Product Description

The evil Sigma had started a war of fury on Earth in an attempt to annihilate the human race.Mega Man X8 begins after the fall out of this battle, which left the planet in shambles, and forced humans to look for a new home.In an effort to rebuild, a new generation of robot Reploids was built by the earths people in order to ready the moon for colonization.This new group possessed advanced capabilities, including the ability to copy other Reploids.Unfortunately, Sigma had corrupted t ... Read more

Features

• Three playable characters with varying strengths and special abilities. Mega Man X - Equipped with his trusty charge shot, Zero - A master of short range attacks with the ability to double jump and Axl - Armed with a spread shot weapon and hovering skills.
• Enhanced tag team action. Switch between two characters at any time to effectively defeat enemies. --Rescue change - Standby character can provide backup support when the main character is caught in enemy clutches.--Double attack - Attack enemies to fill up a special gauge and unleash a powerful two-player simultaneous attack!--Recovery gauge - Health gauges for standby characters refill according to how well the main character performs in battle.--Combo counter - Recovery items are only
• Three Navigator types - Pick a Navigator at the beginning of a stage; each offers a stage strategy, an enemy strategy or story supplements.
• Collect "metal" from defeated enemies - Use as building blocks for valuable power-up chips.
• Ability to use weapons obtained from defeated bosses.

Reviews (9)

The best Megaman x game yet
this game is better than the last x games, but this isn't the best Megaman game ever. The game has a decent diffulculty, but some people may find that they die all the time which may ruin the fun. The game has somewhat decent replay value, but you may get tired from all repetition. Overall, this is the best x game yet and Capcom should keep making all of their x games this good.

This game is awsome what are you people smoking?!?!?!?
I can't believe you people calling this game a bad game you guysobviously suck at Mega Man games because this X game is a lot of fun. Sigma,Vile just like all times. This is the best X game I think. Anyways get better at games and wright another time K!?!

Can't think of a good title
I will start by saying is not as bad as some say. Most they do have a point the spikes that automatic kill are getting old fast. 2 of my stars came the boss battles. Though they names are silly like Optic Sunflower who can't tell is a boy or a girl. A half a star came the music and graphics. They are good don't get me wrong but they are not that important to me. The last little bit came from the villians, the story which I get why the largest elevator is so important,the metals which are expensive but some are worth it, and the longivty because I think this the longest on in the series. I never played x4 so I don't know if this the best. Well is all folks. Later.

Better than X7, but the series is getting tiring now
After Mega Man X's glory days on the SNES and X4 on the PSX, it seems that the series can't stack up anymore.Mega Man X8 is a lot better than number 7, but there are some parts of the formula that need to be changed a little.The series has now become tiring, not offereing anything new and innovative, and has now become basically, Mega Man X7 all over again in a different light.

The only truly good thing about this game is that they ditched the 3D design.It failed in X7 and unfortunately, was the only mistake CAPCOM learned from it.

Let's start with the basics, and the only thing we really play Mega Man X for now: the gameplay.It's recycled of course, but now it's just getting old.The Mega Man X series is now over ten years old, and they haven't done much of anything to up the gameplay experience.

The tagteam system is neat.You select either X, Zero, or Axl and go into a level.You select two characters, each with their own abilities.X is good for long range combat, Zero for close range and Axl can hover and shoot in all kinds of angles.You can switch between the two by simply pressing L2.They can also perform a horrible looking Matrix-like combo.Other than this, Mega Man X8 doesn't introduce anything new.

The level designs are tedious and horrific.You'll often times be faced with having to die several times just to memorize where instant-kill spikes are, pits and platform are.In previous games, I didn't have to worry so much about being blind as it was foreshadowed. In all essence, it's annoying.I suffered several deaths that could've been avoided.

The levels also have no innovation anymore.They're too short, and they get repetative too fast.Anyone (and it's actually probably everyone) who has played the Mega Man X series before is finding nothing new in these levels.

Perhaps what makes me the most upset, is that ever since X5 the capsules have changed for the worst.Since X5 finding the capsules has become more of a chore simply because before you can put the armor on you must have all four parts!It's annoying, especially when you don't know where the capsules are.Luckily, they aren't hard to find.It also sucks that Zero and Axl don't get upgrades.At least in this one, you can put pieces of an armor on seperately.

I can't believe how the bosses have changed.Their names are ridiculous now, and they seem to be ripoffs of enemies found in Star Wars and previous Mega Man X games.They can be a challenge, but the rewards aren't worthwhile anymore, and because of tagteaming, they just aren't that challenging anymore.

Also, I'm getting really tired of having Sigma be the final boss all the time.It worked in the SNES days, but now it's just stupid.How many times do we have to kill Sigma before we can just be done with him?And even sadder, the game tries to "surprise" you by making him the final boss.

What a yawn.

The music is fairly forgettable, and the voice acting is terrible.I also don't like Mega Man, Zero and Axl screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" every time they die.With how many times you'll die in this game, it's annoying.

Really, the Mega Man X series is washed up.Yes, this is 2D, and yes it's better than X7.But the heart of the X series was in the first four games.There's nothing new here, and they seem to have forgotten some elements that made the X-Series fun in the first place.

This is only worth a rent.The last X game worth buying was Mega Man X4 on the PSX.Buy that one instead, it's way better.Other than that, the Mega Man Zero series on the GBA is also quite nice.Check out earlier X games, and the Zero series.Much better games.

Better than the last few games, but still old and tired...
I have to shake my head in utter disbelief at how far the Mega Man X series has fallen from its glory days on the SNES and it's first outing, X4, for the PSX. Then again it's really not hard to see why looking at the last few games, but I can't fathom how Capcom let this happen...

Mega Man X8 does manage to make many improvments over it's prevoius predecessors. First and most notably is the revamping of the tag team system started in X7. Now when one of your characters bites the big one, the other jumps in and continues the fight (which didn't happen in X7), and the ability do tag team moves (which includes a impressive ripoff the Matrix movies due to its look) and revive fallen comrades through use of the attack gauge which fills when you combo, is a welcome change.

X8 also ditches any attempt of going into full-out 3D gameplay like X7 (which we all know was a complete failure). Only two stages (the hover bike levels) break the 2D game with 3D graphics design. The voice acting is also a huge improvement over X6 (which didn't include english voice acting at all) and X7 (which had english voice acting but was horrid).

Unfotunately, these improvements can't hide the fact the rest of the gameplay has been recycled over half a dozen times. Almost all of X8's stages can be compared to level concepts in previous games, which is only natural considering the series is over ten years old, but it's just a little too obvious when you get that feeling of deja vu, or when your asking yourself why your even playing this game in first place.

This feeling is enforced further by the fact Capcom went to the trouble of ressurecting one of the more "classic" and "cooler" Mega Man X villians (I'm not gonna tell you and ruin it for you, but who really cares at this point?) for this installment, but you'll ultimately realize bringing this character back from the junk heap (for the second freakin time mind you!) is just another sorry ploy to arouse player interest and avoid having to put to much creativity and thought into creating new villians. Storywise, X8 has a better plot than many of the prevoius games, but that really doesn't matter as Capcom never really gave any of the X games a truly great story or a twist you talk about for years to come (well they did come close in X5 with the whole Zero thing, but they screwed that up in X6).

X8 is not a bad game, but it definaitely is not a great game in any way, shape, or form. If your just getting into Mega Man X, do yourself the biggest favor (and save some money) and buy Mega Man X4 for the PSX (which is the best game in the series in my opinion, and is a greatest hit - I wonder why that is?) If your a fan, you probably already have that, but I honestly can't recommend buying X8 for it's retail price of $40 (no, wait, $39.95). The game is honestly not worth buying for that much. Wait for price to come down, buy a used one, rent it, or borrow it off a friend that bought it.

Hopefully X9 will be the last game in the series (cause their was only nine original Mega Man games, excluding the Game Boy games and side games - it would make sense). If Capcom is not going to let the game evolve beyond it's tired and true boundries, or even add somekind of two player mode, then I rather the series be put out of its misery that countinue making so-and-so sequels. ... Read more

Features

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

Reviews (1)

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

Product Description

New courses, awesome special effects and supercharged engines take the next installment of the smash hit racing game to the next level of speed. ... Read more

Features

• Listen to hot radio station style music as you race
• Highly detailed game environments
• For 1 or multiplayer with Xbox live or System Link cable
• Challenge your driving skills in high-performance vehicles
• You are rewarded for driving fast, skillfully, and keeping car damage to a minimum

Reviews (75)

wow
Ijust bought this game and its amazing you have to buy it!!!!

One of the best racing games ever!!!!!!!!
Project Gotham Racing 2 is an awesome game!!!!! You get lot's of sweet cars, racing environments, graphics, with and online play!!! Their is lot of game time involved with Kudos Racing, Arcade Racing, multi- player. Awesome Graphics + Ferrari,Porsche,Jaguar, GT, Mini,Audi, Ford/Chevy/Dodge, classics,Renault,Suburau,Lamborghini: The list goes on forever!!! If you want me to name some specific cars I will:
Ferrari Enzo, Ford GT, Dodge Viper, Jaguar XJ220,Lamborghini Diablo, Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3 SE, Porsche 365/classic,Jaguar XKR,and many, many more!!! You also race on courses in Toyko,Yokohama,Sydeny,Paris,Moscow,London,Chicago, Washington D.C., Edinburg, and many other places. If I would of listed everything my hands would go numb!!! The only reason I gave it a 4/5 is because their are other games like Gran Trismo 4,and the Burnout games. This game and Gran Trismo 4 give you the best graphics!!! For any racer or car junkie this is a must have!!! The Online Experience also makes this a game you will keep playing for years!!! You can also customize your musig and everything; awesome huh!!!

Doesn't get any better...
It just doesnt get any better than online racing with Project Gotham 2. Without XBOX live, this is a decent game, fun to try and beat the game on the difficulty levels from easy to VERY difficult (known as platinum). but WITH xbox live, and the ability to race all the cars and all the tracks with tons of people LIVE is what makes this awesome. If youve got XBOX live, this is a no brainer for the price!

Currently, my favorite racing game.
Project Gotham Racing #1 was extremely fun, providing the gamer with many different kinds of cars to choose from, (however most of them had to be unlocked which was a bummer) a lot of maps to choose from, and plus multiplayer mode.

Now PGR2 features even MORE cars then the 1st one, a lot more maps then the first one and what is best is that it has online capabilities.

Graphics: The graphics in PGR2 are amazing. The car models look extremely realistic and the background design is over average. To bad there aren't any cutscenes though...

Gameplay: The gameplay is PGR2 is pretty simple/self explanatory. Race your car and win! Thats practically it. However, PGR2 includes a feature that no other racing game does. Kudos! By cutting sharp turns, you earn a certain amount of Kudos which goes towards your "Kudos Jar." Some races depend on the abount of Kudos that you collect, some races depend on whether you come into 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. It all depends. This, i found was very unique and a cool aspect on PGR2.

Audio: The audio all depends on whether you like rap/hip hop music or not. If you like it, you will give the audio feature a 5/5, if you dont, then you will most likely give it a 2/5 or a 1/5 if you HATE the rap music that blares out of the radio in your car.

Online: The online feature in PGR2 is cool. You can basically only race your opponents online and trash talk them which is very fun! Plus there is downloadable content.

As a result, if you are a fan of Project Gotham Racing #1, you will fall in love with Project Gotham Racing #2!

Fun for online play, but grossly unrealistic
The game is fun if you're interested in playing bumper cars, but unrealistic otherwise.The majorityof the courses are easy to beat even at gold level, with about 10% being an unreasonable pain in the butt.Winning a race usually involves pushing other cars around (the game rewards you for this), and be ready to be spun around yourself - the computer will aim to hit you if you're heading the race by taking the inside line and ramming you as you're taking the corner.Should you try to do the same, you'll have a much harder time, as cars controlled by the computer are very resilinient to being bumped and in some law-of-nature defying manner just keep no racing faster than you.

A major nuissance is that you're always started at the last spot, and often the game will race perfectly until the last lap, where the leader makes a dumb mistake and bumps into a wall.. this game really tries your patience.

On the up side, graphics are fun, as is the option to pick your own music.Online game play is a lot of fun though, as everyone's on a level playing field.I swear the computer cheats when you're playing against it! ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 32169 VENDOR- THQFEATURES- Nicktoons Movin' Eye ToyJoin your hosts, SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star as theytake kids through an amazing new gameplay experience. The Eye Toy allows players to literally be put inside the videogame, where they must use their own body movements to control the action in 13 different minigames. All the mini-games are based on popular Nickelodeon TV shows including SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly Odd Parents, Jimmy Neutron, Rocket Power and Danny Phantom (brand new show!), along with special cameo appearances from other Nicktoons.* 13 different mini-games all based on popular Nickelodeon cartoons - take SpongeBob bowling, fix Cosmo and Wanda s fish bowl, go for a drive with Mrs. Puff, help Timmy smash robots, use Danny Phantom s superhero powersto trap spooky ghosts, assist Jimmy Neutron with a high-powered rocketlanding or play a game of street hockey with Otto* Multi-player action for up to 8 playersAuthentic voice talent from the most popular Nickelodeon cartoons-- SPECIFICATIONS ----------------------------------- ESRB Rating: E for Everyone Genre/Category : Platform System : Nintendo GameBoy Advance Number of Players: 1~8Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theTHQ 32169 - Nicktoons GBA and all other THQ Video Game Handheld Soft ... Read more

Features

• Play as up to 5 different Nicktoons (SpongeBob SquarePants, Timmy Turner, Danny Phantom, Otto Rocket, Tommy Pickles) - each with their own unique moves and characteristics
• For the first time ever, take playable Nicktoons characters to other popular Nickelodeon worlds (i.e. SpongeBob can visit Fairly OddParents universe)
• A giant assortment of Nicktoons to discover and interact with from all the popular Nickelodeon TV shows
• Arcade style gameplay and special bonus objectives offer great replayability
• Includes characters from two new Nickelodeon TV shows - Danny Phantom and Rugrats - All Grown Up

Reviews (1)

SB,Zim,FOP, & JN packed in one oh boy!
This game was extremely fun.The plot is Nicktoons are misplaced in otehr worlds by Invader Zim!It's up to jimmy Noetron & a cast of Nicktoons to save the Nicktoon world.
Playable characters:
Spongebob Squarepants
Otto Rocket
Danny Phantom 20% of photo albulm complete
Timmy Turner Fairly Odd Parents world complete
Tommy Pickles(grown up)40% of photo albulm complete
Arnold 60% of photo albulm complete
Jimmy Nuetron End of game & yes the villan
Invader Zim!100% of photo albulm complete
Must have for Nicktoon fans! ... Read more

Features

• The first and only way to experience complete Quidditch matches
• Play as any one of four Hogwarts Houses
• Play all the Quidditch positions and execute all the high-flying moves
• Play as characters from the books, including Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and more
• For 1 player

Reviews (9)

Good Choice for Harry Potter fan.
I was really excited when I got this game. I love the books and don't mind playing games either. I'm not a game freak who plays constantly, just on trips and stuff. This game is really fun, it catches the Quidditch spirit in everyone. In this game you can be any of the seven players. There isn't much difference between the keeper and chasers they all just fly around and you can't tell them apart. This game is really nice and a good choice for any Harry Potter fan who has dreamed of being out there playing with the quaffle or chasing down the snitch. This game is really easy to catch on to. At low levels it is really easy. You can dominate even if you've only played a little bit. However, the firebolt level keeps even the master in check. If I were you, I would get this game.

Not a bad game, but they could have done better
i think that this is by far the best of the potter games, altho i haven't tried out the new prisoner of azkaban game. i do have to say that i love the books, and i am a very causual gamer. I play this game loads, and i really do enjoy it. in contradiction with one of the reviews i just read, i find it terribly easy to score over 150 pts in a game before the snitch chase, and the world cup games get harder as you go on. overall i think it's brilliant.

What are you all talking about?
I've been reading reviews for this game, and I had thought I had a guarenteed great game in my hand after i bought it. I guess I thought wrong. I am about 14 years old and have read the potter books and like them alot. THis game is very disapointing. SOme of you might be familiar with the scoring system in quidditch: 10 pts. for each time the quaffle (main playing ball) goes through one of the goal-like hoops, and 150 pts. for when the seeker catches that darn golden snitch. Now, I say they either change the rules of quidditch, or make a sequal to the game. I dont think they can go back and change all those books. To me, all this game is is flying around tossing the quaffle back and forth, until the time comes to try and catch the snitch before the other team does. The game works it out so that when there are enough steals, special moves and passes during a game, it automatically goes right to the catching of the snitch. I feel the quaffle part of this game is completly pointless because the way the game makes it, whoever catches the snitch wins. It almost never get to you scoring 150 points with the quaffle before the hunt for the snitch is on, so why even have the quaffle play in it. Basically, this game just comes down to the 1 minute hunt for the snitch at the end.

If you are a collector of harry potter memorabilia, Go ahead and get the game. Other than that, spend your money on a good game like Metroid Zero Mission or Super dodge ball advance

THE BESTgame ever!!!!!!!!!
I've only played this once but it is sooooooooo cool!The graphics are alot batter then the old ones.I am sooooooooo geting this.If your a Harry Potter fan I think you should too.

Awesome Game!!!!!!!!!!(Even if ur not a Harry Potter Freak)
This is a really cool game and I was so happy when Draco was on the cover. He has finnaly been given the attention he deserves! You can play as the four Hogwarts houses and then you can move on to the Quiditch world cup. You can also play as two players. I always beat my brother. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

In Super Monkey Ball, you're in control of a cute little monkey trapped inside a transparent ball. The objective of the game is deceptively simple: tilt the floor with your analog stick so that your monkey ball rolls towards the goal. Your success is all in the thumb: the more you tilt, the faster the ball rolls. Just be sure not to fall off the edges! You can play with up to four others to see who can master the tilt and get their monkeys to the finish line ahead of the pack. ... Read more

Reviews (153)

The best game ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I played it twice and just had to buy it!! Everyone should like this game so just BUY IT!!!

Excellent Game
My family enjoys the Mario Party games, and are always looking for games that are similar in gaming style.This is a really comparable game with a lot of interesting ideas.There are many ways to play each with benefits.

There is regular play which is much like the old "Marble" game, piloting a ball up and down slopes, across narrow passages, until you reach the goal.It gets harder as you go higher in stages.In this method of play you can earn points to unlock more games such as bowling.

In party mode, you can race, fight, and play monkey target (my personal favorite).Monkey target is rolling your ball down a hill, and then taking off for flight at the end of the ramp.Then you navigate the ball through the air trying to reach one of the targets.Close the ball when you think you have good aim, and hope you stay on receiving points for where you landed on the target.

Definately a good game for a group of people, and entertaining enough to hold a solo player's interests.

not for kids who want to win
I had never heard of the Gamecube title called Super Monkey Ball before I walked into my friend's bedroom to find it sitting on the shelf.I proceeded to inspect the game case and eventually realized my friend was actually playing the game at the time.So I sat down and watched him for a bit before he eventually asked me if I'd like a go.I said sure and within 24 hours I owned this mother of a gem.

If you've never played this game or it's sequel, you are missing out on some serious fun.

For starters, there is a pretty good amount of things to do in this game, from the basic story mode, which is insanely difficult for the most part, to the mini-games, like bowling and flying.The games are fun and addictive, espescially with a friend or two.You will find yourself going round after round, rolling down a huge ramp only to be shot off the end and launched into the clear blue sky.You then open your ball up and use it as a glider to navigate your monkey through the air and try to land of score specific targets floating in the water.If you miss, you fall in the water and get nothing except a whining monkey, who is also drowning for a brief period of time.

I can't really say too much about this game that isn't just praising the fun level of it.There really is no story, you are just a group of monkeys and for some reason they are in balls.I really don't know the story behind that.

So go out and buy this game, or have a swarm of angry, monkey-toting balls on your hands...wait a minute, that doesn't sound right...

Wicked fun for everyone
So cool every one has a blast. You can race fight and all the time your monkey its so wicked cool!

It's great!
Hey everyone, I just wanted to say that supermonkey ball is a nice, safe and fun game. I really enjoyed the racing. I played it with my brother and we had a great time. This is a good family game. There are a lot of party games to choose from, and they are all fun. So if you were thinking about buying it you should, I promise you won't regret it! ... Read more

Features

• Total running time of 44 minutes
• Note to customers: This is not a game
• Video cartridge that plays on the Game Boy Advance
• Includes three short episodes of popular Nicktoons TV shows

Reviews (5)

Keeps my son busy on long trips!
I bought this for my son for Christmas of 2004.I wasn't sure how often he would watch it.He loves to watch it over and over.It's great for long car trips or rainny days.I'm not sure what the other reviewer was talking about when she said it wouldn't work with her sons game boy advance.I know there are older versions of the game boy, so maybe that's it.This does work with the Game Boy Advance SP.. (the new ones that are squares, not the rectangular older ones).

Misleading
I bought this for my son for Christmas because he wanted the new VideoNow but already has a Game Boy Advance.I figured that this would be just as good.Well, it won't work.The box states that it's not compatible with other Game Boy systems or the Game Boy Player accessory.Nowhere on his Game Boy does it say "player accessory," but the video won't play, showing on the screen that it won't play on a "player accessory." I'm at a loss for what to do now.

Great fun!
My daughter spends hours watching this "video".Whenever we are in the car it keeps her entertained.It is so much easier to carry around than a portable DVD player.I am going to get her more.

This should've been done earlier!
GBA Videos in General:
When I first heard the concept of GameBoy Advance Video, I thought to myself "Why didn't they think of this before?" It gives off yet another reason to purchase a GBA, putting its excellent graphical specs to good use. I own a GBA SP, and have purchased many of these videos. They're excellent for in the car...when not driving, of course. Especially with the lighting of the SP, the screen has the quality of what looks like a high-grade television, the only real drawback being that the screen is small. Even though I don't use it myself, if you have one of those gameboy magnifiers that you look through to give yourself an expanded view of gameplay, you could certainly use it to make the videos look larger. In all, these are great to buy, especially if you own a Gameboy Advance or Gameboy Advance SP, and it will give you another reason to buy one if you don't already own one (let me quickly say that if you're buying a Gameboy for the first time, I'd spend the little bit of extra cash and go for the SP instead of the regular GBA). I also highly recommend the Headphone Adaptor if you own the SP, as it is needed in order to plug in headphones. If you have a regular GBA, make sure you have some headphones to use as they greatly increase the sound experience of the video.

Nicktoon Compilation:
This is an excellent GBA video for the nick-lover, like myself. This was the first GBA video I purchased, and did so knowing that I'd having a few different of the shows I like on it, and could check out the quality/etc. on all of them. If you don't like Nickelodeon, maybe this isn't for you, but otherwise, I'd say this is a wise choice, particularly for a first buy.

Conclusion:
All in all, the whole GBA Video concept is, in my opinion, superb. No extra hardware or anything; you just pop in a video like you would a game, and.....presto! You're ready to go!

Great for young kids!
I bought this video for my 3 kids ages 9, 5 and 3. They had been wanting a video now. I'm glad I waited. They love it! The 5 year old watches it the most. I plan on buying more videos. I bought this one because it had 3 different shows. I hope they come out with more like this one. ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 39926VENDOR- CRAVEFEATURES- World Championship PokerYou think of yourself as a force to be reckoned with in the world ofpoker? Or maybe you just want to improve your game? No matter whatyour goal, let World Championship Poker put you at the table withthe pros. Developed for the PlayStation2 computer entertainmentsystem, Xbox and Game Boy Advance, World Championship Poker putsyou in the thick of the action, just like in popular televisedtournaments. Sit under the lights and play classic games such as five-card drawor seven-card stud. Or try something different like billabongpoker. Set up individual games or enter a tournament with literallyhundreds of players to see if you can make your way into thefinals. * Multi-PlayerEngage in head-to-head action with live opponents. If your console has Internet connectivity (Ethernet/modem for PlayStation2 or Xbox Live for Xbox are required for online play), you can deal in with your friends, or get in on a game with players you have never met before. And for those with voice chat capabilities, you can also sling table banter back and forth. PlayStation2 owners with EyeToy USB cameras attached can add to the experience by displaying live portraits during play. -- SPECIFICATIONS -------------------------------------- ESRB Rating : E for Everyone Genre/Category: Cards System: Playstation2 On-Line Compatible: YesNice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theCrave 39926 - World Championship Poker PS2 and all other Crave Video Game Acc ... Read more

Features

• Six types of poker, including Texas Holdem, Five Card Draw and Pineapple.
• Poker tutorials, as well as hints and tips on strategy.
• Multi-Player via GameSpy for the PlayStation2.
• Fully customizable characters.
• Eye-Toy support for the PlayStation 2.

Reviews (17)

Ok, but not realistic
Unfortunately many of these games are not realistic.The only way to get that kind of experience is in a real cardroom or playing online.If you are going to play online, make sure you visit a site like www.gotbonus.com for more information.

Not great but certainly worth the price tag
First off for the record i can't get enough of Poker, and this game for the most part is exactly what i wanted in a PS2 game. I don't plan on playing this online (lets face it there are alot of better online options then any console game could ever deliver) but as an at home single player game it's certainly a solid game.

The game does have a couple problems which keeps it from a better score though. Most importantly the computer controlled characters can be a little predictable (very few real players check as often as the A.I. does in the game) and i wish there were alot more options for types of games such as five card draw.

However despite those problems there is much to like such as the huge 60-100 person tournaments and the ability to track your long term success and build a bankroll.

A great practice tool for the beginner or the more experienced player and a nice relaxing change of pace from alot of the other games i enjoy playing.

If you love poker how can you really go wrong for $20?

A Waste of Money!!!!!!
This game is a great How to Play learning guide because of the variety of Poker Games available but let's face it. Everybody is playing hold em these days. The offline play is horrible on it's most difficult setting. The play of the AI will never make since. The only place to have fun with this game is online and that has continued to do nonthing but get worse. I've completely stop playing this game there are just too many other free options that move alot quicker and it's easier to get games started. Setting up a game or finding a game to play in is by far the most difficult task and I'm almost never successful setting up one online, I'm always joining someone else game and sit & go's are never available. This game has a ton of potential should they choose to make another version for next it could be great. Possibly ad some multiple table options made be just what they need to do make hosting and joining games easier. They need to look at their internet competition and beat them. Online is where it's at for real gamers of any sort and this games online interface is horrible. Not to mention win you bust a player an a high limit the player simply shut's off his machine as not to lose the money he's played on choosing to record his positive earnings. There's no way to make people play the game the right or sort the good player from the bad player by virtue of their bank roll. Ex. You start a game with $100,000 and lose it, just turn off the game reload your character and bame theirs your money. This pronblem wrecks the gameplay not to mention what happens when that person is the host if the server doesn't migrate correctly then the entire game is fragged.

This review: was inspired by a review written on gamespot where the writer praised the online play. I was so appauled that I had to write a response everywhere I thought it counted. While you can find a game online with WCP alot of the time you are playing somene else's.

Solid Game - If you like Poker
If you like Poker and the different variations then you will most likely enjoy this game. The customization of your character is pretty detailed and a nice touch.Other reviews have stated the game is too slow, I have not found this to be true.I would say the pacing is just about right.By tapping the X button you can move things along if you are out of a hand. Sit and Go games and tournaments are fun.Only gripe I could come up with(this is a amatuer level) is that computer player checks too much, keeping me in hands longer than I should if I am fishing for a card.A raise might have forced me out.Maybe at the pro level it is more agressive. Do not play online but I can guess it would be fun, but if just playing at home I still recommend.If you are trying to satisfy your poker jones this is a good start.

the long and boring game
if ya buy this game hoping to learn any new games like texas holdem don't get it. it is too slow playing after you loose your hand beter to buy the casino game not as much detail but plays faster more enjoyable this plays till the other characters play down to 2 players and it gets boriong watching it not like watching on tv. ... Read more

Product Description

Advance Wars 2, the sequel to the AIAS 2001 Handheld Game of the Year, expands on the original title with even more strategic action and all-new features that take the game to the next level. Sturm, the leader of the Black Hole Army, has created a new base of operations, and now hes set his sights on Cosmo Land. It's up to you to unite the armies ... Read more

Features

• Tactical war game set in cool sci-fi world
• Real-time strategy action challenges you to use new units and terrain wisely
• Take control of new Commanding Officer powers & weapons like the Neotank
• Customizable Map Editor lets players create exciting & dangerous new battle maps
• For 1 or 2 players

Reviews (65)

My best game
If you have been given the chance to buy this game may I ask what you are waiting for?Hmmmmmm?Well...BUY IT NOW!I got this game when it came out,that was...when?Well anyway since then and now this has been my best game (sorry mario party) and I think it always will be.How do I like it?Well thats easy
1vs2
team battle (I'm on my own)
my co: Grit
1st com: Eagle
2nd com: Adder
Map: my design map 'jungle'
weather: random
funds: 2000
My record: completed in 13 days (you should see my map!)
Sorry about that anyway this game is good value and is a real head scratcher.Bye yall and bye bye Sturm HAHAHA!

Cool And rocking the world
This game is so good you can can totally take it out. You can chosse where to attack. Witha brain and a conquest of winning this game is for yuo.

Bar none the best Gameboy strategy game
Want to cut to the chase and start kicking butt?Drop the lame RPGs (the gameboy RPGs stink) and let the battles begin.There are tons of maps, more COs, improved enemies and special powers, and the campaign is tough but fun.You'll need your thinking cap for this one... the strategies seem simple until you get the snot beat out of you a few times, then you realize the subtle skills and tactics you need to fight your way to the top.I can play this one over and over and over and over and not get bored.

Worth $40 if you love strategy and tactics
The cartoon style appeals to me very much, it is absolutely gorgeous and you can save everything, anytime, and you can customize a lot.
I played about 10 maps, and played the campaign about 70% until it became too hard for me. The maps are very well thought of, and most have some "spark of genius" inside them that you need to discover in order to win the battle.
The game is IDEAL if you go by train to work, shoot a few units down and there you are!

The Best Strategy Game For GBA I've Ever Played
This game is aewsome. You follow the mission objectives (usually destroy your opponent), build powerful armies, and conquer your world back. The map designer is a great feature in this game for you have almost no limits. The backround music is cool, the graphics are aewsome, and the different units are so unique.

This is one of the few games you'll never get bored of. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Ever wonder what happened to the explorers launched into space at the end of Civilization 2? This game has the answer: they landed on a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, and quickly divided into feuding factions, each bent on reshaping the new world according to their particular philosophy or culture. But the human colonists are not alone. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Planetary Pack bundles together the full version of Alpha Centauri with its official expansion pack, Alien Crossfire.

Alpha Centauri employs the same basic game play, rules, and concept as Civilization 2, but features enhanced diplomacy and a new, slicker interface. Players begin by assuming leadership of one of seven colony factions, establishing a base on the unexplored world. Conquering territory, developing technology, expanding the faction's population, and dealing with native life forms are critical priorities that must be correctly balanced for survival. If a faction's military output is low, it may be vulnerable to attacks by others or by dangerous mind worms that roam the landscape. On the other hand, building war machines at the expense of scientific research may result in trying to manage a massive but obsolete war machine or a rebellious population.

Within the game, you can now automate tasks that--in the earlier game--were repetitive and dull. The factions also have a better mix of leaders; three of the seven factions are headed by women. The computer AI for the other groups does a good job of making decisions in accordance with each faction's particular philosophy and world view, and will often surprise a human player with an offer of strategic alliance or a sudden double-cross.

Alien Crossfire, the official add-on pack for Alpha Centauri, expands on the original game by adding seven factions, new facilities, additional secret projects, and new branches to the elaborate technology tree. The pack also provides new enhancements to Alpha Centauri, including play-by-e-mail multiplayer mode, hot-seat multiplayer mode, and numerous tweaks to the interface and unit properties. Alien Crossfire's new factions include cyborgs, drones, pirates, and two sets of alien societies. Factions are balanced by a set of predetermined statistics and characteristics, such as bonuses for particular government and production styles.

This easy-to-learn and thoroughly absorbing game takes the best features of the classic Civ 2 and sets them in a brave new world. The addition of Alien Crossfire's expanded features, missions, and multiplayer capabilities ensures that players will be exploring the fascinating world of Alpha Centauri for a long time.

... Read more

Reviews (21)

The zenith of strategy gaming. kudos to Reynolds.
This game is the only turn-based strategy game one would ever need.
It has everything one would want out of a strategy game and SO much more.
The story is epic. The world is fully realised. The gameplay is deep. The literary references(not only Sci-Fi but philosophical and ethical and social) are many and profound. The factions are compelling. The possibilities are endless.

The including of multiplayer as well as 7 extra factions in the expansion pack only sweetens the deal.

The only (minor) flaws here, which only present themselves to the diehard gamer, is the apparent lack of challenge from the AI, as well as the seemingly lacklustre graphics(but given the budget of Firaxis at the time, the art direction is still amazing).

Get This Game. It's one of those classics which you will keeping coming back for more. Even having owned this masterpiece for more than 5 years, I still play Alpha Centauri every 3 months or so, and it STILL retains its freshness and playability. This one is adefinite keeper.

Also, as a parting word, I want to make it clear that, despite the "Sid Meier" name on the package, designer Brian Reynolds(who has since left Firaxis I believe) was the man behind Alpha Centauri and as such deserves the kudoes.
It is THIS game which deserves the title of "true sequel to Civilization II", and not Civ III which has none of the depth that this game has in spades.

Buy it.

Extraordinary game
This game is probably the best I've ever played, and perhaps the best game I will ever play.It has all of the features you could want in a turn based game.

The automation of funtions is incredible.Based on your wishes, you can designate tasks for units to perform, instead of dealing with the monotony of reissuing the same command turn after turn.For example, you can just say tell a unit to "build road", and it will only build roads... and will do so in places that make sense.Truly amazing AI...

Add to that the rich cultures and philosophies of the characters, ability to customize units any way you'd like, great sci-fi, and you're left with a game that is still a force to be contented with 4-5 years after its release.

However, because of the wide range of possibilities, the game can be quite complex.

If you're not intimidated by having to think, this game is definitely for you.I look forward to a sequel, should they ever develop one.

Still the best thinking person's game
As titled.

The game's other principle designer, Brian Howard went on to do Rise of Nations, a worthy game but without the incredible story-line and in-depth richness of ACAX.

ACAX was a delight not just for the gameplay but for the entire experience: the cultural references, the well-developed factions, the whole mind-worm experience.

One could get immersed in ACX the same way one could in Balder's Gate, Everquest, etc: but at the same time play a Risk/Age of Empires-like military campaign.To be sure, the Starcraft seriesis classic; as well as the first two Myths.

But AC and ACAX, from the same era, set a standard for a total gaming experience that very few strat games since have approached.

Great stuff.I'd love to see a new version with many of the old characters.

Complex, intelligent and don't take your eyes off the domes
There are so many features and so much entertainment to be had I don't know where to begin.It's great that there actually is a story behind the strategy, building, managing, feeding people, keeping populations happy...It's a lot like Galactic Trader, which ranks right up there with this as a time-vaporizer.Warning: this game may cause you to lose sleep and sense of perspective.I actually had to uninstall it...that's how much fun it is.The graphics are terrific.

Don't neglect the supplies to your domes and put in plenty of airponics bays, creches, theaters, tree farms and other amenities.

Get it for less
There are moneygrubbers who are going to kill me for this but for all of you wanting this game for a reasonable price this is for you.

Don't bother buying in secondary market for an overblown price. Pick up the laptop collection by EA games, $20 for both main game and expansion and some other strategy games to boot, some of which are quite good.Save yourself some cash and get some great games. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The story of Golden Sun: The Lost Age picks up right near the end of the first game. Golden Sun veterans will be surprised to learn that The Lost Age is played from the point of view of the party being chased as they try to light the remaining two lighthouses, which will unlock the power of alchemy for the world--or will it instead unlock the world's destruction?

Also, players who have finished the first game can transfer their party into the The Lost Age, either through the separately sold game link cable or through a password. ... Read more

Features

• Continue the adventure you started in Golden Sun, or start out fresh as a new player. Golden Sun: The Lost Age presents the perfect starting point for players who have never experienced Golden Sun, and for players who have, it expands immensely on the adventures of the original game.
• Transfer your characters from Golden Sun with all their items, abilities, and Djinn to unlock more secrets. Use up to eight characters in combat, doubling your party size and adding depth to an already complex and compelling battle and magic system.
• Astounding graphics and impressive summon effects surpass anything seen before on a handheld game system. New magical abilities offer even more ways to battle and to solve challenging and elaborate puzzles.
• Link up with a friend to pit your parties against one another in a two-player duel.

Reviews (118)

this is a good game
This is a good game! First of all, this is a good game^_^ Second of all this is a good game THen if you pass the game this is a good game and also if beat a boss it turns out to be a good game ^_^ good gam e ggood game GOOD GAMEEEEEEE!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best RPG ever made, ''PERIOD'' !
When I first bought this game I thought that this would be another stupid role playing game after the failure of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. But then as soon as I turned on the game boy advance the Music, graphics, complexity, and sheer size just completely blew me away. Even the story was better than I have ever seen on any other RPG. Then they brought out a second one which had the best summons out there. If I had to compare any other games to the two Goldens it would be Final Fantasy #7 and FF 1&2 as well as Fire Emblem. The only problems, toooo much talking ( as with all RPG's ), limitations ( like trying to trip over a fellow villager which is best left to Fable ), you can't attack an enemy that you have selected but died before your guy could attack it, and I have heard of people liking to change the plot but why would you want to because the plot is that good. The advantages: phynergy (magic) is more than attack and you can't beat the game with out it, and the summons are the best in the business.

superb japanese atmosphere
This game is worth at least $30 (i got an original secondhand for about e14) and is a must have. It sets the standard for the GBA games. You really do need a walkthrough at a few points - I did, and haven't even finished the game (did about 60%) The puzzles are great and breathe that old 80's sokoban style. Absolutely amazing and lovely for older gamers.

One more thing: Buy all the Feathers in the shops, using them puts an end to the random encounters "Monsters won't attack you so often" it says. So much for that complaint!

Awesome!
I seriously believe there is not enough good that can be said about these games.They are the prime examples of good gaming, not only for the system, but also as an RPG.No game for the system has been able to surpass them in quality since the release of each, and likely, no game ever will.They're not just good GBA games; they're great video games, period.

There are dozens of aspects of the game that would make a good game cool; but the fact that there are so many, makes these amazing games extraordinary.I tend to prefer real time combat to turn based, but out of all the turn based I've ever played, this is easily the best.Not only is there the progressively interesting psynergy, and not only are there releases from various weapons, and not only are there the djinn, collected over the course of the game, with their own, unique releases, but there are also the spectacular summons and combo summons (introduced in The Lost Age) that can be used with stand-by djinn, which, alone, puts these games ahead by leaps and bounds in terms of graphics, over any other game for the system.And all of these contributions make combat far more strategic and engaging.

My absolute favorite aspect of these games are the dungeons.I've grown tired of the RPG where, upon entering a dungeon, the only difficultly comes from the overly incessant monster attacks and the boss battle which, traditionally, comes at the end.In Golden Sun and The Lost Age, monster attacks are on a more limited basis--meaning they don't get boring fast, like other RPGs.But the real challenge in the dungeons are the complex puzzles, most of which require the use of various psynergy.And the psynergy (magic) system is very intelligently taught to the player as the game progresses, as to recognize when a specific psynergetic power is required.It's the only RPG I've ever played where magic isn't just a convenience; it's a necessity.And while many of the puzzles are hard, they're fun, and all the more satisfying when the solution is achieved.It's one of the few games I've played that required serious thinking on the part of the player, as opposed to mindless, repetitive combat.It's one of the few I've played where I actually looked *forward* to the dungeons--and even some of the boss battles.(My favorite dungeons include all four lighthouses, the Elemental Rocks in The Lost Age, and the Ankohl Ruins, which requires the use of my personal favorite psynergy--sand.)

My only gripes for the game include the fact that I'm a little tired of the standard RPG that's from the point of view of a male protagonist, as well as a minor flaw such as the fact that, when in battle, a character is assigned to attack a monster but the monster is killed before they can attack, the character automatically goes into defense mode, and the turn is wasted.

Overall, I would seriously recommend this to anyone who's ever been an RPG fan, and agree with the statement that it is worth buying a GB soley for Golden Sun and The Lost Age.And while you can start with The Lost Age, I would recommend starting with the first one, simply so that you can appreciate the awe and splendor of both games together.

On the downside, I almost wish I hadn't played these games first.Because now, nothing else I ever play will even compare.

Is this an RPG or a puzzle solving game?
The running around solving puzzles by pushing logs, rocks around, and freezing water puddles, etc, dominates more than 80% of the game play.The story is almost pushed aside and practically neglected as the primary objective of the game.The puzzles are fun in their own ways however. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

May be quite possibly the best Castlevania ever...
While the past two GBA Castlevania's were good, this one is leaps and bounds ahead of them.

The Soul system of this game is brilliant and is quite addicting. However, getting the souls of every monster in this game can be quite time consuming. Though, one expensive ring does make this task much easier...

And the main character, Soma, just looks downright cool.
Plus the dozens of swords, hammers, spears, and even guns he can get all behave differently and are unique. No two weapons look or act the same.
And its just plain fun to swing a sword twice the size of your main character. :)

The challenge in this game can be a bit high in some areas but never leaves you frustrated.

Add to the fact that this game has hidden final bosses, hidden areas, a special arena mode which earns you rare and awesome weapons, a hidden playable character, and a mode which allows you to restart the game with all your items intact makes this game a gem and a real joy to play. Also, there is a special Hard mode which can earn you rare items like Deaths Scythe and a werewolf killing Silver Gun.

All in all, this game plain old rocks and will give you plenty of enjoyment and fun for your money. Pick it up, you wont be sorry.

Every bit as good, and better, than Symphony of the Night!
For people who fell in love with Castelvania: Symphony of the Night for the PSX, prepare to be dazzled yet again by Aria of Sorrow! The Soul system is easy and fun to use, the locales you'll explore in the castle are beautiful, the music is awesome, and plays as smoothly as you could ask.

If you are a big fan of Castlevania, this is THE Castlevania to pick up. If you aren't a big fan of Castlevania, then this is still the one game you should run out and buy! I couldn't recommend it any higher.

If HoD was the Test...This is the Result.
Iga's second game on the GBA, Aria of Sorrow, triumphs over Harmony of Dissonance, and while it's nothing revolutionary, it presents a few fresh ideas, and manages to be a satisfying and engaging adventure, if lacking in some areas.

Soma Cruz, a high school exchange student studying in Japan, is making his way to his friend's shrine, when he loses consciousness. What's going on? Right off the bat, Aria of Sorrow scores points for *actually* having a very fresh and interesting story.

Continuing the tradition started by Circle of the Moon, AoS has a new gameplay addition, called the Soul Steal System. Soma has the power to take the souls of monsters that he defeats. This factors into the game in that it's a necessity to have Souls to get further into the Castle, and the powers of some can also aid in defeating certain enemies, or raising your attributes. There are a great many souls, as there as over 100 enemies in AoS, and some include using a massive axe gained by obtaining the soul of the Red Minotaur, or summoning the Familiar Alastor, which kind of is a less cool copy of the Sword Familiar in SotN. Unfortunately, a lot of the Souls will go unused, as some are simply pointless, such as the Killer Doll's, or the Zombie Soldier. It's too much trouble to have to constantly switch back and forth to utilize all of the Souls to their full extent, so once you find a good one, such as the Lightning Doll's, you'll probably stick with that one for a long time until you find a better one.It's an interesting idea, but again suffers from Iga's desire to have myriads of options for the sake of amount, not for the sake of functionality.

Dracula's Castle looks absolutely stunning. This game is many steps above Harmony of Dissonance's neon-like and static, boring backgrounds. Notice the Castle Corridor's slightly broken walls which expose swarms of bats and a brightly glowing moon and clouds, or the foreboding Top Floor's sinister architecture, with the pillars engulfed in flames; this game is a visual treat. The artistic beauty of this game shines all over, with places like the Floating Gardens and its flowing sea of clouds in the higher structures. Stop and take a look while you're in the Underground Waterway to admire the brilliant speckles of light reflecting on the overhanging surfaces above the water, and the faintly luminescent rock formations in the immediate and far background. There are little details like this all over, and it's a feast for the eyes. Soma looks more graceful than the floaty and stiffly animated Juste. The animation of his jacket is just great, and every move he makes looks much more believable. Another area in which Aria of Sorrow succeeds in terms of graphics is its huge number of enemies, which total over 100. The great thing about them all is that they're all interesting, and some are actually quite aggressive, like the Rubicant Demons. This is very welcome, when I compare it to the poor direction Harmony was going with its repetitive and goofy looking monsters, which all seemed to want to be killed. However, AoS still struggles with having boring enemy death animations, which mostly consist of the beast bursting into flames and disappearing. Still, the sheer diversity of their designs and habits overshadow this little problem.

Considering the Castle's layout this time compared to HoD's, I found it to be noticeably improved, though still lacking, when compared to CotM. The good parts? First of all, there are no pointless little blocks in your way (Like HoD's Skull Key Doors) that make you needlessly backtrack to get somewhere else. AoS also sports eight Teleporter Rooms, as opposed to HoD's few, making getting around easier. Castlevania has never seemed so populated with enemies, and the decent amount of actual platforming, such as a certain huge room in the Underground Waterway, is a blessing when I compare it to HoD's insulting overuse of completely straight, nearly empty corridors and unpleasant, redundant vertical corridors. However, there is nothing in the design on the structures in the rooms that is truly hard. Perhaps truly involving in a few instances, but nothing that will ever really make you sweat due to the pressure of intensity, and that's where AoS really could have stood to improve itself. Iga's games still rely too heavily on the major obstacles only coming from the enemies, and not from the actual environment, as well.

This time, since the main character is not a Belmont (and is not restricted to using a whip), the player is treated to a huge array of weapons to use. Some can be found in secret rooms in the castle, others can be bought at the shop near the Castle's Corridor, and still others can be obtained by defeating enemies or beating the Boss Rush Mode under a certain time.Most of the weapons in this game are interestingly designed, though I guess the designers got a little lazy in some areas (The Kaladbolg Sword looks exactly the same as the Burtang Sword, except with a red outline). Regardless, I found it to be much more fun than simply finding a bunch of whip add-ons which really didn't contribute much to your fighting (*cough*HoD*cough*). Ranging from the stylish Valmanway sword to the popular Claimh Solais, you'll have lots of fun collecting and using all of these items, since mixing up your weapons actually makes a difference in this game. Have low HP and encounter a Flame Demon? Switch up your current sword for Rahab's Sword, which has elemental properties for more than double the damage of which you would have done if you had not switched. You'll even get a gun later on, to reflect the sign of the times, but it's very weak.

Sound-wise, and compositional-wise, this game also runs rings around Harmony of Dissonance's mainly forgettable and sometimes depressing soundtrack. It sports more songs than CotM's, though whether they're on the same level of the masterfully done ones in that game is left up to you. I personally still prefer CotM's much more. Sound-wise, AoS just goes to show that great graphics don't bring down a game's music quality, as the sound composers of HoD said. Michiru Yamane, composer of games' soundtracks, such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and partial contributor to HoD, finally has joined in on the soundtrack for most of the songs, I believe, if not all. The Castle Corridor's theme has a good pace and is memorable, though definitely not in the same league as "Awakening" or "Dracula's Castle."The Chapel has a suitably urgent and powerful beat to it, and the arranged version is divine (unfortunately, it's available on a Japanese-only soundtrack, as are the arranged versions for the Castle Corridor and Top Floor). The Arena's action-based theme is very catchy, as is the Top Floor's "dance-sonata" tune. The Clock Tower level of the Castlevania series is famous, partially due to almost always having one of the most memorable songs of the soundtracks played there. AoS is no different; starting off quietly, it projects a feeling of seclusion and airiness, and then descends in to a much more intense tune and erratic flow, to go along with one traversing deeper into the structure. However, AoS also sports a ridiculous amount of merely adequate or simply forgettable songs, which is inexcusable for a series such as Castlevania. Examples include the Inner Quarters' theme, which is rather too reserved and uninteresting, and the music for the Dance Hall is simply silly sounding, which makes me wonder what the composer was thinking when they were wondering what kind of mood they wanted to create with their composition. As far as the soundtrack goes, there are a few great, though not incredible, pieces, and a lot of merely "decent" pieces. There are a TON of voice samples and sound effects. Succubae slur devilish erotic words as you come near them, and demons scream in rage as they try to spear you with their tridents. There is a lot of personality behind all these sounds, and it's where AoS's sound truly succeeds.

Control is spot on. Whereas in HoD you felt like your character was very either too stiff or too airy, Soma controls almost like a human Alucard. Jumping and maneuvering in the air are flawless, and when you get hurt, you know it was because you messed up, not because the control sucked. It's more along the likes of its GBA brother, CotM, only more fluid in some ways, and a little less heavy. You ALWAYS feel like you have complete control over your character, and that's truly something that stands out in AoS.

Aria of Sorrow is actually the first Castlevania game where you can get Level 99 without taking your whole life to do it. Whereas HoD basically lost all reason to fight any enemies when you got to level 50 because most monsters gave 1 EXP by then, AoS's experience-reward system never changes (a.k.a., if an enemy gives 250 experience the first time around, it won't give 10 experience points the next time, due to you being a higher level), and therefore, the fun and purpose of fighting enemies remains intact. Enemies will also drop weapons and armor that can't be bought at the shop. In addition, it also helps for the Boss Rush Mode if you're at a high level. AoS scores again the RPG-Leveling aspect.

AoS has probably the highest replay value of all the 3 GBA Castlevania games. When you beat the game for the first time, you can restart on Hard Mode, and additional modes become accessible, as well as a secret character. Boss Rush Mode actually rewards you for good times with very cool items.Plus, there are almost certainly things you missed your first time through that you'll experience your second time around, or maybe your third, or more! AoS is, without a doubt, a replayable game that won't be put on the shelf after you've beaten it and left to collect dust.

Final Score (Not an average): 8.5/10

Great game.My favorite Castlevania yet.
I have known about the series ever since the NES was out (I think Castlevania 2 was the second game I played, right after Zelda).It's one of those series I'd always rent a game from if I ever saw a new one out.To this day, I still consider Castlevania 4 (for the Super Nintendo) a classic.Sadly, these days my opinion of the series is not so cheery.Part of this may be because I'm more able to tell how bad a game is before I play it just by checking the internet.Even then... I didn't like Circle of the Moon, and it got rave reviews.

But enough history.Aria of Sorrow is a truely exceptional game.Everything I didn't like about Circle of the Moon (which was a lot) was fixed here.The visuals are clearer, the controls are solid, and the gameplay is more balenced.Despite certain qualms I have over elements that shift the difficulty toward easy a little (like health healing potions), the game is still difficult without being cheap, perhaps with the exception of hard mode, but they don't call it "hard mode" without reason (not to mention it's entirely optional).

For anyone not familiar with the series, there are two types of gameplay standards in the series.One is stage based gameplay (think Contra, or even Mario), which some of the older games in the series have.The other, which this one utilizes, is what some like to call "Metroid-vania."This basically means you can explore this huge castle and backtrack to different areas at will.However, that's not exactly as derivative as it sounds (in fact, Castlevania 2 used this format, so it's been used a long time ago).This game uses it in a sort of an Action RPG-esque method.This does mean your character levels up throughout the game, though this does provide one minor weakness in the game.Areas you went through at the beginning will become VERY easy should you come across them again later in the game.This is not much of a problem, since you'll basically be looking for a different area to go to anyway, and that new area will almost certainly be loaded with challenge.Bosses are particularly rough and very fun

Well, lets go to one of my favorite additions to this game.Weapons.Unlike previous Castlevania games, the main character isn't restricted to a whip (he also isn't a Belmont, so that would explain why he has no whip).This isn't new, as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night also had this.However, Symphony of the Night had a rather basic weapons set (mostly swords), and basic weapon dynamics.This game has a full arsenal.You have anything from knives and swords, to lances, hammers, and even guns (the game takes place several decades after 2000AD, so this isn't out of place)!Not only that, the soul system gives you several abilities you can snatch from enemies, at times, to use.Most of these are in the form of secondary weapons that use Magic (MP), which does recharge over time.The customization is great, so you'll undoubtibly be able to find several ways to customize your character to be ready for more fighting.

Overall, this game is easily recommended to any fan of Action games (with a dash of RPG), and is certainly recommended for any Castlevania fan.If you do buy it, I recommend you look through an FAQ after you finish it.Chances are, you may not have finished it as much as you think.;)

(P.S.I didn't play Harmony of Dissonance, so I can only compare it to Circle of the Moon).

One of the best GBA games ever made.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is one of the better Castlevania games to hit the GBA.Fans of the all time best "Symphony of the Night" will absolutely LOVE this title.

Aria of Sorrow does the best it can to mix in the best of the old with the best of the new.Aria of Sorrow borrows TONS of elements from Symphony of the Night and anyone who enjoyed that one will love this.

Aria of Sorrow begins in the year 2035 with Soma Cruz and his childhood friend Mina in Japan.Suddenly an eclipse opens up and they find themselves in Dracula's castle.Surprisingly enough, it really looks no different than it did in say... 1797 (Symphony of the Night). It bears a strong resemblence and any Castlevania fan will notice all the different places (Libraries, Catacombs and the like).

Gameplay in Aria of Sorrow is very close to SOTN in several ways.Your character resembles Alucard in the way he looks and walks.Perhaps what separates this from the past two GBA releases is that your main character doesn't use the whip as his primary weapon.Actually, you don't really have a primary weapon.You can use, Swords, Daggers, Axes, Javelins, whip swords and more!Its fun to experiment with all the different weapons to see what fits you best.The strongest weapon may not always be the best.

Since, Symphony of the Night, Castlevania has gone into an RPG style character building stage.This is for the better and Aria of Sorrow is no different than the past games.As you kill enemies you'll eventually level up.It doesn't require too much to level up (at least not as much as it takes in Circle of the Moon).

Aria of Sorrow also has well balanced difficulty.It's harder than Harmony of Dissonance but easier than Circle of the Moon.Aria also throws in a unique twist.You can now absorb enemies souls at random.When you kill an enemy you may or may not get their ability.There are over 100 enemies meaning that the game even has more abilities to unearth than the DSS System allowed you to in Circle of the Moon! Most souls cost MP and that brings me to my first con.The game has a lot of souls but for whatever reason they cost A TON OF MP to use.Granted your MP regenerates but it regenerates REALLY slowly.

The game also presents lots of bonuses.You can unlock a sound test and a hidden character to play through the game as.There's also a boss rush mode and perhaps whats best is that you can link up with a friend and trade souls!Perhaps one bonus I would've really enjoyed would've been if they'd brought back the ability to play as different "Jobs" like in Circle of the Moon. But its still a really cool experience and the game has lots of replay value.

Visually, Aria of Sorrow is BEAUTIFUL!Your protagonist stands out in a crowd and the screen isn't so dark.One of the better looking GBA games that truly stands up to what the GBA is capable of.

I wish I could say the sound surpasses all else.Castlevania is known for having good soundtracks.The music is WAY better than the godawful soundtrack of Harmony of Dissonance, but it can't hold a candle up to the far superior soundtrack presented in Circle of the Moon.The sound effects are incredible and fun to listen too.

But Aria of Sorrow is not without fault.The most noteworthy con in Aria of Sorrow is that this game is short!It'll only take you 5-6 hours your first time through.The second is that while its harder than Harmony of Dissonance, its still rather easy for any Castlevania veteran.

Overall, Aria of Sorrow is an INCREDIBLE game. I still think "Circle of the Moon" is the best GBA release and its no contest that "Symphony of the Night" is the all time best but Aria of Sorrow comes AWFULLY close to being as good as those two.

The Good
+AWESOME Gameplay, collecting Souls is creative
+Good Soundtrack
+Large Castle to explore
+Much more "free" than other Castlevania games (you're not limited to one type of weapon)
+Lots of Secrets
+Konami is smart to model this game after "Symphony of the Night".If you liked that game then you OWE it to yourself to pick this up.

The Bad
-Still a little too easy
-Souls cost a little too much MP
-Too Short ... Read more

Product Description

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter fans can experience the magic and peril of Harry's third year at Hogwarts. For the first time gamers will play as friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as well as Harry Potter, switching between characters and utilizing their key attributes and skills to resolve challenges and overc ... Read more

Features

• Freeze creatures, control flame-breathing dragons and conjure a Patronus
• Connect to the Game Boy Advance to care for and race your own owl
• For 1 or 2 players
• Adventure game
• Play as Harry, Ron and Hermione

Reviews (34)

Fun can't last 4-ever, but it could've been longer than this
I bought the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
game on Gamecube systom four days ago.I am a horrible game player, and yet, I beat the game in two days.Not because it was easy, (even though some parts were,) but because it was
soooo SHORT.It was VERY fun, but I was quit dissapointed on not facing a boggart on the first day of term, and how you get the patronus charm spell book, and you don't get to save Buckbeak, and don't do as much as SEE a broomstick.However, the parts that were in it were very enjoyable.I was also pleased the makers of the game took notice of other creatures such as Redcaps & Hinnkypunks.I LLLLOOOOVVVEEE Harry Potter, and I think the game could have been better, but I would advise buying it.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This is a good game. Well, I'm a Harry Potter freak and own all four (counting the QWC). But, this game is just that...good. Let me say that it's very, very short. Let me give you an example. I bought it at the mall at about eleven, came home and ate lunch, went into my room and played the game in the length of one o'clock and six o'clock. I finished it as my mom called for dinner. But, this game has some really fun mini games and is even more enjoyable if you own the GameBoy Advance and the GBA version of the game. But I was kind of disappointed that there was no Quidditch or extended game play. Don't get me wrong, playing it over is fun. But, it's just sucks that I could finish it in about six hours. As any other Harry Potter game the music and landscape is great but it can become choppy and can sometimes freeze up. Another big plus to this game is that you can play as Ron, Harry, and Hermione and use their talents and knowledge to get past certain puzzles. But, the downfall of this is that Harry still is the main played character. When I heard all of them were playable I thought they would finally do everything together. Go on and face Voldemort together unlike the first two video games. Turns out Ron (like movie and book) was hurt always hurt or looking for Scabbers and Hermione always ran to get help or was hurt. Sometimes you would just play as Ron or Hermione but Harry had the best inventory of spells and items. But, it is very cool to travel through Hogwarts again and find all the Wizard Cards I missed and to re-live my favorite parts of the game. Over all, I recommend it!!!

This game rocks in 2004!!!!!
I am seven years old and I bought this game because I loved the movie.I thought it would be better than the movie.First, you wake up and go to Dark Arts class and while you're there you have to get the spell book and you have to be all three people (Harry, Ron and Hermione).Harry tries first.He is the only one that can jump, which I thought was cool.Then, Ron tries to get the secret passage open successfully.Next, Hermione asks Ron if there is anything in the secret passage.Ron says that it is dark and painful.There are scary creatures in the passage.He fights them.He goes and fights pixies, then he finds his way back.I think this game is popular.My friend has already finished it.I would suggest this game for ages 7+.I think you would like this game a lot if you're seven.

Another Trap for HP Fans
This game looks and plays like it was made for great screenshots and nothing else. Of course, the ability to control anyone in your group is nice, but what do you think happens to them while you are not controling them? They are running into the middle of the pack of enemies getting themselves killed instead of staying back and casting spells. Then, when you go to fight enemies that only one spell can harm, like Lomos Duo, the only person who can hurt those enemies happens to be dead! I still wonder why EA chose to go with such a stupid AI.

The graphics of the character are nice, but the scenery is 2-D, which takes away from the splendor of the graphics. The pitiful graphics make the game lag considerably. You would think that because every Gamecube is the same EA would have made the game not lag.

The puzzles seem to be made for mindless 7 year olds with very little common sense. They just take a long time to complete because it takes forever to manuver the crates, boxes and ice cubes which are all plentiful in the puzzles. I also must comment on the tiny list of spells.

There are not many side quests at all. There are only about three: Find the Statues, Find the Cards and the minigames. The minigames are short and easy and do not make up for the fact that QUIDITCH IS NOT INCLUDED. Flying Buckbeak does not make up for the good old broomstick.

The game world is very small. No floors or dungeons to explore as an extra. Just 7 floors, a dungeon (Potions) and the outside that makes the small inside seem even smaller.

The action part is way too easy. I can count on one hand the number of times I was hit by an enemy. There are also about 7 different varieties of them, so you need to get used to hitting the same thing over and over. Also, the NPCs are as lifeless as heck. They don't help advance the plot at all. The plot is very confusing if you havent read the book. I don't even think they ever mentioned Sirius Black had even escaped from Azkaban.

Overall, this game is the second worst I have ever played. Bad planning and a heavy profit motive ruined what could have been a very good game.

Best book in series=almost great game
With terrific graphics and wonderful voice acting one can see the polish immediately when playing Harry Potter:POA for the first time.Hogwart's looks incredible and the controls are smooth and intuitive for the most part with the camera getting a little wonky on occasion.My son and I play this together he likes it when we play as Ron since he can find all the hidden goodies.The ability to switch between the main characters of Harry, Ron, Hermione is fun and adds a new dimension as you need to use each of them to solve the puzzles.The lack of a Quidditch match is disconcerting but is made up for by the HIPPOGRIFF and OWL flight challenges.Add a save anywhere system and some downloadable GBA mini-games you have a worthy addition to the Harry Potter game library. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Priceless classic, but problems with the pak itself.
I bought this game because I still remember it from when I was a little kid. It was infinite bliss when the guy I bought it off mailed it to me at a high price.
The story is that your girlfriend has been kidnapped and hidden in a cave with monsters. You must kill everyone in sight in order to rescue her.
Within a level, your job is to clear that level of all monsters to move on. Each monster has a specific trait that makes them special. The way you kill the monsters is trap them in a bubble and pop them. They will fly around and turn into a piece of food. Collect it for points. The way to collect more points is pop more than one monster at once. Any bubble touching a bubble that pops will pop too. Creating a chain reaction. Try blowing as many bubbles as you can sometimes the vacant bubbles all turn into food when the level is cleared.
There is a lot of variety when it comes to EVERYTHING! Each level has a special trait such as design or how they affect how the bubbles float. Your special upgrades are either running shoes or a piece of candy. The shoes make you run faster. The candy can either make you fire bubbles at a longer range, speed or turn it into fire. There are even more items than I will mention.
There are also special bubbles too. Lighting bubbles send a lighting bolt across the screen opposite to the direction you're facing. Water bubbles send out a wave that sweeps the level. Fire bubbles send a flame to the floor and creates a small line of fire. All of these bubbles cannot hurt, but hinder you as well as kill your enemies.
The very special bubbles are the letter bubbles. Once you collect all the letters of the word EXTEND, you get a 1-up and get to skip your current level.
The music should not bother you. There are only three tunes. One tune for the normal game, one for when you spell EXTEND and one for the final boss. The music on normal levels is the tune you hear the most and drive everyone around nuts.
There is a old version and a new version. The only difference is a graphical and music upgrade. They should have not put the new version in here at all.
One thing you may think is that this is a kid's game. It was aimed at kids, but it is so inhumanly difficult, no kid should be able to beat it for about a year. This game captures the innocence and happiness of a child and inserts it into you. Yes, you will feel like a kid at a arcade. Many things will make you smile. Such as level 25, which has the word POPCORN at the top. In center of the stage is a pan and the stage is yellow. Priceless.
Some things are not for kids. Some of the food items include beer and martinis. One of the levels even has the word DRUNK on top.
I believe the creators had fun making the game. You will come across some people's names and such.
Mutiplayer is a big plus. This is a game to play with your girlfriend or boyfriend. Even best friends. The game is sweeter when it comes to two. The premise is the same, only now with a partner.
The problem is that there is no meat to the game pak itself. They could have had Bubble Bobble 1 and 2 and have included Snow Brothers (If Taito made it). They left too much memory left behind. I also feel I paid too much. I paid over $30 here at Amazon! Unless the price has gone UNDER $20, I recommend you search your local game store's bargain bin.
This was a priceless treasure of my childhood, but I felt they could have put more into the game pak.

Edit: April 27, 2005 Sorry, I found out that Snow Brothers was made by Capcom, not Taito.

Notice: June 4, 2005I just played Bubble Bobble for the NES and I want you to know the game boy Bubble Bobble refers to the arcade version, not the NES version. They are VERY different!

A True Classic
I just bought this game today and playing it again after all of these years, it brings back a lot of memories. I remember playing this game on the Nintendo with the game genie so i could jump on a lot of bubbles at once. It was so much and i played this game the most out of all of the nintendo games that i had. This game has always been a favorite of mine and I'm so glad that they brought it back. This game is so much fun to play. Your a little dinosaur who blows bubbles at enemys to trap them and turn them into food for more points, while using different kinds of bubbles to help you through the puzzles. The old version of this game is just that. The old classic version that you remember playing on the nintendo. The new version is a updated version, of the origional classic. The new version has brighter colored puzzles and a updated looking bub and bob.This is a very fun game and highly recomended for those old school gamers who want to being back some memories or for someone who just wants to have some fun playing a classic game.

A Great Re-Release of the Classic
I can remember playing this game with my brother for hours and hours on end when we were kids. We memorized all the levels and how best to beat them and "wasted away" our youth in front of the TV.

When I saw this game on the shelf I knew I just had to have it.

When I started playing I was happily surprised that there are actually two versions on the gamepak.
The old version is the exact same game I played as a kid with the same graphics, sound, levels, same everything. It's exactly as I remember it (perfect in every way).
The New version is pretty much the same game again but with updated graphics.

I like to switch back and forth playing new one day and old the next and loving every bit of it.

But were they content with giving me everything I ever wanted with this game? Luckily they weren't. I was thrilled to learn they included multiplayer, and only requiring one gamepak no less. You can also get another pak and play an expanded multiplaer with both hooked up.

Playing the game I know Nirvana.
Buy it today and you'll never have to change the game in your GBA again.

You will be SURPRISED!!!
I remember back in jr high school when I played Nintendo games vigorously; Nintendo games were my Bible back then and played them religiously.Perhaps the one of the reasons I played them religiously is because of the gameplay.Games didn't boast top graphic or orchestral music compare with games these days, however, they surpassed them in one aspect; gameplay.One of the games I truly enjoyed, especially with my friends, was 'Bubble Bobble'.This game was simple enough for anyone to play yet becomes pretty difficult toward the end even for the veterans.It is this kind of gameplay, which appeals to wide range of players, yet it provides enough challenge for the veteran players at the same time.

I bought this game without having a second thought for the nostalgic reason because it represents this 'precious' part of my life back in jr high... However, this game was way more than what I expected to be.

First of all, I'm not so sure if this is direct translation from arcade or Nintendo(it's been a looong time).However, I wouldn't be surprised if this was direct translation from arcade because game looks great!Those who've played Nintendo version would remember that Nintendo version had this 'lack of memory situation' occasionally, where things would slow down and part of graphic would go 'blink' or disappear due to lack of memory.However, Gameboy ADvance is much more powerful than 8 bit Nintendo, thus you don't get that shortcoming in this version!So not only you are playing this classic at your fingertips, but it's been graphically enhanced to a perfection.How about that?!

Second of all you can enjoy this game with your friend with just one gamepak.Just hook it up with gamelink and you are good to go.Game offers three mode; single play, double play with single gamepak, and double play with multipak.The only difference ,if two people are playing simultaneously with one gamepak or multi-pak, is the availability of sound. If you are playing with one gamepak, then you will have sound coming out from the GBA with the gamepak only-compare with both sound channel with multi-pak.Even if you have only one gamepak to play double, it's more than enough to enjoy(game music/sound seem to have been redefined from Nintendo version..or sounds 'clearer'.. it's just my opinion though)

Lastly they offer several more enhancements. Automatic save option provides player to save where he/she left off- so you can always come back and play from where you left off(you can also delete this file for a fresh start as well).
This version put some effort into this cute intro instead of Nintendo version of intro (just rising logo with music).It also let you change the mode of screen by pressing L-button.You can have this everything-fit-in-screen mode or enlarged screen mode with better resolution.It also contains this 'new' version of game with enhanced graphic,sound, and etc.

I bought a pink GBA w/ Puyo Pop for my girl friend last year(and she's better than me in Puyo Pop..can't believe it).Trust me, there's nothing like playing two-player games together with your precious one. I'm gonna buy her her own 'Bubble Bobble' not only because it is a great game for us to play together, but I want to share precious part of my life with her also(I know.. it's getting cheesy now, my apology).But the possibility doesn't stop from there; she can play with her mom, her brother can play with sister-in-law, and the list goes on and on.Bubble Bobble is the kind of game, which can bring all sort of people under two GBA with one beautiful side-effect; CONNECTIONthrough these two bubble-spitting cute dinos...

Isn't life beautiful?

... Read more

Editorial Review

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time may be the greatest single-player video game ever created in any genre. It's that good. Those new to Nintendo's enormously popular Zelda series will be glad to know this game stands completely on its own. Our hero, Link, starts the game as a young boy living in a magical forest village populated by elf-like children. But there is evil lurking in the world. Strange monsters are appearing, and the land is changing. It's up to Link to discover why, defeat the monsters, and stop the evil at its source.

The game world's ever-changing environment looks like a fairy tale come to life. Majestic waterfalls, towering castles, and magical forests are a feast for the eyes and ears. Rivers flow, rain falls, the sun and moon rise and set. There's even an erupting volcano! Exploring this world is half the fun of the game. Along the way, you learn musical tunes that you can play on the flute-like Ocarina, a magical device that helps you teleport, alter the weather, even control time itself.

Character interaction is important to gather clues. The fairy princesses, singing frogs, and dragons you'll meet can be cute, humorous, or somewhat terrifying. Sprinkled liberally throughout the game are hundreds of secret treasures and enjoyable minigames (one of which, the fishing game, would almost be worth buying by itself). Game controls are easy to learn. There's even an elaborate fight training course built right into the game. Controlling the hero quickly becomes instinctive, and you can concentrate on saving the world. To win the game, you'll have to use not only Link's sword, but your mind as well. This game's challenging and inventive puzzles really make you think. In fact, to keep from getting stuck, it's worth spending a few bucks on an official player's guide. With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo has come up with an all-consuming adventure title that will provide days of engrossing gameplay. --Eric Fredrickson

Pros:

• Best single-player video game
• Freedom to explore a rich, complex world
• Helpful fairy guide gives hints
• Charming, humorous, lighthearted, yet challenging

• Some puzzles can be frustrating
• Only one saved game per player--don't save when you're stuck!
• Much more fun with Rumble Pack

Features

• Variety of items and secrets
• Fully 3-D rendered graphics
• Clear background music and detailed sound effects
• Highly interactive environment

Reviews (833)

ocarina of time review
I loved it.It just draws you in.There was some parts i got snagged on but it is one of the best puzzle solving games you'll ever buy.I'd give it 5 stars any day.Like finding one of those big chests wondering what will be inside,is it a bomb bag,is it a bow and arrow,is it a sling shot?It's a magnificent game,i'd recomend it for anyone and everyone.So next time your out buying video games and you see it on the shelf BUY IT!

What a revolutionary LoZ game
The most recent LoZ games, in my opinion, have all been fairly average.Wind Waker was the latest actually good LoZ game.But of all the LoZ games, OoT is just plain incredible.

In this game, you play as Link as he grows from a child into a young man while on his quest to defeat Ganon and save the world from ultimate, evil rule.Along the way, you meet many friends and face amazing boss battles.

The graphics (at the time) were just incredible.It really made me enjoy looking at and playing the game.Nintendo really did a great job in this department.

The gameplay is like no other.One of the few incredible games to utilize the C Buttons for vital controls, this game felt really comfortable to play, and there's tons to do in the game besides just beating it.Also, throughout the game, you are forced to travel back and forth through time and play as Young or Adult Link to complete the game, which is awe-inspiring in my opinion.Sadly, after doing little everything, there's no addictive mini-games to really play and not much else to do, but go through the game again and again.

The sound is incredible, and the music has never been better.I found myself turning the volume on the TV all the way up while playing this game, because the sound was that good!

If you're an avid gamer, yet you've never played this game, then something's really wrong with you.Pick this game up and play it 'till your fingers fall off (which I guarantee you'll do).This game is worth buying and owning for as long as you even are alive.

An epic classic! Still the greatest game to roam the Earth!!
A long time ago... in the unevolved time of 1985, a video game company emerged on the scene, known as Nintendo... And from a classic platform (genre) named Mario came a new series: The Legend of Zelda....

I love this game so much, I have to play almost all the time. This is THE greatest game to walk the planet. Or roam. Or kill the other video games. Any are true. This classic is the first 3D legend of zelda, and is still an amazing game to date.

Well, if it's such a great game, why's it so good? What makes it good? Here's a fork in the road where opinions split into multiple directions, but personally, I think the freedom of galloping on horseback on a wide, open, orange-green field, courtesy of the setting sun. This is just awesome for me. I never understood the game when I was young, but now I know all the characters, and all the dungeons. Or the whole game. Whatever. Off topic.

Another great thing is the ever-changing environment. In the night, things get noticably unsafer than in the day, just like reality. The gate to the town closes so you have to battle these skull things that rise up out of the ground. The sun sets and rises every few minutes, (which is kinda scary, in 5 minutes it becomes night), and the moon appears when it's nighttime.

Now the BESTEST thing is the interactiveness, and more importantly, the side quests. The Oot is an eploring RPG, so you don't HAVE to do what the plot tells you to do. There are TONS of mini-games to do. One, you can go fishing. Yes, you heard me correctly, F-I-S-H-I-N-G. How cool is that? There's also archery shootouts, on-horseback shootouts, and even a treasure chest game.

There are tons of things you can do in this game. One nice thing is that the game jumps for you, so it's easier to do things. You can swim and ride on a horse. Oh yes, and dive.

The plot is swirling and amazing, truly spectacular. This is THE best storyline I've ever seen in a videogame besides the Windwaker, which is as good, if not better than the Oot, but I'm preferable to the Majora's Mask. I'm not gonna tell you the story, so I don't spoil the excitement of learning what you have to do.

ALL IN ALL, I think the Oot is a must-have game for any N64 or Gamecube owner. It's the revolutionary classic. Once you play the game, that's when you'll realize. If you realize it's the greatest game you've ever played, rock on. If you think it sucks, go to hell.

Why can't there be more games like this one!?!
This is the best game I have ever played.It has very good music,grapics,and the story is great!I really love this game,but the only really big problem with this game is that it has this one(long and boring)temple that is very hard,and(please)don't take this game lightly,the bosses are hard,but the story is so good that you will want to play this game again and again!But the other Zelda games are lame!So only (if you want to)buy this game and maybe 'the legend Zelda A link to the past'. PROS:the story is great,It's a fun game,and the great fairys(Fairys that will power you up and give you new weapons) are easy to find.CONS:switching around the camera is a little bit hard,and finding the goldskull tokens(gold coin like tokens that you win from beating spider monsters)is easy at the beginning of the game but hard at the end.This is a great game,so I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy games,I would also recommend'final fantasyI&II dawn of souls'and'The legend of zelda:the wind waker'.

Great Great Great
This game has twice as much action as a normal 64 game, it keeps people coming back for more! Im going to say its is at least the number 2 game ever made by nintendo, if not number 1.Remember to finish this game up before you start on Majora, because they go in sequence. ... Read more

Features

• Explore the kingdom and discover 7 arcade-style games
• Explanations on everything from chess basics to master strategies
• Experience the Intelligym, a training ground for future chess pros
• Designed with highly-rated chess software
• Suitable for players of all levels

Amazon.com Review

Unless you really, really love either the Wizardryseries or role-playing games in general, this package likely isn't foryou. If, however, you don't mind configuring cantankerous old games orstaring for hours at antique graphics, The Ultimate WizardryArchives represents one of the best overall gaming values everassembled in one box.

For the uninitiated, the Wizardry series began in 1978 with therelease of Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, and that game,along with the six sequels that followed, is included in thiscollection. All of the games are presented in their original format,meaning the first four use simple text and stick figures to representthe entire gaming universe. Dungeons in the first few games consist ofstraight white lines bounding pure black walls.

Only purists and game collectors will appreciate the first five titlesin the series, but nearly anyone who enjoys crawling through dungeonshacking up monsters should like Bane of the Cosmic Forge andCrusaders of the Dark Savant (along with its enhanced version,Wizardry Gold). The graphics in these games are vastly improvedover those in their predecessors (though of course surpassed by moderngames), and the keyboard interface of the older games was exchanged foran easy-to-use mouse interface. Just looking at the evolution of theseries is a treat, as it shows how much computers and games havechanged in 10 years, but the real pleasure comes from the addictivehack-and-slash gameplay this series has been delivering for over twodecades. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• A great way to see just how far game technology has come
• Wizardry fans can finally fill all the gaps in theircollections
• Will provide hundreds of hours of entertainment--if you can takethe graphics and interfaces of the older titles

• Older DOS-based games won't appeal to the average gamer
• Some of these titles don't run well on modern systems

Reviews (5)

revolutionary!
Some players to whom graphics is all important should not bother with this game, with extremely few exceptions, every wall in this game looks the exact same.that can lead to some confusion so the automap feature which was included in wizardry gold was a huge bonus.the neat thing about wiz 7 (the greatest rpg of all time) is that your maps become more detailed as your character's skill in mapping goes up.
these are the most extensive rpg titles ever created.to this day none (well maybe one or two) titles offer the extensiveness of character development offered by wiz 6 and 7.there are plenty of races to choose from, and plenty of proffesions to enter, in the end it offers immense replay value as each party of 6 characters can be compromised of any proffesion you choose.you may choose from fighters, samurai, ninjas, monks, thieves, bards, valkyries, lords, rangers, bishops, alchemists, mages, priests and psionics.each race has different strengths and weaknesses and is more inclined to enter certain proffesions than others.each proffesion also has a plethora of skills to learn, from four classes,weaponry, physical, academic, and personal.
combat is unique, you assign commands to all your party members and then start the round.it requires you to have a strategic mind to be succesful... should i Slow this group and Blinding Flash this one, or the other way around?the spells as well are quite numerous, i beleive there are a total of 96.each spell can have up to six power levels (seven in wiz 7) allowing you to tailor the spell for what size or strength monster you are fighting.
the storyline is nothing short of amazing and highly engrossing, and completely non-linear.it is possible to 'lose' at the grand finale of the game, its also possible to semi-lose or semi-win.i beleive there are 5 endings.if you play through wiz 6 you can import your party into wiz 7 and get a special beggening and i beleive three special endings.
a great feature of the game is that there is no level limit for your characters, even in higher levels the game is still challenging.monsters do not simply get more hp and lower armor class as you go up in levels, they actually get smarter and some may have more special abilities to counter your party's.combat is beautifully balanced out so that it is not too tough, but certainly not too easy!even towards the end there are plenty of extremely (but not impossible) battles to be had.

another of the game's challenges is the acquisition of equipment.you EARN better equipment, for some it may be discouraging how hard it may be to get better equipment but others realize that it is beautifully balanced with how powerful your spellcasters become.when you find a treasure chest it usually contains well earned items, though only after disarming a tricky trap.this is where your thief/ninja/bard comes in.as they gain skill in skuldgerry they make it easier to ID components of traps.
the monsters are extremely numerous, i've played the game since its original release and still haven't encountered all.
the game does have flaws however, though none which marr the gameply much if any.one of the main flaws is that in wiz 6 every wall in the game looked the exact same, even if you were in the middle of a swamp or a castle.this makes it easy to get lost so the strategy guide complete with detailed maps (included in the game) is a MUST have.wiz 7 made a leap by including different wall tiles for different environments.yes, every town looks the exact same but at least trees are actually trees now!theonly environmental effect in the game is night/day cycles but don't despair, if something happens or if there is anything out of the ordinary on a wall the game will tell you.
the combat realism of the game may upset some, especially when their level 1 fighter is averaging six misses per hit or when their level five mage attempts a seventh level fireball that backfires and incinerates the party.your characters build up their skill levels through practice and level ups (levels are hard earned and precious!)therefore don't expect combat to be a walk through the park.in your very first fight your mage may very well run out of magic and pick up his stick to start beating some froggy plants senseless.
character creation may very well be a very frustrating for even experienced rpg'ers.you must select a sex and race and then the computer generates a random number of bonus points with wich to boost your initial stats (strength, speed, dexterity, vitality, intelligence, piety, and charisma).if the bonus points don't allow your character to raise his stats to the minimum entrance requirements for a class, your outta luck, try again.you want that felpurr samurai or faerie ninja?hope you got patience...
wizardry is an extremely well balanced and must play game for true rpg'ers.it provides hours and hours and hours of gameplay (just a single title!).the world you are free to explore from day one is immense and offers quite a few surprises which are not included in the game's strategy guide!from a tyrannosaurus rex to hidden treasure, there is plenty to discover.so polish off your breastplate, oil your boots, fork up 30 bucks and get out there and explore!

They can do better
I'm one of those people who grew up playing the original Wizardry (Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord) and wanted to have to same thing on my IBM computer.I was really disappointed because the graphics were worse than the old apple version, i can't figure out how they could do that but they did.Overall it was more difficult to use and just didn't have the same mystique that the original apple version possessed.The CD i bought didn't come with any instructions or anything so i didn't figure out how to play the other game so i can't comment there.I wouldn't go looking for this disc unless you liked the entire series.Fortunate for me i still have a working Apple II GS so i can play the original Wizardry.

Quick Review
I'm an RPG nut.I grew up with the early keyboard-interface games with CGA graphics and fell in love with the style of game.As far as I'm concerned, the games could still play like that or could even still be on pencil and paper.The graphics don't matter to me that much.I like collections.I also have all the Ultima games in a CD-ROM collection and the King's Quest Series.It's worth it to get all the games at once.I bought this collection because I played Dark Savant.In my opinion, that is one of the BEST RPGs ever made.It takes at least 6 months to complete and is so detailed and so wonderful.This set of games is worth it for that one game.The other ones are still awesome.Of course, if all you care about are graphics and sound, you might not find their charm.But, they are all great RPGs.

A few interesting features, but limited play and very dated.
First off, I've just gotta ask what's up with the first review on this site?A glowing review that's logged more than 100+ positive votes?That's a lot of traffic.Not that I would accuse anyone of having ahundred friends and employees drop by the site to plug a product, but . ..

As for the game itself.Wizardry Gold, the most complex game in thepack, does have a few very nice features.In particular, there are severalgroups of NPC's running around trying to accomplish the same quests thatthe PC's are, which provides a nice sense of urgency that most computergames lack.Also, the magic system is very good.Since each character'sspell points are distributed around between six different schools, you'reforced to employ a bigger variety of spells than in most RPGs.

That said,the game is VERY DATED.In spite of the 1992 date on Wizardry gold, itlooks and plays like something from the mid 1980's.The graphics areextremely primitive, to the extent that they actually impede game play. Because every wall and every tree looks exactly the same, it's hard tonavigate.Also, you can't see monsters until you are actually in combatwith them, and many special features (alcoves with urns, panels of blinkinglights, etc.) have no graphical representation at all, so you have tophysically step on every square to see if there is somethingthere.

Interaction with NPC's is also extremely rudimentary.Most NPC'swill only talk about three or four subjects, usually say only one sentenceon the subject, and usually repeat the same thing that every other NPC sayson that subject.This makes it hard to figure out what is going on in theworld, and to get a handle on the backstory behind all the quests andNPC's.The NPC's in this game are primitive compared to those in Might andMagic 6,7, and 8, which are in turn primitve compared to the NPC's inFallout 2. (A game with the best written characters that I've seenyet.)

All in all, I think modern players will find these gamesfrustratingly primitive.Those looking for a good RPG should try Fallout2,Might and Magic 6,7, or 8 (they're basically all the same), or the Baldur'sGate games, in that order.

Archives justifies playing older games.
Although you may prefer to pick up the similarly priced 'rpg archive' offered by Interplay which contains Wizardry Gold (Wiz7 for Win95) as well as ten other rpg games, for Wizardry die-hards, there is simply nothingthat could compare to this set.Contained on ONE cd-rom is Wizardry 1through 7 plus Wizardry Gold AND a demo for Wizardry 8 (forthcoming) andBaldur's gate.But the real question is, why should anyone except a smallhandful of weirdos who actually played these games (Wiz1 dates back to1978!) want to pick up this pack?

Well for starters, I think the Wizardrygames have consistantly had one of the best role playing systems for acomputer game even all the way back with their innitial entry.You havecomplete control over 6 characters and the success of your party (which youcreate) will depend on how well you select the different races, classes,alignments, spell choices, equipment, etc... All of the games feature largeareas with many puzzles, but while the early games focus on completion ofone dungeon (making game progress relatively linear) the real gem of thisset is Wiz 7/Wiz Gold, which is reason enough to buy this set.Beforeexpounding on Gold though, I should mention that there is a continuitybetween the games so that you can import characters from one game directlyinto the next.Also, Wiz6&7 are parts 1 and 2 of a trillogy of which 8is the conclusion.Also (and perhaps to some detriment) many of thesegames (other than Gold) may run strangely on your machine--but fortunatelya program called slo'mo is included and should help slow down yourcomputer.

As to Gold, this in in my opinion the best computer rpg yet. Forget Final Fantasy and all those other games; Wiz7 is huge with an entireworld to explore, various cities, forgotten ruins, dungeons, towers,castles, crypts and temples.There are both sub-plots and major plots, ofwhich you can chose a side or play both sides against the middle.So someguy pays you to assasinate one of your friends.It's completely up to you,and the rest of the story will reflect your decisions.There are at leasta dozen major non player characters who you may or may not become friendswith.From them you can ask whatever you want, or buy rumors off of them,or even steal them blind. As to spells, there are almost 100, with severalspell casting classes including mage, priest, alchemist and psionic, andseveral combination fighter/spell-casting types.There are elite classessuch as Samurai, Ninjas, Monks, Lords and Valkries which although difficultto generate when you are first making your character, can often be obtainedlater as your characters skills improve. Weapons:There are hundreds ofthem.Everything from the lowly throwing dart to unique magical weaponsand everything in between.And of course for every way of implimentingdistruction there is a monster to perform it on.I imagine someone knowshow many monsters there are, but I don't.Everything from creaturesintelligent or more intelligent than you to giant bone crushing lizards!And of course what would the game be without puzzles?Wiz7 has been calledthe most difficult computer rpg yet, but fortunately WizGold comes with asubstantial help file and maps--and if that isn't enough, now that theyears have passed, you can now find the every spoiler you'd want on theinternet. In short, WizGold (which is only one of the games sold in thispack) will keep you playing for months (I have heard estimates that knowingfull well what you are doing there is over 100 hours of role play here, Ithink the game may prove longer for those though who have not read the hintfiles).It is amazingly addicting, and that is why even after 7 years,people are still anxious for Wiz8.Sure, the graphics are aniquated (thiswas way before doom!) and it can't be played over the internet, but I can'tthink of a single newer game which offers the depth of role playing you'llget here (as an example, if you are slow in getting to a particular point,you'll find one of the NPCs may have gotten there before you and got theprize you were after.)A lot of this is because games have sacrificedmultiple characters as too complicated for newer 3-d games and hence goneto single character games (don't worry, Wiz8 will still have 6 characters),while other newer games seem to be mostly just hack and slash or are toolinear.Wiz7 shares none of those problems, and is as addicting as it wasback in 1992, for a substantially cheaper price.If you are at all a fanof computer RPGs, especially if you've been looking for something a bitdeeper than all the Final Fantasy games, I cannot recommend the WizardryArchieves more, though you may consider purchasing the RPG Archives packalso sold by interplay for a broader sampling of older CRPG games. ... Read more

Product Description

The first game that lets you play either as or against Tiger Woods and a host of other top names in the world of professional golf. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Sports
• Mission: Take on the king of links or play as the young golf superstar, Tiger Woods

Reviews (4)

great game
Tiger woods pga tour 2000-2003 are fun but this is funner.All new world tour.Buy it now!

Wonderful game
I originally played this game on the PS2 and I didnt care for it. Due to boredom, I purchased a GBA and this was one of the few games available and I'm glad it was there. This game is not only easy to learn but as you get better the games becomes more challeging. I cant comment on the graphics because I'm new to the GB world but from a beginners point of view they are wonderful.

Best for golf gameboy yet
This game is fun and it saves your game constantly which is a huge plus. Unfortunately, putting is so easy that it may as well not even exist in the game. Putting is a tedious chore with no challenge. Otherwise this game is great.

You may want to wait for Mario Golf to be released if you like putting in your golf game.

Beats the previous TW PGA game!
This is by far the best golf game for the GBA. This time around you get multiple courses, better options and a much better control system. Gone is the "press A to begin backswing, press A again to swing, etc." This time, it controls like the Game Cube version (the directional pad controls the backswing & swing) and the "A" button controls the overhead view, and the BEST part is "PUTTING IS A DREAM"! I even hooked this baby up to my Game Boy Player for Game Cube, and it's fabulous from the graphics to the control with the GC controller. If you enjoyed "Tiger Woods PGA Golf", this one will blow you away. The only question is why does that strange little man jump up & down screaming "Tiddly Bop Canarsie Tell Me A Story Mom" every few minutes, and WHAT DOES IT MEAN??? He starts to dance and take off some of his clothing, and it kind of weirds me out. But anyway, other than that addition to the 2004 version, this is a leap in the right direction for this series! Buy it now! ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL - 14887 VENDOR-Electronic ArtsFEATURES- Rugby 2005 PS2 EA SPORTS Rugby 2005 incorporates all the major Rugby teams, players, and tournaments, including the Tri-Nations, Super 12 and many more authentic and prestigious events from the world of Rugby. The game incorporates a completely upgraded graphical engine with individually differentiated players, realistic motion-captured player animations, dramatic lighting and cameras, and stadiums that are accurate with details such as crowd reactions, songs, and chants. The game features on-the-fly play-calling, right analog stick controls for fakes and crushing hits and improved kicking control. The game also features a 'Rugby 101' training mode outlining the rules, controls, and tactics of the sport through videos and interactive challenges. -- SPECIFICATIONs --------------------------------------- ESRB Rating: RP for Rating PendingGenre/Category : SPORTS System : Playstation 2Number of Players:On-Line Compatible : a href="http:// Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theElectronic Arts 14887 - Rugby 2005 PS2 and all other Electronic Arts Video Game Acc ... Read more

Features

• New player models with motion-captured animations bring the tackles, high emotions and player actions to life
• Training mode outlines the eight main gameplay elements, including rules, controls and advanced tactics
• Control every aspect of the sport -- set plays on the fly, dive when tackling, sidestep big hits, build momentum with a shoulder charge or confuse the defense with complex fakes and dummies
• Creation Zone lets you create customized players based on your own likeness, your favorite rugby star, classic players of the game or any other characters
• Enjoy more teams and leagues, the addition of the Heineken/European Cup and customizable, user-designed knockout tournaments

Reviews (3)

Must Have/Must Give
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!!! If you have a friend, loved one, associate or even know a random associate who is at all interested in Rugby, you owe it them and humanity to encourage them to get this game. Heck, buy it for them. For those who have played every other sport title and are looking for a unique sports sim to conquer, prepare for hours of enjoyment and challenge when you pick up Rugby 2005. This game combines realistic plays a variety of bone crushing hits and tackles and sizzling graphics and gameplay to make a complete package. Various game modes and players make this game a hit. Most sports titles get boring and even obsolete after a few weeks but Rugby 2005 will drag you back to your game console time and time again. If you don't believe me try it...better yet get the opinion of the rugby fan you get this title for.

The first rugby game ever!
As someone who has owned every so-called rugby game ever released, I have to say that EA has surpassed their own brilliance and given us the first rugby sim which captures the intensity and continuity of the sport. I had begun to doubt that it was possible to bring this complex sport to a gaming format but I was in owe when I saw the playability and realism that this game has to offer. In its genre there is no competition for this game and I hope the EA guys working on the new FIFA2006 has seen what can be done with a budget which is less than a tenth of theirs.
Whether you like rugby or live for it as I do, buy this game. You will not be disappointed!

Rucking great!!!!!!!
As a passionate rugby supporter and player, this version was a huge improvemnt on the version released in 2004. It is extremely challenging. The graphics are also very good and it is obvious that time has been put into recreating world famous stadiums to the very last detail, as well as the teams around today.
I definately recommend this game for any person, interested in this sport.
... Read more

Features

• Players include Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Lebron James, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett
• Play as one of 30 NBA teams or choose a Backyard team
• Play a season, single games or minigames
• Head-to-head action through the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable

Reviews (2)

U Stink:(
I bought this game, and it was terrible. I tried to make it work, but it wouldn't let me win. I tried and I tried, and then I decided that this game was stupid and I through it out the window. My parents got mad at me and threw me out the window. I asked them for a normal game but they wouldn't buy me one and threw me out the other window. This game is the worst game I've ever seen. It belongs in the garbage can. I can't believe what kind of unbelievably stupid person would buy this ugly, disgusting game. It was so terrible. Please don't buy it or you'll get thrown out the window. By the way, my name is Joshua and I hate this game. By. You better not buy it.

Backyard Basketball is so cool!!!
I like Backyard Basketball.Forst, there are different courts.Second, there are great players like Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neil.Mostly, I like playing because I win a lot and it is a lot of fun.I recommend this game. ... Read more