Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

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It has been 8 years since Sly 3's release on the PS2. There was a cliffhanger at the very end of the game, in the last cutscene; "... but I'm building a time machine to find out!" And then... Sucker Punch closed the doors of the Sly Cooper series, convincing everyone that there wouldn't be another game from the infamous thieving raccoon. But then... the doors were opened up again.

Sanzaru games, for those who don't know, remastered the original trilogy for the PS3, titled "The Sly Collection". (I recommend that one to all who have only played Thieves in Time.) They did a phenomenal job on remastering the trilogy in HD. When it was announced that Sly game was going to be entirely developed by Sanzaru, Sly fans, including myself, were a bit skeptical. The last PS2 icon that was developed by somebody else was bastardized. (Jak and Daxter; The Lost Frontier. EPIC FAIL.) But Sanzaru was releasing bits of gameplay footage and it eased everyone's minds that the Sly series may be in the right hands after all. I mean, it is better than no game at all, right? The wait is over, the game has been released, and now... the review!

GRAPHICS/ENVIRONMENT: Holy crap! These graphics are insane! Running at 60FPS, the game is crisp, colorful, and the environments are more detailed than ever before. Sly and the gang have all gotten re-designed from the ground up. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of the "new" Sly Cooper design, but it has kind of grown on me. I really don't know what they could have done any differently. Regardless, it does look like the old Sly that we know and love, so you can't ask for much more than that. There are times, where the frame rate does drop, such as a boss battle where lots of visual things are going on. It isn't enough to affect the gameplay, but it is noticeable. Overall, it's an incredible makeover and a definite welcome one. Sanzaru has also dwelled into the story mode and pulled some cool easter eggs out of their hats. For instance, on the first mission in Japan, you can see Clockwerk (Villain from Sly 1) at one point sitting on the wall. He's actually moving around and doing stuff. It's really cool to see, especially if you understand his significance to the story. The music is done by the original composer from the original trilogy and he does wonders for this game. The music is extremely fitting and as Sly-like as ever. Kudos to the composer! The original voice actors are back, too! Well, at least for the Sly Cooper Gang. Carmelita, of course, has a different voice actor than before. She's had a different voice actor for all 4 games and I never understood why. Regardless, Sly, Bentley, and Murray all sound like they always have from Sly 2 onward and it really credits Sanzaru for tracking these guys down and going that extra mile for the fans. It really puts you back into the saddle of a Sly Cooper game well.

GAMEPLAY: The gameplay is solid, fluid, and very original and faithful to the series. The controls are all original, with a few exceptions here and there, such as Murray's "Thunder Flop" now being X+Triangle. Nothing major whatsoever, just a simple observation. There are now clue bottles again! I am at 29/30 on the first chapter. I'm trying to find the last one using no game volume and my Turtle Beach Ear Force Foxtrots, but I think Sanzaru made it a little more challenging this time around by lowering the clue bottle volume because you can't hear the things until your about 6 feet away from them. Well played, Sanzaru. Other than Clue Bottles, you can also collect Sly Masks, which, when collecting enough, allows you to unlock stuff, such as Murray's "Seal Team Murray" outfit. Since I pre-ordered the game, I got the Seal Team Murray outfit with the two exclusive para-glider skins. You can also open the vaults once you get the clue bottles, just like you could in Sly 1 and 2. I haven't opened a vault yet, so I can't say what's inside. However, if it's anything like Sly 2, then you'll get some badass new moves that you can't buy on Thiefnet. Bentley's hacking minigames have drastically changed. The very first one on the prologue mission is what everyone is used to. However, Sanzaru went in totally different directions with this one. There is one that reminds me of the hacking tool used in the Ratchet and Clank series, where you have to guide a spark of electricity through a path and obstacles to it's destination. It's a cool addition and Sanzaru was definitely thinking outside of the box on that one. Murray's the same. Literally nothing has changed. However, now, any playable character can open the vault, at least on the first mission. The vault is in a totally open area and even if I'm playing as Bentley or Murray, I can still see their holographic logos by the vault handle. That tells me they can open the vault, too.

VERDICT: The game is solid and everything the fans want it to be. There's really nothing more to tell you. If you want a solid game for the PS3 that could possible be a staple in your collection, such as mine, then I would take a long hard look at this Sly Cooper title. However, if you want the full story, add "The Sly Collection" to YOUR collection. It is a really good story and there are some easter eggs that you may not understand unless you play through the first 3 games as well. At a $39.99 price point, you can't go wrong.

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Whereas games from the "Ratchet and Clank" universe make me feel as though I'm in the middle of a Pixar movie, "Thieves in Time" achieves an equally impressive feat: It makes me feel like I'm taking part in one of the hand-drawn afternoon cartoons of the 80s and 90s (which I would regularly watch after school, while nibbling on snacks). I love everything about the presentation in this game: the characters are adorable, the story is hilarious and absurd, and the cel-shaded approach has never looked finer. The time traveling plot and assortment of anthropomorhpic animals takes me back to the days of shows like "DuckTales".

There is, however, a complaint that I have with this game: I wish I had control of Sly Cooper for greater lengths of time (ALL the time would be even better). While Murray and Bentley are cool characters, and they make for an awesome family/team, I found that I began sighing every time one of their segments began loading. When Sly is in control, this platformer can attain a certain level of "zen" as you engage in your chains of stealthy featsleap, perch, climb, balance, strike, repeat (and the controls are identical to the PS2 games, as far as I rememberthey've aged wonderfully). However, when the other characters are in control, this becomes something of a clumsy, forced platformer that left me longing for Sly's stealthy, agile ways. That's just my humble opinionothers may enjoy the segments of Sly's friends and the attempts to instill gameplay diversity, but I was always anxious to return to the thieving raccoon. And in the defense of the developer, controlling Sly's friends has always been a part of the experience, even with the original "Thievius Raccoonus".

The inclusion of Vita functionality (Cross Buy) with this title makes it pretty enticing for any Sony gamer (especially at $40). I'm a fan of the PS2 Sly Coopers ("Thievius Racoonus" still being my favorite), and I have not been disappointed with "Thieves in Time" (and there are still TONS of collectibles in these worlds calling out to me), so I can wholeheartedly recommend it to those who are in the same boat. I'm not sure how gamers who are new to the series will receive it, but I would definitely suggest considering it, particularly if you enjoy cartoons and non-violent games, or if you're looking for something suitable for younger gamers.

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I just beat Sly 4 and thought it was fantastic, for Sanzaru's first Sly and taking up the torch after Sucker Punch they really made Sly better than ever before. Here are a few things.

Gameplay and controls

Level design is superb, some of the very best platforming segments I have seen in years

Sly plays just as comfortably and fluid as he did in Sly 2/Sly 3, there is a slightly weighted feel added to him due to the deeper physics and it goes nicely with the platforming and climbing mechanics.

Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita feel very developed this time around, from their missions to their gameplay styles

Sly's ancestor's are great additions to the game, not all of them play like Sly with new abilities but each ancestor that does has an ability that adds a new dimension to Sly's gameplay.

Sly's new costumes having their own gameplay styles is one of the best things to happen in this game, not only do they change up Sly's play but they are surprisingly a blast to use.

New upgradable moves with the returning upgrades make taking out enemies much more enjoyable and adds a lot of depth to the combat

Bentley's hacking mini-games are a lot more fleshed out and impressive, but there is one controlled via motion controls (usually about 30 seconds long though) that was annoying.

Missions offer lots of variety making the game never feel tedious like past Sly games, it's pacing is beautifully done

Bosses being done in layered battles like the first Sly Cooper makes them some of the best in the series

Graphics

The game looks sharp and crisp running in 60fps

Nice lighting and graphical effects with cel-shaded visuals really bring the game and character models to life

Levels are vibrant and detailed, the open world levels especially look great

Story

I was very impressed with the story, quite a few twists and nice character development with the plot itself unfolding in a way that keeps you interested from start to finish.

Le Paradox is a great villain along with his back-story

The episodes each standout in their own ways due to the interesting bosses and Sly's ancestors were all nicely done

Production values in this game are the highest level in the series, not only are there the classic animated scenes the games are known for but a lot of action-packed in-game scenes that add a lot to the game

Replay Value

The game itself is quite lengthy, but there are a lot of collectibles like Clue Bottles and treasures that make the open worlds worth exploring

There are a lot of unlockables, including a secret ending

Overall, I highly recommend getting the game and it's a steal being only $40 for all it packs. It's also a great entry point into the Sly series, if you are a new player you'll be able to experience the game with hardly any problems with how well it explains previous events and introduces all the character all over again. Sly Cooper: Thieves in time was seriously worth the wait and the best yet in the franchise

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Easily the best Sly Cooper game, it has great graphics, it's chock full of content,great gameplay, and has the best story of the series. For any Sly fan, I give it my highest recommendation.

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It's been eight years since the last Sly title and once I started playing 'Sly Cooper Thieves in Time' it felt just like the older games from years past, but better. Sly, Carmelita, and the rest of the gang never looked better. This is an amazing game to own. The graphics, gameplay, and story are great and filled with excitment that one would expect from Sly and gang. It's a game that can be enjoyed by all ages and still leave an impression. I would recconmed this game to anyone.

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TAC Widow Maker Wireless Bass Guitar - Playstation 2/Playstation 3

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I needed a guitar for my Rockband PS3 since I have always been using friend's instruments. I decided to buy this since it works for Guitar Hero 3 PS2 as well as Rockband PS3, the two games that I have. It does work great for both of those games, although getting it to work for GH3 PS2 required a lot more than it should have. Also, I have to calibrate it every time or else it's off 20 ms or so.

It worked well for maybe two weeks, and even then you had to press the buttons really hard, but then the buttons started sticking. This wasn't that big of a deal in Hard Mode, but in Expert it is completely unplayable. How am I supposed to do hammer-ons when my Red button sticks for an extra second? Also, the raised bump on the yellow fret is way too rigid.. it starts to hurt your fingers after a while.

I am very upset about this guitar, having spent $60 on something that barely functions and doesn't last at all.

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This is the lousiest piece-of-junk ever made. Weighs 1/2 as much as the Strat and plays 1/8 as well. Sticky-buttons, strange strap hooks and limp whammy bar and there you have it. Came in the wrong box. Bad sign. Rubber tuning forks. Cheap. All buttons are black matt. Not Chrome as displayed. The strap hook is on the back of the guitar. Not the chrome button on the tip of the body as shown. Mine broke after 3 weeks and I don't even care to get any kind replacement from the ant commandos. Dumb company name, too.

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I like this guitar. I use it with Rock Band and have no complaints. The buttons are all the same color as in the picture. It is more matte black than shiny and the whammy bar is a little flimsy but I don't even use that much. I like the rubber tuning keys since they are just for decor you don't have to worry about them snapping off, and the strap placement is a lot more comfortable than other gaming guitars I've used. The button and strum sensitivity are good and the placement of the start and select buttons are convenient because you can easily put it into overdrive by bumping it with the butt of your palm, without accidentally pausing the game mid song. The only issue I have is the gyroscopic switch sensitivity. To put the guitar into overdrive by movement instead of pressing select you have to tilt the guitar completely vertical which causes a lot of mistakes in game. I'm thinking about taking it apart and adjusting it to react to only slight tilts. But still, I bought this guitar because it was full size, pretty, and I can customize it instead of borrowing my friends "instruments." Thumbs up for the Widow Maker... I just wish someone would make some sticker mods for it...

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We bought this bass guitar as an add on to our Rock Band instrument set and have been very pleased. We play a lot and this guitar has never let us down...

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wammy spring poped out after only about 5-10 hours of play, other than that i love it

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Lollipop Chainsaw

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"Lollipop Chainsaw" is one of the most genuinely stupid games I've played in my entire life. Its dialogue is reliant on a nonstop barrage of crude jokes and puns, its gameplay consists of decapitating hoards of zombies as a cheerleader, and it makes loving references to 80's pop music, internet culture, and, most obviously, zombie films. This is a game where Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Right Round" blasts as you're mowing down undead mobs with a tractor combine, and where a motor attached to the protagonist's chainsaw propels her fast enough to jump hundreds of feet into the air and produce a giant rainbow behind her. Everything about this game is over the top, silly, and utterly idiotic. That is why it's one of the best games I've ever played.

Suda51, creator of beloved gems like "No More Heroes", has teamed up with the writer of "Slither" to produce a brilliant throwback to the insane arcade games of the mid-90's. You know the ones I'm talking about. The brawlers with vibrant colors, nonsensical plots, and infectious music. Games with satisfying gameplay, insane characters, and boss stages that are as creative as they are punishing. In a market brimming with dark shooters and motion control minigames, this game is a beautiful, bloody spew of rainbow vomit. Not content to put forth any less effort than 120% at all times, the world Grasshopper Manufacture has created is nothing short of extraordinary.

The concept is about as out there as they come. The gleefully destructive Juliet Starling, along with her sisters Rosalind and Cordelia, has been trained in the ways of zombie killing since she was a baby, killing her first fiend when she was six months old. She also has a pathological obsession with lollipops and is an ace cheerleader. Her boyfriend, Nick, has fallen pretty hard for her, but doesn't know quite how to react when she decapitates him and begins to wear him on her hip to save him from a zombie infection. This unlikely couple, one a ditsy optimist and the other a sardonic pessimist, have to work together if they hope to exterminate the root of a zombie plague that threatens to destroy humanity.

This re-donk-ulous concept is anchored by Juliet herself, played by the wonderful Tara Strong (Twilight Sparkle in "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"). No matter the situation, Juliet always has something witty to say, whether it be a unique observation or an entirely abstract musing about the most random of things. She is not a cold female warrior or a victimized survivor like too many female protagonists are these days. This character is funny, courageous, and a true lead in every since of the word. Her actions are defined by nobody but herself, which is such a rare thing in games today. Hats off to Suda51 for breaking the mold once again with another stellar lead character.

The gameplay should not be overshadowed by the zaniness of the game itself, however. What has been cooked up in this department is nothing short of miraculous, a sweet slice of brawler goodness. Juliet is, pardon the pun, a cut above every other beat-em-up protagonist today not because of the strength of her attacks, or the arsenal she wields. No, because even though both of those things are great, what defines this character is the fluid and creative way her cheerleader routines get thrown into the combat. Wielding a chainsaw is much more satisfying when it's prefaced by piggybacking over an enemy, whacking them with your pompoms a few times, then executing a twirling jump into the air before slicing straight through their neck. But this is all stuff you can do at the beginning of the game. When you start unlocking more moves and new upgrades, combat gets elevated to a whole new level within an hour or so of playing. "Lollipop Chainsaw" delivers some of the most intense and fun fights I've ever had, and the level of control it gives is enough to alleviate the occasional frustration brought on by camera quirks and cheap enemy knockdowns.

Variety is the spice of life, though, and the game also delivers this in spades. Sure, the brunt of the experience is spend chopping zombies to bloody, rainbow-tinged bits, but that's not all you do. No, you also get to baseball by shooting zombies with explosives while Nick (temporarily possessing a body) runs the bases; you get run through a kart racing-style obstacle course and hurdle off of rainbow ramps. Shooting, obstacle courses, driving... this game offers such a wealth of varied gameplay styles that one's head begins to spin, not knowing what's going to happen at any given second, which is exactly how the developers intended. It's constantly defying expectations, which sets it apart from the pack.

Graphically, it's not a triple-A title, but what it lacks in polish it makes up for in inventiveness. You'll be slashing your way through schools, farms, arcades and hallucinatory dystopias inhabited by giant killer chickens. You're not going to get these types of locations from any other game. Same goes for the overall aesthetic look of the combat. Instead of just packing on the blood and guts (which it does as well), the carnage is punctuated by giant glowing hearts and vibrant rainbows. Nothing says "brutal murder" like a huge heart exploding from a decapitated corpse, after all. Also a nice touch are how remarkably well-designed all of the characters are, including the zombies. Juliet herself can be decked out in a ridiculous amount of costumes, her older sister looks like a butch biker, and her younger sister looks like something the 80's threw up. Zombies range from obese farmers to lanky rockers to bubblegum-chewing baseball pitchers. There's a big emphasis on clothing, so much so that there's an Achivement/Trophy for staring up Juliet's skirt for an extended period of time. You're welcome.

The sound is just as wonderful as everything else. Musically, the game is broad and diverse, covering a huge range of genres. This is thanks to famed composer Akira Yamaoka, whose wealth of musical knowledge fits this game like a glove. Techno, jam band, and garage rock are just a few of the types of music you're going to hear. Spicing this up is an astounding amount of licensed music, my personal favorite being Toni Basil's "Mickey", which cranks up every time Juliet activates her powered-up mode. Others include cuts by Dead or Alive and The Runaways, which round out one of the most diverse games of the past decade. Also worth noting is the boss stage music by Mindless Self Indulgence frontman Jimmy Urine, who also voices the first boss stage.

While the game itself is somewhat short, this isn't something you play just once. So many costumes, so many unlockables, and (from my understanding) an alternate ending are all good reasons to keep playing, but something else may drive players out there to wear this disc out: Scoreboards. This game is more arcade-style than most of the "arcade games" on the Live Marketplace or Playstation Network, and it's perfect for single-level playthroughs to get JUST ONE MORE POINT than the other guys and gals playing. It was a smart inclusion in what was already a great package.

Grasshopper Manufacture has struck gold once again, and created the best game to come out of them since "No More Heroes." "Lollipop Chainsaw" is a bright, gaudy, and joyfully stupid breath of fresh air to an industry plagued by far too military shooters and kiddie games. There has never been, and most likely will never be, another game like this. On top of that, it's a dang fine time for just about anybody. Years from now, I'll still be remembering this game, and comparing what I'm playing at the moment to it.

Exceeding all expectations, "Lollipop Chainsaw" has become one of the greatest games I've ever played. Well played, Suda51. Well played.

Plot: 10

Gameplay: 10

Graphics: 9.75

Sound: 10

Overall: 10 (Must-Play)

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Get this game right now if you want to be blown away by some crazy-cool style, bawdy language, fun combat, addictive gameplay, tons of unlocks, and I could go on and on. The zombies are kind of cool but they are just the dressing on this insanity salad. The first level alone left me so euphoric I was replaying it just to get my score higher and laugh and the hilarious scenarios again. I play a lot of shooters and this is definitely what I needed to clear the palette. Don't listen to the self-proclaimed professional reviewers who ditch this game because it should be "so much more". That's like saying Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" should be so much more, which is the closest work of art I could say captures the feeling of this game. If you think Lollipop Chainsaw is supposed to be like Ninja Gaiden, God of War, or anything in that vein, you would be mistaken and this game would not be for you. But, I know I'll be playing this one a long time. Thank you Suda51 for taking the risks to bring this masterpiece to the public. We need more games like this.

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I was very pleased with this so far, fun button masher.Juliet is a hot cheerleader with a chainsaw! and has to fight off a mass of zombies at San Romero High, it's kinda like a Dead Rising crossed with High School of the dead [anime].If you want a type of game that is different from all the other doldrums of sports games like Madden that just update the roster each year, etc it's a good game 4 you.

If you're not completely sold wait for it to drop to $30 or so.

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i didn't have a lot of expectations going in except i was happy about the rumored plethora of rainbows (and they are here!)!

the game breaks you in fairly well...the prologue is an easy transition into new moves and combo practice. the one thing i found sort of frustrating right off the bat is that you could be mid-horde and the screen would stop to explain a new move or somesuch which sort of threw off the momentum.

there may be some finesse in the gameplay, however this seems to be a button masher (more or less) if i've ever seen one. and honestly, the game moves pretty quickly and is enough fun that most tediums are forgotten pretty quickly. several times i found myself saying "i will play ONE more level..." and then i would see two hours go by.

sure there is loads of teenage boy humor, but given the title of the game and the style it was made in (not to mention suda51's input) this isn't a big surprise. most of the jokes are fairly corny, but a couple of times i found myself snickering out loud.

i DID feel the boss fights were tedious. honestly, how many times in a row must you kill someone?

the one really bothersome thing was the length of some of the cutscenes and the subsequent load times. at this point in the ps3's lifespan, there shouldn't be an extensive load time for a cutscene. and then an extensive load time right after.

for me, the breakdown was as follows:

concept: pretty hilarious. there is a definite adolescent humor at work here. sometimes it works, other times it feels a little forced.

graphics: i was a little disappointed. for a new release game, i felt the graphics were fairly poor, especially in the cutscenes.

sound: several of the songs on the soundtrack are great fun to fight to, however some of the interim music is a little too thrasher for me, especially for extended periods of time. sound effects were well done.

playability: i certainly found this accessible from the get go. i stumbled a bit, but the game is well laid out for the beginner.

entertainment: great! i loved the excess of rainbows, silly moves, and especially SPARKLE MODE! as a female, i appreciate a game that is tailored to my rainbow addiction and video game ass-kickery.

replay value: unsure...there are outfits and art to collect in-game, but right now i'm not sure i'd want to play this repeatedly. i will hang onto it for a while to see if i have the urge.

all in all, i'm pleased i bought this (but i'm more pleased i got it on sale). for anyone on the fence, i'd recommend waiting until the price drops. it may not be a masterpiece, but it is a heck of a lot of fun.

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Lollipop Chainsaw is a game caught my eye a little over a year ago with a chainsaw welding cheerleader fighting zombies. It caught the eye of the Brony community when it was announced that Tara Strong (the voice of Twilight Sparkle) was going to be the voice actor of the main character Juliet Starling. It caught my eye again when it was announced that professional cosplayer Jessica Nigri was going to be the official live action Juliet Starling for promotional proposes. Once again my eye was caught when it was announced that Jimmy Urine, the lead singer of Mindless Self Indulgence, would be doing the boss music for the game and the voice of one of the bosses. As well, there was a lot of hype for this game across the internet and at game expos. To me, this looked one of those games that could be really good or really bad. After playing through it a couple times I can say it falls in the middle but on the good side of the middle. This game is dripping with style. It has a comic book like theme and feel and it really works with the characters and graphics of the game. It feels like Bayonetta, Scott Pilgrim, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, and a pinch of The Evil Dead thrown into a blender. It's a very silly game that doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should the player. The game play is generally fun and moves at a good pace. First, let's take a look at why and what is happening in this game.

STORY: You play as Juliet Starling who is the lead cheerleader for the San Romero High School and also happens to come from a family of zombie hunters. Today is also her 18th birthday but when she gets to school the freakin' zombie apocalypse has started! Good thing she was carrying her super magical and multipurpose chainsaw! At this point you might be thinking `WOW! This sounds really stupid!' well it gets better. Her boyfriend, Nick, gets bit by a zombie and in order to save him she cuts his head off and casts a magical spell to keep him alive as a severed head attached to her hip. Turns out this goth kid at her school (who looks like a Marilyn Mason wannabe) is casting an evil spell on the school to get his revenge on society and it's up to Juliet, Nick, and her family of zombie hunters to stop them. Now like I said, this game doesn't take itself too seriously most of the time. Now I know people who like to keep their zombies more serious and this story is probably very much a turn off for them. This game certainly isn't for everyone but this is where the style over substance comes into the play. All the zombie bosses that are summoned set up the themes for all the levels and all have music themes. For example there is a Punk rock zombie and an 80's funk zombie. Also these boss zombies remind me of avatars from Guitar Hero 3. It has fairly good character development and I enjoy the banter between Juliet and Nick throughout the game. Only problem is that it is a short game and it comes to an end pretty quickly.

GAMEPLAY: The gameplay is generally a hack and slash type game. Juliet's move list starts out very limited but you game new abilities and can buy new moves as the game progresses. You buy moves, items, and unlockables with zombie medals which you earn by killing zombies. There are gold medals which are most common to buy moves and health items and there are silver medals which are used to buy unlockables, they are much more rare. You kill 3 or more zombies at once and you will be rewarded with a brief slow-mo cut scene and gold and silver medals known as `sparkle hunting' and I won't lie, it's very satisfying when you pull one of these off.

The levels themselves linear but have some variety in gameplay though they aren't always so fun. One level you are in an arcade and get sucked into old 80's style arcade games throughout the level. In another level you drive a thresher and run over zombies in a wheat field. The one I hated was zombie basketball where you have to decapitate enough zombie heads and throw them into a basketball hoop before the time runs out. Not all moves decapitate zombies and you are racing against the clock and if you lose, you die. This took me several frustrating continues to get past this part. One big issue I have with the game is that it is short. My first play through it took me 8 hours to beat. My second play through it took me about 5 or 6 hours which sadly is pretty common these days for games. It encourages multiple play troughs with all the unlockables and two different endings and difficulty settings but for a lot of people once will probably feel like enough and the unlocks really don't give that much incentive to play again. Another big problem I have with the gameplay is heavy on quick time events. This game is filled with QTEs that result in instant death so you gotta be ready. There are also lots of little mini-games involving putting Nick on a zombie body to perform some task but it's just one long annoying QTE. If you HATE QTEs you will probably not like this game at all but if you don't mind them then it shouldn't hurt how much fun you are having ripping up zombies with a chainsaw. The best parts of the game are the bosses. These are some kick ass boss battles with interesting music themed bosses and multi-stage fights. Easily the best parts of the game.

GRAPHICS: COLORFUL RAINBOWS! This game has lots of sparkle and flash to it but it all works with the comic book theme. The character models look really good with that cell shaded look and the zombie bosses are very well designed. The levels are a bit more on the bland side. Aside from the arcade level, none of the levels stand out too much visually and there is some texture pop-in going in a few of them. I really like the main menu and level select design though, once again with that comic book theme. The animation on the characters is great and flows well with the combat and gameplay. While the environments could have been better, the characters look great.

SOUND: This game has an AWESOME soundtrack. Along with some great original music, there is also licensed music such as the song Lollipop by Julius Dixon that plays during the online store sections. Boy that will get stuck in your head. Hey Micky You're so Fine plays when you're invisible for some extra laughs. But there is also a lot of metal and punk music that fills the soundtrack such as Dragonforce and Children of Bodem that all just fits the style of the game so well. You can unlock and arrange all the music as well and create your own background music play list. The voice acting is also really well done for the most part. Tara Strong does a creating Juliet and bringing her to life and the voice actor for Nick is hilarious. Jimmy Urine does the voice of the Punk Rock zombie and his dialogue is just filled with all sorts of naughty language which he does use to literally attack you with. Also, if you don't like profanity, you really wouldn't like this game.

OVERALL: Lollipop Chainsaw is a flawed game but it is fun and super stylish. Like I've said, this game isn't for everyone but if you don't take the story too seriously and just want a mindlessly zombie hack and slash good time you'd probably enjoy it.

Score 6.9/10

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Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory

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Nepgear and friends return with the brand new, third installment of the series, "Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory!" But how does this game compare to its predecessors? Let me highlight some of the major points for you! (Be warned that there are some very minor spoilers below; but only those that you would encounter about an hour or two into the storyline).

Story: You reprise your role as Neptune, the CPU (Console Patron Unit) of Planeptune who is also known as "Purple Heart" and is one of four goddesses. The duty of a goddess is to protect her homeland against invading forces, monsters and other entities that would seek to undermine the power and prosperity of their land. Each goddess is a representation of a console in the "console wars," and they all learn to respect one another and to cease warring against each other (occurred in "Hyperdimension Neptunia"). In Victory, Neptune is sent into a past, alternate dimension by a member of the "Seven Sages," an evil organization that is attempting to undermine the shares (or powers) of the current four goddesses. The plot is simple and straight-forward, but this didn't bother me in the least (even though I'm typically critical of RPG plots!).

Main Characters (not a complete list due to spoilers!) Neptune/Purple Heart: A ditzy, but light-hearted character who is the main character of the series. She loves to sleep and play video games, but hates working and tries to slack off as much as possible. She represents a cancelled, SEGA console.

Vert/Green Heart: She is a hardcore gamer that balances work and play as much as possible who is the protector of Leanbox (Xbox).

Noire/Black Heart: A hard-working and diligent goddess who tries to be as much of an individual as possible and has difficulty making friends. She protects Lastation (Playstation).

Blanc/White Heart: A quiet and serious goddess who spends much of her time reading and writing manga. When angered, she swears quite profusely and is the protector of Lowee (Wii).

Plutia/Iris Heart (New): The CPU of Planeptune in the alternate dimension that Neptune travels to. Her and Neptune have very similar personalities, but their CPU personalities are dramatically different.

Characters Overall: The characters are very interesting, well thought out and have a lot of personality. Neptune is still Neptune, Nepgear is still Nepgear, etc, etc. They've done a great job with bringing back our favorite characters and breathing new life into them and putting them into hilarious situations. Let me just tell you, that the dialogue at times is very suggestive whenever Iris Heart appears, but you'll often find yourself just shaking your head and laughing hysterically (I know I did!). Let's just say that if you enjoyed MKII, you'll love this installment too. Or if you hated playing as Nepgear, but love Neptune, well... stop fretting. Neptune is the main character obviously, so she's back in full force! And you'll finally get to see what the world would be like if there were (almost) two Neptune's in it at once!

Mechanics for Fans of the Series: Victory plays a lot more like "Hyperdimension Neptunia MKII" than it does the first installment (which is a good thing, in my opinion)! They haven't changed a whole lot of the mechanics, but have most certainly tweaked a few things here and there. Such as, there is no longer an "AP Mechanic", you now only use SP and you use a percentage of your total SP to transform into your CPU form. Since there is no AP, you now also can stay in CPU form as long as you are not infected by a virus or killed in battle. There are new things such as "Scouts," which you will use in an attempt to find new areas, discover new monsters in previously visited areas, or enable an increase to XP/Coins found in an area. The list goes on, but just know that the gameplay is more like MKII than anything else with just some minor adjustments. The only sad thing is you can longer do multiple actions, since they did away with the AP system (you can longer use items and skills during the same turn, you must do one or the other).

Mechanics for Newcomers: The only game I can think of that I have played that is somewhat similar to this games mechanics is the .hack//GAMES franchise. You wander around dungeons in a similar fashion, there are no "random encounters" and the monsters are pre-placed. Additionally, you can create combos of your choice and I think that this is an important aspect of the series, as it allows for more customization of your squad. For instance, ▲ combos release a flurry of attacks which quickly raise your EX Gauge in order to allow your squads to unlock an even higher combo count. ■ combos are hard powered attacks which do extra damage if the enemies barrier (or shields) have been depleted. "X" combos are used to destroy enemy barrier/shields and do less actual physical damage to the enemy. This allows you to customize your team in which way you think best (such as having 2 characters who are shield destroyers, with one character being a heavy hitter. The drawback to this would be that your team lacks the ability to raise their EX Gauge quickly, resulting in fewer overall combos during battle, but allows you to destroy normal monsters/monsters with high shield capacities quickly). Your characters can typically fulfill one "role" well and one other decently with their allotted amount of points (the "roles" being: Combo Attacks/Power Attacks/Shield Attacks). Your characters can also transform into their "Goddess/CPU" forms once you have acquired their HDD (Hard Drive Divinity). This changes the description and names of their skills, increases their statistics dramatically and allows them access to their strongest abilities (mostly later in the game). I won't touch much more on this, but the combat system is VERY well done, and I've played a LOT of RPG's!

Soundtrack: As everyone who is a fan of the series knows, the first game had a very, very forgettable and repetitive soundtrack. Hyperdimension Neptunia MKII did a decent job, but Victory? Let's just say it's pretty dang amazing! Not the best soundtrack for an RPG I've ever heard, but definitely the best of the series and definitely deserves praise. This would all be thanks to Nobue Uematsu! If you pre-ordered this game (or if you're lucky enough to buy a game pre-packaged with the pre-order bonus), you get the soundtrack for free! Enjoy it! It's a great listen.

Dislikes: My biggest gripe with the game is that this is BY FAR the most difficult in the series. Meaning, at times you'll be walking through a dungeon, doing fine and then suddenly you'll be attacked by two normal monsters (who are around your level) but who are joined by two other monsters who are capable of literally ONE-SHOTTING you. There are NO "level suggestions" for dungeons, so save EVERY SINGLE CHANCE YOU GET, or you'll regret it and end up losing an hour or two of gameplay... trust me on this. A lot of the mini-bosses are a lot more challenging and more "on your level." Just watch out for those "SURPRISE 8D!" monsters that for some reason have a duo of level 45 monsters paired into the same group as a couple of level 30 ones, in a dungeon that was just revealed to you while you are still level 35. This game is easily three times more difficult than its predecessors, so just be aware of this and realize you'll be grinding a lot more than what you might be used to (but it isn't nearly as bad as Record of the Agarest War or games like that). Also, outfits are EXTREMELY expensive in this game, so don't expect to be able to do much customizing (appearance wise) early on. Last but not least, they added a "Challenge" system which gives you bonus stats and unlocks additional voices. Granted, this isn't a required thing (only a bonus), but there are some pretty ridiculous challenges (such as, Main Character jumps 700x, but this ONLY applies to the character you are currently playing)... but really, it isn't enough of a drawback to really take anything away from the game. Also, it is (nearly) impossible to get perfect scores on the "End of Chapter Grades" (which give items, weapons, etc.). This game seems like it was intentionally designed for New Save+ completionists; so don't get discouraged when you only get a 35/40 at the end of a chapter when you've been trying your hardest to get a perfect score on your first playthrough!

Would YOU Like This Game?: A few tips to help you figure out if you'll like the Hyperdimension Neptunia series:

You like anime/manga and are not easily offended by suggestive dialogue.

You like anime/manga and your mom isn't easily offended by suggestive dialogue.

You enjoy anime's with "transformation sequences."

You like RPG's and are interested in playing more "JRPG's" due to their aesthetic qualities.

You like an RPG that has a little bit of a "grind" to it, but doesn't overkill it.

You identify with and understand the term "moe," in regards to anime/manga.

You enjoy shows/games that have very cute and relatable characters.

You know how to take a joke and you don't take everything deathly-seriously... ... no, cerealy, seriously. If you can't take a joke, this game is DEFINITELY NOT for you!!!

You enjoy games that allow you to customize your characters in various cute outifts, customize their attack combos, and change their standard/goddess appearances.

You don't mind shows/games that have an all female-cast.

Suggestive anime artwork does not bother you (AKA: "Fanservice". Keep in mind this game is Rated "T", so there is no outright nudity. That being said, there is a moderate amount of fanservice in this game. If such a thing would upset you or someone who might watch you play, I would NOT recommend this game for you).

If you said "YES!" to all of these, this game is DEFINITELY the game for you and you would probably enjoy MKII as well (maybe even the original! But it's hard to go back once you've experienced the difference in combat/item mechanics). Even if you only said "Hmm, yeah" to about half of those, this game might very well interest you, so I would recommend you check it out!

Ending: Overall, this game is FANTASTIC and I've been loving every second of it. Once I played MKII, I immediately went out and bought Hyperdimension Neptunia and pre-ordered Victory. It's a fabulous series that brings witty banter, has a hilarious all-female cast and some really great battles. If you've been hesitant to try the series, stop fretting and just go out and get it! Just be aware of the TYPE of game you're buying and what you're getting into. Also, the game has original Japanese dialogue AND English voice-overs (with some higher-profile VA's!).

Lastly, this game kind of reminds me of Sailor Moon turned RPG... if that puts it into context for any of you!

Hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to ask questions! And if you don't like the game... well... Neptune has some words for you: "Well, just so you understand. Let's go and stick those protest signs somewhere less visible!"

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I'm not really the type of guy who does the whole pro and con so my comment will be pretty simple to understand.Victory so far from what I've played is pretty freaking awesome the skills will make you go OMG and the story is still as funny as it was in mk2 lol @ Plutie why she always wanna take naps? xD If you love mk2 I don't see why you wouldn't love this game.If you have never played any neptunia games or just so happen to see Victory in the stores then get it these games will eventually will hard as heck to find until reprinted copies are released.

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When the first Neptunia was released a few years ago, it was essentially a moe-fied version of Trinity Universe with some rather bizarre tweaks to the combat system. Then a year or so later, we got Neptunia Mark II, which was much improved. Now we have Neptunia Victory, which once you get past all the moe-ness, is a very solid entry in the JRPG niche.

Those familiar with the Neptunia franchise know basically what to expect in these games. There will be no male characters of any real importance, each of the main characters will be a moe anthropomorphism of one of the four major console companies (Sega, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo), there will be a moderate level of suggestive humor, and there will be many jokes about the gaming industry. In this installment, however, there is quite a deep end enjoyable game beneath all the fluff.

Victory's combat system is a variant on the system used in most of the Idea Factory/Compile Heart games made in the last 5-6 years. In combat, there are rush, power, and break attacks. Rush attacks have a high hit count but are weak, power attacks deal high damage but have a low hit count, and break attacks tend to wear down the defenses of enemies. The AP system of the first two games has been done away with. Each character basically gets a fixed number of attacks per turn, possibly followed by an EXE attack. The EXE gauge is a limit break of sorts; it fills by taking and dealing damage. As the gauge fills, follow-up attacks to normal attacks and super-powerful special attacks (which deplete the gauge) become possible. There are a wide range of equippable follow-up attacks from powerful break attacks to attacks that inflict status ailments. Overall, combat is fast-paced and fun.

In addition, there is a great deal of strategy that can be used outside of combat. Other than just the standard front row vs. back row formation, it is possible to select exactly where characters deploy on the field. And, the Lily System is back. By pairing each character with a partner, special attacks and bonuses become available. New to Victory is the ability to equip game disks in combat which yield bonuses. Blank disks are found by advancing the quest rank, and by bringing a certain character key items dropped by powerful bosses. To equip a disk, it's first necessary to collect various chips found in dungeons, and then burn them to disc. There are vast number of chips available, including chips that offset damage, increase experience, fill the EXE gauge quicker, increase SP, and so forth. Of course, the catch is that only a certain number of chips can be burned to one disk. To equip new ones, the disk must be reformatted, and the old chips (or games) vanish. The game disks and the Lily System make for a very customizable experience.

And, of course, no Neptunia entry is complete without the series' trademark humor. Some of the humor does skew a little risque (one of the main characters' CPU forms this time around is a dominatrix who isn't shy about her proclivities), and there are plenty of jokes about breast sizes. Further, a running joke in the series has been to include cameos of the game's developers. The main characters will all find special abilities that they joke about not wanting to use; all of these will feature a cameo of one of the game's creators, and they are all ridiculously over the top. For instance, imagine the battleship Yamato whose bow has been replaced by the face of one of the developers whose eyes light up and shoot laser beams at the enemies. Well, after playing Victory, imagine no more. In addition, there are many references to combining robots, anime (with lots of Madoka references), and fairly biting insults to the various hardware manufacturers. For instance, there are thinly-veiled references to PSN outages, the size of the XBox controller, and Nintendo's outdated hardware.

Pros:

The combat and tactics are surprisingly deep.

The characters are cute.

The humor is well done; it is not nearly as forced as it was in the first two games.

The animations for special attacks are fun to watch (and they can be skipped when you get tired of seeing them).

The game is over-the-top in most aspects.

There are fun end of chapter cutscenes and minigames (like the Nepstation trivia segment).

Relies less on gimmicks than its predecessors.

Cons:

Those who do not enjoy moe character designs need not apply, and some may be put off by the mildly-risque humor.

The game can be repetitive and some grinding will be needed to farm special items for quests and synthesis.

There are a few instances of lazy design. Some dungeons are almost identical copies of others, and the same enemies are reskinned over and over.

The in-game tutorial is fairly complete, but sometimes certain things are a little fuzzy (for instance, the scoring on the end of chapter evaluations).

There are references to the first two games. I found this to be a plus, but it could have newcomers to the series scratching heads.

If you like your RPG's moe, then what are you waiting for? However, even those outside this target audience can still find plenty to enjoy.

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Like most of the fans of this game, I pre-ordered the CE from NISA and it arrived promptly with awesome goodies. I encourage any fans of NISA games to buy/pre-order from their store when possible, the shipping is fast and I have Prime. We all probably spend way too much money on Amazon anyways.

That said, the game itself is pretty awesome. Perhaps the biggest initial impact this third Hyperdimension Neptunia game had on me is the sheer amount of voiced dialogue it includes. Not only is it a massive increase on the first and especially second game but it literally dwarfs most other JRPGs. While the English VA is okay, the Japanese VA's (especially Neptune and Plutie) are simply stellar. So why should you buy this game? Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory is an atmospheric, quirky, fanservice filled JRPG with free-roam instanced combat and fun mechanics. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but the production value of the third installment gives a feeling of quality and the fun to be had while playing make this a worthwhile purchase. I encourage anyone who regularly plays NISA or Xseed published JRPG's (and Tecmo Koei no I guess...) to give this game a try. You needn't play the first 2, but a quick playthrough of the second may help in getting acquainted with the world and characters.

Quick note on the difficulty. While the first Hyperdimension Neptunia game was difficult due to the immature combat system, the introduction of positioning in the second game really made it much easier to steamroll most opponents. However, Victory seems to go out of its way to really push the player's skills and most difficult fights are heavily sink-or-swim, meaning you should be very aware of having the best gear and decent amounts of consumables at all times. I think this adds to the flavor and involvement of the game, but new players should take note of saving regularly and updating their inventory whenever possible.

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It's no big secret that the Hyperdimension series isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea. But for those who enjoyed the previous titles for their quirky humor and engaging battle system, then this is the game for you.

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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 Multi-Functional Vertical Stand

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I just received this stand and attached it to my PS3 system. I've been shopping for stands for quite a while before settling on this one and I am happy with my purchase. It fits well, looks neat, and holds up to 15 games or movies.

The only thing that is 'wrong' with the design is that the way the games sit in the rack, you can either have the games face you(like in the picture) or reverse them and make the backs of the cases readable from the side. So you have to choose which way you prefer it.

Other than that its a very good accessory for a great price!

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Great stand, looks very stylish and matches the PS3. The game rack is placed in such a fashion that either you get the side tags to be viewable or the front of the games. I just placed the first game front first, and the ones in the back "turned around" so that the side game labels where viewable.

I am very happy with the product. Great quality/price ratio.

One note though: This stand is designed for the regular PS3 systems, not for the PS3 Slim. I imagine the Slim WILL fit comfortably, but with a lot of left over space.

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GOT IT QUICK, WORKS GREAT PS3 PHAT! THE GAME HOLDER SUCKS! BUT I DIDNT GET IT FOR THAT, JUST WANTED TO HAVE IT VERTICAL!

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Playstation 3 Play and Charge Cable

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I don't even know exactly what it does, but my son was really into his PS3, so I probably did, and it probably worked exactly as described. Thats why I'm giving it a 5-star rating. No reason for me to give it less because of my failure to give my response if a timely manner.

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It's $9.50. For a usb to mini usb cable. Other cables on this site do the same thing and go for .01 cent. Cables To Go 27005 2M USB 2.0 A/Mini-B Cable (Black) As to why someone would by this is beyond me.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

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"The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena" was such an enjoyable game for me that it killed me that one significant flaw kept the game's fun level down. (I'll go into that below.) Aside from that, you get two games on one blu-ray disc. In fact, one of the opening screens upon booting up offers you a choice to play "Escape From Butcher Bay" or "Assault on Dark Athena", much like a movie DVD/Blu-ray menu, so the games are separate and are on the same disc. So you really get your money's worth, IF you haven't played "Escape From Butcher Bay" before, which I hadn't.

"Escape From Butcher Bay" is an engrossing game that really (even being 5 years old) takes first person shooters into a different direction. You are able to interact with a whole cast of believable characters, many of which are better scripted and animated than ANY of the non-playable characters in "Fallout 3." The next-gen gloss really makes everything shine--no pun intended. The character models are very detailed and the backgrounds and levels are very sharp. Another reviewer complained about the graphics and I have to say I am shocked by that. There are very few times the graphics are anything less that next-gen. "Assault On Dark Athena" is built on the same engine and has equally sharp graphics and an interesting cast of highly detailed characters.

The stories for both are very much part of the Riddick universe and canon, with "Escape From Butcher Bay" being the one mentioned in the actual movies. I would say the story for "Escape From Butcher Bay" is superior to "Assault on Dark Athena", but not by much. Both are very detailed and your main quests (and side quests) add a lot of depth and time to the playing experience.

I thought the controls were very good and the selection of weapons was particularly generous--though I preferred the Ulaks, as they were quite lethal for silent kills or melee combat. The other weapons were nicely detailed and animated and it was always cool to walk into a room, shoot out the lights, and turn the Riddick eyeshine on so I could see in the dark.

The sound is great and many have mention the top notch voice acting. I have to agree, the voice acting was superb and it even has some musical cues from the movies.

The enemy AI is rather good and relentless. It really forces you to use Riddick's stealth abilities (which include the awesome eyeshine, where he can see in the dark) to perform quick kills.

Riddick, at times (in both games) can step into robot-like suits and then use them against the enemy. This is fun and adds variety. In "Dark Athena" he can even take over and control the zombie like soldiers, in certain areas.

Now to the issues that keep this from being a solid 4-5 star game. Well, the checkpoint save system is the worst I have seen in a long time. Many times you will be down to one health block and you move ahead and it automatically saves you progress there. You die and you start back there with one health block. If you die enough, the game generously gives you another one and I have heard if you die enough, then another one. But this save system saps the fun out of the game by constant loading screens and then you finding out you have a large amount of enemies or big enemies to fight, BUT you only have one to two health blocks. It is very tiresome and adds a lot of deaths and restarts. Also, the map system in "Escape" (which is actually non-existent in "Dark Athena") doesn't help at all as it doesn't show your location or direction on the map! These two flaws seriously affect an otherwise awesome gaming experience and that is sad.

There's some minor glitches I noticed like one of the cut scenes had dialogue spoken, but there was a serious delay to the characters lip-synching. Also, there was some slowdown and choppiness.

Overall, it is a fun game despite the flaws and glitches. I had a great time, though cursing at the screen from time to time, and I think most will enjoy the game if they can overlook these problems.

3/5 stars

Pros:

*15+ hrs. of gameplay.

*Great graphics for the character models and levels.

*2 games for one price.

*Well constructed levels, with multiple non-linear routes.

*Controls are pretty solid.

*Enemy AI is good.

*Sound is good.

*You get to play as Riddick with Vin Diesel voicing the character.

Cons:

*The worst checkpoint save system that results in many loading screens and many deaths due to reloading with few health blocks. (Should have had a nice hard drive install to speed up loading times or do away with them.)

*Enemy AI can get too good in some areas and also, while the game developers want you to be sneaking around, many enemies carry flashlights on their guns which makes sneaking almost a gimmick.

*Map in "Butcher Bay" is terrible and no map in "Dark Athena."

*A few glitches and slowdown.

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I have the PC port of Escape from Butcher's Bay from 2004 and loved the game. I don't play too many games on my PC anymore and was debating whether or not to spend the money on this game. I'm definitely glad I did. There are two episodes to this game. The first is a remake of the 2004 release "Escape from Butcher's Bay" and the second is an all new campaign "Assault on Dark Athena."

Butcher's Bay is as good, if not better than I remember from 2004. There's plenty of ways to play the game and there's more than one path to get to some places. All of the FPS, stealth an melee elements work really well together and the game does a very good job of making you feel like Riddick.

What worried me is that the reviews I read indicated that if you've already played through Butcher's Bay, then Dark Athena might not be worth a rebuy on it's own. It doesn't matter. It's been 5 years since I played Butcher's Bay and it still holds up so well that it's definitely worth it on it's own. Dark Athena is a good addition and makes the package worthy of full game price. The environments are varied and interesting, but the story is lacking polish and continuity. Loose ends are left hanging, like SPOILER "what ever happened to Johns? Isn't he supposed to leave with Riddick at this point?" END SPOILER The game shifts gears into shooter territory for a little while with some neat foes, but brings back the stealth elements before the game is done.

For those wanting a game with a decent story to follow, gameplay variety and a good cast of characters, this package of Butcher's Bay + Dark Athena is a very good choice.

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I just picked up The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and I have got to say Its a great Game! I really like how they put the Butcher Bay story in the game as well. I liked how it showed some of Riddick's past on how he got his Eyeshine even though we all know it was from Surgery. The butcher bay graphics are decent not bad but sometimes a little blurry. What I really like about this game is the difficulty of it I am on Normal and it seems like a hard mode which is a blast.

One you get the hang of Butcher bay the weapons and combat is a little hard at first but once you get used to it, its flawless and the killing and neck snapping action. The blood and the terror of the tortured people in the cells or that are trying to run free is just a great version of a prison also the pit brings the reality of the game out.

On to the Dark Athena part of the game. The graphics are crystal Clear, and amazing. The sound is where it should be and Riddick's Eyeshine is really neat in the darkness. I really like the way this story worked out with the weapons and the characters. I especially like how Riddick and the Capt have a history together and they are going to fight it out hopefully. I will just say Riddick is right "the dead should stay dead" and that's where you come in. I also like how you can sneak up people and since your used to the fighting from Butcher Bay you should be good to go with fighting and sneaking around.

Overall this was a great purchase I enjoy these games a lot and I look forward to beating Dark Athena soon. I will be looking forward to possibly a multilayer or something along those lines. I recommend purchasing this game 2 great games in 1.

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I could not put it down, my brother and I both got it on the same weeknd and with a few phone calls back and forth we did not stop until we finished.Also we did not find any bugs!! Its just a great game.

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Say what you will about Vin Diesel, but the man has the character of Riddick nailed down. His performance is so convincing. This disc includes the original Riddick episode, Escape From Butcher Bay as well. The two chronicles are very similar in gameplay design. In fact, there isn't much variation to speak of. The mechanics are the same, and both are essentially stealth/action. Butcher Bay features a more compelling plot in my opinion, but Athena is most certainly worth your time. These games really shine when is comes to setting a particular mood and atmosphere. They really suck you into the experience. The voice work is amazing. Each character is realistic and sympathtic in their own unique way. The in game map system is rather...well...terrible in Butcher Bay. And Dark Athena doesn't even have one. This is typical of developer starbreeze. I suppose they prefer that you figure it out on your own. There is a rather steep learning curve, and the difficulty can be rather punishing. Great games though!

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HORI PlayStation 3 Fighting Stick Mini 3 (Blue)

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If you're looking to play fighters and shmups on the PS3 and PC with something better than a pad, but don't have a lot of space and/or don't want to spend too much money, this is a great deal.

As you might expect, it simply can't compete with the Sanwa and Seimitsu sticks in sheer performance. But those sticks go for over three times the cost of this one. The joystick and buttons are a bit stiff, if not overly so, and the buttons have to be depressed a bit further than I would have liked. They're perfectly serviceable, though you wouldn't want to bring this stick to EVO anyway. I was happy to find that the joystick does not bounce all over the place like a Happ when returning to center.

I normally use a full-sized stick, but I did not find the small size to be significantly uncomfortable or difficult to adjust to. It is very light, so you will probably want to use it on a table or desk instead of your lap.

I would not recommend this for serious tournament players, who should make the investment for a proper Sanwa or Seimitsu stick. I would definitely recommend it to people who only play fighting games online, or in casual matches with friends.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS STICK HAS NON-STANDARD SIZED PARTS, AND THE BUTTONS ARE SOLDERED TO THE BOARD. THIS MEANS THAT YOU CANNOT SWITCH OUT THE JOYSTICK AND BUTTONS FOR DIFFERENT ONES. Sorry, modders.

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Just got mine in the mail last night the base, joy stick and buttons are about 50% smaller than a pro tournament stick but this is a great purchase for the price $39. My other fight stick was $175. Now I have two fight stick to play some serious 2 player @ home without having to play online I was able to pull off all moves (Street Fighter 4..KEN..) being this is made by Hori this stick is mini but feels very solid and very well built just might have to get another one after I get the Hori fighting edge stick!!................

Update to my review: I was noticing it's very easy to pull off shoryukens (dragon punch) on this stick, also really easy to pull off revenge combos you know (fwd,dwn,fwd,dwn 3 punch or 3 kick buttons) I was comparing side by side with my 'Street Fighter X Tekken Fight Stick' (the one that cost $175) This Stick Actually Has A Smaller Sqaure Gate making these types of moves way easy to pull off also I place this stick on a glass table when I play and it is like its glued to the table it does not shift and move around....

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I was looking for a secondary stick for when I have when friends come over to play or if I travel to someone's house and this stick fit the bill perfectly. I use a Hori Fighting Edge as my main stick, but it bulky and a little heavy so I rarely take it out of the house. The Fighting Stick Mini is small and light so it's easy to toss into a bag with a couple games, or store in a drawer when no one is using it.

You'd think with that with its small size the performance of the stick would suffer, but I find this stick performs very well! The buttons work fine, although it took me a couple rounds to get used to the smaller layout, but the stick is very responsive and I have no trouble pulling off any moves with it. It's also a very comfortable controller to use despite its size. I find it works better if you play on the table or put a board or book in your lap to create a solid surface though. It's light but the build quality is good and doesn't feel cheap. It also has some turbo features that can come in handy if you use it to play shooters and some arcade games although I never use them for fighting games.

Overall a really cool little stick that is portable and easy to store yet packs the punch of its bigger brothers. Great to have if you need a spare stick for multiplayer, or if you want a nice little stick but don't have the space or budget for something bigger.

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This thing is tiny like its almost the same size as both of my hands. Its built with Hori parts which don't feel cheap but you wont be modding it any time soon. The buttons feel reactive and well built. They are small though maybe about the size of a nickel each The gate is a square gate but its a mini square made custom for this stick so it feels a lot like an octagonal gate. A lot of people think dragon punch motions are easy with this stick and I agree I used to play a friend who had multiple tes and could never dp as consistently as with this stick. Half and full circles on it are hell though. But its still a great beginner stick.

Pros

-Small/portable

-Decent parts

-Ps3/Pc compatability

-Decent length usb cable

-Guide button

-Turbo

Cons

-Small(you can bump your own hand, and like many other reviewers say it wont stay in your lap because of its light weight unless you place it on a surface)

-Small gate (Messed up a lot of inputs by thinking i had more room than I actually did)

-Very Hard to play on at times

-No cable compartment

-The no slip grips on mine dont really grip the table to prevent the stick from moving but some others might

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This is a great stick if you have not used one before and are unsure if you would want to use one for games. It lets you experience the feel and layout of upper level arcade sticks without the huge price tag. I have had mine for a few months and have found that I really like it and it made me enjoy fighting games so much more. The buttons have started to stick a little now but it still works, another reason why this is only good if you are unsure of an arcade stick. The buttons on this unlike other higher priced sticks are soldered on so you can't remove/replace them without know how to solder, so they are staying sticky for me since cleaning didn't work. I want to get more serious in games like SSFIV and Injustice so I am going to be buying a better stick soon. Bottom line, if you know you'll like a stick or are already into fighting games and want to advance on, get yourself a better stick, The madcatz have gone down in price to about 100 now so that isn't too bad. If you haven't used a stick before or are new to fighters, go ahead and get this stick but be prepared to buy another if you like it because this one might not last so long like mine.

Ones I am contemplating on(only $100 and have authentic arcade parts):

Mad Catz SoulCalibur V Arcade FightStick SOUL Edition for Playstation 3

Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick PRO Cross for Playstation 3

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Battlefield: Bad Company

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Sale Price: $27.22
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DICE Sweden has produced one amazing engine. They already have mastered the gameplay in past games. The new frostbite engine is as good as it gets for FPS. After playing for a couple of hours, it is impossible to play other FPS like COD4. Why bother to climb up to take down the sniper, when you can take down the tower with a RPG. There is no annoying boundaries, every thing can be opened up. When the map is not rigid it is lot more fun to play.

It is easy for anyone appreciate the video quality. Iam more amazed by the engines audio strength. Every gun, explosion, terrain sounds unique. Even the sound transition of passing vehicles in combat is reproduced impeccably.

The game is very accessible too. With lot of respawn points, it is easy to get along when you make a mistake.

I like the witty British/Swedish writing. Story line and the twist is very well handled. This game will be a strong contender for FPS of the year.

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Battlefield: Bad Company is a fun game to play. Right away I noticed the game has probably the best sounds of combat I have ever heard in a game. From the sounds of weapons firing to the sounds of armored vehicles running, the game is great to listen to. The sounds of mortar shells coming down and exploding around you is just unbelievable. When I walk through forests and fields, I can actually hear the sounds of birds chirping, dogs barking, and cows mooing.

The graphics in the game are just great too. I love looking at the water in streams and rivers. It looks very real. The forests and villages in this Eastern European setting are really beautiful to look at in this game.

I like how you can jump in different vehicles to drive around in and there is a car radio in the vehicle to listen to while you are driving around. There are several different radio stations to listen to. I love the music in this game.

The AI in this game is pretty smart. When enemy soldiers see me, they immediately run and hide behind something. They have try to out flank me and they have tried to sneaked behind me a few times. I love the part where a enemy soldier runs into a building to hide from you and you can use your weapon to blow a good size hole into a building to waste the enemy soldier. It is also so much fun to just take your weapon and shoot down all the trees that enemy soldiers are hiding behind. You can do so much damage to the terrain with your weapons in this game.

The maps to this game are huge. The maps are ten times bigger than the maps to Call of Duty 4. I love the sandbox settings to this game where you can go any where on the maps.

I highly recommend getting this game. Battlefield: Bad Company is a fun game to play and the game has a lot of replay value to it.

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I heard this was going to be great, so I got it right away. I'm pleased to report it is as fantastic as people expected. You can destroy everything in your sight! You can drive tanks and jeeps and helicopters, everything. The online mode is smooth and easy compared to MGS4. Makes COD4 seem dumb for not having rumble, destructible environments or vehicles. There's going to be a lot of action on the Bad Co servers this summer! Get in on it!

01/01/09: I have to say, I have gotten a bunch of games since this one, and I had a lot before I got this one. I have 11 or 12 games for PS3. Hands down, this is still my favorite game and I highly recommend it at this new low price. This is the BEST game for PS3 and you must have it. Do not hesitate. You couldn't spend $30 towards your system and get more for the money! I still have not played the actual game portion of this. I play ranked quickmatches and that's so satisfying I haven't even tried the story. Also, they added a capture the flag type multiplayer version to it and I haven't even tried that! The ranked quickmatch is worth the money alone. This game is awesome. Get it!

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Comparing BBC and COD4 is closer to apples and oranges, but because they are both military shooters, they will be compared constantly. The truth is, they are both great games.

Here is my take on Battlefield Bad Company:

BBC has a great use of vehicles, they fit the battlefield well, are not too powerful and are fun to operate. The only one that doesn't work well for most people is the chopper it takes forever to master.

All of the classes are fun to use. The sniper in COD4 is frustrating and on some boards is just about impossible to use. BBC makes sniping fun again.

The single player game is awesome in a completely different way than COD4. It is laugh out loud funny and simply a blast to play, blowing everything in sight up without constantly worrying about how much ammo you have. It is much more fun than realistic.

BBC Multiplayer places a greater emphasis on teamwork. It may sound silly, but the support role, the dependance upon others for a ride to the fight, and how the roles mesh together make for a much more rewarding experience when it clicks. If however you are thrown in with a bunch of newbies who don't know how to play in a team, it can be frustrating. Once I was on a team of 12 and I counted 7 snipers on one board. No one was attacking the crates. But as people start to get the feel for it, it gets more and more fun. I actually listen for the support guys to yell, "Here, patch yourself up!" and start looking around for the kit. Also, I have scored very high scores by just playing the support role and fixing vehicles and being a medic. The cool thing is that you can pass out first aid, then raise a heavy machine gun and finish off guys to boot. Awesome stuff.

Additionally, the battelfield atmosphere is outstanding. The buildings and such are nowhere near as detailed as COD4, but when artillary strikes come down around you and you lose your ability to hear and focus, but find a hole or corner to hide in to ride it out, there is no doubt that combat must be similar to that.

A couple of real challenges that I wish had been addressed. There is only one multiplayer mode with two sides. Attacker and Defender. There are several maps, but most of them feel very similar. I wish there were some deathmatch modes, or other creative match structures. Rumor has it that they are releasing a new game mode later this summer. So we'll see.

Another thing is that while the grenade launchers are awesome to blow holes in things, they are worthless for trying to kill guys. I realize that they couldn't make the grenade launcher too powerful, but you should be able to take guys out with it. I have occasionally landed one perfectly, but usually it is only good for light vehicles or taking out walls.

The final problem is that there is no split screen or co-op mode. I love in COD4 to take on my son head to head. Sometimes we even just run around in the maps looking for nooks and crannies to hide in. But in BBC, that isn't available. Hopefully in the future, co-op mode will just be a given in military shooters.

This game is a must buy for shooter fans. The single-player game is worth the price, but the multiplayer is where it shines. I love both COD4 and BBC. To only choose one of them would be to rob yourself of the other. If you love military shooters, these two are both great.

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I consider myself a casual gamer growing up playing Super Nes, Attari, and Genesis. And never thought I would be writing a game review. But I have felt compeled after playing Battlefield Bad Company for PS3 for the past three months. Bad Company is the most fun and addicting game I can remember. The multiplayer is unbelievable and the new 1.20 upgrade has really perfected the games graphics and gameplay. Being able to blow up and change your enviroment is really cool.

The game is underated. I have owned Call of Duty 4 and Far Cry 2, these games haven't come close and I have since sold them and have gone back to playing Battlefield Bad Company. I don't consider COD4 the game of the year.

I can't wait for the PS3 sequel. The best thing I can say is if you are looking to buy a holiday gift or a birthday gift this game would be a great for a gamer.

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Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Skin (PS3 Slim) - NEW - BRUSHED GOLD system skins

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Not worth the money. Looks cool, but if you accidentally rub any of the corners, the skin will start to peel off and it looks cheap and crappy after a while. Too much money for a low-quality product.

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Its a really nice product. the only flaw ive found is its very difficult to put on... and it doesnt look ANYTHING like the picture.

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Nba 2K8

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $9.99
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Finally got my fix of basketball. Realistic yes, this is much more realistic compared to Live08 on Wii, even with the motion control on Wii.

Is it worth the $60?

1. Much improved graphics. The motions, shots, falling on the ground, all looks and feels real. Huge improvement on the arena & crowd.

2. Controls are very tight, which is always important for sports games.

3. Camera angels wow there's a ton of em, too many to count.

4. Addition of dunk contest

5. Addition of little things like player option on contract, training camp points, player emotions, it's like fun little side quests on RPGs. You don't have to mess with it, but it's a great diversion.

Just a few complaints

1. Controller setup there's literally no variation now.

2. Manual $60 for the game, please give us a little thicker manual with more content.

3. For new comers there isn't any training or explainations, if you haven't played any of the 2k bb series, might take a while to learn it.

For the BB fans, we gotta get the new version every season. There isn't many simulation choices out there. You've got Live, 2K, NBA by sony These last few years, Live has been going down hill, though Wii motion is kinda fun, it does get old and tiring. NBA by sony, played the 2007 version, that was beyond bad. Have to 2K would be the preferred choice for a BB fix.

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First off, I have ALWAYS been a strong supported of EA SPORTS games all across the board -until now. My friend has NBA LIVE 08, which is a good game in its own right, but NBA 2K8 BLOWS ITS DOORS OFF!!!!

Here's how it is better:

* The graphics are much better than LIVE 08 you really feel, more than any other basketball game, that you are watching (participating!) in a REAL NBA game!

* The play mechanics are flawless. (One of my buddies complained about not having a 'dunk button' (in 2K8, square is used for ALL shooting, whether it's for a jump shot, a layup, or a dunk). But the shoot button is flawless and also prevents you from doing something that happens to everyone at some point in NBA Live inadvertantly hitting the dunk button when you're trying to shoot a 3-pointer).

* The features are AWESOME the Dunk Contest and 3-Point contest are great fun especially if you're having a party!

* The multiplayer is incredible fun. I played an amazing game with 3 friends, doing a little two-on-two.

* The added little touches are A+++: The mascots, the cheerleaders, and GET THIS -a REAL TIME scoreboard that posts score of REAL LIFE sports and carries off-the-wire sports news!!

Again, I reiterate that I've always been in EA Sports' corner until now. I will also say that I bought EA Sports NHL 08 for PS3, and that blows the doors off of NHL 2K8.

So if you want a great hockey game, buy NHL 08. It is the best hockey ever. And if you want to play the hands-down BEST basketball game made for any system EVER, buy NBA 2K8.

Don't believe me? RENT IT AND YOU WILL SEE AND THEN RUN OUT AND BUY IT!!!!!!!!

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Having just received my new PS3 I was excited to play this game. Although I still can't get my HDMI to work, the graphics are stunning. I found the gameplay to be difficult but very realistic at first, then easier to get used to. The bad part is its shortcomings such as continous shoddy defense get annoying. Overall, here are the highs and lows.

Graphics 10/10: The graphics even without my HDMI working still look perfect.

Animations 6/10: This game has realistic animations, but not enough of them. Players will do the same dumb falling motion when they get the ball stolen while driving. If you attack the basket at about a 45 degree angle with the defender running parallel it always gets blocked with the same animation. Players sometimes won't recognize defenders in there face and will put up a soft lay-up that is easily blocked in front of the basket.

Fun 9/10: This game still has the monster arcade style dunks but has much more realism. Its cool to watch signature styles of players you see on tv in real life.

Offense 9/10: Not enough animations hurts offense, but the wide variety of plays are helpful. Players don't run the pick and roll that effectively, but they will cut to the basket and get open jumpers. Scoring in the post is too easy, but thats mainly because of defense.

Defense 5/10: The defense really bogs down this game. First of all, help defense doesn't seem to exist very often. Its almost impossible to contest an inside shot without fouling someone. Post defenders, even players with a 99 in that category, will let players like Dwight Howard establish deep position without a contest. The CPU makes too many of its inside shots to off-set these shortcomings, I often have to handicap them.

Depth 10/10: Many gameplay modes, with association being the best, team chemistry and scouting adds more realistic depth. Tons of plays and player tendencies. Many customizable features and game sliders to adjust the difficulty to your choosing. Game sliders can off-set game problems such as bad defense.

Overall 9/10: Even with poor defense, 2k sports still made a good attempt at this game. With some improvements this could be the cream of the crop of basketball sims. I would definately buy this game especially since its dropped to .

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I've been a NBA Live fan for a couple of years but after a friend told me about this games I decided to do some research on Youtube to see what the gameplay was like. Soon after comparing two games, NBA 2K8 had won me over easily. The movements in the game are great, exacty what you would expect in a real NBA game. The AI in the game is also good because each team has their own style of play that you have to adapt to. Pretty much every feature you want in a basketball games is included. Online gaming is great very easy to use. Great all around game.

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If you're going to buy one basketball video game, this should be it. I can't believe users are even comparing this game to EA's Live 08. It's not even close. 2K8 is a significant upgrade over 2K7, and Live 08 is still playing catch-up and has a long way to go. Download and play the 2 demos first and you'll quickly see which is the better game.

NOTE: I omitted Sony's entry, NBA 08, from the discussion because it's unacceptably horrible for Next-Gen.

Here's a quick breakdown of 2K8:

PROS

1) Graphics are fantastic. The animations are buttery smooth and this is the part of the game where 2K8 outshines Live 08. The players in Live 08 seem to move in a very clunky fashion. Just to give you an example in 2K8, players' momentum often carries them forward, so when they change direction, you can literally see their weight shifting and it takes a split-second for them to begin heading in a different direction it's very lifelike.

2) AI is excellent the game is challenging on the default level fast-break-oriented teams like the Suns are tough to keep up with, even with good teams like Garnett's Celtics!

3) Controls are easy-to-learn and very responsive. The SIMAXIS approach to shooting free-throws seems improved and more responsive.

4) Dunk contest Jump over chairs, cars, and other objects that you can have placed on the court. Use legendary dunkers like Dominique Wilkins, in addition to rookies like James "Flight" White.

5) Playground ball it's not quite NBA Street Homecourt, but being able to play everything from 1-on-1 to 5-on-5 on the blacktop is a nice bonus.

CONS:

1) As mentioned by others, the instructional booklet is thin on content, so you end up reading a lot of the instructions on the TV screen. It helps to have a reasonably large HDTV, as well, because the instructions are not that easy to read on a standard TV.

2) Missed layups I'm on the fence with w/this recurring complaint that other users have. Basically, it's tougher to make shots in traffic, even if they are just layups/short jumpers, but at the end of games, you'll see that FG%s are kept within reasonable ranges, just like in the NBA.

SUMMARY:

EA may dominate in football with Madden 08 and boxing with Fight Night Round 3, but basketball (and ice hockey) still belong(s) to Take-Two. I strongly recommend NBA 2K8 for both casual and diehard basketball fans and think it's one of the top sports games for all consoles. It's got a lot of different game modes, but the core game will keep you playing for hours. Pick a copy up and I hope to play with many others online!!

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