Product Description

Since the Beginning of Time the forces of Order and Chaos have been engaged in an eternal struggle to decide the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now come to the Mortal Realm... And neither Man, Demon, nor Angel will be left unscathed.Diablo, Lord of Terror, and youngest of the Three Prime Evils, awoke from his long sleep beneath the dark earth. Setting in motion a grand scheme to free his exiled brothers, Mephisto and ... Read more

Features

• Five all-new character classes with unique attributes and abilities.
• Four different, fully populated towns complete with wilderness areas.
• Multiple dungeons, caverns and crypts in every town for players to explore.
• Expanded world filled with all-new quests, weapons, spells, armor, monsters and non-player characters.

Reviews (533)

Best of the Genre
Diablo II is a helluva lotta fun.I'm not so much a single player person, but a multiplayer person.The gameplay is well thought-out and engaging.The plot is corny, but, then again, this is an RPG.

The graphics are kinda mediocre, but the gameplay makes up for it.The expansion is a must.Playing online is incredibly addictive, which I don't like, but I get a kick out of it.What makes this game is the interaction in multiplayer.

(...) is easy to use.They catch a fair few cheaters.

My main complaint is that there are many lamers.There is a group of people that buys duplicated items of the internet at like 10 dollars a piece.This is what I don't like.There are other people that hack accounts and steal characters and equipment, and that is just lame.Thankfully, this has not happened to me, although my brother got hacked a long time ago.

Even so, the fact that your account might get hijacked just adds to the reality that it is, after all, just a game.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The single player is a lot like the multiplayer.It is a good way to learn how to start out independently.In fact, the multiplayer is like single player, but just with more people.(surprise)

There aren't many glitches, and there is skill involved, up to a point.

Buy this game.It's worth your money.So is the expansion.

Great game!
Diablo 1 players. Yes, I know you have suffered, but Diablo 2 fixed all their problems and this game is 700 times better! Get it!

Learned some lessons from DIABLO, but quests more restricted
DIABLO 2 can be summarized as "like DIABLO, but more so." DIABLO 2 has more locales, more varied scenery, more (and more elaborate) AIs, more control over developing your character's skills, more types of characters to play, better play balance, and so on.

Like the original, DIABLO 2's settings are (mostly) randomly generated, so that with the exception of some set-piece areas (like the Skeleton King's lair in the original), no two games follow exactly the same map. DIABLO 2 has four acts covering 5 locales (including Tristram, the setting of DIABLO). Each act has very different climate/geography and monsters differing accordingly.

You're following the trail of the Wanderer (the hero of the first game) as he locates the other Prime Evils, Diablo's brothers, before leading you into Hell and the final confrontation with Diablo himself. The settings in general have much greater variety and eye candy, and include outdoor segments as well as dungeon crawls.

Act I is a generic-Europe setting, with a lesser-demon Level Boss rather than a Prime Evil. Act I most closely resembles the earlier stages of the original DIABLO, and contains references back to the original, as the player's task is to help the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. (The Rogue from DIABLO was a member of the order; your closest-equivalent player character in DIABLO 2 is the Amazon, who has a different backstory.)

Act II is a desert scenario, with a sort of Egyptian flavor to the tombs, and a different, more formidable type of undead. Act III, by contrast, is a rainforest, emphasis on poisonous insects, water monsters, and fast-moving little AIs with blowpipe attacks. Act IV's revamped version of Hell is much more larger and elaborate than that in the original, with an assortment of demons and new attacks. The succubae weren't retained, but as a tradeoff Act I has hordes of renegade Rogues.

Many of the AIs have been revamped to make them tougher and to give them more distinctive appearances. While the distinct colour schemes were retained, the details are more elaborate and they're tougher opponents. The carver-type AIs now include shamans, who in addition to their own magical attacks can raise the fallen. Animated skeletons on higher difficulty levels may now have mages as well as archers with them.

That's one of the biggest changes from the original. Monsters not only regenerate after you've cleaned out a level (even lesser "unique" monsters, though not Level Bosses that have to be killed to end an Act), but many monster types can raise the dead or harvest energy from corpses. There are also delayed-action attacks, as poisons and antidotes have been added.

Other changes from original:
- Multiplayer and single player now use the same limited set of quests, rather than single player having a random selection of a larger set of quests.
- Play balance on character abilities now includes active and passive skills, differing by character type. Not just any character can learn spells.
- In addition to mana and life, player has stamina. While you don't have to eat or sleep as in, e.g. DARKSTONE, you either have to pace your character, stock up on stamina potions, or be content to move slowly.
- In addition to Town Portal spells, each Act contains a set of fixed waypoints, and the player can return to earlier Acts if desired.
- Towns are more elaborate. Apothecaries selling potions are now separate from magic sellers, and at least one NPC per Act can "gamble" with you. You can hire and equip NPCs who will follow you and fight what you fight. If they're with you, your experience points are divided with them, but they level up and become more formidable over time.

Some lessons learned by the designers:
- Local smiths can upgrade weapons, e.g. installing runes or gems in them. Partway through Act II, a quest item allows you to combine multiple gems of the same type to get a single gem of a better grade, so strategy is a factor.
- In town/camp you have a chest in addition to the inventory on your character's person. Items in the chest are safe, but if you're killed and resurrected, anything you were carrying has to be retrieved from the body. Since you're fined a large amount of your total gold when you're resurrected, you're motivated to scavenge your own body anyway just to get some of it back.
- Partway through Act I, you revisit Tristram and rescue Deckard Cain, who now has enough gratitude to identify items for free instead of gouging you.
- Some unique items now come in sets (e.g. helmet, breastplate, gauntlets) that are stronger together than apart, and mostly effective for specific character types (e.g. bonuses apply only to a paladin). Strategy comes into play: is it worth saving an item in the hopes of acquiring the rest of the set?

In summary: the thing I miss most from the original is the randomized quest mix on single player. The active/passive skill system is interesting enough to make up for restricting the player's ability to create super-powerful spell-casting Rogues and the like.

As in the original, even in single-player a game can't be saved in multiple states; you can only have multiple characters working through different scenarios. In multi-player, items can be transferred between characters by drop-and-switch, but that's about it.

nothing tops this
there have been many trys by different developers to copy the play style of diablo 2.they are no doubt good but they are NOT diablo 2.diablo 2 has the best story, fun factor, sound, cinematics, addictiveness and replayability.i stopped playing this a long time ago because i was hooked on starcraft but i am going to start a new character tonight just to see how fun this game is again.my previous barbarian only got up to lvl 46.i've been playin WoW and have a lvl 60 alliance human paladin but there is not nearly as much loot as there is in diablo 2, thus making many characters look the same.(to the post below- all mmorpgs require a fee to play...its what basically gets them paid to make updates, fix the servers, etc.)cant wait to start diablo 2 again!

Another increible Blizzard's production
Lord Of Terror
When Diablo came out almost 4 years ago, it was the surprise hit of the 1997. One day there wasn't Diablo, the next it was on store shelves, and the day after North American productivity plummeted 25%. Although Blizzard liked to classify it as a RPG, it wasn't really one. More like an action-RPG, since so much of the game relied on reflex and mouse-clicking. The story development was slim and roleplaying aspects non-existent. Yet the simple, addictive gameplay hooked us all and had us begging for more.

After years of development, a few promises, a few leaked features and dozens of delays - Diablo II is here. The Second Coming of Hell and another dip in all IT stocks came to my desk less than a week ago, and grudgingly I accepted the job of reviewing the game.

For those of you who've been in a timewarp the past 5 years and never heard of Diablo or Diablo II, let me give you a brief rundown on both.


Diablo
Diablo was a game where you played a hero of one of three character classes - Warrior, Sorcerer or Rogue. This hero operated out of a small town called Tristram, underneath which Hell itself was opening up. At first simply trying to clear the local corrupted Cathedral of vermin infestation, the hero soon discovers that something much more sinister is afoot. Hence you keep going deeper and deeper through the game until you discover that none other than the Lord of Terror himself - Diablo - is at the root of all the problems. You see, he, along with his two other brothers - form the Three Prime Evils. They got banished from Hell by lesser evils and then rampaged around the world until they were captured in soulstones given to mortals by the angel Tyrael.

Through 4 different dungeons having 4 levels each you fought, died, and recovered your own corpse. You'd restart the game when it got too hard to gain xp in easier areas, and go back in again. It was all about getting to the next level, getting the next spell, getting the next better weapon or armor. It was simple to the point of being idiotic. Click the mouse to move somewhere, then click-click-click-click-click at some monster until it dies, and move on to kill more. That's an over-simplified description, of course - but the point is that Diablo was extremely addictive.
... Read more

Product Description

NBA Street V3 ... Read more

Features

• The Trick Stick gives you complete control of the rock -- take your dunka nd slams further, and make up your own crazy moves
• Show off your style with over 1,000 different custom options - hairstyles, gear and accessories are yours to play with
• Build and customize your home court from the ground up -Create a home court advantage with new court surface, net, and backboard styles
• Play on 12 authentic courts around the world, from Rucker Park in NYC to Venice Beach, California -- even courts in Europe
• Go wild with the Gamebreakers - turn combos into a 3-man aerial dunk assault

Reviews (10)

Weak ass game!
I like this game but, the slam dumk contest kindna weak. Street vol.2 is the best one.

Addictive Gameplay
When I purchased this game for X-Box, my decision was based on the enjoyment that I got out of NBA Street 2 for PS2.I figured that the 3rd installment would be at least as good as the 2nd. Believe me, it's better.The graphics are very unique, much more three-dimensional than the previous version.I know that there are a lot of people that are disappointed that Michael Jordan is not included as a bonus player, but there are many bonus players, courts, items, etc. that keep the game fresh and as unique and original as possible.So if you're in the market for a fun game that isn't too difficult to get the hang of, then this game is a great choice.It only takes a few pick-up games to get the hang of the controls, and the game just gets better and better after that.The only drawback that I have found with this game is the lack of camera angles.The available angles are either too close or too far away for my tastes, but I have gotten used to.

If I Could I Would Give It 10 Stars.
I love all the NBA Streets series. Missing Michael Jordan but who cares this game is still fun as hell. The graphics are beautiful. I'm the King of this game, I rule this game. The best thing about is the slam dunk contest. So everybody get this game and don't try to challenge cause I will defeat you 21 (Me) to Zip (U).

Best basketball game yet!
This game is awesome its got TON'S of characters such as the beastie boys.I love this game.The only bad thing about it is that fruity dj cucumber...whatever everything else is good!





BUY THIS GAME!!!!!!!!(:

soo cool
this game is so cool and its better than street 2. it has cool graphics ... Read more

Product Description

2001-2003 Mythic Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Mythic Entertainment, the Mythic Entertainment logo, "Dark Age of Camelot", "Trials of Atlantis," the Dark Age of Camelot and Trials of Atlantis logos are trademarks and and the stylized Celtic knot is a registered trademark of Mythic Entertainment, Inc. Windows and DirectX are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. The ratings ... Read more

Features

• Note: this online game requires an Internet connection and charges a monthly fee
• Massively multi-player online roleplaying game incorporating Arthurian legends, Norse myths, and Celtic lore
• Includes original game, Shrouded Isles, and Trials of Atlantis
• Comes with New Frontier upgrade and Foundations upgrade
• One month free subscription

Reviews (13)

A Great Game, Too Often Slammed
I have played this game for about two & a half yrs and have enjoyed my time in game tremendously. Basics of the game involve establishing a fantasy character in 1 of 3 realms in the ancient British Isles. The game allows a character to focus on spending time battling monsters in their own realm, battling players in the other 2 realms, or becoming a crafter of items.You can spend as much or as little time as you want in the game and you can do any combination of the above activities.You also can join with other players to form guilds & alliances.

Many overly criticize that too much time is wasted in the "grind" of leveling a character to 50th or in obtaining items wanted to enhance a character's ability.They miss the point that the pleasure in the game is playing.If their only focus of the game is to become the best of a particular character class with the most realm points posted on the boards, they miss out on the essence of the game which is to explore a fantasy world with numerous dungeons and lands filled with monsters and quests to conquer.The realm vs realm aspect of Camelot is the best in the genre and the various level specific battlegrounds allow a character to have fun defending their realm at almost any level.

I have found that Mythic has been responsive to player feedback. They have made numerous modifications regarding artificat acquisition, realm inequity, class inequity, encounter glitches, etc.

Be careful in starting Dark Age of Camelot, as you may become addicted.I have have had many wonderful adventures in Camelot and made many on-line friends.

Good fun
Its good fun if you can deal with leveling to 50........then the arts.........


Overall a good time, good people for the most part.

Only down side is if you think your going to get a level 50 just kill, not going to happen.

I do think there moving too fast for somebugs but hey! what games doesnt have bugs? Over all rating is 5 stars, untill something that can match and/or beat this, im there!

DAOC is great...
Not!!!If you are looking for a MMORPG, and bought this one great.If you havent let me tell you about it.I played off and on since Feb 02.Some people were playing before that as well, but nevermind that.Me having 10 level 50 character doesnt really say much, but I did waste plenty of time to explore what this game has to offer.
First thing you do is kill this and that till you are level 50.Run to the frontier and get yourself killed by everything that you see and dont see.Then you start working on equipting your toon, using TOA, SI, and player crafted items.Oh forgot to mention you also need to finnish master level 1-10x10 (if anyone tells you master level is fun, please have pity and get them some therapy).level 20-24 will probably be the most fun for you; lots of people in battleground for you to play with and against, and the gap between equipments doesnt equate to much. after level 45 the grind really kicks in.Once you are done with your grind, you will find out if you like Realm vs Realm or not.Dont believe anything Mythic tells you.That book that came with the game, burn it.If you need to know something find a character in game and ask them, the best chance are those level 50 in all black.They are generally the one that compete hard.
RvR is somewhat dead.so dont buy this game if that's why you looked at it in the first place.
1.(denied by mythic) Most of the people who RvR have quit or stop RvRing.Maybe some moved to albion, so I wouldnt know that as a midgard player)
2.(denied by mythic) Game is not balanced, population and other things.Many things that the players complaint about are ignored.You can find these stuff online easy enough.
3.RvR is mainly siege equipment now.Which mean all your time invested equate to a level 20 behind a siege machine for the most part. Level 1-50+ Master Leve 10(1-10)+x(artifacts)(1-10artifact levels) only comes to play 1% of the time.Ok so 10% of the time.

And if you really have to try it out, play an Albion.You cant go wrong there.From the start i cant remember Albion not getting enough love.It's too late for me, I already pick Midgard and i wont switch side.Whether i play or not is another issue.

Dark Age of Camelot Review
I have been playing DAoC for the past 2 years.I have 2 level 50's characters and 3 almost 50.ToA has been changed and does not hurt the game.The leveling of artifacts has been made extremely easyer.The leveling of characters also has been made easyer by getting 1 FREE level every 3 days so long as you have leveled once through xp within those 3 days.New Frontiers is not all bad like people say.I like it more than OF(Old Frontiers) because it brought balance to the realm ablities and made it so that rvr has more strategy.As for population imbalence problems, those also have been fixed because Albion (the overpoulated realm on all servers) has a 7 day free level timer instead of a 3 day.Also on that note hibernia and midgard get a bonus to all xp and realmpoints earned.I hope everyone plays the game and if you decide to go on Galahad server in Albion and send Misformed (me) a tell. :)

Game peaked before Trials of Atlantis
I've played Dark Age of Camelot since Feb 02 owning 3 accounts, 2 level 50 and 3 more level 40ish chars. This game was excellent and the best MMORPG out there until Trials of Atlantis. From that point the timesinks became ridculous and with the new fronteirs expansion the game has spiraled out of control. The grind was originally levels 1-50 and then build your characters equipment template. Now, it takes all of that but your equipment must now be attained, activated and leveled which takes a long time, if not longer then getting your character to level 50. Then you have the Master Levels which can be 12-14 hour single sessions to get one Master Level completed and there are 10. Leveling some artifacts can take 40 game play hours to level just one of them up. Now, the game is facing severe population issues because no one will try a new realm because it would take a year of playing to be able to compete. (less obviously for people who play 24x7)

This game had always provided a stable, safe opt-in version of realm versus realm combat which was the main draw of the game - and LOTS of fun! but Mythic lost sight of that, blew the timesinks through the roof and the game is suffering terribly because of that.

Many of us long for the DAoC that existed the year before the Trials of Atlantis expansion! The level of work neccessary used to somehwat match the reward and fun of the end game RvR - now the work is 2-3 times that and many don't find the return on investment to be worth it anymore.
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Product Description

Featuring more official team and league licenses than any other soccer game (including lower leagues from the most competitive European countries), an enhanced and extended Career Mode, EA SPORTS Online play for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, PC-CD and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and the all-new Creation Zone that lets you customize new tournaments or even put yourself into the game, FIFA Soccer 2005 is the only complete, authentic and intelligent soccer experien ... Read more

Features

• Soccer sports game
• More than 350 official team and league licenses from around the world
• Licensed stadiums with authentic crowd chants
• Career mode lets you play from both the pitch and the front office
• Single player, LAN multiplayer, and online multiplayer modes

Reviews (7)

Arcade version, not a simulation
If you want to play football without much control depth then choose this over the European "Pro Evolution Soccer 4" (title is "Winning 11" in the US) and if you have heard the buzz surrounding that game then you should know that it is in the top three sports simulations of all time.

Winning 11 however is not an out-of-box game, taking days to learn, weeks to master and then improve on with other players. FIFA works straight out of box, is easy, but its limits become all too obvious in light on Winning 11, a game has been in development since the Nintendo 64 and is easily the best soccer engine out there.

The bottom line is that if you want a soccer game that works out of box, that you can play almost right away with anybody, then FIFA has it. If you want a real soccer sim that takes longer to get into but is far better, then choose Winning 11.

Fifa 2005
Fifa 2005 is very simialar to Fifa 2004. But there are differences between the two. I really like 2005 more for the reasons that the new style is really cool. The music in the game is killer [they went for a more international music approach, rather than just the American music scene], and there is a visible differnece in the graphics upgrade. Basically, its an updated version of 2004. However, I bought this just for the hell of it, but 2005 doesnt come anywhere close to Winning Eleven 7. I bought Winning Eleven 8 recently, but it was in Japanese, but the gameplay is so much better. In F2005, no matter how many times you press sprint, the players just move so slow. The stadiums itselfs are not very lively, [i only saw one flag waving in the enitre crowd]. I bought 2005 mainly because I lost Winning Eleven 7, but Fifa 2005 is still pretty worth the buy. I do, however, prefer the winning eleven series. Gameplay is much easier and better at the same time.

Buy on PC if you can
I bought this game first on the playstation 2 but soon realized,(by playing the PC demo, and then surfing all the fan sites) that the the PC version is a smarter purchse. The game is great soccer gaming experience, and by far the best gameplay engine to date. (Still not perfect yet, though) The most frustrating aspects are the missing teams, incorrect player faces, incorrect uniforms, and missing stadiums. However, all these issues can be addressed if you have the pc version, through the many fan/user created websites designed to fix these discrepancies. And that is my recomendation to the soccer gamer.

Another [...] By EA!!
I'm a true footie fan and always will be, it's the only sport around the globe that is worth watching. Oh and by the way people who call this wonderful sport soccer are people who don't know anything about the true Football sport. I didn't actually buy this game and I never intended to but one of my friends had given me his copy which he didn't like to try. Boy was that worthless. EA sports managed over the years to bring a game for footie fans and make them enjoy it. Lately they have been trying to cheat off the Winning Eleven 7 game by Konami and it is evident in every move. No matter how hard EA will try they will never even come close to Winning Eleven 7 because they just simply don't haveFootball-true engineers working on this game and they are only after the money. Speaking to a lot of people(AMERICANS to be exact) they choose graphics over true realistic gameplay that represents true Football, and that just tells me one thing that they know nothing of the sport and should not come near it in whatever way. EA had said they had corrected errors in previous games but that's all a [...]because players in the game still wait for the ball to come to them instead of running towards it and also EA still haven't figured out a way past their formulated way of scorring goals. A good example of that if you want to score a goal all you have to do is cross and I guarantee a goal no matter what. EA sports FIFA "FOOTBALL" 2005 is simply a shadow imitation of Winning Eleven 7, and the only difference between the 2 is the graphics in EA is better and that is why I gave a 1 star. Whoever gives it more is no Footie Fan you just remember that. If you simply want good graphics then buy the game but keep in mind you are no footie fan, but if you want a realistic wonderful game you play Winning Eleven 7 which I give a 6 out of 5. Winning Eleven 8 is coming out soon it will erase every attempt by EA to succeed in Football games.

3 1/2 stars
its pretty good.

my previous fifa game was fifa 2002, and to be honest, 2002s graphics are as good or better than 2005s.

also, the menus are probably the worst ever.why cant they just use a simple layout like 2002 and 2002 world cup?it was so much easier to use.Dont get me wrong though.its a very ogod game, and if youre going to get a soccer game, this is defintely the one to get. ... Read more

Product Description

Along the way, youll get help from your past and future selves as you travel through the ages to infiltrate historic castles, annihilate evil robots, and more. In addition to the improved story mode the depth of gameplay will be endless with a co-op, arcade and online multi-player mode, which will give gamers hundreds of hours of exciting gameplay. ... Read more

Features

• Multiple gameplay modes: Featuring a story mode with co-op, an arcade and challenge mode and a split screen multiplayer and online mode.
• Sony Online Support: Play online with friends in 16 player death match or co-op modes.
• Create and Share Maps Online: An improved mapmaker interface makes it easier to create multi-player maps and share and play them online with friends.
• Time Travel Gameplay: An innovative meet and assist yourself time travel gameplay lets players be their own ally by teaming up with past and future versions of themselves.
• The game will also feature a single an extensive Arcade mode, and a Multiplayer mode that allows gamers to battle in 16-player death match or co-op play online on the PlayStation 2 console, and much more.

Reviews (10)

For a Good Time, Play Me
The first word that comes to mind when I think of this game is...SWEEEEEEEEEET!!!I was impressed with the game before I even started playing the story mode.How?Well, the fact that you can customize the controls the way you want to is a great option.That earned this game a star right away.

Do I even need to tell you about the graphics?They're SWEEET.Did I already use that adjective?Well, I'm using it again.I always loved their cartoonish style, and in this edition they're better than ever.Also, the addition of blood was a nice touch.

Gameplay is very fluent.There's plenty of action and I like the characters I interact with.Checkpoints are smartly placed at regular intervals and the ability to set different difficulty levels gives it great replay value.I've only played through four missions, but I can tell that this is easily the best shooter on the PS2 this year, so far.There are no flaws.I give it 5 stars!

This great series is finally online, but with some problems
TimeSplitters has always been the most fun First Person Shooter series around.Smooth graphics, fun characters, really fast action.TimeSplitters 2 has to be my favorite shooter ever.Needless to say that I was looking forward to this finally being online.

Well, the online portion is the reason why this game exists.In terms of how the game looks and plays, it's just like it's predecessor, TimeSplitters 2.This in not a bad thing by any means.

So, the first question is, how is the online?It's a mixed bag.When the games are fun and fair, it's amazing.But those times are increasingly becoming few and far between.First off, technically, there is no lag.Playing online is almost as fast as playing against your friend.You can play up to four players on one console, and up to eight in one game (NOT 16 like the preview says!).The games consist of the normal fair: deathmatch, team deathmatch, assault, capture the bag, and more.You can choose something like 10 different levels or use custom made levels.You can join a game, or you can host a game (so you can choose the setup, kick out players, etc.).

There a few technical problems though.The first and most obvious is that the headsets don't work over PPPoE.Which is strange because it's pretty standard on many DSL connections, I can't see why it is so technically different than other types of connections.Second is the lack of diagnostics.What I mean by that is that if you're behind a firewall without port forwarding, you'll won't be able to host games.However, it'll still let you set up the game.For the longest time I thought I was unpopular because no one joined my game.The server let me set up the game even though I was not set up to handle it.Finally, the game freezes on many custom maps online.The only way to get around is to reset the PS2 and go through the annoying 5 minute process of getting it back up and online.

Now it terms of play, sometimes it's just downright amazing.A properly set up capture the bag in "Training Grounds", or a team deathmatch in "Mexican Mission" is the most amazing game experience around.The kills keep coming.Strategies start developing.You start to recognize tendencies, tend to work in groups, etc.All in all, if those perfect scenarios with the right mix of people are set up correctly, you've got the best gaming experience ever.

Notice that I used the word "if"?Well, that's because many people are cheap online, or many people don't know how to setup a game.It's tough to host a non-deathmatch because no one will wait for eight slots to fill up before the game starts.That often leads you to the mercy of the host of another game.Many times, the game will have short characters (monkeys, a little girl).The short characters, being smaller, have a huge, cheap advantage, and their cheapness annoys and aggravates many people.Often times, in custom maps, weapons will be placed in obscure places where only the mapmaker can find them, giving them another cheap advantage.Also, there's camping.The worst offense imaginable (I was doing it by accident when I first started playing).Basically, a person waits for you to respawn with a weak weapon or waits for you to cross a narrow opening, and then shoots you.There is no real way to defend against it if the host doesn't kick them out.This ruins a lot of games.If you look on EA website, they rank the players.I played against 2 of the top 10, and one was guilty of using a monkey, one was camping.EA is rewarding cheap play.Finally, many hosts don't know how to set up a game (e.g. they set it up for camping or they have really boring scenarios or maps).This just makes the whole hit or miss phenomenon of getting the right game even worse.Only about 1 out of every 5 games I join are enjoyable or playable, which caused me to abandon online play after just a few weeks.

Other than online, it offers the standard offline fair.There is still the ultra fun offline deathmatches against bots.There is nothing greater than having my friend and I use a split screen fighting off many bots.They also included the greatest level of all, Mexican Mission from the TimeSplitters 2.That is a huge plus.There is the standard story mode.Despite the numerous changes in level backgrounds, I found the latter levels tobe uninspiring and boring, with stupid little mini games or escort missions.There is also co-op, but it's the exact same missions as the single player, so if you've played single player, co-op is not that great, and vice versa.Also, there are challenges which are just a bunch of little scenarios.Shoot a bunch of zombie monkeys, time yourself as you throw bricks through windows, race a car shaped like a cat around walls to get the best time.Just a whole bunch of things that seemed sort of tacked on.I played a few before I quickly got bored.

All in all, the online flaws prove too frustrating and take away from a really great game.If you're not playing online, you can easily purchase TimeSplitters 2 and have the same great experience for about one-fourth the price.

Pros:
No lag time online
Best engine around
Mexican Mission!
When it's setup correctly, boy is it fun

Cons:
Campers and monkeys online
Mostly boring online matches
Technical online problems
Boring, uninspired story missions
Arcade mini-games just seem lame

Time to complete: 7 hours (single player or co-op story mode)

Frustration: Low (on normal)

Difficulty: Low (on normal)

Truly impressed
This game is extremely entertaining and funny. The ability travel through time fighting everything from robots to zombies is exciting. The Story Co-op is perfect for playing with a buddy!!! Absolutely great game.

Much better on xbox or gamecube
i endorse evry word there. Much better on the xbox on gamecube, and i'm not biased 'cos i have a ps2 with 26 games and i'm just hurt that the games is more fun on those two consoles.

Simply awsome
This game is simply awsome. There is so much replay value and just so much to do. The graphics are very nice and sort of cartoonish. 150 playable characters, you just cant go wrong in buying this even if you havent played the others ;) ... Read more

Product Description

"The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay" interactive game2004 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "The Chronicles of Riddick"&Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All Rights Reserved. Vivendi Universal Games and the Vivendi Universal Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live and the Xbox logos ... Read more

Features

• featuress the likeness and voice-over talent of Vin Diesel as Riddick
• Explore over 30 levels, 20 enemy types, and 15 different weapons
• For 1 player
• Become Riddick and break out of the galaxy's most deadly prison in this 1st person action experience
• Fight with fists or knives or use stealth to defeat your enemies

Reviews (69)

Great Game from a Movie!
Great graphics and great gameplay! The only problem is the aiming of your weapon, but overall this is a fantastic game! Superb storyline, great levels, good replay, this is just great. Get it!

Hey! Its actually a good movie licensed game!
This game is awesom. Just purly awesom. Probably one of the best X-Box games ever. The gameplay is verry fun, it mixes FPS with meeley and stealth. Verry fun stuff.

Not only is this game fun to play, its one of the best looking games ever made. The animation, the character models, enviroments, everything. Its just awesom.

The sound is great as well. There are voice overs by Vin Deisel, Xzibit, and many more. The music is top notch as well.

I have to say that this is one of the best playing games on the X-Box ever as well. It plays as good as halo. Its that good.

The only real downfall is that there is no multiplayer for he game, so its just single player. The campaigh is also fairly short.

Overall, this is a must buy game destined to become a classic.

Concept- Make a good movie licensed game

Presintation- 9.25- The box art is perfect, but the menues are kinda weird.

Graphics- 9.8- One of the best looking games on the X-box, you really have to see it to believe it.

Sound- 9.7- great, Good voiceovers by Vin, and the music is good too

Playability- 10- Its like Halo without the vehicles. In other words, perfect

Entertainment- 9.6- extreamly fun to play, verry entertaining

Replay Value- 7.5- You will play the single player again and again, but no multiplayer hurts

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
A game prequel to the film series featuring the sinister ex-criminal from the films Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick. The game features an advanced graphics engine which makes extensive use of normal mapping and other advanced texturing techniques in a first-person shooter/adventure game starring Vin Diesel as the titular anti-hero. The character Riddick has heightened sensory abilities that allow him to see and hear beyond normal human ranges and these abilities are engaged whenever he's crouched in "stealth mode." You'll have the option to use different combinations of stealth, action and even the environment to your advantage.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is an excellent hybrid of first-person shooting, adventure and RPG elements, stealth and combat. What's even more impressive is that Vivendi Universal Games and Starbreeze were able to put a creative, original game out that's not been created in a movie box, like so many other awful games based on licenses. The equal blend of game elements is superbly crafted, and I am honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed the stealth and hand-to-hand combat.

Still, if you consider a 10-12 hour game short, then Riddick is just that. But I doubt you'll complete every mission or collect every cigarette pack the first time through, so there is incentive to play it a second time. Also, because the game saves at each checkpoint, you can start it up from any checkpoint in the game. Nifty.

While Riddick is an impressive hybrid, and it's also a unique looking game, bolstered by excellent graphics and top-notch technology, the game's biggest bummer is its lack of multiplayer options. I SOOO badly want to play this online it hurts. In a genre that's inherently defined with multiplayer online missions, and on a console that's now defined by its superior online capabilities, Riddick's lack of multiplayer options is a huge bummer.

Still, would I buy this -- knowing it's only a single-player game? YES!

Pretty Good
This game is quite good. Graphics are awesome. Lighting effects are stellar. Sound is perfect. Voice acting by Vin Diesel, whether you like him are not, are the best I have ever heard on any game. I also like the variability of play between stealth and outright shooting the heck out of enemies with a healthy variety of weapons. The stealth sections were a bit long, by my opinion, but fans of Tom Clancy Splinter Cell games will love these sections.
There are a few downers that prevented me from giving 5 stars, but should not discourage you from owning this title. The only weaknesses I saw were: No XBOX live play & game is short; you can complete it less than 10 hours.

Story based "Adult" First Person Shooter
**Not for children**

Butcher Bay happens to fit the niche nicely. After Half-Life 2 there was only really the Call of Duty: United Offensive as a good first person shooter (Doom 3 being an older game now and Far Cry also... you should play all of these if you have not). Riddick comes off the back of a very bad sequel to the surprise hit Pitch Black. Here we actually play a game that should maybe have been the sequel. It is certainly heaps better.

The premise is very good. You are Riddick in a maximum security prison somewhere on a planet with inmates voiced by leading actors and facial expressions that are nearly as good as HL2. The atmosphere of the prison is A+ as you go about the place taking on various missions in the cells (fighting, buying drugs, snubbing out bosses, causing a riot, doing jobs for people) so that you can... escape Butcher Bay.

The menu is astonishing at first as it opens up like a cube and the buttons move around. Riddick is mostly about stealth moves, like grabbing people from behind and either slicing them or breaking their neck. You can get into hand-to-hand combat where the enemies face actually bruises and bleeds. Clubs and knives have a similar effect. The story breaks nicely at the end of each level where you meet your foes. Riddick banters off some classic one-liners and there is quite a bit of swearing. You can talk to some of the characters and choose your answers.

Once the prison riot starts, you are given weapons to escape the prison and the real rush begins (Doom 3 type fast and furious blasting). Enemy AI is quite good and the game plays very smoothly from start to finish. For all intensive purposes, the game play is very much like DEUS EX but the graphics are a way better. It is surprising how long this game is, given that it just seems like a movie tie-in package. It is not. This is a FULLY FLEDGED first person shooter all the way.

It seems that high-end graphics "adult" first person shooters are back again! Bottom line is to play it.

Pros:
- Great Story
- Great Graphics
- As good as any new 1st person shooter.
- It is long.

Cons:
- Not enough stealth jump moves.
- Enemy AI can sometimes get a little repetitive.
- Needs a fast high spec machine to run properly. ... Read more

Product Description

Heroes:Heroes come from many places. Some are born to power, while others seek it out. There are even those who have no special abilities, who rely upon technology or their own skills to help them fight crime. While they are heroes one and all, origins have an important effect upon what kind of hero someone becomes. City of Heroes presents five different origin types for players to choose from.Mutant The Mutant was ... Read more

Features

• Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
• Become a superhero, take on personalized missions, and rid the city of evil organizations
• Create your own hero, choosing from hundreds of different powers and costumes
• Band together with other players to fight evil and become the premierehero group in the city
• Explore the streets of Paragon City, a sprawling online metropolis that offers unlimited adventures and countless surprises

Reviews (157)

City of Heroes is a Must Have Game
Although I can not say that I have played a lot of multiplayer games, I can say that out of the 3-4 (so-far) games I have played this is the best of them all. It keeps your attention, and it's ever changing. When I was in search of a new multiplayer game, I called around and asked what was the most popular at that time... they all said "City of Heroes". By looking at the cover of the box, and reading the back of the box, I was not impressed. I thought it seemed too childish (I am 32 years old). But what the heck? It was a father's day gift. I am so glad I purchased it. Now me and my whole family gather around the PC and take turns playing. You start off by picking a costume, there are literally hundred of costumes that you can customize... no two costumes are ever the same on COH (city of heroes). Then, you get to pick what type of hero you would be if you could be a hero. Do you prefer human, mutant, science, technology, etc? Then you pick two power sets of the powers that suite your you and your character. After you go through the whole hero set-up, you go through a quick training sessions where they teach you how to use the controls and your powers. Then, you are off to save Paragon City from evil villains either on your own, or with a group of other on-line heroes... zapping enemies on the streets, or doing one of the many missions... and if your good enough, you can create or join a Task Force that can last up to 3 or more hours of non-stop game-play for experience points to increase your levels and gain new powers. The main focal point is the other on-line heroes. This game is a great way to meet new friends... the game as all about team work. You may start off by yourself, but eventually you HAVE to group together with other heroes. The game forces you to be a team player, or a team leader.I felt a little weird at first and a little shy, but they make it so easy to search for other teams, you just click the button "Seek Team". The game is always changing too... The makers of the game are able to add new sections to cities, add new features, new villains, and more at any time. Also, the Game Masters are watching! I once had a problem getting into a mission because the mission door was a wall... before I knew it a character showed up and fixed the problem right in front of my eyes. This is a great game if you have ever wanted to be a super hero, meet new friends, and be totally entertained.And there next project is "City of Villians" (COV), which will connect both COH and COV together to fight hand to hand with your friends.The one bad side of this game is the price, $15.00 a month is a little high, but its the going rate for online games.Hope this helped you.

good, could be funchier
Well, its fun to roam around the city and kill baddies, but you really need to find people to be on yr team and sometimes this is easy.However, other times you can be online for, like hours and no one wants to hunt with you.WTF??I know yr level 4 and I'm 1, but don't be a stuck up jackass!!? Help a brother out,here!!!!And then if you do helps omeone out in a fight, they just look at you for a second and run away.Not even a "thanks."That sucks!!!So, aside from some lame stuck up jerks, the game is fun.I like to make my character dance and say obnoxious things to people.

Actually, that's more fun than fighting anyway.

A MMOG that isn't a part-time job
Most MMOGs are a little boring to start out with. Brand-new characters don't have the power or the equipment to take on anything more interesting than a rat or a snake. Quests are frequently too difficult at this stage--hope you like hitting giant bees!

Not so in City of Heroes. Your new hero arrives in Paragon City fully equipped to take on the bad guys in the tutorial level. You even get your choice of a cool costume without having to spend any game currency. When you're done with the tutorial, head to Atlas Park or Galaxy City to meet your first "contact" and start doing missions for experience and "influence" (the game currency). You don't have to worry about equipment, because there isn't any (other than "enhancement" disks that boost powers you already possess).

Without equipment to worry about, there's no rush to level your character. You can level fast if you feel like it, but many players are content to enjoy the journey. If your friends are above or below you in level, don't worry--you can "sidekick" the lower ones to within one level of yourself, or "exemplar" down to a lower hero's level.

These features make the game perfect for someone who has a job and a life, someone who wants to log on and play for a while because it's fun. And it IS fun. Combat animations are realistic and physically plausible. Effects are logical AND cool-looking. And you'll never have to commit to a seven-hour "raid" stretch in your computer chair. Even at higher levels, most tasks can be accomplished within an hour, maybe two at the outside.

The instanced missions appear just for you and your team: there's none of the "camping" that exists in other MMOGs. It's really great to have somewhere to go and not worry that some more powerful players will barge ahead of you and wreck your fun.

Customer support from NCSoft is the best I've ever seen--in any kind of organization! GMs are online, and when you petition, they answer in minutes. What's more, they actually help you. The development team is frank and open about their plans for the game. They listen to the player base, and when they make a mistake, they admit it in public, unlike other games where they'll tell you it's "working as intended" until the whole thing blows up in their faces.

There is a monthly fee to keep playing, but I've found that the $15 or so is completely offset by the lack of money I'm spending on other games. Not to mention, the monthly fee is all you have to pay--City of Heroes won't charge you extra for expanded content or "premium" servers.

At this point in the evolution of the game, there isn't a lot to do besides combat. The combat is really fun, but sometimes you just want to do something else. The dev team, however, has stated their plans for alternate systems of character advancement in future expansions.

Still: great graphics, exciting combat, interesting story arcs, a dev team with ears, no worrying about your virtual possessions, no camping, and you can log on for even a little while and still have fun? I don't know why every other game in the universe doesn't follow the CoH model. Big, big thumbs up.

It's a fun game BUT....
I had played City of Heroes for over 2 months at more than 20 hours per week.I enjoyed the game tremendously, however, the game administrators kept putting a 3-day suspension on my account.Because the company repeatedly made mistakes in suspending my account, I had decided that enough is enough!They were suspending me from play, yet billing me for those days that I couldn't play. Is that fair to anyone?Not to mention, my two brothers and another friend had the same thing happen to them.Needless to say, they are no longer fans of City of Heroes!

Tedious so fast that it cannot justify the monthly fee.
This is the very first MMORPG I have tried.After playing it for a month, I am definitely not impressed.I knew about the monthly fee and read many differing reviews so I decided to give this game a go.The character customization is the only thing I really enjoyed.Afterwards, the sheer amount of just running around and clicking the same buttons over and over again just to attack, attack, attack.What this game seriously needs is something besides talking to an npc or attacking.The incredible amount of time it takes to level up and complete later missions of just fighting, fighting, fighting made me truly ask myself: why is this worth $15.00 a month?I could get more fun out of the original Dragon Warrior or Final Fantasy.I would only recommend this to a person who is both a true comic book and MMORPG fan. ... Read more

Product Description

Along with an enhanced EA SPORTS Dynasty Mode, now you can rewrite NCAA history by replaying classic match-ups between some of the greatest teams ever assembled. With mascots, cheerleaders, arenas, crowd chants, fights songs, and Dick Vitale and Brad Nessler calling the action, NCAA March Madness 2005 continues to deliver the most authentic college basketball experience.Run the floor with an enhanced playcalling system; As your teams point guard, call out team-specific plays and lead your sch ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Solid gameplay with a (mostly) realistic feel
If you're looking for a game that makes you feel like you're actually playing or coaching college basketball, this is a pretty good game to get.The game is, for the most part, accurate:

* The arenas all have the right names (as far as I've checked), and if you're playing in a high- or mid-major team's arena, the court is a good facsimile of the real thing, but teams from low-major conferences are generally given generic courts with the team's logo at center court.

* All 31 Division I-A conferences and their teams are in the game, but if you're looking to play as Savannah State or TAMU-CC or any other independent, you're out of luck.

* Season schedules are set up randomly (of course, nonconference games can be changed, although teams can reject playing against you).The number of times you play against each team in your conference is correct, at least (i.e. if you are in the SEC East, you play each team from the East twice, each team from the West once).

* You can edit each player's physical features, name, jersey #, and so on, but the hair choices are very limited (no afros, Adam Morrison hair, etc.).Also, you can only save about 275 player's names into your roster file (at least that's the point where my PS2 would always freeze when I tried to add anyone else's name).

* The crowd noise really doesn't seem to be too distracting once you get used to it.If you play against, say, Duke at Cameron Indoor, the crowd will be fairly noisy as long as Duke is ahead, and the camera will shake a little, but after a while it's not very noticeable.Also, unlike NCAA Football 2005, there is no way to manually intensify the home crowd.They just get louder when the home team makes a shot and quieter when the road team makes a shot.

* Dynasty mode is good, with the following exceptions.1) Players commit violations way too frequently, and this makes it fairly likely that if you don't suspend players for several games for each violation, the NCAA will sanction you at the end of the season.2) The amount of recruiting points you have seems to be too small.You can set how you want to prioritize training vs. recruiting, but when it gets down to you wanting to do everything you can to land top recruits, you often have to use up a lot of points just finding out how good various recruits are and trying to get them interested in your program (especially if you're not a big-name program).Otherwise, recruiting is fun and it's a good way to make you feel more like you're a real coach with a real program that you need to develop and maintain.

* The game does include realistic conference tournaments (i.e. the brackets are set up correctly), and the locations seem to be realistic (i.e. the major conference tournaments are played in a no-name arena, while the 2005 West Coast Conference tournament is played at Santa Clara, which is where it was played if I recall correctly).The NCAA tournament has similar realism, with games in the 1st and 2nd round played in generic arenas, and the regional semis and finals played at Texas-Austin, Syracuse, The Pit in Albuquerque and DePaul near Chicago.The seedings are not always realistic, however (during one season, UNC Wilmington was able to get a 5 seed), but teams mostly get the seeds that you would expect, based on their performance through the season.Once February starts, there is an option called Tournament Watch which shows you who the automatic bids are from each conference as well as the probable at-large teams and bubble teams, and gives the RPI for each of them.


As far as gameplay, I have a few more comments:

* If you are used to the EA Sports style of gameplay, this game should be comfortable.ESPN's College Hoops has a very different feel, and it takes some time to adjust in going from one style to the other.

* It is a lot harder to score on this game than on NBA Live.If you have a very quick team and are going up against a weak opponent, you probably can run fast break after fast break, but in most games you will have to run plays from the Floor General playlist at least occasionally.You can still do basic things like posting up, running a pick-and-roll or an isolation just like on NBA Live, but they often don't work quite as well as on Live.

* If your (computer) opponent has a decent big man, expect to get blocked a lot when going to the rim.This happens particularly when you try to run a fast break.Unless you have someone who can dunk with authority, the computer will get an inordinate number of blocks (same problem exists on Live).

* The Floor General playcalling is a great thing to have, although on easier difficulty levels the plays will be successful too often.On the hardest difficulty level, the computer will sometimes not be fooled and block what should be a wide open shot coming off of a screen.The flip side of the playcalling, of course, is that once you get used to your opponent's plays, you can tell what he's going to do and try to neutralize the play.


All in all, I love this game and have played some 200 games and still going.I suppose that's as good a recommendation as I can give.

A Cane's Review
As a huge Canes fan, I really looked forward to the 2004 version of this game (Carmelo on the cover), because it would be the first with our brand new Convocation Center. It disappointed, though, as the arena in the game was clearly patterned after the Convo, but lacked its feel and was actually still called the Miami Arena.
Anyways, all that has changed for 05. The stadium looks great, the only flaw being that ACC isn't painted right below the free throw line, and our cheerleaders seem to be wearing blackish-green. But those are so minor compared to how well they rendered the building. Plus the gameplay in general is so much better than 04, and if you start Eric Wilkins at the point (instead of Okpalobi- Anthony Harris is a middling reserve) you have a fighting chance of competing, because he can finish at the rim when he penetrates. Or he can kick it out to Mo Diaz or Rob Hite for 3s.
But... I would advise against buying the game. While the Dynasty mode is great, it has one major, huge flaw. After my first season, one in which I finished 4th at 9-7 in the conference, beating UNC, GT, and Wake along the way, not only did I not make the postseason (justifiable based on my weak non-conference record), but I was inexplicably booted out of the ACC in favor of Louisville (while none of the SEVEN teams below me lost their spots).
While I'm sure that in spite of our success this year, the ACC bball fans would still love to boot the Canes, this was ridiculous. And considering how much I've come to love the conference, I just couldn't keep playing the dynasty without being a part of it.

best college game ever and best game this year
this is the best game ever i play it like 2 hours a day my dad even plays it with me!You got to get this it isn't good it is awesome.GET IT NOW!!!!



sincerly,
this games #1 fan

Want to Quench Your Thirst for a Good College B-Ball Game?
6 seconds left...you call a timeout..its the final game of the final four..your team (the team you play religiously with) is down 2 with the ball at halfcourt..2 point jumper to tie or 3 point J to win the game?..You resume action..nerves running through your hands..you press a button on your d-pad..you option to run a play to get your best 3 baller open..you want the victory..you inbound the ball..turn..set yourself up for the shot..and...you brick the shot off the side of the rim and lose by 2...Dissapointment?..Well, yes and no..I simply love this game for the fact that you dont just wildly run a rampage down court with one person, stop a little in front of the half court line, and swish the shot while being guarded by 2 defenders. I have experienced this in the other college basketball games ive played/owned and it ruins the thrill of the game..When i can effortlessly beat my opponent 150-5 at any given time, its pathetic. The controls are tight yet not too hard to learn..i've found this to be true on all three systems also. The graphics are stunning and make the game feel like a real experience (besides the fact they made Patrick Sparks black. LoL.) Everything about this game outshines its competitors. ESPN College Hoops was horrible in my opinion simply because the controls were way, way too sensitive. If you barely tap a button your player goes wildly out of control among many other control problems. At 20.00 you could waste your money on that game or for 30.00 you could purchase a game that will have you more excited than Dick Vitale at the championship baby!

Not Very Good - Get College Hoops Instead
I have played all college hoops games of 2005 (March Madness, Final Four, and College Hoops). This one is, by far, the worst.I can't stand the controls, gameplay, or camera.One of the few things in this game is the realisticness.

Gameplay 4/10: The actual gameplay is pretty bad.Unfortunately, the cameras are terrible, and out of all the games College Hoops has the best camera (2K5 Broadcast).The fluidity is rough and it seems like its one of those vibrating tables.To me, it resembles something you would see on a SNES (fluidity wise).The shots are good (the way they shoot and the way the net moves) and it does show you the plays.But one HUGE flaw, as I said before is the camera.I have tried all cameras but they all suck.

Controls 3/10: I can't stand these controls.They are poorly set up throughout the controller and could have been much better.They need to fix this, for sure.It seems like I have to go through a lot of work to shoot and rebound, etc.

Realsticness 7/10: The game is pretty realistic. Not only in graphics but also in the players actions. Such as when they are shooting, it looks very real.Also, when they are on defense it seems realistic.This is one of the best features of the game, but can't make up for the other bad features.

Overall 4/10: I really dislike this game.Maybe if they fixed the camera and controls it could come close to College Hoops.So, if you are planning on getting a college hoops game, don't get this one.Either get College Hoops or Final Four.But out of all of them I would suggest College Hoops, Definitely.

NOTE: You can see my review on College Hoops by going to my "About You" area or searching fot College Hoops. ... Read more

Product Description

In the distant future a small group of human exiles have been doomed to fight for survival on the edge of the galaxy. Through military strength, espionage and deceit, a unified Terran government has maintained an uneasy peace. As resources run short, however, these Confederate nations find themselves looking towards the rich worlds of their alien neighbors, the enigmatic Protoss. To further complicate matters, it seems that a previously unknown and deadly species known only as the Zerg has entered Protoss space and is destroying everything in its path. The time for war has come...

... Read more

Reviews (23)

The Best Strategy Game Now and Forever
Chess has been around for centuries because of its depth and strategy. Monopoly, some decades.

StarCraft BroodWar will be that computer game that you've tucked away in the closet, and upon finding it dust-covered, you'll reinstall it and play it again and again.

GET IT
If you have any doubt about getting this game, drop those doubts and get it. First of all, this is one of the cheapest online games in the world nowadays. Get it. You WILL thank me.

GREAT GAME
Starcraft, produced in 1998 by Blizzard Entertainment, is still as popular as it has ever been with thousands of players still playing it on Battlenet. When it was released in 1998, it was an instant hit, selling over 1.5 million copies that year and receiving numerous awards.The game play isn't revolutionary in the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, following closely to the blueprint of its predecessors, Warcraft and Warcraft II, but it's still a well-crafted game, offering hours of entertainment.
The storyline in Starcraft is compelling, leaving the gamer craving more after each mission is completed.The graphics are two-dimensional, lacking, the rotational option in the newer RTS games, Warcraft III and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War, but it's still impressive even with today's standards.The buildings and units are well-crafted and detailed.The cut scenes are captivating with their excellent animation and voice acting.The music is dark and melodic, which is appropriate for this game.
The single player campaign offers 30 missions, split evenly between the three warring factions, Protoss, Zerg and Terran.The three campaigns can be played in any order but the recommended order is Terran, Zerg and then Protoss.This is because the difficult of each campaign increases and the storyline also follows that order.
Each race is completely unique from the others, containing different units, build orders, and playing styles, but they are still well balanced.Each Zerg unit isn't particular strong, but they are agile and the cost of building each one is relatively inexpensive so players are able to mass many of them.Zerg buildings are living organisms so they cannot be repaired, but instead they have regenerative abilities.The Protoss units are strong, but that strength comes with a price, so each unit should be valued.Protoss structures, unlike the other two races, are teleported in, making building faster.Terran units are a mix of Zerg and Protoss, not particularly strong, and moderately expensive.Large Terran buildings have the ability to lift and relocate, which is useful when moving to another mineral patch, or escaping from an onslaught.
The single-player campaigns are interesting and offer hours of entertainment, but for most players, the single-player campaign is just training for the multiplayer games.Players can play against each over local area networks (LAN), direct connect, modem, TCP/IP or over the internet using Blizzard's free Battle.net servers.
Battle.net is an online community where thousands of Starcraft players go everyday to chat and play.There are many different chat rooms for players to communicate ranging from technical support, to gaming strategies.Players can create their own game or join an existing game.Each game can contain up to 8 players.The artificial intelligence (AI) for Starcraft is impressive, but it's nothing compared to playing another human player, who can think, deceive and exploit weaknesses.Most "newbies" playing over Battlenet will be defeated with the infamous "rush," strategy where players quickly build several units to attack the opponent before he/she is prepared.The games come with a replay option at the end so players can review their games and learn from their mistakes.With time, players can learn how to stop the "rush."
Starcraft isn't only limited to head-to-head games.There are a variety of maps and games ranging from free-for-all, to using map setting (UMS).Players even have the ability to create their own maps using Starcraft's easy to use campaign editor. Players can modify an existing map or they can create a whole new map from scratch.
For those who loved the single-player campaign, they can continue with 24 new single player missions in the expansion, Starcraft: Brood Wars.The game play and feel of Brood Wars is exactly the same as Starcraft and the story picks up where Starcraft left off.There are also seven new units in Brood Wars: corsairs, dark templars, and dark archons for the Protoss, valkyrie and medics for the Terrans, and lurkers and devourer for the Zerg.
Though a bit dated, Starcraft is still an excellent RTS game.With its well-designed game play and its excellent visual and sound, it is one reason why it is still the standard by which newer RTS games are compared to.For those new to RTS games, Starcraft is the perfect gateway into the newer RTS games, and for those who love RTS games, Starcraft is a must play.

Something to note
Im a huge fan of this game and have played it online for several years now... although my computer has rejected the most recent updates.

The only complaint I have is that it's not really a strategy game... no real-time game is.When you play online, chances are that the victor will be the person who can mass the most units the fastest.Granted that requires a degree of strategy, but it really comes down to who's played longer and is more familiar with the buttons.Battle.net has done much to remedy this and there are many games available where the rules stipulate "no rush", which allows all sides to build their forces and then strategy does actually enter the picture.You also get creative scenarios with "use map settings" games, where it's possible to upgrade units hundreds of levels and you dont have to harvest resources.All told, it's a fantastic game that has given me much joy and my opponents much sorrow.Just be aware that this is not really strategy.

If you really want strategy I would recommend any of the "Total War" series, depending on your computer's abilities (in order of increasing technical requirements: Shogun, Medieval, Rome)These games are turn based, but when you fight battles you have the option to command your troops personally.It is real strategy, with factors such as weather, terrain and morale affect the battle seriously.

Best Game EVER!!!!!!
Computer games were never very interesting to me.That is until Starcraft.My CD-Drive failed recently, and I couldn't stop thinking about how when I got it repaired, I was going to play Starcraft for at least 10 hours straight.I am proud to say, that I made it not 10, but a full 12!Starcraft and Starcraft:Brood War are the most addictive RTS games ever! ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 29013VENDOR- CAPCOMFEATURES- Street Fighter Anniversary CollectionBringing together an all encompassing fighting title, Street FighterAnniversary Collection is comprised of Hyper Street Fighter II, ablend of the previous Street Fighter II editions which willincorporate the character variations and features found throughoutthe series, and the arcadesmash hit Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.-- SPECIFICATIONS ----------------------------------- ESRB Rating: RP For Rating PendingGenre/Category : fightingSystem : XBOXNumber of Players:On-Line Compatible : Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theCapcom 29013 - Street Fighter Anv. Xbox and all other Capcom Video Game Handheld Soft ... Read more

Features

• Mix and match characters from different Street Fighter II editions
• Training mode allows players to practice their moves against a programmable dummy opponent
• Single-player, multiplayer, and Xbox Live multiplayer modes
• 2-D fighting-game compilation
• Contains numerous versions of Street Fighter II, as well as the arcade hit Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Reviews (10)

All-in-one fun The Shoryuken still is king!
I am reviewing the Xbox version, I own the Ps2 one but my Box copy is on the way. I am reviewing the Box version because of the online capability. First things first, no offense to Christpher Johnson but the game is not for noobs or people who think they are going to take this game lightly. When I first started playing it, I got frustrated and whatnot, they made the game for the hardcore Sf'ers out there, this is not yo mama's Street Fightin'...it is tough! I play III a lot more than I do II. II is cool cause instead of putting all 14 variations of the game in there, they let u choose who u want, when u choose Ryu for example, they let u choose SF II, CE, Hyper fighting, etc version of him. So if u are feelin cocky, you can choose the original SF II version of your favorite character and go against a SSF II Turbo version of your friend and see who is still standing after the match. III is a totally different from II. I like the box version here for the Xbox live support. PLUS...theres more....you can play around the world. Not just in the states, if you wanna square off against the best from Japan, Ireland, Australia, etc u can do so. I love the fact that there are no limits there. Let me tell you, u think the computer is hard, some of the competition from around the world will bring you back to reality REAL quick. Believe me, I thought I was the best around my parts, I got put in my place real quick. But it is fun you wanna keeop trying to see if u can best your opponent. If you like challenges you will be on this all day. Either way it is an awesome game, nice comp. of SF games, the megaman one is recommended as well for any Capcom fans. Now if they could just re-do MvC2 and put online into that, we'd have a winner! I definately would pick this up for whatever system you have. Remember, you must defeat my sheng long to stand a chance!!

NOT the same game as the SNES version. Dissapointing to Vets
Maybe it's my fault for expecting the exact same game from the good ole SNES days.The previous reviewer is correct, I came in taking this game lightly and we shell shocked when the game did not play as I had expected and remembered.However, I did not get this game to learn a brand new fighting game, I got it solely for the reason for the times when I just want to kick some a** after having a bad day. However, on this game, the CPU is usually the one that does most of the a** kicking!

I put this game in expecting the same amount of fun I had with SFII on the SNES, but the game is NOT the same. The graphics and sounds are the same, but the main difference is that the CPU does not play like they used to. This game is too damn hard even on Medium. On the old SFII I was able to beat the game on very hard without losing a round. While I wasn't expecting to be able to do the same on here right away, I at least expected to be able to complete it on Medium with no problem. But that is not the case, Medium on this game is just has hard if not harder than Very Hard on the SNES version. I moved it down to very easy and STILL had problems advancing. I finally was able to beat the game, but this game is just to frustrating to keep.

The CPU plays a lot like the CPU in Mortal Kombat; the same cheesy moves over and over and over again. That is exactly what turned me off from the MK series, but now this game does the EXACT same thing. The CPU does impossible things, like throwing you while they are being kicked or punched, they can even throw you then they are dizzy. The only way I was able to advance in the game, was to do the same cheesy moves as they do. It worked pretty well, but it made the game boring.

Old heads like me who are very familiar with this title on SF2 may be disappointed in this one. Sure with more practice I probably could get real good at this game as well, but I do not have the time or patience to be sitting at my TV hours and hours each day just to be one character. Maybe if I was a teenager again, then yeah I would enjoy the hours needed to master and enjoy this game like I did on the original SF2. But being 28, there are not enough hours in the day to dedicate to just one game. Besides I spent hours and hours mastering SFII on the SNES, why should I have to go through that again? I bought this game expecting a fun fighting game that I can just pick up and have fun with. Instead I got a game that is ridiculously hard and frustrating with all the cheesy moves and what not and requires you to re-learn almost everything.Having to relearn nearly everything for a game I have already mastered in the past is not my idea of fun.Take Ninja Gaiden for the XBOX for example.I also played and beat the NG games on the NES.And while the XBOX version of Ninja Gaiden is VERY hard, I enjoyed it a lot and played it all the time until I beat it, mainly because it was a NEW game!In fact I still occasionally pop it in and go through the game again on HARD difficulty!Where Street Fighter Anniversary messed up is that the kept the visuals EXACTLY the same, but changed the way it played on the backend.

To salvage some old time memories, I finally did beat the game with my favorite characters, Ken, Ryu and Guile, but after that I did not want to play anymore.The game is gone now; I sold it on EBAY a few nights after I bought it. Perhaps its new owner will have more fun with it than me.

Not recommended unless you have the time to master this game or are expecting the EXACT same game from the SNES.I suppose if you NEVER played SFII on the older gaming systems like the SNES, then you would more than likely enjoy this game, because to you its NEW!

I love it
My fond memories of playing Street Fighter II at the arcades, but I would probably still say that I love Street Fighter Anniversary Collection even if I hadn't played Street Fighter II before. The game includes Hyper Street Fighter II(a blend of a number of Street Fighter II versions) and includes Street Fighter III. Both of these games are good on there own, and the fact they are together makes this game a must buy. This is a very good port.

2 of the greatest fighters of all time finally go online
There is little doubt that Street Fighter 2 is one of the most influential games of all time.It is the game that put competetivearcade fighting on the map, created one of the most memorable casts of characters in gaming history, and turned the word "Shoryuken!" into one of the most dreded words in a gamer's vocabulary.Now, after 15 years since the release of SF1, gamers can finally relive the magic in a new format, Xbox Live.
This disk actually contains 2 games, Hyper Street Fighter 2, and Street Fighter 3: Third Strike.Hyper SF2 is an interesting anniversary tribute, in that it allows to to mix and match characters from all 5 versions of SF2.This can lead to a few balance issues, in that the classic SF2 characters still have their redizzy combos, making them overpowered, it still is fun and an excellent conversion of some of the best fighting gameplay around.
To this day, I still consider Third Strike to be the greatest fighting game of all time.Although it is not perfectly balanced, there is a great range of characters and playing styles to choose from that are quite usable in competetive play.The graphics use some of the best animation I've seen in a 2d fighter, and the gameplay is incredibly deep, due to the parry and EX attack systems.
The online play is extremely solid, with very little lag and a nice ranking system.The biggest gripe at this point is the fact that droppers get away scot free.If somebody drops from a match before completion, he or she will recieve no penalty, which causes many people to drop matches they know they will lose out of fear of dropping in ranking.Other than that, if you are a fighting fan with an Xbox Live account, you will want to pick up this game, no question.
-m121akuma

old school fun..
this is a great game, there are like 5 or 6 versions of the original SF2 plus you get SF3 as well.. the graphics are crisp and more importantly the gameplay is smooth.. a good buy for sure if you like fighting games.. ... Read more