Science Reviews

Those are the noises my nephew, with some help from his father, was making with this kit after just a few minutes. We gave it to him for his 7th birthday and, though a bit young to go it alone at first, he is learning a lot and it is a great activity for him to enjoy with his parents, grandparents, etc.
It's a great toy AND educational tool.
He is at a stage where he wants to really figure out how things work and LOVES the kit and the oportunities for experimenting it offers.
While I was driving home from his birthday party he called my cell phone to let me listen as he talked into it and his voice came out on the radio.
It's a hit.

We purchased this for our daughter (8 yrs) and she loves it. It does a good job of explaining electronic concepts and allows for varying levels of experience to enjoy the projects. Everything you'll need is included and the experiments are flexible, progressive and "really cool".

Experimenter's kits are something of a dying breed. Electronics & hobbyists shops used to be almost everywhere it seemed, and carried educational kits like these. God, all the fun we had as kids playing with stuff like this. Every child should be exposed to these toys at as early of an age as possible imho. Helping a child get a head start on life, and sparking his or her imagination/desire to learn, is always a good thing.

this is damn sweet. coolest game i've played in a long time. it may not be as good as the PS2 or XBOX or Gamecube games but you gotta admit its awesome. it has a very nice third-person veiw (view from the back that stays there), cool machine guns, the grenades are cool too. very powerful. the only cons i have about the game is that the ending is bad and i dont think there is a sequel. if there is someone please e-mail me. that and you should be able to carry more than 3 grenades, even though they are easy to find and can use them without worry. u could probably use 3 a mission. i wouldnt though. save your grenades for the boss. after mission 8 they get really hard. after saying that, the game is very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very cool.

this is one of the best games for the playstation i've ever played. it's just great.

i mean, what could possibly be great on a 30mhz processor? Ghost in the Shell.

it plays like a modern (2003) shooter. it's mission oriented, you get animation similar to the movie/manga, wow. fun for fans of the movie, or the comic, or for fans of action games! this is better to me than Mario 64, mostly because of the thoughtful camera angle. it is a third person game, but you never lose sight of where you're aiming, nor does backing up into a wall interfere with the camera or your sight. very polished, i wish i could shake the programmers' hands. no kidding.

I love anime. I also love video games. So when I first learned that there was a video game based off the oh-so-cool manga GHOST IN THE SHELL I was at first skeptical. However, after purchasing the game, I came to love it almost as much as the movie. Using a blend of animation from the same people who animated the movie, and great third person shooting action, this game deserves the love of all GITS fans. That is all I have to say.

When I saw MegaMan V in the used section at my local gaming store, I almost wet my pants. You almost NEVER see a game THAT rare in a used section of a game store, so i bought it as fast as I could. Anyway, lemme get to the point. MegaMan V is one of the best MegaMan games ever. The graphics and sound is great, controls are easy to learn, the story is cool, and better yet, the bosses aren't reruns! (MegaMan V features the Stardroids, mysterious robots from space). Now MegaMan's Mega-Buster is replaced by the powerful new Mega-Arm, an arm that fires and punches the enemy. The only drawback to MegaMan V is that it's kinda easy and isn't that long, but an awsome game none the less! Get it today!

This was the fifth and final Mega Man (classic series) Game Boy game. How is it? Read on and find out.Mega Man's fourth outing the Game Boy finally arrived in the early-mid nineties. How would this one measure up? Read on and see.

Graphics: 4/5
For the Gameboy at the time, these were great. The picture is sharp and clear, just like the NES games. The only problem is you have less room on the screen to move around, but other than that, the graphics are fine.

Challenge: 4.25/5
This game is longer than any other Game Boy Mega Man, and for the most part tougher. However, difficulty does NOTHING to derail your gaming experience here.

Play Control: 4/5
A little different. Basic control is the same, but you fire off your fist with a fully charged blast this time around. You can even get enhancements for the first, which just plain rocks.

Theme/Fun: 4.5/5
It's a portable Mega Man game, and was by far the best one to its time. This is one included an item replicator, something very common in the classic series games now. Likewise, the game's got cool characters, weapons, and everything else. It's the only Mega Man classic series game in which Wily isn't the final boss! There is even a space shooter stage in this game!

Storyline: 4.25/5
Mega Man is attacked by a mysterious robot. Soon enough he gets word that they have inhabited various planets. He takes off to stop them, but not before getting his weapons worked on by Dr. Light. The cut scenes make the story work well.

Music/sound: 4/5
This game is unlike the NES ones for the most part, and the music is no exception. Once again, sound is excellent.

Overall: 4.75/5
If you only get one Mega Man Game Boy game, make it 4 or 5. They are tough to find, but well worth the effort if you can hunt them down. This is about as close as a Mega Man game gets to perfect.

Megaman V is, at the time of this writing, the last of the original series Megaman games to appear on the Game Boy. It's also one of the best in the whole series.

The plot revolves around the arrival of strange humanoid robots from outer space, called the Stardroids. Megaman attempts to take them down, but finds his weapons to be useless against their armor. Fortunately, Dr. Light creates a Mega Arm adaptor for Megaman that can penetrate the Stardroid armor. Megaman then goes off to defeat the eight Stardroids and their leader, Terra.

Part of what makes this game so fun is how it deviates from the original NES titles. They came up with eight entirely new bosses and levels for this one. Each Stardroid is named after a planet and is equipped with a weapon that Megaman receives after defeating them.

The graphics in this title are amazing for the Game Boy, their sharpness rivaling the best NES games. There is some slowdown when there are a lot of sprites at once, however.

The music is good and all of the tunes are new. The sound effects are the same as in previous Megaman Game Boy titles.

Gameplay is in the same side-scrolling action that's in the majority of Megaman games. You must guide Megaman through eight Stardroid levels that stretch in all directions and are loaded with robotic perils before going after their leader in a series of additional levels. The main difference between Megaman V and previous Game Boy Megaman titles is the fact that Megaman shoots his fist off at enemies (the Mega Arm). This is unlike the Mega Buster in the earlier games, which basically just produced a really large projectile. Although the fist automatically returns back, it makes for a brief delay wherein you cannot fire. You get used to it easily, though.

Overall, this game is worth finding for serious Megaman game collectors. Fans of side-scroller games will love it. And if you're expecting Dr. Wily to be the final boss, you might be surprised...

TIE Fighter, even now, is, simply put, the best computer game ever made. Other people might say it's Civ II, and some would say that it was outclassed by Freespace or Wing Commander, but they are mistaken. TIE Fighter had a story. Not just a "we've been attacked, go and shoot them back" story but a very deep story, which involved the pilot. Furthermore, it had original missions. It wasn't just "go shoot them" or "help defend us", you do things like flying escort, scouting, recon, spying, etc. Well, basically, go look at PCGamer's review of it and rating, and see what other games have gotten better ratings than it. one has, and they're wrong. That having been said, this is basically TIE Fighter (and X-Wing, another respectable game) with updated graphics. They didn't put on Xwing versus TIE Fighter's truly awful control or interface, all they did was update the graphics. The result is that now the best game ever made has graphics to suit. No real computer gamer can afford to be without this.

Even in their original forms, both of these games have been on my hard drive since they first game out. With the exception of Elite, the Star Wars games were the first space sims to feel like you were actually flying in a 3D environment, not playing a 2D arcade game (sorry Wing Commander fans). Add 2 fantastic Star Wars story lines (both well fleshed out in the respective strategy guides), a chance to sample the overall lackluster sequel, updated graphics, and win 95 funtionality for under $20, and you can't go wrong. Freespace fans, check out the originals, and pick up Alliance. Its nice to see the series back on track.

This collection of all the X-wing titles (before Tie Fighter) is a great value, and an excellent introduction into the wonderful world of Rebel dogfighting. The sound effects, the graphics, the atmosphere--all of it evokes images of your favorite space battles in the Star Wars movies. You get to start slow, and work your way up to the really tough missions--and you'll need the time to learn, trust me! Quite simply one of the most all-around enjoyable games I've ever played.

I bought this set for my son's 7th birthday as he has recently become obsessed with sea creatures. He was so excited to have his own little "shrimp" to raise. We hatched them on a Sunday morning and he was disappointed because we couldn't see anything. But by the next day, they were visible with the magnifying glass (you had to look hard, though). On the 2nd day, they were visible without the magnifying glass. Today is the 3rd day since we have hatched them and they are the cutest little things! The look like tiny little white tadpoles almost - fluttering through the water doing flips and swimming in circles. I think I love them even more than my kids! We have 3 dogs and 3 cats, but there is just something endearing about these teeny creatures. I would highly recommend them to anyone who loves animals! This is a great set because it comes with the cleaning tool, the million bubble pump and the aqua leash - it's a perfect starter kit! I'm looking forward to getting some more different sets for around the house! The Sea Monkeys website has a lot of other neat things for your new little pets, too!

I first saw sea monkeys advertised in a magazine and I logged on to www.sea-monkeys.com to check 'em out. I soon wanted my own sea monkeys. This kit's the newest from Amazing Live Sea Monkeys, and the only kit that includes the new Tiny Tank Tool. Sea monkeys are extremely fascinating creatures. All you do when you recieve the tank is pour in the water purifier, and then, 24 hours later, you add the instant live eggs. The sa monkeys hatch instantly or over a period of days/weeks, depending on your tank's water temp. and light exposure. Sea monkeys take a few days to be seen to the naked eye, but it's worth the wait! Watch as your sea monkeys grow and reproduce. Individual sea monkeys live up to 6 months, and the circle of life is guarenteed to go on for 2 years! Sea monkeys are extremely easy to take care of- just feed them every 5 days and aerate their tank once a day. It's that easy! You may also use the Aqua Leash to take out a single sea monkey and transfer it to another sea monkey play area (Play Pen, other sea monkey colony, etc. SOLD SEPERATELY).You can also use the Tiny Tank Tool to clean algae off the sides of your tank, while giving your sea monkeys a feast at the same time! The possibilities are endless to how much fun you can have with your sea monkeys. They teach children responsibility and the cycle of life. They are also good for adults too- you are fascinated by the little creatures! Sea monkeys are probably the easiest pets to take care of, and I recommend them as a great birthday or Christmas gift. To learn more about sea monkeys, visit www.sea-monkeys.com or if you're thinking about getting a tank yourself, you may be interested in joining The Sea Monkey Clubhouse at Yahoo! groups. (It's the official one with the most helpful members). HELPFUL ADVICE- try to order from amazon.com even though you can order at www.sea-monkeys.com. Shipping is extremely expensive there and the sets cost more money. I recommend this tank if you want the best one. Try to get a set with a tank included-sea monkeys tend to work better in surroundings built for them. Also, I put 4 stars of durabiliy because if the tank gets knocked over, your sea monkeys are goners. Hope this was helpful!

My three year old loves these foam dinosaurs. I am not sure what the previous reviewer is referring to, this is a stegosaurus. They are so life like and they are big and soft so that "accidents" aren't an issue. My son loves to sleep with all three in the group. Great toy!

The only reason I give one star for educational value is because this toy is listed as a stegosaurus. This is not a stegosaurus. It is a brachiosaurus. A stegosaurus has vertical plates on its back and spikes on its tail.

Ok, although I dont have this E.T. yet, I fully intend on buying it the day I can. The gameboy advance game is great! Its more of an adventure game than this title is, but the graphics are nice, and E.T.'s animations are hilarious! NewKidCo is doing a fantastic job on all the kids games recently, and I see no reason why this will stop. Check out Tom and Jerry, or the Muppets games too. Video games that teach something other than violence, keep it up!

Important lessons learned along the way with this game that inspires constructive resolution rather than competition. Excellent message for kids and fun along the way.

The Electronic Playground reminds me very much of the type of electronics kit I had when I was young. I bought this for my son who is 6. While the instructions and details were a little above his head the kit was not. The projects are very straight forward and the the wiring guides are as easy as "connect the dots" (really!). My only minor complaint is that the frame is a bit flimsier (paper and plastic)then I would like.

My son and I did two projects in about 2 hours (two of the smaller ones) and I was able to use the kit to make some customizations (leverage the variable resistor add a light to the electronic buzzer etc.) and show him how circuits/components can be expanded and improved.

But beyond the ease of use the instruction booklet is really quite an excellent resource on basic electronics. For an older child the kit could/should provide a pretty good grounding (pardon the pun). The combination of straight forward instructions (so you get get things to work) and well written explanations (so you know why they work) is great.

I really can't wait to do more projects with my son or ....
maybe I'll just borrow it at night and do them myself.

This IS the best educational toy I have ever seen! With all the bells and whistles you could possibly want, it's the perfect way to start your kid learning electronics. I would suggest being at least 11 years old though because the going can get a little tough for younger kids after the 10th of 50 experiments! The only problem is you might not want to put it on something unstable because it is a little delicate. Otherwise enjoy a nice gift for someone just starting electronics!

I bought this product for my 6-year-old daughter. When I first opened the box, I was a little disappointed. I thought it was a little over priced for 2 small bags of powder and some instructions.

On top of that, the "mixture" didn't harden (even after 5 days it still wouldn't harden). So we threw it away and called the company's customer support number on the instructions. They were friendly and helpful. They shipped a new bag via 2 day air to Hawaii for free.

We tried it again, only this time used about 1/3rd the amount of water listed on the instructions and it worked perfectly. My daughter loved it. She created the mold and painted it.

Overall, it's a good product. It allows children to follow instructions and create something rather than simply "play."

Mold of hand turned out really well, could even see the fingerprints and fingernails.

This game first came out in Japan known as Shienryu (Purplish Flaming Dragon) on Sega Saturn. Then later they made PlayStation version called Geki-Oh Shienryu, which was inferior to the Sega Saturn counterpart. One thing I couldn't understand regarding this game was that the kind of attention this game was receiving compare to other shooting games out there. Of course, there's no hesitation for picking up game like Radiant Silvergun as the arguably best shooters ever, however, I would definitely put games like Layer Section/Galatic Attack (prequel of Ray Storm) and this game 'Gekio Shooting King' along with great shooters.
Gekio is different kind of game. You could say this is a typical, tradition vertical shooter, where you don't really think about what kind of weapons to use so much as in other kind of games, but rather it seriously tests your reflective skill. You have to control your space ship through countless bullets, not like Giga Wings series, where you have 'unavoidable' countless bullets (ok, you can your reflective shield, but still it was unthoughtfully done) but I'm talking about countless bullets you can dodge with such a thrill with sweaty palm. Trust me, I wouldn't hesitate to say that I had more fun from this game than other great games like Radiant Silvergun because I had to play again and again to beat the game, especially the last boss, Shienryu itself.

The problem, with this particular PlayStation version, is that it did not completely make smooth transfer from arcade counterpart. Even if you compare with Sega Saturn version, graphic is actually better in Sega Saturn and with much less slow down. For example,in boss fight in level 6, there's this serious graphic flaw where it looks like the system can't handle the too-many-things-moving-graphic with electric weapon. The most critical flaw is allowing players to have unlimited continues. Seriously, I don't understand shooter games with unlimited continues- what's the point of it if you are going to finish the game in one sitting??? One thing they did to somehow balance this unlimited continue is not allowing players to play continuously at the very end, however, that can be overriden with two player mode-

Gekioh does have lot of options of playing mode such as easy, hard, PocketPlayStation version and etc. These are great addition to the game. However, I felt it does take away more than it does add overall; I would wish that they would just give an option to change difficulty of your game from easy to hard, then limited continues, period. I got the impression that they could've done a better job transferring this game if they could've concentrated more on recreating the actual game on PlayStation than adding so much 'useless' options in my opinion.
You know, what the other reviewer said is absolutely right. This is such a great game, not just a great game but a GREAT game, not just considering the price tag but when considering its game play.

After finishing this version again (well, I have both import Saturn and PSX version already, but bought the game anyway to see if they made any change in PSX version, afraid it's same game) I am left with this resentfulness because I am left with no option but to compare with Sega Saturn version. Despite of all the negative things I said about this game, get this game by all mean if you can because it is a great game at the end. The reason I'm giving 5 Stars is because you just can't get game like this in these days when 3D games are dominating and shooter is a dying genre.

Enjoy.

If Thomas Edison had invented video games, what would they have looked like? For answers to questions like these and more, we turn to...Gekioh: Shooting King. Do not be alarmed by the measley pauper price tag; for once this is a game that is genuinely worth MORE than its asking price. Published by Natsume, the people who brought you the Harvest Moon series, Gekioh is a top-scrolling arcade shooter. In the tradition of Gradius, Silpheed, Thunder Force, Star Soldier, Gunbird, Mars Matrix, and 1942 (to name a few) this game pits you against a seemingly endless and nigh invincible army of robots and spaceships armed with only your single fighter and a few really cool weapons.
What separates this from the others of its ilk is its complete and utter inability to take itself seriously...a trait I personally praise. Here is what I mean: There are several modes of play...
Geki Mode: Replicates the true arcade experience
Easy Mode: Just what it sounds like.
Hard Mode: also just what it sounds like.
In addition to these, there are bonus modes...
Pocket Mode: Bad, super-pixely graphics made to look like a PocketStation or really old PDA
Comical Mode: Explosion sound effects replaced with laughtrack (that's right, a laughtrack!)
Stingy Mode: No Power-ups or bonuses, one life and you score 1 point per enemy
No Mercy Mode: Just like Hard Mode, only doubled in every way!
Slow Mode: Slow but more plentiful bullets, explosions replaced with screams
Ancient Mode: Sepia-toned graphics, sketchy vertical hold, screen lint, and bad phonograph music
These bonus modes make the game what it is. The best modes are pocket and ancient. Ancient mode is probably the most unusual and unexpected, also the most imaginative.
The point is for that price they could have done so much worse, but rather than penalize your frugality, they reward it! With imagination and humor no less!
All in all, if you have played at least two of the games mentioned above, you could probably die happy never shelling out the couple of Lincolns and a few Washingtons for this title, but you may still find something you like. On the other hand, if you have never played a game like this, it will be kinder to your ego than Silpheed or Thunder Force V and won't feel like as big a rip-off as GunBird 2 (I mean, let us face facts: It simply tried to hard to be funny.).
And for all you mathematicians, let me put it this way: Take the last under-twenty dollar game you purchased (or rented) and rank it on a scale of 1 to 10 (1-lowest, 10-highest). Now, multiply that score by the price of this game and place it back on the 1 to 10 scale. That is how good this game is compared to others in its price class.
Final Word: AT THIS PRICE, WHO CAN AFFORD TO BE CHOOSY?