5 comments about Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Pokedex: Prima Official Game Guide Vol. 2 (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. Even as a mother I can get into Star Wars, Bionicles, dinosaurs, and other hobbies of my 7-year old son, however, I can't say that I enjoy Pokemon. But noone can deny that the over the decade-old Pokemon craze is here to stay as witnessed by the phenomenal success of Diamond and Pearl. My son refers to this book like a bible and Pokemon Diamond is the only DS game that he hasn't grown tired of even though he's had it almost a year.



2. At first when I bought this I thought it was going to just sit around, but as my son played through Pokemon Diamond he started referring to it more and more. The best description of it now is "very worn".
   
   The fact that every pokemon is listed along with where it can be obtained is its best selling point. The book is really geared for after you've completed the game portion and are working on "catching them all".
   
   You could probably find all of the information in this book online, but not in one location. Having it there to refer to while playing is easily worth the cost.



3. Great guide for kids to look at. My kids have all the Pokemon games and they like to look at this for reference



4. While I don't know much about Pokemon, my son loved this book when he received it. It has everything you need to know about Pokemon all in one book - according to my son. He was a very satisfied customer :)



5. WOW! This is the best guide for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl by FAR! It's not just a Pokedex, but rather much more! It not only contains information on 490 Pokemon, (Yes, 490, unfortunatly it lacks total information on Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus) but it also has CRUCIAL information about what to do after you've beaten the Pokemon League. Up to that point, it's all easy, just go along with the story. BUT once you've beaten the Pokemon League, everything in the game suddenly becomes unclear. You might KNOW there's more legendaries to catch, but you might not know where. (For Example, I had not the First Clue about going to Turnback Cave for Giratina, but when I got the guide, It led me straight there!) You might KNOW about the Battle Tower, but not who the Tower Tycoon is and when you battle him. You might KNOW about Cresselia and Fullmoon Island, but not how to get there or what to do once you've seen Cresselia. You might KNOW about Pokemon, but not at what exact level they evolve, or what exact level they learn a specific move, or if they learn it at all. All this is CRUCIAL information that you will find EXCLUSIVELY in this guide. And that's not it, either. In case you don't know which region a Pokemon is from, there is a Table of Contents in Alphabetical order at the VERY BEGINNING, making it extremely easy to find pokemon. Also, a 2 page map containing all of Sinnoh as well as the names of all the cities and places of interest. Also tells you all of the items you may find in a certain place, AND information on EVERY ROUTE AND CAVE about things you can do there BEFORE AND AFTER beating the Pokemon League, again, more CRUCIAL information EXCLUSIVE to this guide. And again, there's more-you can find information on EVERY HM and TM in the back of this book, as well as all the contest moves, items, where to get every TM, where to get each item, and a Pokemon Weakness easy look-up chart with the weaknesses AND RESISTANCES of all 490 pokemon, (yes, remember? 490...Arceus, Darkrai, and Shaymin were unknown when this guide was released) and information about where to capture any Pokemon in the Pal Park, with a detailed map of it, and how rare they will be, aka how much time it will take to catch them, prizes at the Pal Park, etc. ALL CRUCIAL INFORMATION. Also tells you where to catch ANY pokemon in the game, (as long as you CAN catch it) INCLUDING what route for Pokeradar, and descriptions to every pokemon from both Diamond and Pearl. Also a comparison of the few pokemon you can't catch in Diamond, and of the few you can't catch in pearl, as well as the list of the 50 pokemon you can not catch in Sinnoh at all, (Previous starters and legendaries, event pokemon, with a FEW unexpected ones; Tropius and Tangela...) a berrydex, all pokemon abilities and what they do, pokemon personalities, natures, what wild pokemon hold what item, A TON of information on the Underground, and that's just the Pokemon Data Lookup section of the book! There's still the Capture Guide, which is about 2 times as thick, and the Post-Game Scenario! This book is a MUST For Diamond and Pearl Fans!

5 comments about Keep on the Shadowfell (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H1).

1. Keep on the Shadowfell was suppose to be a prelude to D&D 4th Edition even before the core books are released. Hence, in the adventure it contains a short rule guide, the adventure itself and maps for the game. It comes in a slipcase file.
   
   I'll keep my review in point form to make it readable.
   
   Good:
   =====
   (1) Combat in the sense of 4th edition (i'm not going into discussion of the merits and demerits of 4th Ed D&D) is pretty well conceived
   (2) Maps is a bonus
   (3) Not much flaws in the flow (as it's kept really simple)
   
   Bad:
   ====
   (1) Poor quality paper and binding. The last page of the adventure booklet is part of the adventure. Can't even provide a proper cover to protect it.
   (2) Poor storyline (imagine the real story behind the Paladin Keegan is not much difference from the public story; was it any shocker?!?) You got to come up with something. On page 32, there was some advice but not enough for a newbie DM to try out this module
   (3) Several mistakes (STR 18 gives +5 damage bonus but the damage on Irontooth battleaxe is only 1D8+4, wrong label on the map as noted in the adventure; adventure shows goblin sharpshooters as represented by G but map shows S). This should have been playtested and spotted. I found it even by just reading through it. Can imagine how bad the QA is on WoTC.
   (4) Flat gameplay.



2. We're partway through this adventure after six sessions and are really enjoying it. It's not perfect by any means, and the actual "Keep" portion of the adventure can degenerate into a dungeon crawl of repetitiveness if the DM isn't careful.
   
   Personally, i've added my own flavor and flair to the adventure as written, fleshing out the dull NPCs and adding multiple new encounters, treasure, and monsters. The whole story is nothing new in the realm of epic of fantasy, but i find it to be a great vehicle to show off what 4e can do. a
   
   And what it CAN'T do.
   
   My biggest complaint is the lack of maps for the keep itself. It has taken me painstaking hours to scan and print these maps, but the end result is fantastic. And they're reusable to boot. I look forward to the next part, Thunderspire Labyrinth, and just hope there's an easier way to print the high quality maps shown in the books.



3. We started on this campaign a few weeks ago. It was promising, had a good amount of detail, NPCs had descriptions, motivations, interests, etc, maps were fairly detailed... In general, it gave me a good first impression.
   
   Then I started reading the module itself... and quickly found that the ink on the covers comes off rather easily on your fingers. This wouldn't be too terrible if the text of the adventure were not written on the outside cover (rather than having a graphic on the outside cover instead to take the hit). As soon as I discovered this, I took preventative measures (don't touch the book, use a stick to turn the pages, let it lie on the table, etc), and the damage was not to the point to make it unreadable... but it was an unpleasant revelation.
   
   The encounters seem a bit unbalanced to the player's favor, but a good GM could always make minor adjustments to balance things out.
   
   The maps are a good touch, but they are not quite complete... you'll end up making your own to play on in the larger areas (either using the minis or by doing things the good old-fationed 3e way).



4. My group just got finished running through Keep on the Shadowfell. It's so badly written, our group is going to hold to vote to see if we want to revert to 3.5 D&D. Problems with the module include:
   
   1) Horribly trite. It's like the authors read "How to make a 1st module for a new edition of D&D" and copied everything from it. First, you fight kobolds. Then more kobolds. Then some goblins. Then more goblins. Then some skeletons. Then hobgoblins!
   2) No plot to speak of. What plot there was was trite and uninteresting.
   3) The final boss was a generic mustache-twirling villain who was as uninteresting as hell, especially because the PCs don't even meet him or really know who he is until the final encounter. The rest of the monsters were also all generic as hell. (A goblin commander who was also a coward?! Brilliant writing!)
   4) Combats were boring, with no real memorable set pieces or situations except possibly the Irontooth combat. This was not helped by the fact that monsters in 4ed have more interesting abilities than the PCs.
   5) The color maps that came with the game were good (very pretty), except a lot of the maps had rooms and other features on it that had no monsters on it, and had no reason for the PCs to go into. It was like they couldn't figure out what to do with the extra space they had.
   6) Worst trap encounter ever. The party gets trapped in a room with statues in it. However, the statues all have a limited range, and the room is larger than the range of the traps. So the party can safety stand there from 10 squares away and destroy all of the traps without taking a single point of damage.
   
   Now that we're finished with the module, this overpriced thing is going straight up on Ebay. I'd rather ram pencils into my eye than run it again.
   
   While I appreciate they might have been trying to make a generic, boring game to serve as an introduction to 4th Edition, they made it so bad we might not ever play 4th Edition again.



5. To be very simple, this is a pretty good introduction to a 4th Edition adventure. The encounters are interesting (although maybe not quite unique enough) and the new format is a great improvement over the previous edition. Should be easy enough to fit into any campaign.

5 comments about Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. This is an excellent guide and I would like to point out my book does have the map section printed out at the end of the book, awsome!



2. I don't know how I could play the game without this gotta have book. It has helped me get through a lot of the quests and gates and gives you a detailed, play by play instruction on the main quest that keeps you from dying too may times. Great book... A must have for the game.



3. This book has was indespensible in helping me on my 'Cure Vampirism' Quest, as I am sure it will be on many more in the future. I can only imagine how annoying that quest would have been without this guide.
   
   The only thing that could be done to improve this book is to add an index at the back. That would make it infinitely better (but, as it stands now, it's still a 5-star book).
   
   You may also want to consider an investment of Post-It Flags along with this book, so you can reference things more quickly.



4. I dont know what the other review-ers are talking about? the maps are in the back, the book is great, it is a must have. The game is massive and so is this book. Everything you need to know about oblivion is in this book. If you have oblivion, you have to have this book!



5. I just got this book a few weeks ago. I've had Oblivion since I bought my 360 and this is one of they best RPG games of all time. The game is a must own. The game is massive, The biggest game world i've ever seen before. So of course if the game is massive your going to need a book that has easy to read conetnt, Lots of Maps,detailed information on the weapons, items, spells, potions, monsters ETC. This is the book!!!!!!! It has everything you need to know about playingt Oblivion. It even helps you make your character. Kind of like when you make your character in Dungeons and Dragons. It tells you how to maximize your character to the fullest even before you start your adventure. The overall walkthrough is amazing!!!! The book even tells you where to get started on your quest. Who to talk to if your doing a freedom quests or how to join the drak brotherhood and it even suggests who to kill so you don't mess up your game later on. It's a must have if you love this game. It will not just get you through that rough spot but it opens up all the possibilities that the game offers you. It opens up all the doors in this game. I don't think I would be able to know everything about this game if it wasn't for this book! I'm planning on getting the Shivering Isles and the Knights of The Nine one day. It has everything about them as well. All the maps are in the back and there are a lot of great maps. It even had all the downloadable content that you can get for the game. This book is priceless if you love this game. Buy this book! You won't be sorry. I've been playing games for over 13 years and this the best book i've owned for a game. Prima has done it again!!!!!! I don't know why it got bad reviews. The maps are in the back of the book and it has pages and pages of them.

5 comments about Microsoft Flight Simulator X For Pilots Real World Training.

1. This book is a bargain for FSX users. Very detailed with over 700 pages of information. I am a private pilot and throughly enjoyed reading through this manual, especially when flying my FSX program. In addition the extra missions, charts & challanges, are certainly worth the book. The extras are free off the internet, and you'll probably have to wait until the web site is "free" as I suspect it is very busy. The book is great for learning a "new" aircraft, and best of all it gets you in the air quickly if you have never flown before. The internet stuff comes up inside the FSX program itself, and it quite complete with charts etc. for each mission. This book is certainly worth the money for what you get.



2. I'm not a pilot and don't intend to be one. I'm mostly interested in IFR flight and have some experience with previous version of FS back to '98. I just got this book and it really looks good. Lots of pics. It's geared towards training for actual flying but I recommend it for flight sim fans also. If my opinion changes are reading the book I will change this review.



3. Well written, clear and fun to read. I'm not a real pilot but I've been an enthusiastic if somewhat casual user of Flight Simulator for years and I have learned so much from this book. It's accurate, no glaring typos and assembled in a logical format.
   
   The accompanying exercises (down loadable from the Wiley Site)are very well done and are a testament to the devotion of the authors to fulfill the purpose as stated in the title of their book.
   
   It has taken me to the next level of flight simulation. Thanks.



4. This volume was suggested to us by our flight instructor, who found that the mental exercize of simulated inflight practice increased his efficiency in learning. I found it slightly overwhelming at first, but perhaps it is the challenge of the older generations to conquer the electronic media. It is a bit like learning to speak French to learn Spanish, but the overall concept should help decrease actual flight costs. Looking forward to the process.



5. The page designs for this book appear to have been intended for printing in full color. There was liberal use of spot color and much use of full color screen caps in the design; but as the book is printed with only black ink, the illustrations and other graphic elements are lacking in contrast--like printing a color negative on b&w photo paper. The title should have gone through a redesign to optimize it for one-color printing. While it's still legible, the effect makes me feel like I missed out on something.

5 comments about Preschooler's Busy Book: 365 Creative Games & Activities To Occupy 3-6 Year Olds.

1. This book is well written and has great ideas, hundreds of them. Some are real simple and there aren't any pictures, I find myself reading it thinking "why hadn't I though of this before?" some activites are just a few minutes each. I had checked it out at the library before purchasing. Would reccommed this book.



2. I just got this book and it has some cute, easy games and activities. I don't know that I would call them creative. Some are things like "let's go pick up the neighborhood trash" Uh.... no thanks. My neighbors can pick up their own trash and they can clean up their own yards.
   
   Other than a few "misses" it really is full of ideas and fun.



3. Love this book and it provides a lot of great ideas. I use this book to plan play dates, birthday parties, and to plan fun things to do while traveling and staying with family. We use it a lot and my daughter (and friends) really enjoy the projects. Some of the painting projects are ambitious, but the few that we tried were great fun.



4. I bought this book to help my younger children, ages 4 & 2, keep busy as I homeschooled the older ones. The activities were simple enough for them to do and very fun. We do several different activities a week and my children love it. The older ones try to join in, too! Most activities asked for ingredients that are common around the house so I didn't need to spend additional money accumulating ingredients. I recommend this book to anyone who has run dry of ideas to keep your preschooler busy.



5. I love this book. There are so many great activities that are easy to do to help keep your preschooler busy. I also have the toddler book and love that one. Great books!

5 comments about Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature).

1. The Grand Theft Auto series of games have always been crammed full of things to do in addition to following the main story -- there are tons of hidden secrets and various other activities and missions.
   
   The Bradygames Guide has literally everything you need to know about GTA IV, in order to obtain 100% completion. Considering how much information is involved, this is no small task. The book has a ton of colorful pictures, as well as detailed descriptions on beating every mission and finding every. last. secret. period.
   
   The only downside to the book, and it is a major one, is the way in which the information is organized. The book is laid out from the standpoint of "this is what will happen next if you play the way we played". In other words, there is no organization of topics, only a 'flow' of information from one event to the next.
   
   The problem with this methodology is that because GTA IV is an open ended game, it is extremely unlikely that anyone will play through the game in the order the book was written -- this means that you're not going to be able to easily find specific information in the book unless you also know what event preceded it in the main story.
   
   Anyway, even though the data organization is a major annoyance, the fact remains that this guide has everything you ever wanted to know about GTA IV, so it is a must buy! You can find the same information scattered across a variety of websites, but the book is cheap and is very convenient to have next to you on the couch!



2. I found this book really helpful, although I had already finished the game by the time it got to me.



3. This is an excellent guide to have if you're looking for all of the achievements in the game. It gives you detailed maps of all of the items you can find, side missions, cars, etc. The guide does an excellent job with the story walkthrough and with the story characters. The guide is lacking a lot of hidden information that I believe it should include. Cheats, some tips on getting the achievements, general strategy for the game. What it does not cover can be easily discovered on your own if you spend time exploring the huge city and just messing around, still, if you're going to pay for a guide, you would expect it to have everything.



4. This guide really helped my on a couple of missions that I had a hard time with. Its detailed on how to complete a misson. so if your stuck pick this guide up its worth it.



5. I expected more out of this guide. Usually I play the game first then use the GTA guides to go back and collect packages etc. In this instance there is not much to collect except shooting rats which you get nothing for doing and takes ages. Stunt jumps are good but again gives you nothing for it.
   
   It has a good map and tells you about the characters in the game and the best places to take them. Overall the guide is good but won't add to the experience unless you are determined to get 100%.

5 comments about Theory of Fun for Game Design.

1. Koster's presentation makes the book extremely accessible, but still quite in-depth. He covers all the necessary ground.
   
   His theory does not venture far from previous work, but in sticking to accepted dogma, he offers a fairly comprehensive and clear compilation of ideas. This is what makes the book a good read for anyone looking for a foundation in theory related to games.
   
   I found that many ideas in the first half of the book to be over-simplified. Though most issues are readdressed in the second half, his dual presentation created a sense of contradiction. Some early implications are later negated.
   
   Koster also involves a bit much of his own tastes and artistic ethics. This is primarily in the latter portions of the book, but it was enough to turn me off. He goes into some description of how games "should" be, the responsibility of the designer, etc. That may be interesting to some, but I prefer to determine my own principles.
   
   Theory of Fun would do well as required reading for anyone seeking an education in game design, and could be useful to anyone in art, but if you've already covered the field of theory, you may not be too impressed. Still, it's an easy read and rewarding.
   
   I also suggest this book to anyone looking at games from the outside, anyone not involved in production or consumption. It can give the layman a good look into a new world and maybe close some generation gaps. Theory of Fun may be what we need to mail to our representatives to keep them from judging games to hastily.
   
   -Chris Rock
   http://blog.sokay.net



2. This is one of my first books i bought here at Amazon.
   Im From Argentina and im studying Game Develop & Design. It is really good to read this kind of book because it really helps me on my develop here where the industry is staring recently.
   
   It is an EXCELENT Book. It really acomplish everything i was looking for. It did, also, provide me a new sight of some matters when referring to Game Design.
   
   I do disagree in some explications on the book but it is only my personal opinion and it doesn't make the book worst or anything.
   
   It's a "HAD to HAVE.." book in your bookshelf.
   
   Congratulations on the Writter!!



3. There is actually a theory of fun buried in the book, but the time spent developing the theory is minimal. The rest of the book seems to be all about trying to justify choosing game design as a career. Geez! It's fun and you get paid. 'nuff said on that topic.



4. I should start out by mentioning that I'm reviewing this book from more of a general knowledge standpoint than a purely video game related one.
   
   A lot of other reviews have mentioned that there aren't many practical tips in this book, which is true, but that's why it's a theory of fun and not a handbook of rules. Theories pull basic meanings & principles out of a vast, murky subject that can later evolve into practical uses, in this case for video games or any other artistic medium.
   
   The author breaks down our sense of enjoyment into more manageable & understandable categories, like social and aesthetic satisfactions. But the bulk of the book covers the enjoyment that comes from learning patterns and overcoming challenges, which he defines as "fun."
   
   Although fun as Koster defines it is most evident in video games, the enjoyment that comes from learning and figuring things out could just as easily apply to a mystery novel as a puzzle game. Having a firm understanding of "fun" as well as the other types of enjoyment could benefit any artistic pursuit.
   
   Another fascinating concept in "Theory of Fun" is the idea that all artforms become more and more complex until only a dedicated few can master it, at which point the artform either dies off or is reinvented to better suit the masses. This concept could explain the recent rise of the Wii, with its simple, accessible approach to games over more complex systems.
   
   All in all, "A Theory of Fun for Game Design" isn't just ideas on how to build a better video game mousetrap, but a basic intro on enjoyment so we can hopefully learn to create work that's enjoyable for others.



5. Koster has written an incredible book that cannot help but cover game design. The question of "fun" has baffled the game design community for years: it's an unquantifiable concept a designer succeeds at capturing more reliably with luck (and experience) than anything else. This book provides one of the first steps away from that.
   
   For those who harangue the book because of the title, it's worth reading the Foreword, written by Will Wright.
   
   To explain fun, Koster does not bother pretending to live in an ivory tower. He opens the doors to his life and allows you to connect with him as you ponder his ideas. Fun is difficult to disconnect from games, especially since that's his field, so he explains games, too. The result is a narrative, not a white paper: he brings you into his shoes and takes you on a journey, giving you contextual background before (How Brains Work) his central thesis and after (Ethics of Game Design).
   
   The book is not a be-all, end-all "Definitive Guide to Fun". It's a provocation and a challenge, to game designers, to game theorists, and even to gamers. It's meant to make you think, not hold your hand. My favorite moment with the book was when I didn't have it: I loaned it to a roommate, who came back a week later completely stunned, complaining that it had made sense and had gotten him thinking. He plays rugby and Madden, mostly.
   
   You won't find 12 steps to make your game fun, nor will you have any idea how to make a game after you read it, if you didn't before. But when you play a game, and you have fun, now you have somewhere to start in understanding why. And if another game bores you to tears, you may be able to figure out how to improve it.
   
   The book is not about games. It's about gamers: about people. Because people have fun, and they sometimes even do it while gaming. And this book is about why.

4 comments about 99 Activities And Greetings: Great For Morning Meeting... And Other Meetings, Too!.

1. I use this book almost every day in my second grade classroom and have loaned it to several other teachers in my building. The games are easy to understand and teach and the students love them. The activities and greetings are easy to personalize and think of variations to be used over and over again.



2. Make sure there are multiple copies for your staff to share. If we all read the same theoretical ideas - and discuss how they would effect our situations - we all grow and change together.



3. Excellent resource to use in elementary classrooms! Contains many excellent, fun, interactive games that can be learned in a minute or less. I've used many of the games for my morning meeting as well as recess. Wonderful!



4. I bought this along with the Morning Meeting book and having these 2 books together provides an amazing resource in my 2nd Grade classroom for me! I can just turn to the activities section or the greeting section to find a greeting that will work for Morning Meeting. So many of the activities and greetings are so fun, also- the kids just love them! So glad I have this.

5 comments about Phil Hellmuth Presents Read 'Em and Reap: A Career FBI Agent's Guide to Decoding Poker Tells.

1. Mike Caro's book was revolutionary since it was the first book that categorized all the tells from the poker table. I believe everybody should read Caro's book first if you want to learn about tells, but this books teaches you on how to continue learning how to read tells.
   
   Joe Navarro talks a lot about standard position, this is how people are in their normal state. You have to be observant on how people look like when they aren't under any pressure or stress. Base on this knowledge you will then start trying to read this person on tells. In the end of the book Navarro teaches you how to improve your observation skills with some exercises.
   Some reviews says that this is just a copy of Caro's book. I don't believe that's true, you will find information here that you can't find in Caro's book.



2. This is one great poker book. I play a lot of poker and everything else I've ever read about poker tells (even by the famous Mike Caro) has been completely useless. This book paid for itself the first time I played poker after reading it. I now feel like a professional player able to make some great reads.



3. This book is certainly more relevant today than Caro's dated one. But, like Caro's work, some of the information is delivered as absolute and true, while we all know there are no such things in poker.
   
   Read 'em and Reap has much to offer but everything in it needs a little salt for seasoning.



4. This might be seen as competition for Mike Caro's excellent _Mike Caro's Book of Tells_ but it is better viewed as a complimentary work, covering different parts of the same theme.
   
   Before we discuss the differences between the two, we have to mention the view that tells are not very important. That view, promoted by people as prominant as Daniel Negreanu, is simply wrong. While tells may not help you very often, a tell can win a very important hand for you or keep you from losing a very large number of chips. As long as tells exist, as Mr. Negreanu will freely admit, they don't have to be seventy percent of the game (a bizarre claim made by the authors of this book)to be important.
   
   This book, in contrast to the Caro book, analyzes very basic neurological reactions, honest tells. In contrast to the "weak means strong" theme of the major tells in the book of tells, this book teaches you to see often subtle but almost always honest indicators of a player's confidence at a particular moment in time. The most important part of this book is the section on not _giving_ information.
   
   The flaws in this book include the above claim that poker is seventy percent driven by reading tells. Most others involve Mr. Hellmuth and his ego and the amount of extraneous bragging that is done by both authors.



5. I read this book less than two weeks time and entered three poker tournments three weeks later- result 1st tournment third place, 2nd tournment 1st and 3rd tournment 1st place. This book is amazing. Worth the money spent!!!

No comments about Scepter Tower of Spellgard: (D&D 4.0 RPG, Forgotten Realms Adventure FR1).