Music Reviews

The GameCube controller. This controller is one of the best ever made. No doubt about it. Nintendo's previous controller, from the Nintendo 64, was good, but not great. It was a very different type of design. The GameCube controller is a million times better than that controller. It's really hard to believe. The very first time I held this controller in my hands, I knew it was a winner.

Many people say this controller was made for people with small hands. I disagree with that. I have small hands myself, but I have a few friends who have huge hands, and they have no problems with it. The left and right triggers are in the perfect position for both of your index fingers. All the buttons on the right side of the controller are easily accessible with your right thumb. They button layout is nearly perfect; with an enlarged "A" button for games with repetitive pressing of a single button. The analog stick can be easily accessed with your left thumb, and it rotates smoothly every time. The C-stick has replaced the C buttons from the previous N64 controller, and it allows for much more precise control.

The only problems I could possibly think of with this controller are that the control pad is a bit small, but it is very rarely used, so that really isn't too big of a problem and the second thing I could think of was that the length of the controller cable is a bit short, but that can be easily fixed with extension cables. And now that the WaveBird is out, you can enjoy the wonderful GameCube controller without all the trouble of cables!

I've had this controller for nearly eight months now, and it is still extremely dependable. All the buttons are still firm, and the control stick is still nice and tight. Nintendo hardly needs to issue any kind of a warrantee with this controller; there is hardly any chance of anything bad happening to it. You would have to drop something heavy on it, or pour something on it. I've dropped my controller numerous times, and nothing has happened to it yet. It is still in nearly brand new factory specifications. I am truly amazed.

Overall, this controller is better than any of its counterparts. It deserves the "best controller" award in my book. Nintendo has come up with another masterpiece, and it looks even cooler in the Orange Spice color!

Mark Williams

Friends rejoice, the controller Nintendo designed for its newest console, the Gamecube, is by far the greatest controller ever conceived. No controller, not Sega's not Sony's nor Microsoft's, can match this baby once you grasp in your hand. I'm not saying the Gamecube controller is flawless, no such thing exists, but this (thing) is so darn close to being perfection that you will forget all about its minuscule flaws. The Gamecube controller features an incredibly unique design and intuitive control that only the geniuses at Nintendo could think up.

First and foremost is the controller's downright bizarre looking design. Mini D-pad, yellow C-stick, giant A-button, and kidney shaped X and Y-buttons may throw both you pro and amateur gamers off at first glance, but don't let this controller's intimidating looks deceive you. The Gamecube controller was, from the feel of it, designed to make the gamer forget he or she had such a device in their hands. The side handles are contoured to a person's hand, the L and R-buttons are grooved for your index fingers, and the green A-button is the largest of the four main buttons so you never lose the primary action button.

As I said, the A-button is the largest of the four main buttons because it is intended to be you primary action button. With this design, you'll never mistake another button for the A-button. Whether you're jumping from platform to platform of blasting away enemy fighters with lazer canons, the A-button's large size will always keep you from losing a game because you pressed the wrong button.

The X and Y-buttons are uniquely designed in the odd shape of kidneys for a reason. If you place your thumb over the A-button, you will see that this strange set-up is there so your thumb can easily navigate from button to button when you need to most without accidentally tapping the wrong one. Don't believe me, try playing "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3" on both Gamecube and Playstation. You'll soon discover as I did that it is much easier to master the skater game with the Gamecube controller than it is with the Playstation controller.

The last of the main buttons, the red B-button, is of the normal size and shape buttons have been on Nintendo controllers for years, but was set slightly apart, in size and shape, from the A X and Y-buttons because it acts as a secondary action button. Play "Star Wars: Rogue Leader - Rogue Squadron II" and find out what I talking about. In "Rogue Leader" the A-button fires your main weapon, lazer canons, while the B-button fires your secondary weapons, proton bombs or ion canons depending on the ship your using, weapons which are usually limited in supply. With the B-Button being smaller than the A-button, you won't mistake it for your main action button and go firing those all important proton bombs before you need them.

The L and R-button are the secondary buttons and are grooved for perfect comfort as your index fingers rest atop them. In "Star Wars: Rogue Leader - Rogue Squadron II", the L and R-buttons are used as "gas pedals." The L-buttons slows your ship down while the R-button speeds it up, and the harder you press the button, the slower or faster your ship will move.

Next up are the two analog sticks. The larger gray analog stick is the main control which will guide ships and characters through their quests. The control stick is larger, of much better quality, and easier to use than Nintendo's N64 version. The second and smaller yellow analog stick is the C-stick used for camera control, but will no doubt be used for secondary control on later games. The C-stick replaces the awkward C-buttons of the N64 which were both small and uncomfortable to use.

Another great feature is the built in "rumble pack." For those of you who had N64s, you may remember having to purchase the rumble pack separately from your controller and having to replace those pesky batteries. No more my friends. Apparently Nintendo heard the cries of its consumers and rabid fans and decided it best not to charge gamers for features companies like Sony already have built into there controllers. Smart thinkin' there Big N.

Lastly come the flaws and surprisingly enough, given the Gamecube controller's somewhat strange design, there are only two and you may never have to deal with them. Design flaw number one is the purple Z-button, which is located directly above the R-button. Although Nintendo states the Z-button will act as an emergency button, I fear some companies shall use this in a capacity where you will constantly need to use this button. I fear this because the Z-button, though it is directly above the R-button, is in an awkward location and testing the overall feel of the controller, I found it hurt my index finger slightly trying to press it. Design flaw number two is the directional D-pad, which in previous controllers from Nintendo was designed to be your primary means of controlling character movements. Not so with the Gamecube controller. In an attempt to wean their gamers from using the D-pad and relying more heavily on the analog control stick, Nintendo has shrunk the size of the D-pad making it hard to use, although it is within comfortable reach of one's thumb.

The verdict: the Gamecube controller is, in every sense of the word, a work of art. Nothing past or present, in the opinion of this veteran gamer, can match its ability to immerse someone into the game which they are playing, even with its minute flaws. And even if you find those flaws to be a bother, there are already third party alternatives that address the problems and unfortunately create some of there own. Nintendo revived video gaming in America, rescued it from certain death, and the Gamecube controller is still proof positive that Nintendo is here to stay.

made for human hands, unbelievably comfortable. not like holding a big rock like the ridiculous xbox controller.

Hamtaro ham-ham heartbreak is a hard game.I know all the places of the map. They are : the Clubhouse , Sunny Peak , Sandy Bay , Boo Manor , Fun Land , Wild Woods , and Spat Tower. If you want to know where is the spring egg , talk to cappy.Then Use the ham-chat Bizzaroo.Then go to sunny peak and dig-dig into the hole where you use to see Seedric.Talk to Seedric inside.Go into the hotspring and dig-dig 2 times.You'll find a hot spring egg and a Ham-Dance note.Go back to wild woods and talk to cappy.First hamha then Bluh-hoo.Chase cappy and give the hamster that traps you in a cage , the hot spring egg and you'll learn Clingie.I want to ask you how do you find the last orb from sandy bay.Where is the spoon from sunny peak. when you go to these places , talk to every hamster.

I really loved this game because i love the show and the charcters but actually i don't have the game but i'm trying to get it boy do i wish i had it (...) any way this is the greatest game ever get it and the ham-hams unite one l8ter

This is such a fun game! It's NOT for little kids, though, it is too tricky. (3-4 is too young) The puzzles are quite challenging and you might have to doodle to get through them, hehe. You have to use logic when you're talking to hamsters, too. The graphics are VERY cute and the exaggerated sounds make this game like a Japanese anime. This is a must have if you're a Hamtaro fan with a GBA handy. =^_^= I recommend this game to 8-9+.

I took the advice of a Video Game Store employee and waited out til 2K3 came out, instead of buying NHL 2003, as he claimed it was much more realistic. He was right, and so far I am glad I waited. I agree with some other reviewers that there are some glaring errors including: replay cam from wrong net, lame announcing (sometimes you'll hear "what a save!" when the shot clearly rang off a post), and the player faces don't look like them at all, very generic. Otherwise, this game is great. Realistic play, tonnes of player ranking catagories, so that the only ones that matter aren't just shot, speed, and checking, like in other games. Personally I think the AI is pretty good, as good defensive teams, like NJ, are indeed hard to score on. I would recommend this game for anyone looking to buy the best, realistic hockey game out there, but maybe not for your 7 year old cousin, who wants the "arcade" style of play. NHL 2K4 should fix these small glitches, and should rock even more.

For those wanting a true simulation hockey game, look no further than NHL 2K3 by Sega Sports. This game will simply amaze you on how realistic its gameplay and game physics are. It may take you a game or two to get used to the controls and gameplay, but once you get used to all this, you will agree that this game is the best hockey game made to date.

Graphically, it's above average in the player models (EA's are better), but everything else looks absolutely stunning. As expected these days, the rinks are true to real-life arenas. The ice at the start of every period has that wet, resmoothed surface--whereas during the periods, you see that wet look disappear as you see skate marks and snow. The crowd looks rather dull, but the action takes place on the ice, not in the stands. Player animation is great in some areas (like during the board pinning), but choppy at times (some body checks).

Sound is really good, but there is room for improvement here. The sounds of the game are well done, but the play-by-play/color commentary is very weak. It's slow, unresponsive, and the color man hardly interacts with the play-by-play man as he ignores 90% of his questions. My question here is: Why did ESPN sanction a hockey game without Gary Thorne and Bill Clement doing the play-by-play/color commentary? The only other flaw with the sound is the lack of crowd sounds--chants for their home team are non-existant and there are only a few general crowd reactions to the action on the ice. The public address announcer is done very well (your starting lineup is even announced in the pregame intro and his voice stresses enthusiasm to home team goals/assists). Also, each arena has its own authentic goal horns for home team goals. The game has a true ESPN presentation feel, but the lack of menu and option music is a minor problem as you will spend quite some time at these game option menus.

The gameplay and game physics are what will really grab your attention if you are looking for a realistic hockey game. Goals, saves, checks, penalties, board pinning, you name it, are so realistic you'd swear you were watching a game on ESPN. Remember that this is a true sim hockey game. (Tip: If your player goes out and makes dozens of hits every game, he could very well get injured early in the season.) As in EA's NHL 2003, you can tweek certain options to your liking (and most of these options are similiar to NHL 2003). Let's not forget the fighting--they are over rather quick, but it looks a lot better than the poor fighting engine in NHL 2003.

I mentioned that you will spend a bit of time on NHL 2K3's off-ice menus. This, believe me, isn't a bad thing. If you play the franchise mode, you get to do the GM's work of trading and releasing players that you are accustomed to in today's hockey games. However, Sega Sports has gone far beyond that and also lets you send/recall players to and from the minors (for development as some do actually get better), put players on injured reserve, assign who you want to wear the "C" and "A"'s on the jerseys. You are also given a certain amount of "budget" points (similiar to a salary-cap idea) to sign free agents and draft picks (you start out with around ten selected picks at the beginning--sign who you want and send them to the minors and watch their development increase), or you can resign players already under contract to avoid free agency (star players, of course, eat up more budget points) by signing them to multi-year deals.

If you have to find an obvious thing missing, it's the lack of online play for the Psx2 (I hear the xBox version WILL support online gaming). However, with all the great things to do in this game, you will probably not even miss it.

This game is a ton of fun on and off the ice. It's a total simulation/role-playing hockey game. If you want an arcade style game--buy NHL Hitz 2003, if you want a arcade/sim mix--buy NHL 2003 (by EA Sports), but if you want a complete hockey simulation experience--buy NHL 2K3 by Sega Sports, the new king of hockey.

THE BEST HOCKEY GAME EVER MADE.

While I was loving .hack(vol. 1)//infection,
.hack//mutation blew me out of the water.
A shipload of new chracters, grunties, levels, skills, epuipment, items, magic, and more arrive in full speed in .hack//mutation.
Towering above the ranks of .hack//infection, this is reason why .hack is so popular. First off, now that you've played threw vol. 1 , you get to carry over your chracter data to vol. 2. All your items, skills, money, equipment, everything is there.
The second reason is that this one has more boss fights, which are quite marvously designed. The'rye fun, strong, fast, and are the best Ive ever been in. The graphics have also recived a slight polish from vol. 1, which seem to fit the chracteristics of an actual MMORPG (massively multiplayer online rpg.)
And with the apperance of the .hack//sign chracters, youll be excited each time you go look for them.
So its the same as before. CLick that button and buy this game, but only if youve beat vol. 1. So go to it, and be excited, cause your about to buy one of the best games on the market today.

This sequel to .hack Infection picks up where the first game left off - and even lets you import your character to continue the adventure! For new players, the game nicely provides you with all the mail messages, board posts and other content from the first game, so you can at least try to catch up a bit with the story. It provides you with a character up to the challenge of this next level.

In graphics, gameplay, user experience and interface, .mutation is exactly the same as .infection was. This game is a 'storyline expansion' to the first game, using the same engine.

People unhappy with the first game probably won't buy the second game, so the audience for game 2 is pretty much self selecting. People who loved the first game and didn't want the experience to end will be thrilled. Instead of most games where you put hours of time and energy into a character, only to have the game stop, you can keep playing for weeks more. And of course, when you're through with this one, there'll be another one out in the fall!

.hack//Mutation is the sequal to .hack//infection. This game is so much fun you still have all of your member addresses whicth you had in the previsous game. And you start at Level 30 so you can go to stronger dungen levels and more infected areas. If you liked the first one you will like the seocond one more.

fun, indeed. I have been online with xbox live for over a year now. I loved it at first, but then came to realize that it has in many ways detracted from my video gaming experience. when you first go online, the competition seems fierce, and the challenge is there to try and be the best.

However over time comes the realization that you will NEVER be the best. In every online game I've played, the top 10-15 players are all cheaters. You will find this out in time on xbox live, but in every single game people will cheat against you, corrupting the overall experience.

And a last note, THIS IS NOT FOR CHILDREN!!! Just because a game is rated T for teen or E for everyone, the esrb ratings are guaranteed to change once your child goes online.
People will swear, and be incredibly disgusting. KEEP YOUR CHILDREN AWAY FROM XBOX LIVE!!!!

For adult gamers, I encourage you to visit www.xbox.com, and check out the xbox forums. There are many other adult gamers there, and they all play the games you are interested in.

Since it doesn't say how much an aditional year cost, I'll say it here: you gotta pay $50 for an aditional year. Unlike Sony, Microsoft does charge every year, but most magazines say that Microsoft's online gaming is better than Sony's. The quantity of games and quality of Microsoft is better than Sony's.

I was never much of an online gamer. I had played a couple of them, but I would much rather get my friends together and play them face to face. It's much more enjoyable because you actually KNOW the person and because of the whole bragging thing. When I played online PC games, I felt unconnected to everyone else, even when playing team games like CTF. You can chat to dudes on your team via the keyboard, but you can't do that on the fly. If your playing a FPS online and are facing say three opposing team memebers, you can't type in a request for backup without getting shot. XBOX LIVE solves this problem with the headset. It is very rare to see someone online without one. You can easily strategize with your team mates and call for backup quickly if needed. Being able to talk to your team makes you feel more like a team.
The friend feature on XBOX LIVE is awesome. You can tell where your buds are at all times, even if they are on a different game. And it's easy to send a friend request. Just click the players bar and scroll down to the person's name you want to send a request to. Or you can type the person's gamertag in at the XBOX LIVE dashboard. Also, say you're playing Rainbow Six 3 and your team is really getting pounded. You can invite your friend to play with you, even if he's not playing the same game as. This ensures that you can contact and invite your friends at anytime you want.
XBOX LIVE also temendously extends the life of your games. I had stopped playing Return to Castle Wofinstien a year and a half ago, but then I got XBOX LIVE. I was on that game for hours and hours of extra gaming time. There's always good competition, you rarely will be the uber killer. On the flip side, you can learn from the better players if your a newb and start wailing on other gamers in no time.
Overall, XBOX LIVE is a purchase that (I think) pays for itself. I have gotten fewer new games because I'm always getting new experiences out of my old ones. It is a very good investment for anyone looking to further there gaming skills or just looking for a helluva good time.

The fith installment in the tony hawk saga. This game there are new tricks, new skaters, and a new story mode into playing as yourself. Finally in this game your character can talk, not just have subtitles. There is a great story mode, and showing the life of a true skater. The real funny thing in this game is when your guy walks he looks like he is going to take a dump. But I really must comment on the graphics. Activision really did an amazing job developing this game. Also this game is a little more challanging than the other Tony Hawks. But I still think Tony Hawk 4 is the most challanging.

If you haven't played this game, basically where have you been for the past 7 months?

Don't get me wrong - this is a good game. I just think some of the "ground-breaking" elements it's supposed to contain aren't really that ground-breaking.

In Underground you are to progress through a story mode by which you start with nothing and end up as king of the skating world, all the while battling your once-friend-turned-enemy Eric. Throughout the story you complete several goals and missions to progress on to the next level. Once completing the story mode you unlock a secret level, a Kiss Concert arena, which is one of the coolest levels, by the way.

At this point you can return to previous levels and search for all the hidden goodies, learn new tricks, create your own tricks, or create a park for that matter. It's definitely an improvement over Tony Hawk 4 and is clearly the definitive skateboarding simulator.

First I'll give you the positives. The game has a great deal of online features allowing you to share parks, tricks, etc. online, as well as compete in online tournaments. It also seems to be very faithful to presenting a real simulation of skating and doesn't allow you to defy physics too much, except for the rail rides and surviving horrific falls.

Now the hype.

Underground is lauded as a game that let's you "get off your board and walk around." Um...have you ever played a game called "Grand Theft Auto?" You can walk around - and do a whole lot more. I'm sorry, I don't really find the fact that you can "walk" to be earth-shattering.

I also feel the game is a little *too* real. For example, take SSX. This is a game that gives you a real sense of controlling a snowboarder careening down a mountain, but at the same time let's you completely disobey gravity at your will. Underground isn't really like this. If you are actually a skater I'm sure that compared to reality the Tony Hawk games are awe-inspiring, but to a non-skater the air tricks are rather underwhelming and don't look all that different from what you see on ESPN2. While this is in some ways good I suppose, it leaves me wanting to be able to do more spectacular stunts.

The controls are pretty jerky. One thing I've never liked about the Tony Hawk series is the erratic control and Underground doesn't fix it. One little move and suddenly you're facing the other direction.

Lastly, the story-mode is pretty short. The only game in the series I've played is Tony Hawk 4 (so I'm not a hardened veteran) and I finished the game in only a few days with moderate playing.

I gave the game 4 stars so obviously I liked it, and yes, it's a good game. But game of year? No way. I'm not sure I get all the hype. Sorry to all the diehards of the Tony Hawk franchise.

Tony Hawk games started to get REALLY boring after the 2nd one. They were all the same, with the exception of some new levels, a trick or two, or a new skater. Then along came Underground. This totally turns upside-down all that was boring. There's thousands of ways to make your custom skater, and the stat system is unbelievable. Instead of making you assign stats to different things, the game assigns points based on what tricks you do (eg., if you grind a lot, then your rail balance will get high). Another awesome thing is that you can GET OFF YOUR BOARD! This enables you to climb to otherwise un-reachable areas, and shimmy along power lines and other structures to reach that perfect spot. But by far the best addition is the create-a-trick mode. I was always frustrated with the specials and how dumb most of the tricks were in all the other skating games, but when I saw this, I was blown away. The tricks in this game are already uncompareable to all the others, but you can make your own, complete with sound effects, flag-holding, and guitar-playing. I highly recommend this game, but be warned, it's addicting!

Good things: A few of the online xbox live games are somewhat fun. Graphics are nice. Car damage and degradation looks great. Frame rate is smooth even online.

Bad things: Terrible physics and hyper sensitive controls. Paris is not a fun driving city; It's all sharp corners. Even though it offers several multiplayer modes online, you can only play 2 of these modes head to head on the same machine. Games like the Hunter mode could have easily been done with up to 4 players playing split screen and still have 4 additional computer cars in there but apparently for business reasons the local multiplayer modes are limited to checkpoint and free ride. Online modes should be an extension of a very complete offline game, especially when it comes to something like racing games where the genre has already proven itself over decades to be a great standalone game. It seems that since Microsoft published this title they are also offering a very stripped down non-xbox-live experience strictly to push you to pay for an xbox live account just to enjoy the majority of the game modes. It's as though the offline game is a demo disc of the complete game. The single player missions are not fun, they get annoying and redundant very quickly. Also, there are no modes where you try to trash the other people's cars. They put so much work into the graphics for car damage and they don't even include it as a factor in any game mode.

Maybe one could hold out for content downloads for additional game modes but that still won't fix the horrible physics and touchy controls. Too bad too because it did look fun.

There's little left to the imagination with the Midtown Madness series. Released in its first two incarnations on PC only, the games were already well-known for their original, free-roaming style of gameplay, their wide selection of real world automobiles and their revolutionary use of online play. This was one of the earliest games to allow players to leave the pre-set race tracks and obstacle courses to explore an entire virtual world on wheels, complete with working traffic systems, interesting jumps and stunts, and pedestrians. I'm surprised it took the series this long to make the transition from home computer to consoles, but the third chapter in the ongoing series was worth the wait. It's a vast improvement over chapters one and two in every area, and though it does have its faults, I'd consider it to be one of the Xbox's strongest original titles.

The storylines themselves are, honestly, very overwhelming and incredibly cheesy, but that slowly becomes part of their appeal. Every single character you interact with is a crazy, super-exaggerated parody of some sort of culture, be it French, American or anything in between, and the voice acting reflects that more than anything else. The unifying sense of humor between all the different stories is a bit too cartoony for my taste, but occasionally delivers a good laugh or two. If you're looking for a game with the realism, grit, grime and atmosphere of Grand Theft Auto, you better move along because this ain't it. If you've got your eye out for a squeaky clean, sometimes amusing, lighthearted adventure that won't lose you any sleep at night, this is your ticket.

The controls employ your standard racing setup, basking in the glow of the strengths of Microsoft's controller design. The triggers are your gas and reverse, respectively, and are pressure-sensitive which makes all the difference when you're trying to set the proper speed for taking a turn or lightly brake before pulling a fancy Hollywood U-turn. Both the left analog stick and the D-Pad can be used to steer, but you're out of your mind if you use the D-Pad. Unlike Sony's classic dual analog, Microsoft's S-Controller was born to handle racing titles, and my hands never cramped or suffered throughout my experiences behind the wheel of MM3 (which is something i most certainly CAN'T say about my marathon sessions with Gran Turismo 3.) Even the extra "click" functions of the Box's two analog sticks come into play here, and clicking the right stick will bring up a translucent full-screen map of the city and your location, overlaying the game screen itself which is still in motion. It really gives the feeling of keeping one eye on the road while you quickly check the map in your passenger seat, and often leads to similar results. I've driven headfirst into some nasty situations because of this map, and I love it that way. Very nicely done.

Though not particularly original, the graphics of MM3 are still quite a sight to behold, and deserve special mention without a doubt. There's a nice visual theme running between the cutscenes, (which are few and far between) the loading screens, the main menu and the in-game HUD, and the car / building models themselves are fan-freaking-tastic. There's no question in my mind they were setting out to flex the Box's muscles in a big way with this one (thus the inclusion of both 480p High Definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 support) and in this regard they were quite successful. While I won't go so far as to claim the vehicles or environments trump those seen in the previously mentioned Project Gotham 2 or Gran Turismo titles, they do give both a healthy bit of competition. The sheer visual interactivity of tiny elements of the scenery especially caught my attention.

Almost as an afterthought, the sound is also an impressive example of what the Box can do when it really sets its mind to it. The use of Dolby Surround is more effective than you'll give credit for at first, sending the sound of squeeling tires, angry horns, screaming pedestrians and scattering change from one side of the room to the other as you wildly spin the wheel. There's no doubt in my mind that this is an example of some of the best use of ambient noise in a video game, and it aids the entire package immensely. The in-game music is nothing worth remembering, no doubt, but never really gets in the way and is negated due to the inclusion of custom soundtracks. There's really no excuse for a racing game to ship on the box WITHOUT this feature, since even the greatest tunes can get old after an hour of solid racing, but it's noteworthy all the same.

All in all, this is a game I'm happy to have in my collection. It didn't force my jaw to the floor in utter disbelief when I first caught a glimpse of the visuals, it didn't blow me away with unique, revolutionary new gameplay methods or stun me with a totally original concept. Put plainly, it is what it is; a solid, straightforward adventure game mixed with a solid, straightforward driving game. The single player story mode isn't anything to write home about, but I can't think of a time at any point in the future where I'll grow tired of playing the online modes and trying to erase my old land speed records offline. This is a great example of a game that never takes itself too seriously and is meant as a diversion, a way to kill a couple hours with pure, unadulterated fun. It isn't perfect, but it's good enough. I'd recommend a purchase without a second thought if you're Live-Enabled yourself.

This Game is one of the best Racing Games Ever it is Really nice and Cool it does looks like a lil bit like Taxi 3 and it does looks like a lil bit for need for Speed.

now The Races takes Place in two Diffrent Cities, Washington Dc and Paris , the game got many modes and they are really cool like "The Undercover Jobs" you work as a taxi Driver, Truck Driver, Detective, Limo Driver, Pizza Delivery Guy Driver, Paper Guy Driver , Rental Cars, Police Cars, also in the game there are Checkpoint races, or Single Races with other Cars, and Time Race which you Race against Time.
All Styles of Races Present Opportunities to unlock New Cars.
You Can Drive like Crazy while the streets are filled with traffics , Cars fly out of the way when your car comes into contact with them , and the Game Also Supports the xbox Live.

if you are Looking for a Terrific online Racing Game Than Stop , this is the one for you and you won't be Disappointed .

Overall, The Game is Fun, a Fun Racing Game that is, it is a must have if you are a Racing Games Fan, it is By Microsoft And Happy Playing This Game, Cuz it's lots of Fun.

Bomberman Generation is just another bomberman game. More of the same childish graphics, cheap bosses, and sup par multiplayer. ...

I originally took interest in this game for its promising multiplayer modes. I first tried it with only one other person, and we were both disappointed. While Bomberman Generation finally (and gratefully) reverts back to the multi-player outline of the original, it's a little late and kind of uninspired. The good news is: four-player support is awesome! Still somewhat skeptical, however, once I played the adventure mode, all that changed. There are a lot of levels in this game, all very linear but at the same time brimming with secrets. The free-flowing camera is the best work I've ever seen, and controls are simple (though you can't jump... bummer) and puzzles are quick-thinking and logical. Not to mention the head-spinning amount of powerups along the way. This won't top Mario Sunshine, I'm sure, but it will definitely hold you over until then. A great platform game with one of the better multiplayer options for Gamecube. Get it now.

This game looks to follow in the tradition of previous Bomberman games. Go to a level, complete some very easy puzzles, yada, yada, yada. Thats just the single player though, the fun lies in the multiplayer! You and up to 3 friends battle it out, and last B-Man standing wins! Plus it's got Cel-shaded graphics, which I personally can't get enough of.

Why is this product being advertised as:

*Nintendo video game system
*Includes one controller, manuals, and cables to connect to the TV
*Compact design with 4 built-in game controller ports
*Plays a wide variety of games for all ages
*Includes disc with four complete classic Zelda games

As far as I can tell, the people selling this are ONLY selling the Zelda game and NOT including the gamecube itself. Isn't this false advertising?

What can I say. I have been a NINTENDO faithfull since the 8 bit, all the way to NINTENDO 64 , but then PS2 came aroud. Instead of staying with NINTENDO I shy'd away to the PS2. I lasted about 2 years, up until this bundle came out. I got it on sale at the Wal-Mart (day after Thanksgiving sale) This was the best thing I have ever done. I now have 5 games, two controllers and three memory cards. Not to mention a ticked off Fiance!! I can not stop playing Zelda Majora's Mask. Its just awesome. It seems better ont he Cube. I have tons of game play time invested in this system and the ease of starting it up and playing it, not to mention minimal load times , makes the game play experience even better. I still have my PS2 but I haven't played it in atleast a month. The graphics on this GameCube sytem are just out of this world. I would recommend this bundle to anyone for the sheer enjoyment of ZELDA lovers, but more than that, you get the black system w/ remote which looks very cool.
I am a 22 year old kid, but I don't care.
This is a perfect Christmas present!!

All of us Gamecube lovers can well admit that it may not have all the beef of a chunky american system like the microsoft XBOX but lets face it, why do I need to spend extra money on a system simply because it plays DVD's and stores music, Don't we all have a DVD player and a computer for that which do it much more efficiently and at higher quality. When shopping for a console you should look for what is important like maybe... games. And the gamcube carries the biggest hitters like Zelda the windwaker, Metroid prime, Custom Robo, Smash Bros. (by the way Gary Schulze in your review you stated that Metroid prime and Zelda were release games... they weren't they came out about 2 years after the release. If your going to bash something do a little research.). Don't misunderstand I love the ps2 and the Xbox has it's perks but the best game Microsoft has to offer is Halo but now you can get Halo on the Computer and it looks a heck of a lot better and FPS's are a lot better to play W/ a mouse. Trust me if you buy a gamecube you'll see that the overall quality and inovation Nintendo puts into all it's products. The graphics are smooth and Frame rates are high and since developers are finally learning to develop acording to the systems highest potential the graphics are looking even beter (Check out the E3 shots of Zelda and Resident Evil 4).The controller is comfortable and the compact size of the system makes it easy to transport. If your in the Console Market and what something purely for the gameplay get yourself a cube and while your at it get yourself a ps2 also, they will give you exactly what you want good games and less extra crap.

The Game Boy link cable is a must for anyone that wants to play multi-player games on game boy advance. This cable is made by Nintendo, who has a reputation of genarally making high-quality products.

This cable is a fairly good length, and allows you to hook up another cable to it through a box in the middle of the cable for 3-player games (and you can hook another cable up to the second one for a total of 4-players).

The only disadvantage is that this cable will only connect two Game Boy Advances. That means if you want to connect a Game Boy/Game Boy Pocket/Game Boy Color to another one or to a Game Boy Advance, you will need a Nintendo Universal Link Cable, which is only a few dollars more.

In summary, if just want to connect your GBA with another one (or 2 or 3), then this is perfect for you. If you want to use an older Game Boy, get a universal cable.

What can I say? Its the link cable. If you want to link up with your friends to play the many multiplayer games available, then you need to buy this. There are a lot of great multiplayer games available and you'll be missing out on a lot if you don't purchase this cable.

Nintendo advertises this cable to allow 4 people to play together off of one pack. Absolutely not a 100% true. Certain games such as NHL 2002, and other sports games, each player must have a pack to be able to connect. Many parents have found this out all too late on road trips and what not. Make sure you read the warning on the back of the game and instructions to see what you need for multiplayer gaming. (...)