Music Reviews

Nascar Heat 2 is a great game. Just having the 4 series alone is awsome but the game play is quite impressive with the full field of cars. I enjoy the first Heat game more just because it seemed more realistic but either one of these games out shines the annoyances of Thunder a game which lacks realism. Until EA can get their sports games back on track Ill stick with Infogrames.
The games misfortunes are with the full field of cars. Only 25 or so are real Winston racers. The rest are just fill-ins which is understandable since some Nascar teams have a licensing deal with EA probably. And like I said, the game just isnt as realistic or fun as the first game.
(why would Harvick be in the truck series? He ran two or three races this year. Theres quite a list of more impressive drivers who they could have put into the truck series.)

I've been playing video games all of my life, racing games the most. I must tell you that Dirt to Daytona is one of THE BEST racing games I have ever played. This game is a solid 10!! I give two thumbs up to Infogrames. Nascar Heat was a great game that needed just a little bit more to make it a ten. The guys at Infogrames made all the right corrections and have what I feel is a must have for any body who loves racing and racing games as much as I do. The game packs in so much information with the 4 different divisinos of NASCAR that I thought the speed of play would be lacking or that details would be left out; giving us a poorly developed game. I'm very happy to see that this did not happen and that game play, especially with the 43 car Winston Cup field, did not suffer one bit. I would recommend this game to anyone. Thanks Infogrames for taking the time to make such an awesome product! Great job!

This game has the potential to give you a wonderful delight, especially if you have time on your hands. I went from nobody to the top in approximately 5 months. Awesome game would recommend to all NASCAR fanatics.

I personally cannot wait until this game comes out, I have been seeing tons and tons of articles saying that with the success that the Sonic Heroes engine had on GCN, they are going to try it out on the GBA. I have never played Sonic Advance 1 or 2, but I have played the older Genesis and the new GCN ones, but this is goiong to be a classic if it uses the same engine as Sonic Heroes. June 18 is too long to wait!

Sonic Advance 3 is a great sequel to the hit game Sonic Advance 2.In this game you play as a team of 2 and you can choose thier type between Speed,power,and flight.Each character has different abilities for each type that there is.The graphics are very impressive and the level design and some of the best music from the series makes one awesome Sonic game.

The title says it all!!!!!!!!

Coming from someone who spent lots and lots and lots of time playing the excellent Gallop Racer 1 and owns both games... at best, Gallop Racer 2001 is a disappointment. The overall graphics of the Playstation version were more impressive for the system, especially now since 'in the strech' the background now blurs instead of the horse actually moving faster, so you don't get the feeling of rallying and leaving the pack as much, the center of focus is the jockey's overly rounded and large behind, but the backgrounds are cleaner and more crisp. The new betting mode is a flop since it can only be used when you watch a race, and only first player can bet, and scores aren't cumulative or able to be saved. Tecmo has also given it a very Japanese game feeling with the addition of the completely unnecessary navigator girl. The only improvement is buying a horse in season mode, since you can now specify the charateristics you want. Congrats, Tecmo! This is the biggest system switch-over/sequel tragedy since Tecmo Bowl came to Playstation. Lesson learned: Avoid Tecmo sequels like horror film sequels.

Gallop Racer 2001 is a great gam that is very addicting. It's a game where u can buy it and have fun all day long right from the start. A very fun game for those who enjoy trying new games and dont mind intersting challenges. With different levels, a variety of horses, and the ability to breed ur horses, the game keeps going. Try it and also buy Gallop Racer 2003. Both games are worth it.

Just a note on my reviews. I reserve 5 stars for only perfect games. This one is close. The first entry of this series which used the PS1 as the platform was certainly enjoyable. One aspect of the first Gallop Racer that was certainly friendly but curious, as it defied the laws of physics, was that no matter how wide you took your thoroughbred on the turns, you would never lose ground. This is not the case with Gallop Racer 2001; how wide you take the turns can turn a win into a place or show. Of course with the PS2 platform the graphics are massively improved. The audio is great; if you're in heavy traffic your controller starts to shake from all the hooves beating the ground around you. The replay function gives you the opportunity to watch your greatest victories from the stands. The breeding option in the game lets you develop the next thoroughbred legend. The Triple Crown series is not at first on the schedule of available races, but the three jewels can be unlocked by winning a certain race in the winter session. There are other enjoyable aspects of the game that I didn't mention, but the above list are the main good points.
Of course I did not give this game five stars, so there are some criticisms. The main criticism has to do with the shops where you purchase new thoroughbreds for your stable. There are about ten different shops that you gradually unlock as you win more and more races, but once unlock a new shop, only a small fraction of the shops offering is available each month. And if there is a certain horse you know you want, you could wait awhile before it comes back. I really wish there was some sort of auction function for purchase of new throroughbreds, but that may be just over the horizon. One other bit of unrealism to note; the jockeys are glued to the horses backs. No amount of jostling or bumping will result in a tumble. Just another aspect that can be found in more recent horse racing offerings.
These small criticisms do not change the fact that this game is worth the money and has hours of replay value. Thoroughbred fans will love it. Thoroughbred neophytes just might become fans after playing it.

For all you crazed fast paced race nuts out there this game rules!!! I can tell you one thing there is never a dull moment, a little hard to just move right through, but if it was'nt then it would really be boring. anyway! the graphics could use some tightening up,but it's bad as ... exciting and well worth it race nuts.The thing that really made me jump was the totally sick stunts,the massive air you get and the combinations of stunts you can pull off not to mention the non stop action, I have MX 2002, I tried MX Superfly not bad, but no different than MX 2002 don't waste the money still not bad but a little too stiff to corner and as slow and as boring Freekstyle blows it out of the water hands down!!!!!!!!!!

finally, a motocross game that is fast and fun! it feels like you are going 200 mph! i've played all of the others and they were slow and ugly expecially the carmichael mx games. the graphics are rad, probably the best i've seen on my ps2. freeksytle was a blast from the start. the characters were funny - deegan rulez and leeann is hot!

go out and get your own copy or you will miss out on the best moto racing game ever!

I borrowed my friend's GB Copy, And LOVED it. So about 6 Months later, I bought the PS2 copy. I got it and tryed it out, but it wouln't load! So I took a paper towel and wiped it down, popped it, and it worked like a charm! Loved it ever since.

Okay, i got this game unexpectedly for my birthday and i can't thank my parents enough now. instead of getting me nhl 2004, they got me this. this game is wayyyyyyyy better. the graphics are great, the gameplay is much more fun, and this game is much more realistic, even though that may sound wrong seeing as this is part of the hitz series. they improved this game and made it very real, with the exception of some monster hits which just add to the fun factor. all the rosters are updated, including hasek on the wings and there are two differnet franchise modes. one you can do a fantasy draft or pick an existing them and play with them, and the other you take a team that is almost like a minor league team and win a certain amount of games then get invited to the pros. both modes are very in depth with trading and free agency, unlike previous midway games. Overall, if i could, i would give this game a 10 but ill just have to give it 5.

Hola boys and girls,

Here's the deal, Hitz is the best hockey game on the market. Let me tell you why. Being a huge hockey fan (Go Avalanche!) for a number of years I have always checked out each new hockey game to come along. EA was doing good until the last 3 years and now they're franchise has gone down the tubes. ESPN has an alright game, but there is only a certain amount of realism that I care to digest. I play hockey games because they're fast, hard hitting, and damn fun.

With that in mind, Hitz is the best franchise around. You get extremely hard hitting (I love knocking players through the glass), nice physics, great competition (depending on what difficulty setting you have it on), and now we have 5-on-5 hockey. What's not to like about this game?

A lot of people have claimed that the hitting has toned down. What?!?! My friend and I got 333 hits in one game, that's not toned down. The fighting system is a little on the crappy side of things, but it's bearable. EA has the best fighting system by far. There are a few glitches in the grapics every now and then, but nothing to worry about.

Online play is quite fun. The only problem with online play is beating the crap out of someone and then having them quit before the end of the game. The game lags a little when playing online as well, but it's also bearable. That's to be expected though.

Another issue I have with the grapics is the players' hair. What the hell is with their hair? Could they at least attempt to make the hair look realistic. Plus their faces look a little goofy at times.

Line changes are new to this year's edition, but I'm disappointed that you can't change on the fly. I would love to be able to have a nice flow to the game without having to freeze the puck so that I can change lines. That's a minor issue, but it's just something I would like to see changed.

Here's another big issue: what happened to the mini-games? Those were incredibly fun to play with my buddies. Now all you get is pick-up hockey which is okay, but it's missing something.

I'm glad that you don't have to stadiums before each game, that was pointless. Though I do miss being able to use snow. I know that it had zero affect on play, but I just love snow.

The AI has been changed for the better this year. I could be the crap out of the computer on All-Star in last year's game, but Legend is quite the challenge. I find myself having to come from behind, or going into overtime. Last night I won a game in OT and I was hootin' and hollarin' because I was so into the game. I love that. There are very few sports games that I'm able to get that involved in.

Fortunately your players can now get assists if someone scores off of the rebound. That's how it is in real life and I'm glad that they added that much needed bit of realism. My players could have had double their points last year from all the goals I scored off of rebounds.

Let's not forget the wraparound shot. Oh that is a grand new feature to this game. I love the ability to go behind the night and try and tuck it in-between the goalie and the post. I've scored a few goals from behind the net. The analog deke is also a great new feature. I love the ability to be able to create my own deke, instead of a spin.

One of my favourite new features is the fact that your teammates will deflect and dive for pucks. The computer has scored a bunch of my goals by lunging and knocking a loose puck in the back of the net; or they deflect a shot that's going top-shelf right through the goalie's five hole. It's just wonderful.

Franchise mode is still here this year and it's got some nice features. Though they really need to load that sucker up some more next year if they want to stay with the "competition."

Hitz is everything I wanted and more. I can't wait till next year's version comes out. To me this is the number one hockey franchise out there.

Thanks for your time.

Natural Joe

THIS IS THE BEST HOCKEY GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED SAME WITH MY FRIENDS

If you are looking for a realistic basketball game, NBA Inside Drive is NOT the game for you. It feels like an arcade game, and doesn't live up to the realism I enjoyed with Sega's NBA 2K3. This game, however, is fun to play for short spurts of time.

Some cons:

* Just about every play you can get a layup or dunk. If you just wait until the big man cuts, or get a fast player and run around enough to pick off your man, you can get in-close shots ALL THE TIME. In a typical game my team will shoot ~90%.

* The announcers SUCK. Seriously, of all the basketball games I've played, this is the worst and most annoying announcing. I play with the volume off. The announcers use terms and sayings I've never heard on the courts I play at, or on TV, like saying "Nobody does the vodoo like you do," after a good play. Or using the word "jimmy" as slang for a jump shot.

* The practice options are pathetic. You can go "practice," but all this amounts to is having ONE of your teammates work with the ball. In NBA 2K3, for example, they had practice where you could have your entire team out there, and call offensive plays to see how the players moved about and such.

* There are a lot of steals if you try interior passes. Virtually all the time they bullet the pass on in, and if a guy is fronting a player, he steals it. There's a button to lob in a pass, but I've found that it doesn't always lob it in, about half the time it bullet passes it in, resulting in a guaranteed turnover.

The game does have some pluses - it is fun, for a while. NBA 2K3 had some really annoying game play features that NBA Inside Drive doesn't suffer from.

I was a big fan of NBA 2k series and thought that would continue when the ESPN games came out. But being that this is an xbox exclusive I went with this and I can't believe how much better this game is than all the rest! NBA Live series I never liked and ESPN just seems outdated to me. This game is not repetitive at all! My team plays like my team, the teams I play against play like that team and my players play like they should! Dunks are always different, real time coaching is a great and I love CREATE YOUR OWN PLAYER! After you create your player put him on your favorite team and play! I don't know how any Xbox owner could get NBA Live or ESPN over Inside Drive! The only downfalls of the game is defense isnt as easy to play as offense and Shaq is on the cover, other than that the best NBA game out now! GET IT!

This is the best, most realistic basketball game I have ever played. It took a little bit to get used to it, but when you do, it is incredible.

Now you do not have to go to a dive bar or an airport arcade lounge to play your favorite 80s video games. I can still remember when PacMan was the talk of the town and you had to fight to get on a machine. This NAMCO compilation is good and will keep you and your guests entertained for hours upon hours of good clean fun. Where else can you get good clean fun these days? At the supermarket? I do not think so. The Ms.Pac Man segment is enough to keep you busy for days just trying to beat the game. Pole Position just is not Grand Tourismo, but it is still fun to blow up every time you touch a sign post. You will be happy you bought this game to take you back to the 80's.

Joseph Dworak

Why buy the new PS2 "Namco Museum" if you already have the original Museum games for PS1? The joystick support on the Dual-Shock controller. No more having to use the push-buttons. The difference in the steering-sensitive Pole Position, which now feels every bit as good as it did on the Atari 5200, is worth the price of admission alone.

Aside from seven of Namco's top arcade classics (Pac-Man, Ms Pac-Man, Galaxian, Galaga, Dig Dug, Pole Position, and Pole Position 2), you get three "Arrangement" variations on the classics. The "Dig Dug" and "Pac Man" Arrangement games are excellent and fun sequels to the originals that actually FEEL like the original games, something you don't see with the "modern" 3-D type games that use the namesakes of classics today (like Centipede, Frogger, and yes, Pac-Man World".) The "Galaga" Arrangement doesn't measure up, however. Also thrown in are "Pac-Mania" and the dreadful "Pac-Attack", which are unlocked after you score miniscule point goals on Pac-Man and Ms Pac-Man. There are no other extras, no images of game consoles, no other obscure titles.

Considering half of this compilation is devoted to the Pac-Man legacy and they still didn't cover all the bases, a nice idea for the "Museum" series might have been for Namco to release a "Pac-Man" compilation with every arcade version of the game that existed (adding stuff like Super Pac-Man, which was on the out-of-print Namco Museum 2, as well as the upgrade "Pac-Man Plus" that some arcades used in their Pac-Man machines) as a standalone, then another Museum collection for the others. It's not like there weren't more games that would have been nice in this compilation. Where's Xevious?

So all in all, it is a nice compilation to have, but don't plan on selling your PS1 Museum games. You're not going to find Toy Pop for PS2 anytime soon.

don't let the back of the box trick ya into thinking you are getting 10 classics and 3 new totaling 13 games it is 12 games 2unlockable games are realy additional levels to pac-man games but still fun. you get more if you buy the 3 seperate ps1 game volumes.

I've been playing Gladius for a little over a week now, and when I first began playing I could not put the controller down, after turning the game off last night I have not been able to bring myself to turn it back on. The gameplay is your normal stategy type RPG, the voice over acting is so bad it's actually funny. The fact is this game is not very challenging at all, as an avid RPG fan the fact that your charecters cap at level 13 is very frustrating. Random encounter are virtually non existent, One good thing about this game are the charecters each have there own distinct advantages and disadvantages, the skills are excellently done with one gripe that you can't unlearn any skills if you decide they stink which a few do, stay away from combo 1 and save for combo 2 you'll use that more often. Overall this is a fun game for about 30 hours of play it becomes extremely repetitive midway through.

Gladius plays on the popularity of Gladiator by bringing arena combat to the main console systems. It's not Rome this time, but a fantasy planet with good and evil.

I had originally played the Demo of Gladius on XBox and wasn't very impressed. Luckily they did make some solid changes to the game by release time to add to the interest factor.

There's a basic story of good and evil, with the Queen of the Valkries giving her life to slay the demon of chaos. There are also two human tribes, in essence the Vikings vs the Romans. When you begin the game you can choose to be a Viking woman or a Roman man, both strong, young warriors.

You work your way up through gladiator combat, which is the 'peaceful' way that the two tribes work out their aggressions now. You earn certificates in various areas to allow you to fight, and move through various stages of arena level. You build up your skills, gain team members, and learn more about the plot and the underlying good-evil conflict as you go.

The graphics are reasonably good, and I have to say, I'm actually impressed with the plot. It's not just "filler" for button-mashing combat. It really does give you a sense that these characters have dreams and worries, that they have friendships and that things affect them. The characterizations and voices were well done.

There is in-arena combat which is just fought until there is a winner, and out-of-arena combat where the fights are to the death. The locations do feel different from each other, and you get a sense of wanting to gain more reputation and explore your options.

I'm much more a real-time combat person myself - I love Dynasty Warriors 4 and Return of the King, for example. I felt sort of stifled by the turn based system, having to stop and wait for my turn to move on the grid and attack. But really, I love the Final Fantasy games and those are turn based. So it's something about the moving and fighting combos that just wasn't my style. People who are more into turn based will really love this game.

Highly recommended for turn based fans looking for a quality game!

Gladius is a turn-based tactical strategy game. That is, your gladiators and your enemies each take turns moving and attacking in a grid-based arena. Gladius is very deep and can be complex if one does not take the time to learn how to really play it. I had this game for a month before I really discovered how great a game this is. I would reccomend the strategy guide as well, to help you spend your gladiator's earned Skill Points more effectively.
There is so much customization and character development - it is great! The gold you earn from battles is spent on better Weapons, Shields, Armor, Helmets, and Accessories. The graphics are very good, and the "paper doll" representation of your character looks great as you try on all the different equipment. Just like in Japanese RPG's, your character stats change colors, red or green, to indicate if the equipment will help or hinder your chance of success in the arena. You can also customize the color of your character's hair, skin color, armor, and clothes. They also have four different styles of outfits you can choose from for each character - you can make all your gladiators the same color (i.e. team colors) or just make them all individually completely different. It's really cool.
As you earn more Experience, your Level or stats goes up - Hit Points(HP), Defense(DEF), Power(PWR), Damage(DAM), Accuracy(ACC), Initiative(INI), Constitution(CON), and Move Rate(MOV). As these abilities go up, the better your gladiator will perform in the arena. Different equipment will also change these a bit. For instance, a certain sword might increase your DAM by 2, but reduce your DEF by 1 which might be good for your offensive-heavy Samnite, whereas your Archer might prefer a weapon that increases ACC but decreases MOV, or whatever. That's just two examples, but the customization is limitless.

Your gladiators are divided into 5 classes - Light, Medium, Heavy, Support, and Arcane . Combat works on a paper-scissors-rock style. Light beats Heavy, Heavy beats Medium, Medium beats Light. Support and Arcane classes are best used from a distance (arrows and lightning bolts, obviously.) As you go up in Level, you also earn Skill Points. These are used to customize your fighters even more! Each character has dozens of different Skills to potentially learn, but you will never earn enough Skill Points to learn them all, so you must select few that complement the gladiator to your liking the most. Once again, I recommend the Gladius strategy guide to help you choose the best Skills for each Class - there are so many branches to develop your character, it can get daunting and hard-earned Skill Points unwisely spent.

The Swing Meter is what keeps the combat from getting boring and static. Just like in golfing games, it's a meter at the bottom of the screen. You have a normal hit(yellow), critical hit(red), and miss zone(blue). It's not too terribly difficult to score critical hits on a semi-regular basis, but it makes you pay attention and be involved in how your fighters do in battle. Enemy A.I. is actually OK. During the fights where the object is something other than all-out combat, (i.e. Points Battle, Barrel Break, Defend the Statue, or King of the Hill) the computer will do some dumb things, but during true battle the computer will stomp you if you don't employ the right tactics and appropriate gladiators (luckily, you can preview who your opponents will be beforehand, so that you may assemble your team with the best advantage.) You are the leader of a gladitorial School, so you are able to recruit a large variety of fighters to choose from.

This game is HUGE. It will take a long time to go all the way through it. You must travel with your School through 4 different lands and compete in numerous Leagues and Tournaments, with the ultimate goal of being able to take on the best Schools in the High Tournament in Caltha.
Each land you travel through (Nordagh, Imperia, Windward Steppes, and Southern Expanse) all have an average of 3 to 7 towns. In each town, there are numerous Leagues and Tournaments to compete in.

Please give this game a try. If you enjoy deep and involved games that can quickly consume hours of your free time, this is a game for you. I hope this game does well, so that we might be able to look forward to Gladius II.

This game was awsome!There was a lot of adventure.I never have gotten bored of it and I never will.I would give it a 10 star rating. I highly recomend this item.

The Hobbit video game for the GBA is very fun to play and its addictive. The graphics are excellent and the game-play is solid. The Hobbit for the GBA is a game that deserves a good five-star rating. I can never put this game down: its just so fun and addictive because of all the action, adventure, and fun!

If you own a GBA and are bored with the games that you have for it then buy 'The Hobbit'. This game is relaxing and very fun! The action and adventure in this game is very intense. If you like the 'Zelda' games then you'll love 'The Hobbit' for the GBA! There are plenty of enemies to fight, puzzles to solve, and one great quest to complete in this most exciting game so what are you waiting for?! Buy it now!

To be honest, when I picked this up, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'm not a huge fan of greek mythology, but it isn't like I think it's awful, either. Anyway, I loved the fact that nearly everything was interactive, that is to say, destructible. If it isn't nailed down, it's very likely you can destroy it.

This game isn't a one-trick-pony, though. The combat presents itself in three different styles that become available as you progress through the game.

The graphics are astounding, and the textures will simply take your breath away. All of the character models look good as well. Amongst the beautiful visuals lie many secrets and other unlockable abilities that aid you as you progress in the game (i.e. sliding, tackling, ect.)

The music definitely fits the atmosphere, and is some of the best compositions I've heard for a video game.

Where this game falls, however, lies in two places. The voice acting in this game is laugh-out-loud funny. I'd swear that they picked up the voice actors from a local McDonald's or something. The other pitfall is the cookie cutter story. Tell me if you've heard this, but it's a story where you save the princess from the bad, bad man! Quite original, huh?

That being said, I couldn't recommend this game more for action/adveture fans, but if you're looking for a deep storyline, look elsewhere.

Rygar: The legendary adventure puts you on the island of "Argus" where you set out to find & rescue the princess "Harmonia". I don't wana give too much away, but you will be fighting a bunch of really cool enemies & bosses with one of the coolest and original weapons too come along in video games in recent years. The "Diskarmor" (i think i spelled it right?). Well you should check out the game.....trust me this diskarmor is one [awesome] weapon! The atmospehere in the game is of greek mythology, so you can count this game has educational (not really). My only problem with the game was that it wasn't long enough....other than that, I think it's worth buying!

Rygar was a semi popular game for the first Nintendo system (very old). (I only put 5 stars because it's a required fill in, I have not heard anything about this game though so don't buy till you hear about this version. This review is for those who don't know what Rygar is).
People who are into games now probably have no idea what to expect so I'll briefly tell you what the old game was like.
Rygar is like a hercules type game character (or Strider from the Strider series).
The old game was fun because he had this really cool standard weapon that was like a flaming or lighting yo-yo (he slung it and it would come back to him), yo-yo sounds weak but the weapon was really cool looking.
You went through levels fighting enemies while acquiring more items that help you out through the game. Some are a cross bow that you would shoot arrows attached to ropes across cliffs to get to the other side, power ups, and I think there was a glider type item but I'm not sure (my brother said there was but I never got that far, I was only 6). The difficulty was enough to keep you from being disappointed.
I have not heard anything about this game but if it's based on the NES version, it should be very good.
Just wrote this to give you an idea of what it's about.