Review of Nancy Drew Stay Tuned for Danger Deluxe

I realize that the software geniuses at HerInteractive originally created the Nancy Drew mystery games for girls...but, uh...even though I'm over 30, I just can't help myself! Stay Tuned for Danger is completely amazing! It'ssuch a thrill to pretend you're Nancy Drew and try to think like a masterdetective. There's endless puzzles to solve and clues to look for. Butwatch out for mind-boggling twists, turns and surprises--they'll keep youoccupied for hours! You truly have to see the dynamite 3D graphics tobelieve it! Each room you enter is designed and decorated with exquisitedetail. You'll also love the music and captivating dialogue between thecharacters. Beware of only one thing: you may get hooked! Everyone willLOVE this game! (I'm trying to tear my husband away from it as wespeak...he's been playing the game now for 8 straight hours!)



Click Here to see more reviews about: Nancy Drew Stay Tuned for Danger Deluxe

Review of Rock Band 2 Double Cymbal Expansion Kit

Second Update 12/16/2008: UPS just dropped a package from Mad Catz.They didn't fix my broken cymbal, they sent me an entirely new package, cymbal, mounting hardware and all.

No note included saying what was wrong, or anything, just a new cymbal.It looks like it's been handled, which probably means that someone tested it out to make sure it worked right, before they sent it to me (or that it's a refurbished.)

I tried it out, and all seems well.Kudos to Mad Catz for the excellent customer service.Their site says 4 to 6 weeks, and it only took 12 days from drop off, to return.I'm psyched.
Update: After playing for an hour or so this afternoon, it's evident that one of my cymbals is defective.It's sometimes registering two hits, instead of one.I called Mad Catz, and the guy I got was super friendly, extremely understanding, and set me up with an RMA.He said the website suggested 4-6 weeks, but realistically, it's more like 2 to 3.I'll update again when I get the new cymbal to see if it's working properly.I'm glad I didn't just try returning it to Amazon to get another, they appear to be completely sold out everywhere I've checked today.Glad I pre-ordered mine 3 months ago.

My three pack finally arrived last night, and I was psyched to get them.Ever since they were announced, I've been excited about them.The way I assumed they worked, was actually different than how they do work.More on that later.

First, some images, to show how freaking cool they look:

The whole kitHi-Hat CymbalRide Cymbal

The cymbals certainly give the drums the look of a real drumkit (okay, at least a real electronic drumkit,) but how do they play?

They take some getting used to, that's for sure.I just got them last night, so I'm still in the adjusting phase. But right from the get go, my wife said "You look like you're having more fun."Which I totally was.It felt like I was playing more realistically than I had without the cymbals.

When I first bought the cymbals, I assumed that they would just act as extenders of their respective colors.So when you'd hit the blue, it made whatever sound the blue one should at that specific point in time. As Rock Banders know, the drums pretty much all double as cymbals or drums, depending on the part of the song.I was pleasantly surprised that the new cymbal pads are dedicated as cymbals.So, if you hit the "ride" cymbal, it makes the ride cymbal no matter what.Same for the hi-hat, and crash cymbals.

It may throw your brain off, when you hit the cymbal when it's a tom-tom in the game, and you hear the wrong sound, but it won't break your streak, or count against your overall score.As long as you hit the right color, the sound that the game makes doesn't matter.

My favorite thing about the other game, you know, that one I returned already, was that there were dedicated cymbal pads with their drumkit.The Rock Band 2 drumkit, with the Mad Catz add-on cymbal pack (a measely $29.99) is 100% totally, absolutely better than GHWT's, hands down.

The game is more fun when playing drums, with the cymbals.It's more realistic, and more creative.I especially dig that during the "Overdrive fills", you can be a lot more musical with the drums, with dedicated toms/cymbals.If you're a die hard drummer for a Rock Band band, you absolutely need to spend the $29.99 to get these cymbals, pronto.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Rock Band 2 Double Cymbal Expansion Kit

Review of Guitar Hero World Tour - Stand Alone Drums

I bought the GHWT full band set and those first generation drums were not of the best quality. Although they worked okay at first, they eventually stopped working properly. The bass pedal was plastic, felt flimsy and I damaged the sensor pad inside of it within 2 days.I recently bought the stand alone drums and they seem to be a little bit better. The cymbals seem to be much sturdier. All drum pads and cymbal pads are covered with a nice smooth skin that feels good and sounds a little bit quieter than the original rubber drum pad material. This drum kit is really accurate so far. Its sensitive enough and I haven't had any crosstalk issues yet (crosstalk = when you only hit the orange cymbal, the red pad also registers a hit).

My only complaint is that the same plastic crappy pedal is used in this kit. It doesn't feel too sturdy, but it has withstood a pounding by my fat and heavy size 11's.Red Octane did improve the bass pedal sensor a bit by adding the same skin material as the pads and cymbals. It looks like it is some kind of protective layer for the sensor pad underneath it. I think I am going to buy an upgraded electronic bass pedal so I can feel more comfortable bangin that thing with my fat feet. That will also give me the option to have some double bass action.

The kit comes with some cheap balsa wood drumsticks. I suggest sticking with these sticks, because heavier sticks will probably destroy this set with moderate pounding. I can bang on the set as hard as want with these sticks and because they are so light, I don't feel like I am going to break the set.

Overall, I am satisfied with this new drumset. I have had it for about a week now and it's still working well. I just hope it holds up for a while this time around.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Guitar Hero World Tour - Stand Alone Drums

Review of PSP AC Adapter

this AC adaptor has 5V 2A DC output, it also can be used on Dell and HP pdas (with plug adaptor)
works perfectly
I also use it with Dell X50 charging cradle (for charging extra battery) when not charging PSP



Click Here to see more reviews about: PSP AC Adapter

Review of Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0

Potentially, a computer could really help a person learn piano. However, most of this product's features fall short of helpful. The midi preview of each exercise and tune is useful for anyone who cannot read music at all, but nothing you could not get with an audio CD. The animated keyboard is just a distraction. The course includes occasional video clips, but they add little. At least one potentially useful feature, the musical accompaniment, is actually broken, at least on Macintosh. If you turn on the accompaniment, you won't be able to hear your own playing. There is a volume adjustment control for it, but it does nothing. The company is aware of the problem, but they still advertise this feature, and keep shipping the product.
The program runs in a cramped little window. A menu command lets you make it full screen, but it just lowers the resolution of your monitor, making the contents of the window larger, but blurry.
I would recommend a book and audio CD (like the Alfred's All-In-One, level 1 piano method) over eMedia's Piano software.




Click Here to see more reviews about: Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0

Review of PSP Invisi-Shield

There's no instructions included, so you have to use your head, but treat this thing as if it was the screen itself.

Only touch the edges, and paste it on in one long uninterrupted stroke. You remove the little "peel here" thing, and it's sticky on the other end.

The way I did it was to align the upper left and lower left corners, and then stick that small side down and let it drop on the rest of the screen. I ended up with no air bubbles, and only tiny bits of air around the edges, which is completely unnoticeable. Before applying the sticker, I made sure to clean the PSP with monitor wipes (sold in Staples, anti-static, anti-fog, no alcohol). I now have a permanent, crystal clear PSP screen. Combined with the Logitech PlayGear case, it turns my PSP from a sub-par, fragile, fingerprint prone, easy-to-drop device, into something truly god-like for public transport.

This product is highly recommended, but once again - be careful with it. You only get one shot to apply it right. (As with many things in life - sucks, doesn't it?)



Click Here to see more reviews about: PSP Invisi-Shield

Review of Guitar Hero World Tour - Stand Alone Guitar

I own the corded Guitar Hero II guitar, the wireless Les Paul from Guitar Hero III, the Rock Band 2 guitar, and this guitar from Guitar Hero World Tour.I've played these guitar games starting when Guitar Hero II came out for the Xbox 360.I play both GH and RB pretty equally and love both games so I'm not here to put RB or GH down like a fanboi.

By far this is the most responsive guitar of them all.Strumming is quick and effortless and just feels right compared to the other guitars.I'm so used to the responsiveness that when I play with other guitars it puts me at a disadvantage and I mess up more.

I also prefer how this guitar--like the other Guitar Hero guitars--have slightly raised buttons for the frets (the colored buttons on the neck) as opposed to the Rock Band guitars which are sunken.It's much easier to slide up and down with the GH guitars.

At first I thought the slider button was a stupid gimmick, but after I learned to keep my left hand on the regular frets and use my right hand (that I usually strum with) on the sliders it is a lot more fun.I actually look for songs that feature the sliders now.It really adds to the "rocker experience" when you're tapping the slider bar.

In the end, I recommend this guitar just for the simple fact that it feels better playing in your hand.I've had it the 1st day Guitar Hero World Tour came out and I've never had any problems with it.I'm not saying there aren't any problems, just saying for me this instrument has been solid and a joy to use.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Guitar Hero World Tour - Stand Alone Guitar

Review of Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set

For the serious Rock Band drummer, these drums bridge the gap between the video-game plastic drums and a real electronic kit.Each 4 pads and two cymbals (a third can be added, sold separately) can be adjusted, tilted, moved, and spread apart to feel more like playing a real drum kit.

PROS:
-Spot-on accurate with no missed notes or any kind of crosstalk between the parts
-velocity sensitive in Rock Band 2
-wide range of positioning of all main parts
-good build quality and solid for $300 e-drums (except *)
-assembly was quite easy, albeit intimidating and lengthy with the numerous parts (between hour and 90 minutes)

CONS:
-HATE the *kick pedal... noisy and cheap feeling.
-velocity doesn't have much dynamic range between light tap and hard bang -- minor point
-somewhat noisy, especially the high hat yellow cymbal
-customization/positioning can lead to confusion and frustration

On that last point:there's a reason the stock Rock Band drums are positioned the way they are... the 4 pads close together makes it easy to play the game, especially for non-drummers.This kit allows moving all the parts around, which is nice for creating the feeling of playing a real drum set -- but once back in the game, it becomes harder to play.Plus, adding cymbals makes additional (albeit optional) targets that take getting used to, so there some "swing and a miss" to overcome.Having a closed high hat cymbal "yellow" to the left of the snare pad "red" is cool to play crossed arms, but during the game yellow is always to the RIGHT of red.Also, the reach to hit "open high hat" on the blue tom is far from yellow cymbal, and it doesn't feel quite right.

There is a learning curve to get used to, and it takes a couple hours of playing and adjusting to get everything just right.Once all the parts were where I wanted and I replaced that awful kick pedal (a high-hat controller on other kits!...minus 1 star) with a Pearl "Omega Pedal" (mini to 1/4" jack needed), this kit becomes INSANELY FUN in Rock Band 2!!!!





Click Here to see more reviews about: Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set

Review of Rock Band 2 Standalone Drums

So my rockband 1 drum kit has been through the wringer.A broken pedal, dented pads, and cracking legs ... the thing is showing its age.When I picked up the wireless drums I was hoping for a decent step up in quality, and Harmonix delivered.

Big changes: pedal, drum heads, and teh unwired.

The drum pedal comes with a stock metal plate, so you won't have to go to pedal medals to pick one up for yourself.Unfortunately Harmonix only half ... uh ... "did" it since the hinge, which is another notorious break point in the design, is identical to the rockband 1 pedal.Based on it's appearance the RB2 pedal is identical to the RB1 pedal, with only the inclusion of the plate.Don't expect wildly different performance, and if you really want to avoid a headache go ahead and purchase the pedal medal hinge replacement now to take care of the pedal's only weak point.All in all though, the metal plate is a significant improvement over the pure plastic of the RB1 pedal.

The drum heads are waay better this time around.They seem slightly larger, but don't take my word on that, and are made of a different material.Sticks have a really nice bounce off of the surface, and there are inner and outer rings to help you hone in on the center of the pad with every hit.The outer ring is slightly harder, more rubbery, and the inner ring has a shiny surface that has a very elastic feel to it.Playing on these, whether just tapping or really tearing into them, is a much better experience.You don't have to work so hard to get your sticks to bounce which is nice, and the *thwack* of drum on pad has been seriously quieted.The pads are easily the nicest upgrade, and you should have a great time hitting these things for at least a couple of years.

These drums are also wireless, which pretty much means they behave just like any other 360 d-pad.Nothing more to say than that.

Another reviewer pointed out that the sticks included with this kit are genuine Ludwig sticks, which is a nice bonus.Oddly my RB1 set came with some pro-mark 747's, which are slightly heavier and, to me at least, have a slightly better heft because of the weight.If you've been playing with the RB1 revision one sticks, which feel like they're made out of balsa wood, then you will love the Ludwigs.On the other hand if you have revision two drums with the pro-mark sticks you'll likely want to stick with them.

As noted elsewhere Harmonix didn't exactly reinvent the wheel with the RB2 drums, but all of the little improvements, and in the case of the drum pads a BIG improvement, make the drumming experience much more fun.The game itself is fodder for another review, but if you're a RB drummer you should do yourself a favor and pick this kit up.Honestly, you will not be disappointed.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Rock Band 2 Standalone Drums

Review of Wii Wing Wireless Controller

It comes in one of those horrid "you need a scissor to open, and cut yourself from the plastic" plastic packaging that inevitably scraped my hand, but luckily didn't draw any blood.

The package contains the controller (obviously), a small wireless adapter that attaches to the bottom of the Wii-remote (where the nunchuck's cord would attach), a pair of non-rechargeable AAA batteries, and two big-sheet manuals rolled into little bundles (each has a different set of languages).

Pros:
+ Controller feels solid (no squeeks or give).
+ Small remote adapter frees you from the cord you'd otherwise tether between the official classic controller and the remote.
+ Buttons layout (including "trigger" buttons by index fingers) is the same as the official classic controller.
+ Buttons layout played fine with Megaman 9 (virtual console game), with each color pair (right red button and blue buttons) both replicating remote's buttons 1 & 2, so you can use whichever pair you like.
+ Can recharge if using AAA NiMH batteries (not included) via mini-USB cable (not included).
+ More comfortable to hold than the standard remote.

Cons:
- Only two controllers can be used at once (wireless adapter and controller only have two pair settings:slow blink and fast blink).Meaning, only up to 2 people can use Wii Wing Wireless Controller, while players 3 & 4 need to use an official classic or standard remote.
- Didn't work with Tetris Party (virtual console game).
- Buttons feel a bit mushy, but it's a personal preference.
- Lag!It MAY be psychological, but when playing Megaman 9, there seemed to be a slight lag (0.5s) in pressing a button (eg. jump) and the game actually registering it.

Conclusion:
If quick reflexes isn't a defining factor (as in platform-jumping games) this is a great controller for classic games, which are typically purchased and downloaded via virtual console.However, if you play split-second reflex games like Megaman 9 or often play Tetris Party, either stick with the standard remote (using the standard rubber sleeve) or get the official classic controller.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Wii Wing Wireless Controller

Review of Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim

The sequel to Cyberlore's original "Majesty", released in 2000, "Majesty 2" is a Fantasy Kingdom Simulator by a completely different studio that attempts to uphold the standard established by its predecessor. In some ways, it succeeded; in other ways, it could not.

Majesty 2 places you in the role of a king ruling over a fantasy realm. As with Majesty 1, you control the realm indirectly; you can hire heroes and cast some spells, but most of the work of the realm is carried out automatically. Once you've hired heroes, you can influence them with reward flags; placing bounties on monsters, or marking certain areas for exploration. Majesty 2 also adds two new flags - a timed "protect" flag that heroes will guard until it expires, and a "fear" flag that warns them to stay away from an area.

The economic system is taken from Majesty as well. Tax collectors are sent out from your castle to the various guilds and markets of your realm. Places for heroes to buy weapons and items are the most prosperous; heroes will go out, slay enemies, and then return laden with gold to spend it on upgrades, and thus bring it into your kingdom's circulation.

Heroes on the whole are similar, too, with a few differences. Warriors are your basic tanks, armed with sword and shield. Rangers carry bows and are the main explorers. Clerics heal allies (though you get them much earlier than you did in Majesty, which is a little unbalancing). Rogues are easily influenced by money, though their design is different than Majesty - they use knives instead of crossbows, which means that they're not particularly helpful in a fight due to their low health. Wizards are powerful spell-slingers, but are weak at low levels.

One difference with heroes is that they can be upgraded to a different temple-based class. This is roughly equivalent to hiring paladins, barbarians and the like in Majesty; all it really means is that in addition to hiring these warriors directly from the temple, you can choose to upgrade a lower class into a higher one - keeping experience, but leaving items behind. Another difference is that you can organize heroes into parties in Inns. Parties will hang out together, thus ensuring their group safety. Finally, at the end of every scenario, you can choose one hero to designate as a "lord". Lords can be brought from mission to mission, keeping their experience, gold, and items. This adds some element of connection to the game, and you can get attached to your more powerful characters if you use them enough.

The main problem with the game, though, is that the campaign is relatively short and there is no real Free Build mode. Majesty had a mode where you could set various options and just play on a random map; Majesty 2 lacks that feature, but has a few pre-made scenarios. However, since the free building was the main source of replay value in the game, this difference is a major problem with the game. There were so many different options in the original that the outright removal of the feature just seems silly.

The graphics are unpleasantly outdated. Stylistically, it looks somewhere between Warcraft III and World of Warcraft; lots of cartoony armor and stylized buildings. However, the actual effects and textures aren't that great, and it's not a particularly fun game to watch. Two years ago it might have been acceptable, but now it just looks outdated. It doesn't look distractingly bad, but it doesn't look good, either. You can't really arrange your town - buildings can't be rotated - so there's no joy in making a prosperous city since it's all a giant mess of structures.

Most of the voice acting is pretty bad, with the exception of the Advisor, who is actually the same voice actor from the original Majesty. Many of the lines of the heroes in the game are the same as the original game's, but because of the bad voice acting it just seems like a shallow attempt to appeal to the original's fans. The music is nice, but forgettable.

As a whole, Majesty 2 is kind of fun, but not good in its own right. The low production quality and the lack of random maps really upsets it. There's multiplayer, but it uses the archaic Gamespy Arcade for internet play. Honestly, it feels like it should have been released four years ago; as it is now, it's really just disappointing.

6/10.




Click Here to see more reviews about: Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim

Review of Nintendo DS Lite Black G-Pak Organizer and Travel Case

After pouring over the reviews on Amazon, I decided to take the hit and pick this up at a local GameStop (Target and Walmart don't carry it).I was worried about games not fitting in the slots, as other reviews said, and I wanted to actually see this thing before I purchased it.Firstly, let me make this very clear--THIS PAK EFFECTIVELY HOLDS 27 DS GAMES AND 6 GBA GAMES.Yes, the product info says 30, but the stitching on the reverse side of the DS game holder ruins 3 of the slots.Otherwise, this thing does everything it says it will do.Mine holds my DS Lite, charger, and Guitar Hero controller in the bottom, all 23 of my DS games (something I couldn't find anywhere else), and my 4 GBA games (I was tired of storing these separately too).I keep styluses (styli?), a cleaning cloth, and earphones in the front zipper.I don't have any trouble getting the games in or out of the other slots (minus those defective 3) and I am really satisfied with the case.I haven't been able to find anything else with this much capacity or for even close to this price.Plus, if the whole minus 3 slots thing really bothers you, you could easily fit those little plastic cases that hold 3-6 games in with the DS or the front zipper.There is also room for 2 extra DS or GBA games on the shoulder strap if you have more than the compartments allow for.I suppose you could also put your DS games in the GBA slots if those aren't full either.Trust me, this is well worth the money.Even if those few slots aren't big enough, there is PLENTY of room in this case. I'm glad I bought it so that I can finally organize my games!



Click Here to see more reviews about: Nintendo DS Lite Black G-Pak Organizer and Travel Case

Review of Pink Notebook Mouse Kit

i used a million batteries with my wireless mouse so i opurchased this one.i love it soo much better.nice sleek design that is great with travel.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Pink Notebook Mouse Kit

Review of SteelSeries 5H v2 Headset (Black)

Let me start by saying I have a big Head - Fitted caps give me a headache after 5 minutes IF I can find one that fits my head. That being said these headphones fit me great and seem to be very good sound quality. The microphone seems to perform well (I've had no complaints from my cohorts)

Overall a great headset, especially for the price.



Click Here to see more reviews about: SteelSeries 5H v2 Headset (Black)

Review of Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote

I put a great deal of interest in my purchases. With a lot of extra down-time at work and an internet connection, I find myself reviewing EVERYTHING before I buy it. And only after I am very impressed and convinced by many positive reviews will I take out my credit card. But this product, the Microsoft XBOX360 Media Remote, was one exception having read many bad reviews and deciding to purchase it anyway. Let me tell you...

This remote is PERFECT if...

1. You would like one, easy-to-use remote to control both basic TV and an Xbox 360 that doubles as your DVD player.
2. The only buttons you would need for the TV are: Channels, Volume (TV speaker/output control only), Numerical channel input, Muting, *INTPUT SELECTION* (yes, it CAN switch between your TV's inputs), Return (to toggle between 2 TV channels), and Power.
3. You do not need specialized/advanced buttons found on a OEM remote or advanced learning remote for the TV.
4. You do not need to control a A/V receiver, DVD player (other than XBOX 360), or a digital cable box (Tivo, DVR, etc.)
5. You are on a budget but would still like a quality remote.

If you can say yes to all or most, then don't hesitate to grab one of these remotes. You will be completely satisfied. Especially with immediate access to the tactile DVD buttons versus the 360's annoying on-screen DVD navigation. For this feature it is almost worth the $30 alone.

P.S.
I also own a Logitech Harmony 880 for the living room which I highly recommend for anyone not fitting into the catagory mentioned above.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote