Reviews Written By: A2VJJ2POCLMED7provided by Amazon.com |
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 | Nokia N96 Unlocked (16gig Hard Drive, 5.0MP Camera, 3G, GPS, Media Player MicroSD Slot, USA Version w/ Warranty) | |
 | "Could have been a lot more..." | 2009-10-17 |
| I really, REALLY wanted to like the Nokia N96. My Samsung i320 is getting a bit long in the tooth, and I thought this would be a perfect replacement. With the feature-list, how could it not be? Advanced multimedia capabilities? Check. Speedy web browsing? Check. WiFi? Check. High-resolution camera (for a phone)? Check. 3G compatibility? Check. 16GB of storage? Check. FM Radio?!? Check! The N96 would seemingly have it all. Unfortunately, a few glaring oversights and performance issues have left me feeling cold.
The first thing that I couldn't help but notice was the Symbian OS. It's slow and dated at this point, especially when you compare it to some of the newer offerings from Apple, Google (Android) and even Microsoft (yeah, my i320, an older Windows smartphone runs rings around this, sadly). This phone is just SLOW. Accessing data is slow, the layout of the OS is SLOW (as in counterproductive, having to press several things to get to a menu option that should be accessible in two), and generally it just kind of stutters along regardless of what you throw at it. I don't know if this is the fault of poorly written code or if the thing is just way too grandiose for the hardware spec of the phone, but it basically makes using the phone a repeated trial. As far as the hardware itself goes, it looks impressive enough, nice and shiny, although the feel is a little cheaper than you'd expect a $500 device to feel. The screen is nice and the interface buttons feel pretty good (it's just a shame the phone doesn't respond a bit more quickly when you press them). Pictures are another area that are supposed to be a strong point for this phone (high resolution for a cell phone), but again, slow-down and sloppy layout hinder its usefulness. The photos look good enough, but don't expect this thing to be point and shoot ready. It's going to take a few seconds for it to become ready, and then getting your picture where you want it to be is another one of those patience-builders. Basically I think the N96 is just a case of Nokia being way too aggressive with its feature-set in order to compete with the aforementioned mobile platforms. The feature list is very impressive, but the implementation and performance is so mediocre that the phone is hard to recommend. That mediocre performance coupled with a price tag that's higher than a lot of the competition means the N96 will more than likely end up as an also-ran rather than a stand-out. | ||
 | Timeshift | |
| "A waste of a good concept..." | 2008-07-04 |
| Occasionally you'll play a game with a concept that's so good that you just have to wonder why no one had ever thought of it before. Oftentimes, said concept becomes wasted on otherwise lackluster game design, and they you have to wonder how it went so horribly wrong. While Timeshift isn't necessarily horrible, it takes a great "time manipulation" gameplay mechanic (oh no, a grenade...I'll just rewind time so I'm ready for it), and then fumbles it thanks to the ho-hum remainder of the game. An FPS really doesn't have to have a great story, but Timeshift's is notably weak. That wouldn't be so bad if it was backed-up by some particularly gratifying gameplay, but other than the timeshifting, the rest of the game plays like a hundred other FPS titles you've played before. The levels are extremely linear, and the level objectives are of the "search and find the switch that opens the next level" variety. Graphics really aren't the game's strong-suit either. It doesn't look awful, and some of the explosions are particularly nice to look at, but the engine stutters along in places where it really shouldn't. This is obviously a game that could have used a bit more time to tweak the engine on the PS3, because we're all aware of the fact that the PS3 can push a lot more onscreen than is happening in this game. All-in-all, Timeshift really isn't a bad game, just a dissapointing one. The online play is pretty good, and the campaign isn't awful, it's just that you know they could have done a lot more with the "timeshifting" abilities than they did. This one could have used a bit more time in the pot. | ||
 | GCN Broadband Adapter Gamecube | |
 | "Does what it's suppposed to do..." | 2008-04-26 |
| As long as you buy the Gamecube Broadband Adapter knowing what you're getting, it's worth the price of admission. Basically though, aside from Mario Kart Double Dash in LAN mode and Phantasy Star Online (which is only playable now on private servers), you can't do very much with it. There is a program called Warpipe that allows you to play some other games online, but since that requires a PC outside of your Gamecube, that's not something most people will ever use it for. As it is, it does what it's supposed to do, and when it comes to hardware, you can't ask for much more than that. | ||
 | Xantrex XPower 400 Powerpack Plus with Air Compressor (852-1900) | |
 | "Works as advertised..." | 2007-07-17 |
| So-far so good on the Powerpack 400. So far I've used it to jump my car, inflate more than a few tires and power my laptop when the battery ran low, and so far it's come through like a champ. At $80 with free shipping (when I bought it), the price was right, and when I compared it to similar units, it just seemed like the more versatile, robust unit available at this particular price point. So far it's gone through the paces and worked like a champ. If you need something like this to power your appliances on a trip or have a little extra security when things go wrong, you could definitely do worse. | ||
 | Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack | |
| "No more AA's!!!" | 2007-01-10 |
| Not having to swap out AA's all the time is a godsend for the XBOX 360. It's not as if the battery life is particularly bad, but there comes a time when batteries start to fail, and then you realize you have no replacements. Sometimes that might not be too big of a deal, but when you're in the middle of your game, trips to the 24-hour supermarket to buy batteries kind of kills the fun. With the rechargeable battery packs, those days are gone. Couple this with a Play and Charge Kit or a Charging Station, and you're set. This is a must-have if you own a 360. | ||
 | The Flash - The Complete Series | |
| "A welcome blast from the past..." | 2007-01-07 |
| I was fairly young when The Flash originally aired on TV, and while I see more flaws when I re-view these episodes today as an adult, the charm is still very much there. The series was and is entertaining, and the casting is generally quite good. John Wesley Shipp as the Flash is a good choice, as he seems to be able to convey the kind of character and humility necessary for a persistent do-gooder, even while managing to be a bit humorous at times. Even the supporting cast (characters such as Murph and Bellows come to mind) manage to come through time and time again, providing comic relief when need be, a sense of urgency here and there, even taking more central roles in some of the storylines. As one of the few heroes to make it to primetime (and remember, this was during a period when superheroes weren't quite as popular as they are now), it's a shame that the show lasted for a single season, thanks in part to the mismanagement of CBS on one hand (I can remember never knowing when it would air), and it's reportedly high production costs. Now, some people like to harp on the fact that it's not faithful to the comics in each detail, but in turn I'd like to ask, what comic adaptation has ever completely been? I understand where you're coming from (you should have seen my reaction to the casting of Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man), but in this case, they still managed to bring an iteration of The Flash to the small screen who is instantly recognizable as the Scarlet Speedster. The same can be said of his Rogues Gallery (one of the best in all of comicdom), with Captain Cold, the Mirror Master, the Trickster and even a unique take on reverse Flash, all making appearances (The Trickster, played by Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame, appearing twice). New characters, such as the Nightshade, were often just as good. Ultimately, fans of The Flash, and superheroes in general, will be pleased by this set. The lack of any real bonus features costs it a star, but if you're needing a hero fix between summer blockbusters, this will fit the bill. | ||
 | 64 Mb Memory Card - 81540 | |
| "No problems yet..." | 2007-01-07 |
| While I've read a lot of reviews saying that this is a bad product, I have yet to see mine fail. Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe my time is yet to come, but I purchased two of these (one for myself, another for a friend as a gift) and they've functioned as a memory card should. Files transfer over with no issues, and original saves have done just as well. There aren't too many things to say about a memory card when it's doing what it's designed to do, so for right now, I'm considering this a quality product. You can't beat the storage capacity for the price... | ||
 | Microsoft Works 7.0 - Windows | |
| "Good enough for most users..." | 2005-12-01 |
| With Microsoft Office going for anywhere between $130-$300 (depending on what apps are included, there's the Education edition, Basic, Small Business, Professional, etc.) WORKS fills a gap Office shouldn't, and that's probably why Microsoft still releases it. I've used WORKS since it ran in DOS and was small enough to be run from a floppy, and it continues to be what it was, a function, if no-frills productivity suite. For most users, this will be enough to create most of the everyday letters and databases. You don't even have to bother with that annoying paper clip... If you're looking for something more functional, but don't have the money for Office, then the open source Open Office would be the way to go. If Works comes packaged with your PC though, it might just be enough for you. | ||
 | Late for Dinner | |
| "Sentimental favorite..." | 2004-06-21 |
| Sure, this movie may be a bit on the predictable side, and the whole cryo-stasis thing might be a bit hard to swallow, but once you're able to get to the suspension of belief, what's left is a sweet, sentimental movie that's perfect for you and your special someone to cuddle up to as you watch. Brian Wimmer and Peter Berg turn in terrific performances as brothers-in-law on-the-run from the authorities because of a crime they didn't commit. Wimmer comes across as being just as honest, caring and sincere as he needs to, which is considerable, since his character and performance depend on it. Berg, playing a somewhat-dimwitted man with a heart of gold is perfect, as he's often been in his minor, but memorable performances. The rest of the cast is more than competent, but the success of this movie depends on its two leads, and they come through with flying colors. You can't help but pull for these guys. One of the first thing a film-maker wants to do is get the audience interested and caring about the main characters, and trust me, you will be... Funny and sweet, this is the perfect movie for a quiet night alone with your honey. If you consider yourself at all a romantic (love conquers all...and the like), you'll love this movie. | ||
 | Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown | |
| "Great songwriting is still a commodity..." | 2003-03-20 |
| Switchfoot's music is something of a rarity in this day and age with its insightful lyrics, positive outlook and quality musicianship. Ranging from songs like 'Meant to Live,' a track getting airtime on plenty of alternative rock stations, to slower ones like 'Twenty-Four' and 'This Is Your Life,' Switchfoot never comes across as being a "Christian version" of any secular band, nor do they imitate any other band that's had crossover success. In The Beautiful Letdown Switchfoot manages to be Switchfoot, just as they did with Learning to Breathe. Their sound is their own, high energy, though not overpowering, and with enough original quirkiness in some songs to sound like something completely new and different (Gone is a good one on TBL). Jon Foreman's songwriting just seems to get better and better, as he cements his place as one of the better writers in any section of the business, while the addition of Jerome Fontamillas (Mortal; Fold Zandura) give them even more flexibility. One last thing is that while the members of Switchfoot are Christian, to consider them part of the mainstream CCM industry isn't quite right. This is a band that's just as comfortable playing in a bar, as they would be in a church, which is a testament to the fact that they're likely one of the most accessible bands on tour today. If you can catch a live show, make sure you do it, because amazingly, they're even better live. | ||
 | Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader - Nintendo GameCube | |
| "As close to being on Hoth as you'll ever get..." | 2002-12-01 |
| Overview: As a long-time Star Wars fan, I've always loved to try the newest Star Wars game. From the original vector-based Star Wars Arcade game on, there's just something about being able to tap into an universe that you're already familiar with. Unfortunately, like many licensed titles, these have been hit and miss over the years, though the hits have been many on Nintendo consoles. Rogue Leader is no exception, setting a new mark for excellence in a Star Wars game. While fans of the more technical TIE and X-Wing shooters on the PC might find this a step down as far as gameplay is concerned, most Star Wars fans will come to the agreement that no game has captured Star Wars so well visually. No other early GameCube game comes close to the visual splendor to be found, and very few play as well to boot. Graphics: 10.0 One word sums up Rogue Leader's graphical prowess: AMAZING! No game I've seen on any platform has caught me more by surprise than the graphical beast that is the Rogue Leader engine. While I suppose that I shouldn't be all that surprised, Factor 5 did some great work on the Nintendo 64 after all (Rogue Squadron & Indiana Jones & the Infernal Machine in particular), I suppose that I just wasn't prepared for the leap they were able to take from the Nintendo 64. Not only are the ship models extremely accurate to their motion picture counterparts (I've read specs that state that they're actually MORE detailed than the 3D models used in the Special Editions), but the textures are top-notch. The level of detail is also amazing. Not only have the environments from the films been effectively recreated (one might argue that some even look better), but the little things, such as stormtroopers running around and turbolasers firing in the distance as far as the eye can see, convince you at times that you are actually there. Via the GameCube, Factor 5 has basically accomplished in real time what fans have been wanting for years...a chance to PLAY the movie. Sure, I might be exaggerating just a bit, but I will not be guilty of underrating Rogue Leaders visuals; they are that good. Besides, as a long-time fan of the classic Trilogy (hey, I've played the Atari computer version of Star Wars Arcade!), you'll forgive me for that. Impressive... Sound: 9.5 If you've ever watched a Star Wars movie, you'll know what to expect here. The sound effects, voice-overs and John Williams' trademark soundtrack are all here, and in fine fashion. Thanks to the mini-DVD medium, a Star Wars game on a Nintendo system has never been better. In the advent of the surround-sound home theater, Rogue Leader's ProLogic II surround sound is also welcome. While you have to have a newer receiver to be able to take full advantage of the format, it still sounds very good on my older ProLogic receiver, so good in fact that you can hear the TIE's coming up from behind. It's hard for a game that LOOKS this good to blow you away in the sound area, but let me be the first to say, that Rogue Leader *ALMOST* pulls it off. Most impressive... Gameplay: 8.0 Where many licensed games fall short is the area of gameplay, and there has been more than one Star Wars game to fall prey to that trend. Fortunately, Rogue Leader manages to play extremely well: controls are well-laid out and responsive, while the design, which can be difficult, never seems that overwhelmingly difficult. That being said, there is very little new here. It's basically Rogue Squadron with better graphics after all. Right? Not quite... While the play mechanics of the original are basically unchanged, there are two areas that have been improved upon GREATLY: 1) SPEED & 2) AI. In Rogue Squadron, there were points in the game where you just felt like your X-Wing was literally CRAWLING across the sky. You won't have that sensation here. While your ship still never seems to move as fast as you need it to (remember, the TIE's are faster than just about anything the Rebellion has...even the A-Wings can't quite do it), the sensation of speed is there, particularly when skimming over the surface of a Star Destroyer or some other large-scale obstacle. As for the AI, I'm not so much referring to the forces of the Empire as I am your fellow Rogue Squadron members. You can't depend on them to do all the work, but their reactions to your commands are responsive, as you can actually see them doing the order you just issued. Theme: 10.0 This is a Star Wars game, and if that says anything, it's that there are thousands of (rabid?) fans waiting for more realistic immersion into the Star Wars universe than games have allowed. While Star Wars Galaxies promises role-playing in the classic Star Wars universe early next year, no game captures the speed and epic scale of the space battles of the Star Wars films like Rogue Leader does right now. The scale of the game, the size of the Star Destroyers and Death Star, the swarms of TIE Fighters, it truly is one aspect of the Star Wars experience on a grand scale. With the space expansion of Star Wars Galaxies well over a year away, no other title puts you there like this. You'd need your own astromech droid for it to be any more convincing. Overall: 9.5 While launch titles are almost never considered to be representative of what a hardware platform is capable of, it's hard not to think that Factor 5 has been able to tap into the GameCube's capabilities at an unrivalled degree. By staying with the formula that had proven successful on the N64 with Rogue Squadron (and the lest touted Battle for Naboo), Factor 5 has been able to refine the gameplay for a game that's ultimately very easy to just pick up and play, but difficult enough to master. Perhaps the biggest compliment that can be given to the game though, is that once you have mastered it, you might just want to take it for another spin, if only to take in all the beautiful scenery. | ||
 | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | |
| "Castlevania: SotN - If I could only have one game..." | 2002-09-16 |
| No other series quite conjures the atmosphere associated with Konami's Castlevania series. Hearkening back to the days of the original Castlevania on the NES, the combination of classic monsters, from Frankenstein's monster to the Price of Darkness himself, coupled with a decidedly Japanese feel made for quite the gameplay experience, and luckily for us, the classics just keep coming. The latest in the series (sorry, while the 3D Castlevania games on the N64 are adequate, they just don't carry on the tradition), Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, is the first to not feature a whip- weilding member of the Belmont clan as it's protagonist, but rather the all-too-vampiric son of Dracula, Alucard, last seen helping Trevor Belmont in Castlevania III on the NES. Playing more like Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, or even Super Metroid on the SNES, Symphony of the Night adds some RPG elements like the ability to gain in strength by levelling up, equipping items and an occasional NPC. While the gameplay is a bit different than previous games, this is a good thing, as it adds depth to the already tried and true play mechanics of the series. The first thing you'll notice upon beginning Alucard's quest, is that this is not your usual Castlevania title. More closely resembling Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES), or to be quite honest, Super Metroid (SNES), SOTN sprinkles the tried and true play mechanics with a good many RPG elements. The ability to equip multiple items (weapons, armor, items, etc.), level up to gain strength and the ability to purchase potions, maps and other items, even conversing with the occasional NPC (namely Maria), are all typical to RPG's and their addition to the Castlevania formula results in a game that's very much more than the sum of its parts. Dracula's castle and the catacombs underneath are a huge area to navigate, requiring some time in the early going (you'll soon open warp portals to speed your quest later), and as such, the map is invaluable as far as finding areas you have yet to explore (again, they took it straight out of Super Metroid). The thing is that to unlock certain areas, you'll need to acquire items or abilities. Indeed, the true challenge in SOTN is not only defeating Dracula, but being able to explore the entire castle, both normal and inverted. And lest you think all this will be a tedious chore, let me assure you that controlling Alucard is a small pleasure in itself. While his movement is very fluid, he controls wonderfully, and while it will be second nature to any Castlevania fan within movements, the additions of certain spells to Alucard's repertoire make mastery a bit more involving. And for those who would rather control a belmont, Richter is selectable later on by code, although the going is considerably tougher for him. Konami could not have delivered a more complete experience. While I refrain from calling Castlevania: Symphony of the Night the Playstation's best game in the face of games like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid & Xenogears, I must admit that if I was forced to choose but one, it may very well be it. I will say that it is an amazing title in all aspects, and sadly, as things seem to be unfolding, perhaps the last 2D Castlevania title. The latest two Castlevania games, both on N64, have been in 3D, and to be honest, quite lackluster. As fate would have it, the only other known Castlevania title in development is also in 3D, this time for Dreamcast, and while I can only hope it can recapture in some small way the splendor that is SOTN, one has to suspect that the inherent problems with the titles is that they are not 2D, which is the soul of the series. If you want a post 16-bit title that is truly Castlevania, there is only one route to take, and that is Symphony of the Night (or the Saturn import version known as Nocturne in the Moonlight, which actually has a couple of extra areas and a playable Maria). | ||
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