Reviews by gamers of the top 40 Playstation 2 video games updated monthly.

JANUARY 2008

Playstation 2 - Reviews of the Top 40 New Sony Play Station Two Video Games and Console System For Sale

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Final Fantasy XII Playstation 2 Video Game $40

I clicked the pic above and ordered Final Fantasy XII as soon as I could and I must say I counted down the days on my calendar till it arrived on my doorstep. When I got home from work I ripped on the packaging and dusted off my PS2 that had sat dormant since I beat Kingdom Hearts II. 

I watched the opening scenes and was amazed, the graphics were excellent, the characters were already quickly described and had depth beyond the traditional FF characters. I was riding high, and it was not until the first battle that this feeling of Final Fantasy Perfection left me.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you'll hear it from everyone but the main problem with this game is the BATTLE SYSTEM. called "Active Dimension Battle" or ADB FFXII is an extreme departure from every other FF title except perhaps FFXI. This however is the problem. 

I personally refused to play FFXI because I refuse to pay someone for the right to play my game beyond the initial cost of the game. Apparently the Folks at Square Enix thought that because FFXI took off, that this applied to all FF gamers; that if THEY liked the battle system then everyone would. This however is a false point. Final Fantasy XII is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

The ADB system is a problem because it makes the game harder and more boring at the same time. It is harder because you will find very early on that you can be swarmed by monsters very quickly all of whom can attack you though you cannot attack more than one of them. While some diehards would say "that's the challenge" and "you just have to learn how to be tactical." I would disagree. this goes into my second complaint.

The battles themselves are now passive affairs. your characters now automatically attack the enemy and you don't need to select any commands. I thought this was best summed up by another individual who said with the new system you can set up gambits, go to the bathroom or go to work, come home, and your characters would be just fine. I totally agree and I don't like the idea you don't even need to be PRESENT to actually defeat portions of the game.

The ADB was enacted because it was stated to provide strategy to the game. this is also false. Short of sneaking up on sleeping targets, running behind a target for example provides no more additional damage nor does it provide any additional protection from the monster's attacks as they just randomly whip around and strike you anyway. Ranged weapons might be different, but this basically holds true for a long time into the game.

I am still rather early on and while I have hope for this game, it has a lot to do before it earns my respect. And while fun, this is not a true final fantasy, and may be my last purchase in the series if it continues along this vein.

Bully Playstation 2 Video Game $40

Bully may very well be one of the most controversial games of all time. Looked down upon by many groups, parents and politicians as a "Grand Theft Auto in a high school," or a "Columbine Simulator," simply based on Rockstar's reputation of putting out adult oriented games. Especially when stacked with the controversy surrounding the Hot Coffee Mod found in San Andreas last year. The game suffered long before its release when Rockstar only had a name to their game. Now that it's finally out we can see just what this game is, and what it isn't.

So what is Bully? Well, first, it's NOT a Columbine Simulator. There's no blood, no guns and most importantly, no dying. Second, it is NOT a game that promotes school violence. The game is not Grand Theft Auto inside a high school. But enough about what Bully isn't. Let's talk about what Bully is: A damn fine game.

You assume the role of Jimmy Hopkins, a boy trying to survive at Bullworth Academy. Despite the title of the game, Jimmy is not the bully. He's basically your run of the mill student. Your task inside the school are the same as they are for just about every student in high school. Pass your classes and stay out of trouble. Going to class actually is enforced for a time. Your classes are mini-games that you'll play. Classes are enforced, but after a while you'll find you don't really have to go to class as an integral part of the game. You're allowed to try and ditch class but there are consequences for not going. 

However, in this game you'll want to go to class just because participating in said class is actually fun. The mini games are fun and addictive. After a while it's no longer enforced, which I actually found rather sad. The aspect of going to class doesn't get nearly enough attention, but the mechanic works. Bully is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Outside of class, however, is where the game really begins to shine. If you're familiar with the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto, then you'll easily adapt to Bully. For starters, each and every student at Bullworth Academy has a distinct personality. You'll make friends and you'll make enemies. You also have points to maintain with certain groups (the nerds, greasers, jocks, bullies, preppies, townies etc.). 

Helping one group raises the respect that group has for you. Helping one group might also consequently lower the respect another group has for you. It's quite interesting to mess around with. The missions are fun and quite an experience. The game is original. Even better, the story sequences are filled to the brim with fantastic humor.

In addition, you can also venture outside of the school. Jimmy can get a job to help him buy food and money. Help out the people in town. He can also pick up girls, do errands for the neighbors (like mowing the lawn), and much more. There's even an arcade for Jimmy to go to and play some games. Yes, you DO get to control these games.

Jimmy isn't without a supply of weapons. He's got firecrackers (which you can't kill anyone with--think Bart Simpson), a bat, a slingshot, stink bombs, eggs and fire extinguishers. None of these can be used in lethal ways. In fact, they all break or run out of ammunition eventually. So if you're thinking you can go up to someone and beat them to death with a baseball bat you're wrong. After a while the bat breaks. The game won't let you get away with beating up kids for the hell of it anyway. You'll get in trouble by administrators. Besides, part of the point of the game is actually to make friends, not enemies.

There is hand to hand combat as well, and it's very fluent. Again, you can't just go and beat someone up because you feel like it. Most missions won't have you fighting hand to hand, but you'll be involved in some fist fights anyhow (such as taking on a bully). You're not just limited to kicks and punches, you actually get to pull off some pretty nifty moves with the games sensitive controls. Again, it's a fun aspect of the game and just like everything else, there's no way you could pummel a student to death. Also, going to certain classes enhances your skills. Going to Gym class, for example might improve your combat skills.

The game also takes on a more realistic feel. There's a clock in the corner that shows you what time it is. If you're caught wandering around the school after hours there are consequences. If you stay out too late, you'll actually get tired and pass out. Even more interesting is the game recognizes the seasons. The game actually does shift between fall, winter, spring and summer. The environments change accordingly.

The game looks and sounds brilliant. Fantastic voice acting along with some fantastic visuals. The school and environments look astonishing. There are a couple of frame rate issues, but they're few and far between. The game runs surprisingly smooth, and it's much sharper and crisp than your average PS2 game.

There are perhaps two gripes that do stick out a little more than others. One, the camera can sometimes be uncooperative. Usually in close quarters. Second, the game may be just a bit too easy for the hardcore gamer. Luckily, though, the game is a lot of fun to compensate for its ease, and it's huge and long. It'll take you maybe 40 hours to complete the game.

Bully is so big that this review couldn't possibly go into detail on everything. Let's just say the game is everything we weren't expecting. It's huge, and the vast majority of the game is played by doing good rather than bad. It's brilliant executed and highly innovative. In reality, this game contains none of what hasn't already been seen your average teenage TV show. The game is completely an interactive teen drama. I assure you, Bully is clean and quite an experience.

Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Playstation 2 Video Game $40

If there's one thing the Dragon Ball Z universe has no lack of, it's content. With hundreds of characters streaming forth from the manga, anime, and film DBZ properties, the world contains a wealth of material from which to draw when developing a video game. The first game in the DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi series found a decent balance between interesting gameplay mechanics and the massive Dragon Ball Z roster. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is upping the ante considerably for the second game in the series.

The first place to start, of course, is the roster of otherworldly fighters that are featured in the game. Whereas the original Budokai Tenkaichi featured around 50 playable characters, the second game is upping the number to 70. What's more, characters each have multiple forms they can transform into--Goku, for example, can switch into two separate forms of his alter-ego Super Sayain. Also, because you have some ability to customize your characters, the total amount of selectable characters comes out to somewhere in the neighborhood of 120, quite a step up from the last game.

The variety isn't limited to the characters, either. The fighting environments have been upgraded--they are larger than in the first game, for one, and they feature a number of destructible items such as boulders and buildings, which can be broken apart during combat. One particularly devastating supernova attack can actually destroy the planet you are fighting on, transforming the fighting environment from a lush and green field to a stark and desolate wasteland. Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Fighting in Budokai Tenkaichi 2 still plays similarly to last year's game--you still mix things up between close-quarters strikes and long-distance energy blasts, and the players have the ability to fly all around the environments. The camera angle, much criticized in the previous game, has improved substantially, resulting in a much more flexible camera that rarely seems to get in the way of the action and still lets you see everything you need to see. 

A number of new moves and combos also are packed into the game, including a particularly cool teleportation combo that lets you sock your opponent a few times, toss him into the air, then teleport behind him and continue the onslaught. The ability to transform to a new form in the middle of the battle is another cool addition. What you change into has an effect on how you fight--one character's transformation into a giant fighting ape, for example, meant that he was slower and less agile than in his original form, but his attacks are much more powerful.

Another important addition to the fighting in BT 2 is the introduction of tag-team mechanics. Whether fighting with two fighters against one opponent or engaging in two-on-two battles, you are able to tag in your partner at any given time to keep dealing the pain to your foe. In addition to tagging in and out, characters can combine their powers into a fusion fighter who is more powerful than either of the original characters.

Budokai Tenkaichi 2 features a story mode that is played significantly different from that found in the original game. Instead of a mostly linear progression, BT 2's story mode--known as dragon adventure mode--plays more like a role-playing game, letting players choose from several missions on a world map to move the story forward. This flexibility lets you choose when you wish to move to the next crucial plot point or simply spend some time leveling the characters in your party by traveling to other points on the map and taking on opponents. In this mode, you are able to engage in minigames, interact with folks found in the many cities, or find customized items that you can buy and sell with money you earn from winning battles. In all, dragon adventure mode features approximately 60 hours of gameplay.

Other modes in the game include the obligatory training mode; multiple battle modes, including ultimate battle (which is a ranked battle system that has you climbing a ladder from the bottom to the top by beating foes), tag battle, and dragon battle; the Evolution Z feature, which lets you customize your character; the dragon library, which is an encyclopedia of the DBZ universe; an item shop; and a data-center option. By saving your customized characters in the data center, you receive a password that you can then upload and share with friends so that they can make the exact same customized character, if they wish.

In all, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 seems to be a worthy sequel to the original game--one that is bringing more to the series not just in terms of sheer content but also in terms of gameplay. 

Guitar Hero 2 Bundle with Guitar Playstation 2 Video Game $80

This game is great, it is so much fun. I have nothing to compare this to because I never had a chance to play the first one. There is a funny thing happening here though, a lot of the reviewers are complaining that the songs are obscure and no one knows them, I completely disagree, the list is phenomenal. I never expected them to get so many copyrighted songs on here. 

I am going to provide a list of the songs so everyone can check it out for themselves rather than have some kids who bitch because they don't know the classics (note: I am in no way calling all these songs classics, for example Avenged Sevenfold I personally think sucks and shouldn't be on this game but hey the guitarist can throw together a slick solo). Guitar Hero 2 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

1. Opening Licks

"Shout at the Devil" - Mötley Crüe
"Mother" - Danzig
"Surrender" - Cheap Trick
"Woman" - Wolfmother
"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" - Spinal Tap

2. Amp-Warmers

"Strutter" - KISS
"Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana
"Message in a Bottle" - The Police
"You Really Got Me" - Van Halen
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas

3. String-Snappers

"Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
"Them Bones" - Alice in Chains
"Search and Destroy" - Iggy Pop and The Stooges
"Tattooed Love Boys" - The Pretenders
"War Pigs" - Black Sabbath

4. Thrash and Burn

"Cherry Pie" - Warrant
"Who Was in My Room Last Night?" - Butthole Surfers
"Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" - The Rolling Stones
"Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses

5. Return of the Shred

"Killing in the Name" - Rage Against the Machine
"John the Fisherman" - Primus
"Freya" - The Sword
"Bad Reputation" - Thin Lizzy
"Last Child" - Aerosmith

6. Relentless Riffs

"Crazy on You" - Heart
"Trippin' On a Hole in a Paper Heart" - Stone Temple Pilots
"Rock This Town" - Stray Cats
"Jessica" - The Allman Brothers Band
"Stop!" - Jane's Addiction

7. Furious Fretwork

"Madhouse" - Anthrax
"Carry Me Home" - The Living End
"Laid to Rest" - Lamb of God
"Psychobilly Freakout" - The Reverend Horton Heat
"YYZ" - Rush

8. Face-Melters

"Beast and the Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
"Institutionalized" - Suicidal Tendencies
"Misirlou" - Dick Dale
"Hangar 18" - Megadeth
"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Now click the pic above and go buy your sweet plastic axe and Rock Out!

Splinter Cell Double Agent Playstation 2 Video Game $40

This video game is freaking sweet! Every move you make dictates how well you are trusted in either the NSA or the terrorist group: JBA you infiltrated. You have to be even more calculating then in all the other games. This game in some levels you are playing with a teammate (not coop but in single player). The graphics are what you would expect from Splinter Cell: The Best the PS2 can offer. I would strongly recommend this game to you if you like the splinter cell series.

It's got all the pulse pounding stealth action you'd expect from a Splinter Cell game and the graphics are spectacular. But the game was way too short. The other three SC's It took me about a week each to beat (pretty short there anyway) but I beat DA in four days, three really (I only played for a half hour or so one of the days.)  Splinter Cell Double Agent is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Another thing is the story line felt extremely choppy. This is likely due to the fact that at many times in the game you make an important decision for Sam that effects the cinema that comes after the level. Also, gone are CNN style cinemas that have become a staple of the Splinter Cell series. Instead the story is told through a phone conversation between Sam and NSA Assistant Director Williams which was not as well done as it could have been. 

One final flaw is Sam's relationship with Enrica. That relationship plays in heavily at the end of the game but they spend little time developing it. I know I spent most of the time talking about the negative aspects of the game, but make no mistake. Splinter Cell Double Agent is well worth clicking the pic above and  buying since it is highly replayable since you can go through and make different decisions that will effect the game.

NFL Street 3 Playstation 2 Video Game $30

NFL Street 3 lets you play your style of football -- both on the ground and in the air. Show off your style and boost your score by performing stunning aerial moves, jumping into the air and collecting special items and game modifiers that hover above the playing field. 

You will also have the ability to control your Gamebreaker and pull off new Power moves that are available to both the offense and the defense. 

Perform wall moves on key areas of every field to unlock new NFL legends and earn Style points.

The game shifts you back and forth between the different Allied forces, from driving tanks with the Polish 1st Armored division, to performing raids with the British SAS. Hell even the Canadians get involved.

This game is incredible, the graphics, particularly in the human modeling and mouth movements, are pretty lackluster. The clothing and textures are pretty realistic, but you're usually too engrossed with the action to notice. Speaking of action, there is plenty of it. Though it can become very frustrating, especially when that enemy just won't die! 

You never seem to be able to find ammo for the weapon you're actually carrying, and always end up turning to the ever reliable, German MP40 machine gun. Trust me, you will carry this gun ALOT, it actually gets pretty frustrating. Call of Duty 3 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

You also tend to get shot out of nowhere, by nothing, quite a bit. For example: there is a level where you use a tank as cover to clear a courtyard, yet all of a sudden you find yourself peppered to death by silent rounds from what appears to be the heavens. I even stepped back to look and found the ground being sprayed from left to right, back and forth, by bullets that were most definitely coming from nowhere. It astonished me because until then I just couldn't figure out who or what was shooting me!

Anyway, my chief complaint of the game is that it is just too damn short! I clicked the pic above and bought the game a week ago and had it hidden away for two days so I could play Okami without being distracted. I started playing today around 12 noon and by 10 pm I had completed the game. Needless to say I was very disappointed that I had spent 50 dollars on a game that I had beaten in less than 12 hours.

Overall, if you need a war game fix and are very disappointed by the fact that they canceled America's Army: Rise of a Soldier for PS2, then pick this game up. But if you're like me and can beat it in a day, I say just pay ten bucks and rent it, finish it, and return it.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 Playstation 2 Video Game $50

Beyond the new interface and character profile data, a whole new way to design feuds has been included. You still create feuds by pitting wrestlers on your roster against one another, but rather than forcing them to fight in repeated matches until the game recognizes a rivalry, you can now manually select specific wrestlers and set up a rivalry within a menu screen. You have to create a rivalry between a heel and a face (a bad guy and a good guy), but otherwise, there's really no restrictions. You can set the length of the rivalry and even designate specific storyline types for that rivalry. 

There are six storylines available, including jealous friend, stalker, ungrateful rookie, rookie partners, legend killer, and outnumbered. Anyone who has spent much time watching the cyclical WWE storylines over the last few years ought to be able to glean from these descriptions what these types of stories entail. Unfortunately, like last year's game, 2007 won't let you see your storylines play out via the game engine. You can watch the matches but not the promos.

Feuding gets even crazier when you realize you have to hire writers for these storylines. Each available writer has specialties in certain types of storylines. You might find someone good at doing David-versus-Goliath-type stories or another that's adept at diva-related plots. Obviously, you can't just hire a billion writers and stay under budget, so you need to be selective about whom you hire. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007's season mode has also seen something of an overhaul. Unlike in previous years, you can now go through multiple seasons with a single wrestler. Eventually, storylines will repeat, but THQ claims that you should be able to go through at least a few seasons before that happens. When starting out, there are three storyline paths available to you, and they all depend on who you choose. 

There's a champion path for title holders, a challenger path for number-one contenders, and a general storyline for just about anyone else on the roster. Furthermore, the mode features branching paths depending on specific choices you make during a storyline. These choices are pretty obvious, as you're presented with a couple of specific options, like whether or not you want to side with a faction or fight them. Still, it's nice to have some clear control over where a season goes. All in all, there's around 36 specific storylines in the mode.

Like last year's game, 2007 features a huge amount of voice work from the WWE superstars that adjusts depending on who you're playing in which storyline. According to THQ, the lines aren't built generically. Wrestlers will use the mannerisms and inflections of their onscreen personas in each situation. The dialogue has been spot-on for the level of quality one would generally experience watching a WWE broadcast.

The season mode's locker room has also seen an upgrade. Like the area in previous years, this area acts as your hub between shows. You can customize the place with all sorts of different unlockable furniture and WWE schwag if you like, and from here you can access the WWE Web site, which informs you of the latest happenings in the company, as well as voicemail and e-mail from other superstars. Voicemails, like the cutscenes, are voiced by the wrestlers themselves, which is pretty cool. As one might expect, these messages tie directly into the storylines of the mode.

On the customization and creation front, all the usual suspects are on hand this year, with editable wrestler appearances, move-sets, entrances, title belts, and stables. One extremely nice addition to this year's game is the new preview system for created entrances. Whereas in previous years you were forced to manually load up a preview of every change you made to a wrestler's entrance sequence, now the changes load on the fly in the background. 

If you change a piece of lighting or pyrotechnic, the game will quickly load that change in the background video, and you'll see it nearly instantly. You can also create very specific timing for pyrotechnics and other effects. By switching to the preview view, you can set the timing of these effects and camera changes just by pressing a button at the moment you want the change to occur. The game will then save the change instantly. 

These features apply to both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 versions of the game, although the PS2 version takes a little longer to load up changes than the 360. Unfortunately, one of the coolest, and perhaps biggest, no-brainer options one could have on the 360 version isn't available in this year's game. You can't use custom soundtracks stored on the 360 hard drive as theme music for created wrestlers. Considering how that was one of the few redeeming features of THQ's previous wrestling efforts on the Xbox, it seems like a major oversight.

As far as SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007's online features go, they should be familiar to those who played the game last year on the PS2. Up to four players can take part in practically all the available matches in the game, from simple one-on-one bouts to tables-ladders-and-chairs matches. You'll be able to put your created title belts on the line against online opponents and even trade created wrestlers through a separate lobby system. One nice addition is a proper leaderboard that tracks your total ranking, as well as title-match rankings.

Visually, SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 is looking as good as ever on the PS2, and better than ever on the Xbox 360. It's obvious that the 360 version is using the same game engine as the PS2 one, but every visual component has gotten a nice upgrade. Skin textures are the most readily visible changes. The definition in the muscles and veins looks far more realistic, and you'll see details like progressive buildup of sweat and blood as the match goes on. The sweat isn't so overwrought as to give the wrestlers that dunked-in-grease look. It looks very realistic in the way it slowly builds up as a match goes on. 

The PS2 version is, of course, no slouch. The SmackDown! games have consistently been some of the best-looking games on the system, and 2007 looks to be no different. You won't get all the little details you would with the 360 version, but it's still an extremely nice-looking game. Little has changed, it seems, in the animation system, save for the new grapple moves and weapon attacks, but it all still looks fabulous. The only real flaw we noted with the presentation was the commentary, which sounds mostly recycled from last year's game.

It only took an entire console generation to make it happen, but it looks like a Microsoft console will finally be getting a worthwhile wrestling game in SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007. This year's game looks to be bigger and prettier than ever, and it certainly doesn't look like it lacks content. And of course, you PS2 owners don't look to be left out in the cold, as save for the shorter load times and upgraded graphics, the PS2 version looks to include every change found in the 360 game. 

Superman Returns Playstation 2 Video Game $40

Here's a rule of thumb for gamers. Superman games are always bad. Superman 64 is constantly cited as being one of the worst games of all time. When Superman Returns came out, the first thing that came to mind was that it could not be nearly as bad as Superman 64. The good news? The game really isn't as bad as Superman 64. The bad news? The game is still bad. Not for all the same reasons, but it's still bad.

The first thing that gets me about the game is the overall story itself. It's just sloppy. There's a lot of stuff thrown in, but it doesn't make sense. I didn't see the movie, but I'm pretty sure it didn't have dragons running rampant. I'm also certain the plot of the movie made sense. Here it really doesn't.

Superman Returns takes on the sandbox approach. That means it's like Grand Theft Auto. You'll spend a lot of time flying around Metropolis looking for things to do. Most missions have you either saving someone or a building or something to that effect... either way you're saving Metropolis or a part of it from something. The game introduces a new health bar for you too. Superman doesn't have a health bar... but Metropolis does. 

So the game really does take saving Metropolis seriously. However, the dilemma with this is that it takes the fun out of the free-roaming aspect of the game. You can't have too much fun in Metropolis because doing something to a building, or harming one of its citizens causes its health to drop. What's the fun of having all these super powers if you can't get a little fun with them?

Throughout the game you can use Superman's powers. His heat vision, freezing breath etc. It's great to have access to his powers, but again, you can't have too much fun with them because if you hurt Metropolis you're only making things harder on yourself. Superman Returns is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

The boss battles give the game some variety but not much. The objectives are never actually explained... and when they are they're pretty vague. The biggest frustration, however, is that if you fail a boss fight or something, you've got to do the whole objective over again. It's annoying. Especially when you're in the midst of a fight and you don't know what to do!

The game doesn't even look all that great or run well. It lacks detail overall, which is really sad considering this game spent more time in development than originally planned. They could've taken time to vamp up the graphics or fix some bugs. There's no excuse for a PS2 game to lack detail. The camera is also terrible. It often gets stuck behind objects or something... the camera is just annoying.

The sad part about all this is that Superman Returns may very well be one of the better Superman games. It's got bugs and glitches, along with some boring gameplay and yet it still manages to be better than previous Superman attempts. It seems Superman, like Batman, was not meant to have a good game. It's time Superman leave the videogame realm, and this time he probably shouldn't return.

Eragon Playstation 2 Video Game $40

I am an avid reader and love to read good books. My son recommended I read Eragon. I did, and I truly loved it. I am now in the process of reading Eldest.

When I heard the movie and game was coming out I couldn't wait. I clicked the pic above and now have the game and am enjoying playing it. I am only around level five or six but it has been extremely fun to play. Eragon is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

My only complaint is the lighting in some parts of it. It is so dark you can't see a thing. You don't know if there is something you are suppose to be attacking or where you are suppose to go. It makes completing the levels very difficult. I walked around one area for over an hour before figuring out what I was to do and where to go next. This is really frustrating. 

I will definitely be purchasing the strategy guide in the near future so I know what to do. Other than that slight problem I have found this to be a really fun game. The controls are not that difficult once you get use to them. I would recommend this game for those who love games that tie in with the movie and book. Four Stars!

Socom US Navy Seals Combined Assault Playstation 2 Video Game $40

The newest version of Socom does something many wanted in Socom 3, it includes the previous version's, Socom 3, online game. So many gamers who bought Socom 3 wanted to play Socom 2 maps online that Zipper released a map pack with Socom 2 maps and plans to release another soon. Zipper avoided that with this version by including all the Socom 3 maps and allowing you to play people with Socom 3 online. GREAT!!

This newest version of Socom, many think, is the hardest yet. The computer controlled enemy (called Mercenaries) is much smarter, harder to kill and their aim is dead on. Many complained about how easy Socom 3 was to defeat. This new version at the toughest level will have at least a couple of missions that will challenge even top players.

You can play the game in more then one mode. You can go through the game in Campaign Mode both offline, and with up to 3 others, online at 3 levels of difficulty (Ensign, Commander and Admiral). You can do "Instant Action" Games on or offline which are one level missions (levels you have already played) with goals such as capturing the enemy leader, recovering a briefcase, etc.. You can also of course, play in online games with up to 32 players like the previous versions.

New for Combined Assault: Badges. Previous versions had goodies like grips and weapons that were unlocked by beating the entire game at different levels. Now to unlock items you need a certain number of badges. Badges are awarded for doing different things in the game like a certain amount of kills with a certain type of weapon as well as beating the entire game at a certain level. Socom US Navy Seals Combined Assault is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

New for the game. Triangles now appear over teammates heads and can be seen through walls. This helps in reducing friendly fire kills and in seeing where your team is in relation to you. When a team member is killed their triangle slowly fades out so you can see where that happened. This new feature also was updated to those playing Socom 3 online. Also new is a few new weapons. Some need to be unlocked. Perhaps the most used new weapon is for the Seals, the MG36, a light machine gun.

Overall, if you liked Socom 3 you will enjoy the new maps and the ability to play Socom 3 maps online with your same account information. The feel and play is pretty much the same as Socom 3 online but there are a couple of minor changes such as new sounds.

I am giving the game a 4 because there are a couple of things they need to fix. The patch to make Socom 3's voice system compatible with Combined Assault always on hot mike (in Co-Op mode) has made non-Co-Op voice chat work for only some of the players some of the time. It most likely is an issue where players with a slower connection can't talk or hear in large map game play. 

I have yet to play a Co-Op game where the hot mike has not worked, but there have been many games where voices lag and echo in other players mics and that can be annoying. Also, when a player on your Friends or Clan List is in Co-Op mode and in a password game you can't enter the password and join the game plus you don't know what server they are on to find them and enter the game. 

There are also some software code bugs that if you play long enough you will run into like not being able to set a charge on a structure that you are required to blow up to complete the map or your offline teammates won't follow you. Plus there are a couple of things I thought the game still needs like if you get shot while getting ready to throw a hand grenade you should drop it where you are and it should explode.

Overall its a great extension of Socom 3 that has more difficult and engaging gameplay that forces players to rely on skill and brains.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance Playstation 2 Video Game $40

First off, I'm no hardcore gamer. I just happened to be browsing some gaming magazine when the ad got me. Being a big fan of the comics, I decided to give it a try. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to be able to pair up Spidey with Iceman and The Human Torch and whoever catches your fancy? And the game delivers a lot of punch in many ways.

GAMEPLAY: Campaign mode is pretty straightforward. You can walk through the entire thing and it makes for a lot of game time. It is kind of reminiscent of the Ninja Turtle series from back in the 90's where you pretty much follow a straight map (except in this case, there are some side rooms that you can explore in each level), kill some enemies, get to a minor boss, kill more enemies, then get to the final boss. Obviously, you have to expect the occasional roadblock - 'What am I going to do to get past this flaming door block?' situations where simple puzzles can come in play, but overall, getting through levels is a sort of linear kind of thing. GRADE: A

THE RPG ELEMENT: Activision markets this as an action/rpg game, and while there is lots of action (as I mentioned, the Ninja Turtle game flashback it brought me), there are elements of RPG. Whenever you pick up 'money' on the map and level up, you can spend points leveling up character skills and abilities. The items you equip your characters with will also matter in the same way. The system is rather straightforward and being my first game from the 'series' (apparently this is the successor to some XMen Legends game?), it did not take me long to learn about where this element kicks in. GRADE: A Marvel Ultimate Alliance is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

THE CO-OP ELEMENT: Co-op is awesome and I definitely prefer that to playing alone. You can team up with 1-3 of your friends for some 2-4 player co-op. While camera views can be annoying at times, you can easily tell that the programmers put a lot of time into making co-op gameplay here really smooth. One weird thing about this though, at some points you unlock the game's idea of secret levels (by picking up random comic books that appear on levels), which involve one main character (which one player plays) and enemies which are, surprise surprise, not controlled by the AI if you've been playing co-op. Kind of eliminates that whole challenge feel to it if you look at it in one way. GRADE: A+

GRAPHICS: Almost comical. Not as in funny comical, but as in like the comic books. Obviously, this being a PS2, I shouldn't expect next-gen graphics. And I didn't. Heck, the cinematics looked awesome. But for the most part, gameplay graphics were pretty tight. Not realistic nor stellar like in Shadow of the Colossus, but smooth enough such that any gamer won't complain too much about the game not taking advantage of the PS2's potential as far as graphics go. I found some of the animations rather sorry, like the lime green-ness, almost-to-the-state-of-previous-gen-ness of the Fin Fang Foom, but other than that, I really don't have much complaints. GRADE: B+

STORY: Any game that can capture the essence of every superhero's personality while at the same time painting this captivating story as it unravels gets my props. Although sometimes, in the middle of a mission, the small things that go wrong that you and your group must fix up, these things can make you lose sight of the big picture. GRADE: B+

COMPLAINTS:
- Dialogue is kind of key in this game for the most part. At times dialogue pops up in the worst time (immediately after a fight) such that I found me or one of my friends mistakenly hitting the 'continue' button (X) right through the dialogue as if the fight was still going on (X = the attack button).
- Reviving characters: So in battle, if one of your group gets KO'ed, there's a resting period. When the resting period is over, a message pops up saying that the character of interest is fully rested, but instead of letting him/her pop out just as if to rejoin the group, you always have to get to some save point to activate that character again.

---
Once again, being not that hardcore of a gamer, I can't really say much in the way of in-depth game reviews. But here's the bottom line:

- This game is definitely one to be played co-op. My brother and I grew up playing these types of games and having hours and hours of fun together with these (heh... Ninja Turtles).
- Don't get this if you're looking for straight RPG. True, there is an RPG element, but not as much in the way of world-exploration and stuff that have surrounded some of the world's best RPGs.
- This game is mission-based, with different levels separated into 5 acts that will load from your home base. Think Splinter Cell or soldier FPS games where you have one level, side missions that pop up when things screw up, and then an overall mission goal that must be beaten for you to return to home base.
- Nevertheless, it is loads of fun and I definitely think clicking the pic above and paying the money for it on release day was worth every cent.

Sega Genesis Collection Playstation 2 Video Game $20

This is a collection of Sega Genesis 16-bit console games. Sega Genesis made its debut in 1989 and the console came with the game Altered Beast. Some games still look pretty decent today with sharp and colorful graphics. There are 28 genesis games in this collection with 5 more unlockable.

It baffles me that Sega don't make a true arcade collection.... or mix more arcade games in this collection and name it Sega Hits or whatever. This Genesis collection is much better than the horrendous Sega Classics Collection from last year. Sega Genesis Collection is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

There are too many action platform games in this collection therefore most games have similar gameplay. It's sad that Streets of Rage, Space Harrier, Outrun and Revenge of Shinobi are not in this collection.

Here are the games:

Alex Kidd in The Enchanted Castle, 1989: A zany action/platformer, nice graphics. Good game.

Altered Beast, 1989: The game that came with the original system, a mythological brawler. Great game.

Bonanza Bros., 1991: Action/platformer, horrible game.

Columns, 1990: A puzzle game similar to Tetris, horrible game.

Comix Zone, 1995: A brawler/platform game, you go from 'box' to 'box' like reading a comic and beat up few enemies. Decent game.

Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head, 1991: A funny action/platformer starring a mummy. Decent game.

Ecco the Dolphin, 1993: Action/adventure game. You are a swimming dolphin. Cool graphics. Decent game.

Ecco The Tides of Time, 1994: Sequel to the game above.

Ecco Jr, 1995: Sequel to above.

Flicky, 1991: Another action/platformer. Similar to Joust with cute cartoony style. So so game.

Gain Ground, 1991: A stupid action game. Horrible.

Golden Axe, 1989: Medieval brawler. A popular arcade game back in the days. Okay graphics, good game. A real arcade version should've been included!

Golden Axe II, 1991: Sequel to above.

Golden Axe III, 1992: Third and worst of the series. So so game.

Kid Chameleon, 1992: A fun action/platformer. You can transform into other forms like Altered Beast. Good game.

Phantasy Star II, 1989: A role-playing game. Good game.

Phantasy Star III, 1990: Sequel to above. Good Game.

Phantasy Star IV, 1994: Sequel to above. Great game.

Ristar, 1995: Another action/platformer. Good graphics, very colorful. Decent game.

Shadow Dancer the secret of Shinobi, 1990: A ninja action/platformer. So so game.

Shinobi III return of the ninja master, 1993: Much better than Shadow Dancer. Good game.

Sonic the Hedgehog, 1991: Adventure/platformer. A roller coaster Super Mario type game. Good graphics. Good game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2, 1992: Sequel to above. Good game.

Super Thunder Blade, 1989: An into-the-screen shooter similar to Space Harrier, you fly a helicopter. Horrible graphics, choppy gameplay, Chop Lifter would've been better. Horrible game.

Sword of Vermilion, 1990: A role-playing game. No comment.

Vectorman, 1995: A cool action/platform/shooter. Good game.

Vectorman 2, 1996: Sequel to above. Good game.

Virtua Fighter 2, 1996: One on one fighting game similar to Street Fighter. Horrible game.

Bonus unlockable games: Altered Beast Arcade game.
Other unlockable games: Future Spy, Tac/Scan, Zaxxon, and Zektor.
Other bonus: Phantasy Star Universe and Virtua Fighter 5 trailers.

Overall a good game for Genesis and classic game fans. Definitely not as good as Capcom Classics 1 and 2.

Madden NFL 07 Playstation 2 Video Game $36

Here we go again, another August, another new Madden release with marginal updates and modifications. Why am I constantly buying this game every year, if they don't want to enhance the few key things that the consumers are demanding every year??? Why Why Why???

Well, I'm sure everyone is aware of this, but EA sports has created a monopoly with the Madden series, buying exclusive rights to the NFL and licensing. So no other software company can offer competition as a result. With that being said, I had high hopes for 07 because I figured that EA would include a fancy presentation like that of the Sega 2K series to go along with the fluid gameplay of Madden.

Boy was I wrong. This is the same exact game as last year's with some notable downgrades. I'm not one for playing friends and people on-line, because I enjoy the Franchise/Owner Mode, building my dynasty. Here's some notable downgrades associated with this. Madden NFL 07 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

1. Scouting rookies will take an eternity now. They decided to include Mel Kiper Jr. as the analyst that provides the scoop on the incoming rookie class, but he serves no purpose. The entire process is extremely tedious. In order to obtain scouting reports, you have to work each individual player out with individual sessions (exactly the same as the training camp work outs). So now you have to sit thru more loading screens, just to get a report on someone that may have a negative scouting report. It's a complete waste compared to the previous Madden scouting systems, where you could get quick feedback on each college player. There's even a College All-Star Game available to play in the off-season, with the top rookies. This gives you an opportunity to actually test out players before you draft them. Let's be honest, this is a waste of time. Most of us just want to know the players 40 time, vertical leaps, interview status, and bench reps. So that we can just move on.

2. The Tony Bruno Show- No updates, No new interviews, the same garbage from the past 2 Madden games. I feel like I'm about to have an aneurysm every year after hearing the exact same radio show.

3. No significant updates to the John Madden Al Michaels commentary. Same ole comments.

4. Where's the beer in the concession stands. Beer has now been replaced with coffee. How soft and politically correct can a football game get?

5. The kicking controls have been changed. Now you must kick only by using the left analog stick. Please be prepared to miss plenty of extra points.

6. Constant game freezes still occur while playing.

Positives.

1. The gameplay is extremely fluid

2. I absolutely love the new player "roles".  This makes franchise mode much more interesting. And allows each high, mid, to low rated player to have a distinguishable positive or negative trait associated with them (for example Todd Pinkston and Sean Springs are "injury prone" players, Patrick Ramsey is an "underachiever", Brian Dawkins is a "defensive enforcer" etc.)

Ultimately I'm satisfied and disappointed at the same time.

If you have 06. Keep it and create the key rookies for 07.

Tony Hawk's Project 8 Playstation 2 Video Game $50

If you're reading this review, you're probably a Tony Hawk fan who's hesitant about clicking the pic above and purchasing Project 8 for the PS2 because you're quite aware of the PS3 version. You're not alone, and you're absolutely right to hesitate.

The PS2 version was obviously created to appease Tony Hawk fans who are holding off on buying a PS3 for a while - and unfortunately, it shows. It's a sloppy, buggy, and pretty significantly toned-down version of its PS3 counterpart.

 Specifically, it's missing the famed "Nail The Trick" option, it is split up into levels like the older games instead of one big level as it's supposed to be (and was in the previous "THAW"), and the pedestrians give tips to the player that are obviously meant for the PS3 version because they just don't exist here. Tony Hawk's Project 8 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

So overall, thanks to Activision for the attempt to keep the fans happy, but you needed to put a few months more work into this version first, because this feeble knock-off is insulting to the fans.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 Playstation 2 Video Game $40

It should be no surprise to the owners of EA games that there is nothing revolutionary about this year's release of Tiger Woods golf. That being said, the 2007 installment of this game has taken what's good about the past couple of seasons and put it together right. 

I have owned every Tiger Woods game for the ps2. 2004 stands as the game that improved the most upon the series' previous endeavors. 2005 made some minor tweaks that ended up working quite well as the result was an addictive, smooth flowing game. I thought 2006 was a minor step back as the graphics were somewhat cloudy and there wasn't much new as far as courses and options went. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

This year the graphics are better, there are 21 courses, and some fun new modes (i.e. one ball and team one ball). There is unfortunately not anything that resembles the Ryder or President's Cup format(s). The AI in the pro tournaments has improved from 2004 and 2005 making the computer scores much more competitive. 

All in all, for what the ps2 can do, you couldn't ask for a better golf game. Hot Shots and some others might be "fun," but no other game combines fun and realism as well as this game does. Definitely worth your while if you are at all a fan of golf or this series.

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Playstation 2 Video Game $20

GTA: San Andreas truly is wonderful. When I clicked the pic above and got the game I couldn't stop playing it. The "sandbox" do whatever you want style is wonderful. Missions in San Andreas are for the first time ever in the GTA universe FUN!!!!!! 

I enjoyed most (even though some are stupidly hard). Another great thing about the game is it has something for all types of gamers. Those who want to get everything and beat the game one hundred percent and those who just want to pick the game up for a few minutes and have fun. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

The controls are vastly improved upon than that of the the other two 3D GTA's with the ability to not "auto aim" being a welcome addition. The language is sometimes over the top vulgar and I would not recommend it to other children out there as it is a very adult game. 

GET IT. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!

Scarface The World Is Yours Playstation 2 Video Game $40

Good: The graphics. The soundtrack. The mission design. The story and scripting.

Great: The animation of the Montana sprite. The voice acting. The humor. The depth. The strategy and role playing elements. The controls, both in the vehicles and out. The options.

Bad: No air vehicles or motorcycles. Mission progression is too linear and sometimes repetitive side missions are required to advance. Too many anachronisms in the soundtrack and in the slang and fashion of the non player characters detract from the authenticity of the atmosphere (in other words, there shouldn't be any of this hip-hop junk going on in the eighties, though of course demographics would have made the temptation irresistible from a marketing standpoint). And the game is unoriginal; this is Grand Theft Also: Vice City, Scarface Edition.

Bottom line: not without its flaws, but overall the best urban crime game or open world game yet made. Takes all the elements that work in such games and adds enough new elements that it can now be considered the definitive game in the genre. Will very predictably be attacked by a certain type of game reviewer, and the less said about that type, the better.  Scarface the World is Yours is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

If you are over 18 and own a Playstation 2, and have the least interest in the genre, you owe it to yourself to click the pic above and add Scarface to your collection, no rentals, no questions asked, automatic must-buy. This might be the last great game of this generation, at least until God of War 2 comes out...

Final Fantasy VII: Dirge Of Cerberus Playstation 2 Video Game $50

Okay, at first even I was skeptical that Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus, was going to be an even "decent" game, at best. I was one of the typical fanboys that thought "Oh no! It's a Final Fantasy game, that's NOT going to be an RPG. So it's probably going to be a SquareEnix flop."

Come on. Admit it.

You all probably thought the same thing. We're all used to SquareEnix giving us RPG games, and the Final Fantasy series, is notorious for being RPGs. So it would make sense that any and every fan of the RPG portions of the game (99.8% of it) would instantly despise this game, simply because it's NOT an RPG.

Enter - Me playing the game.
Followed By - Sheer amazement.

Only an hour into the game, and I was already convinced that the game is not only "decent", but it's actually AVERAGE! It's nothing AMAZING much like the traditional Final Fantasy games, but it's a really good shot at SquareEnix doing something, that isn't an RPG for once.

Since then though, I have completed the game, entirely. Final Fantasy VII Dirge of Cerberus is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

First of all, Dirge of Cerberus, is not (I repeat NOT) a "shooter". It's an "action-adventure" game, with gun-use.

If you want a basic idea of what the game is like. Think of Devil May Cry, mixed in with a little bit of Metal Gear Solid. Then slap that mixture up side the head, with a little bit of Soul Reaver flavor. All with the added use of limit breaks (which are now items), healing items (new and old), and magic. And there you have it. That's about as accurate as I can get, when it comes to the gameplay and tactics, of Dirge of Cerberus.

You're not limited to using only guns. You can also use magic, and limit breaks. Yes, limit breaks. Which for the US release of the game, are items called "Limit Breakers". These useful items allow you to turn into the original beasts Vincent turned into during the original Final Fantasy VII game, and wail on your opponents, in Dirge of Cerberus, with both energy, and physical attacks. You can also use melee, and combo attacks as well, in Dirge of Cerberus.

So you're def. NOT limited to just using your gun.

Also, there's more than just 1 gun in the game. Plus, the original gun you start out with (Cerberus) is customizable, as well. You'll learn more about that, when you play the game.

Furthermore, Materia makes its return in Dirge of Cerberus, as well. Aiding to the magic-use of the game. The "Materia-System" is a bit different from the original Final Fantasy VII game, though. But it's still decently easy to figure out, and apply to Vincent. I'll leave it to you (the player), to discover how Materia is now used, and applied, in Dirge of Cerberus.

The game is also pretty long, as well. Much like traditional Final Fantasy games. Although it's not an RPG, so don't be expecting to play it for 30+ hours. It's about a 10-15 hour game. And it's about 5-7 hours, if you're really good, and know what you're doing.

Once you beat the game, you unlock side missions. One at a time. Around 40 of them, in fact. Which means what? More game play! This is a good thing, although the side missions are really nothing special, compared to the original game's storyline. But to get new ones, you have to beat the missions that came before them. (i.e. - To get mission 2, you have to beat mission 1. To get mission 3, you have to beat mission 2. etc.) And remember, you have to beat the game first, before the ability to do the side missions becomes available.

The controls ARE a bit clunky at first. But after getting used to them, you'll find absolutely no problem with them, at all.

The difficulty is pretty decent, although there is no "easy mode" in the US version of the game. Whereas there was, in the Japanese version. The US version has replaced "easy", with "extra hard" (upon beating the game). This doesn't matter much though, because the game's default difficulty (normal) is still quite tolerable. Even to new-comers.

Experience can be gained, and level-ups, still happen. But you get a choice in Dirge of Cerberus, at the end of every chapter. You can choose to use your accumulated experience, to level up. Or, to turn your accumulated experience into Gil. 1 EXP amounts to 10 Gil, in the exchange. What you do in this matter, is up to you (the player).

There are returning characters, from Final Fantasy VII. Not just Vincent, but others as well. I will not spoil anything though. Play the game to find out which characters make their returns in Dirge of Cerberus.

Also, J-Rock superstar GACKT, makes an appearance in Dirge of Cerberus, as well. Not only aiding a few songs (entitled "REDEMPTION" and "LONGING") to the game, but also playing in the game itself, as a model of his actual self! Character model, and all. Gackt himself is in fact, in Dirge of Cerberus. What his role takes on in the game, along with his character's name and plot, I will not spoil. But it's interesting, to say the least, to see Gackt in a video game.

(Note: Gackt is Japanese. He aided his original voice to his character in the Japanese version of Dirge of Cerberus. But in the US version, his character model (which is still in fact him) has been re-voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.)

The graphics, character models, settings, and CGI are all absolutely beautiful! If you loved Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, you'll love the CGI in Dirge of Cerberus! It matches it, perfectly!

The overall plot (in which I will not spoil) is also quite interesting, filling all of the plot holes and gaps, from the original Final Fantasy VII game, when it came to Vincent Valentine's story. You'll learn everything about Vincent, here.

And furthermore, the game has tremendous replay value. It's an overall really fun game. But only if you're open minded enough to realize that Dirge of Cerberus, is not an RPG, and is a stand-alone DMCesque game.

Overall, the game is average.
Not amazing. But at least average.

I gave it 4/5 stars.

Knocking off 1 star, because the controls are a bit clunky, and the game isn't as long as it should've been, considering it is a Final Fantasy game. Plus, without playing the original Final Fantasy VII first, you probably won't understand much of this game.

Either way though,
I suggest clicking the pic above and purchasing Dirge of Cerberus.

Especially if you're a Final Fantasy fan, whom is a fan of other types of games, and not just RPGs.
Specifically games like the Devil May Cry series, The Legacy of Kain series, and the Metal Gear Solid series.

Go into it with an open mind, and you just might find yourself enjoying Dirge of Cerberus. Despite it not being an RPG.

4/5 Stars.

It's an average game.
And a good attempt by SquareEnix,
at a non-RPG Final Fantasy title.

Try it out!

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Playstation 2 Video Game $50

My experience with developer tri-ace's games dates back to the original Playstation era with Star Ocean: The 2nd Story. Like most gamers on this side of the world, this was probably the one of the first tri-ace titles that had and created enough of a buzz to form a niche of fans. The other game, which is credited with a similar yet even bigger buzz, was the original Valkyrie Profile.

Unfortunately, the yield from the initial pressing run of that game was so low (so tri-ace wouldn't lose too much if the game didn't sell or catch on) by the time I had heard the hype surrounding VP and wanted to give the game a try it was much too late... copies of the game were selling at astronomical prices on e-bay much like how sealed copies of Final Fantasy VII are selling now.

Because of this I was ecstatic when a sequel - which in this case is actually a prequel - was announced so I could finally experience what I had missed out on the first time in one form or another. Granted, VP2 is not a complete carbon copy of the original, but the majority of the gameplay elements cross the game/generation gap, so in essence this game should probably give you an idea of what the original itself was like.

So, would I say that I was blown away or impressed by what I missed out with missing the original VP? Not really. Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

To start with, the game is simply beautiful. There are some dazzling effects, from leaves and grass waving in the breeze to various types of weather pounding some of the locals. This is what one should expect from a last generation PS2 title. Sure, every once in a while the battle camera might clip some polygons so it looks like your characters are standing on air, but that is so minor it doesn't matter. 

The only gripe I have is I wish the characters weapons changed depending on what they currently have equipped. However, since the character designs are so dependant on the default look of the weaponry, the above simply wouldn't work very well.

Combat is Valkyrie's claim to fame, much like it is in other tri-ace games like Star Ocean. This is a good thing, considering the amount of time you'll spend in battle mode leveling up the game's massive number of characters (of which only a handful are actually involved in the story, the others just seem to be there). 

At a quick glance, the battle system seems to be a button mashers dream, but like a good 3D fighting series (Soul Caliber or Tekken) those who know what they're doing will always get further or have less difficulty as things can be difficult enough. Other combat related issues also sprout up: reviving an ally requires you to be near the ally's body and status effects are so not your friend - especially when the whole party is inflicted at once (especially with poison) *shutter* .

As fun as combat is, there are quite a few hitches to be aware of, such as wasting AP on a dash and getting nowhere because your party is caught on the edge of "something" in the environment or when party members become separated for the same reason, limiting your attack options until you take the time and go back and get them. This becomes especially aggravating when you're trying to finish battles as quickly and efficiently as possible to receive experience and crystal bonuses. The change from a 2D fighting environment in VP to a 3D one in VP2 works, but the above issues make you yearn for 2D battles of the original which would probably be devoid of these problems.

The game's skill system is another area that initially seems interesting and clever but quickly becomes quite cumbersome. You'll form rune words with your equipment and accessories to unlock new "potential" skills. Note the word "potential" in the previous sentence. Unlocking a new skill doesn't grant the character the skill automatically - only though battle can the skill be used and permanently learned. 

At first glance this is a good thing since it prevents abuse (think FFIX skill system here), but the player then quickly finds out it "may" (well, usually) take a long time to learn said skill. Instead of being awarded a set amount of points towards your skills after an enemy defeat like in most normal RPGs, a percentage earned towards potential skills based on the average level of your current party and that of the enemy(s). Because of this you'll constantly be seeking out stronger and stronger enemies and you'll hardly ever find an "undeniable great place" to level up. 

You'll also be contending with the never ending equipping and unequipping of equipment while doing this and often means your party is usually far from wearing the strongest available equipment at all times - something that is usually a given in most RPGs.

Traversing dungeons is probably the most noteworthy aspect of VP2 after the battle system. The first few are a complete cakewalk and teach you the ropes, the later ones can really test your sanity and your brainpower. Correct sealstone usage and photon know-how go a long way towards completely clearing them of all their contents. Kudos to tri-ace for the awesome auto map feature - features like this need to become an industry/genre standard!

In the sound department, Motoi Sakuraba makes a rather subdued yet solid entrance, seeming to ditch his rather unique yet unorthodox style of composing. It's not until much later until you hear a piece and you know "yeah, that's Sakuraba, no doubt". The voice-overs are good, but at the same time just a few tiers above decent.

Valkyrie Profile 2 also falls victim to problems that are prevalent in other tri-ace games. Some moments of unbalanced gameplay creep up on the player as the difficulty goes up a few notches without much warning. The story is once again slow to start (is this even a surprise anymore with tri-ace games?), and some of the story twists you can see coming a mile away (the one revelation at the end of Chapter 3 was so freaking obvious!).

All this said is Valkyrie Profile 2 worth playing if you've never experienced VP? Yes. However, now having experienced it, I honestly think I could have waited for a price drop instead of clicking the pic above and buying it on the day it came out. Despite this, I still look forward to playing the re-release of the original on the PSP.

Xenosaga: Episode  3 Playstation 2 Video Game $40

Xenosaga is a great series. Known for its high cinematic quality, deep storyline and intricate battle system. The first Xenosaga was met with all around praise. Episode II was widely mixed. Episode III, however, is a fine welcome to the series that far surpasses Episode II in places where it counts. The storyline is still brilliant, and the characters return. Xenosaga Episode III is definitely for Xenosaga fans.

The storyline is rather complex. It takes place from where Episode II ends. If you've never played a Xenosaga game before, fear not, there is a database that summarizes the first two episodes for you. It also serves as a handy refresher for those who have played the game. Still, it's much better if you've actually played the first two games in the series. In Episode III, the story goes deeper. It begins with Shion getting involved in a break in to the Vector Corporation Facility. What she discovers will shock her, and will certainly shock Xenosaga fans. Right from the get go, the story grabs your attention. Xenosaga Episode 3 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

The storyline is carried out in brilliant cutscenes that look absolutely stunning. This is no surprise to anyone who has played Xenosaga before. The game is full of cutscenes every now and then. Just like the previous two installments the game has long cutscenes, which actually could try even the most patient of gamers. Some cutscenes last for longer than twenty minutes. All in all there are nearly ten hours of cutscenes. For the most part, though, they sound good at least. The voice acting is good and there's true depth and emotion to the characters. There are moments when the voice isn't as strong in some spots as it is others, but thankfully these moments don't populate most of the game. With some cutscenes, though, you'll wonder just when you can start playing the game again, and it's been a problem in Xenosaga ever since the very first version. When you do get to play the game, however, it's pretty interesting.

There are no random encounters in Xenosaga. You can see all your enemies running around. These battles are all contact based. When in battle, the dynamic battle system takes over. In battle your characters will be able to attack and use special magic skills. These attacks fill up a boost gauge which you can use to give your characters extra turns in battle. The battle system is deep, yet very easy to learn and not too complex at all. 

There's a new addition to the battle system. The "break" meter. This meter fills up as you take damage. When this meter is full your character essentially takes a break for two or three turns. The good news is your enemies also have a break meter so it works both ways. It puts a new twist on battling and calls for a bit more strategy. As with the other Xenosaga games, you can call on giant robots to help you in battle.

The game isn't overly difficult... at first, that is. As you go on into the game the battles begin to get harder, and that's how it should be. For Xenosaga, it begins to get a little hard a little early, though. The game compensates by giving you lots of healing items. So even if you manage to get to the point where your characters are getting low on health rather fast, you can heal them instantly.

Xenosaga also introduces a way of developing your characters. Through this system you can give your characters skill points and abilities. You can choose to give them offensive or defensive skills. Once you start on one path you can also switch and go to the other if you want. Essentially, you could go down one path and start on the other later. It's not really deep, but it does make you think about how to develop your characters.

Xenosaga Episode III also has a few side quests and extras. There's a mini-game that acts like Lumines and you can even play that with a friend if you wish. You can also go around and collect swimsuits for your characters and complete your database. The game lasts for a long time (about fifty hours or so). There's much to explore, but the heart of the game lies within its storyline. If you were scratching your head at the end of Xenosaga Episode I or II, then Episode III will tie up most loose ends for you.

Xenosaga Episode III manages to be a great game after all. Although, much like the games before it in the series, you've really got to love RPGs and anime to get into the massive cutscenes. It doesn't surpass the first game in the series by any means, but it comes awfully close to reinventing the same magic found within the first game.

The Good
+Fantastic cutscenes
+Good voice acting
+Great battle system
+Engaging and involving storyline
+Beautiful graphics
+The cast of characters returns

The Bad
-The cutscenes are very long, so there are many more moments of watching rather than playing. The storyline is good, but even the most patient of gamers will find themselves waiting for some of these overly long cutscenes to end.

Spyhunter Nowhere To Run Playstation 2 Video Game $20

SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run takes the Spy Hunter where he's never gone before - on foot. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is Alex Decker, the government's top spy and the man behind the wheel of the Interceptor. The terrorist cabal NOSTRA has returned with a plan to steal the latest government technology -- including the Interceptor itself. It's up to Alex to stop them, using his fighting skills inside and outside his famous vehicle.

I loved the original Lego Star Wars game. It was incredibly fun, very replayable and had a wicked sense of humor. Lego Star Wars II is just as fun, and covers Episodes IV-VI!

It's very rare to find a game that kids can play, adults can play, and everybody truly loves it. This is one of those games. I'm sure kids enjoy the game quite a lot - but pretty much every adult gamer I know loves this series as well. It's fun, it has classic scenes from the Star Wars movies done in a VERY funny style, and you can keep replaying it. You can play it with friends! You can unlock new episodes, new ships, new characters, you name it.

The first thing you notice when you enter the "Cantina" is that now you can MAKE NEW CHARACTERS!!! Yes, you can mix up Darth Vader's head, Princess Leia's torso and a storm trooper's pants. You can mix pretty much any character you find in the game, and give them personalized names! Then you can bring 2 of your creations into the game with you on free play mode. Talk about fun!!

The game gets even better. Yes, you work through all the classic scenes - Luke buying the droids, the Death Star blowing up, and so on from the "first 3 movies" (in release order at least). The cut scenes are VERY funny. Being able to play along as the various characters is amazingly fun in story mode, and even better in "free play" when you can randomly switch between a variety of characters to find all the hidden items.

I love the stud finding system. You want more money? Just replay a mission a few times. You can get all sorts of fun "cheats" (not cheats, really, but fun add-ons), you can buy new characters to use, and much more. It really gives you incentive to keep playing. Lego Star Wars the Original Trilogy is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Is a youngster in the house having trouble playing? Just have an adult pop into the game for a while to help out, then the adult can pop out again, to let the child keep playing! It is just brilliant. I love this game.

The graphics are superb, as last time, with little Lego movements seeming just right. Their swaggers and sliders are incredibly funny. The sound, of course, is the real movie soundtrack and is superb. You couldn't ask for anything better.

Even the tiny touches are funny. If C-3PO starts getting hit, he loses an arm, then another arm, then a leg. You have him hopping along valiantly behind you, trying to remain with your team. Chewie rips off arms from stormtroopers.

Now of course, there are always a few things the game designers get wrong. While Chewie's arm-ripping is quite funny, it is REALLY annoying when he does it - very slowly - in the middle of a firefight when you wanted him to be blasting away. The characters automatically switch into close combat mode if they think someone is nearby, even if you really needed to fire away at someone with the blaster. Even more annoying, if you're blasting away at "destructibles" (wall items, whatever) and your friend gets near you start bashing on him!

The camera is also really annoying. You get a *slight* amount of view control, but not much. When you are craning around trying to find a mini-kit on the screen and the camera keeps swooping wildly exactly where you do NOT want to look, it can get very frustrating.

Still, these are minor problems in a game that is so stellar. I highly, highly recommend this game for any gamer of any age. It's incredibly fun.

NASCAR 2007 Playstation 2 Video Game $40

I'm one of those people planning to transition over to the PS3, but not until the novelty (and hopefully, the price) comes down. Until then, I'm stuck with the PS2. 

NASCAR 07 is exactly the same as 06, but with this year's drivers. They added all the hype about the momentum meter, but you know what? I don't see or experience any difference during the race as the momentum meter changes. The cars seem to drive and handle the same, although they simplified the car set-up screen. They still have similar challenges, tracks, etc. 

For those of you who like Carl Edwards, sorry, but he is not in the game; however, Tony Raines and Robby Gordon are (!?!?!?!?!??????). For the Dale, Jr. fans hoping to run the cool black paint scheme or the Ralph paint scheme from earlier this year, forget it. Same with Dale, Sr. A couple of years ago, you could race Sr.'s silver car, Coke car, Wrangler car, etc. But not in 07. 

The last two games, we've had to suffer through looking at the same menu pics of JG24 and now Sadler. The year before that, you could select a favorite driver, and the menu background would have pics and stats of the driver you chose. Can't do that anymore, either. You can choose a favorite team on Madden 07, but why not NASCAR?!?! NASCAR 2007 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

And last but not least, I'm one who likes to create and race his own car, instead of driving an existing driver's car in Championship or Fight to the Top modes. I have ALWAYS used car #83, going back to when you could first create your own car (NASCAR 01, 02?). Thanks to the lame, generic 3-digit numbers, I can't run MY number! The same goes for the Fight to the Top mode. All you are allowed to run is 3-digit numbers, they won't let you run any open single or double digit numbers. 

The paint schemes and number fonts are all exactly the same too, and have been for the last 3 years!!! Come on EA; just because the PS2 is about to go extinct doesn't mean you can short-change its gamers, especially those who can't afford the $500 to shell out when the PS3 first comes out. 

A common pet peeve from a lot of reviewers on 06, and proof again that EA doesn't listen to customer demands, is the lack of stats in season and fight to the top modes. There are no stats on championships, no trophy rooms, no accumulations of track records, wins, top 5's, top 10's, etc. (like they had in Thunder 05). 

I guess, basically, I have nothing good to say about this game. Do yourselves a favor; buy NASCAR 06 and save the money if you want a solid PS2 NASCAR game. Otherwise, I guess I should have known better.

NHL 2K7 Playstation 2 Video Game $20

i clicked the pic above and bought this the day it was released. i've purchased the nhl 2k games for the past 5 years or so, and i'd say this is the best version so far. i bought the ea hockey game this year about a month ago, i thought it was awful. nhl 07 is a lot more of an arcade style than simulation. when i play sports games, i want simulations. nhl 2k7 has once again made the best hockey game.

the graphics aren't the best, but they are still good. if you liked the graphics of the game last year, you'll like them this year. if you hated them last year, you'll hate them this year. there is pretty much no difference in graphics this year. i'd say about 20-25 percent of the league's players are represented really well, the rest are hit or miss. superstars look like their real-life counterparts, and that's all that really matters to me. i don't care if the faces of average players aren't dead-on. also, the characters aren't cartoonish looking like in ea's nhl 07. on top of that, the animations in this year's 2k hockey are fantastic. the movements are very lifelike, and some of the goalie saves are incredible.

the sound is really good. the commentary is much better than ea's hockey game. if you're a fan of the ea announcers, then you might think 2k7's are boring. however, i prefer announcers who don't sound like they should be talking for a monster truck rally. the announcing is how you would hear it on tv, and that's what i like. the crowd sounds great with team-specific chants, and the sound effects are perfect. nhl 2k7 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

the presentation is very well done. cutscenes are great, and the replays are phenomenal. instead of getting one replay of a goal like in nhl 07, 2k7 will show a replay from 3 or 4 different angles as the announcers comment specifically on how the goal was scored. if the puck went off the goalie's glove and into the goal, they'll talk about that at the same time the replay is being shown. also, cutscenes will tell stats of players while the announcers talk about them, and replays are shown of important parts of the game that may have happened 10 minutes earlier. the presentation is once again very similar to a television broadcast. i can't say enough about how the presentation of 2k7 kills nhl 07's.

finally, the most important aspect, gameplay. i hated ea's nhl 07's gameplay. the deke button was awful, there was virtually no defense, and it was way too easy to score (even on the highest difficulty with the shot sliders turned all the way down). 2k7 is the opposite of all the ea negatives. to deke, you use the right joystick and push it in the direction you want to deke. the defenses for both teams will set up to play whatever attack the offense has chosen. there aren't many breakaways in 2k7 like in nhl 07. games are much lower scoring than ea's offering. with 10 minute periods, the average goals scored in a game is about 5 or 6 (between both teams).

in conclusion, ea has a hockey game that is an arcade style, more fun for a party atmosphere. nhl 2k7 is a simulation of the sport and much more accurate as to how the game is played. if you prefer an arcade style game with cartoonish looking characters and average presentation, go for ea's nhl 07. but, if you want a simulation with phenomenal presentation and realistic looking characters/animations, pick up nhl 2k7. 

Disgaea 2 Playstation 2 Video Game $45

Granted, Disgaea 2 won't do much for fans of the fighting, FPS, or action genres, but for those who love anime and strategy will have a bundle of fun.

The battle system is on the outside the same as Disgaea's, but there are some interesting and important improvements. Here are a few:

One, there is a lift+attack move (lifting a character and then attacking, like in Makai Kingdoms.)

Two: A character who was assigned to attack, but was unable to because the target they were going to attack was eliminated by another character before they could attack no longer loses their move. Instead, they get to move again instead.

Three: guns operate in a significantly different way than bows (a problem with Disgaea 1) giving them a great utility.

Four: Speed down, Def down, and other effects occur more often as a result of weapon usage, and are easier to see.

Five: Treasure chests are now a part of battle!

Six: The item bag (I'm pretty sure) is larger.

Seven: Additional battle items are available, one of them being cellular phones. (You'll have to find out what they do)

Eight: Team attacks have become more ridiculous. (This is a good thing!)

Nine: Battle maps are much improved and more interesting.

The game now has a really spiffy intro, (hi-res!) and maintains the same irreverent humor of the previous games. The quality, however, is on par with (actually, better than) Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. Disgaea 2 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Voice acting manages to not be annoying (in many cases it's very good!) And it is refreshing to play a good guy again. Laharl is obviously in the game (he is seen in the character collage art) and there are numerous references from La Pucelle Tactics, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Phantom Brave and Makai Kingdoms.

The manual lacks clarity in some places, and a lot of the graphics are still very pixely. Overall, though, it's hard to beat this game for fun.

But be warned, it takes a LONG time to play.

World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions Playstation 2 Video Game $29

INTRO:
I'm a big poker fan, so when I play almost any poker video game for the first hour or so, I will enjoy it. However, if you can't save during a tournament, or if the cpu players occasionally just check or call when they have the absolute best hand, and they're last to act; only then will I gladly sell it before I finish it.

You should also know, although I was thrilled with the Create a Game feature from the World Poker Tour PS2 game (it's the reason why I will never sell it), it's check-happy A.I. and slow play, failed to excite me as much as this joyous WSOP 2 game does!

Last year's WSOP (PS2 game), had washed out colors, no voices from any of the 12 pros, and it had both annoying and repetitive phrases uttered so often by the regular Cpu players, that it made me want to strangle them! It did however, at times, play a good game of poker, maniac style, but with way too many weak all-in calls, at any time, with absolute garbage hands!

Even during the all-ins, there was no suspense because the cards were turned over at super speed. Also, the above-the-table view it mostly used wasn't very interesting to look at, even though it was always easy to see where the dealer button or blinds were (even if they folded). 

But this year, the programmers of WSOP 2,have outdone themselves! Almost all of last year's major problems seem to have been fixed with the exceptions of the still too cluttered playing view and the mouths of the players, moving much too fast especially during close-ups. World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Yes, the announcers still look hideous, but this time they included Norman Chad as Lon's partner, and many of the 30 pros actually look close enough to their real life counterparts. It's a much better looking game than last year's by leaps and bounds, and thus takes a long 30 seconds to load. Thankfully, there's an instant auto save after each hand.

WSOP 2 actually looks like a finished product. Though similar in setup and features to last year's game it has so many extras that the first game didn't have, and such wonderful A.I., that it's enough to make your head spin. Yes, you'll still see the Cpu players make some long-shot calls, or bluffs at weird times, but even real life pros do the same thing! It helps keep everyone honest, so you can't get away with either bluffing too often or always being able to correctly guess what the Cpu players have. All this is necessary, if a poker game is to provide enough of a challenge.

However, WSOP 2's Career Circuit mode, only has 4 circuit rounds (with 4 tournaments each) and then the Tournament of Champions round, for a total of 17 Texas Hold'em circuit tournaments that can increase your bankroll and circuit points total. But at least in the 2nd round there's a 324 player circuit tournament, which is more than the real life ones of less than 300 players. So yes, it's a much shorter and less varied Career mode than last year's game, but it's still fun to play.

Unfortunately, there is one minor annoying Cpu betting FLAW that keeps this from being even closer to poker perfection and surprisingly it wasn't a problem in last year's game. It has to do with the pre-flop betting, ONLY in No-Limit or Pot-Limit Texas Hold'em (on ANY Career Difficulty level or in Quick play mode, whether pros are playing or not). Whenever the Cpu has decided it wants to make a bet and ONLY if it's the FIRST player to bet into a pot, it will NEVER just LIMP IN( Call), instead it will ALWAYS RAISE, and that Raise will also ONLY be just 2 or 3 times the Big Blind or an All-In. It even occurs in the Heads-up Tournament, though of course, the Cpu will still often check, when it's the Big Blind.

The only exception occurs in Pot-Limit Texas Hold'em, when the Maximum bet allowed is Less than 3 times the BB ,then the Cpu bets 2 times the BB or makes the maximum bet allowed. 

However, I still believe this game will be the closest you come to experiencing real poker play from a console, and you can even play against the pros in a 16 player Heads-up tournament! Although they all seem to play the same way as the regular Cpu players, they play well enough to challenge me, so I'm happy.

-WOW!!! This new game has the option of enabling Auto-Save after EVERY hand! It's so convenient and you can keep on playing even while it's making the 3 second save. Last year's game took about 45 seconds to save and then reload to the same spot where you exited. Thank you Activision for improving this! It's pure poker heaven! Although when you first put in the game, because it doesn't auto-load from your memory card,y ou must first choose 'Career',t hen 'Create New Career' (or 'Load Career'-if you already have saved games), which will eventually enable the auto-save, once you finish choosing the Career difficulty level (only when first Starting your career) and the file name.

-Yes, you can also still speed up the Cpu player betting, by choosing normal, medium or fast speeds (or by sometimes pressing the X button). Luckily, there's no more long waits during Omaha games for the Cpu players to bet like in the first WSOP game.

-Thankfully, it's great that they finally slowed down the dealing of the turn and river cards, so it's now much easier to follow what's going on (you can even press X to speed that up, if you want to) and even your name is highlighted in yellow with nice win %'s, that are still shown for all-ins (even pre-flop). Also, after a hand ends, you can still take your time seeing who had what, since you have to press the X button to deal the next hand anyway (yes, you can skip watching the deal too).

-Amazingly, from the Career menu, you can also play a Heads Up, 16 player Tournament against real pro players. If you want to play your first round against a different pro, just press the square button, then choose restart, and all the matchups will be randomly changed.

-Also from the Career menu, you can choose " Hold'Em or Fold'Em ", which lets you play a practice tournament (3456 players) with hints (pre-flop, only) from Chris Ferguson (either: Call, Raise, or Fold).

-Quickplay mode doesn't have difficulty levels but it does let you rebuy (if you bust out) if you want to, but none of the Cpu players get to rebuy, so it's unfair. Quick play Custom tournaments can have up to 512 tables (9 players each)=4608 players (who knows, maybe even more, later on in the Career mode?).

-The same games from last year are here in the new game as well but this time it adds H.O.R.S.E to the mix. (All 5 games MUST be played as LIMIT only but at least you can choose to change each game every 1 to 9 hands but ONLY from Main Menu Options choice). Unfortunately, even in Quick play mode, you still must ALWAYS play 7 Card Stud or Razz as LIMIT games only which is very annoying and shouldn't be the case.

-This is also the ONLY console game to give you the option to see what the River card would have been (using the next card cam) even if everyone folded! I love rabbit hunting as it's sometimes called.

-Still has the unlockable poker chips tasks very similar to last year's game.

-The Cpu player now occasionally shows you his cards even if everyone folded to his bet just to taunt you.

There are 30 poker players in this game (all with their real voices), however the manual only lists 29 of them. The one not listed is Andy Black (and no, I'm not confusing him with Andy Bloch-who's #25 on this list). So, here are the other 29 pro players in the game: (1) Chris Ferguson (2) Men the Master (3 )Scotty Nguyen (4) Scott Fischman (5) Jennifer Tilly (6) Phil Laak (7) T. J. Cloutier (8) Erik Seidel (9) Joe Hachem (10) Phil Gordon (11) Antonio Esfandiari (12) Mark Seif (13) Clonie Gowen (14) Darrel Dicken (15) Thomas Keller (16) Edward Moncada (17) Karina Jett (18) Chip Jett (19) Max Pescatori (20) Roland de Wolfe (21) Kristy Gazes (22) Dennis Waterman (23) James Meehan (24) Liz Lieu (25) Andy Bloch (26) Aaron Kanter (27) Captain Tom Franklin (28) Jeff Shulman (29) Barry Shulman.

GAMEPLAY:
I'm currently playing in Career mode (it's different than last year's) on the hardest of the three difficulty levels in a 27 player Texas Hold'Em Circuit Tournament (which awards points and cash). I finished in 5th place and got 20 points. The easier two difficulty levels have fewer players in the tournaments and will give you more money, if you need it, to continue your career if you should go broke; whereas on the hardest difficulty if you go broke, our career is over.

There is however a minor Career stat FLAW, that COUNTS the 4 handed Home game (that you must play just before Chris Ferguson lets you gain entry into the actual WSOP tournament) as a Tournament (a 1 appears beside the 'Tournaments Entered stat row) and even if you win it a zero is shown beside the 'Tournaments Won' stat row. As well, all the hand stats show zeros because the Home game is NOT supposed to be considered a Career tournament anyway. So, in your mind, just always subtract 1, from the 'Tournaments Entered' stat, and then that stat will be correct. 

So far (on the hardest difficulty), I have yet to see the Cpu players call my all-ins with garbage hands, unless they were low on chips or the pot was big and they wanted to gamble and try to double up, just like in real poker. It appears that the crazy all-in calls made by the Cpu players from last year's game, are not present in WSOP 2, or at least are certainly not as frequent. I tested many consecutive all-ins (on the hardest career difficulty or even in Quickplay mode), whenever I was in an early position and the first to bet. I got very few calls when the blinds were low and no signs of stupidity, if I did get called.

This is NOT realistic enough pre-flop betting, because both limping in and having more varied raises must be included, so that the game will seem more realistic. However, this is the only annoying betting flaw I found in this game, so far. It WASN'T in last year's game (I just played it again to be sure). In fact, last year's Cpu players that were FIRST into the pot, often limped in or even raised 4 times the BB or greater on many occasions.

So, this could be one reason why you might still want to keep last year's game. Yes, even Chris Ferguson explains that it's best to keep your raises the same so you don't tip anyone off about the strength of your hand, but this is going much too far and just simply isn't what real poker players do all the time. I've even seen them on TV occasionally just limping in with good hands to mix things up and also slightly varying their pre-flop raises. However, other than that, I find the A.I. to be an absolute joy to play against, and at least this way, it makes it much harder to even make an educated guess as to what cards the Cpu players are holding pre-flop!

GRAPHICS:
I prefer to use the standard close-up view of the players when possible (works with Normal speed only) and they look somewhat similar to the Stacked pros, except a bit farther away from the camera and with absolutely NO slowdown occurring when they move .Only some of the pros like Antonio Esfandiari for example still need a few touchups to look more like the real thing, but most of the others look very good and are light years better looking than last year's dismal result.

The overhead table view (that you see for medium or fast speed) looks actually less detailed than last year's game, but regardless of which view you use, you still get to see all the players betting information on the left side of the screen, in a similar style to that of the World Poker Tour (PS2) game, so you'll still be able to follow everything that's going on .

The font in the new game is unfortunately smaller than it should be, but the game looks more colorful and looks good when it's showing the standard close up view of the players, while their betting (in normal speed only) so just sit closer to your TV set and you should be fine.

Unfortunately, the cards stayed the same small size as last year's game, but only the 7 card Stud and Omaha cards are too small to enjoy looking at. Also, they still have the 7 card Stud hole cards shaded too much, so that unless you turn up the brightness on your TV, it's hard to distinguish the suits.

The players do handle their chips nicely (I even saw a woman do a knuckle roll chip trick) but because the betting motions are random, they often throw out just one chip when they make large bets or bet many chips when they bet just $10. At least they do it realistically (unlike Stacked, which does it the worst). Even their chip stacks correctly represent how much each player has which is something you can easily see just by using the first person view (press R3-right joystick).

Even if the player ISN'T All-In, he'll sometimes move all his chips to the center, even though it shows he still has money left over, based on his real bet. Luckily, it's just a graphical flaw rather than a mathematical one. Then, the next time you see him, he has stacks of silver or pink chips. I guess he had them hidden under the table. You can however avoid all this chip handling by choosing medium or fast speed. 

AUDIO:
Right away, I got to play against several pros like last year's WSOP winner, Joseph Hachem, T. J. Cloutier and Phil Gordon, all using their real voices (no real pros spoke in last year's game). There are a total of 29 pros listed in the manual, but there are actually 30 pros in the game. Andy Black is the only pro not listed in the manual but I played against him in the Heads-Up Tournament so I know he's in the game.

Sure, all the comments get repetitive fast, but some are funny and add tremendously to the overall game experience. As well, this time around, Norman Chad has been added to help out Lon McEachern call the action. The two of them look terrible in the intro and I laugh every time their mouths start moving too fast, but you can just skip it by pressing X anyway. Lon now even calls out the cards as they're turned over and Norman still makes me laugh even though I've heard many of his comments several times already. There's also probably a bit too much sneezing and coughing done by the players, but it's only mildly annoying at times.

CONCLUSION:
If you at least moderately enjoy poker video games, make sure you at least rent this game. This is the best poker playing experience on a console that I've ever had! I'm pretty sure you'll get hooked too, once you see all the things it has. So, if you want to play realistic enough poker (except for the Cpu's too restrictive pre-flop betting actions-see INTRO or GAMEPLAY section) with good enough graphics, 30 real life pro ,with numerous features that should still challenge and entertain you for months, then just click the pic above, buy this game and start playing!

Read 'Em and weep with joy!

Okami Playstation 2 Video Game $40

Today's video game market is a stagnant one for the most part. Publishers rely on franchises and proven formulas to make their money. Meanwhile when something creative and original comes along publishers don't want to take a chance on it in fear of lousy returns on their investment. While this does make for a great business decision, it makes for poor gaming experiences. Thankfully Okami made it to fruition.

This game is reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda. The cell shaded graphics harken back to The Wind Waker, and inevitably any third person adventure game is going to merit a Zelda comparison. However, this is definitely not a Zelda clone. It merely takes the genre and builds on it to produce something extraordinary.

The gameplay is relatively simple. You can run around, fight baddies, talk to villagers, etc. The real innovation here is the use of a "paintbrush&quo