Music Reviews

OK, Konami has hit the spot one more time for me. I have been an avid gamer since the NES came out, and I tell you what, this game is intense. The first cool aspect is the graphics. The combination of cell shading, japanimation, and brilliant use of colors make this game both exciting and amazing. The control and gameplay is also intense, with the ability to target many enemies, upgrade your orbital frame, learn new moves and level up, there is non-stop fun from start to finish. I would however recommend purchasing Zone of the Enders first, due to the fact that this story follows closely after that of the first. Konami has compelling stories, and a very good way of keeping gamers buying entire series of games. However, they do give the option for the player to look at the previous story through video clips from the first game, so if you want to spoil the other one completely you can just cheat here.
2nd Runner is a superb game, and even though i have been playing video games for over 11 years, This one makes my hands cramp and my palms sweat. Very intense, very cool. Do not pass this one up

It's not to often that a game sequal comes along and almost blows away its predecesor in almost every catogory, especially when its ZOE(Zone of the Enders). ZOE1 was a great game, ZOE2 is a better game. It has everything that you wanted from ZOE that you didn't get and more(except game length). First off being the graphics, there just amazing. The explosions have a cool cell-shaded look to them that will blow you away every time you see them, along with great character anime. The 2nd runner also has much faster gameplay and increased game difficulty(just fight Anubis, you'll see what i'm talkin about). Another cool addition is the 2nd runner himself, Dingo. He's much, much different than the previous character Leo who was a whiney little who never wanted to involved. Dingo is mean, tough and one of the coolest characters i have ever seen(asid of Dante in DMC). Sure, this game took me 4hrs. to beat but thats not stoping me from playing the couple hundred extra missions that you unlock once you beat it, as well as the intense versus mode. ZOE2 is a great game and a must own for all you die hard mech fans out there. (If this review isn't convincing enough for you to buy it, than at least rent it. You'll see what I mean).

i love this game... even if it is easy after u beat the first... i love the graphics and the speed of the game the first was a classic this is just awesome. fun fun fun.

Hot Shots Golf 3, the sequel to the fun and accessible Hot Shots 1 and 2, is a very fun golf game, and easy for anyone to learn. Part of the reason this game is so appealing is that you don't have to be a master before you start having fun; Gran Turismo 3 was like that, and the first 10 hours with that game was a real struggle. With Hot Shots Golf 3, anyone can pick up a controller and quickly learn to play within 15 minutes. I even tried a round with my dad, and after playing a few courses, he was scoring par and birdie without much trouble.

However, it is not an easy game once you get going. The initial courses are fun and mildly challenging, but as the game goes along, the courses become (thankfully) harder. As goes usual golf gaming fair, there are a countless number of secrets and items to unlock. You can unlock secret clubs, characters, wallpapers and more by earning "Hot Shot" points while you play.

The only things that I didn't like about this game were the unorignal characters and the annoying sound effects. The characters are very stereotyped, as usual, and I would have preferred Sony to use the original Japanese characters.

Other than those two bad points, Hot Shots Golf 3 is a very fun golf game with a lot of longevity. There are plenty of secrets to unlock, six huge 18 hole courses to play on, and even internet scoring competition. While it's not wholly original (considering it's another sequel), it's a great accessible game, whether you're playing alone or with some friends.

I just recently got a PS2 about 2 weeks ago, after a 1 year break from video games. I remembered owning hot shots golf for psx, so when I saw Hot Shots Golf 3 at my local vg store, I had to have it. And HSG 3 does not dissapoint! This is in my opinion, the best golfing game for PS2, and for that matter, on any other system. I did my research and found that this game is actually better than all other licensed PGA golf games! Yea, it may not be realistic, but it's the fun factor that counts, and this game gets a 10 out of 10 for that. The graphics are nice, but could be better, and the controls are absolutely excellent and easy to understand and use. This game is great to play against friends in it's multi-player mode.....I just wish it was online, cuz that would give me a great excuse to by a broadband adapter internet thingy for my PS2. So, overall, I recommend this game to anyone who likes golf or sports or multiplayer fun.....or anyone who appreciates a good videogame!

I sold my PS2 last year for an XBox but I kept this game, slim chance that I got another PS2. I really missed Hotshots Golf 3. I would drink beer after work and play a round of 18. I missed it. I missed the bet that me and a buddy had for the first hole in one either of us would score. The bet was to do shots of whiskey in celebration. Neither of us ever had that whiskey until two weeks ago. With March Madness winnings I bought me a new PS2.

HSG3 is a golf game that doesn't take itself serious. The taunts are really funny and will be stuck in your head for days. The courses feel very lifelike, full of colors and unlockable animals, great weather effects. Since I sold my memory card last year, I am playing through the tourney mode, unlocking all the clubs and other goodies once again.

If you are looking for a serious golf game with collared shirt stiffs, this is not your game. The Power Meter system in this games works just fine for me, but I hear the controls in Tiger are really good as well.

I'm not a golfer and don't have any serious plans of ever becoming one. I've been on a golf course less times than I have fingers on my left hand. Don't even know why I actually ever bought this game, in all truth. Good reviews I guess, something different from all the action titles and RPGS out there. Not too serious a game if you don't want it to be, but the depth is there if you're looking for it; about 12 unlockable players, tourneys, unlockable clubs and courses. Great fun. ;o)

First of all you don't really need to play the first one in order to follow this one's story if you just pay attention to whats going on.

Gameplay- I would give the game play for this game a 10 out of 10. It is not really easy but they don't make it impossible to beat either. Sure you may get frustrated by some of the bosses but it's all worth it in the end.

Story- I would give the story for this game a 9 out of 10. Like i said befor you don't need to play the first one to understand megaman battle network 2. the only flaw in the story is the stuff that you constantly have to deal with you don't get much time to goof off on the game.

Sound- The sound isn't the greatest in the world but it is for GBA after all so i gave the sound for this game a 6 out of 10.

Graphics- I loved the Graphics for this game. It was exactly what I would have expected. The only thing I diddn't like was the graphics for megaman's attacks. They diddn't look the way you'd expect them to look. So thats why I gave the graphics for this game a 9 out of 10.

Replayability- I gave this topic a 7 out of 10. Why? Well the game is great fun the first time around but once you know what to do then it's not all that great. The only reason I had to play it again was to collect all 200 and some battle chips. (Megaman uses the battle chips to fight off viruses in the net and there are several different ones).

I would suggets that you buy this game over renting it because if you rent it then you would probably spend just as much money re-renting it if you wanted to beat it. It's just much easier to buy it.

OK for starters let me let you no i played this game for hours strait. OK now to the review.
in the year 20xx the whole world is connected on the net (kinda like the internet but kinda different). Everything even like phones and tvs and water coolers are connected to this. Then there's this net mafia, Gospel, who seems more like a terrorist orgainisation later on. Well anyways Gospel is going to destroy the whole world, real and virtual.
You take the role of Lan Hikari and his program, called a NetNavi, named Megaman.exe. Battles in this game are real time where you use weapons call Battle Chips. These battle chips, which there are a total of 260, do different attacks and each have a certain letter code. You can use as many as you want in one turn as long as they have the same letter code. For example you can use a Cannon A and Sword A. When battle starts you can use the chip with A and Fire your Buster Cannon with B. As you progress in the game you will get higher HP and get PowerUps which let you make your bustercannon stronger.
This game takes place both in the virtual world and real world. In the real world you can jack in, go into the item in the net, to nearly everything.
This game is not "kiddy" like the first one. It may seem so in the very beggining but after that your having to stop bombings, killings of all the Official Netbattlers, Destroying of Total Countries, and eventually save the whole world from being destroyed by a super navi and extreme radiation of like 600k times the normal amount.
This game is a great game but you might want to play the first even though it is "kiddy" and no where near as good, but you might not understand some things mentioned at the end of the second one.

I must say when i got theses game i was shaking. In this megaman adventure u get to have a style change. EVEN the bad guys r kool except airman. U even get to have way more battle chips then in megamanbn1. What mostly suks about these game is that u don't get to vs sharkman or woodman or even skullman. But in megamanbn2 u get to vs snakeman shadowman gateman and... i told u enough navis. U even get to go 2 netopia. it seems that bad navis is every where. The coolest navie of all time is bass. even though he was fake.

This game is really fun and cool. The storyline is great and it is pretty hard. It's graphics are excellent, and it has 3 bosses. This game ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

METROID: ZERO MISSION is a remake of one of the most popular games on the NES, METROID. Before I go into the specifics of why ZM is just a good and not a great game, this is a concise overview of ZM. It has a lot of great level design, but is much too linear, especially given the fact that it's a remake of METROID, the very epitome of free-form exploration. The game holds your hand way too much, and your path in gaining items feels almost predetermined. The game basically tells you where to go next.

In many ways ZM feels like a greatest hits package of sorts as far as gameplay goes. ZM incorporates elements from all the Metroid games, especially the SNES title. The original had only a limited amount of items; here, the inventory is very much enlarged. ZM feels like they took all the fun items from the previous intallments and threw them into the remake. There are several mini-bosses (the original has none), all sorts of powerups, cut scenes, new content (especially after you beat Mother Brain), and radically changed level design reflecting the new items. The new section, as far as I'm concerned, is quite frustrating and can be quite annoying. In the end, you feel like you are playing the original METROID through the spectrum of SUPER METROID.

In the end, do I think ZM is a good game? Yes. But I don't think it's as good as the original because it's much too linear, especially for a series whose hallmark is exploration. The game itself, while entertaining, does not hold true to the original, which is quite shocking since it is supposed to be an updated version. Nintendo doesn't give modern gamers enough credit in puzzle solving. Both METROID and ZELDA threw you into the game without much guidance, and you had to do what you can to discover where to go next. And that's what made the games so popular. Now Nintendo would never release a title like Zelda or Metroid without chozo statues that tell you where to go next or little faeries like Navi or the Wind Waker equivalent. And that's the saddest part about ZM. They may call it a remake, but all they did was enlarge the story, put in elements from the other titles, and hold your hand the whole way through. That's not what the original METROID is about.

P.S. The best thing about ZM is after beating it you unlock the original game.

(The above is the actual review of the game. I include this section because it further illuminates the changes made, detailing why ZM is such a different game than its predecessor.).

METROID, quite simply, was one of the most popular NES titles, starting a franchisee still alive and kicking today. Nintendo decided to reinvent the first METROID in a new game called METROID: ZERO MISSION. Is it a successful remake? Depends on your point of view. My belief is they botched this opportunity to remake the original METROID, and I'll explain why.

METROID, a first generation NES title, kept the story simple, largely due to technological reasons. Back in the early days, videogames were largely focused on gameplay, not story. Mario had to rescue the Princess. Why? A big reptilian monster captured her. The same with Link and Zelda. Gannon kidnaps Zelda, hides eight pieces of the Triforce, and you have to find them. The story operates as the necessary impetus to send you on your quest. METROID is no different. Not much of a story. But one hell of a game.

The simplistic stories of SUPER MARIO BROTHERS and THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, two vastly important titles, did not really have any real effect on subsequent releases other than establishing archetypes. Especially with SUPER MARIO BROTHERS, the gameplay takes precedence over paper-thin plots. As for Zelda, any series continuity becomes increasingly more difficult to maintain with each new release. In the end, supposedly, each LEGEND OF ZELDA (save for the first two, which has the same principal characters) stars a different Link, a different Zelda, and a different Ganon. I personally detest the 'multiple Link theory.' There are multiple Links is because it gives Nintendo's writing department (who don't have the best track record going for them) license to come up with any situation to star Link, Ganon, and Zelda without having to tie it into what went before.

METROID faces a different problem. Partly because there hasn't been nearly as many METROID games as the other two Nintendo franchises, METROID has a fairly stable storyline. Because the original is a first-gen NES game and has a very limited story, the events in the first METROID don't properly reflect why the writing department now wants to take the series. So what do we get? METROID: ZERO MISSION.

My belief is ZM simply exists to bring the story more inline with the series as it now stands. ZM ties the events of the first game (now rendered obsolete story-wise) succinctly to METROID PRIME. The best thing about METROID is that it doesn't hold your hand. It doesn't tell you where to go. Explore. That's the hallmark of a Metroid game. In ZM, they sacrifice the gameplay for the story. When I play through the original, I generally beat Ridley first. Now you can't. You have to beat Kraid, because Ridley has become more important than Kraid in subsequent releases. The backstory about Samus growing up on Zebes and being with the bird-race was included to bring the series together. I don't have a problem with tying up loose ins, but I do have a problem when you do it at the expense of what made the original so great to begin with. Much of the explorative challenge has been eliminated. And just about all of it is for the sake of the story as well as incorporating all the new items. That is what makes ZM a failure.

I became familiar with Metroid back in the Super Nintendo days, and have loved it ever since. Finding this new game (Metroid Zero Mission) was a great suprise.

It has all the fun the previous games contained. I must say that I was not disappointed.

However, one of the down points by gamers is that it is not difficult enough. For game players like me, it was a plus. My game playing skill level is not as good as a gamer, so the option of playing this fabulous game on an easy level was a great advantage for me.

The easy mode may also make it easier for younger players to enjoy a good Metroid adventure.

If in doubt, rent before you buy. Or check out your local library, that's where I found it.

I recieved Flight Simulator as a X-Mas gift . I installed it on my Pentium III 750MHZ 256SDRAM O/S Windows Me ATI RADEON 32MB Graphics PCI. It has never crashed my system yet , Iam confused with these reviews by people with Pentium 4 1.8 Gig systems with a ton of RAM saying that it crashes their system, they must not have something configured correctly. I gave the Simulator 4 stars because I believe it lives up to what it claims to be a good simulator with great graphics. My cons are the amount of hard drive space it takes up aprx. 1.6 gigs on my system with full install and if you just like to fly Iam sure you will love this simulator . I have a need for more action in a PC Game and find this one rather boring . If it wasnt for those 2 negatives, I probably would have given it 5 stars.

You wake up at the controls of a small airplane. You're engine is already humming, but the plane isn't moving - must be those parking brakes. You're parked at the back of a runway of a small airfield with just one runway. Off in the distance, a huge dark tower looms, piercing the sky. What could just be the start of a Steven King novel or an episode of "Twilight Zone" is just the latest and prettiest edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Those who've flown older versions of MSFS will know what to expect - better graphics and sound, a database of airports and airspace, more included aircraft, better looking aircraft for those you can add-on (using 3rd party files) and a customizable editor that allows you to choose where, when and how you will go, and what color 747 or F-16 will get you there. FS2002 also continues MS's tradition of incorporating features of 3rd party add-on software offered on older versions of FS. FS2002 comes with a speaking interactive ATC (though others had "added" ATC years ago) to go along with all of those verbal lessons (FS2002, like FS2000, comes with a speaking flight instructor, though the new one seems as prone to getting hung-up as the old one). The tweaked graphics engine seems to allow for more realistic texturing of airplanes (from the glossy finish of a freshly built Mustang to the flat black of an SR-71), and more acceptable realistic movement of animated flight-control surfaces, flaps and landing gear. In addition to exteriors, panels and flight models, add-on aircraft now have "effects" (contrails, afterburner). Ground texture is also improved over FS2000, making for much more convincing low-level flight. Instead of the stiff blue of the water in older versions of FS, rivers, seas and oceans have waves in FS2002, probably to highlight the inclusion of seaplanes.

One annoying detail - long load times. This is compounded by the fact that you can only change one aspect of a flight at a time (time of day, location, weather), requiring the program to reload the flight each time.

While nothing will rock your socks off in FS2002, it's a solid and enjoyable sim that allows itself to be pretty much what the individual user wants it to - from an entry-level sim to a challenging one. I ran this program smoothly on my P4 (2ghz) w/WinXP & a Geforece3 card. I had planned to hold off on FS2002 since I already had FS2000, but I'm glad I got it nevertheless.

If you run out and get this program thinking your getting a game your wrong. This is a flight Simulator and that is what you get. If your a pilot or an aspiring pilot and want to get some practice flying or try out what it takes to fly an aircraft this is a good way to find out. I've run this program on my PIII 1.1 GHZ WIN-XP laptop with 512 MB ram and 32 MB graphics card as well as a Celeron 1.2 GHz 256 MB ram and integrated 11 MB graphics and it has performed well on both systems. Have even flown between the two systems over my home lan with great ease. This program is much better with a flight stick and is rather difficult to attempt with a keyboard. I use a MS Sidewinder force feedback 2 stick and it works great. Program is a hard drive hog on full install though using up 1.7 Gig per system. Thankfully Microsoft does not make you have a CD in the computer to run the program so you don't need to have the software handy after install. Overall I think it's the best SIM out there besides MS FS2004. If you're looking for a game look at Combat Flight Simulator 2 or some other shoot-em up game.

I bought my first FS software to fly the number one freeware aircraft simulator on the Internet - The TR-3B Flying Triangle. I flew fighters for the Air Force in late Vietnam, specifically the F-111 and am rated commercial also. The TR-3B Flight Simulator for Microsoft's Flight Sim, is based on the writings, lectures, and TV interviews of Edgar Fouche who wrote "Alien Rapture." (See amazon)

Why? This is what the genius who developed it wrote: "For the experienced flight simmer on FS2002 PRO, I have developed this complete exotic amphibian TR-3B package, which is now available as freeware for download. It includes 3 models - the purple Astra, blue Locust and white Hellas - and as an extra 4th model the TR-3X with its own speedy attacker flight dynamics. The package includes TR-3B panel & gauges, noise cancellation sounds, fsuipc and special lights effects.

This TR-3B is a heavy tactical reconnaissance aircraft equipped with a magnetic field disruptor that reduces the weight by 89 percent (it is not the same as anti-gravity, though). It has been created for Microsoft Flight Simulator. All gauges are included.

The TR-3B can float like a speedboat at Mach 1.5 over water, fly like a heavy helicopter, like a bush plane, a business jet, like a military jet and lift like a rocket. Cruise speed is approx Mach 4.7 at FL340 and above, and approx Mach 2 at sea level. Service ceiling approx 69,000 feet ASL. Super stable. FSFREEWARE, SURCLARO, FSPLANET aircraft simulator sites have reported as many as 5000 downloads in one week!
I searched and read many many web pages about his book and the author, Edgar Fouche including; startfinish(put in the dot com.)biz/wise Click on links for Fouche and Flying Triangle. You will find his full presentation, and the download links for the TR-3B. Great Top Secret aircraft simulator which I recommend, and fantastic details on it. So try some of the free aircraft simulators instead of the poorly designed Lock On: Modern Air Combat.

This game is amazingly EASY. Save yourself the cash and rent it for a couple bucks if you really want to try it.

...THIS GAME IS SWEET THE GRAPHICS ARE OUTRAGOIUS GAME OF THE YEAR FOR ME EVERYONE ON TV AND ROOMERZ SAY THIS GAME GETS A 10 I PLAYED IT IT GETS A 10 FOR ME NEW CAMERA ANGLES NEVER SEEN IN A GAME BEFORE GOOD JOB PRINCE OF PERSIA DO SLOW MOTION FIGHTING WALK OVER WALLS THE GAME IS SOO SWEET I NEVER HEARED A BAD THING ABOUT IT YET...GRAPHICS: GETS A MAGNIFICENT 10 THIS GAME HAS THE BEST GRAPHICS OF 2003...SOUND: AWESOME SOUND GETS A 9 WELL ITS LIEK PRINVE MUSIC WHAT DO YOU EXPECT GET LOW!!...>CONTROLS: GREAT CONTROLS THEY GET A 9.5 I WAS EXPECTINE VERY BAD CONTROLS BUT THEY WERE GREAT!! V1 NAAAAA

CONCEPT: YOUR THE PRICE OF PERSIA SEARCHING FOR THE SANDS OF TIME WHICH MAKES YOUR GO IN SLOW MOTION AND REWIND TIME FOR EXAMPLE YOU DIE USE THE SANDS OF TIME AND REWIND TIME AT LEAT 5 TIMES AND RESTART AND TRY TO BEAT WHAT YOU GOT KILLED ON!

REPLAY VALUE: UM A AWESOME 9: YOU WILL BE PLAYING THIS ALLT HE TIME THE TV SAID HOW RE YOU GONNA PLAY ANOTHER AGME AGAIN ME I SAY THATS A LIE THE GAME SORTA GETS BORING AFTER AWHILE THATS MY OPNION...

Talk about a brilliant implementation of time technology, plus stellar graphics and motion animation. This is a showcase for the great achievements gaming has made.

Other time-involve games either jumped years forward or back in time, or used cheezy VCR symbols to handle your time changes. In Sands of Time, it's extremely easy to use and VERY handy. You fall off a ledge? Just slide back in time a bit and try again!

The graphics are just amazing. The character moves fluidly, and the combat sequences look like a well animated movie. The character can run along walls, do back flips, climb poles, leap chasms, and much more. When he runs along a wall and passes a banner, the banner ripples in the wind. The attention to detail - from shadows to textures to torches flickering and water rippling - is just amazing.

Part of the game is slaying your enemies in new and interesting ways. But part is negotiating the terrain and figuring out how to get to the next area. Some of the puzzles are straightforward - run along the wall, jump up the ledges. But others are far more devious and require a lot of thought to get through.

There are many great releases out right now that we are enjoying greatly, but Sands of Time is the one that always draws the most fascinated reactions from friends. They comment constantly on the graphics, animation and gameplay while we move from scene to scene. It's like poetry in motion. And it's fun.

Highly recommended for someone who is looking to really enjoy the game as a visual feast while reaching their goals.

What would you do if a mysterious martial artist appeared one day, killed your father, and stole your father's mysterious mirror? Well, you would surely go after the mysteriuos man, wouldn't you? Well that's exactly what Ryo Hazuki does in Shenmue's plot.

Shenmue 2 is the sequel to one of the ill-fated Dreamcast's gems, Shenmue. The story follows Ryo (that means YOU) after departing for Hong Kong, following the trail of Lan Di, the man who killed your father. The game takes you from Wan Chai and Kowloon in Hong Kong to Guilin, China, where you have to gather clues and information which will get you one step closer to your final showdown with Lan Di. While newbies to the gaming world may find it too slow and kinda boring, old school and serious gamers will overlook it's flaws, only to find that this game is far deeper and better than most games out there.

Graphics-4.5 out of 5: while the graphics took only a little step forward from the Dreamcast's, they still look awesome. The attention given to every little detail such as streets blooming with people and the city landscapes is simply amazing. Shops you'll encounter throughout the game are filled with every little detail, and look like real world shops; and the beautiful nature landscapes you'll see later in the are simply breathtaking, though the characters sometimes look a bit boxy.

Sound-4.5 out of 5: the game's music has benn finely composed, from classic oriental music, to even techo at certain times, The voice-overs are well done, though Ryo's voice could use a bit more personality, and sometimes the voices sound a bit muffled.

Control-4 out of 5: this is the game's most noticeable fault, you'll notice moving around is a bit cumbersome, though the rest of the controls are great. Your item management is very practical, and it's very easy to consult it. The battle control (courtesy of Virtua Fighter's Yu Suzuki) is the best, and now besides the free battles, there're also QT battles, a nice addition to the game.

Fun-4.5 out of 5: the gameplay certainly delivers, it's simply fantastic living Ryo's life, and there are tons of things to do in virtual Hong Kong, you can get a part-time job, gamble, buy useless (but fun) ...., and even play classic arcade game. Great gameplay, graphics and sound make this one of the best games for the Xbox. The combination of adventure, fighintg, and RPG element's make Shenmue 2 a great addition to your Xbox library, please don't miss it.

What's the deal? All those years of hype for the Dreamcast one and this is the best they could do for a sequel? I never played the Dreamcast game, but I did watch Shenmue: The Movie (free with this game) when I bought Shenmue II. The cutscenes were stupid and extremely poorly acted, but I wanted to understand the story before going in.

Anyway, this game begins with Ryo Hazuki (the dorky main character) getting off a ship in Hong Kong. You take a few steps, and there's a cutscene. A few more steps, another cutscene. It's not that bad, I thought; they're just helping me get into it. But the cutscenes happen way too frequently. They're still stupid and poorly acted (with ugly characters), and most of them serve no purpose. The entire game feels like five minutes of gameplay stretched out to 40 hours; it sort of goes along these lines:

Cutscene #1: "Before I can give you this, you need to get me something."
Gameplay: Walk to the next location.
Cutscene #2: "You want that? I don't remember where it is."
Gameplay: Ask people where the thing is.
Cutscene #3: "Oh, I know where it is. So-and-so has it."
Gameplay: Ask people where so-and-so is.
Cutscene #4: "Oh, I know where he is. But he won't see you until you get such-and-such."
Gameplay: Get the thing.
Cutscene #5: Ryo - "Here's the thing, So-and-so-san. Can I have the thing I'm looking for?" So-and-so - "Here it is, but you won't be able to give it to that other person until you have it translated."
Gameplay: Ask where the translator is.
Cutscene #6: Translator - "I don't understand this dialect. Try talking to Bob the Translator."
Gameplay: Ask where Bob is. Fight someone to find out.
Cutscene #7: Bob translates the thing. You can take it back to the person who wanted it.
Gameplay: Take the translated object to the person who wanted it.
Cutscene #8: "Oh, this is the wrong thing. I wanted the blue one."
Gameplay: Ask where the blue one is.

...and so on. Everything is stretched out so far it's not even funny. The fighting isn't bad, but it's kind of simplistic and you don't really need more than a couple of moves to win.

Graphics are ugly. Everything looks Dreamcasty (it was in development for Dreamcast originally) and animates awkwardly. Character designs are terrible.

On the plus side, the rare interactive cutscenes are interesting. These require you to press a button or direction to make Ryo do something as he move around. For example, say Ryo's chasing a thief and is about to run into a ladder; you could press left when prompted to make him dodge it.

This isn't the end of my complaints, but it's all I can fit. Suffice it to say that there are some stupid mini-games, endless wandering through pointlessly large cities, etc. Worth your money only if you enjoyed the original Shenmue.

Let me start off by saying this is my all time favorite game. I love every thing about it, storyline, graphics, you name it. Shenmue 2 was intended to be the last big hurrah for the dying Dreamcast way back in December of 2001, sadly the US version was cancelled (it was only released in Europe and Japan) but it was ressurected on the Xbox a year later and now all us poor American gamers have a chance to play this masterpiece. The plot, in a nutshell is this: 18 year old Ryo Hazuki is trying to track down Lan Di, a martial arts master who murdered his father. Of course there is a lot more to it than that but I couldn't tell you without giving away too many juicy details. Graphic wise this is a Dreamcast game but that DOES NOT MEAN THE GRAPHICS ARE BAD! Shenmue 2 pushed the Dreamcast to its limits and as a result it looks beautiful even on the more powerful Xbox, I especially like how detailed and realistic the main character models are. The music is fits the mood of the game perfectly giving it an epic feel. I highly recomend this game to anyone who considers themselves true video game fans, no collection is complete with out it.

PS: I actually imported this game from Europe so I own the Dreamcast version but the only real diference is that the Xbox has english voice overs and the Dreamcast has japanese voices with english subtitles.

My husband and I loved BG1 and couldn't wait to get BG2. As has been said, this is more like an expansion of the last game. The previous storyling is referred to often and there are very few improvements or expansions on gameplay. One new addition is the ability to upgrade weapons with jewels, which my husband especially enjoys (it kind of reminds him of that capability in Grand Tourismo) and a world map that allows you to revisit different areas. Load/save times seem faster than BG1, graphics and gameplay are about the same. The enemies are par for the course (although what is up with the fighting furniture? It seems a bit silly). However, it's a great, fun, game with a 2-player cooperative mode (the main reason we bought it in the first place) and well worth the money.

It was an awesome first game, but the second didn't have as much action. The graphics were sweet, as well as the levels. DA2 had some fun stuff, and I keep playing it. I have to recimend playing with another person, it's more fun and a lot quicker, inless the other is an unexperenced gamer. You should pick it up.

Firstly, a few of the reviews below this one state that this is a sequel to the first Baldur's Gate which came out on PS2 and other consoles. This is not true, this is the FOURTH Baldur's Gate game and it is absolutely incomparable to the first two in the series which were very strategic party based rpgs which focused on exploration and character growth in a brisk and extremely difficult real time combat system based on strict AD&D rule sets. Black Isle were the makers of the first two games and they are now the designers of this sequel to the first Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, which was designed by another company who are now creating Everquest: Champions of Norrath (which looks like it will be awesome, by the way).

That said, this game is an amazing sequel to another great game. While the original two Baldur's Gate games were extremely long and challenging as each should take well over 100 hours to complete, the console versions are the opposite in that they are short and relatively easy, with a play time of around 15 - 20 hours. PC games are usually much longer than console games, so that is to be expected. I do not think the console BG games would be fun for that long duration because the game play is extremely simplified and streamlined. Gone are the enormous maps that could feature as many as 20 side quests in each. Gone is the monstrous entirety of Baldur's Gate that could take 20 hours alone to explore and which you could engage in lengthy conversations with every single inhabitant. Instead, you can only converse with the townspeople who will give you quests or sell you items.

Instead of further comparing BG:DA2 with the pc games, I think it would be best to compare it to another pc series, Diablo. Diablo 2 featured 5 characters that seem to have mostly found their way to BG:DA2. There's a necromancer, a cleric (paladin by another name for this game), a barbarian, a rogue (archer skills, similar to the Amazon of Diablo 2), and a monk, which is the only character not almost directly stolen from Diablo 2. They all play differently, but not nearly as differently as the characters did in Diablo 2. Characters share a lot of skills and while there are a lot of feats and spells, they are not as important as Diablo 2's. The highest level you can make a spell is 5, while Diablo 2 you can get a spell up to level 27 with the right equipment.

The majority of the game takes place in a vast variety of levels which include sewers, forests, other dimensions, haunted mansions, and the usual ilk. While you can go to town to stock up on equipment and receive quests, it is not like the traditional rpg town in that you can only talk to certain people who are easily noticable. This makes the town sections of the game fairly brisk; you will not spend much of your time in town. There are a great variety of skills to use, but many of them are passive so you won't have a large array of spells to choose from in battle. You can program 4 feats or spells onto a menu with the L1 button so choosing a spell to use in battle is much easier than the previous game. Each of the characters has a different type of feat or spell to utilize. For example, the cleric is more of a co-op character in that she casts spells which increase damage, armor, etc. for you and your partner while the barbarian's damage increasing skills can only be used on himself. This makes the game a lot of fun to play as each character, which greatly boosts the replay value.

The game itself is rather easy for the most part. While certain sections can be a pain, only one player has a reasonable difficulty in normal mode. This is the same as the first game, which I would say was actually even easier. Normally Black Isle's games have insane difficulty, but they obviously did not carry this attribute over to the console environment. This is a help, as their games on the pc allowed saving at any location, so you could retry a battle with a few clicks endlessly trying out different strategies.

Basically, this game is a simplified version of Diablo 2 without random dungeons and with a much smaller variety of skills and equipment. This works for the console, but if this game were changed to an online environment it would need some vast beefing up. But for what it is, a hack and slash game with a great co-op mode, it's the best out. It's well worth the price and it should provide at least 20 hours of entertainment, but closer to 100 if you decide to play as every character and get the most out of the game.

The Simpsons:Hit & Run is what us loyal fans have been waiting for, Grand Theft Auto/ True Crimes:Streets of LA/ Simpsons put in a blender and bam! This game is vast, exapanding from Evergreen Terance to even the pond next to the power plant, which is inhabited be three-eyed fish. Your can command such lovable characters as Apu, Lisa, Homer, and Bart; also that rude fat guy from the comic store. The story has no true path, which as we all no is what makes the show great. The game has many side tracks like racing for the DMV with Patty and Selma. The game is not very difficult so less serious gamers can enjoy it but, it is still entertaining for the expert players. I would recommend this game as a must buy to faithful Simpson followers and definitly worth renting if not buying even if you have no clue who Apu is.

That's right, folks! Just like how Road Rage was a lift off of Crazy Taxi, Hit & Run is the Simpsons treatment of Grand Theft Auto, only with a PG-13 rating. Even so this game has a tremendous amount of promise and should be a Homer (bad joke). If you liked the game play of GTA, buy this one! If like me, you've never played any of the GTA games because you own a Gamecube instead of a PS2, they buy this game TODAY. You'll be getting the best of both worlds; a new Simpsons game chock full o' in-jokes and laughs, and a version of GTA for us Nintendo fans. Personally I'm so sure this is going to be a winner, I'm preordering it sight unseen.

It is definately not the lack of good previous Simpsons games that make Hit and Run so excellent. This game more than makes up for it's predecessors. It is one of the most enthralling adventure games I've ever played. Whether you are an occasional watcher of the show, a never seen it before viewer, or one of "those" who own every guidebook, DVD, the piano songbook, and the life-size homer cut out I saw at the mall today, you will love this game. It has racing, problem solving, obstacle courses, and mass destruction on its list of tasks, and I haven't even seen it past the first level yet! Avid fans will enjoy Hit and Run the most because of the many refernces to the show. You get to see the world's largest toilet, race through the nuclear power plant, collect tomacco plants, and (best of all) you get to kick Ned Flanders and other annoying characters many times. The main missions are easy enough to get through, but the side missions, extra races, gag tasks, and shear expanse of the Simpsons world will keep you occupied for many a sleepless night. The only downside so far with this game comes when you want to complete every single task per level. Then you find yourself in a quite frustrating search that takes you EVERYWHERE in Springfield that could make your temper throw the controller across the room. Be patient and enjoy the environment! Buy this game! Who could really resist seeing Homer run around town in his underwear?! And remember...No jumping in the Springfield Tire Fire!

ok this is like a supersmash bros game only you play as godzillia monsters and you get to destroy builldinds yeah!!fun fun fun.so buy it if you like supersmsah bros melle or godzillia.

Finally, a game that does the king of the monsters justice! Godzilla - Destroy All Monsters Melee is a blast to play, pun intended.

I was impressed with the 20 arena locations available to fight in...all of which have a DAY or NIGHT option. Slightly less impressive is the number of monsters to choose from; eleven. That's acceptable, but I would have preferred more. Not all of Godzilla's movie adversaries are in the game...only the best ones.

A larger problem is the story. The adventure mode is the only source of a plot to this game, and it is lacking. There's just not enough of it in Godzilla to make the story anywhere close to compelling. A deeper plot would have put some well-deserved meat on the bones of the game.

But gamers aren't going to buy this game for it's plot. They're going to buy it for it's fantastic-looking action. Have I mentioned the visuals yet? They are SWEET. Destroying cities has never looked so convincing. The animation is topnotch and the graphics are realistic. I'd say these monsters look even better in the game than they did in the movies!

And the sound...! That's where the Godzilla authenticity really shines through. Every noise the monsters make has been faithfully reproduced from the original Godzilla movies. It's not just perfect, it's nostalgic. I particularly like the sound of the beasts' feet as they walk. The use of brief but heavy bass is a great touch.

You know what? Playing Godzilla DAMM makes me want to watch the original films, as dated as they are. A game that can do that has something going for it.

This game rocks! You get to be Godzilla!(or one of his enemies) How fun is that? U r a couple stories tall and u fight other monsters as big as u while the tiny humans try to stop u. Its very fun to step on an army tank and watch it blow up under your foot. Or the Helicopters! Its kinda Like Super Smash Bros Melee only Godzilla Style! I myself though that the old movies looked dumb and the monsters were retarted. But this game gives them a 2000 look. U can play as Godzilla 90s and Godzilla 2000(as well as other monsters). The only differences between the two are the color of the spikes on their backs (blue/Pink) and the color of the radioactive "beam" (blue/orange). One of the modes is destruction where u and another player try to destroy more of the city. pretty cool. And like most game like this u have to unlock levels and monsters(i think u start with 3) but that makes it more interesting. Sure the plot isn't really good but hey who cares? People will either like this or hate it, i don't u can be a fence-sitter.