Features

• Cockpit design alike actual car models
• Original FIA GT Series cars and courses
• Real racing teams featuring more than 70 racecars, including the Porsche 996, Viper GTS-R, BMW Z3 M, and Ferrari 550 Maranello
• Car physics based on actual racecar telemetry data
• Sounds recorded from actual racecars

Reviews (3)

Best racing sim on the market
This is, without doubt, the best racing sim on the market. Models are outstanding, physics are tops, sounds are awesome, support is excellent, and the 3 new add-ons are definitely meant for the American market: the creators of GTR have already added 3 ovals to satisfy left-turn-itis... You have 3 levels of difficuly: Arcade, Semi-pro, and Simulation. Simulation is very difficult, while Arcade is quite easy. Lots of cars, lots of tracks, lots of options. Have fun!!

drivers heaven !
this is the best experience i have ever made in racing game !
forget about gran tourismo 4. i am now on the game since 1 week and playing it nearly 12 hours a day. my opinion now, this is the most realistic and hardcore game of all categories...

and i love the porsche`s in it... :-)

GTR FIA GT Racing Game PC
If you have any interest in racing games, and you own a PC, then this is the game for you. Two words: Incredibly Detailed. You can customize nearly every aspect of the game.For example, want to drive in the cockpit view but can't see over the dashboard? No problem - use the hotkeys to adjust the drivers seat. You can even tell the game to add driver head movement so you can actually look through a turn the way real drivers do.You can adjust every part of the car to make it handle exactly how you want it to handle.
The graphics are fantastic.You can adjust so many graphic settings that it should run on most computers.The car detials are exact, though most of the race car sponsors are unfamiliar to me.The cars have different paint schemes and customizations.Even the cockpits are exact replicas of the real sports cars.
The gameplay is near perfect.That is, you can modify the game to make it as hard as you want it to be.The cars all exhibit real physics with down forces and tire wear just to name a few.The game gives you three modes to play, from Arcade mode to Simulation.Remember, this game is designed as a simulator, so the game has a steep learning curve.I recommend a good two analog stick game pad to get the most out the game. And practice changing the setting to make the game comfortable to play.
Overall, the game is fun and deep, with excellent graphics and sound.What more could you want in your race car driving simulation?

---Update: For a game with so many settings, you can't adjust the number of laps in the arcade mode.Seems like they should have added that.Also, the game is very hard.I have spent most of my time playing in Arcade mode.Just be prepared to practice, ... Read more

Product Description

Lex the BookWorm feeds on words. Feed him by linking letters to form words and he'll feed you big points! Lex is a hungry guy, though, feed him to many short words and he'll send down burning letters that could set the entire library on fire! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Loads of great fun!!!!
I found this game at an online game site and HAD to have it as soon as it was available to purchase!
Lots of fun and I am admittedly addicted to playing this game whenever I get in front of my computer.
The animation with the dragon is cute and so amusing that he is an inspiration to make bigger, difficult words just to see him react.
This is one of the best word games that I have played. School age children and adults will all enjoy this educational and fun game.
I highly recommend everyone to purchase this addicting, enjoyable (and educational) game.

Bookworm is weird person!
I really like it. I play it online game at bigfish game site. I really love it. I am going to get one for me!. I really like cd-rom version because it great than download. MICHELLE

Great Fun, Addictive and Educational! High Marks All Around!
I am addicted to Bookworm and need to acquire more willpower, fast, to limit my daily gametime. I find myself spending hours playing, late evenings especially, and, (blush), sometimes at work. Trying to accumulate a high score - my personal best - like at the Olympics, is the most addictive part for me!! I used to play Scrabble on the PC and loved it, but Bookworm is by far the better game - I think. I have limited myself to no more than an hour per day, OK sometimes 2 hours - but that is time used to build vocabulary and other skills, rather than watch one of my favorite TV programs. See how easy it is to rationalize? Actually, Bookworm has helped to improve my Scrabble skills also. There's almost an entire dictionary of possibilities stored on the CD.

The concept of Bookworm is simple. One needs to make words by linking adjacent letter tiles. The more complex the word and more difficult the letter, (z, x, q, like Scrabble), the higher the score. Short, or low scoring words, cause fires to start with letters at the top of the PC screen, the library wall. If a word is not formed from the burning tile letters before they reach the bottom, then the game explodes - kaput! The higher your score, the more burning tiles appear. Thus the level of difficulty increases. Also, the longer one plays a particular game, thus using up a variety of tiles, itbecomes more difficult to find either vowels or consonants. Scoring then becomes even more difficult.

There is a leisurely paced Classic Game, and no beat the clock option. I personally prefer this one. It gives one time to really think and look for many-lettered words. Then there's the Action Game, where you have to beat both the clock and the burning tiles. Since one is more inclined to go for short words when the clock is ticking, there are more burning tiles here. It really gets the adrenaline going! There is also a Save Game option which is terrific. Once I begin to score in the high numbers, which can take a while, I get tired, and am able to save the game without losing points, and can come back to it another time. The players' high scores are saved in the Hall of Fame, so it is easy to compete against yourself or another player.

The book worm, Lex, (from lexicon), is a funny and bizarre creature who makes weird noises, supposedly to encourage the player to feed his endless appetite for words. When a particularly good word is formed, he belches! I enjoyed this feature for all of five minutes, and then turned down the sound. However, I think kids would love this vocabulary tapeworm. And Bookworm is perfect for children and adults alike. The game is from Activision. It is fun and educational and I highly recommend it. The CD version is more complex and has many more possibilities than the free download found on the Web. I tried the download before buying the game.
JANA

Always on the look-out for word games .
This game can keep me occupied for hours . I'm sure it improves memory , vocabulary , etc., but most of all , it is just plain fun . Although it is not really pertinent to this review , I am 65 + and have been a Scrabble fan for years . I now prefer 'Bookworm Deluxe'. P. J. Kale

BookWorm Deluxe - Excellent!!
I bought the online version before the CD came out...It is the very best word game I've ever played!! I'm also 50+ and I believe this game is great for all ages to improve memory, spelling and learning definitions of some words I've never heard of before. The worm is so funny when he starts to shake and sweat when the red, burning tiles get too close to the bottom. I HIGHLY recommend BookWorm Deluxe. It's everything it's advertised to be and MORE...it's also hard to stop playing!! You will love it!! ... Read more

Product Description

More than ever, Chessmater® 10th Edition delivers on its promise to make you a better chess player. The program will improve your game regardless of your level of experience. This landmark edition provides the largest upgrade ever to the features and graphics of the franchise. Whether you are new to Chess or a tournament-level player, Chessmaster 10th Edition allows you to master history's greatest game.

Features:

• The new Chessmaster Academy.At the Academy, International Master Josh Waitzkin will personally walk players through the basics of chess, plus introduce a variety of simple strategies for dominating your opponent. The Academy also features the best attacking moves as taught by noted chess champion, Larry Christiansen.
• A totally revised interface.Clean, clear and easy-to-navigate, this all new interface represents the biggest upgrade to the look and feel of Chessmaster in over seven years.
• Full-featured online chess module.More than just a place to play chess live with other players, Chessmaster online allows players to establish rankings, create tournaments, utilize teaching tools, and join a thriving chess community.
• More fun for the whole family.Features such as, animated chess sets, a variety of whimsical 3D sets, and simple and efficient learning tools, makes chess more fun than ever. Younger players and chess beginners will appreciate the specialized section just for them. As players improve, the game suggests an appropriate AI opponent.
• A comprehensive chess engine.Wise enough to teach an absolute beginner and powerful enough to defeat a grandmaster, experience the all-new edition of the King engine - the brains behind the best-selling brand in chess.
• Intermediate and advanced player options.Seasoned chess players can test their skills against ranked AI opponents, set up tournaments and simultaneous exhibitions, and survey ... Read more

  Features

  • Intermediate and advanced player options; for ages 6 and older
  • Chess teacher, mentor, and ultimate opponent with intuitive user interface
  • Chessmaster Academy teaches the basics, plus a variety of simple strategies
  • Animated chess sets; whimsical 3D sets; simple and efficient learning tools
  • Full-featured online chess module; comprehensive chess engine

  Reviews (50)

  I concure with my fellow chessmates.
  Although this game is STILL better than most other chess games, the "little things" is what brings the quality down...such as: installing the cd in the disk drive every freakin ....freaking time that you want to play the game..Too many features..buttons and screens to choose from. and ...I am not the most computer savy person...So, they would need to take that into consideration......also, why is it that the lower players are so freakin strong all of a sudden!!! (Little josh w..and a few other players around his strength level are a joke)......Finally, my advice is to wait about 2 or 3 years to buy it....or wait until it shows up at a pawn shop!!
  

  UBISoft messed up on this one
  I have owned every version of this product since Chessmaster 5000. Sure Fritz is stronger and has a better reputation but for ease of use and flexibility, you couldn't do better than Chessmaster. At least that's what I thought until I laid my mitts on the piece of #&$@# that is the 10th edition.
  Boy, did UBISoft miss the boat. First they stop you from playing the game without the CD. Come on! What's up with that? The old mode of refreshing your installation every 10 games or so was inconvenient enough. And now I absolutely must have the CD in my drive to enjoy a game of chess? UBISoft should pay attention to the competition. The makers of Fritz know better.
  But the major annoyance is that this program is as buggy as hell. It crashes all the time and there is no consistency in gameplay. One minute the program is absolutely slaughtering you, the next minute it makes the dumbest move possible. After a couple of months fiddling with the damn thing, I uninstalled it and went back to playing the 9000 version and Fritz.
  I'm giving UBISoft one more chance. If the next version they turn out is as crappy as this one, then they have lost me as a customer permanently.

  Be VERY careful!
  All of the warnings here are completely accurate, the "security" features on this thing are AWFUL.There is a good chance, esecially if you have a newer machine (which you need for the enormous amounts of memory this thing takes), that you won't be able to get the game to run at all.I was only able to get this product to work after reading the helpful reviews on this site--luckily, I do have a non-writable DVD drive I was able to install with.If you don't have a non-writable drive, you're completely out of luck.I also went through the supposedly optional registration process that appears to be not-so-optional.
  
  I cannot tell you how frustrating it was trying to get Chessmaster to run--the "support" line is utterly useless.The guy I talked to didn't seem to know anything about the security device probelms this product has and didn't even hint that a writable drive or lack of on-line registration might be the problem.
  
  I did eventually have success getting Chessmaster X working, and to be honest, I have been enjoying it.I have found one thing that really bothers, me, though: the 'personalites' play MUCH stronger chess in rated games than in training games.Really, really, REALLY, stronger.Personalities I'm beating with no problem (and no help from blunder alert, or chessmaster hints, or taking back moves) kick my butt soundly and quickly in rated games.

  S-U-C-K-S
  All the bad things other reviewers have said about this excremental fraud are true.Some of the good things said are true, too.But does the good outweigh the bad?Let me put it this way: If customers were allowed to test-drive this loser-program before paying for it, Ubisoft would be bankrupt in no time flat.
  
  No, no, don't believe me....--Go ahead.Buy it.Join the rest of us suckers.Misery loves company.
  
  :)

  Dont even waste your time
  I wonder what the hell UBI was thinking.
  
  First of all you always need the cd in your drive to play...retarded. what if you have a tablet? are you going to carry that external cd drive with you everywhere just because you want to play chess? what if your running on battery power? are you gonna drain your laptop battery just cause you want to play chess?
  
  secondly forget about even trying to backup this cd. the amount of copy protection on it ...
  
  and upon all this the engine is faulty! a lot of times my opponent makes moves that are obviously wrong and that any chess amateur could see.. even when the ratings are in the 2000+ ration. This software is a total waste of time.
  
  dont even bother to use the only gameplay... have to enter a 16 digit cd key everytime you login. get fritz instead!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Star Wars fans, listen up. If you missed out onLucasArts's X-Wing or TIE Fighter simulations when theyfirst appeared, it's time to make amends. These classic games from thedays of DOS have been given a complete makeover, updated with enhancedgraphics, and now run under Windows 95 and 98. X-Wing CollectorSeries contains both of these Collector editions in a singlebox, along with a demo CD-ROM containing X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter:Flight School, and offers them all at a price that should be wellwithin anyone's entertainment budget.

Entertained is what you'll be once you've installed these games. X-Wing lets players pilot A-wings, Y-wings, B-wings, and (of course)X-wings in dozens of missions against the evil Empire. Although Rebelships have the advantage of being equipped with shields, don't expectany mercy--the game is infamous for containing some of the toughestmissions of all time.

TIE Fighter turns the tables by letting players work their wayup in the Imperial ranks. Several types of TIE ships are modeled, fromthe ungainly TIE bomber to the incredibly agile TIE defender. In bothgames the controls are about as perfect as they can get in a game ofthis type, and campaign missions play out with convincing voice actingand great plot twists. The graphics pale in comparison to a newer gamelike X-Wing: Alliance, but there's so much gameplay in these CD-ROMs that we barely had time to notice. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• A few hundred fun, challenging missions to play through
• Many different ships
• Sound effects and music straight out of the movies
• Perfectly captures the excitement and feel of Star Wars

• Updated graphics still don't look as good as those found in modernspace simulators

Reviews (12)

An ageless game
I bought this game for my 486 years ago, back when the game had to be installed from a floppy diskette.The gameplay is second to none.No game since this one has kept me up at night, formulating different strategies in order to succeed in a previous mission failure.The amount of detail in this game blows my mind comparing it to other, more "asthetically pleasing" modern games.The level of difficulty is very, very high; however, I never became so frustrated as to give up, only to try harder.Hands down, my favorite videogame of all-time.This one even tops Diablo II, folks.

My Favorite Game
Tie Fighter is my favorite game.Of course, that means little without knowing me.I'm 33.I got my Atari 2600 when I was 8, and my first computer (Timex/Sinclair ZX81) when I was 10.I used to regularly steal $20 bills from my mother's purse to spend hours at the arcade.(P.S. -- Haven't seen HyperBall in along time.A very nifty mechanical game.)

I believe popular video games began a downward spiral with the sad arrival of Doom.

Nowadays, I still have a working Atari 2600 adapter for my ColecoVision.I have a nice collection of KOEI games for the Nintendo Entertainment System.I have nearly 2000 arcade machine ROMs on my computer.

It is my opinion that Dungeons of Daggorath was the most innovative video game, ever.It is my opinion that Tie Fighter is the best video game, ever.It's sad that nothing better has come along in the 10 years past its release.

Oh...My...God
Concerning X-wing

I remember getting this game for my birthday way the heck back in 1992.The missions were so fun and CHALLENGING now this is a word that most people in the computer game industry seem to have forgotten.The appeal of this game for me was that because it took so much time to complete(I think I managed it in 2 years) the victories were all the swetter when you won.

Nowadays you can just type in a cheat code and skip to the end well keep in mind that such a thing did not exist on the old DOS machines.

X-wing was the first but later on Lucas-arts improved the engine by adding TIE FIGHTER (that's right a game where you play on the side of the Imperials) this also provides some very challenging missions but can be beaten with much more ease that anyone could ever beat x-wing.Still fun, just as enjoyable

Now X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter brings us relatively up to date combing elements of both games what you have is a game that is more useful for multiplayer than single player missions.This is finally where the age of this type of game in this type of format began to show.Most of the missions in this game were just repeats of the same missions in X-Wing and Tie Fighter.Although the graphics are better and there are one or two missions that provide a great level of enjoyment.

If any of you old dogs out there are still using 98 or 95 pick up a piece of gaming history and get a copy of this package.

would be more fun if wasn't so difficult
this is one of the older games that are still around, but, unlike the other oldies, this one now has Direct-X 3D acceleration.It also has Lucas Arts premium sound effects , so if you've never played a Star Wars game, this is as good a place to start as any.

You get a manual, a quick reference guide and 2 CD-ROMs containing a total of 3 titles: "X-Wing", "Tie Fighter" and "X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter: Flight School" (a demo of an improved title).

this was the first game(s) I ever bought and was hoping for agood space flying/shooting sim that's fun and not too difficult.I got half of what I wanted...it looks good and the tutorials are fun and simple, but like most of these type games, most of us can only finish the first 2 levels before being inundated with unenjoyably heavy fleets and relentless laser fire.

Awesome
I can't believe how fun an old game can be.Sure, the graphics are a little dated, but the gameplay is unbeatable.This Collecter Series is a really great deal that saves a lot of money because if you only buy one of the games you'll end up wanting to play the others too.So buy it today! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Now you can get the complete Heroes of Might and Magic III experience in one value package. This monster bundle will keep players building towns, raising armies, casting spells, and conquering foes for months. Look at all that awaits: 86 standalone missions, 14 campaigns, 38 single-scenario maps, quests for 138 magical artifacts (including 12 powerful combination artifacts), 8 town types to build and conquer, 16 hero classes, 145 combat units, and hundreds of adventure structures, including teleporters, neutral creatures, and special terrains with unique tactics. Missions can be self-contained single scenarios, linked together into multiscenario campaigns, or played as multiplayer scenarios against other human players across a network. As many as eight players can compete or team up via hot seat, LAN, modem, or the Internet. The random map generator lets you create unlimited battle scenarios. Create your own unique battles with a fully functional campaign generator and a map editor, ensuring customization for infinite replayability. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Absolutly Awsome!
This game is so much fun, and one of the mosty addictive games I have ever played, next to Final Fantasy X.At first it takes a while to understand how everything works, but it is worth it.I seriously could play this game for like 20 hours at a time, taking not pee breaks or for food.Buy it!!!

more addictive than... anything
I can play this game for hours on end.If I beat every map, I can just download more that other fans have made using the fantastic map editor.A great day includes playing this game with a few friends while drinking a Sobe and listening to Queens of the Stoneage.

I love it
I first played it at my friends house, me and my friend couldn't find the disc for civilisation 2 so we decided to play heroes 3, i thout it was real mad, now I want it.

One of the best computer games I've ever played
My short list of best computer games I've ever played:
Sims
Heroes III
Roller Coaster Tycoon

I am a 19 year old female who doesn't usually enjoy fighting games, but i do like fantasy. My only complaint for this game is that you need someone's IP address (or vice versa) to do multiplayer, and I've never quite been able to connect and play with someone over the internet. (I always get a message saying it can't connect) Maybe I'm just missing something obvious. But, I have enjoyed countless hours of fun with this game. its a great game to play with a friend or two, or three :) . this is a WONDERFUL strategy game, and has various difficulty levels (great for someone like me who doesnt want to deal with expert level, but doesnt always want it to be too easy). This game is well worth any money I paid for it. I have been playing this game for about four years now, and I still love it. Buy it!! :)

Heroes Of Might And Magic--and Beyond
Heroes III Complete is the best Heroes of Might and Magic game yet.This one has not only the original "Heroes III" (The Restoration of Erathia), but also includes both expansion packs (Armageddon's Blade and the Shadow of Death).

If you're new to the Heroes of Might and Magic series, then here's a quick overview.You start out with only one hero and only one town in a standard scenario.You can also hire more heroes once you've built a tavern.You can build different buildings in your town, but only one per day.Different buildings allow you to do different things, such as improve the fortification of your town, increase your weekly income in gold, learn different spells, and aquire troops for your army.Once you've built up a good army, you can go out and conquer land and other towns!

I like this even better than the Heroes IV game because it comes with a map editor and campaign editor.In the map editor, you can create your own world to play on, customizing everything down to the last little Gnoll Marauder.You can even customize the victory and loss conditions.The campaign editor allows you to string many maps together--custom and pre-made--into one campaign.This is a really good game. ... Read more

Product Description

Never Interrupt Your Enemy When He Is Making A Mistake. In Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars, command one of six 19th century nations during its imperial conquest of Europe. Whether by treaties, treasuries or truncheons, employ dramatically expanded tactical and strategic possibilities in this much-anticipated sequel to the internationally acclaimed Cossacks: European Wars. ... Read more

Features

• Historical RTS on new 3D engine
• 3D landscape (True Color) providing immense tactical possibilities
• Support for new-generation video cards, pixel and vertex shaders, etc.
• Coverage of European military conflicts of 19th century, Napoleonic war
• Battles on real historical scale with up to 64 000 units on the map

Reviews (4)

I couldn't compete against the Demo Version
I'm not the type who is really good at these games but I found it amusing that I couldn't really compete against the cpu even in the introductory battles (on hard because in easy the cpu doesn't use all the resources so it's a flawed game) of the demo version of Cossacks 2. I'll capture 75% of the towns and build lots of blockhouses and despite all that the cpu has nearly endless armies to attack with thus you are stuck in an attrition battle that lasts HOURS. Maybe this game is for a core group who are very experienced (which I'm not, thank God), but if you are a novice at RTS I would recommend starting with something else or downloading the demo first before you buy.

This game is crap
I bought this game for my high-end machine.

The game would not even load properly and the music studdered throughout the little introduction which could be seen.
This is an unfinished product, perhaps they released the beta version. The official CDV forum is full people complaining.
Before you buy, do yourself a favor and check out their forum for more insight.

Very Rewarding Game
I've had Cossacks 2 for about a month now, ordered it from Germany. CDV never cease to amaze me. The graphics are top notched,sound,unit formations,and the interface, as well. Also the zoom feature is right on par. All facets of this game is well thought out. Trust me, buy this game ,you won't regret it..... The only thing missing for me is the Naval Battles in skirmish mode.

Cossacks is a great game for you........D Hodge
With this year marking the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, it seems a bit fitting that the Napoleonic Wars seem to be getting a little more attention than normal. Case in point is Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars, the follow-up to 2000's Cossacks and the latest game in the real-time strategy series. In a way, Cossacks II marks the first major upgrade for the franchise, as it sports a much updated graphical look, as well as some significant new features. The gameplay, however, remains unmistakably Cossacks, which is good news for fans of the franchise. Newcomers, on the other hand, will discover a somewhat quirky but enjoyable real-time strategy game that focuses on formations and tactics rather than base-building and tank rushes.

In Cossacks II, you take control of one of six great powers of the era and attempt to settle your differences on the open field of battle, like civilized gentlemen. The game features a single-player campaign that's a bit loose with the facts for dramatic purposes, a battle for Europe campaign with both turn-based and real-time elements, and a variety of skirmish and historical engagements. At the heart of Cossacks II, though, are the real-time strategy battles that remain relatively unchanged from the earlier games.

When you get down to it, Cossacks II is a real-time strategy game for history fans. This is a big game with battles that take place on huge maps dotted with villages and towns connected by roads. You'll have hundreds of peasants gathering resources and building a variety of structures, while formations of 120 men march to and fro across the map. As in real life, roads play a strategically critical role in warfare, since they're the only efficient means to march men across the map. Thus, you can create blocking positions at key crossroads, and you get to feel like a real field marshal as you attempt to maneuver your army around the map.

The combat in Cossacks II is very faithful to the era, so you have the fun of marching your formations on to the battlefield, lining them up, and firing at the enemy. This was the era, after all, when armies stood in open field and exchanged fire until one side shattered and fled. Despite the apparent simplicity, there was actually quite a bit of strategy involved, especially since it took upward of a full minute to reload muskets. Fire too early and the enemy would make you pay while your men were busy trying to reload. Thankfully, the new color-coded range system lets you hold your fire until your men can see the white's of the enemies' eyes, or, in this case, until they enter the red zone, which is helpful in gauging the effectiveness of your volleys. The artificial intelligence of your opponents varies, but generally it's pretty good about finding your flank and trying to lure you into wasting a volley. If you fire prematurely, the computer will waste little time in exploiting the fact.

You can also select from three different formations, depending on your tactical position, and you also have to worry about your men's morale, as well as their fatigue level. Furthermore, you have cavalry and artillery at your disposal. However, the infantry represents the core of your army, so it'll do the majority of the fighting, as well as the majority of the bleeding. Thankfully, you can pull depleted formations out of battle to send them to the nearest friendly village, where they will replace their losses. However, if a formation takes too many losses or loses too much morale, it will break and shatter, meaning it's out of the fight for good. It's also critical to capture villages, which are the source of the various resources in the game, including iron, food, coal, and gold. Food and coal are particularly important, because your army's logistical needs mean you must secure these sources, or else your army will starve to death or run out of bullets. Unfortunately, we wish the same could be said for the enemy, because during the single-player campaign, we noticed that even after choking the enemy off from all sources of supply, it still managed to keep fighting for a pretty long time.

[...]
We mentioned before that the single-player campaign is a bit loose with the historical facts, and that's an understatement. The campaign puts you in control of a British officer trying to save God, king, and country (not to mention his fiancée) from some rebellious nobles in league with the French. The dastards even go so far as to besiege London! Melodrama aside, the campaign features some static cutscenes and dull voice acting, and it only exists as a contrived reason to stitch together some missions that vary in difficulty from challenging to frustrating. In fact, one starts you off in such a horrible tactical position that it takes hours and hours, not to mention a large amount of saving and reloading, to claw your way to victory. Unfortunately, there's no "easy" difficulty setting in the game, and one of its strange quirks is that "normal" is the easiest difficulty setting available. And it only gets harder from there.

After you're done learning the ropes with the single-player campaign, you can then tackle the Battle for Europe campaign, which adds a turn-based strategic layer to the game, kind of like the one featured in Medieval: Total War...only simpler. You control one of six nation-states, and you get to capture provinces, build defenses, and move your army around the map of Europe. While the turn-based strategic layer is a nice addition, it's a bit lacking, especially since it doesn't take into account naval combat, which played a pivotal role during the Napoleonic Wars. As a result, it's possible for France or any other power to invade England from across the English Channel, though it will need a sizable army to capture the heavily defended London. There's also a lack of depth that separates Cossacks II from other strategy games with turn-based modes, because you only get one army stack to push around on the map, and the only building options at your disposal are to increase the defenses in a territory.

On the flip side, the lack of depth can make for a fast-paced game, especially since the real-time battles unfold differently from the ones found in the single-player campaign. Instead of grinding battles of attrition, the battles are relatively quick, since your main task is usually to shatter the enemy's will to fight. It helps that logistics play a big role during battles as well. For example, you go into battle with only the resources you gathered during the turn-based portion. This means it's possible to encounter critical shortages that can cripple your army. If you don't have coal, your army can't shoot. It also means you'll want to capture key territories from the enemy. Seize someone's coal-producing territories, for example, and he, she, or it will have a hard time fighting you on the battlefield.

Multiplayer offers some interesting modes, including Land War, which lets players from all over the world battle it out for parcels of national territory on a map of Europe. Simply choose a nation to attack and you're matched up against a comparable opponent based on you and your opponent's ranks. If you win the battle, you win a small piece of that nation for your country. Multiply this by hundreds of matches, and eventually a group of players can try and conquer a nation whole.

Meanwhile, Cossacks II offers some traditional skirmish battles, which you can play in a head-to-head game or in teams. Playing in a team can be fun, ... Read more

Product Description

SimCity™ 4, features new simulation and graphics engines, new regional game play and thenew ability to track the lives of individual Sims as they go about their daily routine, SimCity 4 isthe most realistic, powerful and personal SimCity experience ever. Lay the groundwork for theircities by molding mountains, carving valleys, seeding forests and laying rivers. Build a worldclasscity with stadiums, airports, universities, and real-world landmarks. Feel the rhythm of thecity: peaceful protests and rowdy riots, noontime crowds and nighttime calm. Control everyaspect of your city and see the results for better or worse.

• Sculpt mountains, gouge valleys, seed forests, and bring forth animals to create a world allyour own.
• Summon volcanoes, release tornados, and call down meteors and lightning.
• Build a world class city with stadiums, airports, universities, and real-world landmarks.
• Deploy emergency vehicles and join in the action as they battle blazes, mobs, and more.
• Place your Sims in your city to get the inside scoop on what's going on around town.
• Connect a massive region of SimCities, each sharing and competing for resources.

Features

• Create and control the most life-like metropolis you can imagine
• Take your Sims from "The Sims" into your SimCity
• Dispatch police cruisers to fight crime, send out the Mayor's limo to quell a rioting mob, or cap an erupting volcano threatening your citizens
• Form mountains, carve valleys, plant forests, raise oceans, and more
• From mellow traffic flow to commuter hell, noontime crowds to nighttime calm, partygoers to troublemakers, the movement in your city is ever-changing and unpredictable

Reviews (28)

Should be Crash City not Sim City
I bought this game for my son and I am now spending many minutes a day rebooting his MAC computer. The game locks up the entire system and requires a hard reboot each time. If this was an automobile from GM of Ford the roads would be littered with wrecked cars. Don't waste you money.

Great game, but you need a patch to fix a performance issue
I played all the previous versions of Sim City back in my bad oldWindows days and really enjoy the game.But for some reason this version will paralyze even a fast Mac.I'm running this on an iMac 1.8GHz G5 with 1GB of memory, and after about 10 minutes of play I have to quit and restart the game because the response becomes impossibly slow.Very frustrating.Haven't tried the updater yet, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

UPDATE (Apr 05): Installed the updater and it appears to have fixed the slow response problem.

Very Good...if it has update!
I have noticed many people have said just how bad Sim City 4 is. The thing to solve these problems is to get the updater It will make Sim City much better!

Graphics not a problem...if you fix them!
Lots of these reviews complain about the graphics on this Mac version.I had the same problems too - unexpected crashes and VERY slow game performance, on a pretty new G5 tower.

Doing two things will fix these issues.In the game's video/display options panel, switch off the page scrolling, and reduce the graphic detail.That's all it took to have this game running great.The manual should cover these quirks but it doesn't.

One final tip - learn the keyboard commands (found on the back of the manual) as it will speed up gameplay hugely, and totally compensates for no scrolling.

Not worth it!
Ok so i was a fan of Sim City 2000 which I found a demo of on a CD I didnt know i had. So I put it in and played Sim City 2000...and played and played and so on so I soon got the full thing. I became addicted to it. When Sim City 4 came out, i wanted it so much but I only had a mac. When it came out I bought like the first day! When I played I was sooooo dissapointed. nothing seemed to work right, the airplanes shadows became square and the streams on the airplanes was stretched all the way across, it kept crashing, and the industrial zone turned white, edge scrolling messed up sooooo slooooow. When I played it on a PC at my friends house, it was beutiful! Not a single bug! I ditched the game and played 2000 again finding it much better. Now I only play for like 10 minutes before getting bored. Seiously on this, NOT worth spending $40-$50 on this pathetic game. Maxis should be ashamed of themselves to take so much care in the PC games then throw it on a mac bugs and all. NOT worth it! Keep your money while you can! In other words, it doesn't take good graphics to make a good game. So get with it Maxis!! ... Read more

Features

• Over two billion random, but re-creatable deals
• Get hints on bidding and play at any time, take back bids and plays, view records on what has been bid and played in the game so far
• 40 playing difficulty levels
• Bidding Aggressiveness controls for overcalling, preempting and the opening bid
• Select your signals and leading agreements

Reviews (1)

Consistently good performance
This is an excellent way to practice and/or review your game.Bidding is realistic, and the play is consistently good.No perfect, mind you, because the human element is removed from your opponent, but nevertheless enjoyable.Best of the bridge simulations I have tried. ... Read more

Product Description

You may have seen it on the World Poker Tour, you may have seen it on Celebrity Poker, and you may have seen it on ESPN, now experience it for yourself! Play tournaments true to actual poker tournaments with a modern interface. It comes with nine predefined tournaments including Poker Night, Card Room and the 2003 and 2004 World Championships, or create your own tournaments. ... Read more

Features

• Whether you are playing in poker tournaments during your local poker night, at a nearby card room, in Las Vegas or preparing for the grand-daddy of them all, the World Series of Poker, Donohoe Digital Poker is for you!
• No other poker software lets you practice your tournament skills and experience what the pro's do as well as manage your local poker night no-limit holdem tournaments. Donohoe Digital Poker is easy to use, has beautiful graphics and features an advanced learning AI.
• Unlike online casinos where you have to risk real money or use "play money" tables where the opponents don't necessarily act rationally, Donohoe Digital Poker lets you hone your skills against computer opponents who behave as if there is something at stake. This doesn't mean they are completely predictable or incapable of bluffing. However, they will give you better practice than the play money tables.

Reviews (35)

Save your money
I was so excited when I bought this and so totally disappointed!!! There are many on-line sites where you can practice playing poker for free against real people. Anyone of them is more entertaining and a better learning experience than wasting time with this. The graphics are on a par with playing "pong" on your TV in the seventies.

Totally realistic poker software
This is an excellent holdem game - it is really the only one that simulates what real tournaments are like - from the blinds, to the chip races, to allowing you to customize tournaments to your liking. Unlike hoyle or pokerstars, it has a strong AI. Other people have commented on how hard it is to hit a straight or flush, but that is real poker. The odds are that 9 other players you play against will get better cards more often than just you. Plus, version 2 is coming out soon and that promises to have online play and more! A truly great game.

Reviewed by y'all way to high!
This game is marginally better than that Hoyle Casino joke, but it has no resemblance to a real game. The AI is OK, but there are WAY too many great hands, that seem to ALWAYS beat you on the river card. I've played hundreds of hands, and when I cheat to see what all the community cards are I end up missing my straight, only if I fold first. I NEVER hit it when I'm digging for it!!! EVER!!! Can't tell you how many times I've been sunk by a boat when I do hit my flush. Hole cards are awful for my hand, but every one around me is getting AA, KK, OO, JJ, AK. I think this game is poor, and only gave it 2 stars because Hoyle's was my only comparison, and it's palin awful!

Helps a lot for beginners but AI makes big mistakes too..
Overall, it isnt a bad game. The AI opponents do often call allins with nothing.Also odd is how occasionally a whole table will call ur allin's during a tourney!
The odds regarding starting hands-ie Ak beats A6 normally, is fairly good. If you want to learn holdem (only NL in this game) this really helps but it wont help good players much.
It's surely worth 20 bucks simply b/c of the fun factor.

A disappointment
I bought this and played in several of the 40-player tournaments, winning one of them and finishing second in another.The program does a good job of making the experience fun and easy, and there are some nice features that you can turn on or off as you see fit, including what they call the "cheat mode," which lets you look at the cards of uncalled hands and see community cards not dealt when nobody calls.When there is a showdown after somebody has gone all-in the probability of winning the pot for each hand is given as it is on TV.You can speed up play or slow it down, and you have the option of jumping to the end of the hand after you fold--an option that one soon chooses and stays with!

There are three levels of difficulty, although I didn't play long enough to get a real feel for the differences.I did notice a rather annoying and ultimately totally off-putting bug (or perhaps, in the spirit of some programming traditions, maybe this is a "feature" that helps the neophyte player win).Quite simply some of the computer players called with hands that could not beat the board!

Now it is true that there are times when it is correct to call with a hand that cannot beat the board.These are very rare however and typically occur when there is a straight on board.Everybody has that straight (at least), and if it is the best hand, the players left at the showdown split the pot.Clearly if the board is AKQJT, with no more than two cards of any suit, it is the nut hand and no matter what the bet is you have to call and split the pot.However, in this program some computer players were calling with hands that made no pairs, no flushes, no straights and were undercards to the board.For example, one board was something like A89TQ of three different suits.One of the computer players called with something like 64.As any hold'em player knows that call makes no sense.It is just throwing money away.

This discovery really turned me off the program because even at the most elementary level of play, real players do not make such suicidal calls.

The package also claims that "Computer opponents learn and adapt to your style of play."What this statement should mean is that the program does things like fold a lot when it notices that you don't bluff much or call a lot or raise if it records a lot of bluffs from you.This "learn mode" is what makes poker-playing 'bots very difficult to beat, and would be an essential part of any program that presumed to be able to beat sophisticated human players.My problem with their learn mode is that I didn't see any evidence of it!

I would like to note in passing that some years ago Mike Caro, the self-styled "Mad Genius of Poker," developed a poker engine that was able to beat some very good human players.However, I am not aware of a program that can play at the highest levels of the game, a program that could beat a table of world champions, for example, a program comparable to chess-playing programs that can beat grand masters.Maybe such a program exists and I am not aware of it.My guess is that such a program is possible, but very difficult to write.

Anyway, I would not recommend this program and I am sorry that I bought it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Star Wars: Rebellion is a grand strategy game of galactic expansion and domination. At the game's start, players side with either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire. They then battle for control of the known Star Wars galaxy (up to 200 systems) through strategic deft and tactical savvy. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Very Nice Game
This one is an oldy but goody, to be sure. It certainly doesn't possess the technology of today's games (one can still hold out hope of there maybe someday being an updated sequel...), but it is the only Star Wars game of it's kind. This strategy game emcompasses not just one army or one world, but the entire galaxy!

You have to use worlds with high resources to boost your supplies, use diplomacy to gain the support of more planets, and build up armies of space ships to defend your planets and conquor your opponent. The ultimate game of conquest, don't expect to complete this game quick! The first time I played it all the way through it took me a couple months, playing for an hour or so each day! The game requires patience and dedication, but if that's your cup of tea, you will be well rewarded with Rebellion!

Even Todays Technology Can't Put It Down
And that's the truth. Star Wars: Rebellion can still content with the current titles, such as Battlefront, KotOR (I/II), and Star Wars Galaxies (and its expansion, respectively). After 7 years I still find it a title that I won't put down. Unlike most other games, SW:R never seems to "get old". Why?

It's an in-depth game set in the Star Wars galaxy where you can build fleets, organize missions, convert planets, assault planets, and fight in massive tactical battles. The game is incredibly massive in and of itself; and this can be quite intimidating for the beginner. Even on the easiest and smallest level of the game the AI acts the same, but only has a limited amount of starting planets and resources. To be frank, this often makes the game frustrating for the "newbie". However, this is just one obstacle. Once the basics of the game are learned it is actually quite enjoyable. The idea of controlling your own empire per se is a Star Wars fan's dream. You're there and you decide how things will play out.

It is debatable whether the two factions are balanced or not but after many years of playing it seems that both are equal in the long run. The possibilities are limitless and Jedi's even play a role in the game, albeit sometimes minimal (it's by chance that you'll have force sensitive characters, however I find that the Alliance gets more). The game switches between Strategic-Tactical in a manner that flows. There is even a feature to "simulate" the battle in case you're not the type to enjoy the tactical portion of the game.

Overall the game stresses critical thinking, strategic planning, and constant adaptation. It is challenging, and sometimes overwhelming, but always provides fun. Star Wars fan should definitely play this game sometime in their life time. Be aware that this game contains graphics that are completely outdated, yet it is often regarded as inconsequential since they play a completely minimal role in the "fun factor" of Rebellion - unless you're a hardcore graphics gamer.

Addictive... a masterpiece fit for the Star Wars Universe
I first played this game in 1999 and was instantly addicted. Star Wars Rebellion lets you play the role of a supreme commander: you are able to send your minions (Star Wars characters such as Luke for the Rebels or Vader for the Empire) on missions such as recruitment for new characters, diplomacy for one of up to 200 planets, Force Training, espionage, sabotage, and other numerous missions. You also have command over a large fleet. With this fleet, you can attack the opposing side and command your ships in space battles. Resource gathering is crucial; reconniscance is essential. Multiplayer play is great for re-enacting your favorite Star Wars events with a friend or simply defeating your enemy Vader-style. It might seem complicated at first, but once the interface is mastered, Star Wars Rebellion will become a classic game for any gamer.

What a disappointment
This has got to be the worse game I have ever played, although I'm not much of a gamer.The story is that you're in charge of either the Rebels or the Empire (this takes place in the time of the three origanal movies), and you can make plans, move troops, make diplomatic trips to non-Alliance or non-Imperial planets, and conduct espionage missions.You can be any major charactor from Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader.This game sounds good in theory, but the excicution stinks.It is slow slow so very slow.If it is supposed to take a week to travel to a planet, then you'll be sitting waiting for it to happen for a long time.Stay away from this game at all cost.

Control the galaxy, but beware the mouse clicks
Star Wars: Rebellion has been around for a while, and with the neverending stream of Star Wars games being released by LucasArts, it is surely being relegated to the backwaters of Star Wars gamers' consciousness. Its graphics aren't as gorgeous as Rogue Squadron or any of its sequels, and its style (real time strategy) may not be as popular as either first-person shooters a la "Bounty Hunter" or even "The Phantom Menace."

Yet to some strategy-gamers like Yours Truly, Rebellion (known in the UK as Star Wars: Supremacy) does have its virtues. While it is a strategy game on a galactic scale, it does combine elements of roleplaying (players can send major Star Wars characters from page and film on missions)and space warfare at the tactical level (once a player has built a few fleet units, they can be sent from their territory into enemy systems to invade planets or engage opposing fleets).

Players can choose to play as either the Empire or the Rebel Alliance, choose the level of difficulty, and the amount of planetary systems that will appear in the Galactic Information Display. The tougher the level, the more systems will gravitate to the oppposite side.The object of the game, of course, is to control as much of the Star Wars galaxy as one can, with each side having ultimate victory goals that must be achieved.To be more precise, the Rebels must capture both Darth Vader and the Emperor, while at the same time taking and holding Coruscant.

The Empire's mission is similar but trickier.Not only are Mon Mothma and Luke Skywalker to be in Imperial custody, but Alliance HQ must be destroyed. But unlike Coruscant, the Rebel HQ complex (it looks like Cloud City) can be moved from one Alliance controlled system to another.(Those who find the complete Victory conditions to be too hard at first might choose the HQ-only option.)

Things I like about Rebellion:
1. The "main title" sequence. Most good Star Wars games pay homage to their parent media source (the films) by having the "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...." card and the title crawl setting up the game's storyline.Rebellion is set immediately after Episode IV, so in some ways the game can be used to imagine alternate timelines and different outcomes to those we saw in the movies.Actual cues from the John Williams scores add that touch of genuine Star Wars atmosphere to this starting screen.
2. The use of characters from books and films.Although Rebellion shows its age by incorporating worlds and characters mentioned in books published up to 1998, I like the fact that the game designers did not limit the cast of "agents" to just the canon film characters.Fans of such Expanded Universe characters as Grand Admiral Thrawn, Talon Karrde, Borsk Fey'lya, Labria, and Pellaeon will find them included here.The one limiting factor is that only a few major characters will have audio cues included in their mission reports (and even those get old fast if you play the game in one sitting), so don't expect to hear the famous Thrawn's musings or Chewbacca's growls.I also like the fact that certain characters have strong Diplomacy ratings (Leia, Mon Mothma, Piett, Jerjerrod, and of course Vader and the Emperor) that only get better with each mission, while others are better at Combat and Espionage.
3. The graphics. OK. The game is not new and it's showing its age, but those fleet battles are still pretty cool.They may not be very varied, and at times it's best to just go to the Results screen if you send, say, a Star Destroyer or two against a system defended by one X-Wing squadron....or a Mon Cal cruiser against a single TIE squadron.

What I don't like:

1. It depends too much on mouse clicks. Another reviewer called this game the Death by 1,000 Clicks (or something along those lines).I have gotten used to this, but getting used to something doesn't mean you have to like it.

2. Team building.Supposedly, you can make a team of various characters to accomplish missions...or send out decoys to divert the enemy. While fine in theory, either the program is faulty or I am as dense as a Kowakian monkey-lizard.It did take me several months just to figure out the basic game, even after reading the manual, but geez...I still can't get the Team thing done.
3. Predictability on Easy level. OK. I don't enjoy pain much so I tend to avoid switching levels on PC games, but I have noticed that the Empire never attempts to build a Death Star on Easy level.It DOES drain resources, and maybe when I play as the Rebels I don't give the AI Empire time to gather raw materials for a battle station, but c'mon...to never try?

For an older game, it is not without its bugs -- it does crash from time to time and some of its features do get annoying, but Rebellion is still entertaining and fun to play.What more can one ask of a game designed in the late 1990s for Windows 95/98....except maybe a Prequel edition or a revamped Classic Trilogy/EU version with new graphics? ... Read more

Product Description

FLIGHT SIM 2004 CENT/FIT WIN32 EN DVD BOX CD ... Read more

Features

• Dynamic weather system based on realistic atmospheric physics, with true three-dimensional clouds that form and dissipate, and automatic real-world weather updates when you're connected to the Internet.
• Weather "themes" that generate a wide variety of stunningand challengingflying conditions with just a few clicks of a mouse
• Enhanced interactive air traffic control (ATC), including traffic at all airports around the world (including non-towered airports), altitude changes en route, pop-up IFR clearances, and precision and non-precision approaches to multiple runways
• Interactive 3D "virtual" cockpitstune radios and operate key aircraft controls and avionics by pointing and clicking in the virtual cockpit view.
• Scenery improvements, including taxiway and runway signs, enhanced auto-gen 3D objects, more high-detail airports, and improved lighting and sky effects

Reviews (101)

The best FS till date!
I've had MSFS2004 for the last 3 months and there's not a single day that I haven't played it. Its just that absorbing! Some reasons for this are much improved GPS navigation, more interactive ATC and ofcourse, the new airplanes.

But I'm not a huge fan of classic aircraft, and I fly my favourite plane, the 737, all the time and it is an absolute joy to fly it on MSFS2004 with the new GPS system. Its accurate to the T for precision landings. The detail paid to accuracy is mindblowing, specially runways and airport layouts. I live in a relatively smaller city of India and I was stunned to find that the airport layout is almost exactly the same as the real one here!

I do face some problems with the game, mainly with screen resolution which flickers when I have the game on high or ultra-high display settings. Also, external scenery transition isn't smooth with high display settings. Microsoft could also have done a better job with the aircraft paint jobs - the orange scheme of Soar Airlines is disgusting.

PROS:

- New additions like GPS and interactive ATC are excellent
- Airports are accurately detailed (there are almost 25,000 of them!)
- Good value for money

CONS:

- Doesn't work smoothly with high display settings. Images are not crisp
- Cockpit graphics are substandard

TIPS:

- If you're looking for some real challenge alongwith great scenery, try flying the ILS approaches into Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten, Madeira in Portugal, Male in the Maldives and Osaka Kansai Airport in Japan (built on an artificial island)
- Try flying the polar route and check out the Northern Lights at night! Eg: Taipei-Anchorage, Moscow-New York etc.

Also, I have a question which I hope readers can help me with. I'm unable to turn the aircraft left or right while on pushback. I've tried using the numbers 1 and 2 key as mentioned in the handbook, but it doesn't work. Can somebody help me with this? I would really appreciate the help.

Enjoy this game!

Item Good Seller NOT
I don't have a problem with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. As expected it's good. The store that is selling this particular item is the problem!

I've seen where many customers have had good experiences when they get what they ordered from this company but those of us that didn't get what we ordered have had nothing but problems.

Don't believe the advertised Limited Edition Tin box. It isn't! When trying to contact customer service: The first time the gentleman on the phone was nice and said a manager would reply the next day. The manager didn't. After a week I called, waited on hold for 22 minutes, the lady on the phone argued with me that the manager did reply by e-mail, although my inbox showed nothing from this company other than the original purchase verification. When I asked if it could be re-sent she said no. When I asked to speak to a manager, she said he was in a meeting. Her overall tone was rude and not at all helpful!

When I finally received a return authorization number, I prepared the item for return and then wanted to make sure shipping would be reimbursed also. After e-mailing Gamestop 3 times, I finally got a reply and stated only the price of the item would be refunded. (Wow their e-mail actually reached me this time!)

This company has no customer service as demonstrated by the false advertising, the rude associates, the difficult customer-company communication, and the fact that when they advertised a product and didn't deliver it as advertised, they feel that they are the ones who shouldn't live up to their promises. The $29.99 price is higher than even Amazon because you think they are selling the Limited Edition. Don't be fooled, save $5 and buy somewhere else.

Bottom line: DON'T SUPPORT GAMESTOP OR PURCHASE FROM THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK! I know I'll never buy anything from them ever again!

best sim so far
I OWN TWO PREVIOUS VESIONS MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 95,98 AND NOW 2004 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT.IN MY OPINION MICROSFT HAS DONE A BETTER JOB WITH THE 2004 VERSION,MORE AIRCRAFT TO FLY A REALY GREAT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ROD ,IMPROVED ATC,ONE THING THOUGH LETS HOPE THAT WHEN 2006 COMES OUT(IT'S ALL HUSH HUSH AT MICROSOFT HQ)THAT THEY WILL AT LEADT ADD NEWER AIRCRAFT MY FAVORITE BIENG THE AIRBUS A321 WHICH I FLEW TO EUROPE ON,AND THE CITATION X BY CESSNA.

Good Sim, But Remember the "Sim" Part!
I have been using flight simulators since MS Flight Simulator 4.0, and have more diverse experience than only Microsoft's offering to call upon.While any simulator can be made quite realistic with the latest hardware and enough money, it is important to note that Microsoft's offering is no different - you cannot, as they say, make a silk purse out of a pig's ear.This means that if you're running an underpowered system, you will not be able to run the simulation optimally.

Published system requirements:
* Pentium 450 or greater processor
* 64 MB RAM for 98/Me, 128 MB RAM for 2000/XP
* 8 MB/3-D with DirectX 7.0 or later videocard
* 1.8 GB hard drive space

My recommendation:
* P4 2.x GHz processor; the faster, the better
* 512MB RAM, with ideally 1GB under the hood
* 128MB / 256MB AGP video card that pushes TONS of pixels - the more, the better
* At least 5GB free hard drive space - You'll want to do a full install, and that comes in just under 3GB (2.88GB, I think)

I run on:
* P4 3.0GHz processor
* 1GB RAM
* Windows XP PRO (SP1)
* 256MB 8xAGP GeForce 5700 series NVidia video card
* Sidewinder joystick (soon to go, thanks to some pedals and a yoke I ordered!)
* On-board surround sound processor

The software itself is practically infinitely extendable, with software and hardware add-ons supported.A quick look around in the flightsim community will support my assertion that the software is CHEAP compared to what can be done to augment it.Add-on packages are available to augment FS2004's admitidedly weak "ground mesh" mapping - flying through Norway's waterways and coasts with the default scenery is nothing next to the real thing, and pales in comparison to some of the add-on packages (both for photo-texturing and mesh-building) out there.But of course, these things cost money (sometimes), as does building and maintaining a system that can fully take advantage of the software.

This is a SIMULATOR, remember - a dozen years ago something like this with a set of pedals and yoke would have been a BIG deal and far out of the reach of the home consumer.Now, as the bar of admission lowers, it is important to realize just how MANY numbers are being crunched every second (most of those in graphics routines), and spec a system appropriately.It might not be a multi-million dollar prospect to own any longer, but to adaquately run the simulator and get something "real" out of it, it is certainly not unheard of to run multi-head (throwing many monitors onto a machine) for a partial panoramic view - but, of course, realism comes at its price.

Excellent tool
This verison is better than ever and a great tool for learing to fly IFR. The dynamic weather is amazing to say the least.

For fans of the other versions this is a must have. ... Read more

Product Description

An interactive mystery-adventure game, Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch puts players in the shoes of teenage super-sleuth Nancy Drew as she investigates a string of mysterious events on Shadow Ranch and in the desert and canyon lands that surround it. Heres who you'll meet at Shadow Ranch: Dave Gregory If good looks could kill, Dave could easily earn a spot among the most wanted young men in the Southwest. Always polite, somewhat shy, Dave is a man of frustratingly few words. ... Read more

Features

• 2 difficulty settings for both experienced and new detectives
• Play as Nancy Drew in this interactive mystery-adventure game
• 20+ hours of thrilling game play; interview suspects
• New puzzles tie directly to the storyline and give important clues
• Solve the mystery on your own or team up with family and friends

Reviews (30)

Great Game!
I am a definite horse person. Though the game didn't focus on the horses, the whole ranch-y theme was very fun. I played the game all the way through twice. The only problem with the game is the whole barrel-racing thing. It's very hard and it took me a long time to get my horse to go fast enough. Some things (like the puzzle under the rock) are nearly impossible, but there are little cheats to get you through. I've found that all Nancy Drew games are much more easily played when using the help of a hints website. Overall a great game and a GREAT buy!

Excelent
Ii wouldd rate thegame 5 stars becaus it was ery adventures nd interestiing. It was aalso a indapendit game

Better than some
I thought this one was good but i found all of the tasks that the cook gave us took so much time and were really tedious. I really like the ending in this one (i won't tell you who does it) but my favourite one so far is "message in the haunted mansion."

I LOVED IT!!!!
I really enjoyed this game!!! I couldn't stop playing! The End got my heart pounding like CRAZY!! I also really enjoyed the graphics, it was like I was really there! It wasn't all mystery,it had alot of funny parts. I really recommend this game. I also learned alot like, how to pick ripe veggies, stuff about horses, and even a recipe for a cake!!! SO BUY IT ! NOW!

Awesome, Great Game!!!
This is a VERY good game. You're on a treasure hunt in the Arizona desert, which is really awesome. And the graphics are AMAZING! I love this game! If you like this game, my other suggestions are Nancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake and Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island! (P.S. You get to go to a ghost town, a canyon, the middle of the desert, a shop, and at the VERY end, ancient Indian cliff dwellings!) ... Read more

Product Description

X-Plane is the most comprehensive and powerful flight simulator available for the personal computer. X-Plane simulates anything that flies: single-engine fixed wing props to multi-engine jets; gliders to dirigibles; helicopters to spacecraft to VTOLs such as the V-22 Osprey and AV8-B Harrier.

Features

• The most realistic flight model available for personal computers. It comes with subsonic and supersonic flight dynamics, simulating aircraft from the Bell 206 Jet-Ranger helicopter and Cessna 172 light plane to the supersonic SR-71.
• 29 aircraft spanning the aviation industry (and history), and several hundred more are freely downloadable from the Internet.
• Scenery that spans the Globe. You can land at any of thousands of airports, as well as test your mettle on aircraft carriers, helipads on building tops, frigates that pitch and roll in the waves, and oil rigs. Weather is variable from clear skies and high visibility to thunderstorms with controllable wind, wind shear, turbulence, and microbursts. Rain, snow and clouds are available for an instrument flying challenge, and thermals are available for the gliders! X-Plane can download real weather data from the Internet, allowing you to fly in actual current conditions!
• Detailed failure-modeling, with 35 systems that can be failed manually, or randomly when you least expect it! You can fail instruments, engines, flight controls, and landing gear at any moment.
• Includes Plane-Maker which allows you to create your own airplanes, and World-Maker which lets you create your own scenery. Also included is Weather Briefer which produces a weather briefing based on actual weather conditions downloaded from the net.
• Extremely customizable, allowing you to easily create textures, sounds, and instrument panels for your own airplanes that you design.

Features

• 35 systems can be failed manually or randomly
• Comprehensive and powerful flight simulator
• 29 aircraft spanning the aviation industry and history
• Scenery spans the globe; easily customize your own airplanes
• Variable weather; fly actual current conditions with Internet downloads

Reviews (2)

X-plane 8.0 - Rule the world with it
When I got it from the factory.All I got it the DVD in a plastic holder and that's it.No box, no instruction book.Nothing.

I had to get into the program and find out how to fly planes (X and otherwise) on my own.All I got this game for wa to train actor on Boeing 777 on a Mac, before we got them in flight simulators up in Seattle.But this game turned into much more.

If you can run up a B-52, take-off, circle and land; you can fly anything.I've landed a B-52G twice.But think crash.Not don't crash.What does the load vectors do.Will it take-off with four engines.What if all engines shut do on take-off?Crash land.Anyway.That's $100,000+ flight training at Alteon in Seattle (a private flight training company) for $50.Which you want to pay?

Some of the flight sims are a pain, like the X-15.Even if you load Edwards AFB or even Denver, you end up over water or desert that I have no idea where I am.The Space Shuttle is even worst.

But the MOST DIFFICULT plane to fly is the Cessna 172.You end up side ways, when you an at V1.And by the time you at V2, you're screwed.Commit, pull up and take-off.You're in the air or you've crashed.

Mike Rossi

Have fun!!!!

Xplane is great!
X-Plane 8 is the latest and greatest in the long-venerable series of what is arguably the worldÕs best flight simulator.X-Plane is not really a ÒgameÓ, so to speak. It is a very realistic flight simulator with all sorts of bells and whistles and more aircraft, airports, scenery, and scenarios than you could ever ask for.

After opening the box, one is greeted with a DVD-ROM and a manual about 200 pages in length.For those who have never flown a real airplane or a flight sim, the manual devotes quite a bit of time to introducing the controls and terminology of the simulator.One minor annoyance is that in the lead tutorial for new users, the aircraft discussed in the manual is not included in the actual sim, at least not that I could find in version 8.I made do with a different craft, though.But the manual is otherwise a very welcome addition in this world of software that generally comes with little useful documentation.

Once you get through the tutorials and the terminology and you are ready to fly, navigating the sim is quite easy, though not entirely Mac-like.The dialog boxes and menus look different than a Mac user may be used to.That might be expected for a cross-platform game such as this, though.Even so, it is extremely easy to load your chosen aircraft (You want to fly a Hindenburg?Sure, why not!), pick your airport, file your flight plan, and then be on your way. You may configure weather conditions and daylight to your liking.X-Plane 8 even gives you a chance to fly the space shuttle and to fly several planes on Mars, using real-life conditions (though not real life aircraft, since those do not quite exist yet, nor do airports exist on Mars in real life).

The graphics in X-Plane 8 are truly beautiful.Scenery