Music Reviews

Though it's an original game for the Game Boy Advance that's being released for the first time in 2003, there's a lot about Ninja Five-0 that feels rather familiar. The game has the look and feel of a Sega Genesis game released circa 1991, from the funky synthesized soundtrack to the level design. The gameplay is reminiscent of countless 16-bit action games, and the game is difficult in a way that most games haven't been for years. Ninja Five-0 is classic gaming in the purest sense, creating an experience that will truly challenge your skills while delivering some of the most satisfying straightforward ninja action seen on any platform in a while. The game gets straight to the action with the minimal amount of necessary exposition. According to the manual for Ninja Five-0, you play as Joe Osugi, a ninja that has decided to supplement his ninjitsu skills by becoming a detective. This makes sense, since again, according to the manual, it's the ninja's duty to protect the innocent from within the shadows. The manual is rich with absurd and amusing tidbits like this, which arguably add to the overall charm of the game. The story is as much of a story as a game like this needs; you're a good ninja, they're bad ninjas, and it's your job to stop them. The game gets straight to the action with the minimal amount of necessary exposition, such as letting you know at the beginning of a level that "hijackers have taken over the airport!" before cutting you loose. The gameplay is pretty simple and straightforward, but it's by no means easy. The action remains largely the same from level to level and has you collecting color-coded door keys, rescuing hostages, and, of course, wasting lots and lots of bad guys. Joe's a pretty adept ninja and can do just about all the stuff a ninja should do. He's got a standard shuriken that can be upgraded to a fiery spread shuriken and then a laser shuriken. He also has a sword for when you want to get up-close and personal with your enemies, as well as a screen-clearing ninja magic super attack. The most unique ability you'll have in Ninja Five-0 is a Bionic Commando-style grappling hook, which you'll use to grapple your way up walls and swing your way to otherwise out-of-reach platforms. The level design stays pretty fresh from beginning to end and pulls out all the 16-bit action-game stops. It starts off with some simple left-to-right walking and fighting and gets progressively more wild with moving platforms, timed jumps, and punishing environmental hazards like laser beams, spiked pits, and gigantic jets of fire, with each level punctuated with a challenging boss fight. The whole game leaves very little room for mistakes--accidentally killing hostages will take off a quarter of your life bar, many enemy attacks will knock down your life bar by half, and you're given only one life to complete a stage, though you are given an infinite number of continues. Indeed, the unforgiving nature of Ninja Five-0 may prove to be off-putting for those who haven't maintained their twitch gameplay chops, but the action remains so satisfying that you'll keep coming back regardless. At only five levels long, Ninja Five-0 probably won't take more than a week or two of casual play to beat, though an even harder mode is unlocked upon completion, and you can go back and replay any level you've already beaten in the game's time challenge mode. It's short, but it's a good deal of fun while it lasts. Joe's a pretty adept ninja and can do just about all the stuff a ninja should do. Ninja Five-0 isn't an incredible-looking game, but the graphics are serviceable, and, to its credit, each level has a unique look, with a minimal amount of reused level elements, and you'll fight a decent variety of enemies. Both of these factors help keep things fresh all the way through. One of the most unique levels, and coincidentally one of the most fun levels, takes place on a 747 filled with passengers and has you fighting swarms of ninjas and thugs that pop into the aisle and grab the closest hostage. The game has some nice little visual flairs, like the screen-clearing ninja magic super attack, which slaps a big kanji character on the screen while your ninja races around the screen taking care of business, and the boss fights have some nice touches too. The character models look a little chunky, but their animation is pretty smooth. The music in Ninja Five-0 is reminiscent of a second-rate 16-bit platformer, though in a good way, as it does a solid job of conveying a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, you'll hear the exact same tune through most of the game, save for the boss fights and the last few stages. The rest of the game's sound design is pretty standard fare, and it gets the job done. The saying "They don't make 'em like they used to" is totally applicable to video games, and Ninja Five-0 is a great throwback to how they used to make 'em. The game isn't terribly long, and the brutally difficult gameplay will keep it from appealing to players who didn't grow up with the three-life limit and no continues. But if you're up for some faux-nostalgic fun and some good, challenging ninja action, Ninja Five-0 is well worth your time.

I saw this game at Sam's for six bucks and thought, "What the heck...I'll pick it up. If it sucks, I'm only out six dollars." Then I played for the first time and was AMAZED.

If you like old school action, and if you used to enjoy games like Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, you will LOVE Ninja Five-O. Sweet gameplay, awesome graphics, and even a decent soundtrack. Be warned though: it is INSANELY hard. Expect to die several times over before completing a level.

If I could do it all over again, I'd pay 20 bucks for this game. But I'm glad I didn't. :)

Perhaps you haven't heard of this title, and I wouldn't be surprised. After three months of production, Konami ceased further manufacturing of the game...because it is a terrible game....HARDLY!

Ninja Five-0 is a rare treat. Quite possibly the most overlooked title on the system, and certainly one of, if not THE best Action games to hit the GBA. Old-school gamers will love the winning combination of Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden, and Bionic Commando. Theyr'e all here with Ninja Five-O's fresh new graphics and rocking gameplay.

Pick it up....you won't be dissapointed!

i cant even install the game on my computer. now when i bought this game i thought i was gonna be able to do all of the suggested stuff but insted i cant even install it. DO NOT BUT THIS GAME. use the thirty bucks to buy a model railroad engine car or track cause that is what i should have done.

I did considerable online research but I was still hesitant about purchasing a train simulator...(if you have played very many video games, you will have a large supply of "disk coasters" laying around, although the demos offered these days have helpled considerably)

To make a long review short, I can truly say that it's been a fun experience...the learning curve is relatively short in acquiring the basics of driving a train...It reminds me of Roller Coaster Tycoon, in that a 5 year can enjoy basic elements of play but an adult can find it a challenge to micro-manage

The graphics are acceptable but the real plus is its flexibility of play...for example, you can drive the train from the cab using actual controls, or you can drive it out of cab with an easy-to-use HUD console, or you can merely dispatch via AI feature which allows "pc" engineers to complete tasks...there is also "route editor" which allows you to create/customise routes

I "was disappointed" that there were not a larger number of packaged scenarios...but there appears to be a strong online support with download features

I play a variety of games, but I can "heartly" recommend it...if nothing else it's a fine escape from the "nail biting" games I usually play...I would rate it a 4.5 due to the scenario issue, but only a 4 or 5 is allowed...If you enjoyed playing with trains as a "kid" you will like it...well, anyway, that's my opinion !!

Although I am just now getting to purchasing "Tranz" I can honestly say that I am looking forward to alot of fun and learning experiences with this program. I did download the free demo, which is very generous consisting of 100mb plus. Although can not save any of the "surveying" layouts that you create, they are easy to create and alot of fun. For the most part the surveying program is very realistic and you are able to creat whatever type of landscape desired. The demo is limited in scope however, take the time to dowload it and you will be hooked on this program. I purchased Microsoft train Simulation and I would not encourage anyone to waste their money on that program!!! MST is not user friendly in creating layouts. Is very difficult to understand the operations of and thus yes, very boring!!!! Tranz has so much more to offer for free downloads and in future developments will no doubt become even more realistic.
Try the free download, you'll love it!!!!

It's a pretty certain fact that when it comes to fun party games the Gamecube is the way to go. However Capcom slipped this little number under everyones nose and the end result is a fun solid title.

Onimusha Blade warriors is essentially a Super Smash Brothers/Powerstone style fighting game using the Onimusha Characters. The story is simple, Nabuyaga is back and wants to conquer the world. Samonuska and Jubei return to take him on along with a cast of other characters ranging from monks to snipers to ninjas. However if the idea of playing a hero doesn't appeal to you than you can play as one of the Demons such as Marceles or a simple Zombie Soldier.

What seperats this from smash brothers (outside of the darker tone) is that you can build up your characters. By making your characters stronger and adding different weapons and accersories you can essentially customize them to your likeing. The buidlup system is simple yet it is creative enough to make the game fun.

However the best part of the game is that a certain Blue Bomber is a hidden cahracter in the game. If you don't understand this reference than play the game and beat it with Samonuske.

Overall this is a fun simple game. For some a renter, for some a purchase, but overall a great party game for the PS2.

I'm a fan of samurai games as well as fighting games. Onimusha Blade Warrior is sort of like Super Smash Brothers with sharp swords.

While some might think of this as a bad thing, I thought it was a brilliant idea. Instead of bouncing around with Yoshi and Link and other cartoon characters, I get to have the fast paced multiplayer fun of the Super Smash Brothers gameplay, but with more rich, robust characters. You get to build up experience and weapons as you go, choosing from a wide range of characters. You can be a young woman, a zombie, a fat old man, or many other characters in between.

There are five levels of difficulty, so even if you get through the entire game on easy you still have quite a lot of challenge ahead of you. There is a full tutorial to get you going, and then quick play as well as campaign play. You can even bring your fully developed campaign charcters into multiplay and see how they stack up against your friends!

There are nice cut scenes that move the story along, and good graphics in general. I do have to say that I had several issues with the control of the characters. Up lets you jump up to higher levels, but down just lets you squat in place. Other keys seemed very un-intuitive at first. But like all games, the more you play it, the more you get used to what the game requires of you.

You can unlock new backgrounds, characters and weapons as you go, and there's a fun variety to work with. This isn't a complex, strategic game like Halo or Splinter Cell, but it definitely is a fun way to blow through a couple of hours of free time with friends.

Recommended!

Buy it, just stop debating aand buy.
Fun Factor - 1000000000/5

Replay value - [ ERROR - To many numbers ]/5

Must buy rating - 10/5

Maybe I didn't give the game a chance, but I couldn't because I would get motion sick too quickly. Maybe it's the very bright colors or the high-pitched music or the constantly going around in circles, but I was hanging over the side of my TV, turning green within 15 minutes every time I tried to play this. I was on the Baby Easy level, too, and I didn't find it all that easy, but I'm not a kid. No doubt it's probably a lot of fun later on when you get vehicles and stuff, but I couldn't even put together the snowman in the beginning levels. To its credit, the Baby Easy level does let you win even when your skills are horrible because I was a huge failure as far as navigating a river, and the game still applauded me and advanced me to the next level. (And still I couldn't put together the snowman. I am such a loser.)

RUGRATS: ROYAL RANSOM - My 5 and 8 year old absolutely love this game. It's very creative and colorful. There's alot of good, clean gaming action here. The graphics are fantastic and, if you have kids, "WE" highly recommend this.

This has to be one of the best games available today for younger children that enjoy playing on the Gamecube platform. This game offers more levels that most adult oriented games but the challenge is set at a level in which younger hands can prevail.

My daughter simply loves this game! There are so many things to do that she never runs out of enjoyment or challenges. The best part of the whole game is that the violence is non existant compared to some games available.
Worth the money and your child will enjoy it for hours and hours.

Bottom Line: A+

buy nhl 2002 its cheaper and better you can update the rosters yourself

I got this game about 8 months ago and I still say it is my favorite title for gamecube. If you want a game with an in depth franchise and unlimeted replay value this is your game. This game is so much fun. You will love it.

NHL 2K3 Very good game . Graphics are well done the game play seems faster than EA's NHL 03 . I like the real names of the arenas and the banners as well . The crowds look real and the gameplay is realistic .

This game is soooooo cute! If you love Stuart Little, you'll love this game. I'm not a game player, but I love playing this game. I was supposed to set it up for my little ones to play, and instead, ended up playing with it for a while. My little one, who is four years old, loves to run around as Stuart and beat up on the spiders and other obstacles. My little girl, who is six years old, loves to watch me play. It is a bit difficult for my four year old to understand the concept, but for now, he's having fun with it. Cute, clean fun for the whole family. But watch out, you may end up playing it instead of your kids!

Stuart Little is cool! I want this game now!

This game rocks. I would like totally buy it. It's so kool. You try to find rings around these different levels you have to find a different amount of rings to get to the next levels. Memory Cards are REALLY helpful too.

Great game must have. If you have a gameboy you have not played a good game untill you have played this game. Two thumbs up! 6 out of 5 stars! Very very cheep price for how fun this game really is. I love the graphics of this game. Need for speed underground is awesome. The need for speed games are all fun. One more fun need for speed game is Porsche unleashed. That game is also available for gameboy advanced.

Street racing is very different from and, in many ways, more exciting than traditional automobile racing. Competitions take place out on the regular streets and freeways of the city, as opposed to the relatively safe confines of a closed professional course. Instead of cups and medals, prize winnings are paid out in cash, which many participants use to trick out their cars with fancy paint jobs and slick body kits--even when performance upgrades, such as turbo kits and exhaust systems, make the most sense. In street racing, your car's appearance is just as important as winning the race. Need for Speed Underground brings this fast and furious world of street racing on to the Game Boy Advance with mostly positive results. Apart from the graphics, everything from the console versions of the game has made it on to the GBA cartridge. Watch out for the cross traffic at intersections. Need for Speed Underground has all of the necessary options and modes that a handheld racing game ought to have. Competitions include circuit (multiple laps), sprint (half laps), drag, and drift events. Each event has roughly 10 different tracks devoted to it, and you have the option of bringing a friend in for two-player matches using the link cable. While it's nice to be able to race against another live human being and show off your rides to each another, the heart of the game is its single-player underground mode. In the underground mode, you join up with a clique of street racers and participate night after night in various events with the sole purpose of rising up the ranks and funneling cash into your vehicle. The number of available cars, parts, and upgrades is phenomenal. While there are only 20 different basic car bodies to choose from, you can create thousands of unique-looking vehicles with the many hundreds of body parts and paint schemes at your disposal. There aren't many GBA games out there that let you swap out the bumpers, hood, tires, side skirt, and tinting on your car, in addition to the usual set of engine, turbo, brake, and suspension upgrades. Popular manufacturers, such as Ford, Subaru, Nissan, Mazda, and Volkswagen, are represented, as are more than two-dozen parts vendors, including Dazz Motorsport, Enkei, MOMO, and Neuspeed.
When you get out to the street, NFS: Underground sheds its simulator-style trappings and turns into the sort of easygoing driving game that anyone from beginners to experts can jump right into. The A and B buttons control acceleration and braking, and if you select a manual transmission, the L and R buttons allow you to downshift and upshift. A few races into the underground mode, you can purchase a nitro boost upgrade, which you can activate by tapping up on the directional pad. Each course has a good variety of straights, soft curves, sharp turns, and dips. The physics engine has a realistic degree of skid, which is great if you're the kind of player who likes to slide around corners, but it doesn't overdo it to the point that you'll have to worry about spinouts or rollovers. Likewise, you're not really penalized all that much for smacking into walls or colliding with cross traffic. If you smash into a bus at 100mph, you'll lose speed and skid for a bit, but it doesn't take long to regain control and get back in to the race. Each car comes with its own set of speed, acceleration, and handling characteristics, which you'll feel during the race as steering response and skid tendency. Surprisingly, the game's 3D graphics are both its best feature and its worst problem. The developers really pushed the GBA to the limit using this sort of texture-mapped polygon engine. It's wonderful that you can actually make out details, like window frames, fences, and highway signs, along the road, but the resolutions are so blocky that it's sometimes difficult to figure out which way the pavement is going to turn. It helps to play through the courses and learn where the turns are, although that's the kind of thing that you want to do to learn the layout of a course, not just so you'll remember to take a hard right after the brown splotch up ahead. Thankfully, this pixelation issue doesn't have a bearing on how any of the vehicles look. While you may not be able to distinguish a guardrail from an on-ramp, at times, every car looks shiny and crisp when viewed from all distances and at various angles. This means you'll have plenty of opportunities during the race to admire the custom window tinting and vinyl decorations you applied to your car the night before. Trick out your car with performance parts, body parts, paint jobs, and vinyl decorations. Despite its problematic graphics, Need for Speed Underground is still a joy to play. The courses have a good mixture of powerslide and speed run sections, and CPU drivers tend to keep the races close without resorting to typical cheats, like passing through commuter vehicles or teleporting in right behind you. If you're a wannabe car buff, it's easy to spend hours just upgrading and tinkering with your car in order to develop a custom ride that suits your personality. The last thing that bears mentioning--and this is only a significant note for some of you--is the fact that the music EA chose to put in the game won't appeal to everyone. During the menus and during each race, you'll hear a random pick from any of four different song loops, including "Get Low" by Lil Jon, "Sucked In" by Jerk, "Doomsday" by Overseer, and "The Only" by Static-X. Luckily, if you don't like the selection of music, you can shut it off in the options menu. In fact, the in-game engine and tire sound effects are superb and can suffice all on their own. Warts and all, Need for Speed Underground is a good racing game--not because it's pretty, but because it's actually engaging and fun to play.

I love this game, however it is my first game with the GBA, I bought it along with ATV Racing and ESPN Golf 2002.
You can race and aquire more money to upgrade your cars and/or purchase new cars. The only downside, all your cars are silver, no paint variations that I have found, only static decals that can be applied after winning so many races.
This game is a must have for race fans!

I played Silent Scope in the arcade. When it came out on PS2 I was dissapointed that it was not light gun compatiable. Now Konami has corrected it's mistake by making the X box version light gun compatiable. You get 3 great games in one package. I heard that the Silent Scope Light Rifle is horrible. If you are having problems calibrating it, go to your funcoland and get a pelican brand name extension. This solves the problem. As far as the light rifles performance, It is good. The kickback stinks,but who cares about kickback. It is fun to point the rifle at the tv and blast away at terrorists. I am so thrilled that Konami has brought all of the excitiment of 3 of its contemporary arcade games to x box. If you are a fan of arcade games but don't want to waste your money at the arcade, get this collection immeidatly!

this game is packed with all 3 silent scope games and has all of the extras and options you could ever want. The game makes the user turn up the brightness a lot o the gun can register, not a problem with the gun because it works fien for house of the dead 3.

While this game is great, the gun fails. I dont thinmk the gun can affect the score of the game because the game is anything one could ask for.

The game it self has four games in it 1,2,3 and EX but if you really want to get the enjoyment out of the game pick up the light rifle. it not onle makes targeting and shooting easier but it also feels like your right in the situation.

This game does everything the first one does and more. If you don't have enough money for the Need For Speed Underground, then go with this one. You wont be disappointed. Especially if you liked the first one and Zero.

I picked up a very first Tokyo Xtreme Racer (TXR) for Dreamcast without having much anticipation. Result was stunning. I couldn't put down the controller, playing it for hours and hours. I get easily bored with games these days because they look good on surface with graphic, however, lacking the most important aspect; gameplay/fun factor. However, this wasn't the case with TXR. I couldn't wait for the TXR 2 for Dreamcast in the States and ended up getting import version of it. I bought PS2 version, Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero, in order to obtain rival's profiles(you get rival's profiles once you beat them) since I can't read Japanese. You must be wondering why would I buy almost same game for different system just for stupid profiles, especially when it's just a driving game, right? Well, I vividly remember racing against this car in the first game. I raced literally 20 times and each race was so close, so close... After I beat that car, I couldn't help but smile when I read the profile;The rival was female, who goes to city college, borrowing her boy friend's car without his permission. Dang, I felt this 'bond' or 'tie' with her after having twenty close, close races. I almost, almost felt like asking her number... and she was just one of them.

Strangely, this game becomes personal and you get to relate to each rivals, especially ones who gave you hard time.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3... The very first thing I noticed was the graphic. The first impression was that it ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE HIGHWAYS IN TOKYO. One of my Japanese coworkers took me to Japan couple years ago to show me Shutokou Highway after we were fervently discussing about the game(actual highway where game battle takes place). The funny thing is that I didn't think first two TXR games looked anything like actual highway, of course, it looked similar. However, when I was playing TXR 3, it just came to me naturally that this really does look like actual highway. Game looks very identical not only in details (now there's oncoming traffic) but most importantly the scale wise. Feels like actually racing in the highways of Tokyo.

Moreover, they have balanced whole battle system. You could sort of bump into walls and cars and still manage to maintain your speed, however, it wasn't the case with TXR3. Even if you are ahead of your rival, you could still lose EASILY, WHICH FORCES YOU TO MAINTAIN THAT INTENSITY, CONCENTRATON TILL THE END OF RACE. If you just scratch your car or bump into something, then not only you lose speed but also considerable amount of your 'health bar'. This game rewards those players who play with precision, taking game driving as if they were driving a real car. You wouldn't bump into anything if you were to drive your own car in real life while racing someone, would you? No, this game really rewards those who drive realistically. I think that was another great improvement over the previous games. Furthermore, they have tweaked whole physic, where you just can't blindly make a turn without being understeer, which could result in partial spinning..and there goes your victory. They have managed this 'up grade' aspect in a way it literally felt like playing a RPG. It was more like playing Dragon Warrior, where you are fighting to make money to buy better weapon/armor without feeling bored but rather anticipated for better equipment. I felt exactly same way as I was playing this game. One time I was racing against the ring leader, and when that leader was losing, the battle turned into this three-way battle; the leader was trying to drive away while the second team member tried to block me- Wow, I was just blown away!

Yes, this game does finally accommodate real licensing cars- however, they missed few crucial car makers like Honda/Accura. Having this license aspect does help with fun factor obviously despite of its short numbered licensing availability. This game also implemented weather change (raining) which seriously limit your visibility and that's another great addition.

You know, this game does have its own faults here and there.. but trust me, it does not interfere with your game in anyway because, for instance, you would be concentrating on driving, either trying go get ahead of your opponent or preventing them from gettting ahead of you, and I do not think you would notice any serious popups (and if you do, you must be a confident racer, not like me). One more thing I need to mention is that the difficulty has been lowered considerably in my opinion compare to previous two games. So if you were looking for something with more challenge, then this might not work for you. And for those who thought the previous games were way too hard, then this might be the one for you.

I guess if you are reading this game then you must be either new to the series or veterans who want to check out if they are buying another same old games- and rest asure because this is not a same game- (may be I could make a comparison between original Metroid and Metroid Zero Mission, which was the remake however it felt like a totally new game while attaining the original formula). Trust me, it's not about just having enhanced graphic here and there, changed menu and interface here and there.. they made substantial changes for you to not only enjoy the game but also appreciate the changes (especially for those who've played previous two games and were wondering if this is worth your money and time)...

AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO BUY AND PLAY THIS GAME ANYWAY IF YOU'VE PLAYED THE FIRST TWO GAMES, RIGHT?

So if you are making comparison with games like Gran Turismo or other games and decide not to buy this game (for whatever unreasonable reason), HEY, IT'S YOUR LOSS, SERIOUSLY. Gran Turismo is a great game, no question about it. However, there's some aspects from Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3, WHICH CANNOT BE REPLICATED ANYWHERE, EVEN WITH GRAN TURISMO 3 (AND PROLUGUE OF GT4), BUT IN TXR ONLY, PERIOD.

Tremendously enjoy this game like I have.

Before I start my review, I want to make one thing very clear. Anytime a racing game like TXR3 is compared to benchmarks like the Gran Turismo or Project Gotham series, it will almost always finish behind. Is that always fair? I think not! Any street-racing game should stand on its own merits and not the merits of others. A red apple should be based on its qualities as a red apple and not a green one, so TXR3 should also be based on what it is instead of what it isn't. With that, let's get started!

TXR3 is the latest in the TXR series that started with the original TXR game followed by TXR2 and TXR Zero. All are fun and addicting games to play with more than their share of annoying little quibbles but the charm lies in its unique game play and the ability to race a seemingly endless number of rivals. Those particular qualities remain intact with some new twist that surely makes TXR3 the best in the series so far.

One of the first things you'll notice is that all the vehicles no longer use thinly disguised manufacturer names. Genki, the producers of the game, managed to obtain licensing from the car companies to use actual model names. A very obvious omission from the ranks is Honda/Acura. From what I understand, either Honda did not allow Genki to use their designs and names or they couldn't get proper licensing in time so if you are a Honda/Acura fan, you're out of luck but TXR3 does have some new kids on the block like Gemballa, DeTomaso, Volkswagen, and Lotus to name a few as well as the usual cast of Asian regulars. And don't forget to check out the all-new Ford GT! Another major change is now you have 3 areas to race instead of one. Along with the highways of Tokyo, there is Osaka and Nagoya to race. Combine those area's 200+ miles of road with 600 rivals to compete against, you'll have a game that will keep you busy for awhile.

The premise of the game hasn't changed much since the beginning -find a rival, flash your lights, race, and win (or lose) depending on whose meter runs out first. Every rival is part of a gang that must be beaten before you can race the leader of the gang. This, in itself, doesn't sound particularly thrilling but there is an undeniable rush when beating your rivals and accumulating funds to buy better cars and modifications to try to beat even faster rivals. And it doesn't stop there! You can also do engine swaps from hi-revving inline-4's to brawny V-8's that go beyond the normal engine upgrades that can really give your ride some very serious power! If that isn't enough, you'll also have the chance to race two bosses at the same time in some situations! Double the pleasure when you win but double the defeat if you don't. Also new for this series is the weather-effects. You'll have many opportunities to race in the rain and snow, although the snow doesn't accumulate but those roads sure get icy! It adds a great dimension to the game that makes you prepare for every race you encounter.

Sound? Definitely better. All the variety of engines now make the appropriate noises from the buzzy 4's to the burbling V-8's and even the 'squish' of the tires on the rain-soaked roads are worth noting. I can't say much for the music, though. If you like the typical power-grunge rock, then this is right up your alley. Personally, I never listen to the music when I'm playing. With the new and proper engine sounds combined with gear-revving, tires squealing, and turbo waste gate whoosh-ing, that's the best music you can have! The music is just a distraction from that.

The graphics are certainly better and a little cleaner than the previous series and the graphics for the weather-effects are superb. The only drawback is that there seems to be an awful lot of pop-ups, especially on the weather-effects. It's not too noticeable when you are driving fast but it's easy to see the buildings and overpasses fill in as you move forward, even when viewing this from the rear-view mirror. This doesn't effect the game play but on some sections of the roads when traveling super fast on rainy days, the pop-ups aren't visible until it's too late and suddenly you find yourself having to make a micro- second decision on what path to take and by then you've crashed big time. Come to think of it, this would probably happen in real life.

Summary:

Hits
* More highways, more cars, more rivals, endless modifications.
* Better road feel, less 'floatiness'.
* Realistic weather-effects.
* Good graphics.

Misses
* Lots of pop-ups on rain/snow days.
* Some bosses start way in front of you before you race.
* WAY too many yellow "Official" vans on the road.
* Absence of Honda/Acura vehicles (which may not necessarily be a bad thing!) :-)

All in all, a first rate game with a tremendous replay value loaded with new options that make it even more fun to play. And that's why I give it 5 stars because it's just good old, bumper-to-bumper, winner-takes-all, fun! Bottom line, if you liked the previous series, go out and lay down your $20.00 for your own copy. It's that simple! If you didn't like it before, rent it and play it. You might be surprised!

Top Gear Rally is a very good game. The game has excellent graphics and good cars. All except for the fact that the terrain is the same in most tracks it is almost the best game I ever bought.

If you are new to the rally concept, or the Top Gear series, then this is not the game for you. This game can also be very frusrurating to younger players. If you have played other Top Gear titles, you would probably enjoy this game. The game is very challenging, and the races are relatively short. The real-world physics are great, and there's lots of cars and tracks to keep you busy for a long time. Overall, this is a great addition to the Top Gear series.

I love racing games and this is not a disappointment. The graphics are pretty good and the controls are smooth. The custom car settings really matter and this game is not easy to beat. Definitely use the in-car view because the "behind car" view is almost impossible and a little disorienting. Some of the courses are very difficult in bright light (typical for the GBA even the SP). Might not be worth full price but has many features and lots of re-playability