4 comments about Phantom Brave: The Official Strategy Guide.

1. I was really surprised by the book's size. It's really small and I don't mean content wise. I'm talking about height and width. This thing's tiny, but it's colorful and in my opinion beautiful. It's very helpful providing many hints for the storyline battles. The line at the back of the book basically tells you what this book's for. To get EVERYTHING. It has charts for skills, characters, and items in the back. They even realize there are a few things that aren't done being researched and they tell you that it will later be included in their website.



2. And that's exactly what you'll do to Phantom Brave after you've invested in this guide. This is by far the most comprehensive strategy guide I've seen! It may be tiny (height and width wise) but it goes to show that big things come in small packages.
   
   If you're having any trouble with Phantom Brave, this is the guide to get! The walkthrough is DETAILED... VERY DETAILED. If you say this is a bad guide, you must be reading it upside down.
   
   Speaking of upside down, there actually is a section that is printed upside down intentionally. This is the section that has the spoilers and such. It's printed upside down for good measure too. How many times have you casually flipped through a strategy guide and seen a "certain something" happening to a "certain somebody" (BradyGames FFVII guide anyone?); or even worse: an ending spoiled? This guide prevents that and even at the top of these pages it says in big bold red letters "SPOILERS".
   
   The walkthrough is the most incredible aspect of the guide. Most guides are decorated with tons of artwork to take up space. Well not this one! This guide has text virtually EVERYWHERE and its really helpful too. Nice BIG and clear screenshots with helpful captions. That's not all, the guide has a good sense of humor and doesn't take itself so seriously. It's always nice when a guide reads more like a companion as opposed to reading like a computer. In all essence: The guide speaks to you. Detailed maps and helpful tactics that'll let you win.
   
   As if that wasn't enough, the guide has advanced techniques. In these advanced techniques you'll find a way to beat the game in less than five hours and STILL have all the best items you can get! How incredible is that!?
   
   There's one small little bonus too. If you look at the top corner of the right page (odd pages) you can make the guide like a flip book. Just flip the guide and stare at the top corner and you'll notice Ash is moving. Okay, a little useless but you can tell the authors put their heart and soul into this guide.
   
   Lastly, don't miss an interview in the back with Nippon Ichi. Not only will reading this interview help you learn about Phantom Brave and its creation but you get insight on Disgaea: Hour of Darkness as well.
   
   This is one incredible guide and no one should miss ou ton it. This is the perfect companion to Phantom Brave. Much more detailed than any other strategy guide out there.



3. This guide, besides i haven't use it completely, is a very nice piece of art, from the drawings, to the organization of the guide itself. many information and tables. Good work



4. I want to start by saying that I don't normally buy strategy guides; I typically use online walkthroughs/FAQs. But I knew with all the intricacies of Phantom Brave, this would be a good guide to get. I definitely wasn't disappointed. Double-Jump has once again put out a fantastic, informative, and humorous guide to help you through another great game by Nippon-Ichi (NIS). It has all the technical information you'll need to really master the game, and understand all its finer points. Almost all the formulas used in the game are laid bare, but at the same time its set up to be simple for those who don't want all that extra information. They even added an extra "upside-down" section to prevent you from accidentally reading some information that could spoil the fun of discovery in the game. On top of all that (and the reason I gave 5 stars instead of 4), they give you a web site you can go to, to get any information that may have been left out (a formula or two), as well as to correct any misprints (such as the stats for Archers). Another great guide, from a great company, to help you enjoy a great game (from another fantastic company).

5 comments about Pikmin: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. Why are these strategy guides always printed so badly
   that they cannot survive a single read-through? Those
   who care about these books want to refer to them over a
   nd over again, so they deserve a proper paperback binding,
   instead of a binder inferior to that found on the
   typical drugstore magazine.

   My ten year old boy likes this book, but my six year
   old is the one who really loves it. Both can use the
   information, after playing for some months without ever
   finishing the game. Don't buy this book until you've
   already spent some time with the game on your own - why
   spoil the fun for those parts that you can figure out
   for yourself? Save it for when you get stuck.




2. Y'know I like books that provide a lot of information.. but this one is a bit *over* detailed. With it, you might as well not bother finishing the game. It takes too much of the challenge out of it...



3. this guide is very organized and i recommend it for anyone wanting to complete the game pikmin.it very well helped me with completeing the game.this guide is a good book for its great walk through and detail information.i suggest it for you.



4. This walkthrough is not really necessary for this game. I beat it and I had no Idea what I was doing. I just kept going and collecting ship parts. The only things that you really need to is make sure that you get at least a part a day,taht's it... Even if you don't know how, tyr getting it anyway, and if you can't get it, then try to get a different part. that's it . so this walkthrough is not really needed, unless your not a hardcore gamer.



5. This walkthrough/strategy guide is not needed. I beat the game without it, and from other reports it tells you everything. Heck, I'd bet it even tells you the endings. So if your looking for a challenge, then I'sd suggest that you DON'T BUY THIS GUIDE

1 comments about Super Paper Mario: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. Since Nintendo came out with the Wii last year, there have been a lot of good games for it like The Legend Of Zelda Twilight Princess. However, when it comes to maps and strategy guides, you can often find it as a hit or a miss for Third-Party companies like Prima with those guides. Especially with Nintendo's latest Mario adventure Super Paper Mario. Although the guide is sometimes handy, it just doesn't detail enough information from the maps, which at times makes it very frustraing to play on the Wii. I honestly suggest you get the Player's Guide Nintendo made instead. It might be a few bucks more, but it is much more worth getting, especially if you want to master Bowser and crew.
   
   Price: C
   
   Maps: D+
   
   Convience: C-
   
   Overall: C-

No comments about Armored Core 2: Another Age: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

5 comments about Vagrant Story Official Strategy Guide (Official Guide).

1. Vagrant Story is one of the best games in gaming history as of today and this guide does nothing else but prove that point! It has everything you need to complete the game and view the entire world map! True, it does have a few bad points, but it still is very good. ............



2. The Vagrant Story guide is one of the best strategy guide efforts I've seen in a long time. Virtually every facet of the game is covered in tremendous detail. It starts off with a HUGE introductory section, and quickly dispels the inevitable confusion gained from reading through the instruction booklet in regards to the characters, game controls, battle engine, and inventory management. No mode of the game is left uncovered, and each is given an appropriate amount of attention and detail. The weapons, spells, abilities, and items sections are not just comprised of mere lists; pages are taken to describe exactly what each thing does, as well as how to most effectively manage your quantities of each given the limited carrying capacity available in the game.

   The game walkthrough is handled with the same degree of detail. Each main area starts off with a very thorough map, which shows how each room connects to the other areas, as well as the booty and bosses contained within them. Given the VS is a game that requires a decent amount of backtracking, it is a pleasure to note that these maps are repeated throughout the guide as older areas are revisited in the walkthrough; this saves the gamer the time and effort of flipping back through 20 or so pages to find out the best way to navigate to the next destination. The room descriptions are wonderful, as they point out what nasties and obstacles are found in each and how to get around each one. Accompanying screenshots are large and clear.

   The game's numerous bosses each require very different strategies, and this is just another area where this guide shines. Don't expect merely a sentence or two that give you the boss' name and a list of its abilities; you get that, plus numerous (and thoroughly tested) strategies to bring each one down based on your playing style. You'll be told what types of weapons and spells work the best, as well as how to manage your RISK factor so it works to your advantage rather than a disadvantage. Also worth mentioning is the extensiveness to which particular character abilities are most suitable to dealing with each foe-quite useful.

   The guide doesn't leave you hanging after the final boss either. The "extra" areas of the game that are only available for play after completing the mission once are presented, in no less detail than the rest of the book, in the final section

   There were only a few noticeable weaknesses to be found. Solutions are abound to all of the game's block puzzles, but the screenshot-to-screenshot approach the author took did not seem the most appropriate method. These sections of the walkthrough require multiple re-reads before you can understand the perspective they were written from. And the occasional "wrong direction" instructions may leave some gamers frustrated if they're not able to pick up on the solution after a few steps. Many of the high-end weapons and other equipment were noticeably absent from the tables in the intro section. There was also the occasional area name left off of the maps, and some sections of the walkthrough began without telling the player how they got from the last location to the current one. Plot spoilers are also present in some parts, so one must be careful not to look too far ahead. But because these are exceptions rather than consistencies, it's not enough to bring the book down to a mediocre rating.

   Overall, this is a fantastic guide for a fantastic game. Each page is packed with game-related information only, and no wasted space is to be found. If you're in the market for VS literature, you're bound to find something in this book to give you the edge.




3. This game book has a LOT of errors. Examples: saying the armor you wear effects the potions you drink (nonsense). There is a room that you are told you MUST have a spear weapon in order to move a block and proceed. Not only does the spear not work on the block, but you only need jump onto the ledge next to the block to get around it...

   There are three bosses you are told you should use the Instill chain command which will remove 10% of the bosses hit point if it works. Huh? That doesn't work, not even vaguely (no suprise, thats not the description of Instill, or any other chain command.)

   the real way to beat these bosses: For Kali and Asura, use your best Human weapon on the arm that is weak (thats the only trick: one arm will be easy to hurt, the rest will be virtually indestructable).

   For the final boss, let him zap you once with a spell, then pound on him with Raging Ache. He'll go down quick.




4. I do agree that this book is missing a few things, namely a complete armor and weapons list. Also, the publisher put the weapons combinations tables at their website instead of in the book, which Brady has a bad habit of doing. But the last review, and several others, point out things about the guide that just aren't true.

   For instance, armor DOES affect the way potions and spells affect your character. It's clearly stated in the game instruction booklet and in the in-game Quick Manual (a built-in reference guide for playing the game.) So the author is not wrong in stating this. I do agree that it's more affected by the weapon's intelligence, however. Also, there is a very complete table of Break Arts, Chain Attacks and Defense Abilities, so I don't know why some of these reviews harp on that. One review stated that the best weapon in the game is not in the guide. That's not true, it's detailed in the Clear Game section on p.165 at the bottom. Only it's called the Excaliber in the american version. I also did not find that there was any problem with the Instill ability's description or use by the author. He says when to use it when appropriate. Mostly he states to use Raging Ache, and his final boss tactic works supremely well. I would advise other reviewers to actually read the guide and play the full game before passing any judgements.

   I can see that tremendous efforts were made on the part of the author to render a very complete guide. While there are a few non-essential elements missing, the guide does give you solid strategies for beating the game in style. I don't agree that there are plot spoilers in the book, it seems that the author went out of his way not to discuss the story at all. When a cutscene happened, I wasn't expecting it because the author hadn't indicated that it would occur (like so many other authors tell you about every single cutscene), and I appreciated it very much. I would say it is worth buying this if you are new to RPGs. But for those who want every single element of the game represented, there are more complete strategy guides available for free online.




5. I play videogames for ten years now, and I have approximately 60 strategy guides (Nintendo, Prima, Versus Books, Bradygames) for various games. When it comes to strategy guides I'm very demanding about clarity of the text and organisation of different sections, the quality of maps(!), listing of items etc.

   This guide deserves 5 stars. The maps are clearly drawn, very detailed, include texts for the most important steps to clear a mission (complemented by the text, of course), and clearly indicate the most important locations (chests, save points, and -especially important - your STARTing point which some guides completely miss). The sections about items and enemies are also very clear and complete, and so is the text of the walkthrough (with reference points to the maps). Overall, this guide has one of the best maps I've seen in a strategy guide which are informative, clear, and a great orientation throughout the game(no fancy pantsy 3D-maps which lack listing of items, are confusing and not a big help). The guide is worth every cent.

4 comments about Robot Sumo: The Official Guide.

1. This is a must-have text for every robot builder; generously full of inspiring ideas, pictures, circuits, diagrams, techniques, and strategies.

   With one or more pictures or diagrams on almost every page, Pete's "Robot Sumo" guide details and explains in a clear and easy-to-understand way the various technologies, techniques, and tricks involved in building sumo robots (which can also be applied to other types of robots). The abundance of pictures and diagrams expose the mystery of these fighting robots through 16 well-organized chapters, allowing the reader to easily grasp the ideas with enough detail to be able to easily incorporate them into their own robotic projects. This text is appropriate to all ranges, from the beginner to robotics looking for a place to start through the seasoned robot builder looking for advanced techniques. There are details for radio-controlled robots as well as a wealth of information on autonomous robots. The text also has a very comprehensive index to allow you to quickly locate specific material, plus two appendices full of references. I just got my copy of the book today and I have already discovered many useful construction techniques that I plan to incorporate in my own robots.

   This is the best single-source of robot-building information on the market today!




2. I read this book from cover to cover, and I have to say that it's an excellent book (and I'm not just saying that because my robot Marauder has a picture in the book).

   This is the book I wish that I had when I got started.

   I highly recommend it.




3. This is an excellent book on sumo robots. It takes you all the way from building your first sumo robot to construction of the battle rings.

   Lots of pictures and lots of solid technical information. This book is a must have you want to build a sumo robot or want to improve a robot you've already built.




4. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who wishes to handmade his/her own Sumo Robot Wrestler and compete against many other Sumo robot builders.
   Pete Miles explains in detail how to design a Sumo robot and how to put all components together.
   Great book with lots of photos and diagrams.
   It's even priced reasonable.
   I believe this book would become a bible for every Robot Sumo enthusiasts worldwide!!

1 comments about The Temple of Elemental Evil(tm): A Classic Greyhawk Adventure Official (Official Strategy Guide).

1. Don't get me wrong - I loved Troika, and I play lots of D&D games, so I'm pretty surprised to be giving such a low rating. The game is very ambitious, but the flexibility of choice isn't matched by the programming of the game.
   
   The two most glaring problems are the dialog options and the turn-based combat. The dialog options don't follow a set structure (that is, the "exit dialog" conversation might be any one of the options; typically it would be the last). As for the combat, there is no way to see melee or ranged dice rolls, so it is difficult to tell what is happening in combat.
   
   Even the most hardcore D&D/Gary Gygax fan will find this a bit slow moving and boring, except when he is forced to reload over and over.

5 comments about Silent Hill (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. Hey where are the secrets in this book? How to see the UFO, the hyper blaster and the sword. This book dosen't even list them.



2. This is a great guide it tells you everything that's in the game. It also tells you how to get a perfect score, I recommend you get this guide for Silent Hill because you're going to need it a lot!



3. I fully agree with most other reviewers. The guide for this game has got to be the worst I've ever used. I definitely have the feeling that the publishers rushed through this project. Truly a shame as the game itself is the creepiest of the survival horror genre. There are a number of items the guide misses like extra weapons, alternative areas of exploration and an alternate ending. You'd do better downloading a guide for free from one of the many gaming sites.



4. I got this hoping it would help with the puzzles. Now there must be at least 2 versions of the Silent Hill game. As this book only has 199 items listed as the total. and there are actually 204 + Hidden Items.

   This guide helped through some basics but had bad info too. Like the turnstile puzzle it was wrong. It was NO HELP with the piano.

   And did not have full item & weapon lists. Like it did not even mention the Hammer which is like the most wicked thing in the world.

   The maps were totaly excelent. But alot of stuff wasent marked. Or was labeled in the wrong place. Like the steel pipe & some ammo & drinks ect.

   This book is great for maps and some tips but thats it.

   It only has 2 locations for the channeling stone.

   All in all this book is quite dissapointing =(




5. A must have for anyone who likes the silent hill video games. weather your a collector or a die hard fan or jsut a confused first time player of this game this book is for you!

2 comments about Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (Exp Pak 1) (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. After waiting excitedly for this guide release (which was a month late), I was very disappointed with its content. Unlike Zoo Tycoon 2's original Prima guide, which was awesome and contained lots and lots of useful strategies and tips, this strategy guide is mostly screenshots. The text that is included is mostly just verbatum quotes from the game itself. For example, under the "challenge" explanations, it mostly explains the challenge goals... exactly the same as the game does. What's the point?
   
   The book advertises lots of "ways to make more money," however, if there is this information in the guide, I've yet to find it... there is no chapter or specific area that addresses this.
   
   I am a HUGE Zoo Tycoon fan. I love it. This guide, however, is a waste of money and a big disappointment.



2. This guide is not as good or as helpful as Zoo Tycoon 2: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets (Paperback) by Michael Rymaszewski. The pictures are blurry and unclear. It goes over all the campaigns for the original Zoo Tycoon 2 and all the expansion pack campaigns. It also includes the photo challenges. But be aware that you get more detailed information in the first guide. I expected a guide with specific information about Marine Mania expansion pack. The description for the Marine Mania guide claims tips on "how to generate cash when you need it most". It claims to give "detailed walkthroughs", but I did not find many tips on generating cash or details for the walkthroughs. It also claims "expert tips on animal behavior to take the guess work out of zookeeping". I thought it would give specific tips on the new animals that come with the Marine Mania Expansion Pack, and I did not find that in this guide. After I read this guide I was very disappointed because I expected a lot more and I paid extra for faster shipping. I recommend Zoo Tycoon 2: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets (Paperback) by Michael Rymaszewski. I would not recommend Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (Exp Pak 1) (Prima Official Game Guide) by Mark Cohen.

5 comments about Star Wars Battlefront: Prima Official Game Guide.

1. One of the great mysteries about the game Star Wars Battlefront is why the manual is so incomplete. It provides only a limited subset of the keyboard / mouse commands (PC version), and it further fails to describe in adequate detail the key abilities of the different character types (e.g., pilot, scout, infantry, etc.).
   
   I purchased the "Official Game Guide" in hopes that it might fill in some of this information, and, surprisingly, it didn't. For example, it includes statements to the effect "Use your pilot to heal other characters," but nowhere in the guide, or the manual that came with the game, does it illustrate HOW to do that. (For what it's worth: by pressing "g," you have to choose heal / repair as a pilot's secondary weapon. Then, right-click the mouse to deploy a healing kit.)
   
   The manual does however provide useful maps and a decent description of the strategies either side of a battle might use to their advantage.
   
   In sum, the manual that comes with the game is incomplete, at best, and this "official guide" does not fill in all of the gaps. It is surprising to me that there isn't a good summary of the keyboard / mouse commands, nor gamepad commands for other platforms.



2. Wats the point of getting this I beat the whole game in an hour. It was that easy. the bodys dont stay when the die which was stupid. and abouve all it showed who had killed u. that was horrible. game gets 4-5 book gets 1-5



3. I bought this guide because I (38 yrs old) was losing my edge to my son (9 yrs old) and I particularly needed some winning strategies on Dune Sea.
   
   Unfortunately, most of the strategies are written assuming you're playing as part of a multi-player online team. Not so much for those us that play offline (splitscreen). We splitscreeners have a hard time attacking multiple objectives as different soldier classes in the first two minutes of battle - we need advice on what is the "key" objective, and which secondary objectives are better left to your lower-intelligence AI comrades.
   
   But you learn a lot about the maps and some esoteric details you might not pick-up by playing even as much as we do. Plus, we get to extend our battlefront experience even when "Mom" has made us turn the t.v. off. I still can't beat my son on Dune Sea, though.



4. First, the book is really for online playing only. No hints or tactics for offline play. Second, it isn't very helpful or detailed for online players either. Example:
   The chapter on the Kashyyyk Docks explains tactics that either the Clones or the Droids could use. But nothing about how to play it as the Empire or the Rebels. As they have different equipment and vehicles the same strategies might not work for them. Also, some of the strategies are too simple.
   For example, using the same map as an example, they suggest you take the village command post, City Hall, to cut off the supply of Wookiees then hunt them down. Well, duh. If I could get my troops to City Hall I wouldn't need to hunt down the Wookiees because I would have won already! It's a Catch-22 - to get to City Hall to cut off their reinforcements you have to wipe most of them out to break thru their lines to take City Hall to cut off their spawning point. What I need is information on how to do that as a offline player! Online players have dozens of human controlled troops who know what to do. I don't. I have dozens of AI controlled troops standing around, running the wrong way and charging into enemy gun fire without dodging!
   Pretty worthless unless you can get it used and even then reading The Art Of War would get you better ideas.



5. This book is pretty good whats with negitive reveiws? I mean its not that bad! :( Good game guide though little pricy