jamesweb.org

Impressive cinematic presentation, decent gameplay
This game's rating falls badly due to the terrible boss battles. But I'll get to that in a minute.

The cinematic presentation of The Bourne Conspiracy is actually very good. They did a great job of capturing the feel of the movies with that unique style of fancy camera work (the moving camera with quick edits). And really, that's probably what saves this game from being just average.

The graphics in some areas are very impressive. One drawback however is the characters faces, they look pale and sickly. Towards the later part of the game there is an explosion that is one of the best I've seen in a videogame, the developers knew it was good too because they put it in slow motion! The voice acting is serviceable, but I didn't like how Bourne was done. He's too laid back and speaks in a monotone. It takes some air out of the game because you're spending your time with this guy and he barely even registers as a person. The story? I don't know it wasn't much really. I guess they followed some parts of the movies but really everything was just an excuse to have gun fights and hand to hand combat.

The game is in third person and there's a pretty good cover system. You can peak from behind cover and it's very simple and it works, unlike some games I know (ahem GTA4). However, it can be unresponsive. You'll be standing near a wall and pressing the button and it wont register. I like TPS games with this type of cover so that's one of the main reasons I enjoyed this game. You better like it, because that's basically all you do in this game, besides fight.

Fighting is interesting, but basically it's just button mashing and very simple in medium difficulty. There are combos but it's not deep or anything. Extremely cool is the takedown. When you build up enough adrenaline during a fight, you can press circle and you'll bash the guys head into whatever is in the environment. It's pretty cool and a nice job by the developers to pull it off. There's a long car chase in the middle of the game, and it was fun and looked cool, however there's not much skill involved. Also, there are many quick time button pushes throughout, and I guess it adds to the game, but again, not much skill involved there. You do need quick reflexes sometimes though.

And now the major flaw in this game. The hand to hand boss fights. About 4 of them. It's basically broken. You'll be fighting the guy, trying to land some punches and for some odd reason they keep switching to a quick time cinematic and you have to push a button to land a punch. It does about no damage and it happens over and over and over during the fight. You can barely get any momentum going because the fight constantly keeps getting interrupted by this cinematic. It's awful. I swear I thought the game was broken so I went online to watch a walkthrough and I noticed the guy was having the same problem as me. So I knew it wasn't me. I couldn't take it anymore so I put these boss battles on easy mode. And I never do that. The game loses one star because of that alone.

Other than that, I actually enjoyed this game more than I thought considering all the lukewarm reviews it got. Cool game. Is it worth buying? No. But absolutely worth a rental.

Not Worth To Buy
I though from the videos i saw in XBOX Live that this game will be a hit. But, Honestly its actually not that good to play, really really boring.

let me explain:
in terms of graphics it is so smooth and sharp that you feel like you're playing a movie but its not special on Weapon selection, combat style, fighting combos isn't much and even the story script is poor to give an interest to (though I like Born Movies).

i only give a 3 star to this game is because of the reality of the graphics, i recommend watching a game-play footage for less than 5 minutes and believe me you will not think of buying it.

At Best A Rental...
After first playing the demo for Bourne Conspiracy I was pleasantly surprised to find a fast paced and seemingly well made action title. While considering purchasing the game outright, at , I decided to rent it first and I'm awfully glad that I did.
Bourne Conspiracy follows the plot of the Bourne Identity movie with a few extra missions and deviations from the script. Fans of the movie will generally know what to expect when playing the game.

Most video game players probably approach movie-based games with trepidation thanks to the industries spotty record with the genre. Bourne Conspiracy, however, is deceptively wrapped in an attractive package. The games graphics are a highlight of the title and the frantic pace of the action sequences will initially draw you into the title.

However, things quickly start to unravel after the first hour of game time. What is at first fresh quickly grows stale. The combat mechanics of the game rely on 3 buttons - a quick attack, power attack and block. Again while initially satisfying, the melee combat quickly becomes repetitive. Add the overabundance of quick-time events (key moments where a certain button press or combination of button presses) and the combat becomes boring very quickly. Boss battles will largely rely on your performance with the block button and mashing the appropriate button during one of the countless quick-time events. Combos are extremely limited due to the fact that only two buttons are available and most are limited to 3-hit strings. Generally combat goes like this: Mash attack buttons -> Block -> QT Event -> Bourne Instinct (more on this later), rinse and repeat.

The game also features one driving level that recreates the great chase scene in Paris from the Bourne Identity movie. While not terrible the chase sequence is extremely linear and perhaps because of it the entire sequence feels drawn out.

The shooting mechanics of the game are done quite well and anyone familiar with the mechanics used in games such as Uncharted: Drakes Fortune or Gears of War will be familiar with the cover mechanic used here.

The highlight of the game is the ability to use "Bourne Instinct" to immediately take down regular enemies with either hand to hand combat or weapons. The ability works in conjunction with an adrenaline meter that builds as you inflict damage on enemies. Build enough adrenaline and you'll be rewarded with the ability to see Bourne unleash with his fists or weapons. The adrenaline meter builds up to three levels and that corresponds to the number of enemies you can kill simultaneously. The only drawback to this ability is that this too grows quite repetitive. There are a few deviations as Bourne uses his environment and finds possible weapons in everything from shovels to desk chairs, however, all of the animations will look very familiar halfway into the game.

That brings up the last issue I had with the game: It's Short! Bourne Conspiracy can literally be beaten in one sitting or about 5-6 hours.

Honestly by the conclusion of the game I was glad that it was short as I was finding the repetitiveness of the combat to be excruciating. All in all this game is a solid rental and even for die hard Bourne fans I suggest renting before buying.

Well executed, but could use a bit of variety
I should mention that this game was given to me as a birthday present together with my PS3. I hadn't played video games in a long time and really only got the PS3 becasue we wanted a blu-ray player and figured why not get the PS3 since it's pretty much the same price. So the first game I got to play is this one, so I'm not sure if I can be totally thorough in comparing it to other games on this system but here is my impression:

I've had it for a couple of weeks and have been playing enough to make it through the first several levels. It definitely starts off really fun for anyone who's a fan of the Bourne movies. Each level takes pieces of the Bourne story and that becomes your mission. There is a good mix of cinematics which are very cool if you like the movies. During the actual gameplay, most of the time you are either fighting in hand-to-hand combat or shooting.

The hand-to-hand combat is cool in the sense of good animation and graphics, but there isn't much you can do in terms of variety of moves. There are just two buttons to engage - one is "light attack" and the other is "heavy attack". Most of the time I just randomly press those two buttons and watch in delight as I kick the bad guys butt. It's kinda fun but it's not like some of the other games where you can really orchestrate moves and get creative w/ your attacks. You can't really even do a kick unless you hold down one of the attack buttons but since your opponent is hitting you, I never feel I have time to "hold" a button long enough to get a kick. In addition though, when you're in a fight and your "adrenaline" level is indicated to be high enough, a graphic pops up on screen indicating to press the "circle" button and this initiates a "take down" which is basically a animation of doing a really cool move on your opponent, but again, other than just pressing that one button, you don't actually play a part in the move, you just watch the animation until it's over and then either that's it - you've killed the guy - or you get back into the fight and continue pressing the same 2 buttons.

The other major form the game takes is shooting. This is ok, but again, not that great. The aiming is tedious and there aren't a whole lot of weapons to choose from to give it variety. Also, often you'll be in a mission and encounter a whole slew of attackers shooting at you. You patiently shoot them all down, survive and advance, only to realize the next scene is almost the same thing with more people to shoot. It's kinda fun but can get pretty old after a while.

I think the game will eventually having a driving component when I advance enough, but I haven't gotten there yet. For the most part, it seems like the shooting and the primitive hand to hand combat make up the meat and potatoes of this game.

So in short, if you liked the movie, and really enjoy games w/ good cinematics and graphics, you'll get a kick out of this game. But you if you're expecting a game with a lot of layers to the gameplay, you may get tired of this game eventually and find it a disappointment.

A little to short for my taste
A really nice and fun game while it lasts, it can easily be finished in around 4 hours.
But it overall is a really fun game, I world advise renting it because if you buy it and finish it you most likely wont play it again.

Ocarina is Great, but Master Quest Adds More
I played Ocarina of Time for the first time about a year ago and was completely absorbed. Most players rave about this game, so it's not much for me to say that. What I did appreciate about Ocarina is it's completeness (the game felt very holistic), it's great look, feel, and sound, and it's dedication to other Zelda titles.

Master Quest is there for those of you want to play through Ocarina again, but with an additional challenge. And really the challenge starts as soon as you enter the first dungeon and doesn't quit until you confront The King of Evil himself. Now Master Quest is flawed--graphics clip from time to time, and some of the dungeon puzzle solutions seem arbitrary, but there are plenty of new twists on old challenges that make you understand how much love and thought the designers were putting into this alternate version.

A game for the ages.
This is essentially the same as the N64 version but the graphics are a little smoother, and there's the option to play the Master Quest version, which is the same but much harder. So here's my review of the N64 version to save time:
Out of my experience, this game is by far the best in the series. Its better than Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, and yes, even A Link to the Past, a fan favorite. The graphics are not amazing, but they work just fine, and at the time they were made, were quite high end. The story is original and fun. The quests are varied and entertaining, unlike the fetch quests you get in today's action rpgs. It has a good enough sound track, and some of the ocarina songs will be stuck in your head forever. My point is, go out and find this game now or your videogame experience will never be complete!

just perfect
i love the original and i love the challenges in master quest! there is nothing to complain about!

YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS GAME
this game is awesome its by far the best zelda game in my opinion! the only problem is the fact that you get stuck sometimes. however its still a great game the ocarina songs and spells are a great add on to the main storyline and intertwine well.if youre looking for a good rpg game look here.

Greatest Game Ever!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest actually includes two games, Ocarina of Time and Ocarina of Time Master Quest. Master Quest has the same story and landscape, but the dungeon puzzles are changed; it is actually harder to play Master Quest after you have played the original.
Both games have you start out playing as a boy living with other children called the Kokiri children of the forest. The game begins when the guardian spirit of the Kokiri, the Great Deku tree Summons the boy (whose name is what ever you type in at the beginning but his general name is Link) to him after the Deku tree is cursed. After breaking the curse Link travels all over the land of Hyrule to search for the spiritual stones of fire and water to stop an evil thief named Ganondorf from finding a powerful object called the Triforce. To do this he must collect items like a boomerang, slingshot, and bombs. Link will battle dinosaurs and travel within giant fish and trees. In the later part of his journey he goes inside volcanoes, under the water, and even under a graveyard!
To complete the game it will take 40 hours or more! Add in all the side quests and you are looking at 70+ hours of gameplay; and then you can redo it in the Master Quest! The only problems I found is that the controls feel strange compared to other Gamecube Zeldas (like Wind Waker and Twilight Princess). By today's standards the graphics are not that good, but when the game was released in 1998 they were some of the best seen on the Nintendo 64. However despite these problems the game is still one of the best I have played on any console. You should get this game!

Excellent RPG
Ever thought about a wicked cool vampire story? Not some lame Twilight, teeny drama crap or comic Buffy the Vampire Slayer stuff? Sure, you can be good or bad but this world actually touches on something that Anne Rice tried for years to do. If only it had been released a couple years later with a bigger budget, and under better circumstances this game certainly would have been the apex of gothic style and modern gaming. There is a lot lacking here however, and you need to download the mods to be able to play this game (head on over to www.planetvampire.com), for example: character customization is a bit tame and you can't alter the appearance of your character at all. Still, this game is a worthy addition to any collection. Pick it up and give it a shot.

Best vampire action rpg
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is on of best games in history. It have good story, gameplay is good, humor in game is very black and very hilarous.

Wicked awesome
Fantastic game, but these sellers are insane. Why would I pay and up for a game that's been out since 2004 and can be found on Ebay?

VTM great game, must get unofficial patch for bugs
When this game came out, I opted to follow the other major release of the day, Half-Life 2. I figured I'd come back to this game at a later time, and that time is now. Good thing, too, since all the bugs have been polished by a devoted fan following, you need to get the unofficial patches for this game to be able to savor it to its fullest. Search for them on the internet.

The game is great in atmosphere, the source engine of its day still provides a very nice offering of visual realism, nice colors, details, etc. The game itself provides an almost endless amount of role-playing choices, similar to the other great RPGs of the era.

Overall, I had a highly enjoyable experience playing this game.

Yet another good..but not great game
Simple facts: this is a classic and great RPG game, this is worth buying and playing but DO get the latest official patch before playing and DO NOT use firearms.

Bugs aplenty in the retail version. Fair warning.

As far as the firearms go: I am all the way to hollywood and realized that the developers must have seriously hated gun use in this game and am about to restart the thing or quit because my cheap knife (skill lvl 2) does more damage to most things than my 300+ dollar handgun(skill level 6!!!) and forget about reloading while you fight with a shotgun...you better run forrest RUNNN....

Good game anyway. I am a nosferatu and some of the dialogue when ppl meet my guy is so funny I was laughing about it for a long time. Classic.

Complete Exercise in Frustration
Based on the anime and manga series by Tite Kubo, "Bleach: Shattered Blade" has all the parts in place for a good fighting game. However, the game defies all expectations in how poorly it is executed.

The only thing relevant to the game that you need to know about Bleach is that there are ghost samurai called "Soul Reapers" who have unique swords with different powers. Sounds like a great basis for a fighting game, right? Well, "Shattered Blade" seems to somehow mess up the simple fighting game formula with a poor concept and poorer handling. The game is a "3d" fighting game - the two fighters can circle around each other to dodge attacks. Attacks are divided into three varieties - slash (horizontal slash), chop (vertical slash), and stab (forward attack). These are done by moving the Wii remote in the appropriate manner to imitate such an attack. The attack types work on a rock-paper-scissors hierarchy: chop beats slash, slash beats stab, and stab beats chop. So, basically, if you interrupt a chop attack with a stab attack, the stab attack will go through. There's also a little minigame that can occur if two swords clash where both fighters go through five rounds of "rock paper scissors" with each other. The more rounds you win, the more damage you'll do once it's over.

There are three kinds of attacks. Regular attacks are done by simply waving the Wii remote with no buttons pressed - these are very fast but do little damage, and their purpose is to weather down an enemy for a critical attack. Critical attacks are stronger, slower melee attacks that are done by combining a Wii remote movement with holding down the A button. Critical attacks change depending on the character, but are not particularly personalized. Special Attacks are the final type of attack, and are done by holding B while moving the Wii remote. These tend to be more personalized based on the character - projectile attacks and special abilities fall within this category.

Each character also has a powered-up mode, achieved by charging (shaking the Wii nunchuck) or by taking damage, both of which fill a gauge. Once the gauge is full, the character enters their higher-level state. This involves a cutscene that lasts about 5 to 7 seconds and cannot be skipped; in a 60-second battle, this is kind of an annoyance. Some characters simply get stronger with their powered-up state, while others change more drastically in their attack patterns. For example, Kenpachi Zaraki simply strengthens his attacks, while Toshiro Hitsugaya summons a giant ice creature to augment his techniques, and Renji Abarai turns his sword into a giant segmented snake that attacks his enemies.

The variety of characters in the game is probably its strongest point, though this is due more to the series it was based on rather than the game itself. Each character has unique abilities; there are plenty of regular sword-swinging characters, but some also have unique twists like extending weapons, a bow (can only use ranged attacks), and one character whose blade heals his enemies, so he's forced to use his special attacks only (which don't use the sword) until he reaches his powered-up form, at which point he does massive amounts of damage (until it expires). The special attacks and powered-up forms are the primary things that separate the characters, though the fact that each character only has one or two special abilities at most in the series somewhat limits how unique they can be. There are 28 characters in the game (over half need to be unlocked by playing through story modes), each with their own fairly unique playing style.

There are some extras included in the game, as well, though the selection is rather poor. You can buy character models and set them as the main menu guide (who just stands in the background and lists off the main menu choices as you select them), or you can buy new costumes for your characters. However, there aren't any real NEW costumes created for the game - rather, they're just costumes that were in the series for short periods of time, like the school uniforms that some of the characters wore when visiting the "real world".

The problem with the game, control-wise, is just how poorly the whole "rock paper scissors" thing works. Regular attacks do next to no damage, so basically you're just trying to set up for a critical or special attack, which vary wildly depending on the characters. Characters with longer reaches, and particularly characters with extending weapons (Renji Abarai and Ikkaku Madarame) have huge, unbalanced advantages - they can swing their weapons with huge ranges with next-to-no penalty for doing so. The game is basically a button-masher in its purest form, except instead of mashing buttons you're waving a Wii remote hoping that whatever you're doing is the right type of attack to counter the enemy's. Just because of how random everything feels, the game is incredibly unfun and frustrating to play.

The graphics in this game aren't great. It's obvious they tried to go for an anime style, with lots of japanese sound effects and speed lines, but overall the game looks like it belongs on a PS2 or Gamecube rather than a current generation console. Plus, with the speed of movement in-game, it's hard to even see the effects, anyways. One particular annoyance is that, in story mode, there are cutscenes at the beginning and end. However, these "cutscenes" are actually just a single still image with character voiceovers. The sound isn't great, either. The music is lackluster and forgettable, and the voice acting doesn't sync up particularly well. I have no problem with the English dub, but the way it's been put together with the visuals is pretty poor. It feels really awkward and clunky.

It's difficult to convey how little fun Shattered Blade is to play. Even for a fan of the series, it's a complete exercise in frustration. The controls are so wonky (especially the movement controls, which allow you to go forwards and backwards or side to side, but not both at the same time, meaning you have to run in a zig-zag pattern and avoid the invisible walls around the arena) that the entire game is just completely unenjoyable.

3/10.

Bleach Fans will LOVE
If you are bleach fan you will love the game its really fan and interactive......at first it is the type of game that you will play and love until you win everything then it joins your collection of games that you never look at again, unless you really love bleach and have friends that do as well then you can "BANKAI" your heart out ^o^ ^_^

good game
if your a bleach fan this is a must get game. The only downfall is the game is short. u fight 10 guys and then its beaten. then u chose another guy and do the same thing. this happens for a total of 8 times. and then the other character u got to unlock on arcade mode. that can take a little bit of time. but still easy. then some other stuff to unlock. the music is pretty good. found myself liking a few songs. but the rest is just there. it would have been better if they used the same music as in the show. the voices aren't that bad either. i have no idea if its the same as the American version cause i was the Japanese version which i find is better. but over its worth it.

It's ok
Im a fan of the anime bleach but the game isn't what i had hoped. its kinda fun but its just a little too simple. the story mode is really week it might as well had just been a fighting game with out a story line.

Pretty fun, though your arms will get tired fast!
My one major gripe is that I wish they'd left the japanese language track as an option. Nothing against the dub, but. . . it's a dub. I want the original Byakuya taunting me, or the ability to put the real Ichigo in his place.

But overall, this is a very fun game, especially if you're playing against your friends/family. An online feature would have been fun too, but it's pretty good as it is. And I do love the diverse attacks. One of the best things is watching the animation that precedes activating the character's special (though if you play as the same player constantly, it can get a little tired). Some of these are very cool or even breathtaking (such as Byakuya. . . wow). Matsumoto is TERRIFYING when she does her special though. Make sure you have no children in the room. She just kind of. . . almost falls out of her kimono. And I swear she presses her . . . accessories against the screen. *shudders*

I love playing as Hanatarou, for some sick reason. He's really fun to play against if you're doing two player, because he's so cute sometimes they just don't want to hit you. And then you can be completely merciless and . . . throw pots at them. Or roll on the ground, sprouting random lucky kitties. Okay. . . .

The art is great, the fighting is fun. The story is a little lame, but I bought it mainly for the arcade and vs modes, so I didn't mind too terribly. And the new character is pretty sexy (especially in his released form), although I was disappointed because when I first saw the cover I thought he was Grimmjow (although Grimmjow and Ulquiorra are in this game, as unlockable characters). They really need to make a Wii game with all the arrancar and espada involved. It's fun to win story mode as him though. You basically destroy Seireitei, or so it says. And haven't we all, at one time, wanted to do just that?

If you're a Bleach fan, definitely buy this. Also, look up the japanese voice actors playing their respective parts on youtube. It's hilarious.

Mahjong towers eternity
I think young adults may like this mahjong gam, but Im a senior citizen and I like other mahjong games better.

fantastic
I am a mahjong addict. Mahjong tower eternity keeps offering new set ups and I challenge myself .It has different stages from easy to hard,,from quickies to lenghty challenges. I love it,,I play it every day. Your service is super,,Thanks

Eternity Mahjong Towers
Different than I thought, but I really liked the puzzle games. They are addicting. Sometimes the tiles are very small because of the DS screen.

This game is awesome
If you like Mahjong, you need to get this game. It has easy ones and hard ones to play so there is something for everybody. Many different kinds of colorful tiles so you don't have to play with the same ones all the time. The variety, of the puzzles, is amazing and you can get new ones on line with just a click. If you need a diversion for a little while....don't buy this game because it is hard to stop playing once you start!

Mahjong Towers Eternity
What a GREAT game and lots of fun...not boring at all either.
You cannot go wrong here!

Excellant value
I was looking for an easier way to charge my 360 controlers, but I got so much more than I paid for. Just the fact that the base come with 2 batteries makes it worth it. Also, each chargeing station glows with a bright red LED when the battery is charging and a bright green LED when its done. You have to leave the battery in the 360 during the charge, or the contacts wont hold down, but its not a big deal.

Best charger out there
I bought this charger from Amazon, when I opened I was surprised with the quality that I saw from the begging.

I am a casual gamer and don't use my controller to the limit, and I was getting good times with AA batteries. But I wanted rechargeable batteries. And this was the best option out there.

The base have a great design (your controller always finish in the right position when you drop it), the batteries fit like normal ones in the controller, the charge time is good and it keeps your controller in a good place.

PROs

Price - Maybe the best value of the market
2 Batteries included
Your controllers charge when you are not using them
25 hours of battery life (I am getting 30+)
Led indicators of the charge

Negative
The led are too bright, is like a flashlight. They will turn off when the charge is finished, but if you have the charger in your room, like me, it will bother you.

I recommend this charger to everyone

TIP: I normally play for 3 or 4 hours, and put the controller back in the charger. If you are like me, once a month, disconnect the charge base and play until the batteries are fully discharged. this will be helpful for your batteries life.

Always charged and easy to find!
This thing is awesome just as expected. I just wish I could buy more battery packs for it. My controllers batteries never die and are always right where I left them no more lost controllers.

Much nicer than rechargeable AA's
I have used this charge base for over a month now and I am extremely pleased. Fast charging time, just as it states in the product description. They last longer than my longest gaming sessions go, which can be between 6 and 7 hours. Great value for the price. Also makes your gaming area look more sophisticated as the controllers are docked with the charging lights on.

Not compatible with other batteries
It's a total let-down when I received this charger. It is not compatible with other Xbox 360 batteries that we have because this charger is custom made for their batteries with 3 exposed pads on the back to charge. Without their custom made batteries, this charger is useless. Microsoft Quick Charge or Tekno InCharge ( more) can charge Nyko batteries but Nyko charger cannot charge Microsoft or other compatible batteries. Why no one ever raise this issue at the 1st place is beyond me.

Is it really all that BIG?
If you are looking for a great baseball franchise game or just a good baseball game, you shouldn't buy this game. As advertised on the back of the game case, it is a arcade game version of baseball. Just a warning, be prepared for cheap homeruns and pitches.

Cool game
This game is a very good video game. The pitches are very relistic beacause when you snapp your wrist and press different buttons, it does pitches like a splitter or meatball. The hitting is also very realistic.But one thing i dont like about this game is that almost everytime u hit, u hit a single strait down the middle.

A Home Run you'll Never Forget
The BIGS is really a great game. It's a bit more complicated than the baseball game in Wii Sports. OK, a lot more complicated. It takes a little while to get used to the many pitches, swings, and field plays you can do, but once you've got it all down it's a ton of fun.

HITTING: Hitting is very simple. You swing the wiimote like you would if you normally would if you were playing baseball. You can aim your hit left, right, up, or down, and you can even bunt. Also, you can hold down 'A' for a power shot. Your player's statistics will tell you how they're strength in POWER and CONTACT so you can adjust your swing accordingly.

PITCHING: Pitching is a bit more complicated and can make your arm/shoulder a little sore after a while. Basically, you aim your shot in the box over home plate using the nunchuck. You can hold 'Z' to throw a ball outside of the square. Then, you use a meter to try to throw one of NINE pitches in the green or white area on the meter. You swing your wiimote down, downleft, or downright while holding 'A', 'B', or both. If you throw it to far away, it's a ball, but if it's just right and if you throw with the right amount of power it's a perfect pitch, almost impossible to hit. Your player's pitching stats tell you their best pitches and how well they are at each.

RUNNING BASES: Running is automatically done for you, but if you want you can manually control it by using 'Z' to select one of the runners and drum the remote up and down really quickly to make them run faster. You can round bases and advance runners if you feel they don't automatically go far enough, and you can hold 'A' and swing to slide into a base.

FIELDING: When a ball from the opposing team is hit, you have to use the nunchuck and the drumming motion of the wiimote to run to the outlined spot on the field and catch the ball. You can hold 'A' and swing the wiimote to do a diving catch (specifically helpfull in the outfield when the ball is about to be a home run and your player jumps 15 ft into the air to catch the ball!). Fielding is more difficult because your view is looking onto the field as if you were in the stands. You can use 'Z' to switch fielders and once you have the ball, you hold 'A' and swing left, right, up, or down depending on which base you want to throw to to get the runner out.

Most other things will be done automatically such as catching throws from other players and tagging runners at the base. However, it always seems like the opposing computer team always does better at fielding. The game is unfortunately a bit unrealistic because I pratically get a hit with every batter and I've gotten up to 12 runs before in one game. It's still really fun though, especially in Rookie mode where you can create your own player and do whatever it takes to make them the star of the game.

The other really important part is the Power Play Meter which builds up depending on moves you make in the game such as strikeouts, hits, runs, etc. Once this builds up to 10,000 you can perform a Power Play or Dead Heat where for a hitter you get an automatic home run if you make contact with the ball, or for a pitcher automatic strikeouts.

Overall, The BIGS isn't exactly as realistic as I'd hoped, but you can choose from any team in the MLB and play games and do the Rookie Challenge or Home Run Derby. After a little bit of practice you'll understand it all, but it does take some work to figure out all the options and button combinations. It's a lot of fun and keeps you going for hours. If you like baseball, it's great, and gamers looking to take advantage of the Wii are in for great fun.

DO NOT GET THIS GAME!
If you are a hardcore baseball fan, little kid, or anybody else, DO NOT GET THIS GAME! I like Wii Sports Baseball better than this. 1st of all, the hitting. Everytime you hit the ball, it goes to center field and you get a single. You can't hit a stinkin' homerun unless you have enough points. The graphics are terrible. Everybody looks the exact same. With the Wii remote, you have to flick the ball to the base you want it to go to. How can you get it to go to 2nd, and not home? YOU CAN'T!!!!! If you purchase this game, you will be dissapointed. Get MLB Power Pros instead. It's easier and much cooler than The Bigs or should I say The Worst Baseball Game EVER!

Best Wii Game Yet!
I loved this game and am very disappointed I had to rent it and can't find it anywhere. It is great and fun to play, it takes a while to understand it all but after you get the hand of it is very fun. You can even trade players to make the teams as they are now.

Would be great if you can get drivers
I just recieved this mouse from Amazon.com today. It works great until you go to switch user accounts on Vista. Then it freezes and you have to unplug it and plug it back in. I tried to obtain a driver (version 1.3 fixes this issue per [..]) but the company has been bought out by Steel Series Gaming Gear that only offers information, software and downloads for it's 3 newest mice and other equipment. No mention of Ideazon products anywhere. There goes any support for my Fang Gaming Keyboard that I bought earlier this year. Needless to say, I have searched everywhere for this driver with no success, so I'm forced to return it.

Great Mouse
I got this last week and LOVE it. It is very responsive and the weight is perfect for me. The programmable buttons are sweet for PVP and all in all the mouse is top notch.

Horrible
This company should be sued for false advertising. The buttons are *not* programmable. You can't assign macros nor something simple such as 'shift' to the buttons. This is not a gaming mouse. You'll have to get the mx1000 if you want 3 side buttons.

Excellent bargain gaming mouse
No replacement for a logitech G5 rev.2 if you have one (like I) but is a nice mouse to have for my gaming notebook. 3 thumb buttons, on the fly DPI adjustment, fits pretty well, cool red glow. Don't need to install the drivers on the CD, just plug'n play!

Good mouse
Very good mouse and for the price is great.
It has 3 aditional buttons on side that are as follows (from front to back): home, end, delete; I consider that to be a good thing to know as I didn't find a way to change them. It also has a small button just under the wheel that allows you to change between 3 DPI.

Challenging, Rewarding and Quality life lessons
As a grandparent, I wanted to expose my granddaughter to computer games that would challenge their mind, make them think and leave them with life-long life lessons that would help shape their personality. I think the Pajama Sam and Feddie the Fish games are incredibly ingenious. Realistically, these games are better suited for children nearing five or over, as the games require cognizant skills that most children do not possess until that age. These games make them think creatively to solve problems, and in every version of these games, Pajama Sam and Freddie the Fish have to help others along the way to get to their goals. These games are a much better experience for the child if an adult plays with them to help them figure out the challenges presented during the game. Otherwise, these challenges can become overwhelming for a child, and the child, (and for that matter adults too,) can become frustrated and give up. One of the great life lessons..don't give up..keep trying..and try something different if what you are doing doesn't work. My granddaughter and I have spent hours playing these games, and she is totally addicted. The rewards for figuring out the different things that need to get done to finish the game are tremendous, and are huge self-esteem and confidence builders for the child. And, should you get absolutely stuck and can't seem to move onward through the game, there is help. In all Windows versions except Vista, simply press F1 anytime during the game to take you to a help menu that will give you clues on how to proceed. Also, let's say you've played for awhile and want to quit. By clicking on the computer icon either at the bottom right or bottom left of your screen, you'll be able to save the spot where you left the game, so that the next time that you play, you can pick up from where you left off. Extremely clever, and well-done games for both children and adults.

Super cute and FUN!!!
My 3 yr old loves to play this game! I love how the case changes every time she plays it. It gives her more like 3 games instead of just one! Definitely worth it!!!

Best Computer Game
This is a superb beginning computer game for ages 4 to 8. Very little reading is involved, but a lot of thinking (outside the box!), problem-solving and decision-making. Freddi is trying to locate the missing conch shell and figure out who stole it. Along the way he has many opportunities to gather clues and helpful items to assist him in his search. There are a variety of fun games and challenges, and lots of interesting characters to meet. I highly recommend this and the other Freddi Fish games as well!!

A perfect game for kids of 4-5 year old
My son is 4 years old and a half. He already knows to use PC. It is the first game I bought for him, and the first game in my entire family. He longs for a game for himself rather than the game in local library he can play for a couple of minutes.

He could not finish the game for the first time, for he was too tired after a long period of time playing it. It took me 2 hours or so to finish the game the first time. After learning from me, my son started to win the game. He stucked at the sub-game required to get the mirror, and the sub-game to get the golden pipe from the music room. I think this game in the music room is the most difficult to him. By now, I am not sure whether he fully understands how to count the steps to take the golden pipe or not. When the game randomly alters the path anywhere rather than the music room, it takes him 7 minutes to win. He is the one who found out the method of pressing the Escape-key to cut short the narator's time (Freddi herself, or other characters in the game). Every time I come back home from work, he called me and show me how fast he won the game. I do not know how many paths the game has, but my son figured all out by himself. I keeps wondering whether I have been such smart when I was at his age? At that time, I was in Vietnam at the end of the World War II, a farm in countryside with ducks, chickens, and hogs.

The game has few paths that lead to different alternatives, and that makes the game last longer than just a single path. When a kid knows all of a game, the game is no longer valuable. It other words, it is expired. This game worths 2 weeks, and sometimes from now, my son comes back to it when he is tired of the other games.

This game requires thinking, rather than just pressing the keys fast or at the right moment. It helps my son to watch out for alternatives in the new horizon, and be ready for new solutions. It also helps my son to do well the routine (when a path is known, the solution becomes routine) quickly. I think the game in the music room is still valuable, for it offers the concept of negative values. When a kid sees a number without a minus sign, he should learn a concept of positive value. Otherwise, when he sees a number with a minus sign, he should be counting the step backward. Whether it is too early to offer the negative concept to a 4-5 years old kid is still an open question. That is the reason I vote maximum grade to this game.

Best CD Series for ages 3.5-7
I have 3 kids and this set (Freddy Fish 1-5) has been the most popular of all of the CD-ROMs we own and is still going strong after 3 years. These are absolutely awesome. This is an interesting and interactive game in which kids do "detective" work and it also features a few basic arcade-type games during the search.

Get it, your little ones will LOVE it!

Different
This game is really more of a side-scrolling brawler with RPG-style dialogue and character building than a fighting/music game.

The only time when music comes into play is when activating your custom combo, where you have to tap out the beats to a tune with the light attack button. The thing that makes this game original is that between fights you can change the tune and make it anything you want it to be. Any game where I can play the Mexican Hat Dance by beating up opponents has some novelty to it.

However, don't expect anything too deep. If you can get this game on sale (it's right now, don't know how long that will last), I recommend it, but I wouldn't pay full price.

Not a good game
After the first half-hour of play, I'm ready to resell this one. Long-long inane dialog sections, bad music, and dull fights.

I expected more up-tempo songs, and fighting in tune to them. The "training" section is almost non-existant.