vroom!").

And finally, Side Quests. Or should I say, Side QuesT. It's just the one, with no real point. You are charged with collecting sound bites (and incidentally ryo-ohki-esque animals called carros, who dance to music made from said sound bites) for a group of incompetent musicians who are incapable of composing anything worthwhile unless some teenaged Ranger brings them objects that make odd noises... After you beat the game another mini-game opens up (as well as another song to be made from sound bites, but we won't go into that here). Oh, yes people, the fun doesn't stop just because the evil has been vanquished (where did Kroitz go, anyway?), oh no. You get to keep going because Quanlee lost his heart, it's in music form at that... *rolls eyes* Ok, I lied, I got into it, but anyway, this mini-game is just that, mini. You get to go to Juston (possibly an allusion to the first Grandia game's hero, Justin, though he shares no other real similarities after the name and red hair)'s house and play an over-priced slot machine to never win under-valued items...

So, if Grandia Xtreme were a student in a class that I was teaching (keeping in mind I am not a teacher) and I gave it an exam, here is how it would score:

Graphics: 7.5 (average)
Gameplay: 8.0 (innovative but sometimes annoying)
Storyline: 8.0 (a suprisingly high potential)
Plot: -5.0 (when you get high marks for story potential and you don't follow through with a decent plotline you lose points)
Character Development: 0.0 (there is none)
Voice Work: 5.0 (hit and miss)
Side Quest and mini Game: 5.0 (virtually pointless, difficult and unrewarding)
Bonus Questions: 3 of 5 correct (I figure it would have to know some general knowledge to give it an edge in my grading criteria, as I do not like to use the grading on a curve method IN MY CLASS!)

Total:

~3.91 + 3 point bonus = roughly 7.0
-1 for dropping the "E" in "extreme"
+1 for being a pre-Squenix Enix game...

=

a whopping 7.0 ladies and gentlemen!

It passed, barely...

Fun, but a step down from its predecessors
First, the bad news.The story of this game is almsot nonexistent, and what is there is pretty dull the characters are all utterly one-dimensional.That's a huge disappointment, considering how strong the previous Grandia games were in those areas.Also, the voice acting is hilariously bad.
However, the combat is a lot of fun, and all the different stuff you can do to improve your characters is pretty addictive.It definitely falls short of previous Grandia games, but it kept me playing anyway.

Good RPG Series
ah yes i remember when i got hooked on grandia... i was 17 and a junior in high school.. it was xmas and dreamcast was still a system.. i asked for grandia II and i got it. popped it in and it consumed my life for the next 3 or 4 weeks until i beat it... i loved it. so i went on to purchase the first grandia and while i enjoyed the 2nd one better part one took about another month of my life. so then i didnt hear anything more about grandia until last year when i was working at a EB games and grandia xtreme was released. bought it and once again consumed a good 3 weeks of my time. this game is good but part 2 is the best of the trilogy. there is also a game boy grandia titled "grandia: parallel trippers" and while i am not familar with the story i know it is only avaible in japan... which sucks.. would be nice to have sometime to tide me over until grandia 3!!

More of an action game than an RPG.
Grandia 2 for the Sega Dreamcast was one of the best RPG games in recent years. So, it was without question that this title would be on my 'must-buy' list when I read about its release. I figured it would be at least as good as G2, and hopefully better, with the PS2's DVD storage capacity. Well, after playing for nearly 120 hours (longer than I have spent on any other game), I'm still not sure whether to reccommend this game.
Part of me is dissappointed, very dissappointed in the RPG aspects of this game. There is little, if any, storyline, and the characters are just typical anime kid stuff. The storyline in G2 was amazing. The scope of that game rivals any Final Fantasy game, yet the game itself was too easy. In Xtreme, the game is much harder, but the story is soo bad, they could have left it out entirely, and had a more interesting game.
So, what makes one put in 120 hours (and counting) into a game that is so uninteresting? The gameplay. The game's battle system is the best I've ever played. I've never been a fan of dungeon-exploring, 1st person style adventure games, but this game is different. The action moves along so smoothly, and the games system of levelling up is ingenious. You can complete each stage as often as you want, each time with tougher enemies, and build your characters stats to unbelievable levels. And yes, the bosses can be fought more than once as well. And when you think you've actually beaten the game, think again. All the dungeons gain a HUGE increase in difficulty and a new 100-level dungeon appears.
Overall, if you are looking for a fun game, that you will enjoy playing for weeks, I can't reccommend Grandia Xtreme enough. Just try to ignore the bad voice acting, and weak storyline, ok? ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With its blend of action and deep RPG storytelling, Barbarian offers a satisfying adventure. The story is this: heroes of Barbaria have waged war since the dawn of time, ravaging the Earth as they battle with weapons and magic alike. Their motives are to stop the madness forged by the evil Zaugg and end his growing power. You will discover every character's massive story and goals through the battles in quest mode and choose from a total of 300 branches. Upgrade your character and enhance his physical and magical attacks, his ability to lift objects (and even other characters), his speed, and more.

In multiplayer mode, one to four players can compete simultaneously, with up to eight different fighters on the screen at once (requires PS2 Multitap). There are 12 huge arenas--with subarenas accessible during gameplay--10 customizable characters in a full 3-D environment, interactive objects you can use as weapons, a rich and detailed training area, and hidden assets for constant rewards. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A pretty good game.
I think that if you are a fan of the fighting genre then you should try Barbarian. While Soul Caliber or Mortal Kombat are hard with lots of keys to remember this is not so with Barbarian the game is really easy and some might find this a weakness. Now if you suck really bad then this game is highly recommended. It is probably the only way your sister can beat you. Heck someone who has never touched a controller can beat you. I really like the level designs and I think that the magic attacks are cool. The best however is that 8 people can be on the screen at once, 8! Even if you don't suck still at least rent Barbarian.

Fun for four
This is a game for a certain type of person. If you want to see blood spurting everywhere, don't buy this game. If you want an RPG to play alone, don't buy this game.However, if you want a fun game that you can play with 3 other people at the same time that won't make your mother turn pale, this is it.Fairly clean fighting with a minimum of gore (considering that the characters are slashing at each other with axes and swords), with the opportunity to have as many as 8 characters battling at once, it can be a lot of fun.The combos aren't hard to master, and the graphics are very sharp.You can even pick up nearby objects and hurl them at your opponents, which is a fun trick all in itself.

For a one person or two person fighting game, there are better, but for 4 people, this is an excellent choice, especially for under 15 dollars.You will get your money's worth.

An RPG? No way.
Barbarian is marketed as an RPG, but it's basically a really, really bad fighting game. The only RPG like element is that your character, in theory, advances as they go through fights.

If you like Barbarian, then you probably haven't played a realy fighting game, like DOA2 Hardcore.

This Game Is Great!
"Barbarian" is a great, and fun, video game for the Sony PlayStation2. The fighting moves the characters have are really cool and the graphics rock! I highly recommend this video game to anyone.

Don't even Rent it.
Honestly, I feel that one star is too high a rating for this boring title.I bought this game, took it home, beat it and returned it to it's case less than an hour later.That is no exaggeration.You play the story mode as one of the characters who ultimately kill the main boss for various reasons.The story is never developed and you never really understand what is going on.Worst of all, the fighting is terrible.All you have to do is learn your character's most devastating combo and you completely thrash all of your opponents.Also, in between scenes you must wait for loading and the screen has this annoying little skull on it that's moving it's mouth.Maybe I'm just crazy, but it seemed like it was laughing at me becuase I bought this game.Sometimes my eye catches the copy of Barbarian sitting on my shelf, collecting dust and I can hear the skull laughing at me. Seriously people, walk right by this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

When Sony released the PlayStation2 last year, there were only a fewstandout games. One of them, SSX, brought snowboarding to people whodidn't even like snowboarding. Now, only a year later, PS2 fans get a new reasonto stay indoors during the cold winter months. SSX Tricky is the game,and it more than lives up to the moniker.

Tricky removes two characters from the previous game and adds five newones. It adds two new race locations to the already beefed-up World Circuit(Garibaldi and Alaska). The developers also added features to the older tracks,effectively making them new again. Tricky improves the graphics a bit andrefines the controls. The game even tweaks the basic gameplay by letting youupgrade your boarder's stats in races, but also forcing you to attempt andmaster the showoff mode. And EA improved the challenge by evening out thelearning curve. SSX tended to be a cakewalk until the later races in eachset, but this time your rivals get more intense and aggressive depending uponthe lap you're taking.

As in the first game, personality is everything. This is true not only in termsof voice acting, but also in how you treat opponents. The game has a few basicattitudes. If you block and attack characters too much, they'll remember andactively seek you out. If you help one or two of them, they'll become yourallies, warning you of danger or fending off attackers.

In many ways, SSX Tricky is only an upgrade of the previous game.Admittedly, the additions don't look like enough to justify buying the game allover again. But the changes are deep enough to change quite a bit, and they'lldelight even fans who are tired of, or who mastered, the first game. Maybethat's the most impressive über-trick of them all. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Refined controls and new tricks
• Excellent computer intelligence and challenge

• The graphics are only slightly improved

Reviews (145)

Best Snowboarding Game Ever
This game is excellent. Any fan of snowboarding will love this game. This game has the best qualities. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the voices of the characters are some well known people, the controls and graphics are excellent, and how many snowboarding games has a guy with a huge orange 'fro named Eddie(and he's voiced by David Arquette). This game is excellent I recommend this game to everyone.

Goin' back ol' school, Tricky Style
Wow!What can I say!I love this game tremendously!I love everything about it!Where should I start?

I first became addicted to this baby, when I was commuting up to 4 hours daily, and had very little free time.I needed a game that provided a quick pick up and go game play style, with a short learning curve. That's what SSX Tricky, or Tricky for short, provides.But it is not short on the fun.I love to play this game with my son, 3 ½, and we've actually been playing it together since he was about 1, almost 2.It is most likely his favorite game.(We play several together, including SSX 3, Gran Turismo, Burnout 2, and many others.)And the fact that he can pick it up and enjoy it, speaks volumes about the enjoyment of it.

His favorite character is Zoe.I love Kaori!It's kind of funny, because he believes Zoe to be a man, and gets mad when I call her "her."When we play doubles, he insists that we both play the same character.I think he likes it to be fair.Lately, I've been racing Kaori against his Zoe.

This game offers many levels of increasing difficulty, and at least 8 fabulous courses to race on.I like how you can ride snowdrifts in Arizona and Hawaii, among other more traditional cold mountain get-a-ways.When I play this on my 55-inch wide screen, and I fall down a mountain, I feel my stomach getting butterflies, because you really fell like your skiing down a mountain.A total blast!

The thing that I also like about this game is it is one of the few videogame DVD's providing a healthy supply of bonus materials, including: Behind the scenes with the character voices/actors; Jukebox, where you can listen to every song in its entirety; previews of other EA Big games; interviews with staff, etc.Would be nice to see more videogames doing this!

Two W's up!Big time!

One of playstation 2's best games
SSX Tricky is an awesome game. It's thrilling and challenging but easy enough so that children and adults alike can play. It's much better than ssx, and you can easily rack up points to score a top spot on the high score list. if you are not sure weather to purchase or not, i reccomend that you high-tail it on over to your nearest blockbuster or hollywood video and rent it. don't have a playstation? blockbuster allows you to rent the console as well. to rent a game is usually about $6 and the console is usually around $24 with a $300 deposit which you get back when you return the system a week later. i highly reccomend ssx tricky and once again, if you are not sure, try blockbuster or hollywood video. oh and some people might think that kids can't write reviews, right? well guess what, i just did.

Outstanding!
I bought a PS2 for my 10 year old last year and never had any interest in using it myself. Then I discovered SSX tricky. Awesome! From the soundtrack to the incredible graphics, from the gameplay to the characters, it doesn't disappoint. Best of all, the game is easy to learn, so newbies (including those of us who don't snowboard) can enjoy it right out of the box. You can zoom down the slopes, hit massive jumps, and pull off incredible tricks on your very first try.

Although easy to learn, it is tough to master and incredibly addictive. The advanced courses are very challenging, and no matter how good you get, you always want to take 'just one more run' to pull off better tricks or beat your best race time.

The game world is very realistic. You can ski off the course in search of a shortcut to the bottom, jump off cliffs looking for big air, grind on any surface (rails, fences, billboards...) and elbow your opponents in a race. There are traditional courses that look like a ski resort, but also courses through city streets (jump too high and you might hit a traffic light!), through untracked powder in Alaska, and an enormous terrain park.

There are multiple characters to choose from (male and female), each with a different personality. My daughter actually enjoys spending time putting different outfits on her favorite characters before each race.

I have also played SSX3, and there have been several reviews comparing the two. Here is my take:

1) Tricky is mode based- you navigate menus to select a course, choose racing or tricks, etc. SSX3 feels more like a day at the mountain, where you free ski over to a race, then to a halfpipe and so on. Which is better? It's really a matter of taste.

2) Tricky tries to build up rivalries between the characters. If you knock over an opponent, they develop animosity and gun for you in future races. Also, there is PG rated trash talk at the end of each race. I think the trash talking gets old (and repetitive) pretty quickly, but I enjoy the elbowing during the race, especially in two player mode :)

3) The music in SSX3 is more diverse, and you can customize your music as if you were carrying an MP3 player. As others have noted, SSX3 even seems to adjust the music to match your riding, with big crescendos when you land a jump.

4) I like the commentator in Tricky- he pumps things up. The commentator in SSX3 seems dull in comparison.

5) Tricky seems easier, especially for the novice. The first few courses are confidence builders, which is good for younger kids and adults who are only casual gamers, like myself. Also, tricky has a practice area where you can interactivley learn new tricks.

6) Tricky is about half the price

You can't go wrong with either version. However, I'd say Tricky is better for the budget minded, younger kids or casual gamers, while SSX3 is probably better for teens, serious gamers or hardcore snowboarders.

SSX tricky
i think ssx tricky is one of the best games ive ever played on. im 14 and people might think, oh shes only a teenager, its just a phase shes going through but no, i think its brilliant. it took me a couple of weeks to get into it and now i can stop playing on it!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Given its immense popularity, not to mention first-rate pedigree, it'snot surprising that Street Fighter EX3 is among the first PlayStation2titles. After the relative success of the first game for the originalPlayStation (PSX) and the disaster of the second, it'll be interesting to seehow long-term fans of the series take to yet another 3-D brawler with theStreet Fighter moniker. Even with classic characters--like Sagat, Blanka,Ken, and (of course) Ryu--back to duke it out, this might be one horse that'sbeen beaten to death.

In Street Fighter EX3, players will be able to take advantage of a newsystem that allows character switching at any time throughout the battle. Notonly will you be able to swap at will, but your dynamic duo also will havedouble-teaming tag combos to enhance an opponent's agony. This means that gamerswill face three other opponents, and have four incredibly detailed fightersbattling it out on screen at any one time in the ultimate handicap match. Takethem out, and one might ask to join as your sidekick. Form a stable of four, andall of you can take your turn kicking Bison's tail, as well as that of any ofthe other famous Street Fighter characters in the game.

The control is predictable, but that's what fans want... nay, crave. Supercombos, dizzies, and a number of other staple Street Fighter combos arehere and look incredible. Lighting effects are much more mature: the animatedsparks fly, and the pyrotechnics flame up all over the place. Character modelshave come a long way since the days of the first blocky Street Fighter EXgame. Although they still lack necks, these brawlers are seamless and welldefined. Their victorious poses rival any graphics that previously have beenseen on a console.

Not everything is peaches 'n' cream with EX3, however. The endings of theEX series always have been a bit lacking: all you get in EX3 is afrozen frame with text; then, while the credits roll, a little consolationprize: over 10 enemies onscreen at once, all wanting to put the boots to you.This isn't the "true" ending we'd hoped for, but it's a nice gesture (and itshows off the system's power).

Capcom is doing everything it can to make Street Fighter EX3 the fightinggame of choice for the PlayStation2; but, with Namco's Tekken TagTournament set to hit the market at the same time, it'll be a tough sell.Still, this is a Street Fighter game, and that alone justifies at least aplay. --Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• Switch characters at any time during fighting
• Seamless and well-defined character models

• Predictable controls
• Lackluster ending

Reviews (50)

OK BUT...
GREAT CHARACTERS,GREAT GRAPHICS,GREAT SPECIAL MOVES,GREAT GAMEPLAY AND GREAT SET OF OPTIONS BUT NOT ENOUGH DEPTH IN THE GAME LIKE-NO STAGE SELECT,FEW AND BORING STAGES NO STORYLINEMOVIE ENDINGS,ONLY 6 STAGES TO FIGHT AND NOT TO BE TO PICKY,NO MILD VIOLENCE(LIKE A LITTLE BLOOD!)KEEPS IT FROM GETTING 5 STARS. BUT CAPCOM VS SNK 2 IS THE LAST GOOD STREET FIGHTER GAME(BESIDES 3RD STRIKE ON THE COLLECTION)TO COME OUT AND THIS IS 100% BETTER THAN THAT GARBAGE FIGHTING EVOLUTION AND IF CAPCOM WANTS TO GET BACK ON TOP IT WOULDN'T HURT TO RELEASE A 3-D RIVAL LIKE CAPCOM VS NAMCO WITH CHARACTERS FROM SOUL CALIBUR AND TEKKEN BUT JUST A SUGGESTION.

i am hungarian
How can I unlock Evil Ryu?
How can I earn Bronze medal in party, stage 2?

Hogy tudnám feloldani Evil Ryu-t egyszerûbben, medál nélkül?
Mit kell csinálni a bronzért a 2. pályán partiban?

Fun Fighter
The graphics are not spectacular but this is a GREAT, fun, fighting game with lots of variety. The graphics are ok though and when you learn some of the better combos it really becomes addictive.The game was widely over looked and should not have been.

VERY FUN!
SF EX3 is the one fighting game you must have. The graphics are
cool. Fighting the other character or teams is challenging. If you beat the game don't stop. Each time you beat it, you get a new character. There are nine hidden characters to earn or
unlock. And just so you know, there are two other characters:
M. Bison 2 and Evil Ryu. I won't tell you any tips, you should
play it if you haven't. Trust me, you'll love it!

Why 16 Mega-Bites?? It's Not That Advanced......
Street Fighter EX3 is probably one of the best fighting games,but why 16 megabites? that's like,almost the whole frickin' memory card!! (I Think?)
Anyway back to the GOOD parts,S.F.EX3 has really good graphics and good controls,not to mention very good music.My favorite is Ken's.
The game does not really have a story but who cares,It's still REALLY fun to fight all those losers at the end!(hahahaha!)
The thing is,I was exspecting more of a challenge.
I beat the game in less than one minute!(seriously!)
Bison(Boss)Is Eaisier then Skullo!!(Skullo Sucks!)
Vega,Ken,and Ryu are probably the only kick A$$ guys!!
I don't think they sell this game in the stores anymore,it was #2 of the first 3 games that were for P.S.2!!
the 1st game ever was The Bouncer,then #3 was Tekken Tag.
You should probably order it from here,'cause i don't think amazon.com lets you "RENT" stuff.
sincerly,
kenny ... Read more