C2G / Cables to Go 40608 Velocity M/F Stereo Audio Extension Cable

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You can tell this cable isn't like some of the other cheap cables that are sold on Amazon. The cable is a bit more heavier than other cables and significantly thicker. Out of the box, these work flawlessly without any noise or distortion. Nuff said.

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Works fine. Apparently well-made and sturdy. Amazon requires 14 more words: It is a nice shade of blue and has a pleasing rubbery feel on your hand.

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PlayStation 3 WWE All STARS Wireless BrawlPad Hulk Hogan and John Cena

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I purchased this controller along with the wwe all-stars for my 7yr. old and he loves it. even though the price was cheap

the controller felt very sturdy and had no defects whatsoever overall I'd have to say I'm pretty satisfied with this product.

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I purchased this game for my 15yr old he loves now,im starting to enjoy the game as well it even came erlier than expected!

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Dishonored

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Gamers will recognize structural elements from Bioshock, which, to my mind, is a very good thing. Here, however, the stealth mechanics work flawlessly, and your magical abilities aren't simply various weapons. Rather, the mechanics allow you to teleport short distances, see through walls (a la Batman, Deus Ex, Assassin's Creed, etc) and inhabit animals and other humans. Not only are these mechanics just cool, they allow you to attack objectives in a multiplicity of ways. DISHONORED is thus a game that can sustain at least a few play throughs.

TIPS:

Get Dark Vision Immediately.

Then Upgrade Blink to level 2.

Then upgrade Agility to 1, as your ability to jump higher will enable higher blinks. Agility 2 is useless.

Then get Bend time. Then STOP time. Stop time costs 8 runes, and it's worth it--especially when you want to kill Tall Boys.

My only gripe would be that the game seems to punish you for being what you are--an assassin-as killing just a moderate amount of people (in video game reality, obviously) leads to the "dark" ending. To that I ask, who hired the Church Lady as a designer on this thing? I did my best to spare non-combatants, yet the game still seems to take a dim view of killing. And I won't give anything away, but the "dark" ending is not satisfying. I was hoping for at least something bittersweet, like the end of The Searchers.

There's also no barometer to give you real-time data on how much "chaos" you're creating. However, you do get your stats at the end of a mission. So if you're going for the no-kill play through, you ca re-do that mission if you accidentally killed someone. (Unlike Deus Ex, which kept you guessing until the end--Lame.)

It would be good to have some "chaos" gradations in this game. Therefore, you could have a play through with

1. a normal ending (you killed a lot of guys because you're a badasss and they got in your way) but spared civilians, knocked out people when you could and weren't a complete psycho),

2. an ending where you were one of the Super Friends (you killed very few people).

3. a REALLY twisted ending where you played through as a complete homicidal maniac--killing everyone and their pets without compunction and without mercy and often without reason except because there's something wrong with you.

However, I simply played how I wanted--with a fairly strict scorched Earth policy--and watched the "happy" ending on YouTube. Maybe I'll do a no-kill play through at some later point.

But this is pretty nit-picky. Playing the game is really fun. I'm just a little irritated by the end (if you didn't get that).

In conclusion, if you dig first person stealth action games with broad (though not strictly open) worlds, buy this game. It's great.

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I just finished a stealth playthrough of the game. To me, it was a somewhat frustrating experience, but still fun. I wanted the good ending, so I killed as few people as possible, but I did resort to direct combat at times.

Attacking people directly is not only quicker, but there is also a more satisfying array of options. The game gives you many lethal weapons, such as guns, traps and the ability to reprogram any enemy technology to target bad guys instead. There are also powers that allow you to summon rats that devour your enemies and whirlwinds that slam them into walls.

In stealth mode, there aren't very many ways to incapacitate the guards. There are crossbow bolts that put people to sleep, and you can sneak up behind people and knock them out, but that's about it. The option to knock people out does not always work as planned, either, and, even if the prompt comes up on screen, Corvo will sometimes raise his knife to block instead, usually right before the guard turns and sees you creepily standing behind him, which understandably freaks him out.

In a nutshell, if you're still deciding which way to play, stealth offers the good ending, and violence offers gameplay fluidity.

One decision I thought was strange was that the game always had Corvo carry a knife in his right hand, even if you are doing a nonviolent playthrough and even when you are only attempting to use a stealth skill such as blink. I never used the knife, but it was always there, in a space that could have been occupied by more useful abilities or equipment.

The area levels are relatively open, compared to some of the more linear games that are out nowadays, but it's difficult to fully appreciate your surroundings in a stealth playthrough. At some points, I just wanted to walk around and look at the city, which had a watercolor aesthetic I really liked, but guards are everywhere, and you have to get rid of all of them before you can explore openly.

I did not let that keep me from doing sidequests, though. I am very much a completionist, so I tried to explore all the areas fully before I left. There are many sidequests that don't even show up in your journal until you find a specific area, like saving a woman who's surrounded by rats or protecting an accused witch from overzealous guards, which helps with replayability. It was also fun to find the runes that upgrade your abilities and listen to the Outsider's (the guy who gives you your powers) take on in-game events.

Though I tried to be as thorough as possible, and though I played stealth mode, which is inherently time-consuming, I finished the game in about eight hours. The story was a little formulaic, and the only characters who were really interesting were Granny Rags and the Outsider. I did like the audiographs, though, which important characters used to record their private thoughts (Sometimes too private, actually. If I was feeling guilty about murdering someone, I probably wouldn't record myself saying so.)

Another thing that offers insight into the world is the heart the Outsider gives you, which can tell you more about characters and places in the game. The heart has a really cool voice and sometimes says interesting things about important NPC's. I was especially shocked at what it said about Piero, the scientist who upgrades your equipment at the Hound Pits Pub. Unfortunately, minor NPCs with similar backgrounds all have the same descriptions, like 'she hides her hands, which are red and raw from work,' will be a description for all women who aren't nobles or major NPCs.

The tall boys, which were featured heavily in advertisements, show up very late in the game, and, as far as I could tell, there's no way to incapacitate them without killing them, which was annoying. There was an interesting tidbit in one of the books at Lady Boyle's party, though, which made them way more interesting and sympathetic.

Despite my negativity in this review, I did like the game enough to give it three stars. I enjoyed playing a new IP, and I actually do like stealth games most of the time. Dishonored offers a lot of unique ways to get around without being seen, like possessing animals and stopping time, and it was fun to play with all the different options. The more destructive powers look promising too. Usually I can't stand to play the darker path, but for this game I'll try to give it a go so I can try out all the abilities.

I pre-ordered this game months ago, and I think it was worth it. It was exciting to play something so new and different, even if there were a few flaws. Dishonored is hard to fit in one category, so I'm not sure how to recommend it to others, but hopefully this review will help anyone on the fence about buying the game.

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This game was pretty cool and kind of a refreshing play, mainly do to the fact that the player has options about how he or she wants to go about undertaking the game! You can go full bore and just kill everyone, or there is ways to sneak around, and you can also render guards unconsious if you would rather instead of killing them. On my first time through, I experimented with several different ways of doing things and I tried out all the various different weapons & abilities, just to get a taste of everything and find out how I most preferred going about things.

I only had one main gripe about the game, and it was an ever so small annoyance too: Occasionally trying to chose a weapon or skill from the wheel, (especially as you earn more abilities & such) was sometimes a bit glitchy. For example, there were times later in the game that I was trying to chose my pistol with the regular shots over this one with explosive rounds and it would give me the pistol with the explosive rounds, and so on. It was a slight bit frustrating, but fortunately that only happened every once in a while.

The game was a little shorter than I was expecting, but then again it would seem short, especially after playing on a game like Skyrim off & on throughout many months. So don't let that deter you, because the game is actually a decent length...I'd say roughly around 15 hours. And just because I had no life for 2 days and sat on my arse & played it throughout much of release day and the following Wednesday, lulz.

I'd say definitely play it though! If you like stealth & action mixed in one game with all sorts of player options throughout the game, then I highly recommend checking this game out! I for one plan to play through it at least a couple more times eventually and try out different means of getting through the game...first time through was just a trial play to get a feel for everything. Next time I'm going to get down to business! Check this one out fellow gamers! I love a good stealth/assassin game! Looking forward also to Assassin's Creed III and Hitman: Absolution!

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After having this game on pre-order for months, I was thrilled with I finally got to play it. I was surprised to see there wasn't a ton of back-story in the game. Usually with games like this, you have to sit through 10 minutes of game story screens before you even start to play. So I was happy to jump right in and get started.

Graphics: 7 out of 10

The graphics were good, but by no means spectacular. What made them good was the items in the game itself were interesting to look at. Menacing Tall-Boys, abandoned buildings, artwork and such gave the game a colonial dark-age feel, but the actual detail of the final thing was a little less than mind blowing. The graphics of the city itself could have been better than it was. What was supposed to appear as a large, wide open city, instead it felt more like an enclosed island, with no other outside world.

Story: 8 out of 10

Protector turns assassin, when the empress he's charged with protecting is killed and the murder is blamed on him. After escaping jail on the eve of your execution, you begin to help a group of loyalists find the missing heir to the throne, the empresses daughter. She was taken by the same men who killed her mother, and framed you for her murder. You're charged with tasks, each one different than the others. Some involve finding documents, some finding people. The game plays out much like the game inFamous, where you chose either an evil path or a good one. Depending on how many people you kill during your missions, the city and story line changes accordingly. The game actually had a fairly predictable ending, which can change depending on how you reach to it.

Violence: 7 of 10

Not as much as many of the games out there. And not nearly as much as I thought there would be. The game previews made it look like the main goal was to go around killing everyone, but in actuality it's the opposite. You are rewarded with points at the end of each mission, and extra points are given for not killing people. While the story-line of the game makes you think you're an assassin out for revenge, the goal is actually to hurt as few people as possible along the way. You are rewarded more greatly for doing so. It's also much harder to complete the missions with out hurting anyone. Your enemies are out to kill you, and if they see you, come out in large numbers and attack. To complete each mission without violence takes a lot of work, but it's encouraged through out the whole game.

Game length: Medium-Long

The game took several days to complete and that was playing many hours each day, on the average difficulty level. It would have even taken longer had I spent the time to explore the game thoroughly, and tried to complete it without killing anyone. At one point I felt like the game was even getting a little too long, and I was ready to be at the end. I believe that was because at one point in the game, you are lead to believe you have completed it, when actually you are only about 2/3 of the way through.

Gameplay: 8 of 10

While the game starts out a bit slow, it picks up as you go along. Gaining magical powers and finding ways to use them really increases the fun in the gameplay. The more you use the powers, the better you get at using them. Physical weapons are minimal, but fun. They work well for the time frame this game is supposed to be set in. Pistols, swords and crossbows are your main weapons. You can also stealthily sneak up on enemies, and knock them out, so that you're not killing them, but disabling them as a threat so you can continue with your mission. One of the two most ominous foes in the game are the Tall-Boys, a soldier in a mean looking mechanical suite, with a powerful cannon attached that he shoots people with. You know when they're coming for you, since each step they take shakes the ground around you as they get closer. The second enemy is one you don't suspect, the rats in the streets. They come out of nowhere and attack at random times. They move in on a subject in a large swarm, and actually eat the person they attack, if they aren't able to get away first. The game does a good job of focusing on a main goal, and not jumping around so much that it makes following the story-line difficult.

Hidden items and how they work:

There are important items stashed all over the city for you to find. Some of these items give you new, much needed magical powers, some are just coins to buy things with, or extra supplies of health of magic power refills. There are books and papers everywhere, and reading them can give you even more back-story to the game, not included in the regular scenes. They offer clues on where to find hidden things, passwords to locked safes hidden throughout the game, and lots of background as to who people are you meet in the game. You are given a heart as a tool, and when you equip it, it will direct you to where many of these hidden items are. It can also tell you what the a game character is really thinking, or information on deeds from their past.

Conclusion:

While the game started out a little slow, and first impressions made me think it was too similar to the gameplay of inFamous, the rest of the game proved to me it was one of a kind. I liked that the game was set in the era of the black plague, and that much of the story line was based off the repercussions of the illness affecting the whole city. Game load times were acceptable, and glitches and lagging were pretty much non-existent, which was a relief, since Bethesda games have had issues with them in the past. While the previews make the game out to be all about getting revenge and killing as many people as you can, there's actually a lot more to it. The game actually encourages you to try and take the more difficult rout, a non-lethal approach. Plenty of hours of gameplay, and lots of hidden things to find along the way. The graphics were acceptable, but had they been better, it could have made Dishonored even better. It's a sold 4 star game, has replay-ability, since you'll likely want to do a play-though seeing the story line for both the good and the evil choices you can make.

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First, I have to add the caveat that I typically HATE first person action games. I find the first person perspective to be incredibly disorienting and difficult to control. This becomes particularly problematic during sequences of intense action or where intricate stunts are required. I always feel like I have blinders strapped on that limit peripheral vision and create a confusing and claustrophobic game experience.

However I love steam-punk and dystopian story concepts and felt compelled to give Dishonored a try despite the first person POV.

I was not disappointed. Though the story starts out as a simple stereotypical quest-fest wherein some random NPC you just met starts barking orders at you which you dutifully jump to fulfill, the story eventually evolves into an intricate plot that carries you through a depressing and troubled though hauntingly beautiful realm afflicted with numerous plagues, both biological and political in nature.

Each mission is elegantly constructed and features numerous possible solutions. By numerous I do not mean that there are two or even three ways to complete your objectives I mean there are at LEAST three, probably more, ways to approach each target. This represents what must have been a painstakingly intricate process for the game's developers. The payoff is a game unlike any other in terms of its potential for player ingenuity and personal style. Literally, it is staggering to consider how many different paths are available to you.

The interesting thing about Dishonored is that you can complete the entire game without killing anyone. It's difficult especially if you try to beat the game while maintaining a flawless "ghost" achievement wherein you not only kill no one, but you perform zero non-lethal take-downs as well. One must make expert use of the available skills your character possess and be extremely patient but this option of game play is a strategic mastermind's paradise. Political targets can be taken down without assassinating them. Removing targets from power instead takes a much more political and therefore narratively more interesting tactic, thus allowing the player to become the author of some extremely rewarding plot twists.

Unlike most first person action games, the stealthy nature of game play and the specific powers available to you makes game play smooth and easy to master. The lack of peripheral perception that hampers most first person POV games does nothing to lessen your character's potential here.

But the real star of Dishonored isn't the story or the elegant game mechanics. It is the world itself. The story takes place within the city of Dunwall, which in addition to being in the grip of an illegitimate totalitarian regime is also beset with a deadly plague. The scenery, attitudes of the populace, and overall environmental tone of the game drives Dishonored. It is this prevailing pessimistic sense of doom amid a world that is yet full of wealth, privilege, and beauty that creates such a memorable and mesmerizing game experience. The illusion that this world is real and in the absolute darkest of times is so absolutely convincing and masterfully handled that the initial quest-fest feel and the occasional in-congruent hazard (there are these weird acid-spitting plants that pop up every now and then which are totally inappropriate for the rest of the game) is quickly forgiven.

The music and stylized graphics also serve to help Dishonored stand out among the myriad of new releases hitting stores this season. Although skeptical at first, I have to recommend Dishonored to any player seeking a unique and breathtakingly gorgeous game experience. This one is definitely a work of art.

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Everydaysource Compatible With SONY PS3 Controller Replacement Battery

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So far seems to work fine. It takes a charge but sits only a few days before needing a recharge. That said, my original controller's battery isn't much better.

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f1: 2010

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Lets remember I'm reviewing a game although some might suggest it is a driving simulator.

I've been a hard core Formula One fan since the 1960s.

I've also been playing Gran Turismo (Prologue) for more than a year on my PS3. A game I both like and find quite frustrating.

The first thing to realize is this game is geared toward a very hard core F1 fan, who wants to role play and engage in the strategy of a race weekend or season. IF you are looking for most of the nuances of being a F1 driver OTHER THAN DRIVING this may be your game. This is NOT a hard core driving simulator. There is a great deal to the game that has nothing to do with driving and a great deal to do with how you interact with the press, how you set up your car, how you manage pit stops, how you deal with changing weather, etc. So if you want to live the life of a F1 prospect then this is your game! For most gamers the races are excessively long (even at the shortest settings) and I doubt many will want to pretend to be a F1 driver.

This game is certainly meant to be played as a role player, you have to be smart about your interviews with the press, smart about set-up and smart about pit-stops. Your goal is to progress to being a top level driver which also includes wise contract negotiations.

The actual driving/physics are mediocre --which means that most game players will find the physics reasonably friendly. You can turn off ABS braking and the only result you will find is that you can not steer if your brakes are locked. Traction control can be turned off and the only problem you'll encounter is that you can't mash the accelerator if you are in a Low speed turn. But there is no real simulation the physics are quite simplistic but that does not mean easy!

I've been playing the game with all these aids off and I can say this game offers very little regarding the true physics of a race car. I've taught performance driving, using real cars, for over 20 years. Nevertheless you still have to be very accurate with your steering, pick your braking points well and modulate your throttle in low speed turns. The game is still a challenge. To get a good lap you'll have to put in a lot of time but just to be clear the physics are simplistic and far from entirely accurate.

This game offers none of the subtitles of driving a real car at the limit. I don't necessary mean that as a criticism. Very few gamers would want a true simulation. Cars, driven at their true limits, are very difficult to control. However ---if you want a true DRIVING simulation this game offers little approaching that lofty goal!

I think the appeal of this game is limited to true F1 fans. You certainly have to be exact in your driving and you also have to deal with weather, pit stops, tire choices, when to change an engine, etc. It will take a lot of effort to advance your career and complete the game. But the races are excessively long (yet mimic a true F1 race). A major problem with the game is you'll be unaware of any opponent behind you because the mirrors don't work. Overall, this game strikes me as a lonely and often dull (abet technical) form of competition.

I suggest you pass on this game unless you like the idea of role playing as an F1 driver.

Your wiser choice MAY be the forthcoming Gran Turismo 5 (due November 24, 2010)

Other comments:

1.) The graphics are either excellent (for still frames) but only good (in the actual game play) when viewed on a 1080p monitor connected to the PS3 via an HDMI cable

2.) The multi-player (on-line) is OK but not great. You can set up custom races as short as 3 laps and restrict what driving aids can be used. You can also turn off collision so you are freed from other people ramming you off the track. But it is all a bit confusing to use and it may be difficult for someone to find a race you set up. Nevertheless it has more options than Gran Turismo Prologue and thus has to be viewed as a minor step up. I hope the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 will have a far better on-line lobby. Overall you will find few racers competing on-line.

3.) The weather effects are nothing less than stunning. When it rains --well ----it seems like it is really raining! Graphics fans will love this.

4.) There is no manual/user guide available within the game (and the tiny brochure included in the packaging just covers the bare basics). For a game so immersed in the details of Formula One it amazes me there is no in-game manual. I know the sport extremely well but will everyone?

5.) Driving Aids: The map of the race course that you can (optionally) display is too short to be of any real help and the racing line, another option, is too short and hard to see to be really helpful. So I doubt anyone will find much help from those aids. But Beginners will find considerable comfort with the game's other aids such as automatic braking, ABS and traction control (all of which are banned in the real world of F1).

6.) As previously noted, one of the biggest problems with the game is that the mirrors don't work. You won't have any sense of the cars behind you except for the maps. That really lessens your sense of competition and hurts the game-play. More often than not your greatest threats come from behind. This is a major oversight in the game and often makes a race seem lonely and quite dull.

7.) One major advantage of this game, for hard core F1 fans, is you will gain a very realistic perspective of the tracks. As a game, I can't say I enjoy it very much but I keep playing it because I get a very real sense of the tracks and that heightens my enjoyment when a race is televised

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This review was written November 18th, based on a copy of the game I purchased on September 22nd. Almost 2 full months to think about the game and analyze it properly.

I am a massive F1 fan. Massive. I've been following it since the times of Senna x Prost despite my young age. I've been through GP2/GP3/GP4, F1 1998 World GP, GPL, F1 2000, F1 2002, F1 99-02 Challenge, F1 2006 CE, certain rFactor mods, GTR 2 mods, a brief iRacing stint, and the latest F1 2010. I have been driving sims for almost a decade as well so I feel I can talk about this game properly. I'll try to be direct too.

Presentation:

It's very nice to have the Paddock system, in the first few weeks it still seems cool but to be honest, the novelty wears off once you realize how much time is wasted when you have to keep transitioning back to that one area, dealing with loading screens. Despite the setbacks I'll give kudos to Codemasters here, was a nice touch.

Graphics:

At first they seem very awesome, no doubt about it. The cars have a nice resolution, the circuits look pretty, the stands are "alive," the pitcrew is properly detailed. However the helmets are incredibly low resolution compared to the cars, and their mapping just baffles me. The rain looks very good on the track and so does the spray over the front tires from the cockpit view.

The lighting of the game has a filter that makes colors less lively which may not be noticeable by several people, but I feel it takes a little bit away from what it could have been. On TV the cars may look one way but live there's real vibrant colors and they're very reflective but not poorly done like F1 2006. F1 2010 gets that reflection the best out of F1 games I've seen; talking more about reflections, they have a funny effect because their frames per second is at a lesser rate than the game, so they stutter by.

Audio:

Absolutely love the sound of the cars. F1 doesn't have the v12s or v10s of not long ago but the v8s don't sound that bad and this game does a great job in that aspect. Overall the audio is good, we don't have an annoying announcer (i.e. James Allen) bugging us and we do have some pit radio messages every now and then sometimes they're fine, sometimes slightly off. It's funny when it's off, to be honest, so I'll let that one slide :P. Lastly, on audio, you may be disappointed not to see your name in the list of possible names with audio, but the name is basically only mentioned once on the interview. I picked Colin just for laughs.

Gameplay:

Here's the thing: Codemasters hyped up this game a lot, review sites and shows didn't play enough to really tell us anything, so when the community got a hold of the game it was shocked. Car behavior on the dry was ok, on a wet track it was problematic. Too much grip with wet tires on, and just a generally super forgiving gameplay. Unless you touched the kerbs! They were terribly modeled and sometimes you can just ride them (when you shouldn't as in real life you'd probably damage the undertray an even screw up the gears, as we've seen with Sebastian Vettel) and sometimes you can't even look at them and they'll throw you off. I think Monza was an example of poor kerbs. Oh, you don't need TC even in the rain. It's incredibly tough to lose the rear, wheelspin is completely off.

Anyway, it's understandable this game isn't made to be a sim but Codies could have been straightforward instead of beating around the bush with their and Anthony Davidson's crap (there's a reason he hasn't been on a F1 grid for several years).

Closing statement on driving: It mostly makes sense to drive the cars so if you can remember where kerbs give you problems you'll be fine.

Live The Life:

Simply put, you don't. It's a very shallow experience that will be summed up with you not caring for the press and actually hating your agent :P.

Now, to point out the bad stuff...

CONS:

TERRIBLE AI rubber banding. Qualifying lap times are completely unreal. Race times are unreal. The AI has predetermined laptimes for every session, the only one who has to worry about setting a certain time around the track is you. You may overtake Vettel on your hotlap but he may still have the faster laptime. Also, do not be surprised to see a lower team car jumping several positions during pitstops or later in the race as they set fastest time. This game is terrible with that. Don't be surprised to see the HRT set the fastest lap of the race, or to see a computer-controlled car simply appear infront of you after warping 100m behind you. The AI has set times for each sector so they'll warp if these are outside a certain range.

Fuel Simulation and Tire Wear. Another aspect of the game that pretty much only applies to the player. It is incredible how this issue also got through testing, or it didn't but was ignored. To be brief: The player suffers from both but the AI doesn't.

Track accuracy is poor. Codemasters outsourced the work on the tracks, and when CAD data was available the tracks came out just fine except Silverstone that has the MotoGP layout. MOTOGP LAYOUT for the F1 TRACK. Also, how the hell does Monaco have a BANKED TUNNEL?! EMBARASSING. Oh yeah, it also rains inside the tunnel!

Terrible replay. Awful camera, very short. Just terrible.

The AI is very good on areas where they fail in many games, like T1 of the first lap. The AI moves about to find the proper line instead of just line-up to be overtaken. They put proper fights for position too. Unfortunately Codemasters screwed up everywhere else. They got the toughest part done but completely botched the easy ones! Careful when passing someone on a blue flag, they may BRAKE on you.

Career is a shame. You could win on Legend your 1st season with HRT and you'll not be offered a contract by a team higher than midfield. It's tough to point out the main problem in that sentence, that you can WIN on Legend with the HRT, or that a top team will ignore the fact you are amazing. Oh, and when you move teams, don't expect to replace the worst performing driver. If you go to McLaren and Lewis beats Button by 50 points, expect Lewis to get the axe.

Pit Stop bugs still happen despite the patch. Seems to be give and take on luck. That means you could be P1, make a stop, and come out P20. Great way of making a person angry.

Force Feedback WEAKER after the patch. It was already poor to begin with...

FPS stutter

You may set laps in quali faster than some AI but during the race the AI will pull laps 5-10s faster than they did in quali, out of nowhere. This relates to point #1 but it's just so frustrating it deserves another mention.

Only accurate tracks and best cars in the game are those with CAD data.

Tracks with poor kerbs (Jump!) and modeling in general, like the exit of Parabolica in Monza. It's like they completely botched some polys while making the track and didn't bother fixing them. Also, how can they put the MotoGP layout for Silverstone in a F1 game?

This game should be avoided, to sum it up. Even casual racers will be upset with the faults the game has. A F1 fan may try putting up with them like me but there's always a limit. I will not be buying another Codemasters game, I hadn't in several years for a reason. I most likely will skip F1 2011 as well.

This game is embarrassing, we wanted a proper console F1 game so bad but we got this instead. Do yourself a favor and resist the urge, this doesn't deserve a purchase unless it's on the bargain bin, and even then only if you're an F1 fan.

2/5 is actually me being nice to it.

Buy f1: 2010 Now

If you are even a little into F1 you will love this game! I initially used the D-pad for this game, but decided to buy a wheel just for it. Man that was worth it! I bought the Logitech Driving Force GT and it works great. The graphics are better then GT5 and the sound is amazing! My favorite thing to do is probably even just hot laps.

Read Best Reviews of f1: 2010 Here

If you like F1 and have a PS3, just buy it. Don't even hesitate. Especially considering the people who made this game, the driving is exceptionally good. It's very realistic compared to most racing games. Still not on par with gt5 or some other games in that respect, but still very realistic and a ton of fun to play. It can get pretty deep. If you want to fully simulate an F1 season you basically can. The presentation is great. Literally my only complaint is that there are only F1 cars. It would be cool if it had some classic F1 cars like Sennas MP4 from 1988 but all in all, it's a really polished and fun game. Great graphics too. No F1 fan should own a PS3 without this seriously

Want f1: 2010 Discount?

I can't believe the number of bad reviews this game has written about it. I can only assume the are from rival industry insiders because after playing the game for a few months now it's obvious these reviews are at best way off the mark and at worst blatant lies.

I've played almost every F1 racing game on every PlayStation system since PS1 and this is far and away the best racing experience I've ever played. The graphics are stunning, the sense of speed is just right, the physics are excellent even the load times are minimal and the menus direct and to the point.

The only gripe I have is the level of difficulty. This game is TOO HARD! With a force feedback wheel and many years of driving game experience, I can't beat 16th place on 'normal' difficulty. I don't expect to win every race (that is boring) but damn give me a chance here!

I've followed the cars round the track in practice for several laps and my posted times are way lower than theirs this aspect of the game is clearly fixed which is a real shame. In the real race this doesn't seem to be the case.

I'm starting a new career in easy mode now since I'm clearly much slower than the developers of this game expect their gamers to be!

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SSX

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $15.91
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

When the new SSX was announced, I got giddy at the though and jumped up and down. Some of my friends didn't understand why I was so excited and I had to explain to them the amazingness of this series. Now that I have it, I have some mixed feelings, but I feel it's an overall good entry in the series.

A brief history: SSX has evolved continuously over the years. While some feel the games weren't different enough, I think it's one of the few series that varied greatly over it's iterations. The only SSX to not add or change much was SSX On Tour. Thankfully that is not the case with the new SSX. Fun fact: when EA got rid of EA Sport Big, they decided to start making EA Sports Freestyle, a more casual focused company, and the head of that sub company specifically said they would not be making a new SSX. Thank goodness that didn't stay true!

What's new: a rail riding button, extra gear required for certain courses which changes gameplay and adds additional concerns to keep track of, a whole new button configuration option (which is the default), rewind, no punching, no grabs (where you grab an edge and stay), no reset button, no halfpipe, and no freeride mode. Accidentally going 'off course' has been replaced by chasms of death that you have to 'rewind' out of or die. Also, new to the game, is death. snowflake multipliers have been replaced by geotags and snowflakes that give either experience points or money. The game also feels incredibly fast. In a developer interview, he said outside SSX, the biggest influence was Burnout Paradise. It shows. The new grind button is almost optional, since you can still grind without it, but it's harder. You can no longer grind if you hit the rail at an odd angle, which I found a little less fun.

Game modes: The game has 3 modes: World Tour (story), Explore (traditional SSX Medal score mode), and Global Events (psedo-multiplayer).

In Would Tour mode you open up playable characters. When you beat events, it doesn't matter what place you are as long as you aren't last. On feature that's interesting is if you keep failing an event, it will offer to simply pass it for you. I expected this would not give me my completion check, but there are no signs that I didn't beat that stage. If you wanted to go back and try it later, you'll have to remember what stage it was on your own. It also gives you any money and experience you would have received. This mode is mostly there to open up characters and reveal the 'story'. Each character has a motion comic video that plays to introduce you to them. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems with this games vs the old games is that it lacks character. The characters are very vague, lacking the bite they used to have. As much as I love the old SSX characters, they might have well as used 'Male Racer A' or some generic build-your-own character. You'd think this mode would be all about building more out of those characters, but it just falls flat. As such, this mode is just there to slowly introduce you to elements of gameplay, mostly the new gear. This could easily have been done in a single level of Explore mode. Because it doesn't really work on both of these points, this mode ends up being mostly pointless, though it does give you a good feeling of 'progression', as opposed to simply earning money and opening up levels and medals. I also find the mode very unbalanced, because sometimes I'd beat the goal by a ridiculous amount, follow by a course I have to play 5 times, and back again. The XP and prize money don't really reflect difficulty either.

Explore Mode is the more traditional SSX fare, with most tracks having race, trick, and sometimes survival courses, with more options for each course than you'd find in World Tour mode. Survival (also in Would Tour mode) is new to SSX. Here you will have to make it to the bottom of the course without dying. The length you need to go to get a gold metal can be longer the course, which means once you get to the bottom, you go right back to the top and start over again. Until you die. This makes this 'survival' mode very different from anything in previous SSX games and can be closely compared to endless runners (i.e. Cannabalt). Trick and Race work very similar to previous titles. There's also a new avalanche mode that feels a bit like a mini-game, but takes the game and lets you play it from a different view. While it wasn't bad, it felt like a demo or mini-game at best, which is probably why I haven't seen it much in the game.

Courses, Death, and Rewind: The courses in this SSX have a very different feel than previous entries. The paths feel off-the-chart and not at all stadium-like. This makes the courses less memorable, but also gives a feeling of realism and each course has a more open feel to it. You don't just have one or two shortcuts, but the whole track feels like one open potential shortcut. I'm not sure if I prefer either type, they both have a lot of potential fun. The ability to die in the game adds some very difficult challenges and I found racing mode suffered the most from it. I also find I just plain think it ruins the pacing and fun of both racing and trick tracks. Previously, in racing, it's all about knowing the track and executing a near flawless performance. This time around though, there are a lot more places to fall and die, which makes you have to rewind. Unfortunately, the rewind only effects your character and the other racers speed ahead. The rewind is in 1:1 speed, so take the time it takes for you to realize you are in a chasm/dead-zone, then your reaction time to that, then the amount of time it takes to get to back to a point where you can safely not repeat the same mistake. You didn't just go from first to second place, you are now dead last. Also, half time time, I found that I'd end up somehow making the same mistake, so while you think you can back up to the exact moment you messed up, you actually have to back up several moments before. Meanwhile, a snail passes you by. Overall, the feeling of the game is entirely changed for racing, from 'getting it just right' to 'oh please don't mess up'. Rewind works better in trick mode, where it reduces your trick points significantly every time you use it. In survival mode, it has a limited number of uses (3, I think), which makes sense. Unfortunately, Rewind is really easy to hit with classic controls, causing me to hit it for some of the more complicated trick. Also, being in rewind is how you place geotags. I accidentally placed at least two geo tags. Rewind should have been mapped to the select button.

Score multiplayer, combo, trick mode, and landing: In previous entries, there was a perfectionism in the precision of taking a big trick, then landing, then chaining it, then doing another trick. Here, you have a combo score and a multiplier. The manual in the game is unclear on how they relate, but at some point there was a loading screen that clarified. And yet, I'm still not sure I get it. And that's sad, because previous entries let you know exactly how the scoring system worked. I still can't tell if doing one long trick on a rail vs multiple is better in the long run. I miss the clarity and find the hud in this very unhelpful. Also, it's easy to accidentally cancel your combo. In SSX3, you had to use the right analog stick to do last minute adjustments. I was sad when this was simplified to a button press in SSX Blur, but in this game it is taken out entirely. You simply land it if you've released all the buttons. And I do mean all the buttons. If you tweaked a grab using the boost button, then you have to make sure you let go of boost before you land. This caused me to crash the first few times, but I got used to it. Now having to adjust before I landed allows for me to call it much closer than I would have in previous entries. I feel it takes a little fun out, but it adds a little risk. The multiplier here works differently too, relying on you keeping up your speed and continuing to do tricks, regardless of whether or not you combo them. As said above, it's hard to get a clear strategy from the game as to which one is more beneficial or exactly how they interact. While I like the idea of speed, I miss the perfection of squeezing out every perfection I could get out of a course. Though, now, you no longer have to worry about time limits, since they multiplier forces you to not go back or it will cancel out.

Pseudo-multiplayer: This game has no real multiplayer. It has, at best, vaguely interactive scoreboards. This works fine for trick mode, which was essentially previously a simultaneous one player experience (not much interaction). Unfortunately, race mode suffers. I no longer feel like I'm racing against people. Not even the CPU. I'm simply racing against a previously known time limit. In some modes, you can still knock the CPU down if you hit them with your character, but most modes have ghosts instead. This would be why they took out punching. Geotags are a new way to interact with other plays over asynchronous multiplayer, but I just didn't care much for it. I can leave it around, and the longer players don't get it, the more points I get for it. I just don't care much, especially when the reward is basically the same as beating a race. On the flip side, collecting them is a little fun, since it's hard to say how much they'll be worth.

Customization: This is a really odd one. The customization in this game can be easily compared to what you'd find in a facebook game. It's very off putting. Just like a facebook game you can spend extra money (real life) for extra credits (in game). The items you can buy are randomly selected and you have 4 options which can range from amazing to useless (especially in the beginning). I can honestly say I can't stand it. The different outfits are just different colors, sometimes they have a perk, but it never tells you the details of the perk other than 'extra boost' or the like. How much extra? It's annoying, because you can see a board you want, but then can't afford. Next time you go to the store it will be 4 different random items. When it comes to gear required for a coarse (such as the wingsuit), if you don't have it, it will randomly put at least on in the list, from what I can tell. But then, in order to play, you are stuck with having to buy that one gear, even if you know there's a better one you can afford just around the corner. Or, you could play another race and come back I guess.

Music: Music and interactive audio has always been a highlight in the SSX series. The series peaked with the soundtrack to SSX Blur, whose soundtrack was done by Junkie XL. Unfortunately, the music in this one isn't nearly as charming or interactive. The soundtrack is more similar to On Tour, which was a mixed bag instead of just doing it's own thing and sticking to it. The tracks also don't have the feeling of interaction that previous entries do. Previously, when you soar in the air, the drums drop out and atmosphere kicks in, with only parts of the music still playing. In this one, there is what sounds like a simple frequency cut off filter. It's still good, but not nearly as intricate as previous entries, especially not Blur. This one does allow you to load your own soundtrack though, instead of the 35 tracks available. The results are surprisingly good. When in the air the low frequency cuts off, when gliding there is a delay/doubling effect. It's good stuff. I wish the soundtrack were a little consistence, but since I can load my own, it more than makes up for it. Hopefully in the next one they'll get one artist to work on the whole thing. I'm hoping for Amon Tobin, who has at least one 'hidden' track in the game.

PS3 exclusive content: 2 different main routs and 6 ways to play it (3 trick and 3 race). I'm happy I own a PS3, but I'm sad to hear xbox fans are missing out. It won't be forever though, the box says content is exclusive until 8/29/12. The mountain is fun, but definitely not an easy course. Both routes feel similar honestly, so it mostly feels like 1 track with both trick and race options.

Overall: While this is a great overhaul of the series, but the overhaul already needs an overhaul. I'm mostly happy with it, but I can see why others might not be. It's a good scoreboard based game, but that may not appeal to some. I think I'll appreciate this entry in the series, even when a newer better one comes out. Hopefully we'll reminisce on how interesting the death mechanic was and how great it was that they took it out, but that it was a neat idea. I look forward to the next one and hope they listen to everyones complaints and ideas on this one. Inject some character back into the characters, get rid of death (my biggest gripe), bring back punching and real multiplayer (local and online), completely rethink customization (no facebook feel), give a variety of tracks (both memorable and open), have an amazing soundtrack, and you may have yourself the best SSX of all time.

Click Here to Read More Reviews >>

This is a fun game as far as a pure snowboarding, single-player experience is concerned, but unfortunately there are a number of things that are lacking in this title that leave the game falling short of my expectations. If you have an affinity for the previous SSX releases you may be disapppointed as a lot of what made the previous releases great is absent here. Also, if you are looking for a solid multiplayer experience you may want to look elsewhere.

EA has taken a more serious approach to this game. Originally the game was going to be called SSX Deadly Decents, and after negative consumer feedback with regards to the new serious direction taken in the revamped IP they decided to remove Deadly Decents from the title and just call it SSX. However, it doesn't appear that they made any attempt to alter the original game they programmed based on this consumer feedback. It is a shame because I feel like EA completely ignored the feedback from their fan base and said we are giving you the game we made whether you like it or not. So the game ends up feeling less like an SSX game and more like a survival snowboarding game. That aside, if you are new to the franchise you may not have the nostalgia associated with previous iterations of the game and find the snowboarding gameplay fun in its own right. They have tried to add a little bit of a story to the game through some comic book pages in between mountains, but it is superficial at best.

The basic premise of the game is that you are traveling around the globe to recruit members to your SSX team. Each member is specialized to handle one of the unique challenges each of the 9 mountain ranges presents. Each mountain range starts with you competing in a few race and tricky events and finishes with you taking on a deadly descent. You can think of each mountain range having one peak that is a boss battle the deadly descent survival final stage. So for one mountain range the deadly descent may be darkness, another avalanches, etc., with specialized gear being required to handle each unique challenge presented. These mountain boss battles or survival runs include whiteouts (use special goggles for terrain mapping), darkness (headlamp), drop offs (requires a wingsuit to glide over crevices), ice (ice picks to improve turning ability), extreme cold (solar panel for heat), thin air (oxygen tank), rocks (armor), avalanches, and trees.

Some of the game highlights and drawbacks are outlined below:

PROS:

-The controls are tight making it easy to carve up the mountain and perform stunts.

-Athough pretty limited, the soundtrack is decent. I do wish there was a little more variety provided in the music included.

-The landscapes are large and beautiful with some pretty long runs down the mountain.

-There are a number of game modes (racing, trick events, survival events) and a larger number of locations/trails to decend than I expected.

-The ability to purchase a number of upgrades to each snowboarder is a plus.

-Several welcome nuances have been added to the gameplay on the various mountains that require specialized gear to survive descents like headlamps, wing suits, armor, ice picks, and solar panels. These subtle changes to gameplay help keep the game interesting.

-A GEOTAG system has been added that basically allows you and other players to hide markers on the various slopes. The player who dropped the GEOTAG collects money at a certain rate until the marker is discovered and other players that find the marker get money for locating the marker. It can be fun trying to find the perfect spot to hide a marker and trying to figure out how to reach those hard to reach GEOTAGS you see glimmering in the distance.

-I do think the survival aspects added to the game are a welcome addition, but I wish more emphasis was placed on the SSX brand and less on the deadly descent aspects.

CONS:

-The over the top personalities of the characters developed in earlier iterations of this game are non-existent so you really don't develop an attachment to any of the characters. Also, even though you can change the color of of your character's snowsuit, there doesn't appear to be any unique alternative character models like in previous SSX games. The base character models have changed for some of the characters making them not really feel like the same character you use to know.

-The lack of real live head to head competition really hurts the game. Beating the ghost of a friend just isn't the same as racing or tricking right next to them. Although the GEOTAG system is a fun little add-on, multiplayer feels very underdeveloped and tacked on.

-Although there are unique aspects to the mountains in terms of terrain (ice versus rock versus forrest), the differences are subtle. There was a real distinction in various locations in the previous SSX games that is lacking here.

In the past few days a problem has risen in my ability to connect to Ridernet ( the online aspect of the game). This is an issue other gamers are also having. While it isn't affecting every user, it is affecting both 360 and PS3 versions of the game. I have contacted EA about the problem, but they have yet to get back to me. Given this latest turn of events I cannot recommend that anyone buy this game until the issue is resolved. Also, given the lackluster multiplayer I would also wait until the price drops before picking this title up. I was enjoying the game for what it was worth up to the point where my technical issue developed but I admit that I am left partially disappointed by the neutering of the personality associated with SSX tricky.

EDIT:

Since I wrote my review I did get a fix from EA on the Ridernet issue. I am providing the solution below for anyone playing it on the PS3 that is experiencing this problem (although I did not get credit for GEOTAGS still left in the game world, it does appear to work)

"Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts.

Firstly, I apologize for the issue caused to you while connecting to rider-net,therefore I request you to follow these step to make issue fix:

1. Start the game up as usual WITHOUT being signed into PSN.

2. Once at the main screen when you have World Tour/Explore/Global Events, go to Global Events and it'll prompt you

to sign into PSN.

3. Sign into PSN, and it'll likely not connect to RiderNet still.

4. Press PS button and SIGN OUT of PSN. Press PS button again to go back to game.

5. The game will come up with an error saying you were disconnected from the servers. Hit Cancel

6. Press PS button again and SIGN IN to PSN.

7. Now go to Global Events, and do the "sync" thing when you see it at the top left with "select".

8. You're now connected despite seeing the icon in the bottom right saying "Connecting to RiderNet and it will

connect for you.

Buy SSX Now

So here is the deal. For me, this game came to my attention by surprise and the title itself was kinda (in my opinion) "under the radar" in terms of both marketing and publicity. At least, at first...now, the fact that this game is already sold out (first day) on Amazon speaks volumes as to how much "word of mouth" has taken this game. So if you've played the demo (which is exceptional) and still are unsure whether or not to purchase the game, then perhaps I can lend a hand and help you make a more informed decision.

Multiplayer: Okay, normally I don't start off with this topic, however this seems to be the one that people have the most concern about, therefore I feel I must address this first. There are basically two different types of multiplayer modes essentially. The first type is when you play in "Explore" mode. Technically this is a single player type mode, however I'll give it the "multiplayer seal of approval" because basically in this mode, if you have a friend that has played a certain course, it will let you compete with a "ghost" of them. Kinda like how back in (for example) Mario Kart (for those of you that have played it) or just about any racing game (like Gran Turismo) for that matter in which you would do a "Time Trial" and try and race against a ghost of yourself to beat your time. Well in this case, you're competing against the saved ghost of a friend (whether by beating their time or a certain amount of points). The other type of multiplayer mode, is basically the same thing, except rather than being limited to just your friend's times/scores you are competing in "Global Events" against the vast majority of those who own/rent SSX (provided they have an "Online Pass." If you're wondering if this game has at-home splitscreen multiplayer capabilities...I regret to inform you that it does not, so if that is a "deal breaker" toward purchasing this game, I would recommend searching elsewhere.

Gameplay: In short, for what it is, it's top notch. Getting more detailed however, there are game modes to endure. I already mentioned above the "Global Events" and "Explore" modes, yet also there is somewhat of a story mode called "World Tour" mode. This is where you can unlock all of the characters (although you can also unlock them by purchasing them with in-game credits) and also learn the basics of the game and the different types of gear that can be used to enhance/help you through each course. Basically there are 9 regions (and also as a PS3 exclusive, a Japan Mt. Fuji level is included in "Explore" mode) to explore each with several courses that you can play through. These courses are split into three categories: Race, Tricks, and Survival. The first two are pretty much self-explanatory, and as for "Survival," that basically puts your boarder up against various extreme conditions and you're given a certain type of gear to help aid you through the challenge (whether it be an oxygen tank to help you survive thin air at Mt. Everest, or an Ice Axe to help you board more smoothly on overly icy surfaces). Each character n the game levels up, and as they do so, you can purchase new gear to improve their performance; I haven't seen it all yet, but so far there seems to be a decent amount of customization. Anyway, having said all that, there is a lot of replay value in all of this (especially if you're into collecting trophies and such). It's actually kinda cool to try and outscore or beat your friend's records...a very satisfying feeling if I may say so myself.

Graphics: Very well done. No, they're not phenomenal, however you can clearly tell that both time and effort was put into trying to make this snowboarding experience a feast for the eyes. All the locations and various weather conditions are accurately portrayed here in this game. So if you're the type of gamer where "looks" are important, then I can safely say you will not be disappointed here.

Sound: Overall, the sound here is not too bad. The soundtrack itself used during the game is actually fairly enjoyable, however the voice acting is mildly cheesy...also the things that the characters say is kinda cheesy as well...Yet this game isn't suppose to be serious. It's a sports fantasy that let's players enact their wildest dreams at the touch of a button, so with that in mind, I'll let the "cheesy factor" slide, since it is all in good fun!

Controls: Personally, I find them fairly easy to get use to. For those of you that may be veterans of the series, the game allows you to switch to-and-from an SSX Classic controls setting (which is actually pretty neat). Yet aside from that, I haven't really had any trouble with either bad camera angles or controls what so ever, which is a definite plus!

Alright, now with that out of the way, here are what my scores for the game itself would be:

Graphics: 4/5

Controls: 4/5

Sound: 5/5

Multiplayer: 4/5

Gameplay: 5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

To be honest, it's hard for me to give the game a score of a "4.5/5" cause in my opinion, that seems a little low. It really is a great title and it is a rather enjoyable arcade-style action experience, but then again, I have to force myself to realize that it isn't exactly perfect...the multiplayer is great, but COULD have been better (especially with the use of at-home splitscreen). Either way, these are just my own thoughts and personal opinions on the game. Hopefully with this review you can pick up a copy and see for yourself! Bottom line, I'd definitely say to AT LEAST give this game a rent, but I would definitely say it warrants a purchase (if you're into these sorts of games). :)

Update (March 4, 2012): Alright, I've had quite a bit of playtime with this game since receiving it on it's release date and I must say, this game truly is incredible. I didn't think I'd end up clocking in as much time with this game as I already have but life is full of surprises. It would be a crime for me to not STRONGLY recommend this game. There is nothing quite like that "rush" or feeling you get when you take down a friend's score or beat their time in an event and you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you choose not to AT LEAST pick this up as a rental. Again, I know I'm slightly being redundant here, but the purpose of this update is to show that my stance on the game hasn't declined, in fact, it may have grown even better!

Update: (March 6, 2012): I've earned 52% of the trophies now for the game (there are 37 trophies in all for those wondering), so I've put in a decent amount of time playing this. I'm going to change my score for the "Sound" category from "4/5" to "5/5." Why? Well as another reviewer mentioned, you can edit the music that plays in-game with a playlist/songs of your own (provided that you've uploaded them onto your PS3). Nothing quite like racing to the sounds of "Paradise City" or "Party Rock Anthem." This is a really neat feature that I believe more games should implement in the future. Anyway, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Read Best Reviews of SSX Here

Update number 1: (3/5/2012)

After playing it a few more days to continue my review, this game just keeps on giving me awesome replay value. First off, when -allof your friends are offline, you can race their ghost and try to beat their high score, race time, and survive it meters.

My recommendation : Stick with 1 of your favorite snowboarders because you can get amazing experience points and everything with 1 person. If you skip around with different people, you won't level up for certain globe areas.

The best race option in my opinion is, is "survive it". It puts you on a corse where you have to survive it, huge jumps, big cliff drops, AVALANCHES, etc. Even on some you have to have oxygen tanks (Mt Fuji). There are different types of survive it, type 1 and 2. Type one is extremely fast paced in your normal 3rd person view. Type 2 is the hardest and it's set in a opposite facing panned out 3rd person view that's kind of wonky at first. But you definitely get used to it.

Will update later with more information, again, I wouldn't listen to the 1 star reviews, seem like trolls to me.

Goodluck!

-------------------------------------------------

(original review)

Bought the game yesterday and it's honestly the most fun game I have played on this current gen consoles. This is exactly what this generation was missing, an arcade-like, super fun snow boarding game.

You can customize everything, there are loads of maps to play on, there is online multiplayer, challenge friends scores, all sorts of goodies that everyone likes.

It's exceedingly easy to play, not one hiccup with controls, you can customize the controls to your liking. What I did was just made the controls similar to Tony Hawk style of controls so I could sort of already be used to the design.

My rating would easily be a 9+/10, it's just too fun not to rate otherwise.

It seems like people need to do their research before they spend 60 dollars on a videogame, it's not really the games fault that you can't read, it's your fault.

Thank you for reading.

Want SSX Discount?

I played the original SSX games and bought this one because I was feeling nostalgic. Here are a few points on the game:

-No split screen multiplayer, which was a major bummer.

-Maps are very mountainous and have many many different ways to get to the bottom.

-Single player mode has players riding down various challenges and each new area requires a new subtle tweak to the gameplay. For example, some maps require a squirrel suit so you can glide over large gaps in the mountain. Others require ice picks so you can turn on the ice. Basically this just adds another interesting level of depth to the gameplay, which is otherwise riding a snowboard down a mountain.

-Basically you ride the gnar pow down the mountain as quickly as possible or string tricks together in order to get massive scores.

Not as great as the originals in my opinion, but an interesting game none the less. Check out a full game review elsewhere for more!

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Megamind: Ultimate Showdown

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $23.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

Im 25 years old and sometimes i like to buy games like this because i dont really have to think and they are pretty fun to play. sometimes i just want an easy game that is pretty simple. If you have kids i would definently get this game. the controls are perfect for little kids. you only use sqare to fire,circle to interact with things, and x to jump. the combat is easy but fun. id say if your kid is atleast 3 he could play this game, sometimes you have to pick stuff up and place it in certain spots so you kid might need some help with that but if your kids playing im sure you wont mind watching him play. i just wanted to let people know that this is a fun game and kids will love this game. just like i said i play kids game sometimes and on some of them im like how would you expect a 4 or 5 year old to beable to do this. this is a great game for any one at any age. It is co-op to so you and your kid can play together. as you beat stages you unlock mini games i havent tried them out yet because i just beat the game. the game is not long maybe 3 hours for me but im also 25 and its sopposed to be a kids game so they will take longer and im sure they will want to do the mini games and replay some levels. I hope this review helps and if you have any questions just leave them in the comments and i will try to get back to you.

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I admit it. I wanted an easy Platinum. I had just gotten my PS3, and wanted to boost my stats so I'd have a better chance of getting into some on-line gaming. I got this game because it was cheap, and it was listed as being one of, if not THE easiest game to get that first Platinum with.

Maybe it's just because I enjoyed the movie, but I loved the game. I got the Platinum in very little time, then kept the game. Normally, I would have traded it in, but it was so much fun, I kept it for side-to-side, co-op play at home. As far as a fast, kill-an-afternoon game goes, this one is surprisingly fun. It ALMOST makes me wish I had a child of my own to play with. It's one of those rare, fun for all ages games.

Buy Megamind: Ultimate Showdown Now

THIS GAME WAS A GREAT GAME FOR MY KIDS. IT WAS EASY WITH SMOOTH GAME PLAY. ANOTHER EASY PLATINUM. IT TOOK ONLY 3HOURS.

Read Best Reviews of Megamind: Ultimate Showdown Here

This is not a very good game. I have PS2 games with better graphics. It did not take very long to finish.

Want Megamind: Ultimate Showdown Discount?

I love it great product A + + + + + + + + + + + + ++ +

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Rock Band 2 Double Cymbal Expansion Kit

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $19.23
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These do add a new dimension to the rock band drums. It does feel a little more like playing a real drum kit. So far, in the last 3 weeks, these have performed well as far as only dropping a note once in a while (you get what you pay for right?).

These are insanely loud man! It's like CRACK, CRACK, CRACK when you hit them. They're louder than the rock band 1 drums and not NEARLY as quiet as the rock band 2 drums. That is a major CON for me.

When my friends and I get together to play rock band 2 these are totally distracting to everybody else in the room, unless you play in a house and not an apartment where you can just blast the volume, that would be nice.

My solution was to put 1/4" neoprene material on the hitting part of these cymbals. It is a marked improvement. They have not lost any sensitivity and are now about as quiet as the rock band 2 drums. If you're going to use these that is a great solution. I bought a roll of this neoprene to pad a poker table I was upgrading and I used some of the leftover. By the way, you can get enough neoprene to cover these for like 5 on ebay.

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I recently purchased this add-on for the Rock Band 2 Drum Set. Over all I really like it. I believe it lends to a more enjoyable/realistic playing experience.

Some Pros: You get two cymbals which is nice and fills out the drum set with out making it too cluttered (Which is why I opted for two instead of three). When you use the freestyle drum trainer, the cymbals work just like cymbals while all the pads act just like drums which is kinda cool. You do have some options as to the height and location of the cymbals. The response seems to be good and I haven't had any problems with them not registering hits. They do appear to be velocity sensitive also meaning the harder you hit the louder the sound in the game.

A Con: The initial setup is kind of tough. You basically get a two piece plastic clamp that you use to secure the cymbal "pole" to the rest of the drum set. The clamp snaps together in two places and then you have little "wing-nut" bolts you use to tighten everything down securely. Those "wing-nut" bolts are hard to use because the distance from the place you screw in the "wing-nut" bolt to the hole it goes in, is kinda far. SO you have to squeeze on the clamp to get the bolt in there. Maybe is was just my setup but I don't think a child would be able to do it on their own.

Other then that I am enjoying this addition to my gaming experience.

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Overall these are a great expansion to your Rock Band 2 drumkit (they don't work at all with Rock Band 1 Drums). The cymbals seem to be solidly made and can withstand some decent beating. I agree with the previous review about the set up being somewhat difficult. You need to be careful to put the wingnut in before clicking the two pieces together. But once everything is on they are very stable and feel like a normal part of the kit.

Game-wise they make for some nice playing in rock band. The cymbals take over two of the colors and you choose which by choosing which plug on the back of the kit. The caps on the cymbals can be changed depending on which color you are using them as. When you plug them in for rock band the cymbals become cymbal sounds while the pads they replace become toms.

These also work with Guitar Hero World Tour. However, it should be noted that you probaly want Yellow and Blue with World Tour while you probably want Yellow and Green with Rock Band because of the way you kick off star power. That means some annoying switching and a bit of confusion after switching if you only get the 2 cymbal kit. I kind of wish I woulda gotten the three just to avoid that.

But they definitely make drumming more fun, more immersive, and more difficult if you want it to be since you can now play a cymbal when it calls for one rather than just another pad. Some Madcatz stuff is a little hokey but these are legit.

4/5 docking one for initial setup and annoying switching of colors

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First off, I believe these cymbals fantastic. It makes it feel more realistic and significantly easier to play.

That being said, I initially noticed the same annoying "plastic" sound when I started using the cymbals. I tried putting Rock Band Drum Silencers on the top of the cymbal, like someone suggested, but the sound was still there. I tried tightening the colored wingnuts and that still didn't help. After analyzing the cymbals a little more, I noticed the "plastic" sound was coming from the housing on the underside of the cymbal. The noise was created from the hard plastic housing hitting the hard plastic on the body of the cymbal. Once I realized that, I knew inserting a rubber-like gasket would fix the problem.

To fix the plastic noise:

1. Unscrew the four small screws holding down the plastic housing

2. Cut up a small rectangle of the Rock Band Drum Silencers or mousepad-material (about 0.5" x 3")

3. On the side nearest the cymbal hitting zone, placed the material between the edge of the housing and the body of the cymbal. You do not need to adhere the material to the surface using tape or glue, because the screws will secure it in the next step.

4. Then replace the 4 screws, snuggly squishing the material.

Note: You'll notice the housing won't completely screw down flush with the surface, but that's good since you're preventing the two surfaces from hitting each other, while having a rubber-like material damping the shock.

I've been using the cymbals with this mod for about 6 months with no problems. Now my cymbals are about as quiet as the rest of the drum kit.

I hope this helps someone.

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Fixing the cymbal slippage problem-

This is for those of you who are experiencing the problem of the poles that support the cymbals slipping down in the clamps: I had this problem at first, but the corrective is fairly simple and actually is in the directions. It's hard to interpret on the graphic, but what you need to do is to mount the clamps to the drum set, without the cymbal poles in their holes. Then you have to squeeze the two halves (right/left)that make up the clamp together in the middle as hard as you can (I used pliers) until they snap together completely. You'll know it's right when you hear the "snap" as indicated in the directions and the gap between the two halves is totally gone. Then you can insert the cymbal poles and tighten the wing nuts on both ends. If the two halves aren't snapped together, the clamps can't get tight enough to hold the pole in place. Of course, designing a smooth plastic pole to fit into a smooth plastic clamp probably isn't the best idea, but hey...

For the review-

I'm a long-time drummer that bought this kit to make the decidedly unrealistic RB2 drums get a little more realistic. They do allow you to add the positioning of real cymbals, to a degree. Unfortunately, they lack any realistic flexibility for placement. You can basically rotate them a little side-to-side, based on which pole they're attached to and you can move them up and down, but that's it. You can't place one in the traditional high hat location, to the left of the snare, or to the far right of the drums where you'd normally have a ride cymbal. Adding some sort of boom setup to one of the cymbals would help with this problem. it's also the main reason I didn't buy the 3-cymbal setup, since you couldn't put them in the typical spots for most drummers. The other omission is a lack of a tilting mechanism for the cymbal surface itself. Few drummers like their cymbals perfectly horizontal, but that's pretty much what you get here. That makes doing a ride pattern on the shoulder (top) surface of the cymbal difficult. It's ok for crashes, but doing a sustained ride on the cymbal's edge feels awkward because of the way the cymbals rebound. Along that lines, the "feel" of these cymbals is ok if you can get the right amount of tightness on the wingnuts holding the cymbal down. Too loose and the rebound goes to zero. And yes, these are lounder than the new RB2 drums, especially when you have to play on the edge all the time.

While these comments may make it sound like I don't care for the cymbals, I am actually very glad I bought them. They do add a degree of realism when playing the game, especially when I reach up to hit the crash without thinking about it, rather than going down to the lower right drum pad. They smartly added the feature where the cymbal pads act as cymbals all the time, but the drum pads go either way, just as they do in the absence of the cymbals. That means you can hit the right note (i.e. a crash) either on the pad or the cymbal and not be wrong. The nice thing is that during the fill and rock ending parts, the cymbals sound only as cymbals and the drum pads only as drums, making more complicated fills possible.

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Guitar Hero World Tour Complete Set

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It broke and fell apart and looked terrible when we took it out of the box. We couldn't return it since we waited 3 months for it to get here. Buy it in a store where the returns are easier.

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tons of fun no problems that we have had and we got it in december. the whole family loves to play with it

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If you have teens, they'll love this. Well worth the money and they are actually doing something constructive!

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We purchased this box set used and everything works fine... EXCEPT the guitar!! Green button doesn't work! Other than that, it's a blast. Luckily we had an extra guitar lying around.

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PS3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller

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First off, since this is a COD controller, I am mainly talking to the COD audience. I did not try this controller on any other FPS.

I was interested in a little nicer controller due to my dog chewing up the analog sticks on my "Officially Licensed" PS3 controller. I saw the mixed reviews for this controller but decided to buy anyway because one review on here states that the L and R button design should be the standard in FPS controllers.

I did not find this to be the case. First of all, the X-axis (Horizontal) was way too sensitive. I talked to MadCatz and the only way to fix this is to either install a variable resistor in the controller (which is really not recommended at all) or to turn the sensitivity down on the game, which isn't the answer for the Y-axis movements. Personally, I believe madcatz should've had a little more testing on this controller before they mass released it.

Also, with the way my hands grasped the controller, I did not like the placement of the L/R buttons. They are blocky, whereas on the original PS3 controller, the buttons are rounded allowing you to move your fingers more rapidly with less searching for the "correct push" (as is the case with this controller. It does feel good just holding the controller, but holding it and playing it are two totally different things.

This is a big disappointment to me. The visual design of the controller is amazing. I'm sure if you started out on COD with this, or wouldn't mind deviating your playing style a lot from using an original controller, it would be fine and you'd never know the difference. But so far, for me, the "Officially Licensed" controller is hands down the best. I did return the controller within a week of buying it.

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Awesome Controller for call of duty.great product an very comfortable handling controller as well iv used a lot of controllers an non of them has come close to this controller would highly recommendPS3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller buying this one for the PS3.

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I got this controller for Christmas last year and its still working like I got it yesterday. The extra two buttons on the back are really helpfull I keep it set them on L3 and R3 beacuase its faster to press then to push down the analogs. I highly recomend it for new players and casull players!

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I was nervous as my Dad uses the Sony Shockwave and Sony does not make this type of controller but it is wonderful. My Dad plays a lot of war games and loves the buttons on the back. He uses only this controller now. He would recommend this to anyone who plays a lot of shooting / war games. Very nice controller. Only problem is it does not fit (connect) to / on the rack that holds and charges the other Sony controllers but other than that it's perfect.

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I personally will not be buying anything from this company ever again. The dongle I received did not work and the company could not of cared less. If you need product support I would not expect this company to give a crap. Horrible service.

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Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest

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Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest was developed by the same studio that developed Sports Champions, which to this date was one of the best Playstation Move game developed. Question is, can they continue their success with this game? I'm happy to say the answer is yes.

To play the game, you can choose to use one or two Move controllers--I definitely recommend two for the most natural gameplay (for example, as with Sports Champions, with two controllers you can hold a shield in one hand and a sword in the other; with one you're constantly switching between the two). You can also choose whether you're right-handed or left-handed. For purposes of this review, I'll be speaking from a right-handed point of view, but just reverse everything if you're left-handed.

The first thing the game does is take you through a little training session so you can get used to all the tools at your disposal in the game. In a nutshell, here they are:

Sword: You swing the sword with your right hand. As with Sports Champions, the controls are one-to-one, and by far the best, smoothest, and most precise on any platform.

Shield: You hold your shield in your left hand and press the Move button to activate it. You can use it to block attacks or to deflect objects that are thrown at you.

Ninja Stars: You can throw Ninja stars with either hand by holding the controller horizontally and flicking your wrist while pressing and releasing the "T" button. It's essentially the same motion as throwing a Frisbee in Disc Golf on Sports Champions.

Bow and Arrow: The bow and arrow are also similar to Sports Champions. You hold the "bow" with your left hand, make a motion to take the arrow out of your quiver with your right hand, and draw back and shoot by aiming with both hands, pressing the trigger button with your trigger finger of your right hand while aiming, and releasing the button to shoot the arrow. It takes some getting used to the motion, but once you get it to work it's very natural.

As the game progresses, you'll pick up other gadgets and tools, including:

Grappling Hook: There will be certain times in the game where you need to scale walls or use grappling hooks to swing your way from place to place. Hooks will be marked on the walls. When you see one, you point your right-hand Move controller down, hold the trigger button, and point the controller forward towards the hook, and release the button.

Milk Bottle: As you withstand attacks from enemies, your health will go down. You need to collect and drink milk to replenish your health. To do so, hold your right Move controller over your moth like it's a bottle of milk, press the Move button, and make a "drinking a bottle of milk" motion.

Dynamite: Later in the game you'll be able to use your Move controller as a stick of dynamite; you'll be able to carry three at a time. To "light the fuse" you cup your hand over the light ball. Then you throw it. It is an absolute blast (no pun intended).

Throughout the game you'll see objects to collect like more Milk and Coins which you shoot or strike with your sword. As the game progresses, there will be certain times when you need to use the controllers to do other things, such as pull down a drawbridge, turn a lever, or pick a lock.

As with other games of this type, you'll reach milestones called "bookmarks". If you lose your life, you go back to the last saved bookmark within each chapter.

The one thing that some people may find constraining is that you don't control your character's movements as you do in other FPS games; in that sense the game itself is more like a rail shooter than an open world game. In other words, your character will run automatically through the world and will automatically turn to face whatever "action" is going on at the time. The reason they chose to do this is obvious: with two hands controlling the weapons, you would need a third one to hold a Navigation controller. Where this becomes most frustrating is when there are objects in the room you need to collect; the game will pause for a few seconds and you need to frantically try to shoot whatever you can before it automatically moves you on. But overall, I think they made a good decision: the game was plenty fun and busy enough just handling all the weapons you have at your disposal.

Now that I've finished the game, I do have a little gripe about the boss battles. Here, the motion controls got a bit gimmicky and tedious. At some point it felt less like a realistic simulation and more like the game developers were thinking, "hey, we have cool motion controls--how can we stuff them in over and over and over again". As such, they made the boss battles very, very repetitive, with a ton of emphasis on archery. Yes, the archery mechanics are pretty cool, but not when you have to repeat them a hundred times for no particular reason. Worst of all, there will be times when you think you're doing the motion correctly, but because of the nit-picky game mechanics the game will say you've failed and penalize you accordingly. In some cases you may die a thousand deaths before you finally can get past these levels.

I don't mind clever use of their innovative controls nor tough boss battles, but these felt terribly contrived. It was as if you were contending with both the motion controls and the game. A little moderation and perhaps something a little more clever than just archery practice would have made the game more enjoyable (that said, there is some interactivity to finish off the big boss at the end of the game which is pretty cool).

Overall, the best way to summarize Medieval Moves is that it feels very much like an extension of Sports Champions. It takes many of the same mechanics and tools and applies them to an adventure story. I tested the 3D on the new Playstation 3D Display, and it really enhances the game play tremendously.

As for the story itself, my best advice would be to come with the right expectations. Don't expect anything like Resistance or Uncharted. The storyline and cut scenes is definitely more geared for kids and families. It's a fun but not-too-deep story about how a young prince is attacked by an evil creature, which disfigures him into a skeleton and turns all the subjects of his kingdom into evil skeletons. The game is the prince's quest to "free" the subjects (by doing away with the skeletons), find the villain and restore his kingdom. You don't really get too much of a chance to get too emotionally attached to the hero nor to his friends. Also, when I reached the ending I found that it was very anticlimactic--for all the work I'd put into the game, I would have preferred a much more satisfying end.

Aside from the story mode, there are two mini-games; one where you fend off waves and waves of attackers, and one where you stand in a sniper's position and have to defend a royal statue from being destroyed. These are fun, and allow for multiplayer play, both using the same system and online (when sharing the same system, each player will see the action on a split-screen, and can choose either one or two Move controllers, depending on how many you have).

There's a tremendous amount of customization in both the story mode and the mini-games--you can adjust everything from the difficulty level (squire / knight / champion) to the language used (both spoken and in optional subtitles) to the vibration, handedness, and number of controllers. Oddly, in my version the voice-over narration didn't work at all so I had to rely on subtitles. Hopefully they'll fix this in a future patch.

Overall, the novelty of being able to wield various weapons and gadgets in a realistic way makes this one a game a positive step forward for Move games. While the storyline and premise may be a little rudimentary for some, what more than makes up for it is that you're actually wielding a sword and shield and throwing ninja stars by just making natural motions. This ultimately provides an experience that goes way beyond old-fashioned button mashing, and one area where the Move definitely outshines the Kinect (in general, I find the Kinect stronger for "full motion body detection" games like dancing games, while the Move is definitely more powerful for any game which requires you to hold and manipulate an object like a sword or a bat).

As they did with Sports Champions, I think Sony is sending a message here to game developers--start developing games that don't treat motion controls as a mere gimmick and stop just trying to ape the Wii or the Kinect. Instead, develop games which really enhances game play and really takes full advantage of the strengths of the Move platform. Medieval Moves does this with great success.

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My kids absolutely love this game. My 12 year old son was playing it, and I wanted to kick him off the PS3 to play Uncharted 3. He loves Uncharted 1 and 2. He told me "This is more fun than Uncharted." I was floored. So I had to wait for my turn and see what this game was about. It was a lot of fun to play and family friendly. How can you go wrong with sword fighting, bow and arrow, and skeletons?

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This game really shows the potential of the move controls. All of the actions work perfectly the sword in your hand, the shield, your throwing stars, bow and arrow, grappling hook. I was really impressed by the move controls in this game. However, much like arcade shooting games like House of the Dead, the game does all the walking for you, and the pace you progress is established by the game itself; there's no diverting from the linear progression here. I just kept thinking how cool it would be if the game was more open ended and felt more like a role playing game along the lines of zelda. They could create a totally immersive experience. In the end though it feels like a shallow arcade game despite the awesome controls, because of how linear it is. I wish they would have used the navigation controller and made this game more open ended and given it more of a sandbox feel. They could've knocked it out of the park with this one.

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As an older gamer this game didnt appeal to me that much. I am happy i got this used for cheap otherwise i would have been very upset after paying full price. I have yet to play through the whole game because my arm starts to hurt after a while of swinging the controller around. I enjoy playing Sports Champions which is why i got it. Even though the move motions are the same in this game, it just isnt as fun having to constantly flail around to use the different weapons. I found myself just using the sword a lot and only using the others if i absolutely have to. I am sure kids would have fun with this game but i just cant say the same for myself.

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I really enjoyed this game, it s the best game for PS move in my opinion, but it lacks from more content.

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