Music Reviews

I purchased this item for my neice approx. one year ago, for her birthday, and she loves it. She turned three then, and I was suprised at how often she played with it. She takes it with her everywhere. What impressed me even more, is how much she has learned and acomplished in one years time. I recomend this to any parent who wants to introduce their child to computers and learning with the joy of watching how much fun they are going to share with you while doing so.

I bought this for my 5 year old daughter. She loved for the short time it worked. It is so not worth the money if Mattel makes them last for a few weeks.

It started by Barbie repeating the same thing over and over again, no matter what button she pushed, then it was humming and then finally started to make an awful noise.

We tried to fix it for her, in the end we pulled the batteries out to stop the noise. Toys R Us was not even going to listen to my complaint and Mattel could not care less. I guess Made in China should have clued me in on the quality of this product.

My daughter got this for her 4th birthday and she loves it. Her twin brother got a different one (obviously) and he doesn't like it as much. The B-bright is very simple and can be easily operated by pre-schoolers without help from adults. I love the menu slide on the side because my daughter can go from one activity to another without having to enter a game code. It's very cute too and entertaining. Recommended highly for kids under 6.

this game is awesome! -- has excellent graphics and cool music to go along with. its a good game to get for a child just starting out with video games. my son is 4. this game keeps his attention is is NOT discouraging - just plain FUN FUN FUN!!! adults can join in and enjoy it just as much. -- WELL WORTH THE $$$.

My family owns about 16 gamecube games and the one that I almost always play out the 16 is Disney Extreme Skate Adventure. This is a fun exciting game that never gets old. It didn't take me that long to unlock every level but even after 8 months of playing it I have not unlocked every character. This game has many challenges on every level. Some are easier than others and some take a while and/or involve lots of stratigies. When you are one of the human characters and you are in the main place which is Ollie Wood you can warp to places like Andy's Room from Toy Story or Pride Rock from The Lion King and many others. Making your own characters and unlocking more clothes and skateboard decks is my favorite part. Me and my friends have spent hours at a time desiging each other. We also love doing tournaments with the two player games. This game gets you to think but if you get carsick than this game might get you a little dizzy at first. After playing it for a couple of times than you won't feel sick any more (that is what happened to me). This game is SO (...)worth the money to buy this. This game is the BEST EVER. Thank you Activision and of you try this game you will be thanking Activision too.

Okay this is a pretty good game, most appropriate for a young crowd with its Disney themes and controls seem a little bit easy, I suppose compared to normal Tony Hawk. I'm finding the two player games to be extreeeemely fun: King of the hill is hilarious as your opponent tries to catch you once you have possession of the "star" thing. It think because some of the levels are pretty wild shapes it can be tough to catch the "star" holder. Try and and catch me you poor sucker hahahah!

I also found that after I turned the music OFF (the songs weren't my favorites :P ) there were some cool ambient level sounds to be heard and the level environments felt more alive/atmospheric?

We have now had it for over 2 years and between 4 kids and their many friends and cousins, it still lives! Whenever it is found it is played with. Yeah sure the keys get stuck occasionally, but if that happens you just wiggle the end a little bit and presto everything goes back. Worth the money!

I had read other reviews regarding the keys getting stuck. I bought for Christmas anyway, and my four-year-old son loved it. The keys threatened to stick on many occasions, and the instrument finally broke on March 7. Six of the seven keys on one side only blow air. I'm not sure what to do because he wants another one.

The accordian is the type of musical instrument a child or a
grandma can have fun playing, and First Act has a good sound-
ing accordian that's also a good size to handle.

Even when you miss a note...it's never sour or nerve jangling,
and I think that's what my grand kids love about the accordian.
(Me too! wink)

My PS2 has been collecting dust for a while, as Ghost Recon on the PC has been taking up all my time. I love realistic military sims and I thought nothing could touch Ghost Recon (online with friends - addicting), until I played SOCOM. While not as realistic as GR, this game is extremely fun for a console title and if you need a break from the computer! Good, smooth controls, variety in missions, ability to assign team members to tasks, and nice graphics make for a very fun military sim (like a simplified Ghost Recon). I don't have the headset and can't see purchasing it since I will only be playing SOCOM by myself, and the thought of 'talking' to the PS2 without a live person on the other end seems weird to me. 'They' say that this game rocks online - I don't dispute this, but I think a lot of these people have not quite experienced online gaming on the PC, which in my opinion blows away the consoles. Overall a very fun game, although somewhat short. Looking forward to purchasing SOCOMII, I've read it is even better! Undoubtedly one of five must have titles for your PS2.

Socom US. Navy Seals is worth every penny. Single player has a nice variety of weapons from a silenced mp-5 to a automatic glock 18c pistol. The grenade launcher add on is awesome with smoke,flash,and frag grenades you can choose. The multiplayer is great with 16 players that can be playing at once. The headset can be used for multiplayer fighting and singleplayer fighting. Overall Socom is a well packed action game made right.

Tactical squad games are an unusual animal. They can either be very good or horribley bad!! Seems like there's no "in between". SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALS is one squad game that not only manages to avoid the common pitfalls of many squad based tactical shooters, but it also blazes new ground in the field raising the bar for everyone else.

The U.S. Navy SEALS are an elite covert ops group that operate under cover in hot spots around the world. This game gives you the SEALS experience as best as it can be represented in the video game medium. Through 12 single player missions you lead a small fire team of elite commandos through such a variety of situations that range from hostage rescues, to demolitions and intelligence gathering. Stealth is more important that firepower. Fire a shot or get spotted by a bad guy and it makes your job that much more difficult. The best weapon is often not to be seen.

The gameplay starts fairly easy during the single player missions and progressively becomes more difficult. Sometimes this can be frustrating. Often you need to repeat the mission several times to accomplish your goal. What really sets the gameplay apart from the other squad shooters has to be the command interface. Squad commmands are laid out in very simple terms for your team. Unlike a game like Ghost Recon, your fireteam can do more than just "run, hold and shoot". They can cover an area, advance to another part of the map, deploy grendades, breach a door, clear rooms....all this makes the way you use your fireteams more versatile. What's also unique is the voice command system. Using the USB headset to command your team adds a more immersive feel the the gameplay. Your teamates give you updates and you can recieve intel from HQ through the earpiece. If you don't buy the game with the headset then I highly recomend picking it up afterwards.

The graphics in this game are exceptional. The environments range from desert to arctic. Zipper Interactive has laid out some nice areas to play "hide and seek" with the enemy. There's lots of cover and there are lots of interactive elements in the environments. The non player characters are all rendered very niceley. They don't give off the look of being stiff and "inhuman" as are the SEALS themselves. All the human characters move convincingly. The game can be played from either the third person or the first person perspective. However third person offers the best view. You can see more of the landscape and you can command your teamates easier.

One of the things you can knock on this game is probably the sound. The weapons and explosions all tend to sound exactly the same. The ambienent sounds of each environment are presented well. Crickets chirp, birds cheep, grass rustles, water splashes when you move through it. There's alot of sound happening here.

There is also a nice extra included. A twenty minute documentary about the real life US Navy SEALS. After playing the game it was very interesting to see the actual team in action and to learn about their training. This may seem like a throw away feature but it's a good educational piece.

Unfortunately I do not own the Network Adaptor so I can not comment on the online component at this time.

This is probably one of the best Playstation 2 games in the system's extensive library. It offers realistic team combat while being very player friendly. Definitley check this game out. You won't be sorry.

I got this for my 8 1/2 month old son, ,, he loves this, this is one of the few things that can hold his attention for more than 2 minutes and he crys to get in it...

You need to push a button near the bar in front in order to play the music. Keep in mind you must push it while the ride is going. Quite annoying. My 10 month old is just bored by it. From the start, he would just stare at me as it went in a circle and yawn. It was so "thrilling" that he fell asleep on it twice. Other children in the neighborhood (from 7 months to 2 years) have ridden it and also not liked it at all. To be blunt, I could not even give it away. For people interested in buying it, I would suggest waiting and getting the Perego train.

My 15 month old grandson simply loves this toy. And though he doesn't "squeal" with the ride...he always insists on riding until the battery is very low!! I beleive he could ride it all day! Great toy...but it does take up quite a bit of space.

best adventure and game play you could ever wish for this game is a must own go to genie girl .com for screenshots and information this game is a must have this game will never bore you this games rating is 30000000 stars check out this games own website this is the best game i own this game is a must have

Shantae will probably be the last game released for the Game Boy Color, and what a game it is! Shantae features colors, animation, and scrolling backgrounds that must push the aging GBC to it's absolute limits. The game is so advanced that it puts many GBA games to shame! But it's not just the technology that makes Shantae so stunning.

The play is multi-layred with over 50 locations to explore, many secrets to be discovered, money to be collected for buying fighting gear, and 3 mini-games. Shantae (a magical half-genie), can also learn dances that change her form. My favorite is the monkey, which lets you jump higher and climb walls. As you play, day turns to night and back again. It's a neat effect pulled off brilliantly in the graphics, but what makes it truly great is that it's not just for show. You actually need to expolre areas at night to gain certain power ups and even to gain access to a hidden level. That level can only be found if you play Shantae on the GBA. That's right, Way Foraward has included a hidden level for the GBA only!

I was also really impressed with the integration of the story. This is not a game where you read the booklet to know what's going on and what your motivation for playing is. As you play the game, scenes take place that will progress the story. Explaining why things are happening, who people are and where you need to go.

The only complaint I have is that the world is so huge, the levels so labyrinthine that I can't believe a map mode wasn't included. So I get lost often, but my wondering has helped me find a few hidden secrets. So it's it's ot all that bad.

Playing Shantae, I was reminded of other greats like Zelda and Castlevania. It's a terrific game that's shouldn't be missed. Buy it quickly though as there weren't many produced and games this good don't stay on teh shelves for long.

You are looking at the last great game for Game Boy Color, and what a game! Sort of a hyrid between the Zelda franchise and Metroid, "Shantae" is the tale of a sexy little half genie's adventure to save her town and prove herself a heroine. The game mixes platform elements and adventure elements quite nicely, and the play control is surprisingly tight for a GBC game. Luckily, for all those who have suffered through playing GBC games on the GBA, "Shantae" comes enchanced for the GBA; brighter colors and an unlocked room. Now now, don't "tsk" away this game because it relies on 8-bit technology, this game has the BEST graphic this child has ever lain his eyes on. Shantae herself is a huge sprite and very well animated at that. It almost looks and feels like a GBA game...but itsn't! I suggested picking this beauty doll right up, it will definately a classic in the end.

First thing first. This review is based on the UK release of Silent Storm by publisher JoWood. The US folks have to wait till January 2004 to get this superb game.

I have always like turn based strategy games. Games like that are true strategy games because they let the player strategize how to win a combat with limited resources. Games like Warcraft and Command and Conquer are called real time strategy but in my opinion, I don't see much strategy in those games... one can win by building good defense, accumulating lots of units and swarming the AI with those units. Strategy? Not at all!

In my 15 years of gaming experience, I love two turn based strategy games: X-Com: Enemy Unknown (aka UFO Defense) and Jagged Alliance. These jewels were released around 1993/1994. They spawned a cult of faithfuls but sadly, they never reached the mass players. But these games never left my hard disk. I still play them whenever I am bored or when there are no new games in the store.

All these years, I have been wondering why no one will take the advances in 3D graphics and make a turn based game set in a 3D world... a world where everything is destructable - walls, doors, windows, trees, trucks, etc; a world where the action takes place in a building with multiple storey - for example, a sniper can hide in the attic of a 3 floor mansion and snipe any intruders.

Heck, with a capable engineer, you can demolish the whole 3-level building to dust, killing all the enemies (and destroying the furnitures at the same time) with the weight of the building on top of them. That is how destructable the terrain is!

I have always wonder when I can get to play a game where the gameplay is not predictable and you can replay the level again and again and again without getting bored; a game where there are many classes you can play: either as a scout like Tom Clancy's John Clark or as a sniper or as a Rambo-esque machine gunner - with each class having a Diablo 2-like skill tree in which the player choose which area the soldier should improve in; and finally a game where you and your friend's experience of the game are totally different and you get to regale your combat story over a glass of beer and hear in amazement how your friend achieve a mission objective in a totally new way that you have never even considered and can't wait to rush back home to try this new tactic.

These are what you get from Silent Storm, a game which sets you and 5 operatives in a World War 2 era. A game where you get to play either as the Allied or the Axis troops and yet not a historically correct World War 2 depiction which creates a new level of intrigue and creativity.

Silent Storm is a true turn based strategy game set in a 3D world in which firing a salvo of ammunition on a wooden door does not "remove" the door from the world but splinter it pieces by pieces, with the sunlight filtering through the holes into the darkened room, killing the poor medic who was hiding behind the door. Your sniper can then come out of cover and fire through these holes in vengeance.

Truly an amazing game which I believe will last in my harddisk for many years to come. The game comes with a map editor and 4 modifications, most notably are Inventories affect action points and Headshot always kill. I can imagine more player made modifications in the years to come - how about a Mafia era modifications? Or a Star Wars mod? Or a AD&D's Dragonlance mod? Or a Samurai mod?

Any self-respecting fan of X-COM or Jagged Alliance should stop reading reviews on the web right now and just go ahead and buy the game. Trust me, if you like this sort of game, you will love this game in particular.

Why?

Well, the engine, of course. It's fully 3D, with gorgeous amazing multi-level detail. Pretty much everything is destructible.

As I play this game, I am continually impressed by the detail in the environments, and their lack of repetition. Sleepy British villages feel differently than Soviet Weapons Factories or random encounters in the rainy countryside.

There are an overwhelming number of weapons to choose from, with distinguishable sound and shooting characteristics.

The game isn't perfect. The plot is a bit contrived, and there's a sci-fi twist to things. Voice acting is okay, but gets a little old. But none of these distract from the three core elements of this sort of game, however, and those are Gameplay, Gameplay and Gameplay; and Silent Storm has Gameplay to spare.

It's a no-brainer for TBS fans. Still sitting on the fence? Try the demo!

i thought silant storm was a great game, not only were the graphics amazing but the way it is played is great as well.
You can destroy anything i mean anything if a doors locked shoot it if somethings in you'r way shoot it.

you can also make you'r own characters... their faces,voice,body all and all i gave this game a five out of five for great everything.

5 STARS.Ubisoft did a good job with pandora tommorow for PS2.Of course you play as Sam Fisher the splinter cell.You are one out of maybe a dozen more who helps create freedom.By now you should of course know that if you love all out shooting games then you should avoid this one.There are a few new moves and gadgets at your disposal this time.The half-split jump allows you to fit into smaller spaces.The swat-turn lets you move from one side of a door to another side without detection.And the 2 newest weapon upgrades are the laser on your pistol(better aiming) and you can now zoom in with your sniper.And like the last game the extra level is awesome.The graphics have improved so much.But every good game has it's down falls.There are 3 major downsides.Way to many checkpoints(it's bad to me),painfully long load times,and not to many lights.But less lights is not so bad since guards will hesitate to pull the alarm for about a second or so giving you time to shoot them.That still dosen't make it that much easier.So to finish things off here's the good(pros),the bad(cons),and the confuzzling...or confusing.

Pros:Sweet graphics.
Awesome A.I
Breath taking stealth.
Good challenge.

Cons:Painfully long load times.
To many checkpoints.
Not enough lights.

Confuzzling:I think sam's getting to old.
Dosen't the split jump hurt.
Sam jumps funny.

Bye!!!WAIT JUST A SECOND...

Special review:Before you guys leave theres a little something special I want you to read.

Splinter cell:Chaos Theory
I have obtained a bit of info from the official splinter cell 3 website.You still control sam in his new game.In splinter cell 3 the graphics will be as realistic as the systems can handle.A.I will be greatly improved because enimies will react when it starts to rain.Sam now has even better moves and weapons.If there is an enemy standing behind a door you can bash it open to knock the enemy unconcious.And also if you are hanging from a pipe and a enemy walks under you sam can now put his feet around there head and snap there neck.Same goes for hanging upside down.You can use more physical moves now because you have a new arrange of chockeholds and other things to get rid of an enemy physicly.I know of 2 new weapons for now.First off you have a knife.And although they can change it for now Ubisoft has stated that the knife is not for killing.Instead it's used for cutting things like curtains or other fabrics.And now M.A.W.S(modular assult weapon system)...or in english your assult rifle now has a shotgun emplacement(I hope this dosen't ruin the stealth).In the 3rd game you will see the darker side of sam.Im not sure if this game will contain blood.The first game did have blood but it only happened when you shot the fish on the level where you had to rescue Ivan(the fishy's blew up in a bloody mess).It's funny because on prince of persia 2 the prince has a darker attitude also.I would tell you guys more but "Whose Line Is It Anyways?" is on right now.This game along with the prince are supposedly gonna come out this year.Here's what to expect.
As the enemy evolves, so must you.
EXCLUSIVE CLOSE RANGE KILLS: From knife attacks to athletic hand-to-hand kills such as inverted neck breaks, dramatic ledge throws and other new moves.
CO-OP STEALTH: Play online or offline multiplayer with a friend and coordinate your infiltration in an all new multiplayer challenge.
REAL WEAPONS OF TOMORROW: The most complete arsenal of weapons and gadgets from the knife to the modular SC20K.
AMAZING REPLAYABILITY: Totally open level design with multi-paths and optional secondary objectives.
ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: Intelligent enemies that make your mission more risky as you must get closer to them than ever before.
HIGH-RISK MISSIONS: Steal sensitive documents from under the nose of your enemies, takeout a terrorist surrounded by his bodyguards...
AS GOOD AS REAL: Never seen before graphics technology offers the best visuals ever seen on any console. Advanced physics engine allows rag doll physics, particle effects and perfect interaction with the environment.
THRILLING SCENARIO: In-game gut wrenching sequences and gripping plot with multiple twists and turns.

Well...BYE!!!

It's one of the best sequels out of it's kind. If you like tactical games, you'd love this one. I'm only ten but I plan on beating ALL 32 missions in atleast one year. There's at least like 4-7 levels in one mission so it will defintly take me a while to beat them all. But, if you're good at tactical games, then you'd love to try out this game! P.S. If you do get this game make sure you do know that you can only do multiplayer online, if you want to.

Splinter cell: Pandora tomorrow is definately the best stealth action game ever because it's really the only one like itself. This and the first one are the only stealth action games that they really took some time to give excellent graphics and well set up levels.
New things you can do different from the first one:
* SWAT turn
* Half split jump
* Zoom in more with your assault rifle
* Throw chaff grenades
* After someone sees you and raises an alarm, if nobody sees you for a while, the alarm stage will decrease
* Your pistol can have a laser sight, but if enemies see it, they will raise an alarm
* Online play is awesome

Other than those things, it is pretty much the same thing as the first one, which is a great game too. If you beat the first one, it will seem easier, but still a challenging and fun game. Worth every cent!

I enjoy this game. It's a real time strategy based game, much like pikmin only darker and there are more allies and enemies with different weapons. It's a pretty cool story too. The Stonekrusher goblins are on a quest to find who killed their human master (creater) but all the sides turn against each other. Then the battles begin. I'd say it's a long game. I'm on act 4 and its taken me more than 4 hrs. to get there. The learning curve is nice and quick. The only dissapointment would be in the graphics dept., most of the battling is conducted in an aerial view so you're allies are tiny, but when you take control of a clan and zoom in the graphs are phenomonal, from outfits and weapons to the gore! Wicked sweet strategy game...Check out E.B. I got my copy for $30.

Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde is an incredibly fun game. It's one of those "easy-to-learn, hard-to-master" games that make everyone happy. It's a very WarCraft-y game, except that you dont build your own buildings, only repair them. And peasants? Shmeasants. Forget about them. Just fork over 25 gold pieces and the building will fix itself. Now you dont have to worry about mass-producing peasants to make buildings and can focus on strengthining your army/armies. In Campaign mode, you are Grommel, Goblin Commander of the StoneKrusher clan, and you set out to find out what happened to your human creator, Fraziel. Very fun. In Skirmish (two-player) mode, you and a friend select 1-3 army/armies and try to crush each other's villages and armies. Your selections are:

Clan Name: Leader: Strengths:

StoneKrusher: Grommel: Power
HellFire: Grax: Archery/Long Range
StormBringer: Faine: Magic - Long/Short Range
PlagueSpitter: Syst: Poison - Long/Short Range
NightHorde: Naxus: Power/Dark Arts

As I said, you choose 1-3 of those clans and go kill your friend. There are 5 different jobs that you can assign your men to. Here they are:

StoneKrusher: Miner, Rock Thrower, Lugger, Pit Boss, Healer
HellFire: Lumberjack, Archer, Hunter, Bombadier, Scout
StormBringer: Acolyte, Conjurer, Pyro Mage, Ice Mage, Wind Mage
PlagueSpitter: Cropper, Savage, Bile Spitter, Shaman, Spore Fiend
NightHorde: Scrounger,Reaper,Cannibal,Grave Robber,Witch Doctor

Large selection, no? Better still, each clan has their own individual titan, a giant creature used purely to destroy stuff your guys cant handle alone - including your enemy's city and army. Here they are:

Clan Name: Titan: Job:
StoneKrusher: Stone Ogre: Crush enemies
HellFire: Warpig Pult: Fling rocks at enemies
StormBringer: Lightning Elemental: Zap enemies
PlagueSpitter: Green Slime: Absorb and poison enemies
NightHorde: Battle Ball: Blow up enemies

OK, you've seen what a selection you have, so grab a friend and crush them!

The only thing seriously lacking in this game is the graphics. The typical WarCraft far-off view is lacking compared to a lot of other games, but when you zoom in while in Direct Control mode, the graphical appearence gets way better, but even then, if you're looking for a graphical beauty.... grab Metroid Prime or something. But, the best graphics to any WarCraft(ish) game yet, BY FAR. Pikmin-lovers who are old enough to watch green goop come flying out of goblin's bodies should also enjoy this game - they are strikingly similar.

Be SURE to buy this game if you like WarCraft and/or Pikmin. If you don't or have never played this sort of game, rent it first.

Awesome. This is indeed a strange game at first but after 20 minutes you'll be hooked. After playing RTS's for the PC like Starcraft, Emperor:Battle for Dune, and the like, I got Goblin Commander as a Christmas gift. There are 5 clans in the game:the valiant Stonekrusher, brave and quite humorous Hellfire, magical Stormbringer,insidious Plaguespitter, and of course, the evil Nighthorde. You start out with Stonekrusher but end up controlling all of the clans. A good tactic with multiple clans is tough melee troops(Stonekrusher, Nighthorde) and devastating ranged units in back (Hellfire, Plaguespitter, Stormbringer). Different clans excell at different areas, for example Hellfire is excellent at ranged warfare (Hunters and Bombardiers absolutley shred other units) but are poor at melee, quite opposite from Stonekrusher. A goo game overall with a reallly great multiplayer mode! I beat the game in about 12 hours the first tim I did it, pretty long.

SWAT: GST is an excellent game with few flaws. The gamepaly is excellent and provides fast-paced action. Despite it being a "Tactical Shooter," the games is more similar to Halo at times, wild firefights. The four weapons in the game are especially well-designed and you'll like using them, I love the assault rifle espiecially. The many weapon upgrades (ammunition, recoil, aiming, clip size) keep things interesting as well. The AI is excellent, your teammebers are actually helpful (never get stuck in walls, very responsive) instead of just being cannon foddler. The voice-regonition is good as well. The only bad points are that the game lacks length and story, I beat the single player in 2 days on easy. Also, the graphics are not superb, but relatively all right. Overall, if you want a good FPS for your xbox, this is the game to get.

This is a great game regardless of the fact that it's not as good as it's PC counterpart. You can't command your team to disperse grenades and you only have two team members. They're good for support and when they're required for specific tasks such as picking locks or hacking computer terminals. The AI is mediocre. At times you may order someone to cover a particular area and they'll just stand there watching the bad guys come at you. On Elite(hard) mode, the game starts out very easy and gets progressively harder. You earn points for capturing suspects (alive) which can be difficult at times. Points may be used to upgrade your weapons. This is a little cheesy, but it gives the game some replay value. It's also nice to have a 99 round magazine instead of 30. There are four weapons. Choose either the assault rifle, shotgun, Uzi or sniper rifle. The siper rifle can only be used on certain missions based on the storyline or in multiplayer split screen mode. You have night vision, a gas mask, CS Gas grenades, flash bangs and glowsticks at your disposal. The multiplayer split screen game is fun and has 10 separate missions. You can play all 21 single and 10 multiplayer modes in a time attack mode. As this would suggest, you run the missions on a timer. The graphics and sound are slightly above average. I don't have a communicator but I bet issuing verbal commands through the headset adds a little more realism. Overall a great game at a great price.

The game rules it has awsome features