Music Reviews

Okay, it's plain-this game is awesome.The tracks could have used a little bit for difference from one and another,but overall EA did a great job.Only problem with the cars is that they are all imports,no American muscle cars-it needed a Comaro,GTO,and Viper.Best part of the game is that you can customize your ride to your tatse(my neon green RX-7 has decals and wheels/tires/performance parts-it's awesome!!).Another great thing about it is that it has bout 125 levels.Also, it has Drag,Circuit,Sprint,Free Drive,and Drift race modes.Going Underground lets you race for $$$,but from the main menu,you can customize any car for free-personally,I think that you should have to buy parts for Quick Race cars as well.For people who like Gamecube racing games, this is a must buy.

First off, I must say this game is awesome. I have been playing it since I have received it a few months back. I have beaten all the levels on the Underground mode and am now playing with a Civic only. I used the Skyline the first time, and found that it isn't all that. Yes, it is fast and furious (sorry for the pun), but it is a bit slow on some races. I had to trade it in for the RX7, which spanked it in a drag on hard with full options. The Rex (RX7) has better handling than the Skyline, and is faster off the line. I have hit 234 mph on a drag with the Rex. Skyline only got to 190. Use the Skyline, then trade for the Rex when you can't win with the Skyline. It works.

Graphics are good. It makes you stay on your toes when you come around a corner at 135+ mph. Sounds are good, although the music can get repetitive. Game play is good as well. As you progress through the Underground, your skill will rise. And the re-play value is great. You can go back thru and use different cars.

All I can say is you won't be disappointed if you buy this game.

I truley do reccomend this game to anyone who liked need 4 speed hot pursuit 2.I am glad they diden't use imports.Oh,and uhh one more thing,you can costomise your own car!You don't make a car,but you take other cars and but off hook upgrades on
it until you are #1.

P.S For your first car,
try a Civic.Don't use VW Golfs,Those suck.

A week ago, I bought War of the Monsters, and today I have just beat it. That is to say, I have unlocked every single character, skin, level, and minigame, as well as having beaten the game with every character in "Adventure" mode. I've had a great deal of fun playing it, but now it seems like there's very little else for me to do, except maybe play through all the difficulty levels or see how long I can last in endurance, although there's little to motivate me to do so.

Graphics 4/5: Very sharp, detailed character models and skins. The levels are equally detailed (and quite destructable). I really loved the fact that most of the skins weren't just "different colors" of the original monsters (each monster has 4 skins, 2 of which need to be unlocked via tokens earned in fights), but actually unique from one another for the most part.

Music/Sound 3/5: I really loved this soundtrack, reminded me a lot of the old 50s monster movies which I always a big fan of. The sound, on the other hand, gets fairly repititive, though that's a given in most fighting games. I played the games mostly on a mono TV, so I can't comment on the stereo sound, but I imagine it to be pretty sweet.

Gameplay 3/5: Gameplay is on the surface incredibly simple - 2 buttons to attack, 1 to throw, and 1 to jump - but is a bit more complex than that for those willing to experiment. When I first started to play, it was nothing but random button mashing, but then I realized that there were actually *combos* in the game. A lot of these combos are real simple, though there are a lot I havn't found yet. For example, the average simple combo is around 3 attacks, but I've gotten some as high as 9 hits, and there's the chance that there are even higher ones.

The environments in the game, probably one of the biggest draws, are almost completely destructable. Anything you see you can most likely grab, throw, destroy, and/or pound into the face of your opponent. It may take a while, but it's possible to completely annihalate every building on a level, which is both a strategic advantage and disadvantage.

There are three single player modes of gameplay: Adventure, where you take a monster through a "storyline" of sorts (though its the same storyline for every monster, so it gets a bit dull); Free-For-All, the classic...err, free-for-all in which you can fight up to 3 computer controlled opponents; and Endurance mode, where you see how long you can last with just one life against an endless supply of opponents (but only one at a time).

Most of the fights in Adventure mode can be a little frustrating at first, especially those with more than one opponent (I spent ages on the level with the Insect monster and the Robot Gorilla, but spent even longer when I had to fight two dragons...), but as you develop your skills, it becomes like a second nature. That still doesn't mean you'll die a frustrating death, but at least it won't happen quite so often.

Multiplayer 2/5: Multiplayer modes are the aforementioned free-for-all; Elimination, which is like free-for-all except its only two players and when you die you pick another monster to play as; and three mini-games, which can be unlocked but are quite pointless. If there had been more, maybe the mini-games would have been better, but with only three it's not really all that exciting.

The biggest drawback to multiplayer modes, however, is the fact you can only play with two players. With four players, multiplayer would be fantastic, and make War of the Monsters a great party game. However, with only two, it definately loses some of its appeal. I can understand why there's no online play (though it would have been really fun), but what's the explantion for no four player mode?

Replayability 2/5: Possibly the worst part about the game, which in the end is its downfall. When you first start the game, you have 2 skins for every monster, with 10 monsters, and a few levels. As you play through Adventure or Endurance mode, you'll earn Battle Tokens, which can be used to purchase more skins, 2 secret monsters (each with 3 skins you can unlock), 3 mini-games, and 4 secret levels. This would be all fine and dandy if it weren't so easy to get tokens or if the prices of the unlocks were more expensive. Believe me, you can have most of the secrets unlocked within a few days of casual playing.

What's worse is that there weren't more monsters to play as. Yes, you get different skins for each monster which make them look totally different and great (check out the Electric Eye's 4th skin for a great example), but at the core they're the same monster. The two secret monsters make up for this, but I felt there really should have been an even 20 monsters alltogether, secret or not.

As far as unlocks, there should have been much more of them, or Incog should have made it a lot tougher to get them. Where's the fun in getting secret stuff if it's incredibly easy?

Overall 3/5: I'm a little biased because I just love games with senseless violence and destruction, and the fact it has giant monsters resembling all those favorites from the golden era of monster movies makes me love the premise of the game. But overall, I felt that there could have been more. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a fighting game, but for the love of all that's holy, at least a fighting game like this should at least have four-player compatability! Rent the game first, you'll probably "complete" the game in a few days. See then if its really worth it to buy it. As for myself, despite its many shortcomings, I still think its great fun to play with a friend, even if it may be limited.

The game's premise:

Aliens invades Earth. Earth counterattacks the aliens, and destroy some of their spaceships. The 'juice' that leaks from the aliens' spaceships give rise to a whole new threat to Earth's existence: giant monsters!

Anyways, you initially start off with a cast of 8 playable monsters - each monster starts off with 2 different costumes you can choose from. Later, you can unlock 2 more costumes for each character. In addition to that, you can unlock 2 extra monsters.

To "unlock" a feature, you have to play the game in either Adventure Mode or Endurance Mode. The further you progress, the more "tokens" you'll get. And with those tokens, you can purchase ("unlock") extra features such as Maps, Costumes, Characters and Mini-games.

There are two problems with unlocking items: the unlockable items are WAY TOO expensive, and most of the extras are WORTHLESS. I'd definitely pass on purchasing the mini-games because they're ridiculously boring. And 2 of the unlockable maps are horrid. As for the extra costumes you can purchase, SOME of them are cool-looking...but they're all horribly overpriced. With the current pricing of unlockable items, you have to beat the game way too many times to unlock all of the extras.

Or shall I say "most" of the extras? (aside from the maps you automatically win in Adventure Mode)

There is one other extra feature out there that can't be bought: and that's Sweet-tooth's costume for Magmo (or whoever that was). In order to "unlock" this extra costume, you have to go out and BUY "Twisted Metal: Black," and beat the game with every character, and then save it to your disk. Whoever thought of the extra-features is, simply-put, a complete imbecile. That's the nicest thing I can say about the extra-features.

I'm going to say you'll only like this game if you're a fan of giant monster movies like "Godzilla," "King Kong," "Rodan," etc...if you're not, then you'll probably find this game a bit repetitive and lackluster (because it is). If you ask me, the controls are way too simplistic. Also, there's way too much of a generic feel for the buttons/contols regardless of the monster you pick. If I was grading this as a regular videogamer, I'd probably give it a 1-star rating. But since I'm grading this as a lover of monster movies, I'm gonna give this 4 stars since I can't seem to find any game like this on the PS2 devoted to giant monsters...

i played this game and fell in love instantly. i have no clue what people are talkin about when they say it gets repetitive. this game is AWSOME. if u like super smash bros and even soul caliber2 youll love war of the monsters. if you have a choice between super smash bros melee and wotm, wotm all the way.

The characters of Marvel and Capcom collide into an all out three on three battle. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is better than the first one hands down. If anyone tells you different label their brain isn't working. I've heard people say this game was too easy well, that's why you can adjust the difficulty level, hmmm that took some brain power. But anyways all of the fighters have moves which compliment them and seem fitting for that fighter. The moves and background are especially stunning plus the triple special combos are a real killer. The music could use a little work though, someone singing about holding someone else tight doesn't seem to fit at all. But besides that this is an awesome game and the music can be fix with volume control a stereo and a c.d. of your choosing. People who aren't fans of fighting games I believe will enjoy this one too, it's just that fun, plus it's always a thrill to see your favorite characters. Fans of fighting games should be warned, you just might pee in your pants.

Capcom's first Marvel Vs. Capcom title on the Dreamcast was a good game, but it was certainly lacking in a few areas. The sequel fixed nearly everything wrong with the first game and then some. Read on to see why this is the greatest fighting game of all time, no questions asked.

Graphics: 4.25/5
It's a 2D fighter with 2D characters, but the backgrounds are all rendered in 3D. Such impressive graphics are a great benefit to an already great game.

As in all Capcom fighters, Play Control and Challenge are adjustable, so I see no need to rate them.

Theme/Fun: 5/5
In this game, you do 3 on 3 battles that never get old. Whether you play the computer or a friend, you're gonna have fun. Even non-fighting game fans should give this one a whirl, as it has everything we love about the genre. Every time you play the game you get points. These points can be used to buy new characters, stages, and costumes for your characters. There are over 50 characters total. There are popular characters from both franchises (Mega Man, Ryu, Felicia, Wolverine, Spider Man, Magneto,) as well as some lesser known ones from each (Strider, Roll, Sonson.) There is no shortage of characters, and certainly no shortage of fun.

Storyline: 2/5
Marvel and Capcom character have come together to beat each other up. Okay, it's not much of a story, but the game itself makes up for it.

Sound/Music: 5/5
The sounds are all accurate and excellent, and music always matches the setting. Most of the tunes are instrumentals, but a few have Japanese lyrics. They're all good though.

Originality: 4/5
This game takes the first game's formula one step further in every direction, making for the greatest fighting game ever.

Overall: 4.75/5
I can't think of much that is wrong with this game. It's EVERYTHING a fighting game should be. Being able to play as both Marvel and Capcom characters is unrealistically cool. It's an experience you've got to play to believe.

The last review of this game pretty much mirrors my own opinion about this game... but who the HELL would buy it "brand new" for $89.99 USD? Better yet, who the HELL would actually sell this game for such an outrageous price?

For $89.99, I can buy THREE PS2 games...

In reality Heinrich Himmler did believe and follow the occult and he did have great influence over Hitler, so this game takes a fictional detour and embellishes the storyline. The Nazis have discovered how to raise the dead and are engineering even more powerful demons they can use to field an army and crush the Amerikaners.
So you're sent in to HALT this and the game sort of patchworks together a storyline to explain how you're to stop 'em. Um, it makes little sense and that's if you can even muster the patience to sit through cutscenes and read letters scattered around the environments.
So, the story is a wash, but that aside what really matters is the game and if it is fun. Frankly, it's not. This game came out a couple of years ago before getting ported to xbox and by today's standards, say Halo, or upcoming games like Halo 2, Rainbow 6:3, XIII, and Half-life 2 I wouldn't recommend this game to sophisticated players- it will fry your brain. If you want something to kill time and aren't picky give it a try. One caveat is that the MP is fun. Try to find a good server with at least 10 people playing. It might be where I live and what time I play but it seems like few people are on and the maps seem large for say, six people.

Regarded by most as the 'daddy' of first person shooters, id software's Wolfenstein predated Doom and saw you shooting Nazis in a basic 3D castle rather than fantastical monsters somewhere near hell. Coming to Xbox some 18 months after it 'returned' to the PC, and set during WWII, 'Return to Castle Wolfenstein Tides of War' sees you playing as B.J. Blazkowicz, a US Army Ranger recruited by the OSA as a specialist in covert operations, heavy weapons and assassination. Hitler's right-hand-man Heinrich Himmler was supposedly set the task of combining science, high technology and the occult in order to give the third Reich the edge and help them win the war by annihilating the allies with the assistance of a breed of 'uber soldats' that's: 'weirdo mutant cyber soldiers of various types' to you and me.
The weapons are a rather good selection, familiar real WWII guns and rifles (things like the Colt .45, Luger, MP40 & Thompson submachine guns). My personal favourite is the paratrooper rifle, with its automatic fire and scope it makes a good jack-of-all-trades weapon in tight moments. Being an id game, you naturally get some sci-fi guns too, an amazingly devastating chain gun called the Venom, and a lightning gun - the flamethrower is the only thing that's more spectacular to use when surrounded by enemies.

So often the way the enemies behave makes or breaks a first person shooter, and Wolfy's AI is rather good. They'll react to being hit in specific bodily areas, back off if wounded and even seem to try and outflank you if the play area will permit it. The animation is a bit of a mixture though, with soldiers seeming to sometimes flit around more like flies than humans. A slightly too-bossy auto aim helps beginners but needs to be turned off by experienced players as soon as possible, as it aims for the main bulk of the body in far too forceful a way. The wicked AI of enemy snipers means that they'll soon get a bead on you from long range, and even duck if you spot them and return fire. Coupled to Wolfy's excellent sound and feeling of being hit by a bullet, it all makes for some seriously tense, tactical shootouts. Although Wolfy can be tough at times (especially when you reach the occasional what initially appear to be invincible 'boss' enemies), the four difficulty settings ('Can I Play Daddy?' 'Don't Hurt Me', 'Bring 'Em On' and 'I Am Death Incarnate') mean that shooters of all abilities should be able to see then end of the excellent campaign mode. But the single player campaign and excellent Halo-style cooperative split screen modes are only a couple of Wolfy's bowstrings.

I have to say that I think that it just about edges out Ghost Recon and even Moto GP to become the best 'Live' game yet - and coming from a racing gameaholic like me that's praise indeed. Games were plentiful and easy to join, and mostly supposed to take the form of squad Vs squad (Axis Vs Allies, there are 4 game types), but too often disintegrated into all-out war due to 'friendly fire' incidents or verbal abuse (I only said "keep your head down and I'll cover you, you dopey Rambo-wannabe-arse", and then he shot me and then all hell broke loose - it wasn't my fault, honest guv) - it doesn't seem to matter though as the whole thing including all the chatter (via the Xbox headset) makes the entire experience akin to a paint gun session with mates (you even know who's speaking to you thanks to an icon that appears above their head). Like most online shooters you'll die a lot at first, but Wolfy seems more accessible, easier to get into and gain proficiency at than most. I've managed to participate in a few disciplined and structured games though, and I'm sure once the novelty wears off and players gain experience, 'spoilers' won't be tolerated and will have to find their own type of mayhem elsewhere ('serious' Wolfy clans are already forming) - and you can call me a peasant, but I'm not sure which I had more fun at though...

The 16 multiplayer levels are superb, and allow for some truly excellent multiplayer games with plenty of overlooks, hidey-holes and sniper nests. I've heard some gamers complain about lag, but luckily this never seemed an issue for us, and didn't throw up any obvious 'lag moments' (and you can't say that about Ghost Recon, Moto GP or Mechassault).

a little too complicated at times inside the castle with all the dim lights, but eh, its staregy in which im not used to.

graphics- 4/5

gameplay- 3/5

configuration 3/5

replay- 4/5

scenary- 3/5

overall- solid 4/5 (must-buy for any WWII or medal of honor fans!!!)

Screen shots alone do not do this game's graphics justice. I've NEVER seen graphics like this on any computer screen. Even Myst pales in comparison. It's simply amazing. That said, the game itself is impressive overall, but it's very difficult. If you think you'll finish this game in a weekend, you won't. This is not a game to rent--if you do, you'll waste your money. The Boss battles require an enormous amount of talent and patience to get through. I've been playing for about 12 hours on "easy" mode and I'm only half way through.

2 minor gripes: 1. The game is voiced over in Japanese and subtitled in English. I apologize for being a bit culturally insensitive here, but I'd like to have seen the game dubbed over in English--It's difficult for me to suspend my belief to the point that I believe I'm a Japanese warrior. I know it would have added cost to Sega, but it would have provided a much more satisfying game experience with English.

2. The second MINOR complaint I have is that, while the cut-scenes are the most beautiful part of the game, you can't cycle through them. Some are quite long and when you get killed, you are forced to sit through them until you get back to where you left off.

I suspect that Panzer Dragoon Orta will keep me entertained until Halo 2 comes out late this year. There are dozens upon dozens of minigames, missions, and extras that will keep me going, even if I do finish the game in the next 3 months.

Even if you buy this game and for some reason don't like it, leave it on your X-Box to play as a "screen saver" so that your friends can be mezmorized by the graphics. But please please please buy this game. Did I say that these graphics are amazing??

"Panzer Dragoon Orta" is the kind of game that makes you thank god you have an Xbox. It is hauntingly beautiful yet filled with enough action to keep you interested.

The game is the latest installment in the "Panzer Dragoon" saga, which was about the only decent thing on the Sega Saturn. You basically fly around on a dragon, killing enemies and fighting huge boss battles. In this game, your dragon can assume three different forms, and you can switch between them at will. Each form has its own strengths and weaknesses, meaning you actually have to employ some strategy to get through most of the levels.

The gameplay is very strong. This is a rail shooter, so you move along a path for the whole level, like "Star Fox" The controls are also simple to understand. You hit one button to shift between forms, another to use your special "berserk" attacks, another to dash and brake, and another to shoot your gun or use your homing lasers. You also can easily move the camera around with a tap of the L or R buttons to face enemies faster. The enemies are widely varies and provide enough of a challenge to engage, but not frustrate, the average gamer. The boss battles are really things of beauty. You have to find the weak point of each boss by flying around using your dash abilities while dodging attacks. In later stages, this requires a lot of work, as the weak point shifts and you have to use different forms to beat a boss.

Graphically, "Orta" is as good as it gets. Each level is like a piece of art and each individual enemy is extensively detailed. The bosses are simply huge and well-designed, providing enough eye candy to almost make you forget that you're about to be fried by a huge energy beam. Soundwise, "Orta" is a little disappointing. The music sounds very much like the music in the original "Panzer Dragoon". Even some of the sound effects remain unchanged.

Speaking of the original game, it's include on here, along with five short bonus missions and a sub-scenario about a boy who's father was killed by the dragon. They're fun to play, as you get to pilot different vehicles and go through new storylines.

The main reason I didn't give this game five stars was because it is much, much too short. I appreciate all the extras, like the encyclopedia and still art, but a lot of that memory could have been used to add more gameplay. I beat this game in less than a week, and I wasn't even playing as much as I usually do. If Sega comes out with a second game for the Xbox, it needs to have at least twenty levels. You also come away from this game at the end feeling a little unsatisfied at the ending.

Overall, this is an outstanding game that deserves to be a part of your library just so you can say you have it. But, like a "Far Side Gallery" book, it doesn't take very long to finish.

THE GOOD:
Such an amazing game it makes me wish I had bought a Saturn. A vast and detailed game filled with some of the most fast paced action I've ever seen! 3 dragon forms with distinctive abilities and looks really add to the game, also as your dragon levels up in heavy and glide form it will look more and more cool. Not to mention the difficulty off this game, its been awhile since a game has caused me to curse uncontrolably because I can't seem to beat the final boss on "normal mode". So if you like a good challenge this is deffinetly a game for you. Also for those of us that missed out on previous panzer dragoon games the instruction manual will help fill you in, and once you unlock the pandora's box you'll have access to side quests and enough panzar dragoon information to choke a small animal!
THE BAD:
Well like I said the difficulty even on normal gives you a run for your money so if you don't want a challenge I guess you'll be pretty angry.

SUMMARY:
A great addition to the X-Box platform, if only Sega would consider continuing the NiGHTs into dreams saga........

If you are going on a trip or your TV is in the shop I highly recommend getting the Intec GC screen. It slides onto the GC very smoothly and can be hooked up in a matter of two minutes or less. It has a picture like a high quality laptop. You don't have to look at it in the right light like some small screens, you can see it from nearly every angle. It comes with a car adaptor plug and a cord to plug it into a light socket. It has sound and brightness level settings and also has 2 headphone ports. I have played about five or six games on the screen. Monkey Ball look outstanding on the screen, Pikmin is the hardest to play, due to the small pikmin. You really have to look at the screen closely or you may walk right by some of your pikmin. Besides Pikmin all the other games look pretty good on the screen. The sound is much better than I expected. $ is well worth this screen, get it now.

This Intec Game Screen is just awesome. It has the best picture quality you can get in a game screen, it puts the Interact Mobile Monitor to shame. The screen snaps on and off your GameCube easily, it comes with a cigarrete-lighter adaptor for when you play it in your car, and it has not one, but two headphone jacks in case you are playing with a buddy. Another great thing about Intec's Game Screen is that you can adjust the brightness and color levels as well as the volume. Games are very easy to see and it looks great mounted on your GameCube. You can use the GameCube AC adapter to plug it in an electrical socket, it connects to the Game Screen and powers both the GameCube and the Screen. Another great thing is that it comes with an AV expansion cable that allows you to hook up the screen to any device with Audio/Video cable outputs such as a DVD player, VCR, Camcorder, Security Camera, and all of your other game systems such as X-Box, PS2, Dreamcast, N64, etc. This device is great if you often find yourself wanting to play your system but the TV is being used, you can even play in the dark, or in your car.

The Intec 5" lcd monitor utilizes a 5" TFT display giving very sharp, vivid pictures. Two built in stereo Speakers provide good sound and high volumn levels. In comaprision to Interact's Mobile Monitor 5.4 the Intec unit does not require a seperate A/C adaptor by sharing the Gamecube's power supply. It is also lighter and less thick keeping the already top heavy Gamecube more stable. The unit supports two headphone jacks where Interacts unit supports only one. Most importantly, in side by side screen tests, the Intec unit wins hands down in picture quality. Although slightly smaller (5" vs 5.4"), the Intec's TFT display mimics those used on high end laptops where the Interact display is closer to a low contrast passive matrix or dual scan type giving washed out colors, poor resolution and color smearing. Viewing angles are also much greater. The apperant larger speakers produce loud clear sound over the Interact display.

Genma Onimusha has a lot going for it. Good graphics, nice samurai setting, cool armored creatures, fast sword action, cool concept with the soul tuggings, very good soundtrack. It is a good balance of fast-paced action and puzzles. The play control is pretty responsive although it takes some getting used to due to the unconventional use of the D-Pad.

Nevertheless ...

The game is VERY VERY hard. And I don't throw term around lightly. Even on Easy mode (which can be unlocked by dying five times--not hard to do) the game is ridiculously challenging. The enemies are too strong, there's not enough energy to go around, and there's not enough save points. You're bombarded by enemies early on and they move fast and take a lot of hits to kill. When you do manage to kill these enemies, they can (randomly) come back when you walk through the same rooms again. You can run away from enemies but then you won't build up enough soul points to upgrade your orbs. And there's just not enough Herbs or other items to cure yourself.

A few other notable but less important points: (1) The instruction manual tells you nothing. There are moves that you can do that the manual completely omits. This is based on the idea that game manufacturers produce lousy manuals to increase your incentive to purchase the strategy guide. (2) Since this is a PS2 port, you don't get the option to save at anytime. That's too bad. I would have really liked to save anywhere, anytime. (3) The Control options are pretty limiting. I would have liked to have more freedom over button assignments.

(In case you were wondering, the straw that broke the camel's back was when I died because I couldn't solve a puzzle fast enough. The puzzle was hard and to be timed on something like that is just too preposterous for words.)

In conclusion, Genma Onimusha is a cool game, but its insane difficulty left me too frustrated to stick with it.

I like survival horror games and I like samurai games so I thought this would be a pretty good game. After playing it for a couple of weekends, I can' t fully recommend it to the casual gamer.

First off, the control scheme never really gelled with me. It wasn't difficult to manuever around but it never completely felt natural to me...paticularly when you are engaged in battle.

Because of that, the game seem unnaturally difficult --especially the boss fights. The worst character to deal with was this seemlying unstoppable demonic doll which flys around in the air.

I've played a lot of games before but I never felt so frustrated like this one. There were times I wanted to smash my controller on to the ground.

I give this game points on the great graphics and sound but you may want to rent this one before buying.

No game library is complete without a Samurai-theme game. Genma Onimusha is THE title to nicely fill that void in the XBox library. Set in feudal Japan era, laced with some true history background, this Samurai adventure is fun and simple to play through; you will even uncover secrets of the military warlord genius Oda Nobunaga.

Graphics 8
Identical to the original PS2. XBox anti-alias function somewhat smoothens the general look fo the game. The artwork and design of the characters and background bring you to the Warring States period of Japan. The composition and color scheme of the graphics are so well done that it makes it a very nice game to look at and play.

Sound 8
The orchestrated scores by the Tokyo Symphony is perfect for the game, although it could be repetitive; still it captures the passion and spirit of a lone samurai warrior. I do enjoy the voice acting alot, cheesy or not.

Gameplay 8.5
Fun. Its easy to pick up and start playing. Different swords, and soul absorbing adds tremendous fun and strategy to a simple gameplay. Puzzles is not hard at all. The option to obtain a set of "ultimate" armor and sword is very nice. I need to emphasis that the game is not easy but not frustrating too. It is rewarding in a sense that it makes you feel like your skill is improving while advancing through the game. Did I mention it's fun?

Value 7
The problem with adventure games is that once you beat the game, you don't have the strong urge to play it again. Good adventure games however often have elements that make you want to play it again. Genma Onimusha has side quests and minigames that make this an above average adventure game.

Overall 8
I like the game. It is a memorable game. I am a sucker for Samurai theme games. I think it is a worthy purchase for people who does not own the PS2 version. Overall, this is an enjoyable game.

Before you read the glowing reviews about new objects, social interactions and the ability to visit other locations, ask yourself what you expect from a Sims game. If you prefer mission based gameplay and nothing else, this is the game for you. If you prefer the open ended free play of the original console Sims and the PC games, save your money. In the Bustin' Out version of free play you are only given three open houses instead of the six in the original. You can forget about all the exciting places like Club Rubb and Pixel Acres you unlock in the mission based mode because you can't visit or call any of the Sims you met there. You're basically stuck in your free play house with only your neighbors from the other two free houses to invite over. This total lack of freedom ruined the replay value of this game for me despite the new items and locations. I only recommend this disaster to die hard Sims fans who must own every game and expansion.

I've been playing the game now for a couple of days. There are quite a few things I like: you can see your house/objects/sims closer up now, there are more objects, they've refined the build mode so that building goes a bit more smoothly, the new interactions (like towel snap) are fun to watch, there are more options in the sim creation mode (more clothes, facial features, hair, etc.).
Now for the things I didn't like: perhaps I haven't found a way to do it yet (in which case, I will update my review...) or perhaps I misunderstood the advertising-- but in "free play" mode you can't "bust out" anywhere, it's like the previous Sims game in which you're basically confined to your house. I was very disappointed since I had thought that you could go to other locations on both the "level" based, bust out mode AND free play, not just in the bust out mode. Also, forget about playing with your Sims from the previous console game. As opposed to the PC versions in which you get an "expansion" and you're able to use the new features with your previously saved games, "The Sims, Bustin Out" is NOT an expansion game in that sense. You will not be able to access any of your old sims. I had read quite a few previews on different gaming websites and all of them failed to mention these two (in my opinion) very important details.
Overall though, I do like the game- it's addictive. My big wish for future installments of the Sims for the PS2 is that they acquire the gameplay and features of the PC versions.

The Sims Bustin' Out is an excellent game although I was sceptic at first due to the fact that I am a very loyal to the Sims games on PC. This particular title is very fun and has quite a bit to offer.
If you like the Sims titles and chain of games, I recommend that you try it out, I highly doubt you'll be dissappointed.
Happy Simming!!!

There have been very few, if any, video games that are set in the wild, wild west. Rockstar Games, an awesome company, should be given credit for attempting to go where few other companies have ever gone. Red Dead Revolver is a good western video game I suppose, but perhaps video games simply weren't meant to be set in the old west. In this age of special operations and counterterrorist video games, Red Dead Revolver can not truly compete. The plot is lacking, and the gamer never truly feels attached to the character of Red. There are limited weapons that mostly all feel the same to use. These things combine to make for a very boring gameplay. Save your money for another summer blockbuster.

I like many of the reviewers here was excited that a western game was being made. I'm not really into westerns I just thought that it's a different story from most video games right now. I didn't even know that it was made by Rockstar until it flashed on the screen before I started playing and it was suprising how the controls were pretty decent compared to GTA. I thought that the aiming and the camera were pretty good in this game, if you've ever played a first person shooter you are already accustomed to it. The story is pretty good for a spaghetti western and the voice acting is so cheesy that you love it. The unique thing that I enjoyed about this game is that you change characters in the midst of the story. Although, sometimes you wish you had Red, the title character, in some of them. The reason I ranked this game so high and said just to rent it is because there is no replay value at all. After you finish the game you don't really want to play it anymore. All the same it was a fun game and a different kind of game than all these your a stealthy government agent preventing a mad scientist from taking over the world. So for a change of pace game and story wise Red Dead Revolver is a good rental.

I'm a huge fan of the westerns. Mostly Clint Eastwood Westerns. Not so much a fan of "The Duke." You know, the Sergeio Leone ones with the real gritty look.
I saw an ad for this game and was instantly intrigued by it. Wow, a great shoot-em-up western has finally made it the gaming world. I read some mixed reviews about it, some of which said that the game was not worth it. Being that I'm such a huge western fan, I decided to buy it and review it myself.
It looks amazing!!! The screen shots look just like some old Clint Eastwood western. Real Gritty!!! The game play is very arcade style which is fast and fun. Controlling the camera and your character can get a bit frustrating but whatever! It's real run. Quick Draw and Dead Eye add a lot to its playability. The only thing that I really don't like about the game so far is that there isn't so much of a range in the speeds in the characters movement. Its real similar to controlling whatshisface from GTA Vice City. To much running. The analog does not easily allow you to walk to stride to brisk walk to run to sprint. All in all, I'm feeling this game a lot and I haven't even finished playing it. Either way, I'm going down in a blaze of glory

I played Everquest. I never had a single good experience with the good folks at Sony Online Entertainment. The people that bring us Everquest and Everquest Online Adventures. While the game had it's good points, and was occasionally fun, I don't think it is worth the risk.

The computer game still has bugs that were listed as bugs by beta testers, years after beta was done with and several expansions later. When there is a problem with the game it is always a problem with your setup, never with their funky/broken code. I would expect these problems to be less frequent with the PS2 version, but I would probably be disappointed.

I have to agree with the person who said to wait and play Final Fantasy XI. That is what I plan to do. I won't throw any more money at SOE, it is a lost cause.

First thing - the price. You have to spend around $110-$130 on this game because you need the game which is about 20 dollars. You need the network adapter to play on the internet which is around $40. Then if you want to you can buy a keyboard for it for about $60-$70. You dont need the keyboard but if you didnt have it you rather couldnt talk to anyone or it would take you very long to type something.

Another thing - like most online rpgs. If you couldnt find someone to group with you, you could just go out killing by yourself. In this game its impossible to go killing monsters without a group. One person isnt gonna do either. It takes you about 30 mins to get a full group, all ready to go. Got their health up and potions with them and all. Thats the good thing. When you have a group boy is it fun to go out and attack monsters, but you have to press x around 10-100 times. (it depends how strong the monster is)

If you didnt have a group, and nobody was on to group, then you might as well log out because you will not have much fun.

Waste of money/waste of time. The only way this game would be fun is if they lowered the prices on all the items you need a bit and if there were people on constantly!

I have had E.O.A. scince the begginig.this game can draw u in to it for hours or untill u pass out.I dont recoomend this game to anyone that dosent enjoy a challenge or enjoys solo missions.even those this game was a remake for the the playstation 2 it still has some problems with loading and attacking but all is fixed if u can scrounge up enough money to get frontiers the expansion.this game isnt just going around killing u need to think carefully create a charecter of the race and class u want and find teamates at ur level.and if u wanna get to to a good lvl fast all u need to do is go powerlvling,thats whene u get a lvl 30 guy to go attack a powerfull monster bring it within an inch of its life and thene u atak it get alot of experience and repeate... So basically go get it and skip on finalfantasy 11 .. IT COSTS 15 DOLLERS A MONTH AND AN EXTRA DOLLER FOR EACH CHARECTER U MAKE but everquest is only 10 and if u dont wanna bother ur parents u can go to ur local gamestop and buy these thing called game card that give u a month instead of using mommy and daddys credit card..... and ummm if u startt playing look for me im Kakorie ...and no mi names not from d.b.z. its from zelda u know where link starts out. c ya online fellow gamers