2 comments about Soul Nomad: The Official Strategy Guide.

1. this is not a review of the game (which is killer! 5 stars!) and it's not a review of the contents of the guide, because i just received it. what this is a review of is the quality of the materials used for the guide. when i opened my package, i was instantly disappointed paying $24.99 (which is the price PRINTED on the back of the guide, so Amazon is FOS with the $29.99 price) what you get is very sub-standard when it comes to guides. it has the look and feel of those old Del Rey sci-fi paperback books.(read on)
   first, let me remind people that the same company, DoubleJump, released the guide for Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. that guide was 400 glossy pages, with a fold-out glossy color poster, a section of artwork/illustrations, and collectable trading cards for $19.99 -- they also did the Phantom Brave guide, which was over 350 glossy pages, artwork pages, and collectable trading cards for $19.99 --
   SO, why did the Soul Nomad guide have less pages? no glossy paper? no trading cards? but it costs $24.99!?!?! the paper used is as bad as the thin, non-gloss paper used for making the PS2 game manuals . (of course some games do come with nice quality manuals, but i'm sure you have enough PS2 games to know what type of cheap-quality paper i am referring to) and this ''Limited Edition'' blurb on the cover is what's to justify the higher cost for such a sub-standard quality in materials? pah-leez...
   anyway, DoubleJump should take notice that we don't want anymore cheap-as-dirt 'quality' guides unless the price matches the quality. this guide is worth $9.99 (and even that might be stretching it!) -- it's not worth $19.99, not $24.99 and certainly not the $29.99 Amazon expects you to pay for it! you want your customers to feel they are getting their hard-earned money's worth... NOT making them feel ripped off! (and that goes for both DoubleJump and Amazon)



2. To be honest, I clumsily purchased this guidebook. When I went to cancel my order the next day the book had already been shipped. I'm glad I decided not to continue further with my cancellation.
   
   Doublejump is a fine publisher and spares little details. Upon receiving my item two days later, browsing through the pages, my expectations of a quality product had been met. I can't stress enough that Doublejump shames other publishers(eg Bradygames) with their detailed and in-depth knowledge of game mechanics, battle by battle walkthrough, and accurate charts of various game aspects. The few errors I discovered I considered moot as they did not affect my enjoyment. During your playthrough, you will ascertain that these errors are mere oversights. An interview of the developer and their artwork concludes the guidebook which may delight those who crave the most minute detail of such a great game or Nippon Ichi games. All in all, for the money I paid, this turned out to be a damn fine purchase.

3 comments about Breath of Fire IV: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. I've bought this strategy guide in the same day i bought the game , this guide features all special attacks, spells, skills, and all the powerful dragons to do battle for you , and you'll get the locations of all treasures , armors ,and weapons. If you are a big fan of this game (Just like me) don't miss this strategy guide you'll finish this game in no time.



2. If you've been a huge fan of the B.O.F. series (as I have) , you'll notice that this strategy guide is a bit less incomplete than the Breath of Fire 3 strategy guide. There was alot of information to gather from the guide, it's a great strategy for the game. If you've bought the game, or are planning to buy it. Then tag this strategy guide along. Even if it is only a gift. Any video game lover will just love this strategy guide. It involves maps , secrets, hints ,spells, monsteraries, and so much more. Ever wanted to make the perfect faerie town? This strategy guide will tell you how to. Have you wondered where you can find and gather ALL of the Ryu's dragons? Right here is where you'll find out how.

   Just sit back and watch the guide be pulled out in those "tough to figure out" situations. Enjoy !




3. This strategy guide covers all thebases for Breath of Fire 4. It willhelp to defeat enemies, find treasure, etc. Overall, if you needhelp, buy this book.

4 comments about The Pinball Compendium: 1970-1981.

1. What an incredible book! I use the term 2nd golden age since the 1930's was the first.
   
   This is the second of a three book set written by Michael Shalhoub, and is a must-have for any serious pinball collector or enthusiast. The book is an exhaustive study of each manufacturers (The "Big Three"-Bally, Gottlieb and Williams - also Stern + Chicago Coin and others) output of pins between 1970-1981 when pinball ruled the arcades. During this particular time period more quarters were dropped in pinball machines than was spent at the movie theater box office in the United States!
   
   What makes this book so special (as well as Mr Shalhoub's other titles)is the fact that he interviews so many of the pioneers (artists, designers etc) of pinball, which is no easy task on the authors part since he lives in Australia and almost 90% of all pinball machines were produced in the United States (Chicago)- also some of the individuals interviewed and pictured are well past 80 years old.
   
   The book is a simple read (if you can look away from the great pictures)and each new chapter covers a different year with many highlights (interviews) included, the subject matter/questions the author presents contains specific information related to the particular individual highlighted. The authors enthusiasm is contageous as he explains the features and strategy of each particular game.
   
   Today sadly only 1 manufacturer remains "Stern", but they are committed to pinball and still produce several thousand machines a year. This book is like a great walk down memory lane for anyone (35 and over...) who played the games before video games dominated. I highly recomend this book.
   



2. I never buy books due to the fact you can read most stuff on the net. This book however, is so well researched and put together that I STRONGLY recommend buying it. There is so much informations, and a truck load of pictures of all sorts of tables.



3. What can I say? A comprehensive volume (just like the other two of the series), with (mostly) high quality playfield and backglass photographs plus a LOT of insightful first-hand background stories about and from the people who brought us all these wonderful moments of our lives. You'll even like the tables you've never seen (and probably won't ever see) in your life.



4. Its my first read of Michael Shalhoub's work and I really wanted to like this book - the author being a fellow Australian and obviously a committed pinball enthusiast and historian. Schiffer Publishing books are also presented beautifully and right from the first viewing of the dust jacket, I wanted to see what was inside! But as a read, this book just doesn't cut it IMO.
   
   A 'compendium' is, literally, a short complete summary, or list of various items. And in that regard, this book seeks to highlight every release, from each Manufacturer, for a given year. So the intention is absolutely fine. But there are two ways to tackle such a task. One would be to approach it entirely technically, and discuss the mechanics of each machine to pretty much the exclusion of anything else. The other would be to place each machine into its appropriate historical or cultural significance within the pinball genre, and discuss perhaps everything *but* the mechanics. Or, you could perhaps try both. In this instance, unfortunately for me, Shalhoub has tried only the former approach. Each machine has a paragraph right underneath the relevant photo and it is usually a summary of just the scoring features on the table, with only a few machines getting any in-depth history about them or the cultural significance those machines may have had. To me, this equals 240 pages of mind-numbing technical boredom.
   
   Yes, there is some history here. The author has gone to great lengths to interview some of the absolute legends behind the scenes and these have been spliced in as a sort of page filler between each machines' stats. But really, this kind of historical effort deserved another whole book of its own. There is precious little history directly related to the pinball machines themselves and to my mind, if its titled a 'Compendium', it should have stuck to being exactly that.
   
   The lack of titleing on each page (for example, you forget what year you are reading about, because its only mentioned once at the start of each Chapter) is also annoying. How hard would it have been to footnote each page with the Chapter name and number?
   
   Photos of machines make or break a book like this IMHO. We all want to see the absolute best photos of the machines nearest to our hearts. And I would say generally in this hobby, aside from the photography probvided by the manufacturers themselves, the photography standard is fairly poor - there are many other poorly put together pinball books that lay testament to this fact. That's probably no surprise though - very few of us are trained to photograph the things we love best, whether its a family member or a pinball machine. But a book of this nature should have the very best photography available IMO.
   
   Unfortunately, the photography, while extensive, is certainly not of a quality that is comparable with other hobbyist books in and out of this genre. Many of the shots of major players from Gottlieb/Williams etc appear to be snap-shots taken from the same Conferences the author (or others) have visited while in the United States. Quite a few machines appear fuzzy, out of focus, the color separations all over the place and the general standard of machine photography quite amateurish. Of course, access to these key people and older rarer machines is limited, and so the author has had to use whatever photo resources he can muster. I understand that fully. But that doesn't change the fact that the use of such non-professional photos, which an author based in the Unites States perhaps *may* have been able to work around, lowers the overall quality feel of this work. And in my estimation, marks it way down. Other authors have been able to do this better, for whatever reason.
   
   In summary: if you're after a blow by blow scoring instruction on each of these machines from this period, some OK personal photos from real collections, and a good overall history of the behind-the-scenes players of the Big 3, then you'll enjoy this somewhat rambling journey. For me, chasing a good read and some reminders about the machines themselves and their place in the history of the game (instead of how to play them), I was left wanting a lot more.

1 comments about Saints Row Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature) (Bradygames Signature).

1. Winning the game is just the beginning. Completing the game is the next challenge. This is a must have if you want to complete the game.

1 comments about The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Prima's Offical Strategy Guide).

1. I bought this book just to help me out on Minas Tirith - Top of the Wall - because I couldn't figure out exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I did refer to this book a couple of times along the way. I have just finished the game and re-playing some of the levels with different characters just for fun. If you are having any kind of trouble with this game, this guide offers some good tips. It is excellent at showing you how to beat all the bosses and finding missed items and offers some good strategies for each level. If you don't want to read any hints, then don't read the next few sentences. The guide book tells you how to defeat the Nazgul at the "Black Gate" with Aragorn. If you are having too much trouble doing this (as I did), change your character to Gandalf. Gandalf's magic arrows do ten times more damage to the Nazgul than if you use Gimli, Aragorn, or Legolas.

No comments about Command and Conquer Red Alert 3: Prima Official Game Guide.

2 comments about Essential 3ds Max 2008.

1. Having used 3ds Max since version 3, I have had the opportunity to see the application evolve over the years. With each new release, more and more sophisticated tools are added to meet the production needs of artists and studios. However, the core techniques necessary to model are not tied to any specific version of Max. But if you want to excel as a modeler, then Essential 3ds Max 2008 by Sean McBride is the book for you.
   
   Learning Max's interface is daunting at first but the author goes into great detail when explaining all the relevant tools and their functionality. Once you are able to navigate the interface, you can then focus on your craft. It's always amazing to see a final production model, but it had to start somewhere and this book steps through that process. Many models begin their path to a complex high-poly state as just simple primitives and the author provides multiple examples of how to effectively utilize this modeling technique.
   
   Chapter 16 - Becoming an Advanced Modeler / Artist is only 12 pages long but McBride manages to give the reader years worth of production experience. If all modelers followed the techniques in Chapter 16, it would significantly benefit the rigging/animation phases of any pipeline. If you are interested in working in the game industry as a modeler, then this book will prove to be an invaluable resource, especially Chapters 19 & 20, which describe the process of creating Normal Maps.
   
   In short, if you want to efficiently create production-quality models, then I highly recommend Essential 3ds Max 2008. But like most 3ds Max books, there is just a mention of the power of MAXScript, which is the one area that I wished this book would have explored.
   
   NOTE: This book says 3ds Max 2008, but it is essential reading for 3ds Max 2009 and for every version after that.



2. As a total new beginner, the book is really good. Although there are tools that the Author does not touch it and encourage the readers to explore by himself/herself, this is mainly a modeler book as the Author says. The author teaches you very useful tips and tricks. For me, it met my expectations and more. I have learned a lot from it and it put me straight up and running with 3ds max.
   Yes, the Author haven't touch some of the tools, but will you remember all and every tool??? Well, if you wish to go through the over 1000 pages and have a reference book that tells you every and all buttons, then I think the Bible one will do the great job. However, I like the practical approach from this book.
   
   Among all the 3ds max books I bought:
   - Learning 3ds Max 2008 Foundation by Autodesk (Terribly Bad)
   - Introducing 3ds Max 2008 by Dariush Derakhshani (Good)
   - Essential 3ds Max 2008 (The BEST)
   - 3ds Max at a Glance (At a Glance) by George Maestri (Bad)
   - 3ds Max Modeling: Bots, Mechs, and Droids (Wordware Game and Graphics Library) by Jon Weimer. (Just got it, so no comments on this one yet).
   
   I can tell you that Essential 3ds Max 2008 by Sean McBride is no doubt the King! I just got the 3ds Max Modeling: Bots, Mechs, and Droids (Wordware Game and Graphics Library) by Jon Weimer, haven't got the time to read it yet. But it looks promising too at the first glance.
   Plus it comes with the Matrix Sentinel Video tutorial... Awesome...
   
   Never the less, my verdict for this book, it definitely goes 5 stars. There are sections that it does challenge you a bit and requires a bit of the reader attention and memory. I like that approach.

1 comments about Cybersex: The Dark Side of the Force: A Special Issue of the Journal Sexual Addiction and Compulsion.

1. "Al Cooper, Ph.D., is Director of the San Joe Marital and Sexuality Center in San Jose, California, and Training Program Coordinator for the Cowell Student Health Center's Counselling and Psychological Services at Stanford University.
   
   Dr. Cooper is a Certified Sex Therapist and Sex Therapy Supervisor, and is a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT).
   He is widely recognized as one of the leading researchers, authors, and experts in the growing area of Internet sexuality.
   He has been called the "Masters and Johnson of Cyberspace."
   
   ".....This groundbreaking examination of cybersex was originally published as a special issue of the journal Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity.
   It is a crucial resource for sex therapists, who until now had no rigorous study of the effect of online pornography on the patients they treat.
   
   It will also be of great interest to general marriage and family therapists who find themselves dealing with this issue with their clients, as well as others WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE INTERNET AS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON."
   [fron the book of the back cover]

No comments about Prince of Persia Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

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.