Music Reviews

I loved the original for the playstation, but this one...

Story 2.5/10: The story is about as deep as a wading pool. I thought from the start it wouldn't be great but I didn't expect it to be so bland and vapid. The story opens on a school-yard snowball fight between the munchkins of a small public school, and a clever tutorial instructs you how to play the game throughout the snow fight. Then three of the loser kids (including the protagonist) go to a house read a book, then wish they weren't losers and were in that fantasy world. Then while they sleep the world changes and then the main guy ask the other two to help him get the world back to normal but they don't want to because they're not losers there... then you go on a million missions, and the story dies with your motivation to play.

Gameplay 5/10: The battle system is pretty much the same as the first, except you have to learn skills and magic by equipting weapons that have that skill on them. This wouldn't bother me except that you often have to equip very weak weapons to learn skills you may have missed or haven't gotten to yet. The battles feel slower then its big brother and they just aren't as fun.

Graphics 5/10: I guess they're good for a GBA game but the first has much better visuals. The animations and attacks and spells almost put me to sleep, they are very simple and boring. Overall the graphics just plain lack style or any zest at all. Oh and the character clothing is outrageously bizzare!! They look incredible weird even for a FF game, in short I don;t like it.

Overall 4/10: It is, at best, an ok game. At least it's better than Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronicals ;( *shutters*

I must confess that I am far from finished with this game, I'm about half way into it, but I have played enough to get to know how I feel about it. Over all this highly anticipated title is great, and I'm grateful to see a Square (Now called Square Enix) game back on a Nintendo console. Although Square's support has been Sony exclusive for the last two generations Square is finally moving away from that bringing at least three titles to a Nintendo system in some form or another. Naturally if these games do well its a safe assumption that there will be more, and considering that many of the older Final Fantasy fans are Nintendo fans to begin with this is a guaranteed success.
FFTA is the sequel to the massively popular Final Fantasy Tactics on Playstation. The original took concepts of the Ogre Battle Series and merged them with the world of Final Fantasy to create what has been heralded by many as the greatest Final Fantasy game of all time, even if it is not a part of the main series. Tactics 2 is just as immersive, just as deep, and just as fun, but a lot more light hearted, a lot less dark, and a game that some could argue would be geared toward a younger audience. The story is far from unenjoyable, but it's not as dark, or thought provoking as its predecessor, or the latest entry in the Tactics Ogre series either. However, if you enjoy deep children's classic epics, along the lines of The Never-ending Story, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, etc then you will find this game very highly enjoyable, and frankly I am still a huge fan of the aforementioned films from which the game obviously draws its inspiration. Game play wise, however there is one massively annoying flaw. The game features judges who impose laws on you that restrict your battle options. Many of the laws will completely hinder your progress unless you have the appropriate anti-law card with you and sometimes its hard to get just the right anti-law card for just the right occasion. It gets annoying to forget you're not supposed to use a sword in battle and suddenly the game is over because you strike a monster with one. The game would have still been very deep game play wise without the laws. The laws are an annoyance, but do not stop the game from being enjoyable. I merely hope that future installments of the series will abandon the law system. Square, it's nice to have you back, welcome home! I look forward to your next two games, Sword of Manna for GBA, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for GameCube. Of course for you Playstation owners out there (which includes me too, I have all three systems) there's Final Fantasy X-2 and XI right around the corner. It'll be a good year for Square fans.

One of the most common traits of Squaresoft's hit series of games named Final Fantasy is the evolving difference in each game. Ultimately, no two are alike. And with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, there finally seems to be something that will hold true: a band of character races and "jobs." However, the name "tactics" comes into play as the game is grid based. Rather than standing in one place and slashing back and forth, you maneuver your way around to defeat your enimy while gaining judge points. But style is not forgotten in this game. Each class supports new abilities and looks for your characters which adds a whole new enjoyment to the game. Gameplay is simple and easy to get used to. Graphics are amasing with a system that supports three color modes. And the music is almost worthy of a soundtrack of its own. FFTA is definitely worth checking out. But be warned, once you start, you'll be hooked forever!

This game may have next generation graphics, but the guys arm still goes through the wall. The stealth part is dumb because you can be hiding in pitch dark blackness with your goggles and cell phone alight and a guy right in front of you but he wont notice. you dont shoot anybody and if you do you have to hide the body, i found that really neat, but you never shoot anybody. if you are seen you will die. you will die because the "bad guys" have automatics and you have a dinky little pistol. All-in-all this game is boring

I've heard a lot of idiots going around saying that this game is the killer of Metal Gear Solid 2, that's like saying Tony Hawk 4 will kill off Grand Theft Auto Vice City. First of all, the games are very different. Splinter Cell is firmly rooted in reality, and that includes the lighting and shadow effects that are constantly mentioned and there is a lot of trial and error, whereas MGS 2 is a mix between fantasy and reality and has a set course for you to follow, so these games aren't really the same, and given the choice between them, I'd take 'em both. With that out of the way, ON TO THE REVIEW!
Splinter Cell is the only Tom Clancy game I've ever liked, I feel that games like Rainbow 6 and Ghost Recon are too real to be fun, and if I wanted realism I'd join the Marines, but what makes this so different? Who knows, but the story is very cool and realistic, the graphics are OK for the Ps2 hardware and the actual gameplay is excellent, you can hide from enemies in the shadows and distract them, enabling you to move on and the controls are also very easy to use, taking only a short time to master. The enemy AI is also very realistic and it offers a good fight, which is why you should either sneak up from behind enemies or just avoid them altogether.
Reading the other reviews, I've seen that in addition to comparing MGS2 to SC, people also compare the XboX to Ps2 versions, I've played both and they're equally good. The Xbox version has better graphics going for it and you can also download the levels that are in the Ps2 version, the Ps2 version has better and easier controls and the levels are already there. Given the choice between the xBox version and Ps2 version, I couldn't choose and the only reason I got the Ps2 version was because I don't have an XboX.
But it doesn't matter which version you buy, because the game is cool wether you get the Ps2, Xbox, PC or the Gamecube version, (is there a Gamecube version?)
Thanks for taking the time to read the review.

Splinter Cell is one of the greatest PS2 games out on the market.

Why you ask?

Splinter Cell is unique in the game market since instead of using brute force i.e.; gunning everything in sight, the player has to use stealth and evasive techniques to avoid the baddies when trying to complete missions.
The player controls Sam Fisher, an agent for the NSA. Armed with a varying array of weapons, lock picks, fiber optic spy cams...etc, Sam is sent on a number of missions which require you to navigate Sam into the shadows and avoid detection while trying to attain objectives.

Players will have a good list of actions available to get Sam to his destination undetected. The game controller is setup with the left analog joystick used to move Same while the right allows the user to pan the camera. I found this to be very useful in allowing me to look around corners without putting Sam into view.
Left and right d-pad buttons allow for Sam to use the night vision /thermal goggles he carries. Very helpful to see in the dark, which you'll hopefully be most of the time. The lighting in this game is very life like, so I've found it helpful to use the night vision in rooms that are in full light to help flesh out objects I might have missed when searching a room.
O button allows for Sam to crouch down. Since the object of the game is to try to complete these missions undetected, crouching offers a number of different advantages. Aside from the obvious, hiding out of sight, crouching while jumping down from a high place, softens the impact, thus making less noise.
Triangle button is useful for jumping. In Splinter Cell you can have Sam jump to and from ledges, off of walls, or go down a zip line. If you're in a narrow corridor, you can even do a split jump and wedge yourself with your legs flayed out. Baddies can walk below you all while being undetected.
X button allow for numerous tasks such as repelling off of a building, opening doors, or grabbing a bad guy to interrogate. I found that when I hid in the shadows and waited for a guard to get close and turn around, I would crouch and sneak up behind him. Hitting the X button allowed me to put him in a head lock and hold a gun to his head. From there you can pump the guy for info, make them do something, like stand for a rental scan, or you can hit the R1 button to just knock them out.
R2 button allows the used of a varying array of weapons at your disposal. Sam has the standard 9mm with silencer, which is helpful in taking out opponents as well as knocking out light bulbs to insure your stealth. Each mission you'll be equipped with different weapons or tools, wether they be a 9mm, or assault rifle, or even a laser microphone. They're all pretty much accessible via R2 button.

The graphics in Splinter Cell are superb. Actually better than other games I've played like Vice City or even Ghost Recon. Shading and lighting as well as color are incredible and very life like in this game. I thought the night vision was easier on the eyes instead of the greenish tinge night vision that Ghost Recon uses, Splinter Cell uses a black and white tinge to the night vision, which I feel allows you to see more clearly into darken area and make out objects better.

Splinter Cell, however, is much more than just a "shoot'em up" game. As I stated above, the game is more stealth and evade. With that in mind solutions to reaching these goals are not apparent. I spent a good deal of time examining the environment that Sam found himself in before acting. Instead of barging through doors, I found it better to use the fiber optic camera that Sam carried to look under doors to see what/ who was here. From there you can develop strategy in how you're going to enter the room undetected, or if your cover is blown how to incapacitate your opponent. You'll definitely find that there is more than one way to tackle a problem in Splinter Cell. The missions may be linear, but the solutions to problem within each mission are not.

Figuring out how to get Sam to act in a stealth manner isn't self evident.
The training mission in the beginning of the game acts as a tutorial to practice your moves before going out into the real world. Here you'll practice all the running, jumping, climbing, hiding and evasion techniques you'll need to be the best covert ops agent there is.

Overall, I put Splinter Cell on my must buy list and must have for any hard core gamer.

This game is for real, when I bought this game I just was looking forward to the create a skater and takeing him thorough a story mode which was all what it is brought up to be. Some things definitly need improvment though like ( the create a skater hardly has enough face features and such, and the driving mode is way too shady... for 30 seconds it was fun but its just kinda well shady if u even know what that word means, but other then that getting off your board, climbing up stair cases, shimming on roof tops! still i have some regrets but the pros definitly out weigh the cons, ive had this game for 1 day and im on the 7th level of 9 ........... IF you do not currently own this game I strongly advise you to pick up a copy of your own and get thugin'

~ and also whats with that HORRIBLE SOUNDTRACK I mean this is supposed to a game for punk skaters not that hip/hop crap

Top
1. Tom Clacnys: Splinter Cell
2. Tony Hawks Underground
3. Madden 2004
4. Kill Switch
5. GTA: vice city
6. Well soon to be #1 when i play it but TRUE CRIME STREETS OF L.A.

dis game is tyte, but it is easy even in impossible mode. I beat it in 2 weeks. Better than the 2,3, and 4 THPS. 1 is a classic and my favorit. THug is great wit tons of head 2 head games. Also it has gene simmons, Iron Man, and That thing that etes the skater. THUG 2 should be harder!

This is one of the best games I have ever played!

The story mode is unbelievable, you go through many twists and turns (good and bad) on your way to becoming a pro skater. This is wicked fun and the replay value is excellent. The only gripe I have with the story mode is that it is too short. (especially if you know any cheats). Some of the nesscesary goals are almost impossible but normally you can do it after a while.
Eric Sparrow just ANNOYS ME! Normal mode is not too hard, beginner and too easy are, WAY 2 EASY!

The levels are huge and have unbelievable graphics. A ton of extra things you can do in each level just add to the fun. The graphics are just "WOW!' and there are SO many things to trick on.

Tricks are one of the biggest things in this game, you'll keep playing to try to improve your stats and beat your old combos. Allnew tricks (Lots of grind and lips) make the tricks better than in THPS, THPS2, 3, and 4.

Activision (2) keeps messing up with the soundtrack. The soundtrack is HORRIBLE! I've heard 2 songs out of the over 15 that they have.

Create-a-deck, skater, TRICK, and LEVEL just add to the fun. In create-a-level, you can even put goals in your level. 5 hours worth of play!

Here is a summary of the game:
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay (skating): 10/10
Story Mode (how fun): 10/10
Story Mode (how challenging): 9/10 (too easy, c'ept on sick)
Tricks: 11/10
Soundtrack: 4/10
Extra Modes: 9/10
Replay Value: 100/10
Overall: 10/10

This is an awesome game and definetely worth the $$$$$$$$$!!!

WOW i went to my friends house to play this game and it has the BEST graphics from Any PS2 games I ever seen normaly I see PS2 games with TERRIBLE graphics but these are good Fighting is good too My favorite Character is A Boney dude with a sword and KING

I have been a fan of the Tekken series since back in '97 when I first played Tekken 2 at my cousin's house. At the time I had no idea what the game was... but one thing was for sure... it sure was fun to play. I had never seen a game with graphics that were 3D like that before. I wasn't into fighting games, but Tekken sure made me change my mind. (Especially when Tekken 3 & Tekken Tag arrived...) The graphics for Tekken 4 are amazing, & the new wall system is stunning. The gameplay is fast, the music is perfect for getting someone into a fighting mood, there are tons of secrets to unlock, & a great replay value that will make you want to play this game 24/7. Also, I absolutely love the variety of characters & different styles that you can use for every character. You can choose a male or a female, a tall or a short character, a powerful character or a fast character, a puncher or a kicker, etc... I, however, especially like Jin Kazama. He's strong, agile, fast, & has a variety of new moves since his fighting style has changed. He is now a more capable & reliable character than ever before. (My 3 favorite characters are Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima, & Hwoarang...) I have Tekken 4 for my Playstation 2, & I haven't been able to put it down it's so much fun. Buy this game as soon as it is released... you'll truly enjoy every minute of it... ^_^

This game is great. I love how the game gives a brief introduction to each character at the beginning of story mode. It helps you to know characters better.
They did an excellent job on the Tekken Force too. On Tekken 3, I found it a bit difficult to get my character where I wanted him, but it is very easy to move your character on this one.
The character development is just something that I can't get over and one can tell that the creators have put a lot of time into developing a story line to link them from Tekken 3 to Tekken 4.

What's there to say? This network adapter/modem just pops into the back of your PS2, then you spend about 5 or 10 minutes fiddling with the very easy-to-use setup disc. Assuming everything went well, you can test it out by playing one of the two included demos, Madden 2003 or Frequency.

I liked that it was easy to install and configure, and I like the way it looks sticking out of the back of the PS2. I do wish that the console had come with a network adapter in the first place, especially since everyone is having such a hard time finding this item now. At least they give you a coupon for a free copy of Twisted Metal Black Online; that made shelling out for this a little less painful.

This is definitely a good buy, and there are a lot of great online games coming out in the next few months.

A few words of advice: rather than paying as much as twice the cost of the network adapter to get one from a private seller, just wait. By the time Sony is keeping up with the demand, there'll be a lot more games out. If you really can't live without online play, a few online Playstation games (for instance, Tony Hawk 3 and Madden) will work with a USB network adapter. Also, be sure to pick up a USB keyboard so that you can chat with your online friends and rivals.

What's not to like about this product? If you can find it, it costs only 40.00$ and it's worth every penny. It comes with a bulit in 56k modem jack for websurfers still in the stone age, and right next to that is a broadband ethernet jack.

All three major consoles are online right now, The PS2 with this product (the PLaystation 2 network adapter), XBox with it's XBox live service, and Gamecube with it's modem peripherals. The gamecube only has 1 online game though, Phantasy Star Online, and it's very good. Xbox has a good service but it has a few catches in it that makes sony's online setup more likeable. First off, XBox live is a service, when you pick it up, it comes with a Headset to talk to other players, a few demos, and a year subscription to Live. If you wanna play after your first year, you have to pay another 50$ and you can only pay nd setup your account with your credit card. Also, it's Broadband only, meaning the majority of people who want to play games online (56k is still the majority of what people surf with) are left out with no other chance for online play on the XBox. The games for live are pretty decent, but none really stand out, the ones I'd recommend are Mechassault and Unreal Champuionship, don't listen to your friends, Ghost Recon is horrid. And you can talk to anyone you want to in any xbox live game, so that's cool.

So why is Sony's online plan better? It caters to everybody with a PS2 and an ISP, You can play with your dialup service, or your broadband service. Setup is much easier also, screw this device into the expansion bay on the backside of your PS2 and then all you have to do is pop in the setup disc, with a few taps of the X button on your Dualshock controller and your done. As for games, well theres plenty of really good ones. If you bought this product then you might as wel get SOCOM too, it's the best online game on any console, Tony hawk 4 and Madden are great too.

i am considering buying this but i need to know if it really is okay to use with a dial up connection and if the playstation2 needs to be in the same room for it to work if you can help me please email me at Ukrules696@aol.com thanks

THE SIMPSON'S ROAD RAGE starts off really fun and exciting. The premise of the game is that Mr. Burns has bought the Springfield bus transit system and it's causing more chaos in Springfield than normal. So, the citizens (led by Homer) decide to fight back and buy back the bus system. They start their own taxi service and need to raise a million dollars to buy the buses back from Burns. There are a total of six levels, five of which can be unlocked as you earn more money. Also, as you earn more money you can unlock more vehicles. Different characters drive the different vehicles. As you drive along, you can smash into lots of different things: knocking over trees, billboards, mailboxes, signs, etc. This game is great to play if you're a Simpsons fan because you get to see Springfield in much more detail than you do on the show. The negatives about the game are that it is quite repetitive and it takes an extensive long haul or a tedious intensive amount of game play (depending on how much time you have and you're gaming style) to beat the game. The sayings each character says are funny at first but after the 100th time of hearing the characters say the same thing, it becomes somewhat annoying. Also, you have to have 2 game cards to play the multiplayer mode and when you only have one game card and two people want to play, it can be aggravating. The game also has a slow load up time so that after you finish a round, it takes about 3-5 minutes before you get to play again.

There is a mission mode on the game as well. It consists of 10 differet missions that are fairly easy to beat (I thought Grandma at the dam and Homer at Burns' mansion were the most difficult levels). If you beat all 10 levels a secret vehicle is unlocked.

THE SIMPSONS ROAD RAGE can be a lot of fun to play. It's basically an average racing video game that's more interesting because of the characters and setting. However, it would make a nice gift for any Simpsons fan and is fun to play on a rainy day.

POSITIVES:

Road rage is great fun. I have found myself playing hours and hours at a time! The game, no doubt about it, soars over more traditional and, shall we say, less chaotic racing games. The missions are fun too. It will surely stay as a favorite game for a long time. Then, there are the

NEGATIVES:

This game takes forever to load. In the missions, I find myself striving harder than ever to complete them, because if you fail, this is how it goes: Press RETRY > Wait about three minutes > Play another one and a half version, and then start again if you fail. Ditto with the actual game. I also find the Sunday Drive feature relatively pointless.

Other than that, I love this game and will readily recommend it. Oh yeah, the Head 2 Head rocks!!!!!!!!*_-

This is one of my favorite games, but I am a long-time fan of the Simpsons. Six different levels let you roam all around Springfield, from Moe's Tavern to Barney's Bowl-A-Rama, Springfield Elementary to the Frying Dutchman. You can also choose from about 30 of the more popular characters: Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge, Grandpa, Apu, Willie, Chief Wiggum, Prof. Frink, Snake, and more, plus I've heard there are a few secrets. Any other characters you can't play you are sure to run into, as only the most obscure are kept out of this game.
The game's two-player mode lets opponents compete for passengers; crash into the other player and the fare will jump from his car to your's. With the right opponent this could keep you raging all night. In single-player mode you can choose between Road Rage, Sunday Drive, or Mission Mode which sends you off on ten different missions that finally pay off with a pretty cool prize.
The game also features outstanding graphics which give the feeling of playing inside the cartoon--inside because the characters and the environments are comletely three-dimensional. The sound is great as well with real character voices from the actual cast and plenty of original dialogue between driver and passenger without all of the repetitive speech of similar games.
The only thing that slows this game down is the incredibly long loading time which lasts about a full minute or so between the main menu and the levels which in the end take you back to the main menu after another full minute of loading. However, you can get about fifteen minutes of gameplay each round, so use the in between time for bathroom breaks or other short-timed activities. This is definitely a must have for any fan of the show as well as anyone looking for an enjoyable game which is fun again and again.
By the way, this game blows the monotonous Crazy Taxi completely away!

Hide, hide, hide and hide. Kill, kill, kill and kill.
Something wrong with my review? Yes, redundancy, awkward, and brainless. Well, that's what this game is all about.
This is a typical game made by Rock Star. A good idea came up with terrible execution. Exactly like the way the did GTA III series. Yes, you read it right. I didn't made mistake. The game of the year, GTA III series.
Manhunt and GTA share something in common. First of all, they all got horrible graphic. Hard to image that it's the same company who made Max Payne II. Secondly, they are all so-not-detail oriented which I personally believe it's the fundamental attitude to make a good games. This is the attitude that makes Japanese games superior and American games stupider. Probably this is the attitude made Toyota surpassed Ford.
Anyway, if you love GTA series, this game is just that style and won't let you down. However, if you're those few who disagree the previews about GTA III or Vice City in all major video magazines in the market, stay away!!

I rented this game from Blockbuster, I popped it in and was really excited since I've been waiting for a long time to play this game and was actually saving up the cash to buy it. I did as the game instructed, I turned out the lights and was prepared to kill. For about 10 minutes I thought this was the best game ever but my expectations quickly dwindled through out the game. All you do is sneak, hide and kill over and over and over again. Nothing different, nothing special. It quickly became tedious and dull. Yes the executions are cool but only if you don't get spotted. Once you do get spotted you're in for boring fighting or running away. Also I wouldn't compare this game to GTA. GTA was fun and exciting, had a great storyline, cool weapons, freedom most games don't allow, with a good amount of gore. Manhunt is just plain dull after 10 minutes, I'm not even gonna bother completing it. I'm just gonna take this back to Blockbuster and after writing this review I'm wiping it from my wishlist.

It's demented, it's twisted, and a bunch of all the other nice words you can think of. Manhunt is one of the most bold games to be released in recent years. This is trully a game of atmosphere and immersion, one that makes you sweat cold, thinking what may be waiting for you in the next corner. The feeling that you are being unmercifully hunted by all sorts of criminals, from street thugs, to racial supremacists, to lunatics and even SWAT teams is very real and having to hide in the shadows with them only inches from you is enough to make your heart stop. Another aspect of the game that some reviews have shown is that Manhunt works as a wild and demented satire about the violence on media, especially on tv and the lust we feel watching it. The whole art of the game is directed to the idea that we are watching some sort of reality show. The story reminds me of Survivor staring A. Schwarznegger. A death row convict called James Earl Cash is aparently executed by lethal injection but in reality is trown in an ghost town aptly named Carcer City. Through an earpiece he knows his "savior", a snuff films director called Lionel Starkweather, that has saved Cash so he can be his new "leading man". As Cash progresses, the player is only limited by his cruelty for "the means of disposal" of the bad guys. Whenever you aproach a hunter from behind and depending on the weapon you have, you can execute him in three diferent manners, all of them shocking and disturbing. And as plus the executions are shown by the perspective of a security camera, so some executions are so realistic that blood even splatters all over the lenses. Just for it's premisse and it's dark and violent realism Manhunt is a must for every enlighted player.

I like this version of Resident Evil. Claire Redfield looks like an animated buffed-up version of Melissa Sue Gilbert (from "Little House On The Prairie") with an attitude. So she's interrogated and then dropped off at a prison infested with flesh-eating zombies... and her mission is to find her brother Chris. There are some great stop action storyline clips where you just sit and watch what unfolds. PROS: (1) Great graphics - the rooms you explore are intricate and interesting; the zombies grabbing your shoulders and ankles for a bite are cool; the dogs chasing you are well detailed, etc. (2) Music and sound effects are as good or better than any other RE game I've played. (3) Plenty of suspense and surprises (monsters, explosions, rabid dogs jumping out at you, etc) that make you jump in your chair. CONS: (1) As you make your way through this game, you'll notice the awkward controls right from the start. (2) Slow character movement and 180 degree turns. (3) Anytime you go through a door, the scene breaks for about five seconds to show a cheesy picture of a door opening with creaking sound effects. (4) You have to hit a combination of 2 or 3 buttons just to fire a pistol... I would like to be able to hit the "X" button and fire! I recommend buying the manual with this game... you'll get much more out of it and it will walk you through certain places that without it - you'd be stuck (like I was before I had the manual).

Since I haven't been able to play the remakes and newer Resident Evil Games on the Gamecube, I consider this my favorite. I played it on Dreamcast and would have to say the PS2 version is the better of the two. It added more cutscenes to explain the story, which I felt was good as it helped me understand what was happening. Graphics aren't too bad, and the voices were pretty decent for the characters.
The game isn't without flaws though, as I will list a few.
1. Controls can be akward to use. It took me time to get used to controls, that, and sometimes moving can get cumbersome.
2. Camera angles can be hard. It can be annoying when you try to move and get attacked because you can't see what lays around the corner.
3. Some puzzles and parts of the game may seem easy or difficult to some people. I found myself easily getting through somethings, and having to retry on others.

Despite its flaws, this game is a good one. If your a fan of the series, it's a must have. If not, then at least try it out. If you can get past the flaws, then you have a good game on your hands.

I have played all of the resident evil series to date. Well not all, but most. I have played, Directors Cut, Remake of 1, 2, 3, Code Veronica X for PS2 (well duh) and 0. So Im pretty sure I know what I am talking about. If you are a true resident evil fan this will be sure to fufill your zombie shooting, puzzle solving needs. And even if youre not used to the Resident Evil hype, this is a great starter. First off I would like to mention that most of the bad reviews are for the Dreamcast version. I have seen pictures of the Dreamcast version and I must admit the graphics arent nearly as good as they are on PS2...they really arent, so some of you who have only played it on DC, give it a try on PS2, you'll be surprised of the big difference. The storyline is absoultly GREAT. I loved it..I wont say anything about the ending but it brought me to tears.(heh, maybe Im just emotional...but anyways) It has a great love story tied into it if youre into that sort of thing as well. Unlike zero which made me sort of dissapointed, games just arent good without a great love story twisted in right?! Well...anyways. The graphics on the PS2 version are not bad in the least, especially considering when the PS2 version was released. I can tell you when I first played the game it scared the pants off of me. And I loved it so much I played it oh...about (really) 18 times more since then. As I said before, the storyline is just awsome, and I cant stress that enough. I think it has the best storyline in the whole series. It really surprised me. It starts off with Claire Redfield, once again in search for her brother, Chris. On her way she meets Steve Burnside, an optomistic fellow with a heart of gold. The enemy in this game is also a new twist. Alexia and Alfred Ashford are just downright creepy. Alfred is a crossdressing weirdo with obsession of his dear sister Alexia. And Alexis is just...wow...creepy. Not to mention Capcom decided to bring Wesker back into the storyline in Code Veronica, and I can add that Weskers scenes are just plain cool. Wesker is also in search of Chris Redfield to plot his revenge. Speaking of Chris, did I mention you also get to play as him? Thats right, Chris Redfield is back with a vengence! Booyah! New monsters are also introduced and native to the game. Although I wont mention any for surprises must be awaited when you (hopefully) purchase your copy of the game. The graphics are nothing compared to Gamecube Resident evil's, but put the playstation 1 and DC versions of Resident Evil to shame. So I wouldnt worry to much about the graphics unless you consider buying the dreamcast version. Anyhoo. My final words on the game are...If youre a hardcore fan or a n00b to the series, Resident Evil Code Veronica X is just great. It is by far my favorite in the series, if not my favorite game of all time!

Sincerly,
Rosalyn Clark

!*!rEsIdEnT eViL 4 eNtHuSieSt!*!

Yeah, it saves space in your room. But it can make your X Box slower. Trust me, i noticed a difference after about 2 months of playing dvds on it. And there started to be more and more "Error Reading Disc" messages. It plays dvds, but has made gameplay a little frustrating.

Very functional, makes you feel like your Xbox is complete. As for the playback quality of the Xbox, couldn't tell the difference between it and the Pioneer DVC-302D that it kicked out of the shelf and being deployed to somewhere else within the house. Of course, you have to connect the Xbox to the Advanced AV pack or High Definition pack with an optical audio cable to get full Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, and S-Video or Component video inputs as well for video. Not too shabby overall, even considering the lack of eject and power buttons that some people are complaining about. Gotta get up from the couch sometimes. Good for blood circulation.

As mentioned by another reviewer, you can program your universal remote control with the codes for RCA DVD players and the Xbox IR receiver will respond to it. The power button on the universal remote still won't work though, because this particular button will be interpreted as the display button on the Xbox remote. Worth noting too, that my universal remote doesn't have an eject button.

A very cool feature that I found out when playing audio CDs: when the info button is pressed, the mood display in the left panel zooms in to fill the full TV screen. Instant 32" lava lamp! Kinda looks like a mood setting screensaver. Break out the candles, turn off the lights, and let Peter Gabriel crank out!

Lastly, any geek worth his remote will test this baby with the games. After all, it seems like some of the buttons in the gamepad are mapped in and have equivalent buttons in the remote, right? I popped in DOA3 and tried to control it through the remote, but alas, geek mojo ran out. The remote control does not function as a wireless gamepad.

Personally I have no objection to paying a little extra for DVD playback capability, especially when it's [reasonably priced]. ...DVD playback quality is decent enough and most of the standard DVD features are there. I agree with a previous reviewer that having to use the menu system rather than remote buttons for some advanced features can be a pain but, in all honesty, they are not features that I use often.

One caveat: the infra-red receiver that plugs into the game port also includes the region setting that the DVD player uses, based on where the DVD kit was purhased. The first time you plug a receiver in, the region setting is stored internally in the XBox and CANNOT BE CHANGED. So trying to multi-region by buying multiple kits from different countries will not work. There are hacks available, but they are not simple and require modifying the XBox's internal hardware.

The first arcade version of Crazy Taxi, with its instantly recognizable music and appearance, was an amazingly popular game. Its concept was simple yet irresistible -- to create a driving game where you don't have to worry about crashes, and where your goal shifts all the time so that it's the equivalent of 30, 40 racing courses. I was a devotee of this game and had spent hours on it.

This PlayStation 2 version lost most of the magic in the translation. For one thing, inevitably, the controls are just not the same without the steering wheel, pedals, and the all-important gear shift, without which (and without knowing the "boost" move) you could never hope to pick up more than five, six passengers before your time runs out. The PS2 version, grievously, sped up the game clock so much that the game just blitzes by. It took me a long time to figure out how fast you have to execute the boost to make it work, and even then, finesse of control flew right out the window. So the game became what it always threatened to become, a frantic, overly speedy experience fit to give you a heart attack, so fast that there's very little fun factor, just rushing to meet all the times without getting to enjoy anything.

So many games these days are about "beating the clock", probably reflective of our ADD-infested culture. Street Fighter became another flashy, graphics-ridden button masher; Syphon Filter now forces you to run through levels ignoring enemies just to meet their insane "par times", and Crazy Taxi requires the reflexes of a cockroach. Maybe I'm from an older game culture where you don't have to be on speed to compete. At any rate, this game was a sore disappointment. But I know I'll jump onto the next classic Crazy Taxi on my next trip to the arcades and hope it's still there.

This is great arcade fun but it doesn't have the lasting effect that other games have. If your the type of person thats pleased easily then this is the perfect game for you. You get the chance to drive around 2 interactive courses which are both fairly big in size but after playing the game for more than an hour thay seem to get smaller and areas are visited over and over again. The comedy in the game is pretty good as the comments from the passengers that you pick up are often offensive. If you dont feel like picking up passengers then you have the option of doing crazy box mode this gives you a chance to compete against the clock in various mini games.

Overall this game is pretty good but it gets boring so if your looking for a game that you can play over and over again then this one is best avoided.

I hope this review has been useful to you. PEACE OUT!

Crazy Taxi was originally a very popular arcade game, and first made a console appearance on the now-defunct Sega Dreamcast. In 2001 Crazy Taxi arrived on the Playstation 2 and sold enough copies to make it onto the Greatest Hits line. It was only a couple of months ago that I finally picked up a copy of the game.

The premise of the game is that you are a cab driver and it is your job to pick up fares and deliver them to their destination in the allotted amount of time. There are no rules, only that you get to the destination as fast as possible. You can drive in whichever lane you want (or the sidewalks), and hit as many cars as you need to if it helps you get to where you are going. It is a fast paced game and is a lot of fun.

There are two game modes, Arcade and Original. Arcade Mode has the San Francisco level that you may have played in the arcade. Original is a brand new level created just for this game. While the streets are different, there is no difference in the gameplay, and after a short time of playing, I didn't really notice any difference between the two. On each of the two levels, you have the option to play by arcade rules (limited amount of time with time bonuses for delivering passengers quickly), or to select a specific time limit. There is another game mode called Crazy Box. Crazy Box is essentially a training mode where you get to perfect your skills. There are initially 9 different challenges (and some of them are quite difficult), but as you complete the challenges, a couple more open up (and these are exceedingly more difficult). The good thing about Crazy Box is that it is something different from the regular game, and as an added bonus, I probably would not have learned some of the skills/tricks in the game without Crazy Box.

The game is fun, but it is awfully repetitive. After playing for a week or two, I started quickly getting bored because there is very little variety in the gameplay and you'll find that you are just bringing the same customers to the same locations and the fun begins to wear off. Rather than purchasing this game, it might be best to be a weekend rental with some friends. Even though it is only a 1-player game, it does have the sort of party game feel to it.

The four star rating is for the initial fun, but it wears off too quickly.