It looks like lot of reviewers gave this movie low rating due to 'political incorrectness' and 'revisions' from original plot. However, I still thought it was an excellent movie for several reasons. Honestly I could not pinpoint exactly why I felt 'moved' when I was walking out of theatre nor inspired watching it on DVD again- I think, I think I felt moved and inspired because it does demonstrate a glimpse of 'truth', the truth that all nuclear war is possible as long as we and they have them. Our very fear of nuclear war might have diminished considerably after the end of the Cold War era, however, the 'possibility' still exists as long as the existence of nuclear weapons is a fact. I do not think the 'possibility' of nuclear war would differ whether it's Neo-Nazis or some fundamental terrorists trying to accomplish their purpose; the 'more' important point is that the sum of all fears will exists no matter what. I think I was moved because of another possibility that this existence of sum of all fears can be prevented by one side's willingness to yield and back down 'unconditionally'. This was very important factor, at least for a novice movie critic like myself, because you are preventing the sum of all fears by 'putting down' your pride and even risking everything you have- I was definitely inspired by Russian president's very courageous and bold decision in the heat of the moment... wow.

You know, perhaps I was moved walking out of the theatre on one sunny day because of realization that anything is possible. Anything is possible in the sense that I might die or vaporize instantly without knowing it, especially when you went through and witness 9/11. I was motivated to live my life more faithfully and courageously. And I also want to believe that the good of humanity can be achieved through true courage. (I'm being sidetrack here...but who's real 'chicken' when you refuse to smoke back in high school under peer-pressure? Those, who try to force you to smoke and call you 'chicken' for not smoking, are the ones who couldn't stand up to the peer-pressure in the first place...the true C)

I liked the ending, whether it's realistic or not, to see that there are still forces working for the good of humanity.

Alrite people..better get back to Ryan now.

It looks like lot of reviewers gave this movie low rating due to 'political incorrectness' and 'revisions' from original plot. However, I still thought it was an excellent movie for several reasons. Honestly I could not pinpoint exactly why I felt 'moved' when I was walking out of theatre nor inspired watching it on DVD again- I think, I think I felt moved and inspired because it does demonstrate a glimpse of 'truth', the truth that all nuclear war is possible as long as we and they have them. Our very fear of nuclear war might have diminished considerably after the end of the Cold War era, however, the 'possibility' still exists as long as the existence of nuclear weapons is a fact. I do not think the 'possibility' of nuclear war would differ whether it's Neo-Nazis or some fundamental terrorists trying to accomplish their purpose; the 'more' important point is that the sum of all fears will exists no matter what. I think I was moved because of another possibility that this existence of sum of all fears can be prevented by one side's willingness to yield and back down 'unconditionally'. This was very important factor, at least for a novice movie critic like myself, because you are preventing the sum of all fears by 'putting down' your pride and even risking everything you have- I was definitely inspired by Russian president's very courageous and bold decision in the heat of the moment... wow.

You know, perhaps I was moved walking out of the theatre on one sunny day because of realization that anything is possible. Anything is possible in the sense that I might die or vaporize instantly without knowing it, especially when you went through and witness 9/11. I was motivated to live my life more faithfully and courageously. And I also want to believe that the good of humanity can be achieved through true courage. (I'm being sidetrack here...but who's real 'chicken' when you refuse to smoke back in high school under peer-pressure? Those, who try to force you to smoke and call you 'chicken' for not smoking, are the ones who couldn't stand up to the peer-pressure in the first place...the true C)

I liked the ending, whether it's realistic or not, to see that there are still forces working for the good of humanity.

Alrite people..better get back to Ryan now.

I JUST WANNA SAY THAT FIGHTING THE FINAL BOSS ITSELF WAS WORTH PLAYING THIS GAME FOR HOURS, PERIOD.

Wow... I was surprised with what CAMELOT did with the first one, yet they surpassed the previous work with even better EVERYTHING!

BUY IT NOW.

ps: make sure you are playing with either game guide or online walk through- trust me.

however...

Wow... this game just blew me away since from early missions to the very AWESOME last mission... I didn't expect much from this 'flight simulator'... This game literally reminded me of Ridge Racer R4 after finishing it. Ridge Racer R4 was a great game because they added this simple story to an already great driving game with perfect jazzy music; Namco did exactly same thing to Ace Combat 4 by adding this narrative story aspect, which seems to be the winning combination for Namco. Game would've been a great mission-based game without the story. However, it would take this incredible 'experience' aspect away from the game.

Early missions are easy enough for anyone to engage...however, it becomes harder toward the end (I had to retry COUNTLESS times..ok, may be it's just me..) Once you get to the half way, you have to face 'updated' objective after accomplishing first objective. And I clearly remember this one mission where you have to destroy all the solar panels. You get updated objective after done so, which is that you have to fly below 2000ft in order to survive...(and the only way is to fly through the valley, while being chased by enemy jets) and oh my gosh- my palms were sweating and my eyes were literally glued to the screen with my utmost concentration- and let me ask you this; how many games have ever made you to give your 100% concentration these days? It's becoming harder and harder for me to finish a game to the very end these days yet I found myself coming back to this game again and again. Everything is there; gameplay, graphic, music, fun factor, and last but not least; experience.

Well, I wouldn't write this review unless I was compelled to do so... and I also want to simply 'beg' you to play this game if you happen to have any doubt.

DON'T MISS IT- REALLY.

Ok, it was a nice attempt to illustrates the code of honor, 'Bushido' through the experience of this trouble-minded westerner captain... however, I just cannot get rid of this feeling of being 'violated' of truth. It becomes much more apparent toward the end that this is clearly a propaganda movie to glorify 'Japanese value', at least in the eyes of Asian, who's familiar with Japanese 'cowardice'. The very reason I felt violated is not because of their past atrocity of human experiment and raping, however, their very 'cowardice', which refuses to admit and apologize for their war crimes today. Germany has compensated and apologized for everything they did to Jews; but not Japan. Why is that?

This movie was definitely excellent in the beginning, trying to show the modernization process coupled with conflict of old value with new, which Japan had to go through in the Meiji Era. However, the 'exaggeration' and this absurdly 'glorified' of this Samurai spirit and honor, which looks inspiring and moving to those with no Asian historical knowledge, turned this movie into a propaganda, or otherwise could've been an excellent movie.

Lastly, make sure to think about if what this movie portrays as Samurai 'value' and 'honor' match with historical truth of their 'cowardice' to simply admit.

I wouldn't call it 'honorable'.

The main reason I'm writing this review AGAIN is to warn those who finished game with only first 4 areas. Yes, it's true that you can finish this game and get the ending with 4 areas. However, if you are putting this game away after that, then you are making a big mistake here. I did exactly same thing, putting it away after finishing first 4 areas, which was nevertheless exhilarating experience.

MAKE SURE TO UNLOCK THE LAST AREA, WHICH HAS TO BE THE MOST AWE-INSPIRING PART OF THE GAME, PERIOD.

I know that this game costs alot these days, however, it's worth your money especially for those who want to 'experience', not just to play video games (Dreamcast version is also available). I get soaked with this strange feeling (after finishing all 5 areas straight), which I get time to time when it triggers the human's basic intrinsic questioning of its existence; who am I? where did I come from? Why am I here? Seriously, this is no video game; its existence is beyond that. You can't help but to be immersed into the world of Rez, the world of synesthesia.

save her, who is still trapped in the system.

please.

Strangely, this game becomes personal and you get to relate to each rivals, especially ones who gave you hard time.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3... The very first thing I noticed was the graphic. The first impression was that it ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE HIGHWAYS IN TOKYO. One of my Japanese coworkers took me to Japan couple years ago to show me Shutokou Highway after we were fervently discussing about the game(actual highway where game battle takes place). The funny thing is that I didn't think first two TXR games looked anything like actual highway, of course, it looked similar. However, when I was playing TXR 3, it just came to me naturally that this really does look like actual highway. Game looks very identical not only in details (now there's oncoming traffic) but most importantly the scale wise. Feels like actually racing in the highways of Tokyo.

Moreover, they have balanced whole battle system. You could sort of bump into walls and cars and still manage to maintain your speed, however, it wasn't the case with TXR3. Even if you are ahead of your rival, you could still lose EASILY, WHICH FORCES YOU TO MAINTAIN THAT INTENSITY, CONCENTRATON TILL THE END OF RACE. If you just scratch your car or bump into something, then not only you lose speed but also considerable amount of your 'health bar'. This game rewards those players who play with precision, taking game driving as if they were driving a real car. You wouldn't bump into anything if you were to drive your own car in real life while racing someone, would you? No, this game really rewards those who drive realistically. I think that was another great improvement over the previous games. Furthermore, they have tweaked whole physic, where you just can't blindly make a turn without being understeer, which could result in partial spinning..and there goes your victory. They have managed this 'up grade' aspect in a way it literally felt like playing a RPG. It was more like playing Dragon Warrior, where you are fighting to make money to buy better weapon/armor without feeling bored but rather anticipated for better equipment. I felt exactly same way as I was playing this game. One time I was racing against the ring leader, and when that leader was losing, the battle turned into this three-way battle; the leader was trying to drive away while the second team member tried to block me- Wow, I was just blown away!

Yes, this game does finally accommodate real licensing cars- however, they missed few crucial car makers like Honda/Accura. Having this license aspect does help with fun factor obviously despite of its short numbered licensing availability. This game also implemented weather change (raining) which seriously limit your visibility and that's another great addition.

You know, this game does have its own faults here and there.. but trust me, it does not interfere with your game in anyway because, for instance, you would be concentrating on driving, either trying go get ahead of your opponent or preventing them from gettting ahead of you, and I do not think you would notice any serious popups (and if you do, you must be a confident racer, not like me). One more thing I need to mention is that the difficulty has been lowered considerably in my opinion compare to previous two games. So if you were looking for something with more challenge, then this might not work for you. And for those who thought the previous games were way too hard, then this might be the one for you.

I guess if you are reading this game then you must be either new to the series or veterans who want to check out if they are buying another same old games- and rest asure because this is not a same game- (may be I could make a comparison between original Metroid and Metroid Zero Mission, which was the remake however it felt like a totally new game while attaining the original formula). Trust me, it's not about just having enhanced graphic here and there, changed menu and interface here and there.. they made substantial changes for you to not only enjoy the game but also appreciate the changes (especially for those who've played previous two games and were wondering if this is worth your money and time)...

AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO BUY AND PLAY THIS GAME ANYWAY IF YOU'VE PLAYED THE FIRST TWO GAMES, RIGHT?

So if you are making comparison with games like Gran Turismo or other games and decide not to buy this game (for whatever unreasonable reason), HEY, IT'S YOUR LOSS, SERIOUSLY. Gran Turismo is a great game, no question about it. However, there's some aspects from Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3, WHICH CANNOT BE REPLICATED ANYWHERE, EVEN WITH GRAN TURISMO 3 (AND PROLUGUE OF GT4), BUT IN TXR ONLY, PERIOD.

Tremendously enjoy this game like I have.

Gosh, I love Metroid (sigh, and can't believe I'm turning 30 next month..)

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

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

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

Enjoy.

You know, it's really nice to have them in your palm, the idea itself is just too cool, too awesome- where I had to go to local arcade to play these classics, now I can play in my bed... wow.. however, I wish that they would've put more attention in transferring them over to GameBoyAdvance version because they are not arcade perfect somehow, they are not. It's good thing that they altered the difficulty to give more challenge, however, when they change gameplay itself in games like Rush'n Attack, I have no choice but to have this bit of bitter taste in my mouth. However, its fault is outweighted by its strength such as adding more levels in Rush'n Attack, or most of all, PLAYING THIS TOTALLY NEW GAMES WITH INFAMOUS KONAMI CODE. I just found out that if you put that up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,B,A, on each game screen, you get totally new games, more lives, and, .... you just see what happens. Overall, you are getting more than you are paying for, so it's all good in the end. I hope that they would bring out games like this more in future.

Enjoy.

Ok, let's say if I were on a blinddate and my date is this really ugly girl- what should I do? Should I just tell her that she's fat and ugly and I have no interest whatsoever so have a nice day? Or should I at least see if she has a good personality? If you were on a blinddate with one thing in mind, to have a steamy date with a hot babe- then it's unfortunate that you met this ugly girl. However, if you don't mind the outer appearance and are looking for something substantial, then give yourself some time and you will see she's not that bad after all. Not bad after all.
Of course, DOA3 is way hotter than Kabuki Warrior, however, if you spend some 'QUALITY' time with Kabuki Warrior, you will see that she got something to share with you. If you have played the game through the end and HAVE PLAYED THE VERSUS WITH FRIENDS, KNOWING ALL THE MOVES, COMBOS(you are asking me COMBOS?? YES, BELIEVE ME, THERE'S SEVERAL COMBOS YOU CAN DO IN THIS GAME, SURPRISED?), THIS GAME IS TIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO GAME PLAY, REALLY.

You know, Niki was a really hot girl, yet she was high-maintanence(expensive) and arrogant(ok, because of her implant), didn't last that long with her.
However, with Martha, to whom I felt very comfortable with(look at the price!), gave me more of what I really wanted, gameplay, afterall.

If you are looking for a 2D game for XBOX and looking for something simple enough yet gets deeper to play with your kids, this would be an excellent choice. Please, don't judge this game with 1 min. of your playing time.

GET TO KNOW HER, MAN!

This very sequel, Metroid Fusion, will mesmerize you with the time-tested foundation of previous Metroid games with enhancement on every aspect. Graphic looks so vibrant and vivid that you will literally go WOW, seriously. Music wise, I would say they sort of took out that out-in-the-space atmosphere more and inserted more of movie score like, making it feel like more of movie. You know, that��s true because previous Metroid games had almost one objective, like destroy the Space Pirate, or exterminate Metroid, and that was it. However, Metroid Fusion contains many objectives, as part of story line, and yet they don��t feel like an individual objective, which would cut the flow of story, but it makes it like a well-made movie. You know, that was really nice addition because not only you are playing this classic of classics with all the great element intact but also with great story line like a sci-fi movie. Really, you will see what I mean. There��s this one aspect, a great aspect of the game which will be revealed toward the end of the game, which elevate this already a great game into something good enough to compete with games like Ico and Metal Gear Solid.

You know, I can��t help but to make a comparison with this recent game, Castlevania :H of D for GBA. Actually Castlevania implemented the concept from Metroid starting from PS version, Symphony of the Night (or may be back in NES time), which forces you to obtain certain item in order to proceed to next area. Not only Metroid Fusion kept that tradition, but also they threw in lot of secret passages. Seriously, as I was playing, I got really stuck and thought of it as bug. But there is always way to get out and proceed with the game. One thing I sort of didn��t like about Navigation Room was that it does somehow take away that full sense of exploration since it literally tells you where to go, unlike Castlevania. Ok, going back to the comparison, without a doubt, the Metroid Fusion really shines compares to Castlevania: H of D when it comes to boss fight. Yes, in Castlevania, boss fight wasn��t that hard because you literally have countless potion to heal yourself. However, in Metroid Fusion, you will have to either defeat them or you will be defeated. This really distinguishes Metroid Fusion apart from rest of games out there because you will have to really try hard, not only just trying hard but also maneuver Samus quickly and cleverly. You can��t just beat the boss by jumping and shooting some missiles without putting any thought into it, you will actually have to decide your move carefully. You see, in previous Metroid games, when you have, let��s say, 8 Energy tanks, you are like undefeated, right? THAT��S SO WRONG in Metroid Fusion because trust me, even if you have 10 Energy Tanks, the way they balanced your health/energy point is almost insane, one hit will take away more than half of your whole energy tank, not just boss but also regular enemies. So there��s this constant tension, even if you are walking with 10 Energy tanks with 150 missiles because just ��mere�� enemies can inflict tremendous damages, mark my word.

The very first game I played for Nintendo was Metroid, and it really showed me what an excellent video game is all about. After defeating that Mother Brain, and evacuating the planet within limited time to see ��another�� Samus, it gave me this sense of ��fulfillment��. When I finished Metroid 2 for GBC (I personally consider Metroid 2 as the best GBC game along with Zelda DX), I was left with this sense of ��completeness�� with brilliance of Metroid game. When I finished Super Metroid, I was crying like a baby for 3 hours (seriously, you gotta play for yourself to really ��experience�� the experience) with sense of ��Emotion��. Now, you have Metroid Fusion, which will give you the sense of fulfillment, completeness, and ultimately emotion.

Like this one review of Metroid 2 said, ��IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE BRILLIANCE OF NINTENDO, PLAY METROID"

DON��T MISS IT. REALLY.

Super Ghouls N Ghosts is the remake of Super Nintendo Version of Ghost and Goblin series, where they implemented this infamous double jump. This game is about timing, your ability to deal with the situation quickly, jumping with your instinct.. And this this double jump, it added much more possibilities, much more moves you can pull out in the game. They transported this sequel faithfully from Super Nintendo and I had to finish it in couple days. I had to finish it in couple days because not only I was in for nostalgic mood but also severely addicted to it. I've been playing games for latest systems yet finding myself putting down controller so easily due to games' lack of genuine game play.. yet this game is so addictive that I had to finish it in couple days.. It really shows what genuine 'gameplay' of a game can pull out time after time.

You play this game and you tell me- Beautifully drawn graphic, more-than-perfect-atmosphere-creating music, intuitive, intuitive control, and challenging game play which still shines after all these years.
I happened to have compilation disc for import Sega Saturn, which contains original Ghost N Goblin, Ghost N Goblin 2, and this SNES version. And trust me, being able to play this third installment before bed time, during break, while walking, it's just priceless-
They have included the original version with rearranged version. Original version does faithfully play like original version. Moreover, rearranged version included this never-been-played-before levels, which is partially from previous Ghost N Goblin series. That's right, they've included more stages from other installment.

I have no choice but to give 5 Stars for Super Ghouls N Ghosts because I'm truly grateful for being able to play this very game on GBA. Of course, this game does provide you with challenging gameplay because that's the trade mark for Ghost N Goblin series. I wouldn't want this game to be finished in one sitting and never play it again- I rather play them again and again to finish it and trust me, it's gonna take awhile to figure out the rearranged mode to play those 'new' stages. Man, I'm in for real treat these days, Super Mario(Yoshi's Island), new Castlevania, and Super Ghouls N Ghosts- Somebody pinch me!

Enjoy it.

PS: I love this kind of game; where you make mistake, then you are over. Not that you have health point to be depleted, but every move, every decision to either jump, crouch, move, or attack has to be decided quickly or otherwise you are a dead man. Man, I wish Capcom would bring out first two series in one gamepack eventually if that's possible- Either this or that, I welcome the idea of bringing over those classics, just bring'em in!

I read it in the magazine/reviews, saying that music was way out of line, outdated like good old NES time.. I wouldn't say it's THAT outdated, and also it was good enough, more than enough to create and convey the classic atmosphere of Castlevania series. What I really liked about this series was the graphic. Personally, I'm not really into graphic when it comes to gaming, however, graphic plays a significant role in Castlevania series and I'm more than satisfied with the graphic, which they managed to produce. The movement of Juste, the protagonist of the game, is simply unbelievable, par with the one from the Symphony of the Night for PlayStation.

Ok, I'll get to the point. I really welcome the idea of expanding the whole map so players can spend more time, which i find myself being thrilled like in PS version, like they did for Symphony of the Night for PS. However, the way they expanded, or more accurately doubled the size of the map, wasn't that inspiring like in PS version. In PS version, they included this 'inverted' castle, where every single area looks and is brand new, with all new enemies...whereas in this version, it was just simply doubled instead of being 'new'... So though you were going back and forth to get from Castle A to Castle B, it felt like you were just running around the same castle with little bit of change here and there, which you could tell it was done poorly with no solid effort. I was more frustrated then found pleasure out of this poor, poor effort of simplying doubling the original castle, compare to awesome PS version (I might be complaining about this simply because i have played PS version, for those who haven't played PS version, i'm not sure about how you will take it as..)

I didn't think the bosses were that easy, or may be it's just me who were having hard time with them. My point is that if you are there to fight with the bosses with no potion or any kind, I don't think there are lot of people out there who can say that they can manage to beat every single boss easily with confidence. It looks like the boss fights turned out to be easy one because of there's unlimited, literal unlimited supply of potions from merchants- Okay, may be you can control yourself from using no potion at all, but the VERY ESSENCE OF CASTLEVANIA SERIES HAS BEEN THIS 'THRILL' YOU GET FROM FIGHTING EVERY SINGLE BOSS WITH LIMITED HEALTH, PERIOD. The very serious flaw of PlayStation version, the flaw that the game became way to easy toward the end, has been fixed in the Circle of the Moon, the previoius GBA version by having consistent difficulty, yet that 'similiar' problem, I wouldn't say it's similiar but overall-wise, the game was on easy side when you compare it with previous Castlevania games. Of course, this game has this RPG element to it and character has to become stronger to face stronger enemies, but the game was still on the easy side.
I believe they could've done something by drastically raising the difficulty as the game progresses.
Now, why would I give this game 5 Stars with all the critical flaws I just mentioned above? Well, I don't know, but it seems like it's hard to find a 'worthy' game, worthy enough to finish it all the way, devoting my time out of busy schedule these days. So I figure that it offered enough elements and fun factor to finish it all the way in couple days. It's a great game. Well, it's a Castlevania game and i might have this favoritism for the series, however, I'm satisfied with this very series for GameBoyAdvance from objective perspective as well.

Enjoy it!

PS: Don't forget to get the 'real' ending

Playing Ray Crisis gave me exactly same taste/feeling, which I felt when I was walking out of the movie theatre. First installment, Galatic Attack, also known as Layer Section in Japan, was an awesome shooter games. It was great enough to be compared to be those great shooter games out there such as Radiant Silvergun and Shienryu. It was beautifully drawn, each level was designed with lot of thought, even the title of each stage was inspiring, coupled with excellent music by Zuntata.
Second installment, Ray Storm, which is an excellent game, not as good as the first one in my opinion, nevertheless, a GREAT game by today's standard. It incorporated more of 3D looking yet the graphic was BELIEVABLE, not those choppy graphic. The game play was also excellent, not as challenging as the first installment(but provided more than enough challenges), but surpassed Layer Section in terms of music and ending. The ending of the first installment was good, meaning it was better than other typical games where it only shows credit. However, Galatic Attack did something more than just showing credit. Moreover, Ray Storm, which has to be the BEST ENDING EVER for any shooter games. You gotta play the game to the end to see it for yourself. With the story scrolling up, with EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT MUSIC, it raised itself from just mere shooter game to something even more.

Now, with all the good things said about first two games of the series... Trust me, I was dying to play this very game. When I played it through, I was left with this emptiness. I might have enjoyed it up to certain extent if I haven't played the first two installment. However, first two installment were way up there in terms of gameplay, graphic, music, ending, etc, Ray Crisis just does not live up to the 'legacy' of the series, just like Alien 3 the Movie.

I don't want to get into the detail why I was disappointed, gameplay(what happened?), GRAPHIC(it looks worse then Ray Storm???), music(not intuitive), etc. I thought about how to describe this disappointment and came up with perfect description.

NO 'SOUL' HAS BEEN PUT INTO RAY CRISIS, PERIOD.

It's a decent game. It's good enough to be enjoyed. However, it's no near to be in same level with either Layer Section or Ray Storm. What a disappointment, what a disappointment...
I really hate to see this one of my favorite installment ending with Ray Crisis, a mere decent game. I really hate to see that...

First of all, the highest quality of FF10: Graphic. I'm sure people wouldn't hesitate to pick grphic as the strong point of FF10. Yes, indeed, it is excellent, just excellent. However, I thought the graphic wasn't THAT great. What I'm trying to say is that obviously the graphic does stand out, however, it doesn't standout, pulling out "Ahhh" or "Oohh". Those movie scenes were excellent, but other than that it was just 'average'.
If you want to witness to the one of the best graphic game, try Ico, it will put FF10 to shame. To put it in detail, it seemed to me that either they didn't integrate 'suitable' graphic for the story or didn't make it 'smooth' enough for gamers to feel comfortable with graphic. I always got this 'uneasy' feeling about graphic, of course, it was really minor thing, but felt like something wasn't match wholeheartedly.
I couldn't help myself from wanting to play FF7 as I was playing FF10. Of course, graphic texture-wise, FF10 is better than FF7, but hey, FF7 was on PSOne. Whenever I summoned Aeons, I couldn't help myself from thinking about summoning from FF7. Just simple presentation of summoning in FF7 was way better than FF10. For instance, Behemoth (I probably spelled it wrong) in FF10.. the execution and presentation were so messy.. it didn't give me that same feeling I had from summoning Behemoth from FF7, I still remember clearly how it used to be SO Awesome and So cool.. I didn't get bored watching same scene again and again, not only because the Behemoth evoloved in FF7, but also the summoning scene was simple yet just beautiful, just beautiful.

Story line is probably the strong asset of FF series, and I was just disappointed. Of course, trying to evolve the story around the relationship between father and son was a fresh idea, however, it wasn't good enough to really convey the full effect. I didn't think voice acting for Tidus was good enough, in fact, destroying the story line with sort of 'childish', 'immature' voice. Of course, Tidus acts immaturally time to time, but it was just way out of line. I thought the other voice actings were pretty good.
Story line of FF series has been the main reason for me to play FF series, and I have to admit that FF has lost its magic, the magic it once used to enchant people to be immersed into story..not there anymore.
I would say music was what people would've expected from FF series. I mean, it does an excellent job on creating suitable atmosphere, however, it doesn't live up to the legacy the FF series used to have. FF10 contains excellent music time to time,(ex: the scene where Tidus and Yuna plays at the lake) but didn't mesmerized me with it.
May be the only thing I liked about FF10 is the incorporating strategy element to the game, that was fresh enough, THE element for me to finish the game. Not only they succeed in creating some fresh concept for battle system, but also they made it much more difficult, so you wouldn't just do button-smashing to get the battle over with.

I read an interview of the either producer or the director of the game, and he mentioned about Sphere, where you can customize your character, according to his/her needs and ability. Personally, the sphere wasn't something, which it does let you customize your character EASILY. Of course, it does give you control to level up your character, however, the Sphere system was with its own flaws as well. Of course, I know, creating this kind of game, especially when the title of the game you are about to produce is Final Fantasy, I'm sure tremendous pressure is there.

Alrite, I better stop typing, almost sensing flying stones here and there.. To sum of the review, Final Fantasy is overdue for..I don't know, you tell me. I hope they make FINAL Final Fantasy, where it really contains every wonderful element of the FF series, and make it really long and into a masterpiece. I just can't imagine Final Fantasy 24 or even Final Fantasy 14.
I would've given this game at least 4 Stars, but had no choice but to make comparision with previous FF games, and thus there's 3 Stars.

Ok.. now you can throw your stones-

First of all, I would like to tell you how crispy and vibrant the graphic is. I couldn't believe how much of insane quality graphic this small screen was able to squeeze out, you gotta see for yourself to believe. I was totally amazed by the quality, which I didn't expect at all. If I have to point out something negative, it would have to be this 'angle' you have to adjust for maximum viewing. It's like this big projection tv, where you have to sit and look at it from certain angle to avoid strange glare. My other complaint has to be the length of the power cord, it's on bit short side. But trust me, that's a really minor thing, really.

How about sound quality? I would have to say it's more than enough to fully enjoy your game in everyway you can think of. Not only it lets you use headphone, but also you can control your volume as well. Of course, it doesn't provide like surround system or dolby digital/dts quality sound, but I don't think any of PSOne games support that anyway (may be except Final Fantasy series with dolby surround).

The strange thing is that I began to play all those PSOne games I didn't care to play before. I guess I'm sort of like a selective gamer, who plays games till the end when and only I find them worth playing till the end. However, this thing is so cute and so, so... WONDERFUL, it enchants those "worthless" games more "worthwhile", really, there's nothing like playing "less" worth games right before bed time.. I've been carrying it to library to play during break time or workplace. It's very portable too.
I am a big shooter fan and I replayed Striker 1945. The good thing was that import version supports arcade screen, which let you play as it is in arcade, typical vertical shooter. That's impossible with normal tv because you are not gonna put your tv on side way to play vertical shooter as it is, are you? However, all you have to do with PSOne was just rotate the whole thing, and there you go, you can play Striker 1945 vertically, as it is!!! You might say what's the big difference, it's just little sacrifice on the side with normal screen. Trust me, it makes a big difference especially for games like Striker 1945. (by the way, I found out that domestic version doesn't have that arcade screen support, doh!)

Now, to conclude this, I need to answer this one question: was it worth buying another system you own when the only difference is the size and this little screen? My answer is definitely YES and I just don't know why, but playing games on PSOne screen makes tremendous difference, don't know why but that's way it is.
Now, you can play your RPGs or even Fighting games (Street Fighter Alpha 3 looks GOOD!) while you are in the bed... Wow...what can you ask for more when you have this sturdy system with high quality mini screen? Trust me, you are getting what you are paying for. GET IT TODAY!!

The very core of this addictively fascinating game is this "Chain Combo" system where you have to think carefully before you place your falling pieces. You see, the thing with tetris is that you don't really have to think about how you would build your blocks and eliminate them, just keep on stack them and eliminate them whenever you have the right piece (unless you are after big scoring). However, PuyoPop forces you to think before you lay that slowly falling piece if you are going after chain combo, while being able to see what color pieces will be coming next. Of course, this game can be played as tetris, where you just stack them in group of four and eliminate them. However, the real fun comes when and only you play to build this chain combo, and trust me, you will have to think hard (ok, at least for me). I bought GBA Link to play with my friend, and trust me, and trust me, there's nothing like this (and man, I can't believe I'm 28..feel like I'm in jr. high again..)

The story mode wasn't that convincing, not at all, but it's better than nothing..yet I believe that this kind of corny story line might be perfect for kids, who know how to appreciate them (in fact, this corny story line might be just perfect for this kind of game..). I can just picture two people, dad and daughter, friends, brothers, sisters, and even lovers.. the possibility is endless... Don't miss this what could be the best multi-player game of all time and experience what the fuss is all about. Ok, I better go and practice to take him down with chain-combo attack!!

You might ask why then separate this episode apart from all 8DVD series, why not make this whole thing as 10DVD collection? Well, to be honest, I was really anxious to watch this 'the Movie' part, and now I've seen it, I understand why. They really needed to separate this and forth coming episode in order to differtiate them from previous episode. They needed to differentiate from previsou episodes because it will really show you what really happened, the truth behind NERV, SEELE, EVA series, Rei, and more, of course, this DVD will show you only part of it.
They changed everything in terms of ending music (no more 'Fly me to the Moon' I know, but you will appreciate this new music scores) and graphic is as you know the best you can find.

BUT I HAVE TO WARN YOU.

This is the tip of iceberg, period.

I know lot of people were disappointed by episode 24-26, where it shows psychomental status of Shinji, instead of showing what really happened at the end. This last episode will show you what really happened at the end. Yes, not only it will show you what really happened at the end, but also it will show you some inside story, insights, which will help you to understand the difficult part of previous episodes.

The very reason they put this episode apart from previous 8DVD, not including 'Evangelion Death & Rebirth', will become apparent as you watch them. They needed to separate this one because it needs special attention, special recognition, as it really sums up all the episode in this grand finale.

Not only they've changed the intermission (with 'Fly me to the Moon') but also changed the music as well. The ending music used to be this variation of 'Fly me to the Moon', however, the music was tastefully done, adding this feeling you get when you question 'Who am I?, what's is human, or orgin of it, the existence of GOD'.

SERIOUSLY, DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS NEEDLESS TO SAY THE BEST EPISODE OF THE NEON GENESIS EVANGELION SERIES. IT WILL ROCK YOU.

It's a decent RPG. However, I would consider it as a failure from FF's perspective. I really did expect alot from FF8 since the main theme is love. I really did anticipated alot... Play this game when you have plenty of time to kill, no other game to play.

Alrite.. I have to, first of all, let you know that this game isn't for everyone. I've played the series from NES day, Dragon Warrior 1 through 4, and replayed them again on GameBoy. Personally I love Dragon Warrior series more than I love Final Fantasy series. When you play the game for few hours, you will realize that it's not really easy to earn your money and experience point like other RPGs. What this means that you will have to not only fight diligently but also spend your money wisely. It's not like other RPG where you have so much money, you have no problem with equiping everyone with latest weapon and armor once you get to next town. However, in Dragon Warrior 7, you will have to work your way up to buy one weapon or armor for one character. Now..you might think that's so stupid, spending, or rather wasting your time on these meaningless thing, when you have world before you to save.. Wrong. You see, when i heard about RPG for very first time, I thought it was so stupid. Come'on, give me a break, no action whatsoever?? You just command character to attack or use magic, and that's it?? And your health point just got reduced by 8 points?? But once you get a taste of RPG, it becomes very addictive, isn't it? Same thing with earning money/exp. point, and buying that one weapon, that one armor which you will see with your own eyes during battles that actually equiping that very weapon, that very armor really works, inflicting more damage, reducing damage points from enemies. Like I mentioned in Dragon Warrior III review, Dragon Warrior VII doesn't flood the world with countless weapon and armor. There are just several of them, and really good ones, which you will have to search and find with good effort. You will appreciate each weapon and armor, knowing that they are not something to be done without even thinking about it in other RPGs, but it sort of becomes more personal, knowing you are battling to save money to buy that particular weapon/armor.

Music.. you know, personally, I love Dragon Warrior music much more than Final Fantasy music score. It seems like Final Fantasy does pull out excellent ones once in awhile, however, the composer (what was his name,,Koichi??) really knows how to compose good music score. His music, if you listen to them from Dragon Warrior 1, is very simple, yet it really does pierce into you very deeply. It's sort of easier to compose something with lot of sound effect/channel, but it is REALLY difficult to make a masterpiece with let's say only piano sound. The most famous music score for Final Fantasy is probably the very first song of opening movie, starting in C major, A minor, F major, G major then back to C again. Koichi is the master of composing excellent music score from very simple mean and sound. His music is very simple yet, really delivers the various situation. I still think the very first music from Dragon Warrior, the music which comes out when you are on over world field as the BEST music ever. And i'm glad Enix decided to bring some old sound effect, like going up and down stair, sound of reaching next level, etc.

One thing I didnt' like about Dragon Warrior 7 is that time to time, you don't know where to go, or get stuck because you don't have the stone shard to proceed to next story. What it means is that you will have to search everywhere, explore same place in present and in past as well in order to proceed. But that's really minor thing.

Overall, if you are too fond of Final Fantasy's graphic, and deep storyline, and haven't played previous Dragon Warrior series from NES time, then I'm not sure if you will like it or not. But one thing for sure, when it comes to the DELICATE BALANCE OF GAME PLAY, nothing can even come close, really.

Enjoy your Dragon Warrior, the Best Selling Japanese PlayStation game console Title of All Time! What about Mighty Final Fantasy?
DRAGON WARRIOR VII IS THE BEST SELLING JAPANESE PLAYSTATION GAME CONSOLE TITLE OF ALL TIME, PERIOD.

THIS GAME, I C O, MY FRIEND, IS THE GAME TO PLAY.

I never ever have played a game that brings this 'mere' game status to something that's almost divine... I loved Metal Gear Solid by heart, last words of Psycho Mantis, last scene of Grey Fox, and many more... This 'never-be-surpassed' game of my life has just been 'surpassed' by ICO.
I wish i could convey the significance of ICO in every way possible, but i could only tell you to play this game.
If you love a game that's intuitive in everyway imaginable, and love that emotional ride, then ICO is the game to get.
Dang it, don't rent, BUY it.

THIS GAME, I C O, MY FRIEND, IS THE GAME TO PLAY, PERIOD

ps: Let me add little bit more to how much I love this game; I bought a used one because i always wanted to play, knowing there's something special about that game. However, sold the used one the day i finished it(which took me one day to finish it) and bought a new one next day. And went on to buy japanese version to see the different ending (yes, different ending!). I guess what i like about japanese version is that you have to press and hold the button you use to call and hold hand of Yorda, instead of just pressing it once to hold hand of her. I thought it was inconvinient but now i think of it, it makes more sense because you keep 'holding' her hand as you keep holding that button =) One more thing, i see lot of people complaining about its 'short length', which is that the game can be finished under 10 hours. I really didn't think the game was short at all. I think, i really think ICO is the way it is right now because of its length. You can't argue Beethoven's MoonLightSonata was too short, or there should've been 5 Movement instead of 3, because it was perfect the way it is. Samething with Metal Gear Solid, everything was 'controlled' tastefully, unlike its disappointing sequel. I have nothing else to tell you but if you miss out on this game, SERIOUSLY, you are missing out on the best game of ALL TIME.

THIS GAME, I C O, MY FRIEND, IS THE GAME TO PLAY.

I never ever have played a game that brings this 'mere' game status to something that's almost divine... I loved Metal Gear Solid by heart, last words of Psycho Mantis, last scene of Grey Fox, and many more... This 'never-be-surpassed' game of my life has just been 'surpassed' by ICO.
I wish i could convey the significance of ICO in every way possible, but i could only tell you to play this game.
If you love a game that's intuitive in everyway imaginable, and love that emotional ride, then ICO is the game to get.
Dang it, don't rent, BUY it.

THIS GAME, I C O, MY FRIEND, IS THE GAME TO PLAY, PERIOD

Good thing about this PS2 compilation disc is that Namco decided to put more popular games like Galaga, PacMan, and DigDug all together, along with rearranged, enhanced version. If you were trying to get all three games, then you would have to buy 3 seperate PlayStation One games. The reason I bought this game is because not only it had all three favorite games I wanted to play, but the enhanced version of Galaga and PacMan are 'enhanced' enough for you to enjoy, not just change of music or some special sound effects.

So if you are into old arcade classics like Galaga, PacMan, and DigDug, and don't mind spending around 30 bucks, then get your copy. Nostalgic factor itself is worth it.
Oh, one more thing, when I looked at the back of game case, I thought Galaga's rearranged version as Galaga 2. However, make no mistake that it's not Galaga 2, one which you could move your space ship not only horizontally but also vertically. Enjoy it.

First of all, I would like to point out that game isn't like typical shooter, like most of 2D games out there, but it's more like Panzer Dragon Zwei-ish for Sega Saturn (Panzer Dragon incorporates 3D style shooting along with 2D games like Galatic Attack/Ray Storm, where you have to lock and shoot down enmies while you have to dodge their attacks as well. The main difference between Panzer Dragon and Rez is that Panzer Dragon has full 360 degree freedom while moving your dragon on a set course, yet Rez is only focused on shooting down the enemies/attacks, with no control over your person/thing; so instead of dodging enemy attack, you have to shoot them down before they get to you) So if you are into dodging enemy bullets with your 'intuitive' reflex system, where it tests your ultimate human reflexes, then this game isn't gonna do much for you.

I was very satisfied with the visual presentation. Trust me, it's nothing like you've ever seen before. It's mostly vector graphic-like visuals with trance music. This trance music adds alot to building up this trance atmoshpere, which Rez is trying to create. However, I was also dissatisfied because of its length. You can probably finish the game the day you bought it if you really put time into it. Now that's a big flaw for a shooting game for me. I like a game which I have to put time and effort to finish, playing again and again to beat that final boss(like Shienryu) However, it doesn't mean that it has infinite continues (like Giga Wings) so you can restart on the very spot you got killed, No. You will have to start from the beginning of that very level, so it's not that bad.

Final word is that is it worth paying ... for this really short game? It's definitely your call. If you are looking for something solid, long, typical shooter game, then I DO NOT recommend it. However, if you are looking for something unique, fresh in concept and idea and don't mind the short length with easy difficulty level, then it's definitely worth your money.
So it might be better to rent it first, but either you will gonna like it or hate it.
PS: is this game worth receiving 5 stars? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed it, let me put it that way.

Golden Sun really shows what GBA is capable of in graphic and music, trust me, you will be surprised with how they managed to pull out some amazing special effects. I wouldn't say the music was superb, but it does an excellent job by bringing out the appropriate and suitable feeling of the situation. And not to mention much more sound channels, make sure to play this game with headphone on, you will know the difference.

I think the story is pretty typical, using basic elements, fighting against evil, however, what it really pulled me into was the puzzle element. I mean, I didn't have this much of fun since Link's Awakening for Gameboy Color, trying to figure out the puzzle. You will be surprised because of not only traditional, well-thought out puzzles, but also some are very fresh in concept (you will know what I mean).

I think Golden Sun is better than games like Final Fantasy 10 fun factor wise. I could easily stop playing FF10 while I had to play Golden Sun again and again. Golden Sun managed build 4 main characters with their own characteristic/personality till the end, which was very nice like Final Fantasy series, and also was able to add that essence of Dragon Warrior series, which was about finding the way to get certain item or place. Once again, I would definitely recommend this gem to anyone who's looking for more than decent RPG for GBA. Oh, by the way, This is the very first chapter of Golden Sun, meaning there will be sequel to it. But don't think it will ruin the game play since it's more like the Lord of the Ring series, it will only give you more thirst to play sequel than ruining the experience. Enjoy it-

The very first thing you will notice is the improved graphic. I thought the first one had outstanding graphic, but Genki put more effort into details and overall graphic.
They have added realism into this sequel, which was not present in the first one. This time, your meter bar will be depleted if you make contact with any on-going traffic, rival, or environment, and instant lost if you bump into the wall while at a high speed.
They have quadrupled the length of the course, by adding more of Shutoko High Way to the first existing course. More cars to choose from and more rivals to race against.

However, the level of difficulty has been lowered somehow. Some boss weren't that hard to beat, in fact, some did instant death by bumping into wall, leaving me with easy victory, but bitter taste in my mouth. I make it sound that game has turned into an easy game, but it's not. Its final boss alone was something to talk about since it gave me sweaty palm, and it still offers great challeges.

If I have to sum it up, I would compare this sequel as Metal Gear Solid 2. Of course, Metal Gear Solid 2 was an excellent game with better graphic, music, and etc, but it lacked at its most crucial part, story line. And Tokyo Extreme Racer 2 also lacks the most crucial part of the game, which is the difficulty and racing being done instantly with instant lost. Like I utterly enjoyed very first Metal Gear Solid/Tokyo Extreme Racer over its sequel, still Tokyo Extreme Racer 2 is an excellent game. If you liked the first one, don't miss and I know you wouldn't miss it by all mean if you've played the first one. Enjoy it.

This game does offer variety with two types of racing and four racing team. Not only each team offers various difficulty, but also it offers different storylines. I have especially enjoyed night setting race course, with music which it brings out the essence of each course to its max. May be something's wrong with me for I just couldn't enjoy 'awesome' Gran Turismo games (third installment was very enjoyable)..you might say.. but this game was MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE than Gran Turismo, Don't miss it!