Music Reviews

Tomb Raider was definitely one of the best games to be made for the original Playstation. Obviously when you compare it to today's games it looks totally awful but the truth is it's still excellent.

The graphics still don't look too bad (considering it was made in 1995) but there are quite a few glitches (you can see through walls and animals etc..).

The gameplay is superb! The levels range from being very simple to extremely difficult. I have to admit I couldn't complete the game properely without a guide book but the first 5 levels are easy enough. You'll find yourself doing a number of different things such as running from boulders, swimming underwater and shooting strange men!

The storyline is very good but it isn't really explained too well. It's very clear who the baddies are but why they're baddies is still a mystery to me!

The weapons aren't that good- there's only a few you can obtain and none of them are outstanding.

Tomb Raider isn't at all realistic in the way that it can sometimes take 7 or 8 pistol shots to kill one animal. I don't think realism actually came into it, though.

The cut scenes are done quite well although the characters' mouth don't always move!

There are also quite a lot of bonus things packed into the Tomb Raider package, the best being Lara's home. It isn't incredible but the fact that you get to know the main character a bit better is great.

All in all I'd say this probably the best Tomb Raider to date (TR3 following a close second)and if you can find it cheap, buy it! (Oh, and don't let the bad movie put you off, either!)

God, it was ages ago when I last played the original "Tomb Raider". The first time I played it, maybe six years ago, I was amazed and frightened. I was frightened because of the very first level. You know, the awry music, dark caves, and vicious bats, wolves and bears. That will always be my first memory of playing "Tomb Raider". Even though it's dated now, it still lives up to its name despite several sequels and dissapointing movies.

What really made this game famous, and made Playstaion fun, was the goddess Lara Croft. She's absolutely gorgeous! You play the adventrous archaeologist in a quest to recover an ancient artifact; Croft travels the world in style, from Peru to Egypt and to the lost city of Atlantis.

I think that's the story for the game. I lost track since I haven't played this game for awhile. But what was original about this game wasn't really Lara's beauty, it was the gameplay. The gamer has to solve complexed puzzles, battle hard enemies(including dinosaurs!) and go through hidden rooms and collect treasures from ancient cities.

There is also a good amount of weapons for Lara, including her trademark dual pistols. There is also some health packs in case she gets hurt, in fact she gets hurt alot! No human being could ever do the things she does! The very physical Lara jumps impossible feats, does handstands and survives in very dangerous situations. She's a female Indiana Jones!

Anyway, "Tomb Raider" is an entertaining game. It has good graphics, solid gameplay, and Lara Croft is hot! But the "Tomb Raider" series has lost track of its self. The gameplay is all ready becoming old, and its lack of innovation hasn't made gamers happy. Including myself. Only part 2 is the best sequel. But the original game that made Lara Croft famous is a must own game for every classic game collection.

This game entertained me for hours when it first came out oh so many years ago! I was deeply enthralled, and soon my dad became obsessed as well. We would spend hour upon hour playing it! My mom was fine with it, but other jealous mothers would ask her if she wasn't even the least bit worried that Lara was so attractive, and has such big... assets. She was great, alright, but the game was just as fun. Many different levels provide for awesome gameplay. My only complaint is the annoying save crystals. Yeah, those are horrible. But overall it's a really fun game! Better than most of the recent Tomb Raider games, but TR3 is probably my favorite! It's a classic, buy it! You won't regret it. ENJOY!!!!!

I don't have any of the Roller Coaster Tycoon series so I decided to buy this 3 in 1 All Ride Pass. It turned to be a great game. I heard people say it is the best roller coaster game so I had to try it out myself and it was even better than expected! The animation was really cool and it acts like a normal theme park with conession stands and even to my favorite ROLLER COASTERS! Then it has normal favorite rides like Bumber Cars, train, monorail, log flumes and a rapids ride (tire ride that floats on the water A theme park favorite. You have to manage your park successfully to make lots of money to be a tycoon. Then the rest is expansion paks filled with more ROLLER COASTERS! Corkscrew Follies and Loopy Landscapes. The 3 in 1 game pak will keep you busy for the whole summer and then some! Buy it quickly, it was the coolest animations and sounds people screaming on roller coasters!

I first got into the RTC craze when I saw a student in my school back in May of 2001 playing RTC, I got onto the computer and played it, I was instantly hooked! I knew two expansion packs were available at the time but I was waiting for a release like this one that has RTC and the two expansion packs. I brought RTC Gold Edition recently and I've been playing it nonstop, I am totally hooked on RTC and I can't wait until RTC 2 is released. It'll be awesome running a Six Flags theme park and placing Six Flags roller coasters into existing parks made in RTC 2, I'm hoping that Maryland's [the state I live in] Six Flags theme park, Six Flags America, will be included with RTC 2. I'm going to preorder RTC 2 very soon.

I've been playing this for about 2 years now and I still love it. That's because it's always something different, and exciting.

Excellent game. As good as the Playstation 2 Crash games. Good graphics and lots of fun to play.

Had game for a short time now and I'm on the third level.

Buy it if you haven't already!

Man, this game is AWSOME! Cortex and UKa Uka(an evil mask) shrink the Earth to the size of a wumpa fruit! It's up to Crash,Coco, and Aku Aku to turn the Earth back to normal. There are 20 levels and you have to beat 4 bosses (thats including Cortex). The first boss is Dingodile who is half Dingo, half crocidile. The next one is Dr.N.Gin,who has a missile in the side of his head. #3 is Tiny,the biggest tiger ever seen. He doesn't live up to his name.The last boss is Cortex. He tries to shrink you with his shrinking ray. After you defeat a boss, you get a new attack.
I hoped this will help you when you play it! ^-^
Goodluck!
Karrington

I play a lot of GBA games - Rayman, Advance Wars, Mario I, Mario 2, Tony Hawk, Castlevania, Mario Kart...and the list goes on. I think it is one of the best platforms out there for pure enjoyment! Today I picked up a new title that makes me even more excited to own a GBA - CRASH BANDICOOT!

I was a big fan of Crash on the PlayStation and the GBA version really delivers that experience - more than I thought it would. There's the standard side-scroll stuff, but all the moves, enemies and level design is there and is tons of fun. There's also some stuff I've never seen on GBA before until now - 3D into the camera - Crash rides on a Polar Bear while being chased by a giant Snow Monster - it's awesome! The game isn't an old Crash game re-hashed for GBA like Sonic, Rayman or Mario it's a new story with new levels and some new game types, but it is all that you want a Crash Gameboy Advance game to be. So far I've played through about 30% of the game and really think it is one of the best platformers out there - graphics are much better than Mario (hands down)! Gameplay is on par with Mario (better than Sonic and Rayman) and overall appeal is better than all of them!!!

The Castlevania series of games, which has been around since its Playstation debut in 1997, only recently kicked back into gear by starting again on the Game Boy Advance in 2001. Each game in the Castlevania series takes players on a side-scrolling journey through Dracula's castle, in which the protagonist slays bizarre monstrosities, gains levels, picks up lots of items and abilities, and eventually fights Dracula himself. While short on plot and simple in gameplay, they are remarkably fun, and utterly difficult to put down.

I never owned a Playstation system before, but I was so enticed by "Symphony of the Night" that I bought "Circle of the Moon" as soon as it was released. I did not buy 2002's "Harmony of Dissonance" because I had heard unflattering things about it. "Circle of the Moon" is a largely fun game, but I have beaten it four times in each replay mode, and now that I own "Aria Of Sorrow", I doubt I'll ever play it again.

The game uses the same engine as its predecessors, so many things like control and gameplay are almost exactly the same. But, while the graphics also use the same engine, they are much better than before. "Circle" has well-drawn backgrounds, characters, and spell animations, but they are a little dark and difficult to see without overhead light. The graphics in "Aria" are not only easier to see, but they are much more detailed and artistic than before; along with the dank cellars of the castle, the backgrounds also range from the walls of ice caverns to the ominous stormclouds from outside the castle.

What makes this game so absorbing, however, is the endless array of items, spells, enemies, and secrets. In "Circle", we play as a whip-wielder who uses one primary weapon and a few sub-weapons, and can only use spells after finding cards that are just rarely dropped by a sparse number of enemies. This time we are able to handle masses of weapons, ranging from swords to spears to hammers to even a laser rifle! (if you can find it, that is) Both games have lots of secret walls, but the possibility of a new weapon makes finding such walls a more exciting event in "Aria". Also, weapons vary greatly in reach, element, and the number of times they hit monsters with one swing, so the most powerful weapons are not necessarily the most useful ones depending on your state of affairs.

Furthermore, the spells in this game come from the hero absorbing souls from his enemies; there are over a hundred enemies in this game, and each one carries a soul. Some souls give abilities (e.g. flying, walking on water, swimming), while others provide benefits such as increased speed or attack power, and others allow players to use various magical attacks. Again, these souls vary greatly in attributes, so not only will your abilities to mash buttons and slaughter enemies be put to the challenge, but also your way of deciding which souls to use in certain situations.

I could go on! There are so many things about this game that make it even better than "Circle". Enemies are even more imaginative than before; some are downright hilarious, like a waiter skeleton who throws hot curry at you, and one actually moves too quickly for the naked eye. Recovery items, along with the familiar potions, now include food items with humorous descriptions (e.g. Potato Pancake: "The burnt edges are the best part"). And the regular "go kill Dracula, he's been resurrected" storyline has a startling twist to it, which will allow you to discover the game's true ending. This allows you to unlock a Hard mode with stronger enemies, and a mode where you play as an alternate character.

In fact, there are so many wonderful things about this game that I feel it is almost disrespectful of me to give it 4 stars simply because of two nagging problems: 1) it is too short even with a Hard mode and lots of secrets, and 2) it is too easy even in the Hard mode. These are the only two ways in which "Circle" is superior to "Aria". I beat the regular mode, Hard mode, and alternate-character mode in a total of about 16 hours, each with 100% souls acquired and map discovered, while the five different modes in "Circle" took me a total of more than 50 hours to beat. Also, "Circle" is always difficult but never frustrating unless you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it took me several tries to beat each boss. I didn't die in "Aria" until about halfway into the game, and I didn't die on any boss until the last one.

Because of this, let your own personal gaming style decide which of these two games to buy. If you prefer exotic gameplay elements and lots of fascinating secrets, but an easy and short game, get "Aria". If you want bigger challenge and lots of replay value, but more like old-school style with a less surprising story and fewer frills, get "Circle". They are both very good games, and will make fine additions to your game library.

Castlevania: AoS is a very fun game. i like the action oriented gameplay, the variety of weapons, and the super-cheesy character dialogue. it's open-ended, so you never have any clue where you're supposed to be going, but in a rather fantastic, positive way, you usually end up somewhere accomplishing something.
i find the only negative thing about the game to be it's length. it was very short, taking me less than five hours to complete. i would like more game time than that, kiddies. otherwise, though, very good.

This game is awesome. It is by far the best Castlevania game I've played since Symphony of the Night. Unlike Circle of the Moon, which is extremely hard from the get-go, this game follows a steady pace of difficulty that keeps you wanting more. Although the game is very short and fairly easy, it has awesome re-playing capabilities with the ability to gather souls and explore more of the castle. You can get the ability of ALL the monsters to use against them! It also has several endings making this game even better.

Graphics 5/5: The graphics are great with smooth transitions and color balance. Monster palette change happens, but not as often as expected.

Sound 5/5: Great sound that fits the mood of both the dark side of the castle and the new era of vampire hunting.

Gameplay and Controls 5/5: Controlling Soma Cruz is easy. The gameplay rocks, Fighting, dodging and using souls is a breeze.

Extras 5/5: Once beat you can go into hard mode as well as do the boss rush for some extra items. Gathering souls is by far the best thing to do as you can trade them for souls you have not found.

Overall a good game, better than Fifa2004 in some aspects worse in others.
Even though I'm a big soccer fan I do not like Fifa2004 and W11-7. Here are the reasons:

Winning ELeven 7 cons:
- Teams, or the lack of. Its a big issue if you want to play your favorite team. Yes you can edit and add players and teams, but its very difficult and a huge time sink. Besides the result may not be what you expected... :)
- Speed. The game is way too fast. Watch a soccer game on TV and you will see it too.

Fifa 2004 cons:
- Since fifa 1943 :) they have this bug when the game goes in slow motion. It has improved (less often) but its still there. Every version of fifa has it, even PC version.
- Default camera position and zoom makes everything too small, heck its even hard to see the ball if you far away from TV. (zoom cam be used though)
- Some player moves are akward and the AI is really bad concerning teams and different skill levels. (ex a horrible team can beat a good team anytime - try CPU vs CPU))

Both games have pros also.
Winning Eleven 7 Pros:
- Graphics, excellent player models, stadiums...
- Editor mode, teams, players.
- Swap mode
- You can be in control of the tactics while not actually controlling the team, coach mode.

Fifa 2004 pros:
- Teams uniforms and flags are perfect.
- Squads are about right for last year
- Game speed is RIGHT

Think the games are about the same, Fifa2004 has more cons but W11 has bigger cons. Comon, the game speed is way off. And the lack of real teams is really a problem for me.

Overall though I think Winning Eleven 7's got more potential than Fifa2004. EA is using the same "boring" engine for years while W11 seems to have a better one at least ATM.

I just play both games (sometimes) and wanted to share my experience.

I have Fifa soccer 2004, I liked that because of the realism in speed, and play. But this game is fun because it is faster with more dribbling, and fakes. I like the different levels of play. 1 star is really easy and you can pretty much dribble past the defense into the net for a goal. 2 stars is still easy but the defenders, and forwards are better. My favorite level is 3 because the AI is realistic, and hard to play against making you work for a goal all the time. I haven't really tried level 4, or 5 yet because I'm not good enough for them. I like the create a player option (something FIFA doesn't have) there are a ton of different ways to make a player. I wish FIFA would license this game so that Konami could make all the players, and club teams (Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Inter Milan) I think this would make the game better. The graphics are worse than FIFA, but still not bad. Overall this is a very good game that any soccer fan would enjoy

This game is the same as the European Pro Evolution Soccer 3 and if you have heard the buzz surrounding that game then you should know that this is really the only soccer game worth buying and probably in the top three sports simulations of all time. The game has been in development since the Nintendo 64 and is easily the best soccer engine out there. All of the players have full character skins that resemble the players in reality (real moving hair!), except some of the names are not the same because of license issues (don't worry you can edit everything in this game).

Apart from the outstanding game engine (replay mode is almost like real soccer on television) the character animations are intricate and extremely realistic. The players respond to fouls by falling in a multiple number of ways, other players throw their hands up in disgust at missing a goal or crash to their knees in exhaustion. Belt in a goal and watch them do a pile up as the crowd goes wild. Some players even have special moves.

Unlike most of the other soccer games this is a simulation rather than an arcade kick-about so if you are not prepared to spend a few days learning the controls and how to operate the environments, including formations and in-game strategies - you might just want to forget about this one, however this is the domain where the master players live and share memory card saved data with one another. In short soccer freaks the world over either have it, want it or plague the family of someone who has it.

The AI is really what makes Pro Evolution Soccer 3 stand out. It is also like really controlling little men on the pitch... what am I saying... they ARE really little men on the pitch (yes the game IS that good). There are 50 national teams and 60 fake teams. You need to go on the internet to find out who Konami imagined these fake teams to really be so you can edit in the right players names and team names (remember Konami does not have a license for everything so be prepared to do a bit of fiddling, however a huge percentage of the teams and players are already licensed).

There are multiple modes/games to choose from (up to 8 controllers/players can be used with this game) friendly matches, team play, match modes, cup modes, leagues, training simulations, edit modes and a Master League mode, each with several options for the type of game you want to play... there is no shortage of cups to win in this game. When you win about 3 cups you then have enough credits to start team transfers (meaning you can update EVERYTHING in this game to resemble actual football teams) and you can also create your own ALL STARS team.

The bottom line is that the manual for this thing is huge and it is everything you could ever want soccer to be. If there is one soccer game to own for the PS2, then this is it by a long shot. It is a great investment considering how many of your friends will play it to death with you over the many weekends to come.

If you play sport and don't own this game, then what are you waiting for? Just get this game, learn it, read the manual and be the best you can at it. This is the universal PS2 game that everyone who loves soccer plays and a really good dream team effort from Konami.

Def Jam Vendetta is simply a wrestling game with Def Jam artists filling the shoes normally worn by the likes of The Rock, Stone Cold, and Hulk Hogan. I admit, the game is one of my guilty pleasures.

If you've ever played WWF No Mercy or the Wrestlemania games on the n64, you've more or less played Def Jam Vendetta. The controls and gameplay are identical. Some gamers prefer the WWE Smackdown style, but I enjoy this gameplay better because it's easier to perform the move you want without accidentally doing something else and cursing like a mofo at the screen. It plays much quicker and smoother than those frustrating controls of the Wrestlemania games on the Gamecube. The buttons of Vendetta are simple: hit, grapple, run, reverse. Hold the button down longer for a stronger grapple or attack. Execute different moves by hitting up, down, right, or left.

A fun aspect of the game is that the moves performed by the rappers are outrageously over the top (i.e. double piledrivers, neck-breaking kicks), and if you performed them in real life, you'd probably end up killing your opponent TWICE. There are no special matches such as cage matches or hell in the cell matches and no weapons to choose from such as steel chairs. Also, there is no blood. This is a straight-up wrestling game, and considering the WWE has "out-lawed" certain moves from its television programs, Vendetta is the probably only place you'll view such a madcap barrage of piledrivers and DDTs. Don't worry about the kids "trying this at home" because most of the moves are physically impossible to execute.

The story mode is short and silly, but there's no other way to unlock the Def Jam artists as most of them are bosses as you work your way through the story. You don't even get to unlock DMX until about halfway through. Choosing your girlfriend seems odd and out of place in the context of the game, but it's still fun to make two computer chicks trade barbs ("Back off, b**ch! He's MINE!") and duke it out for managerial services. You also win money to buy better skills and moves, but these options don't effect the game all that much.

There are plenty of characters to choose from, but most of them are not actually Def Jam rappers. Only the likes of DMX, WC, Keith Murphy, Scarface, Joe Budden, Ghostface Killah, Ludacris, Redman, Method Man, N.O.R.E., Capone, and Funkmaster Flex make the cut. The rest are all original characters, most of them entertaining and fun to play with. There are a few multiple options for arenas, but they are basically the same: a ring surrounded by a different background that has no effect on the match.

In short, this is a fun game to play with your friends or if you're a fan of both wrestling and rap. It has its flaws, but in any case, I think it's plenty entertaining. If anything, rent first, or wait til the price goes down.

As many of the other reviews reveal this game has fantastic graphics, wonderful music and a huge variety of underground fighting moves. Let's concentrate on the feel of the game: fighting in the ring is intense ... super intense. It's extremely painful when your opponent puts you in a grapple trying to break your will so you'll submit. You have to push the button to get out of it ... and it feels like time is moving at a crawl. I actually can't play for awhile, my wrist is hurting so much from desperately trying to get out of these holds. Also, the feeling of getting beaten down when multiple opponents team up on you can be extremely humbling -- not to mention the demoralization you feel when someone knocks you out with a special move after getting the crowd behind him. The soundtrack really adds to the excitement and winning a match is extremely gratifying after all the hard work you spend wearing your opponent(s) down. EA Big really impresses with this one!

this game is awsome. there's a lot of characters to pick, cool knockout moves , and rap characters are in it too like method man , redman, keith murray, WC,n.o.r.e, and more!some people said they should put more rap artists in the game like 50 cent, eminem,and,p. diddy, but HELLO! It's called DEF JAM VENDETTA, that mean only made up characters and rap artists from DEF JAM!This is a "must have" game.

I don't know what it is, I am not a big golfer but I love golf video games. This game is great and very addictive. I used to play Outlaw Golf all the time and like that game too but the goofy characters and repetative comments got old after a while. Plus Outlaw only has 3 courses to play on. I kind of wanted something a little more serious but still fun and this is it. Compared to Outlaw I think the graphics are not quite as good. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is a little easier to play but that kind of makes me enjoy playing. It's nice to actually be able to hit a hole in one or chip it in out of a bunker for an eagle. Not that you can do it all the time, but being able to do it occasionally makes the game more fun. The variety of courses and golf games is what really makes this golf game better than Outlaw. If you get one golf game for Xbox, so far, this is the one to get.

I am only giving this game 4 stars because of the graphics. It looks like more of a port over from the PS2 version which seems the norm for EA sports titles.

Overall, playing this game in the "Tiger Challenge" career mode was fun. Playing the game against human friends on one of the dozen or so courses is even better. If you are considering buying the game, here is a quick strengths and weaknesses analysis.

Strengths
1- Physics of the golf swing are excellent and true from a timing, swing plane, and clubhead "loading" perspective. What this means is that if you take the club back too fast and bring it down too early, you're going to lose distance. Also you can bring the club back inside for a draw/hook and outside for a fade/slice. All this may sound geaky, but it is OH SO MUCH better than the old three click swing model.
2- The graphics associated with the players and the details of the playable areas of the golf courses themselves were very good. See weaknesses for some commentary on this as well.
3- The shear number of players and courses to unlock is impressive.
4- Lots of different game play modes like skills challenge, scenarios, speed golf, skins, tournaments and of course, the career-like Tiger Challenge.
5- The ability to improve your character as you accumulate wins and earn more money was very cool. Not only can you add points to attributes like power, accuracy and putting, but you can also purchase better equipment as well.

Weaknesses:
1- In certain situations (like going for the green on a par 5 in two shots, or when you've already hit the ball and it looks like you may hole out) the gameplay animation slows down and an impossibly annoying "heartbeat" audio track plays until the ball comes to rest. I guess this is supposed to psych you up, but I spent 20 minutes looking for a way to shut the stupid thing off. You see, after enough practice, every shot you hit is a great shot and 50% of the time, you're getting the heartbeat effect. The slow motion adds 50% more time to play the game and the heartbeat made my wife want to throw the Xbox through the window.
2- Background graphics (like trees, the crowd, houses, etc.) suck. For example, when standing on the tee box, trees that surround the area have a ghostly blue tinge to them. Unless I had mistakenly selected the Chernoble Country Club course, trees are not supposed to glow blue.
3- WARNING! DO NOT FOLLOW THE ADVISE OF YOUR CADDIE! For some reason, the putting advise your caddie gives is impossibly wrong. The good news is, with practice, you will become good enough to eyeball your own putts and you can ignore the caddie all together (or even shut the feature off).
4- Certain computer opponents are fantastically, uncannily good. For example, Brad Faxon, who you face somewhere around 60%-70% through the Tiger Challenge starts his round Eagle, Birdie, Eagle, Birdie, Birdie, Birdie, Birdie Eagle. Come on!!! I had to play him seven time before I finally beat him. Meanwhile, the next two players I faced I beat the first try.

This is a terribly addicting game, trying to get through all the scenarios, tournaments, Tiger challenges, and so forth. I've been playing this non-stop for a month. There is plenty on here to keep you busy for quite a while.

Two pet peeves: 1)the extra animations of hitting the ball and the 'heart-beat' of hitting a great shot gets old very quickly, and there is no way to turn it off. You can turn off the controller vibration, but the animation continues, which really slows down the game. 2)this game is too easy. I understand the appeal of being able to regularly shoot in the 50s; but sometimes it gets tiresome. I suppose the best way to play this game is to use characters without all the high ability, to turn off the spin control, and to crank up the wind. But even when I do that, I can still regularly shoot under 60.

I'm always baffled by people who like console golf games, yet they don't like "Hot Shots" style golf games. To be truly great at "Hot Shots" or any really good golf game takes skill, timing, finesse, shot/club selection and the ability to read greens. What makes a great golf game is how all of those things are achieved, how they flow together. Tiger Woods PGA 2002, as much as any other video golf game allows you to manipulate the reality of golf to better play it (putting spin on the ball in mid-air, zooming along the path of a putt to read it, etc.) That being said, I want to have FUN when I play a golf title. I don't want to try and do three different things with only two hands to get a ball to go where I want it. Tiger 2002 wants to be a golf simulation, hey man if I want to play bad golf, I can go out and actually PLAY golf. I play video golf to be GREAT at golf. This year's version looks better in some areas (characters, greens, trees) and worse in others (Robin's egg blue ponds? What kind of toxic waste is in that water?). The best part of this game is the inclusion of more courses. THANK YOU EA SPORTS for attempting to give us our money's worth course-wise. The worst part is the tedious WORK involved in playing it.
My advice is to rent it. Who knows? You may like being frustrated.

This game is truely an enjoyable experience. I had just as much fun playing this as I did 10 years ago playing PGA Tour II for genesis. The graffics are un-real, and the courses are equally as spectacular, especially those which are imaginary. The game play is quite realistic. For example, the way the shot is affected by different lies is extremely relatable to real life golf. Although 2003 is coming out in only a month, I will be buying this game this afternoon, because it infected me with immediate addiction. The only two flaws I found in the game were that in Tournament mode, you only play two rounds rather than four. Also, the game became very easy. The second day I played the game I shot 57 for 18 holes. But it is still definitley a wise buy for any golf or video game golf lover.

Fans of the big-headed, no talent needed to play, Hot Shots Golf series can stop reading. Tiger Woods 2002 is not for you. TW2002 is what I like to call a *great* golf game. The engine has been revamped, and gone is the ... [bad] swing meter (FINALLY!). To swing the club now, you use the analog sticks, and it works better than any tri-click method could ever hope for.

EA messed up last year by only including 3 courses, but remedied that this year with 7. The shining jewel in their crown is Pebble Beach. No other golf game has been able to mimic how difficult this course can be, or how important it is to place your approach shots under the pin. Sawgrass is also a thing of beauty. There's 2 more real courses, and then 3 courses EA dreamed up, and what wonderful imaginations their designers have.

What I love about the game (and what some may detest) is that the game has you create a player, and then build that player by beating challengers in the Tiger Tourney mode, or by playing in Scenario mode. Performing well in Tiger Tourney (basically its 17 eighteen hole matches...if you win, you earn the right to play as the person you beat, you get a ton of cash, and you open up other extras like another hole on Tigers Dream 18 course). The scenario mode is awesome as well. There's about 25 different scenarios that you must perform well in to earn gold, silver, or bronze. For example, you have to play the 4 Par 5s at SawGrass in 14 shots to get a gold, 16 for a silver, or 18 for bronze. Extremely entertaining and challenging.

The requisite other play modes are here as well: Tournament, Stroke Play, Match Play, and Skins. EA has outdone themselves, however, with the brand new Speed Gold mode. It enables you the chance to play 1 on 1 golf in splitscreen against a friend or enemy. The better you do, the more money your opponent loses. Great stuff to be sure.

Thanks EA, it's been a long time since I've enjoyed a golf game as much as this. And did I mention the new graphics engine kicks unspeakable [rear end]...butt? Yep. Enjoy!

This game is Pretty good! after all of these years of being a fan, someone Finally releases a game that is pretty good for a "robotech" game...

however it does have its flaws, what game doesnt? one of my MAIN compaints I have is with the controls, the controls seem a bit sluggish when turning, could have used a little quicker response time for quicker/tighter turns.
and when you hit something in fighter mode you automatically transform into battloid mode?? It also Needs a button that lets you quickly turn to face enemies, an In cockpit mode wouldve been nice also. All in all Its a GREAT game even with the control problems!!! the music is great, the cell shaded graphics work for me, the cut scenes are nicely done and voice overs are done quite nice also.
this game reminds me of a cross between Mechwarrior 2 and Colony wars for the original playstation. If you like these kind of mission based games you'll LOVE this one! Robotech is BACK! and hopefully some sequels involving "masters" and "next generation" are in store for us DIE HARD fans!!!

I just LOVE how you can transform at any time and each mode handles differently!! just like in the show!

The controls drop it down to a 4 1/2 for me....if the controls were a little tighter it would be a straight 5!

Ok I know many out there what the guts of a review spelled out in plain english so here goes;

Pros: If you are a robotech fan you will love this game. You are able to use all functions for the veritech (battliod, guardian, and fighter) no matter what map you are on. Graphics and the feeling of finally getting to fly a Veritech make it a must for any robotech fan. You get to even fly missions with Rick hunter and Roy Folker. All the main characters in the Macross saga make some showing, although their voices sound like they are 20 years older (which they are). Fighting terrain includes space, cities, and sky of earth. You can even fight one on one with a friend to test your skills on a human opponent.

Cons: Voices of your character in the game (Jack) and other becoming annoying quickly. Versus mode limits you to Veritech and if you were hoping to climb into a officer pod or a zentradi jet you are out of luck. City buildings look cheesy. Map boundaries limit you from going over many buildings when in a city map. If this game was a little more expanded in a few option areas it would get 5 stars. Nonetheless a great game for the first Robotech crossover.

Ordinarily I do computer game reviews, but I picked this up for my brother for Christmas so I figured I'd give this a whirl. "Robotech" was a 3-part anime feature from the mid-eighties that chronicled the events of the Robotech Wars. This game covers the area of Book One, or the Macross Saga. The show itself was patched together from 3 different Japanese cartoons that had nothing in common, other than they were the product of the same Japanese publishing house. The producer Carl Macek, out of desperation (and what turned out to be an act of brilliance) changed the storyline dramatically so that the 3 cartoons became one epic saga about Earth and it's discovery of Robotech, and it's defense against the Zentraedi, Robotech Masters, and the Invid.

But let's do a quick review of the game here. This game is going to appeal strongly to anime' afficianados and fans of the original series, the latter group comprised mostly of 30+ males who were in thier teens during the mid eighties. This is a game that is focused on a very specific segment of gamers and as such is probably not going to get a warm welcome from the average 15 year old dumping thier cash on a game with pretty packaging. To further compound this the storyline allows you to take part in several big battles from Book One episodes, but it does so in a *really* disjointed manner. A person who has no knowledge of the Robotech storyline is liable to get really lost in no time flat as the story will make absolutely no sense. The storyline jumps from the Episode "Boobytrap" all the way to the episode in which the surface of the Earth is destroyed by the enormous Zentraedi armada, and then further jumps to the period during the reconstruction. Essentially about 30+ episodes squeezed into the first 5 missions alone!

I particularly enjoyed the mission of taking on the Zentraedi in space as the SDF-1 was about to make it's climactic assault on Dolza's flagship. The scenery is simply beautiful! I was a little let down by not getting to see the Grand Cannon fire, but that's a small thing. Again, this will appeal strongly to a Robotech purist, and to a lesser degree anime fans, but to anyone else they probably won't get much from the plot other than confusion.

How does the game handle? Fluid as a dream! If ever you wanted to *be* in Robotech I can't think of a better way to do so than Robotech: Battlecry. Battloids skid left and right, stop on a dime, and shoot missiles out of the sky. The cel shading effect simply puts you in a live action anime cartoon. I cannot get over how beautiful this game is...it is literally like being at the controls of a Veritech. Fighter mode in my opinion is the easiest to control overall and I spent a good portion of my time fighting in that configuration. On the whole I have seldom seen a prettier game than this one.

Sound is a mixed bag. The sound effects don't irk me much but the one gripe I do have is the music. I wanted to hear the classic Robotech score as I flew in combat, it would have added to the tension and feel of the moment *just right*, whereas the synthesized almost-midi tracks overall will detract a bit from the experience for a Robotech fan like myself. There were only a few missions where the original score was allowed in and when it was it truly added to the experience.

Likewise the control is a little complicated and confusing (especially to a 31 year old like myself who's reflexes aren't as catlike as they were even 10 years ago), but after a few missions you'll find yourself able to do amazing things with a few presses of the button. Give it some time, older folks...it will come to you! :)

Overall I cannot help but be pleased with the game. The look and feel of it is pure Robotech and it is a thing of great beauty. Bring on the next game and include Hovertanks and Cyclones! Please!

I'll be honest -- I bought this game for the bling-bling. I wanted to play basketball and be able to upgrade my character's appearance like in SSX3. The addition of houses, jewelry, and real NBA stars makes it all the sweeter!

Story
There are several different play modes (tournament, online, quickplay), but the one that makes this title stand out is "Rags to Riches" mode. You begin as a nobody, singled out by TV network executives as someone whose path they want to follow from ballin' on the street against local thugs to playing against big name NBA stars.

Characters
Your character can be as customized as much as you like: headgear, facial hair, shirts, shoes, tattoos, elbow and knee braces. Unlike other character customizers (e.g. THUG), once you choose your physical makeup (height, weight, facial structure), it cannot be modified. You can also choose from a wide range of "nicknames" to be used when talking about your character on the court!

Gameplay
You choose the NBA players whose moves you would like to emulate, including Iverson and cover boy Stephan Marbury. Each match you win (best 2 out of 3 games to 11), you earn points. These points can be used to unlock special moves or additional bling-bling. The gameplay is a lot of fun, and the number of jukes, cool moves, and other animations is outstanding. You can bounce the ball off of your opponent's head, because it stuns them and you can fake around them. You can also taunt your fellow opponent, which is good, wholesome fun.

Some of the collision detection is a bit off, especially in the post-scoring animations. There isn't the refined feel that I get when I play NBA Street, but this is a first generation title, so I don't mind. The hilarious commentary and realistic moves make it very enjoyable.

Decent Animation and Good Tunes
I wouldn't give this title any awards for its graphics, but they are comparable to other first generation sports titles. There are a wide range of characters and customizable animations, and the engine holds up quite well during gameplay.

The music is catchy. I usually shut off music during sports titles, but the music really fits the courts and gives the game good ambience. Despite not being a big rap or hip hop fan, these tunes are catchy and not hardcore or graphic in their language.

Will This Gather Dust?
As with most sports titles in my collection, I'll play it until a better title comes out. I'm looking forward to an NBA Ballers 2, with a richer depth to its career mode, where you can stock your own house with bling!

Overall Recommendations:
You'll like this if:
* You like NBA Street.
* You like basketball.
* You like being the center of a sports game (a la Tony Hawk or WWE).

but still a blast to play! NBA Ballers is an NBA game with attitude. Yous tep in the shoes of the league's top players(my favorite being Melo), and you "live" the "actual" life of an NBA player. The environments, game modes, and everything about the game screams attitude and funk and style. But is it a great game or just another visual "showcase" game that every playa should have at his crib. Let me explain why it is a bit of both.
NBA Ballers obviously has more "uniqueness" put into it than gameplay effort. The gameplay is still great, maybe even too complex, but you don't pick up this game for its gameplay. Speaking of gameplay, there are MANY moves you can pull off. Remembering them all is a chore, but you'll get the hang of it sooner of later. Hard-core fans of all-star festivities. streetball, and the Harlem Globetrotters will find this right up their alley. If you prefer on-the-court games, you may want to try ESPN NBA Basketball. I am a fan of both styles, so I generally love this game.
NBA Ballers has bling, cars, and babes. In fact, you use money that you get from winning to unlock everything from hip-hop honeys to players like Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. Don't worry about the NBA stars this game has to offer. It has PLENTY. You can find everyone from Kobe to T-Mac to King James in the roster. When looking at the legends menu, that is when the dissapointment sets in. There is no Michael Jordan or David Thompson. They have very few legends, but at least they remembered to include Dr. Julius Erving in the game!
There is a mode of play where you create a character, and play off against NBA stars on your way to owning cash, rides, and cribs. Also, this create a player feature is the best ever seen in a game. There is so much bling you will be rubbing your eyes! But seroiusly, there is a shirt section, a hat section, a bling section, a sunglasses section, and they are all packed with probably around 50 items. You can even tip your hat the way you want it. Don't like it on the left? Well, you can just put it on the right. You can also purchase NBA jerseys, shorts, and warmup gear, as well as player's tattooes.
The graphics are outstanding. The player models are the best ever seen in a sports game. You can see every mole on Steve Nash's head, every curve on Melo's corn rows. It is almost scary looking at these players. The environments are awesome in color and detail. Did I mention that they are also at players' cribs? That's right. You want to play at T-Mac's Florida home? Go for it.(Of course, he is in Houston now.)
The sound is standard. It features bland, but original rap tracks from some well-known and unknown artists. Also, the commentary from MC Supernatural(?)is just really, really sad. You want good commentary and music for a street ball game. Follow NBA Street's lead.
Obviously a lot of work went into this good game. The creators worked very closely with the player's association and the player's themselves. Everything from pictures to bling is authentic. The gameplay is great, with T-mac style alley-oops and A.I.'s mad crossovers. You can do just about everything in this game. Maybe it's because so much work went into this game that being just a good came makes it feel as if it isn't quite good enough. Definitely a terrific game for my fellow hoop fanatics.

This game is great. It has an original plot behind the gameplay and more control over juke moves. You play by 2s and 3s to 11, winner win by two, with a 2:00 time limit and 24 sec. shot clock. I prefer this game over NBA Street Vol. 2 cause:

1. NBA street is outdated compared to ballers
2. Graphics on players in street look like cartoons. In ballers you can easily tell whos who.
3. You get real one on one action.
4. More realistic, not every shot goes in (like in street)
5. Better courts and game environments (usually the crib of a player)
6. More rewards in ballers.Use trick points to get rewards: e.g. unlocking players, jerseys, cars, cribs, friends (to pass to during games)
7. Original plot behind gameplay
8. More control over juke moves
9. More players to choose from
10. More challenging than Street + tougher scenarios such as holding lebron under 5 pts. You also gotta learn most of the moves, instead of just being told how like in street.
11. More creative than street. The other day i had karl malone walking on carmelo's face, in mid-air, before a dunk. And bringing down the house can end the game (dunking and bringing the whole hoop down.

The only problem with this game is that it gets a bit repetitive after a while. You also can't play 3 on 3 like in street. But ballers has good replay value. You can play in a TV Tournament (nba player vs other nba players) or rags to riches (Create your own character and develop his skills to the top, challenging the leagues best. You can also play versus mode with a couple of friends. Some people complain about the commentator being annoying, well you can just turn him off. if you ask me, both the commentators from street and ballers are annoying. Thats why i got a mute button. And the music in street and ballers is annoying too. All the same, rapping abouts cribs and rims and being a baller. Just live with it. I was going to buy NBA Street (cause i heard it was better), but i rented it first and was disappointed. Its too easy and i would be done with it in a couple of weeks. Overall, i prefer ballers. If you dont believe me, then rent the two and compare which one suits your liking.