Action Game Reviews

Let me start off by saying I cried at this game. Yes, I did. The game totally immersed me into the planet Hyllis, engrossed me into the characters and their relationships, and captivated me into the story line.
The gameplay mixes stealth, action, and puzzle (even some driving!!) into one awesome game about how the government lies to you about an alien invasion. The supposed "helpers" are called Alpha Sections and are really importing human bodies to the alien's planet to produce monsters. Armed with your camera, and stick, and one of two sidekicks, you seek out the government's lies.
The title of my review goes to almost all you gamers out there. Why did True Crime sell the same time BG&E was out?? Tons of bad games over the holiday season (when this was released), and very few good games, and this is what happens? Please.
The graphics are pretty good, not the best, and all the elements of the game fit together perfectly. Get ready for a cinema-worthy action/adventure game. The ending is so sad, even though there are no words, it speaks for itself.

There are certain games that manage to slide in under the radar and go unoticed by the gaming public. Ubi Soft's Beyond Good and Evil is one of those rare games that does so many things right it's hard to imagine why more people aren't playing it.

The main character, Jade, is a freelance reporter on a planet named Hyllis. It's a bit of an odd world, with unusual life forms such as talking pigs, cat people, and walrus like men. Hyllis is under attack by an alien race called the DomZ. The para-military units known as the Alpha Sections are defending Hyllis from the attacking aliens. But all is not what it seems. People are disappering from Hyllis. And the Alpha Sections are suspected of collaborating with the DomZ. Jade, our heroine, is recruited by the underground IRIS Network to uncover the conspiracy.

The games graphics are outstanding. Hyllis is a huge, living breathing world complete with wild life, oceans, and even a moon. Water effects are rendered extrememly well, especially since Hyllis is mostly a water world. The game is also presented in widescreen through it's entirety. This makes it possible for seemless transitions from the action to cutscenes. This is really a nice looking game in all areas.

Alot of people have mischaracterized this game as a "platformer". This game is actually an adventure with quite a bit of stealth elements included. Some of the stealth elements are very reminscent of games such as Metal Gear Solid, Tenchu and Splinter Cell. The action varys quite a bit from stealth to martial arts action. There's even a mini-game thrown in for good measure. Though stealth plays a big part of this game, it doesn't seem tedious. There is also a unique power up system. Throughout Hyllis there are vending machines where you purchase meal packs called K-Bups and Starkos. Other items can also be purchased from these machines. One of the more interesting features is that throughout the game you get updates in the form of Emails from the IRIS Network, and you can subscribe to publications that can be emailed to you.

The controls take some getting used to. The learning curve is about thirty minutes. But once the controls are down the game flows very nicely.

Unfortunatley there's not alot of replay value here. Once you complete the game there's not much reason to go back and play it again. That's the one criticism you can lay on it.

This game is great buy for the new reduced price. In an age where the gaming world is flooded with sequel after sequel, it's great to see a new origial game that really gives you something different for your time and money. I HIGHLY recomend this game.

This was one of the best games I ever played. I like playing video games some times but i never seem to finish them. But this game was not only fun but had a good plot where I wanted to know what was going to happen next till I finish the game. Jade is the main charter well going along the game you have to take pictures of the different creatures but the game is much more then just taking pictures, you have boat you drive, a ship you fly, you fight, solving, sneaking around guards ect... I would say Jade kind of plays the role of a spy. This my favorite game, I enjoyed it sooooo much and I hope they are going the make a second Beyond good & evil because if they do I be first in line for second!!!!

With the blockbuster success of Metal Gear Solid for the PS1, Konami decided to make the game portable for Nintendo's 8-bit GameBoy Color, and while many specualtions over the quality of the game were not very good at all, every GBC owner on the planet was shocked when this was released. For being an 8-bit system, the graphics and sound are simply astounding, and the controls are exact and dead on. Stealth is still the name of the game and you'll have to dodge guards and security cameras to complete your mission, plus VR missions and cut scenes are here as well, making this game play so unbelieveably close to it's PS1 counterpart that many a gamer will be left in awe when they see it in action. The storyline is a prequel to the PS1 game that would set up the events that take place in that game, and while it may start out as a run of the mill story, it quickly picks up and by the time you finish the game you'll be catching your breathe. All in all, Metal Gear Solid is essential to action fans and GBC owners everywhere.

I just ordered Metal Gear Solid a day ago and it KICKS BUTT. So far I'm at the forth stage and its been really fun. The game has all the guns from the Playstation version and has way cool graphics,sound, and gameplay. The sounds are just like midi form. Oh Have I said the VR missions KICK BUTT too. The reason why I say this is because it has 180 missions with weopons or sneeking or both. I also ordered another game so I can play VS Battle Mode and It Kicks Butt too. I would say this game is #1 for my gameboy It could also be yours So BuY It ToDaY!

Metal Gear Solid on the Gameboy Color is perhaps one of the most innovative the 8-bit handheld had. The game was released a few years ago but this is NOT a re-release of the PSX classic. Actually it only bears the same name. The plot and characters aren't connected to the playstation version in anyway.

Metal Gear Solid makes good use of the GBC's colors. This game is more colorful than a rainbow and the colors are vivid and bright (especially if you play it on a GBA SP). The graphics are also put to good use. It's a reminder of the graphics presented in the first Metal Gear game only you can now move in eight directions as opposed to four and most guards and such look clearer. But you'll definitely notice resemblence.

The game sounds pretty good for an 8 bit game. The music can get annoying at times but it clearly sets up the tone of the game (sneaking).

The game adopts the gameplay from the Playstation version. There is a sneak mode, alert mode and evasion mode. Sneak mode is simply that you just run from point to point without worrying about anything. As with the PSX version you have a radar in the corner of your screen. The radar isn't as detailed but it'll help you stay out of sight. Alert Mode happens if you're discovered by the enemy and so you must run away. Much like in the PSX version there's a countdown in the corner that covers the radar. When you successfully escape the enemy you go into Evasion Mode where you must hide and the enemy will stop chasing you and begin searching for you. Picture evasion mode like a game of hide and seek.

Metal Gear is known for its storytelling and MGS on the GBC is no exception. The game has several plot twist and such but that's just it. The game is full of TONS of twist. The story is great but the way the story is presented to the gamer is not to pleasing. The original playstation version had cinemas to make the storyline more interactive. The GBC has LONG LONG LONG cutscenes of Snake exchaning words with others. This wouldn't be so bad if the cutscenes weren't so long of just two people standing there. The Codec I didn't mind and it showcases more of just how well the graphics of the game are. But even codec conversations get long. If you're really into the story then you probably won't be falling asleep anytime soon.

As far as Extras go this game has a lot of them. Well, there is one HUGE extra. This would be the VR training. Many of the missions come from the PSX game "Metal Gear Solid VR: Missions" and the original MGS game but on the GBC they can be quite challenging. There are over 150 missions but most of them are repeats of earlier missions... only with a twist such as maybe a time limit or you're supposed to eliminate all the guards. Still, the VR missions will keep you busy for a while.

The other extra is after you complete the game once you get a new difficulty level (Very Hard mode). Difficulty levels in this game are NO joke. Unlike the PSX version there are more changes than just guards with wider range of vision. The most noticeable is there are MORE guards than you could possibly imagine on Very Hard mode.

Perhaps what I disliked most about MGS on the GBC was that it didn't have the power to make you love the characters. Many of them are stale without being able to see some emotion. That and some of the supporting characters play no real role in the game they're just there to take up space and carry on long conversations.

Overall though, for the GBC Metal Gear Solid is by far one of the best you could get.

The Good
+Excellent graphics
+Great Storytelling
+Great Gameplay
+Fun VR Missions

The Bad
+LONG LONG LONG Cutscenes
+Supporting characters lack developement and chemistry

If you ever played Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening, you'll remember alot of the items in this game. Pleanty of puzzle solving, problem solving and fun make this game worth getting. It stands on it's own a great game BUT if you get the Orical of Seasons it becomes better because with both games you can have a wider variety of weapons, items and characters. When you beat this game you'll get a code that you enter into the "Seasons" game and you can pick up where you left off and try to complete that game as well. You can play Seasons or Ages first, the order doesn't matter. One thing to keep in mind, because the game depends on colors (red,blue money and ore) you can only play it on the Gameboy Color system. Graphics and sound are good and effort put into the game is great.

Warning: This review may be a bit biased due to the fact it is being written buy someone who has played and beaten ALL the Zelda games. For the gameboy colour system, there are only 2 series of good, quality games. They would be The Legend of Zelda and PokÉMon. If you own a GBC, it would be foolish not to buy this game, unless you are young (5-8) or are very bad at solving puzzles of anykind. I would recommend buying both The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons and The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle of Ages because besides both the games being of excellent quality, there is an interesting feature: After beating one game, you can transfer your character to the other game using a special password. The play time of both the games should range (depending on the skill of the player and weather or not they do all the subquests and explore) from 8-16+ hours. The Zelda series has earned its reputation as a immersive and fun series of games. It can be played if you are a medium-skilled gamer or a hard core gamer. Buy it. A word of advice: Zelda games are no fun if you use a strategy guide or website.

One thing I absolutely despise about alot of Gameboy games, anymore, is how you have to buy them in twos just to be able to finish them. Such is the case with Legend of Zelda:Oracle of Ages & Oracle Seasons. Originally planned as a trilogy, this two-part adventure is exceptionally good which is why I highly recommend that you add them to your collection.
It all begins in Oracle of Ages. Veran(The Sorceress of Shadows) kidnaps Nayru(The Oracle of Ages). Because Link feels directly responsible for her kidnapping(as you find out while playing the game), he sets out to find her and save her. With the Harp of Ages, he travels between the past and present meeting familiar faces (some of which you'll recognize from Ocarina of Time)in his effort to make things right. That's when the storyline deepens and the fun truly begins. Rest assured, though, he's not alone in this one. Along the way, he enlists the help of Moosh, Dimitri, and Ricky.
Out of two games, in my opinion- this is the harder game of the two...but the most rewarding. I think Capcom did an outstanding job with their first effort in the Zelda series and I hope Nintendo continue to let them develop future installments for the Gameboy and the Gameboy Advance.
Again, I highly recommend you add these games to your collection. They're awesome.

Wow. I'm impressed. I have played this game on the original NES and I must say this is definitely a step-up from the NES version. For those who don't know much about the game, this series (Dragon Warrior) is hugely successful in both the U.S. and Japan, and in Japan it is almost as successful as the Final Fantasy series. DW I+II, released last year, prompted Enix to go ahead and port DW III. I'm so glad they did.

First off, you can have multiple classes to your characters over the course of the game. The world is huge and the battles are new in that the monsters have animations, and so do your attacks. From what I have played the difficulty seems just about as hard on the NES version. Also the passage of time is incorporated into this game, as night and day pass, and people have different things to say depending on the time and some people will be out at night, etc.

I haven't found anything that detracts from this game. I'm only about an hour into the game, but I'm impressed with what i've played so far. It makes an excellent game to play on breaks and when everyone leaves the office (it can get lonely at night when you are the only customer service rep in the place ;)). I'm very impressed with this game and if you liked DW I+II and/or Final Fantasy (all of them) you will definitely go for this game. It earns every ounce of recommendation I can give.

This is a very well done remake of the original Dragon Warrior III for the NES, a wonderful game, and above all a really fun RPG, something that recent RPGs haven't captured. This remake is very well done. Graphically the colors are very vibrant and the animations of both spells and enemies is a definite plus. My only gripe is they didn't put backgrounds in like they did in DW I remake, but that might be because of the graphical limitations of the gameboy color. Playwise the game has only been improved, adding tons more depth to your characters. Now they have personalities that guide how their stats increase, of course it also depends on the class. They have added a new mini-game in the Pachisi tracks, which are very interesting. They also added a concept of monster medals which you can randomly win after battles(there are 3 levels of medal, gold, silver, and bronze, you can't get a silver till you get a bronze etc) and if you collect enough medals you can unlock a secret. In addition, the ability to trade medals over the link is nice, but I still would have liked to have seen a battle mode, where your party can take on a friends party. The translation is also improved, being much more true to the Japanese version(which is why it recieved a Teen rating, the original was released when Nintendo was big on the family friendliness concept in the States). Overall, this is a must have RPG!

For those gamers that were fortunate enough to have played Dragon Warrior III on the NES, this will be just a reiteration of what you already know - this game rocks.

Even in the face of today's modern graphics and effects, the scope, storyline, and gameplay of Dragon Warrior III still stand strong. The characters can be customized in numerous areas, and even retrained if they aren't working out - you can take your Lvl 40 fighter and make him a wizard, or let your cleric train as a merchant. The number of sidequests and the evolution of certain areas is impressive, and will give you 60+ hours of things to do. Best of all, the fighting system is so simple that even a novice can start playing and get hooked immediately.

This game gets my highest possible recommendation. For a fraction of the cost of a Final Fantasy game, you can get a game that will give you more enjoyment for a longer period of time.

Golden Sun The Lost Age is the best rpg game!!! Way better than the first one. Even if your new to the Golden Sun games, get the second game first, you won't regret it. Camelot created the highly populated Golden Sun but then, they come out with another one which is even better. I'm new to the Golden Sun games but decided to buy the sequel first, and wasn't dissapointed. The way they've made it is totally incredible. The dialouge is extremely long but after the dialouge's over, the battles that you do are extremely fun. Gameplay:9/10 Graphics:10/10 Sound:10/10 Overall 9.9/10. Get this game it is a must have for any Rpg lover!!!!!!!!

having played the Japanese language version of this game, i can safely say that it will definitely blow the first game away. lots of new Psynergy (a lot of RPGs have some form of magic... GS uses psychic energy) to learn, lots of new and interesting weapons, many new places to explore, many new summons to get, and...

you can transfer data from a saved file that's on your Golden Sun cartridge. here's the main story:

in the first game, the main character Isaac and his friends Garet, Ivan, and Mia were chasing after Saturos and Menardi, two members of a northern fire clan who stole the Elemental Stars from Sol Sanctum and wanted to unleash their power upon the world by lighting the 4 lighthouses, all the while keeping Isaac's friend Jenna and the great Alchemy sage Kraden (and eventually a young girl named Sheba) hostage. at the end of the first game, your party succeeded in defeating Saturos and Menardi shortly after they lit the Venus Lighthouse. however, Jenna and Kraden are missing on a piece of land that broke off from the continent, and Sheba fell from the lighthouse into the ocean. in addition, Jenna's long-lost older brother Felix, who had been traveling with the fire clan members, jumped after Sheba to save her.
the second game starts out shortly thereafter. the members of your party are Felix, Jenna, Sheba, and, later on, Piers, a Lemurian they find on their journey. while in the first game the object was to keep the lighthouses from being lit, Felix is dead set on lighting the two remaining lighthouses. and the new foes of the game? Menardi's lil sister Karst and the strongest clansman she could find, Agatio. while they do want the lighthouses lit, they also want revenge for Menardi's death.

as i mentioned before, you can transfer data from a previous save file for the first game. you see, after the Jupiter Lighthouse is lit, you meet the 4 characters from the first game and get them into your party. that's right... 8 playable characters. and their stats when you get them are at whatever they were when you won Golden Sun (if you do not transfer data or use a passord, they start out at level 28). from there, you have a few more tasks before you can go to the Mars Lighthouse, but one thing is for sure... this is a much better game, and it it has excellent replay value. one of my favorite things is the blacksmith in a town on the second continent, who will make a plethora of weapons/armor for you from certain materials you find, making each game different since you won't always get the same items! also, the new multi-elemental summons, some of which you must defeat a game boss in order to get (and some of them are pretty tough). the final boss, the Doom Dragon, is quite a formidable opponent, attacking 4 times per round. he is humongous, can set all your Djinn on recovery, and has a special summon of his own, Ruin Crash.

i've played this game 4 times and won it twice (2 save files i'm just trying to level up for fun on). the music is just orgasmic - Motoi Sakuraba is one excellent composer, that is definitely for sure.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age, is the sequel to the highly successful Golden Sun, starring Isaac, Garet, Mia and Ivan. This game will have you controlling the people the aforementioned were chasing all of the first game. I.E., Felix, Jenna, Kraden, Sheba and an extra character, Picard. ( Although I think His name will be different). Anyway, I'm not sure of your quest, but I've seen several screenshots (50) and Camelot has certainly kicked the already beautiful graphics (in my opinion anyway)up a notch or five.
Anyways, onto part of the storyline I know.
If you played GS1, and beat it, you would have remembered the last scene of the game, where Jenna and Kraden are seen floating on an island after the epic last battle between Isaac, Garet, Mia and Ivan, and the game's big bosses, Saturos and Menardi. You also might have remembered seeing Felix leap off the Venus Lighthouse to try to save Sheba. And Alex catches up with Jenna and Kraden and shows them that Felix and Sheba made it.
Well, GS2 starts slightly before all that. You control Jenna, and find your way down to the ship you first thought was Babi's Lemurian ship (the part where the island breaks off), but it was really Saturos and Menardi's ship. Then you see that oh so familiar cutscene.
Enough of talking the game, let's talk about a rather cool feature in GS2. Remember when you beat the game and in the 'Continue' screen you saw your game and 'CLEAR DATA'. For the love of all that is good and pure, DO NOT DELETE THAT GAME!!!
In GS2, they ask you if you want to upload your old game. How, you ask, as there is no upload option in the menu screen. Well, my friend, if you press L, R, left and b simultaneously and then b immediately after, a new option appears. "SEND". YOu can either send your game by way of a link cable, or three different password. Bronze password lets you send Level and Djinn. SIlver lets you send Level, Djinn and Character stats. Gold lets you send Level, Djinn Character stats, itmes and coins. Be warned, the Gold password id six screens long.
Trust me, putting in these passwords will alter your story when you meet Isaac, Garet, Mia and Ivan leter in the story.
BUy THIS GAME!!! IT ROCKS!!!

In 1998, Nintendo rereleased its Game Boy classic, The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening. How does the game compare to those to today? Read on and see.

Graphics: 3.75/5
Sure, the graphics are dated, but the color brings new life into them. The picture is very clear and there is little blurring.

Play Control: 4.25/5
Simple and to the point, though a little weird at first. It's strange not having your shield and sword out all the time. You can only have two items out at a time, but overall, this ends up working out pretty well.

Challenge: 3.5/5
Lots of puzzles, but not a lot of direct challenge. The enemy population seems to be imbalanced. Some are easy to kill, others virtually invincible. The same applies to the dungeon bosses.

Theme/Fun: 4.5/5
A lengthy and portable quest that you can save your progress in. This is an excellent game, but this Deluxe edition will not satisfy those who have the original version. The "new dungeon" isn't even that long, and it focuses on color so much that it gets annoying. Also, you CAN'T CANCEL TEXT MESSAGES WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE! If anything, that's a DOWNGRADE from the old game! Other than that, it's a good game though. And how can you not love that crane machine game?

Music/sound: 3/5
Average for the Game Boy. Nothing really stands out above anything else.

Storyline: 3.5/5
After a shipwreck, Link is awakened by a young girl, and told that he is in a dream world. He must destroy the nightmare trying to conquer the dimension, or he will never wake up. This game takes place immediately after A Link To The Past. It's a cheesy story, but it works.

Overall: 4/5
Got a Game Boy? Get this game (unless you've already got the original edition. There's no reason to have both.) If you want an ultimately satisfying portable adventure, this is it.

The-Legend-Of-Zelda. Not even franchises like Mario Bros. of Final Fantasy will send shivers down your spine like Zelda (at least for me). Like nearly every Zelda game, this is a classic for tight control, deep gameplay, and a good helping of innovation. To this day it is amazing just how big this game is. First released in '93, the quest is HUGE. There was not one bit of simplifying for the meager 8-bit system.

Graphics- Amazing for its time, and still is. Now that it's in color, they look wonderful all over again. 10/10

Sound- Yes its on the terrible GB speakers, but the music is pretty decent (if a bit repetitive). 7/10

Gameplay- Simply put, everyone should at least give 2D Zelda a try. 9/10

Value- With tough puzzles, this game is very long. Has enough secrets to replay through few more times too. Again, has a lot of length to it. 10/10

Overall- 10/10
Of the Zeldas I have played, this is one of the best ones, second only to the awe-inspiring Ocarina of Time. Don't make your GB less worth it by NOT getting this game: a classic that has stood the test of time. Long live Zelda!

Link's Awakening is probably the best Gameboy version of Zelda ever. Although, that is left to ones' opinion....It is in my opinion, however, to be.
The game begins with Link waking up in a hut. He is told by the locals that to leave and go back to Hyrule, he must awaken the Wind Fish. It lives inside an egg on top of a nearby mountain and can only be lulled from its' sleep by playing eight magical instruments. You spend your time trying to round up these eight instrumants but, in order to do so, you have to endure varying types of puzzles, traps and enemies. Each puzzle you're faced with has a logical solution, and you'll only come across a few situations that will require you to leave and get new items from the outside. Koholint Island, is big(by Gameboy standards anyhow) - even more so when you consider the hidden underground passageways, dungeons, and waterways so you'll have plenty of exploring to do with alot of secrets to uncover. You'll definitely spend countless hours playing this game.
Gameboy Color/Gameboy Advance owners are granted access to an all-new exclusive dungeon(although it isn't required or necessary to complete the game) plus those with a Gameboy printer get a photo scrapbook of Link's adventures that you can copy...hence the DX(deluxe) added at the end of the title of this version.
This is one classic that shouldn't be missed. If you've played any of the other Legend of Zelda games, you owe it to yourself to check it out. You don't know what you're missing.

I played Oracle of Ages first, and it was a better game, although both are worth playing.

When they say that Oracle of Seasons is more focused on the combat, they're not kidding! There were very few puzzles and, in my opinion, a lot of meaningless sword-swinging. Most of the bosses need to be hit by the sword many times and then they are defeated. In Ages, you actually had to use the item that you just got. Up to the boss, Onox, it is really easy. Getting from level to level was a little hard for me, but that's because I always overlook the obvious. Other than that, it went so much faster than Ages.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to defeat Onox yet. I can't even get past the second stage! I don't understand how a sword can't cut through him but if you use hero's skill it can! He's a chunk of rock! So the boss is HARD!

The Maku Tree isn't as loveable as in Ages. He just sleeps! Doesn't even hit on you...

As in all Zelda games, it's much more enjoyable if you take it slow (although it's hard in this one) and talk to all of the people in it. They have funny things to say! One of my favorite parts is Subrosia with the Like-Likes! They're so cute! So instead of traveling through times, you change the seasons and go through portals to Subrosia. Dancing there is great! It's a little easier than the Goron dancing, though they are both difficult.

About the seasons...it gives the game a lot more flexibility in how the levels can be arranged. Instead of having 2 ages, you get 4 seasons, each with different "hidden" parts. I really like how you can bounce on the flowers in the spring! And the people say different things at different times! It is fun!

You get to see many of the same characters as in Ages, the important ones as well as the town folk. And there are some different items. I especially liked the Magnetic Gloves and Roc's Cape. The level design is pretty straightforward and the dungeons are rather easy.

Overall, it's a good game to play, but you should definitely try it's companion too. I can't use the codes to link them yet until I beat this one, so I'll try!

Great music, as always!

Get this game and Ages, so that you can further your Zelda gaming skills!

Although I have not finished this game yet, I feel that have played enough to give a very accurate review. First off, you would be hard-pressed to find a better game for the Gameboy Color. Everything about this game is a amazing, right down to the series of blips and bleeps that pass for music on the Gameboy. If you've played Link's Awakening DX, you know how the controls in this game are: amazing. The only problem is that you cant face any diretions other than north, south, east and west, but it never hurts you during the game. The colors are very real looking, Capcom didn't try to do too much with the GBC's meager palette. Although the story is nothing special (your standard evil guy takes destroys something and kidnaps someone to take over the world), it feels very good for this type of a game. The bosses aren't too difficult, but some of you may need to use a strategy guide or FAQ. Any problems with this game are minimal, and should not be too much of an issue with anyone. Nintendo and Capcom scored a hit with The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons.

Like the title says, this game even better than its companion The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, though neither of them is magic in quite the same way Link's Awakening was. It's definitely worth playing, especially as part of the pair. Link plays mother nature, using the Rod of Seasons and the power of( eventually) all 4 seasons to transform the landscape of Holodrum, a land where he has been sent by the Triforce to save the missing Oracle of Seasons and restore the mixed-up natural order. As he journeys through the the overworld, encountering all sorts of inclement weather, and changing the season to his advantage, and through the underground land of Subrosia, he will meet new friends and enemies, and face nonstop action and challenging dungeons on his way to stop Onox, General of Darkness. The action rarely lags as you and your animal helper explore the map in all conditions, finding your way into hidden dungeons and inching closer to rescuing Din, the beautiful dancing Oracle. Enchanting features inclue interesting people, and the collectible and very useful magic Rings. In addtion, the game connects with Ages for a continuing double-length adventure leading up to the ultimate battle with an old foe. All in all, it's worth twice the price.

Let me start off by saying this: Castlevania. You may heard
of it lately. Symphony of the night( SOTN )has been heralded as the best of the series, and why not agree? The smooth 16 bit graphics give a clean atmosphere for Alucard(the main character)
to traverse. The castle itself is huge, giving you plenty of
time to find all of the items and relics.

The sound in SOTN is supperb. The voice acting is decent, and the
sound effects for weapons, monsters, and spells give sound a
10/10. The music in SOTN is amazing. Normally(with the exceptions of Square-Enix games), I throw in a CD on my CD player
and listen to Metallica or something, but the seamless intergration of orchestrated music and electric guitars leave a
musical masterpiece. Music gets a 10/10

The story in SOTN is not a direct continuation of games before it, but it reintroduces older characters. Alucard, who is Dracula's son, sets out to kill his father to end the vampire bloodline.

The graphics in this game is amazing. It uses the original SNES-eque graphics PLUS 3D only the PSOne can bring.(well, in that day in age at least) 10/10

Alucard grows stronger with each enemy killed. The Level Up system in SOTN is similar to an RPG. The more EXP Alucard gets, the sooner he levels up. With a max level of 99, Alucard can grow into a demonic force of nature! He can equip weapons and armor you find around the castle. They also bring back the subweapons everyone remembers from the originals, like Throwing Daggers and The Time Stopwatch.

All in all, I find Castlevania Symphony of the Night to be one of the greatest games of our time. I strongly recommend it to people who are fans of RPGs or Action Sidescrolling.

TOTAL SCORE 10/10

when I was a wee lad, I played board games, collect four, hungry hippo, monopoly. They were fun diversions, I was later amazed by the prospect of playing game like pac man, dig dug, ect in arcades, (yah I know I'm old). I remember the simple days... and It makes my mind wobble how complex, and utterly craptastic, videogames have become today... I've been a gamer pretty much all my life. So I know how sometimes It's best too keep a game simple, and fun rather then just ruin it by making it too complex.

Castlevania manages too find a perfect balance between the simple and complex. It mixes the old run, jump, smack a monster medusa head, gameplay with street fighter like spells, and wait until you see some of these bosses... some are admittedly lame, others will put your gaming skills too the test. But It's best feature is the awesome design of the castle... and how the developers placed the power ups.

Super metroid has been called one of the... if not THE... most well designed game of all time. The bosses were big and frightening. the map was desgined with the powerups placed in just such a way that when you found one powerup... It gave you the ability too enter an previously unreachable area, There's a certain rewarding thrill behind playing a game with this design, and the developers are either fans of that design, are worked on super metroid themselves. Cuz It not only follows that formula, but builds upon it in every way.

when you first start the game... there will be all sorts of paths for you too follow... but apparently the archtect of castlevania is a sick joker, cuz even with your supernatural powers, you just can't seem too reach these paths. But alter in the game... after alot of adventuring, fighting, and finding all sorts of goodies, you will either find what you need too reach that unreachable platform, or wind up on the other side of it through you journeys. and rest assured it's a fun trip.

The powerups are all cool and fun too use, my fave is the mist spell. that lets your charachter turn into a fog. your enemies can't touch you when your transformed, so you can just pass through them, and attack thier backs. others, like changing into a bat, wolf, or being able too super jump, or wear armor that breaks spikes, are all fun too use that has too be played too truly understand.

And as for the story... Well, It won't win a oscar, but It's pretty cool. The last belmont kicks the stuffing outta drac in the beginning of the game, then after four years of friday night poker games, and having a wench in every town... he disappears. And wouldn't ya know it... about the same time, that fun haunted house that we all know and love as castlevania reappears out of the mist. Richters sis, maria, puts 2 and 2 together; goes too find him. (Apparently he owes her money or something :P.) The half human son of dracula, whos supposed too be locked in an eternal sleep, wakes up after 400 years. after going too the nearest tailor too get some hip clothes and a much needed bath, he heads out for castlevania as well. Sword in hand and ready too kick booty... of course that's just the opening... the rest of the story is pretty decent. I liked how death and allucard had somewhat of a repore. death seemed at first reluctant too fight him, even gave him a chance too go back... but when allucard refuses too renounce his quest of patricide... the whuppin begins. moments like these, and many others like It give some more depth too the world of castlevania.

I could go on and on... this is a game that has a simple premise... but manages too weave in so many complex elements, all fun, yet never loses the simplicity. Games were meant too be simple. a fun distraction from the hectic pace of life. The video gaming industry has grown into such a massive beast over the past few years. It's no longer a niche hobby. and such there is a high financial demand for innovation. But sometimes innovation comes at the cost of fun. Castlevania SOTN manages too retain the simplicity of the old days.... while having innovations up the kazoo. That's why so many people have scuh strong feelings for it today. I would reccommend this too anyone that likes videogames, or wants too start playing them. Solid snake is cool and all, but Allucard Just has more style. if they ever making a fighting game centred around the coolest video game charachter ever... expect too see these two in the finals.

Of course thats just my opinon. I could be wrong. :P

For the best Castlevania game ever, purchase "Symphony of the night", for it's OUTSTANDING soundtrack, it's story and it's excellent battle-system. A guaranteed winner for any lover of action/adventure/rpg games.

This may be one of Rare's last truly great games. It doesn't change much from its predecessor, but it's longer, bigger, and prettier. The boss battles are a lot bigger, and the level designs are still good. One thing about this game that I appreciate is the coherent style expressed throughout the game; the graphics, animation, and silly voices keep you in the game right to the end. Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie both need to be in your Nintendo 64 collection.

WOW!!! If you get this that is the only thing you'll be able to say about it. It's totally amazing. Not only is it much better than Zelda, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong64, but it has much better graphics then all of them combined. The plot is totally cool. These are why tou should this game instead of the games mentioned above:

1. NO ANNOYING TIME LIMIT WITH THE MOON THING 2. CHEAPER/DON'T NEED EXPANSION PACK 3. DON'T NEED TO CHANGE 5 TIMES FOR 25 BANNANAS PER LEVEL 4. 8 LEVELS INSTEAD OF FOUR DUNGEONS, OR KEYS 5. DON'T NEED TO BEAT BOSSES IF YOU DON'T WANT TO 6. LONG GAME PLAY 7. 90 JIGGIES INSTEAD OF 20 MASKS OR 200 BANANNAS OR 100 JIGGIES 8. MUCH BETTER GRAPHICS 9. MULTIPLAYER GAMES (14) INCLUDING SHOOTOUTS, CHALLENGES, AND QUIZ 10.JUST PLAINLY THE BEST GAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

So don't waste your money for the others, this is the one and only game you'll ever need.

If you like Banjo-Kazooie or adventure games in general, then this game is definitely for you. It is leagues ahead of Banjo-Kazooie in many areas, including character control, gameplay variety, and overall level of fun. Banjo-Tooie's high quality soundtrack is fun to listen to: the theme music of the overworld subtly changes as you move into different areas. Kazooie keeps the game hilarious with all of her wisecracks and silly insults. And what is really neat for Banjo-Kazooie players is that the story line of Banjo-Tooie links to the original many times throughout the game.

The one downside to this great feast from Rare is the multiplayer. As with Donkey Kong 64, the multiplayer minigames are a bit dull, as if they were just thrown in so the game could be touted as supporting up to four players. But in spite of that, this is a colorful, rewarding adventure that is enjoyable to play, even in comparison to games for Nintendo GameCube.

You may have played Pikmin 1, but now the sequel is coming.One of the cool things about pikmin 2 is that you get to play as a co-op(two people playin at once). There is a multiplayer part where you play against other people and you get to kill each other. There are also new pikmin!There are still the old ones too.
Red-Survives fire, normal pikmin
Yellow-Picks up bombs, thrown extra high
Blue-Survives in the water
White-Poisinos to bulborbs(the mushroom dog things)
Purple-It is fat, Stronger than other pikmin
If you buy this game, then prepare for new challenges and harder enemys. If you play this game, then your mind will go crazy, because this game if filled with puzzles.When this game is out,GET IT!

People have been waiting for so long that they can't wait until agust 30 2004 thats when its coming out i checked 10 different websites and thats what they all say. Plus to make it better there is co-op (2 people playing at the same time) and 2 new colored pikmin. Plus the old ones to.

Red- can stand fire
Yellow- can hold bomb rocks and can stand electrity
Blue- can swim
white- poisinous
purple- they are fat and can esily kill things when you throw them on your enemy.
I beat pikmin and pikmin 2 looks even better i heard every time you beat it the levels change but i'm not sure? I'f you like pikmin you'll love pikmin 2.

P.s. Buy this game

I can't wait till Pikmin 2 releases in stores. I beat the first game easily so I want to play Pikmin 2 really bad! I think the purple pikmin and white pikmin will be so cool though you can only get them underground because they don't have Onions.