1 comments about XBOX 360 Handbook: The Official User's Guide (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This Handbook For the Xbox 360 is a must, it has everything you need to know about setting up your Xbox 360 and how everything works. If your are
   thinking about getting a Xbox 360 , be sure and get The Official Users Guide. It will help you get the most out of your system. this was a great buy for me as are all the things I buy on Ebay.

2 comments about Shadowrun: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I wouldn't recommend it. Hard to get a game of people because noone plays. Things are imbalanced. Save your money like I wish I did.



2. I have been playing Shadowrun at least 5 nights a week since it was released. So I bought this guide mainly to have a nice manual on hand since I like the game so much.
   
   However, I was pleasantly surprised. There were many great gameplay tips which I hadn't seen or thought of before. There are STATS for every single race, weapon, and magical item (I bet you don't know how many health points a tree has), and there are detailed drawings and descriptions of every single map.
   
   This is an awesome game guide and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Shadowrun, even experienced players like myself.

2 comments about AREA 51? Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides).

1. strategy guides for fps are a waste of money but i like to have them if i have the game sick addiction



2. If you need to find eveything, this is a great guide. Buy it : )

5 comments about Dark Cloud 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. Dark Cloud 2 is one of those games that desperately need a strategy guide. The game simply has too much going on. While not knowing something is rarely fatal, you will miss a fair number of things if you play from the ground up. This means going back and redoing stuff when you finally figure out what is wrong (if you figure out that something is wrong) or overcompensating by extensive leveling up.

   It is no surprise that this guide is over 200 pages. Prima has a high standard for attractive packaging, and this is no exception. The material is generally accurate (I did find a few glaring mistakes) but is less successful from the viewpoint of clarity and coverage. This is one of the few guides I have read where so much effort has been made to avoid spoilers that the authors forgot that a strategy guide is supposed to be part spoiler. Because of this quirk, fairly straightforward information has been obscured or left out.

   Take maps, for instance. Unfortunately, there aren't any. This is a game that always rearranges its dungeons, so maps can generally be done without. But, there are fixed locations where maps would help. These areas are important sources of supplies and character improvement materials. Just the place where a little help could go a long way to ease the craziness of the game.

   Another example is improving weapons. As you move along in the game, it gradually comes clear that your weapons are never strong enough. It took me a while to realize that powering up is much more complicated than either the manual or the guide indicate. If you don't catch on to this, the last parts of the game can get very frustrating.

   So, this is a mixed review. I couldn't have done as well as I did with the game without the help provided by the guide. In that sense it is a great success. But what was left out contributed to a great deal of my frustration. I'm coming to the conclusion that guides are becoming too fixed on large amounts of supplemental, cool, (and basically useless) materials (to compensate for being expensive and of limited use) and less on making sure that coverage is good. Even so, I don't think the buyer is going to be disappointed, but be prepared for a lot of unexpected quirks.




2. This strategy guide is informative of what items you will acquire during the game. They do let you know when an inside scoop is coming up on the particular level you are on. That's as far as i can go though. Alot of info is left vague as far as step by step dungeon walk thrus which I think is why you want a strategy guide in the first place. So you don't miss key items in the game.



3. This strategy guide is extremely helpful for first time play-through, and as a reference for subsequent play-throughs, but there are a few wild inaccuracies, and some sections seemed to me to be incomplete. It contains detailed charts on fishing, weapons, photo scoops, and inventions that are invaluable and mostly accurate. It's well worth purchasing if you remember to take its information with a grain of salt.



4. This guide provides me a good strategy on how to progress through different stages, how to beat the boss and also have a pictoric preview of the stages I am going to walk through. This guide also have lists of photo ideas in each area and creature items list. I think this guide is valuable. I will keep it.



5. There are very few RPGs that have as much depth as Dark Cloud 2, it is one of those rare PS2 games that realizes the true potential of the PS2. I can't imagine how big a complete guide would have to be for DC2. Even if this guide had only helped me a little I would have been happy, but it helped me a lot. I'm one of those players that don't like to use guides but when I do I want it to hold my hand and walk me through it and this is the only thing that keeps this guide from being 5 stars.

5 comments about Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide.

1. This is a GREAT book. If you played and/or liked those wonderful video game systems and game cartridges from that era, GET THIS BOOK! Yes, the price is steep but you get so much! First, it's a hardback book with quality binding for repeated readings and "thumbing through." Second, there is a LOT of info in this book about the systems and the individual games. I had been thinking about buying some of the rare (and expensive) games but after reading the author's description of them, I discovered that some of them weren't what I expected and would have been a waste of money for me. So getting this book not only told me a lot about these great classic games systems and games, but also saved me money!



2. I would like to say, before I get into the review, that I thoroughly enjoy books like this, and have enjoyed flipping through this one. With it's flaws it's still an enjoyable book, and if you'd like to relive some of the early days of gaming, you can much worse than picking this one up.
   
   That said, what I feel brings this book down so much is that it's very much biased in the descriptions of the games. It is an impressive undertaking to describe every game that was available for platforms between 1972 and 1984, and the descriptions of them is nice and appreciated. But with the book looking very much like a textbook and having the phrase "A Complete Reference Guide" written on the front, the last thing I want in the descriptions (remember that I'm talking about the descriptions of the games specifically) is the bias of "this game is mundane" or "this is one of the best." If they had been broken up into core data on the game and an editorial, somewhat akin to the Digital Press Guide, it would have been more worth reading. Be sure to take all of the writing with a grain of salt.
   
   It's the bulk of the content that keeps the score as high as I've given it, and the presentation is very beautifully done. Having met and spoken to Brett Weiss I know the publisher is one that also put out text books for schools, and that explains the clean presentation, along with the clean black-and-white pictures strewn throughout the chapters being placed perfectly among the outlines for each game. Honestly though, I would have liked more description of the games other than just the content; it seems almost rushed in the way the publisher/developer-type info is pasted at the top of each blurb.
   
   It's a decent product, an interesting read, and a beautiful-looking book... I just wish the content was a bit less biased and cut to the core of what each game was about, maybe more background info... but I can dream, and if he decides to work on a more up-to-date game-describing collection he'll take criticism to heart, making his project even better.



3. This tome seems to have been written with my video game tastes and interest in mind. I don't care too much what has gone on in the video game world after 1984, except for games that have been released for the systems covered in this book. If you love the classics like I do, check this out...I haven't seen a better book than this one. Each system is covered reasonably extensively with reviews of all the original games released. I would of liked the author's take on homebrews as well....but at least he includes a list in the appendix of what has been released for the various systems. I enjoy the editorial content; I get a feel for what his likes and dislikes are and then judge the game accordingly. Of course, I agree more than disagree with the majority of reviews of the games I have played. It was delightful to read about systems and their respective games that I don't own as well. Plus, I enjoy browsing through the glossary provided. This book is a labor of love, and I recommend it to everybody who is fond of the "Golden Age" of home video gaming.



4. I recently received my copy of Classic Home Video Games. GREAT JOB!
   
   After purchasing several expensive pinball books that ended up being more along the
   lines of a family photo album, e.g., "Here's me with Wayne Neyens", "Here's
   another picture of me with Wayne Neyens", "Here's a picture of my kid with
   Wayne Neyens"...this book was a welcome addition to my library. This book is
   highly professional and, as such, extremely useful. The caliber of this book
   is along the lines of legal reference books. Frankly, I never expected to
   see this degree of organization and editorial discipline in this particular
   arena.
   
   This contribution to the chronicling of the classic video games will be
   priceless to collectors for generations to come. This book is the benchmark and
   basically defines the niche.
   
   Please be aware that this is a serious reference work. It is not a "coffee table" picture book. Also, as with any type of review, there is a certain amount of subjectivity involved, however, the author provides useful, relatively unbiased information considering there were undoubtedly page limits that had to be adhered to.
   
   I have a large library of collectible-type books spanning an eclectic variety of subjects, and this is one of the best such books that I have. If you look upon yourself as a video game collector or enthusiast, this is a MUST HAVE.



5. Before I start nitpicking, let me begin by saying that this book is great. As far as other reviewers feel about Weiss's personal opinions about games, I WELCOME them. The author would be performing a disservice by not warning collectors about duds before we unload a hefty amount of cash on them.
   
   Now let's talk about room for improvement. For the price, and the type of book (hardbound compendium), I expected something with more keepsake quality. The pages are thin, and all of the photos are in black and white, which in my opinion deters from what the pictures are trying to convey.
   
   While this book is thorough in describing each game for each system, the essays on the systems themselves are all rather short, 1-2 pages. A longer passage, including more hardware specs, history, and even company politics at the time would have been great.
   
   But at the end of the day, it's a welcome addition to my library. As part of a dying breed, I love being able to walk over to my bookshelf to look up a game, rather than having to google it. Great job, Brett. Perhaps a 2nd edition will knock it out of the park.

1 comments about StarFox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. This Strategy Guide is a very good thing to have! When I got this it helped me through all the things I had no idea how to get to, like Darkice Mines, I had no idea how to get up to that vortex but now I do haa! anyways anyone who has this game get this guide its very good and well written! The game isawesome too so ppl who don't have it get it holla!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 comments about Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This is not a bad guide. I wish it had a bit more detail in terms of multi-player and skirmish strategies. A lot of this guide focuses in the campaign. Normally, that would be OK, but since the campaign in this game is so short and basically a no-brainer, I would have appreciated more skirmish and multi-player info.
   
   None of that is the author's fault however. It just results in a strategy guide that is OK, but not crucial. Buy it if you really like to play the game and plan to play it a lot. Otherwise, you can probably do without this guide.



2. This book is absolutely useless. The only worthwhile hint in the entire book is to program specific hotkeys to certain squads to access them quickly. This is a good hint, too bad the book doesn't tell you HOW to program said hotkeys.
   
   (Hot keys are also not explained in the Dawn of War manual, either.)
   
   I finally learned the Zen art of hot-key programming from my brother, an ubergamer who figured it out because DoW is similar to another game he played, and I will now go the extra mile and share the secret knowledge Prima does not. (Save your money, the book is worthless!)
   
   With the squad, or building, or whatever you want to access the hot-key with currently selected, hold the CTRL button down and then press a number. That number key will then be the hot-key for that squad or building. For example, you select the Marine Chapel Barracks, and hold down CTRL, then the "1" key. From now on, if you press "1" once, you'll get the menu for the Barracks, pressing it twice will center your map on the building itself. Voila, more strategy advice than the entire Prima guide.



3. Okay, if you play computer games, you have more than likely have used a Prima Guide before. The reason why I bought this one was because the original instuctions on Dawn of War did not go too much into detail about the units and not much explanation of the tech tree which in my opinion, is a little trickier than the average RTS.
   
   The basics of this guide are a walkthough portion for the single player campaign which I only half-assed used for the reason that I don't like to spoil it too much. After finishing, I would review the guide and maybe see something I didn't see before.
   
   There is alot more detail about the units and buildings so you can figure what will be useful for your style of play and what won't.
   
   The best thing about the guide is the maps for when you decide to do single or multiplayer skirmishes. It tells you what style of play they are good for and also they are the only source to find out about the details like how many strategic points, critical locations and relics there are. You can't even find that on the game until you are in the mists of playing it.
   
   Over all, a good basic guide. But like I said, if you have bought a Prima Official Game Guide before, you should know what to expect.



4. If you like the 3rd person looking down view on your war games... (and I do) this game will provide you alot of entertainment.
   
   
   over all it is just another revamp of the starcraft / war craft era... If you liked them yuou will like this



5. Nothing exceptional but not bad either. The walkthrough gives detail explanations on tactics, the type of units you should produce and how you load them out. The walkthrough also provides on how to organize your forces using the control and number keys so I take exception to what an earlier reveiwer said. The maps were helpful and the chapters on the different races was useful. I found the information organized logically and easy to find. All and all pretty much what you would expect.

2 comments about Sly 2 Band of Thieves: Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games).

1. This game just rocks. It is so much fun and so detailed that you would probably think that the guide is too. You would be wrong. This guide lacks almost any real useful information and is confusing. While it is clever to do it in a comic book fashion, the important info is either hard to find or non existant. Many times, info that I needed to know was not included and the clue bottle map is non demetional and hard to determine where the bottles are. I have actually had to get that info else where. In fact, if you need assisntance with the game, I STRONGLY suggest you travel over to gamefaqs.com and look it up there. Much better advice and its free. Don't waste ur money with this guide, I am sorry I wasted mine.



2. This reads like a graphic novel. It really is a great information filled guide if you take the time to read it. Playing games are not instant, and neither is this guide, but I really like the format. It makes it more than a guide, but also entertainment on it's own.

2 comments about Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon Official Strategy Guide.

1. AWESOME guide, helps u do all missions and guide to the mobile suits u can use. i would have gave a 100 star... ^_^" if only i could... well thats all i can say! buh bye people



2. AWESOME guide and its shows u all mobile suits and it shows the missions and the mobile suits u get from the missions. i wish i could give it 100 star ^_^" well its reliable and its good. buh bye!

2 comments about Warhawk Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. i bought this guide hoping to get better at the game. i read it and all the tips that it gave me, i was already doing them. the good thing about it is it tells you where all the pick ups are at (like those dang land mines). but the rest is simple stuff. im glad i didnt buy it at best buy for 16 bucks. thanks.



2. For the beginner this is a great buy, but since the guide has come out there has been many upgrades to warhawk that the guide doesn't cover.
   
   Warhawk now has jet packs, new personnel carriers, and many more upgrades.
   
   Also there is a new training program on the game that is very informative.