Reviews (3)

Pac Man Adventures in Time
This game is good for all ages; a good "take a break" type of game. There's lots of different levels, but like the traditional pacman, you have to do them in order. Fortunately, you have the option of Easy or Medium dificulties. I really like the Multiplayer option which is great for kids to play against their parents. You can also play this game over the internet against other people. It has good graphics (even vertical levels) and fun mini games between levels. There is also a cool feature that allows you to see the traditional "overhead" view or a closeup 3-D view.

Pac Man Adventures in Time
This game is good for all ages; a good "take a break" type of game. There's lots of different levels, but like the traditional pacman, you have to do them in order. Fortunately, you have the option of Easy or Medium dificulties. I really like the Multiplayer option which is great for kids to play against their parents. You can also play this game over the internet against other people. It has good graphics (even vertical levels) and fun mini games between levels. There is also a cool feature that allows you to see the traditional "overhead" view or a closeup 3-D view.

Tons of fun with a dash of nostalgia
This game is great fun, because even non-gamers will be able to play it right away without even looking at the manual. If you spent hours playing the original arcade Pac-Man, then you know the basic premise to the game. This version however has really cool up-to-date graphics, and the game play has actually been improved over the original, with the ability to jump, as well as other small but significant changes. It's remains simple enough to provide a quick and easy break from the real world, for people who don't normally have the time to really get into a more complex computer game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Welcome to the age of the Renaissance, a time of miraculousadvances and extraordinary discoveries. Opportunities for the brave andadventurous abound. Trade and exploration dominate the era, as wondrousVenice grows to prominence. Wealth beyond dreams flows through Venetiancoffers, as this tiny city comes to control much of the known world.

Merchant Prince 2 is a turn-based strategy game of economic, political, and military conquest. Venture deep into the heart of the Renaissance, a time when valiant traders braved storms, pirates, and disease to amass fortunes. Chart the treacherous Atlantic and overcome the desert heat, bringing untold wealth back from the four corners of the earth. Join in the vicious politics, bribing senators, buying cardinals, and seizing offices ranging from general of the Venetian Home Army to the Pope himself.

Accumulate wealth during five campaigns in Europe, Asia, and even the New World. Trade with dominant cultures, hire mercenaries, and break open closed markets. Optional settings allow you to research and develop over 30 technologies. Slander your opponents with more than 100 different phrases, or create your own. Merchant Prince 2 features multiplayer support for upto four players via LAN or over the Internet. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Don't waste the money
The premise for the game is as good as it is familiar. Take stuff from here and trade it there for more than you paid. You build up trade routes, buy influence at court, etc. Unfortunately, the game stinks. The trade route option doesn't work, you are forced to micro-manage at every step even the piddling ones that really should be automated.
If you are looking for a good trading sim, don't buy this one.

Painful walk down memory lane.
Merchant Prince II is a painful twisted mutation that sends most old Machiavelli fans packing. The core of the game is good, because it's the old one. However, the new interface is awkward, the trade routes don't work as well anymore (Especially in Multiplayer), and crashing is always right around the corner.

Yet again, this is an excellent example of a product not tested enough before it hit the shelves. However, what makes this case of lackluster testing really offensive is that there was a base game built approximately 6 years ago. The game did not change that much, so how can you take a working old game, totally screw it up and then release it as a working product? Save your money, or better yet, build an old DOS system and find the old game, and play that.

The worst game EVER
This is the "Plan 9 from Outer Space" of computer games.It is so bad, you might want to buy it just to experience the misery.What makes this game so bad and ultimately unplayable is the user interface, which is a cryptic and bewildering collage of badly-rendered artwork.Once you have found the random icon that lets you actually trade goods, you are left with a number of important questions, such as "Am I buying now, or an I selling now?""How much money do I have?" and "What is the object of this game, how do I win, and what should I be doing?"I tried to play this game three times and I never completed a single turn.This one should never have been released.

flfundoc
This is simply a re-release of the original.If you own and played the original, don't bother buying MPII; it's the same game.Is a great game, lots of ways to win and "work" the system--but was looking forward to some new twists on the original and was very disappointed.Should have been called Merchant Prince 1.01 (to be fair to the buyer).(Four stars to the original, minus one for getting me to buy it again.)

A Trip Down Memory Lane
As the other reviewers have noted, this release is basically a slightly upgraded version of the original Merchant Prince/Machiavelli.I never had the first MP, but I did have Machiavelli & this game looks & plays just about exactly as I remember that game looking & playing.The graphics seem to be upgraded & there is now a tech tree that must be researched before you can do certain things.But otherwise it's just good old Machiavelli, a game I enjoyed in its day despite the fact that I was never able to finish a game of it due to bugs that always crashed the game after hours & hours of play.

Your reaction to MP2 will largely be determined by your reaction to its two predecessors.If you never owned either of them I would avoid this game since there are so many deeper & more interesting games out there on similar topics.MP2 just doesn't bring enough to the table to cut it in today's computer game market.On the other hand, if you remember the previous games with fondness, & are willing to spend $30 on your nostalgia, you will get to re-live some of the good old days of 1995 & earlier.But even for such people, the game will wear thin more quickly than you might think.

The best plan, if you really want to buy this game, might be to wait for it to hit the discount bins & save yourself some money.I suspect MP2 will find it's way there fairly soon. ... Read more

Product Description

Soon after discovering powerful cosmic wormholes, one of your research vessels suddenly found itself on the fringe of a galactic war. Contact has since been lost.

With a fledgling fleet under your command and orders to investigate, you enter an epic struggle for galactic domination. Master the technology and tactics of three clashing races as you control strategic wormholes, maintain precious supply lines, and forge an empire from hundreds of unique units to attain total control of the galaxy.

Features:

• Dispatch orders to highly intelligent fleet admirals who implement your mission objectives, assess threats and react with organized tactics.
• An engaging sci-fi storyline chronicles the battle between three unique races over 16 episodic missions.
• Simultaneously control up to 16 interplanetary battle maps through the use of wormholes.
• Exploit an all- new dimension of strategic possibilities with Conquest’s exclusive supply line management features.

Features

• Fleet-based real-time strategy game set in deep space
• 16 episodic missions
• Simultaneously control up to 16 interplanetary battle maps
• Exclusive supply line management features
• For one or more players using Internet or LAN connection

Reviews (20)

Nvidia users beware
This is a great game that caught my eye. I bought it, installed it, ran it, saw the opening video, and the game crashed. A little thing no one mentions is that the game does not work with certain Nvidia cards. I myself have an Nvidia GoForce Fx Go5200. Apparently there is a downloadable patch to correct this issue but no matter where I downloaded it from, the game still failed to work for me.

It wasn't until after much hassel and tweaking (including lowering my hardware acceleration to almost none) that I was able to get the game to run. Even then it did not run properly. The pixels were very low so the detail was low as well.

Despite the graphics problems, once I was able to play the game I was instantly addicted. I especialy love the "multi system gameplay" brought about by the use of wormholes. As you can tell, the game mimics Starcraft to the point where it almost seems ridiculous. The only real differences are the game is based on a galactic scale, you may have to deal with several systems at once, meaning you better be pretty good at multi-tasking, and the 3D graphics.

Overall, unless you have an Nvidia graphics card, BUY THIS GAME!!!

havent played this game....I geuss it sounds good?
uhh....I think I'll buy it.

A great game that many will enjoy!
Conquest Frontier Wars is a great game! It has prooven ideas and techniques, as well as new ones that really make this game unique. Think of it as 4X meets RTS. The three races greatly resemble the Starcraft races not only in looks, but in the technology they use. But other than that, the races are unique from each other, yet well balanced. The graphics in this game are phenominal! Although not completely 3D, the Starfields, asteroid belts, planets, nebulae, etc. are very well done. The ships look even better. They are incredibly detailed, from the rotating laser turrets on the Terran battleships, to the Celearon's beautiful shine. The weapons are very believe not only technology wise, but looks to.

Raings: (1-10)

Graphics: 9
The graphics are beautiful, no aspect has been overlooked. The reason it isn't a 10 is that the ships, even on high reselution, aren't perfectly rendered on the edges, making them slightly jagged.

Sounds: 8
Most of the sound effects are very realistic and really draw you in. The weapon sounds fit perfectly in the battles, and each are unique, you can tell which ships are fireing. The main thing I don't like, is the way the mantis talk. Although cute at first, they get very annoying very quickly.

Gameplay: 10
The traditional RTS and 4X style games merge perfectly to create a game that will give you many hours of fun. The campain is only for terrans, but there is "training" for the other races. The multiplayer system works well, but few people have given this game a chance, so they are only a few people on at a time.

Replayability: 10
With 3 unique races, a great AI, multiplayer capability, and many ways to play the game, Conquest: Frontier Wars will give you so much fun for your money.

This is a great game and is greatly overlooked, so if you have [$$$] lying around, you can pick up a copy of this game like I did and enjoy one of the best computer games to date. But if you want to fully enjoy the game, be prepared to download the
40 Meg (est) patch. But trust me. It's worth it.

A Sleeper
When this game came out, the pictures I saw of the game made me think it was kind of hokey so I ignored it.Two weeks ago, I saw a copy of it for sale at a retailer and picked it up and checked it out.That afternoon, I went on Amazon.com and read the reviews.The reviews convinced me to give it a try.I bought it and it was terrific.Best space game I've seen in quite a while and there was nothing hokey about it.Its a good single/multiple player game playable at home or on the net.The graphics were great and very innovative.I was so impressed that I just bought a second copy of the game to give to a friend.Top of the line.Problem free.A lot of work went into this game and it shows.

This game is EXCELLENT!!! Buy it! Now!!!
Really folks, this game has tons of potential, but hardly anyone has ever heard of it. My friend got it as a birthday present, and I played it, and loved it. So I bought it. The races seem to have been ripped off from starcraft however. You can play as the Humans, the Mantis (zerg) or the Celaeron (protoss). However the campaign and gameplay is completely unique. Instead of just building on one planet, you build platforms orbiting planets. Each map consists of a certain number of systems, connected by wormholes. It's a very unique concept, and it's implemented perfectly. The only thing missing from this excellent game is a map editor. This certainly detracts from replayability, but there is a good random map gameplay (similar to age of empires/kings) and there is multiplayer support. But hey, at $..., this is a bargain! Get this game! If you like RTS, you will like this!! ... Read more

Features

• For 1 to 6 players using Internet or LAN
• Real-time strategy game set in pre-Renaissance England and France
• Develop economically, militarily, and politically
• Many different scenarios and play modes
• Intuitive interface

Reviews (1)

OK
This game comes from the same line of games as Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron.Two Thrones is not as good as EU, but can still be fun.The scope of the game (really only a strategic war between England and France) limits this game somewhat.AI is not very intelligent and easy to beat.This game is worth the price. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Rediscover the fun of a treasured childhood board game with Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion. With network play options and an animated "accusation screen" that incorporates your suspicions into an incriminating video, Clue is more mysterious and fun than ever.

There are two different ways to play: Classic and No Die Roll. Both include play with up to six human or computer opponents, three being the minimum. Computer players are offered to make up for missing challengers, and they can even play by themselves (which is almost worth it just to watch all the animated videos of the accused). Players must choose their character--Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Professor Green, and the rest from the original board game--receive the appropriate amount of cards dealt from ghostly hands, and step into Boddy Mansion.

The difference between the two types of gameplay lies in the title of No Die Roll. This version takes you beyond the dice of chance and provides a standard nine options for each turn. Be wary that some actions cost more options than others. Making a suggestion or taking a secret passage each costs three options, while steps to each room cost one.

The newfound enjoyment of the game lies in the graphics. You can view the board as a 3-D mansion, seeing the furniture, looking through the walls and the hidden passageways; or view it as the traditional playing board--which is not as snazzy, but is easier to navigate. Characters are well animated, whether they're walking through the mansion or displaying their prowess with candlesticks and ropes in the accusation screen (don't worry parents, it is more exciting than morbid). The only drawback in this new version is that you may have to ask your noncomputer opponents to close their eyes when you peek at your cards, but reverting to the pen and paper system won't hurt, and the game will be just as suspenseful as you remembered. --Madeleine Miller ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Online Gaming
The specs say that this game is playable online, however, the online function directs you to a page that is 404. If you are getting this game for online use I would not recomend this. If you are getting it just for personal fun or for use on a single computer, it may be a good investment.

Pretty Good Game
This game is pretty good and the service with Amazon was great. The game freezes but there should be a patch to download at the Hasbro website. Other than that it's fun!

Its a Gas!
I planned to give it to the Niece, but I keep playing it!When a character suggests a murder scenario, you see the dinner guest come after you with that weapon!You complete your 'scorecard' in colors so its a lot easier than the board game cards.If you dont have 3 people around, you play against novice or expert computer players.There's a slight delay after each player's move, but no more than kids around a coffee table.I cant stop Playing!

Fun To Play, Have never been able to complete
The game has never let me complete it. It freezes up and won't let me move accross the board. I have windows XP. Maybe the game isn't compatable.

Great Game
Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion is based on the famous board game.Clue has been a family favorite for over fifty years, and now it is available on CD. This game has VERY good graphics.The music is pretty nice, too.Each charactar looks almost LIFELIKE.After someone suggests, you will get a little surprise.There are "suggestion movies".For example, if you suggest Mrs. White with the revolver, a short movie will play of Mrs. White shooting the revolver.The first time I saw these movies, I was freeked out. I got used to them... The knife looks like it really went into YOUR flesh, and so on... For your convenience, there are "Auto-Notes". The computer will take notes for you.For instance, if you are Mr. Green, and you have the Dining Room, Hall, Ms. Scarlet, Rope, Mrs. Peocock, and Candlestick, you will fine small green squares next to that item in the list and a check mark next to it.You can click on the colored square to change the color, likewise with the check. It can be an X and other symbols.You can also write short notes about each item such as "Miss Scarlet might be the killer", or "The Lounge was the murder scene."

Overall, this game is VERY good and VERYVERY fun.
Thanks.

BUY IT NNOOWW!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Meglomania?
Based on the famous (infamous?) French wargame by the same name, Europa Universalis turns the unplayable boardgame into something manageable.It is a very ambitious grand strategic game which generally works.If you are a grognard you don't me to recommend this game - you would of already bought it.

If you are not a wargamer but have an interest in the period covered or want to see if you can beat historical Russia to the Pacific (historically 1659) this is the game for you.Be warned that the game has a steep learning curve and will take a few tries to truly master.

Be aware that you are very limited in terms of what you can do (limited by history).You are not totally forced into a historical mould but you are limited.It is almost impossible for Russia to compete in the new world, but you can get Siberia earlier then historical.Essentially, if the nation you are playing did something historically, you can usually do it earlier.If you try and do something a-historcal for that nation, it will be almost impossible.

Don't they play a game before releasing it?
This is, down underneath, a deep and fascinating game, as many reviewers say.But before we can appreciate these depths, we have to put up with several serious annoyances that compromise practical playability, and hence fun, in a major way.

The worst feature can be summarized in one word: pirates.

When the game is well along, one is continually distracted by the appearance of these vermin all over the globe.If you don't deal with them, you lose income from every maritime province next to which they hang out.Furthermore, if one of your fleets runs into a pirate on the way to a destination, it may stop to fight the pirate, win, and just sit there forever, forgetting where it was supposed to go.You can lose a large fleet this way if you don't discover the amnesia soon and remind it.

At first your warships may be simply too weak to take them on.Fair enough.Eventually, however, you can safely beat any number of pirate ships with one of yours.But this does not stop the little bastards from multiplying like flies.

You may discover that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: post just one ship in every sea sector next to your provinces, and they seldom give you trouble (in fact, this is useful even before you can beat them in a fight).However, your ships die of attrition when kept at sea.So you need to go around periodically, return each of them to the nearest port, and post it again.You must do this every few months at first.When you have done all your naval research, you can safely leave them out for a year and a half. Nevertheless, it's a major nuisance.You might need almost a hundred ships all over the world on pirate patrol, and if you miss returning any of themto port-- DISASTER!This micromanagement is, aside from tedious, totally unrealistic.I doubt that the King of Spain needed to give orders to each little ship in the Caribbean exactly when to stop at the nearest port for supplies.

What really rankles is that one of the research advances is said to be unlimited time at sea: in other words, you shouldn't have to worry about attrition.However, THIS IS A LIE.You can never overcome the problem.

Two other occasional inanities: you might have to engage natives in battle as much as thirty times (that's two or three mouse clicks each) to eradicate them from a province.You win each battle easily, but they're still there.Sometimes you can't see that you have made any progress at all.The click fest gets quite mindless and stultifying.There are, of course, hundreds of provinces in the world.Sixty clicks per province to clear out natives, times 400 provinces, equals repetitive stress syndrome.

Finally, events occur at more-or-less random times.You may be watching important action at one location, and suddenly a message pops up needing your attention somewhere else.You might forget to return to your first location after you have dealt with the interruption; and even if you remember, it's sometimes a chore finding it again.

We should be able to deal with these interrupts the same way a computer does: in either a stack or a queue, including being able to save where we were before one occurred.

With these improvements, I'd give the game a much higher rating.As it is, life is too short and patience limited. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

4 *****
This game was the best online game I ever played, it had action, history and best of all you could to get your friends to play with you.

Could lead to divorce....
Ok, granted, this not the best graphical game in the world.However, it's not about the graphics.For those that are looking for that "blow'em up" "shoot'em up" "Kill'em all and let God sort them out" type of game, look somewhere else.
Ultima is a game of patience, endurance, and above all else, creativity.
If you love games where you can choose to be the bad guy or good guy, to choose between being a warrior or a magician, basically where you can choose to be anything you want to be, this is the game to go with.

This is weird...
i've never played the game myself...well never ultima 9! what is this like

Warning - 3DFX required for Ultima IX
While Ultima Online may work ok for most video cards, anyone with a TNT, Radeon, or Geforce is not going to be able to play Ultima IX.Running a 1 gig AMD Thunderbird with 256MB RAM I can't get decent frame rates even on the lowest 640x480x16 settings.(Note: The box says it'll run on a P266).When I had my old 3DFX Voodoo 2 it ran fine.Be sure to take this into consideration when purchasing this bundle.If you don't have a 3DFX card, just get Ultima Online Third Dawn and save your cash.

Teh best online game there is.
Number 1. Im saying this to crw1998. Ive played this game for a year and a half. And u cant get jailed for saying "Im a pony." You can get BANNED or suspended for harrassing people after they tell you to stop. Anyways. This is one of the best online games. They came out with a new thing called Ultima Online Third Dawn. This will 3d enhance some of the graphics. You can be a variety of different professions. Even a theif! You can cast magic, or fight with sword and shield. Fight mongbats...dragons....Earth Elementals...etc! I recommend getting this game over and over again. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

In Star Trek: ConQuest Online, gamers assume the role of a Q, an all-powerful being who is anxious to reign most clever amongst a bevy of other Qs. By utilizing collectible pieces from Star Trek: The Next Generation, the player manipulates the galaxy, hoping to outwit the competition and emerge victorious.

Players start off with a predetermined set of pieces, constructed from a group of more than 150 characters, weapons, and ships, each with varying abilities and value. Players use their pieces to gain control of the planets in their quadrant, as well as to attack and fend off their opponent's pieces. A player wins by seizing control of the challenger's home planet and capturing the Q or by holding off an opponent long enough to rack up the necessary points. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

AWESOME! Star Trek: Conquest OPEN BETA available to download
AWESOME!!! Star Trek: Conquest OPEN BETA available to download.

AWESOME!!! I'm gonna give it a try after I do homework! AWESOME!!! (...)Activision's new online Star Trek game, "Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is at the Beta testing phase and Star Trek fans can get first crack. The open beta of the game is available for download.

"Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is a turn-based game in which players assume the role of a member of the Q Continuum to try to accumulate galactic real estate by taking over planets, and whoever ends up with the most planets wins.

Choosing from three types of game pieces (Ships, People and Items), players have to construct offensive and defensive forces to take over new planets and protect the ones they already control. Turns are broken down into three phases, Deploying pieces, Moving pieces and Attack/Defend.

The game is played online, with players going head-to-head from their own computers. Ultimately, once the testing is complete, the game will be available in stores featuring bonus pieces not available online. (...)

AWESOME! Star Trek: Conquest OPEN BETA available to download
AWESOME!!! I'm gonna give it a try after I do homework! AWESOME!!! (...)

Activision's new online Star Trek game, "Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is at the Beta testing phase and Star Trek fans can get first crack. The open beta of the game is available for download.

"Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is a turn-based game in which players assume the role of a member of the Q Continuum to try to accumulate galactic real estate by taking over planets, and whoever ends up with the most planets wins.

Choosing from three types of game pieces (Ships, People and Items), players have to construct offensive and defensive forces to take over new planets and protect the ones they already control. Turns are broken down into three phases, Deploying pieces, Moving pieces and Attack/Defend.

The game is played online, with players going head-to-head from their own computers. Ultimately, once the testing is complete, the game will be available in stores featuring bonus pieces not available online. (...)

AWESOME! Star Trek: Conquest OPEN BETA available to download
AWESOME!!! I'm gonna give it a try after I do homework! AWESOME!!!

(fill any spaces in the html link, Crankyland bug)

http://www.startrek.com/news/productnews.asp?ID=111879

Activision's new online Star Trek game, "Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is at the Beta testing phase and Star Trek fans can get first crack. The open beta of the game is available for download.

"Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is a turn-based game in which players assume the role of a member of the Q Continuum to try to accumulate galactic real estate by taking over planets, and whoever ends up with the most planets wins.

Choosing from three types of game pieces (Ships, People and Items), players have to construct offensive and defensive forces to take over new planets and protect the ones they already control. Turns are broken down into three phases, Deploying pieces, Moving pieces and Attack/Defend.

The game is played online, with players going head-to-head from their own computers. Ultimately, once the testing is complete, the game will be available in stores featuring bonus pieces not available online.

http://www.startrek.com/news/productnews.asp?ID=111879

AWESOME!!! Star Trek: Conquest OPEN BETA available to downlo
AWESOME!!! I'm gonna give it a try after I do homework! AWESOME!!!

(fill any spaces in the html link, Crankyland bug)

http://www.startrek.com/news/productnews.asp?ID=111879

Activision's new online Star Trek game, "Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is at the Beta testing phase and Star Trek fans can get first crack. The open beta of the game is available for download.

"Star Trek: ConQuest Online" is a turn-based game in which players assume the role of a member of the Q Continuum to try to accumulate galactic real estate by taking over planets, and whoever ends up with the most planets wins.

Choosing from three types of game pieces (Ships, People and Items), players have to construct offensive and defensive forces to take over new planets and protect the ones they already control. Turns are broken down into three phases, Deploying pieces, Moving pieces and Attack/Defend.

The game is played online, with players going head-to-head from their own computers. Ultimately, once the testing is complete, the game will be available in stores featuring bonus pieces not available online.

http://www.startrek.com/news/productnews.asp?ID=111879

A Poor Game- Activision at its Worst
Aside from the fact that the game is painfully complex and boring, the thing that got me the most is that after you spend money to buy the game-- you have to spend MORE money to actually win against opponants. It's like buying a car, and then having to pay extra for the keys, it's simple exploitation. Activision ought to be ashamed of itself. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Ares Rising is a space-combat simulation game that combines the action of space combat with strategic planning and a gripping plot. A branching story line allows you to chart various courses to success and to replay the game in many different ways. You take responsibility for making alliances, purchasing equipment, and ultimately tipping the balance of power. Ares Rising brings together the best strategy, combat, resource-allocation, and storytelling elements to enable a degree of player freedom rarely achieved in other games. ... Read more

Features

• Choose from 14 of the funniest racers out there -- from a gangster, to a cowgirl to a rock singer
• Get behind the wheel of 9 awesome racing machines and race everywhere from the lunar surface to the Vegas Strip
• Race against friends, the computer or the clock as you burn rubber across the rain forest and the Great Pyramids
• Quick pit stops keep you running at top speed, and the mysterious weapons boxes add a new level of competition
• Multi-player options for playing through a LAN or Internet connection

Amazon.com Product Description

Rule the skies in World War II's most fearsome air force, the German Luftwaffe. Using 10 flyable aircraft, including the mighty Me-109 and the experimental Me-262 jet, players can terrorize Allied forces as they fly missions in five combat areas with more than 500,000 square miles of terrain. ... Read more

Features

• Combine elements and strategy of chess with all kinds of customizable features, for wild gameplay
• Customize the board, piece graphics & animations, and sound effects -- this makes it a unqiue gameplaying experience every time!
• Play against the computer or another person, through a LAN or Internet connection
• Don't let the game's simplicity fool you -- this an involved game that will provide hours of challenge!
• Spanish & French versions included

Amazon.com Product Description

Friday Game Night is the answer for fun and games for everyone in the family. Grab the snacks and play programmed characters or that uncle who likes to cheat. He has to obey all the rules here and no one has to worry about keeping score--everything is automatic, easy, and pure fun. ... Read more

Features

• For 1 to 7 players using LAN or Internet
• Strategic game set in Napoleonic era
• Based on popular board game
• Beautiful graphics and simple interface
• Build armies while conducting diplomacy

Reviews (6)

Real-time battles - a shortfall
A strategy war game without real-time battles is not for me. The TOTAL WAR concept is my idea of the ideal strategy war game - a strategy "board" game with battles in real time.

Response to Chessboa
Even though i have yet to play this game, most other Matrix games are low budget and low quality. That is why i rate it 2 stars.

To most people, hex-style, or 2D games are very uninviting and aren't the fast action shooters that use graphics to grab your attention. The best game that i have played is Hearts of Iron, by Strategy First. This game, although 2D, is the most strategic and fun to play game i have ever played, but it doesnt have a ton of fans due to the low-end graphics.

4 stars for the game; the 5th when I see the comp. version
EIA is the best Napoleon era war game I've played.It's complicated, but the game play is rather simple.The diplomacy is probably one of the biggest attributes.The fighting is secondary to a good statesman.

Empires in Arms™ is the computer version of Australian Design Group classic board game. Empires in Arms™ is a seven player game of grand strategy during the Napoleonic period of 1805-1815. Playable either solitaire, by email or over the Internet. Corps level with full diplomatic options to allow players complete freedom to fight it out for control of Europe any way they want to. The map is divided up into provinces providing an attractive look.

The game moves in monthly turns where diplomacy and builds are conducted.Within the monthly turns there area variable number of impulses where corps and fleets move about. All movement is simultaneous with battles occurring at the end of the impulse.
Battles are resolved by players both picking a strategy and fighting a series of rounds in an attempt to break the enemy. Make and break alliances, declare war, invade minor nations, propose peace terms, build armies of landwehr, regulars, guards,light cavalry, heavy cavalry and artillery. Many historical leaders from the period are included to command corps and fleets, from Admiral Nelson to Marshall Davout to the Pashas of the Ottoman Empires.
All of this is at your disposal as you attempt to bring as much "glory" to your Empires as possible. The winner of the game is the Empires that has maximized the amount of "glory" points it receives throughout the game.

For those of you that are not familair with Australian Design Group here is some information on the company and their products. ADG was formed in 1982, by a group of Canberra gaming enthusiasts lead by Harry Roland and Greg Pinder. Their first game published was Empiress In Arms™

See for yourself at:
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A Response to Chessboa
First --since this game has yet to be released and I am not a beta-tester--I have not played this game (yet). This rating applies to the board game and the estimated potential of the to-be-released computer game under development by Matrix Games.

I feel compelled to respond to Chesboa "review" as to the relevance of the game's format and hopefully to counterbalance that viewpoint with a little bit of reality. It is clear in C's review that he/she has an agenda--to promote 3D gaming, whether or not that is the appropriate forum for a particular game.

I have played wargames for decades (long before there was such a thing as a "computer game"). Since the PC revolution of the mid-1980s, I have experienced firsthand the development of computer games from DOS to Windows XP. To say that this game shouldn't be bought simply because it doesn't incorporate 3D graphics is analogous to saying you shouldn't buy a particular lawn mower because it doesn't sport a Hemi engine. The real question to ask is: Is the presentation format and gaming engine appropriate to the purpose and scope of the game?

Empires in Arms (EiA) is, IMHO, the best strategic-level Napoleonic wargame ever developed. Though a bit complex, it is not terribly complicated, and that's a wonderful (and all-too-difficult) balance to strike...it is organized at the Corps level, and those Corps were the WMDs of their day...the right arm of France, England, Austria, Prussia, Turkey, Russia, and Spain (the seven major powers in the game) as they furthered their national ambitions beyond their own borders. While the focus is on strategic warfare (with a bit of tactics mixed in when the Corps meet on the battlefield), the real joy comes from the political machinations of the national leaders (the players). Politics is the singular most important aspect of the game, and the most fun...striking bargains (and sometimes breaking them) is the heart of EiA. Maneuvering Corps around a world map is merely a means to the end of political negotiation. All is supported by a manpower/monetary system that reins in ambition with reality, and the consequences of your actions are tracked on a Political Chart. At the end of the game, the player with the most political points (not the most armies, necessarily) is the winner.

Unlike a game like, say, Medal of Honor, 3D graphics in EiA would be totally superfluous-eye candy at best. The tactics in EiA are minimal, although very important. When armies meet, each commander chooses a "chit" such as "outflank" or "echelon," and a series of die rolls determines the victor-this is the limit of tactics in the game). EiA is a strategic (God's-eye-view) game of global conquest, not a first-person shooter. To say that you shouldn't buy the game simply because it doesn't support 3D graphics is a silly argument on its face. If you're looking for Medal of Honor, EiA isn't your game. If you're looking for an intelligent game about the Napoleonic Wars that works on the economic, strategic, and most especially the political level, then EiA (the board game) is for you. How well Matrix interprets the board game is yet to be seen, but the game has been several years in development, and the message boards are encouraging. I urge you to visit the forums at matrixgames.com or do a Google search on "Empires in Arms" to find out more about both the board game and its interpretation currently in development by Matrix.

A Long Awaited Game
This game is the computer version of the boardgame, "Empires in Arms," Published by ADG.This game is a multiplayer strategy game re-enacting the Napoleonic conflict of the early 19th century.Finding seven players to "move pieces around a board" is at times difficult... particularly if you live in South Dakota.

While we have yet to see the quality of the AI... early reports are optimistic.This game will allow you to play a fantastic boardgame without the difficulty of arranging a "meeting."

Send the Game Publishers a message... BUY this game, simply because it is a well thought out and designed game.Maybe it doesn't have three dimensional views of "aiming a cannon at the oncoming cavalry."But it will teach you about Napoleonic strategy.It will let you play a true multiplayer game without a plethora of warm bodies.It will update a classic boardgame.

Buy it, and enjoy. ... Read more