5 comments about Pokemon Gold and Silver Official Strategy Guide (Video Game Books).

1. I got this book to go along with my new pokemon silver game. It really is a great guide. It has pokemon information and great chapters. The only problem is that it gives away the ending. It told me all the secrets so it really wasn't fun to find them out on my own. I recommend the Versus Guide for Pokemon Gold/Silver. It doesn't give away secrets and is a little bit more in depth.



2. I bought this book thinking that it was going to answer all my questions on the game and even the ones that i didnt have. The maps are good, and the guide part is average. They have discriptions on SOME of the pokemon(vague discriptions). The worst part about this is that it lacks a pokedex. It makes you wonder why the guide for the older game came with one of the best pokedexes. It includes the pokemons strengths, weaknesses, moves, evolutions, TMs, HMs, and stats. This strategy guide doesn't even contain a complete listing of all the pokemon. I don't know why people gave it such high ratings because I found it just as lacking as the prima guide. It doesn't have that much to offer.



3. Boy was I angry. I couldn't find a decent strategy guide. I was looking through amazon then going out to book stores to flip through the guides. Prima guide? Not enough info. Pokemon Gold & Silver Official Pokedex? Not good maps. Just when I thought I was stuck, I came across Pokemon Gold Version and Silver Version : Official Trainer's Guide. I flipped through the book, looking at every detail. I purchased it and brought it home. I am so glad I did. This book's maps are great, has detailed information on every trainer and every move, TM, HM, map, Gym Leader and evolution. It even has a map of the whole Pokemon World at the end. Highly Reccomended for people who are just starting to play Pokemon Gold+Silver. It also told me what pokemon only exist and gold and not silver and vice-versa. I love it.



4. Boy,was i angry when they did not release this book out in the USA.I didn't even know what pokemon to battle with against the gym leaders.It was a challenge for me until i got this book.Dude, this book is awesome.From the full colored city and town maps to the big johto world map.A must have book.If you are a big pokemon fan and have the pokemon gold and silver game on your game boy color but don't have this book.Get it! This covers both gold and silver



5. This offical stragety guide will be helpful to me 100% because I have both Pokemon Gold and Crystal. On my Silver, I can't get pass a Sudowoodo looking like a tree because one lady in Goldenrod will not give me a water bottle to blast it with. On my Gold, I am having trouble in Ecruteak City and the Gym. Please, it wiil help me.

5 comments about Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (PS2, Xbox, PC and GC) (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. If you have the ps2 version of this game do not get this book unless you are absolutley lost. Even then, think twice. It is written for the xbox and pc versions of the game, and it includes sidebars for the ps2 versions. Plus, the pictures shown are only for the xbox and pc versions, which will confuse a lot of people. If you have the xbox or pc versions, I give this book five stars. PS2 version, only 2.



2. NOTE: I have the PS2 version of the game, so I don't know how well this book works as a guide for Xbox and PC versions.
   For the PS2 version, though, as a basic walkthrough, it is certainly better than nothing, but I still feel like I was misled when the book advertises itself as being for all 3 platforms (Xbox, PC, and PS2). When I got stuck on one part of the game, I consulted this book and still couldn't get through it. I accidentally flipped to the next page and then noticed what the book calls a "PS2 sidebar." At first, I thought it was something extra for the PS2 version until I looked closely and saw that it began at a point just before the part that I was stuck on. It turns out that a completely different strategy is necessary on PS2 for that part than on the other platforms. A note on the previous page that says something to the effect of "PS2 users: See side bar on next page for this part" would have been nice. That's an example of how the organization of the book is lacking.



3. For those of you who do not have the time to work through this game, the guide is useful. But that also begs the question, "Why did you even buy the game in the first place?"...So instead of using the guide take your time.
   FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!
   While playing Splinter Cell I figured out some cheats.Hit the F2 key and then type HEALTH,AMMO or FLY. They do the obvious.



4. This guide is racist against the PS2 version! Not only that, but I have played and beaten the XBOX version at a friends house, and uncovered that there are various picture faults and the text wording is somewhat poor. Not only that, but some directions for the XBOX version are wrong, several wrong for PS2 (DON'T tell me to look in the ps2 sidebar, because thats what I meant.) This may be the last prima guide I buy.



5. EXCELLENT PRODUCT AND A MUST HAVE FOR THOSE DIE HARD FANS OF TOM CLANCY. IT DEFINTELY HELPED ME OUT TO CONTINUE WITH THE GAME.

3 comments about Masters of War (Mechwarrior: Dark Age, No. 25).

1. The first two reviews for this book (which was only released yesterday) refer to book #24, not #25, and are not appropriate. I give 3-stars as the closest to a "neutral" review since I haven't picked up my copy yet as it was only in the stores as of yesterday.



2. I was really hoping for something more with this book. This was Stackpole's return to the Dark Age novel line for the first time since Ghost War, the first novel; and it came at a time when the books have been generally getting better, with a story going on that's interesting (Fortress Republic). But I don't really know why I expected Stackpole to write about *that*.
   
   Masters of War is about the Wolves. It has Katrina S-D in it, somehow, and her son is the main character. It has Galaxies of 'Mechs, but the conflicts are fairly small. And, well, while there are some ideas in it that are interesting and large-scale, the fundamental ideas just seem small and personal.
   
   This wasn't what I was looking for. It was still Stackpole, so it was competently done and interesting, but... I was hoping for Surrender Your Dreams again (the best Battletech book since the Warrior series), but this time from the writer that made this universe something worth reading for the last couple of decades.
   
   If you like the MW:DA universe, you'll still want to read this, but you probably won't be overwhelmed.



3. Stackpole is back with another novel in the Mechwarrior Dark Age series from the first intallment 'Ghost War'. I found the story lines intriguing but lacking some depth. Back are the large scale battles and Clan versus Inner Sphere conflicts which can hopefully be expanded in subsequent novels.
   
   The series is back to form (over Ilsa Bick's trash) if not quite the author's.

5 comments about ARCADE FEVER The Fan's Guide to The Golden Age of Video Games.

1. PROS: Enjoyed cabinet photos and art. Hit most major arcade games of the era. Contained interesting side notes on some games. Interviews were okay but more interesting subject matter could have been included. Some game memorabilia shown from the time was nice.
   
   CONS: Lacked enough interesting content to be worth it for me. Did not understand the author's potty-mouth descriptions and lame jokes in the book. - a major negative. Too much irrelevant filler text that could have been used for more info on the games. Did not include notable people who you would expect to be mentioned. Book was printed in China.
   
   FINAL CALL: Worth flipping thru twice or for a much-too-shallow overview. Those wanting to remember the era and arcade freaks should look elsewhere.



2. This book falls into the trap that many such books do which is basically that it's written from an extremely biased "I remember this sweet game..." breathless style.
   
   Don't get me wrong, I too am a fan of arcade games and I'm sure it'd be difficult for me to keep from interjecting my personal anecdotes into the narrative, but I was hoping that this book would contain a little more in depth information regarding the machines. As it is this book has some decent (but not great) pictures and some anecdotal memories of the arcade era of the early 80s.
   
   If like me you can't resist any book on this subject, then by all means pick it up and support the author. However if you are looking for the definitive encyclopedic retelling of arcade history this book is not it.



3. This book is more a photo album of memories for the author, than it is a true historical look at the games of the arcade era.
   
   "Arcade Fever" provides a nice visual layout with plenty of colorful photos and MAME screen shots, but the author's historical recounting of each arcade game remains tainted with his personal biases, jokes, and at times, factual errors.
   
   For some, the book may capture the flavor of the early 1980s thanks to the excited ramblings of the author...but most readers can do that for themselves. Tip: when it comes to Encyclopedic-style books, careful research and factual information are critical components. Pretty pictures are a bonus.



4. This is an excellent picture book showing all the classic arcade games and giving you some neat and interesting side notes about each game.
   
   LOTS and LOTS of pictures...its mostly a picture book with captions...and this is what I wanted...
   
   DEFFINATELY a must if you are an ARCADE FAN.



5. I didn't realize how many memories of old video games I had! I bought this book for my husband's birthday as more of a "filler" present than a serious gift. It turned out to be his favorite! He's not a huge reader but he reads some of this book every day. He's read a lot of it out loud to me & it seems good. There are some great pictures in it, too! He's totally serious about his 80's video games & this book gives him lots of little facts he didn't know before & stirs up a million good memories. It's written in a more casual way that's easy & pleasant to follow.

No comments about NFL Head Coach 09: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

No comments about Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Official Strategy Guides) (Bradygames Official Strategy Guides).

1 comments about Might & Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. What can I say? Everything that was wrong with Might & Magic VII's Strategy Guide has been remedied in this one.

   1. Quest Walkthroughs have been separated into Main, Promotion, and Secondary (according to region) sections so you can get to the walkthrough you want with a minimum of page flipping, in contrast to that annoying jumble of quests in each region provided in the previous strategy guide.

   2. A serious flaw of the previous strategy guide was the lack of a Skill table. This guide not only provides a Skill table, which is nicely divided into Armor&Weapons, Magic, and Miscellaneous Skills, it even mentions them again in the Region Location tables, resulting in (u guessed it) a minimum of page flipping.

   3. The Walkthroughs in the previous guide were written in long winded paragraphs that mentioned too much useless information. When I'm playing a game and get stuck in a quest, I don't want to spend time reading a bunch of paragraphs, I want to find out the exact sequence of steps required to finish the quest, as in: (A) go talk to this guy who is in such and such a place to receive the quest. (B) go do THIS over THERE to THOSE people (C) go back to that guy and collect your reward. Quick and painless just like this guide.

   4. In general the guide hasn't forgotten anything. It provides ALL the stats on EVERYTHING: Spells, Items, Ores, Maps, Travel Schedules, Monsters, etc. The Maps are clearer, and the tips provided are very useful and great time savers.

   Could this guide have been better? Maybe, anything is possible. Still, I couldn't find a single thing to complian about, and thats something.

2 comments about Mechwarrior: Dark Age #26: A Rending of FalconsA Battletech Novel (Mechwarrior: Dark Age).

1. I've never really been a fan of the Jade Falcon sub-line of Battletech/Mechwarrior novels, and this book is no different. Once again the book focuses on Malvina Hazen, who by most counts qualifies as a villain (as opposed to an anti-hero), as she works to destroy all life in the Inner Sphere. As she grows stronger, her enemies grow dumber, and so she wins time after time.
   
   The parts of the book I liked the most were when they touched upon other events in the Inner Sphere, especially with House Steiner and the Wolves. But they were few and far between.



2. This give a great deal of insight into what is occuring in the Falcon Domain, as well as some hints as to the Clan Homeworlds, and the Lyran, Wolf actions.

1 comments about NFL Head Coach (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This book is helpful if you don't know much about football or the players on certain teams. I was hoping for some insights into the mechanics of the game with helpful tips to complete certain tasks, like the best practice schedule and gameday planning. Instead it gives you Football 101 terms and team breakdowns of possible draft picks and plays to run, but does not really delve into the game itself. Good book for young players with minimal football knowledge.

5 comments about Final Fantasy XI Atlas.

1. As I bought it for collecting purposes only, I wasn't overly disappointed with the content. It covers all the original FFXI areas (I think), some of the Zilart ones but lacking many dungoen maps like all Sky zones, uggalepih, cauldron, boyahda, quicksand, kuftal, SSG, onzozo, ie the coffer/chest ones.
   [...]
   
   There is no CoP content at all. Some NM spawn spots are missing especially in Zilart maps, but there is a more comprehensive "NM Drop Table" that includes areas they didn't have maps for, no COP. There's also info on BCNMs and Dynamis but u can't expect them to be complete given the nature of the game.
   
   The advice and quest info they give for each area is really only helpful to a
   For its usefulness, it'll depend on how many maps you've collected and your knowledge of NMs. Anyway I wouldn't buy this book as a refence since there are much better ones online.
   
   As a collectors item, the Amano art on the covers (4x A4 sides) is very nice, I wished it came with more of it. Otherwise it's the same quality as their FFXI strategy guides.



2. This atlas, in my opinoin, is pretty good, but not complete at all. It does give you a lot of maps, but only the ones you start off with, or can buy/quest - none from coffers. (Maybe with the exception of Castle Zvahl, I can't remember how you get that map)It does give you a fairly accurate list of monsters and nms along with reccommended levels and some pop locations. Also, it does have maps of towns with some usefull NPC locations. So, if your a beginner, I would definetely reccomend it, since it can get you around for quite a few levels, but the more experienced players don't really need it, unless they really want to save a few gil by not buying maps.



3. Do not waste your money on this steaming load. Not only is it missing a TON of maps (CoP zones, I can understand.. but no Boyahda, Quicksand, Onzozo, etc.?); for the maps it does have, that's just about all you get - a map. There's a little info on some NM pop locations, but that's it. This guide doles out useful information very sparingly. Not a single damn coffer pop location.
   
   As if being an ATLAS WITHOUT MAPS wasn't enough, the guide is spotted with misinformation here and there. For example, don't try to use this guide if you need to go to a specific location in Western Altepa Desert - the grid is completely wrong.
   
   The one useful thing you get from this guide is level ranges and aggro information for different mobs in different zones. Knowing whether raptors in the Valley link or not is a good thing.. for this, I give the Brady Atlas 1 star.



4. This book doesn't give as much information as the actual thick FFXI Strategy Guide. Heck, it's not even a strategy guide to begin with. It's a book that contains many of the maps of FFXI, both cities and dungeons. Take note, "many of the maps". There are a lot of missing maps and areas for some oddball reason.
   
   The maps are personally drawn, meaning they don't use graphics from the actual maps from the game. This is good in some cases, especially the annoying maze-like Yuhtunga and Yhoator Jungles, where the actual map provided in-game does not include visible underground passageways, you can still get lost despite the map provided to you. The maps in this book include "dotted line" pathways just so you could "see" those underground passageways and where they are located on the map.
   
   This may or may not be good for some of you, but it also has extra information and advice that you may or may not need, like Notorious Monster spawnpoints and an explanation on what these Notorious Monsters drop and why you need them (I call these monster drops "droppings"). It also has supplemental advice on where to buy good weapons, whether items are better bought in the Auction House or in NPC shops, the works. Personally I find these paragraphs a lot more interesting than the maps themselves.
   
   Be mindful though, and I can't stress this enough. THIS IS NOT A STRATEGY GUIDE, BUT IT'S EXTREMELY USEFUL IF YOU BOUGHT IT TOGETHER WITH THE ACTUAL THICK FFXI STRATEGY GUIDE. Don't buy this alone unless you already own the FFXI Strategy Guide. If you do buy it but don't own the actual FFXI Strategy Guide then IMO it will definitely leave you hanging, but not necessarily a waste of money.



5. Yes, ok, it doesnt have all maps, but what matters is it IS very useful, I play ffxi a lot and i use the atlas a lot, I recomend it to any player that can afford to buy it.