Science Reviews

The worms were ordered and arrived alive and well. After 5 months, however, none of the worms had yet become visible. Thinking they were dead, his mother convinced him to empty the container. There were the worms, in perfect health! He released them to the backyard garden and goes to visit them daily.

I was very disappointed with this purchase.

Here are a few tips that I thought I would share to help everybody out in taking care of their new pets:
1) Always aerate the water. I highly recommend the Million Bubble Air Pump becuase it works very well, and is far safer and more convenient that the other options. Also, never, ever think that by stirring the water you are aerating it. You ARE NOT and this method has killed some of my older Sea-Monkeys.
2)Do not overfeed, but remember they do need to be fed. Follow the recommened feeding amount and keep a regular feeding schedule.
3)Make sure you read the entire handbook as it includes all the vital information you need to keep a healthy tank of Sea-Monkeys. It also has many useful tips and some interesting facts.

I recommend this specific tank because it well made and includes all of the necessary things to make Sea-Monkey ownership an enjoyable, rewarding and educational experience.

I recommend thoroughly drying the pieces before assembly - they fit together with less effort that way.

All in all, this toy is very educational and matched amazon's review as being a good lesson in shape identification. But, being a big kid myself, I really like looking at the piece every day. It's as much art as it is a toy or puzzle.

PROS:
-Regardless of whether you're using the Super Game Boy, an old black and white Game Boy, or a Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance, this games looks dead-on to the arcade originals. The resolution is also very good; there is no slow down.
-These games are easy to learn. They're so simplistic that you can learn them without even reading the instructions. They're also tough to master, meaning gamers will get a bigger kick out of them than they may expect to.
-Galaga is (in my opinion) THE BEST video game ever that has earned the title of "arcade classic", and I'm sure many others will agree.

CONS:
-The biggest con of this cartridge is Galaxian. While Galaga was a refreshing twist on the Space Invaders formula, Galaxian is a straight-up Space Invaders rip-off.
-Because the games are dated, they won't hold your attention for nearly as long as a so-called modern game will.
-When played in a Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance, this game shows some sound flaws. These don't detract much from the game, but they can be annoying.

OVERALL:
Sure, Galaxian is junk, but Galaga is a masterpiece of a game, more than worthy of being called an arcade classic. If you can find this cartridge used somewhere, by all means pick it up. You've gotta own some form of Galaga, so it might as well be a portable version!

Graphics-4.2

Gameplay-4.8

Control-3.7

Difficulty-3.1

Overall-3.9

Ray Storm may look like a garden variety, vertical scrolling 2-D shooter, but it doesn't play like one. You've got your standard blaster with unlimited ammo and you've got your gauge-draining special attack that sends blazing beams of destruction every which way, but the crux of the gameplay is the lock-on system with which you can shoot down your foes from anywhere on-screen and, in many cases, before they have a chance to endanger you. Here's how it works: a target icon lies at a fixed point in front of your ship at all times. Maneuver yourself so that the icon overlaps a target. That target is now "locked on." The number of targets you can lock onto at a time depends on which ship you choose (there are two) and how many power-ups you collect. With the push of a button, you let fly homing missiles or lasers which zero in on your victims and pulverize them. Mind you, some foes can sustain more lock-on attacks than others. Bosses require you to take out multiple sections before they're ready to quit.

This system is undoubtedly what makes Ray Storm unique, but at the same time, it's also its bigget curse. The extent to which you must use your lock-on attacks really is a bit excessive. The majority of your enemies cannot be touched with the nearly-worthless standard blaster; you must either hammer them with lock-ons or let them pass you by, while pouting "Why can't I just SHOOT them?!?" in frustration. Also, there are occasions where you'll automatically target enemies that pose no menace to you when there are much more immediate threats to concern yourself with. This is especially problematic in stage four, which has you mounting an assault on an enemy armada. Though pandemonium reigns right in front of you, battleships harmlessly sitting far off in the background are still eligible for lock-on, even while you're fighting the boss. This is an issue because of the limited number of homing projectiles you're able to launch at one time.

Mercifully, the lock-on system isn't too difficult to get used to, and you'll probably forgive its shortcomings before very long.

Ray Storm's graphics are unimpressive by today's standards, but remember, this game is from 1996. Same goes for the music and sound effects; bland, but not abrasive.

The game is a little on the short side, but the challenge is there, and you don't have a limitless supply of continues, unlike some more modern shooters we could name. Working Designs has included a "tweaked" version of the game in addition to the direct port to add some replay value.

Ray Storm is definitely not without its flaws, but those are generally outweighed by its merits. It's worth playing, and you should also look into its (sort of) sequel, Ray Crisis (also on PlayStation).

The first game, Layer Section, had very good graphic by its time standard(beautifully drawn) and Ray Storm changed from 2D graphic to 2.5ish graphic. The result? Personally I would prefer beautifully drawn Layer Section over Ray Storm, but it doesn't hurt its solid game play in any sense, yet it adds to its 'out there in space' atmosphere. The music you ask? It's done by famous ZUNTATA, who's work involve Darius Series. It doesn't play just typical shooter game music which repeats itself over and over again, but if you look closely, not only zuntata managed to integrate the 'feel' of the level, but it definitely raises the game to whole new level. Ray Storm's music was impressive enough, but if you really want to be impressed, play Layer Section or Galatic Attack (and take a look at each level's title)

I prefer the very first installment, Layer Section, as the best out of all three, (Ray Crisis, which came after Ray Storm with not much of change) Ray Storm itself holds a very solid second place with solid game play, matching graphic to the atmosphere, and awesome music. When this genre is dying one these days, it's a must pick up for shooter fans. I would even like to recommend this gem over Dreamcast games like Giga Wings(which personally don't like that much) if you are looking for a SOLID, typical vertical shooter. DON'T MISS IT!

ps: The ending for the Galatic Attack was really something else, not like a typical shooter where you save the earth victoriously. The ending for Ray Storm does something even more, with the story that scrolls up, stating that the mission has been accomplished. When its story scrolls up, the music, yes, the music doesn't play out 'we-won-victoriously' feel, but rather sad, being witness of collapsing of another civilization, though they were enemies. Seriously, music really adds this 'thematic' feel to the game.