2 comments about Dead or Alive 4 (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. The back cover of the guide promisses "expert lessons". Where? It's just more general suggestions. I already know I need to learn the counter system to be effective at this game. The booklet with the game tells me that. HOW PRIMA? HOW DO I DO IT? There's no lesson. There's no how to. I'm still looking for the promised "gaurd breaks" list in the "character strategies" section. Sounds like it's something I'd really like to try. This guide makes it seem like an effective tool. Too bad that other then a general description of what a guard break will do for me, there's no actual instruction on the technique.
   
   Great I know all the character moves that you can't possibly hope to accomplish while the computer has you in a 99999 punch juggle. I can get that info for free on gamefaq.com. I was actually better as a button masher at this game than I am armed with this worthless guide.



2. I disregarded the previous review by LB on January 25th and i sorely regret it. This game guide does not tell you how to counter properly, guard breaks, and character strategies. On the back cover it says it shows you the best/worst match-ups but its nowhere to be found. Doesnt give you any tag combos at all, or online play instructions.
   
   PS For goodness sake, learn to play a character other than Ryu Hayabusa, Jan Lee or Brad Wong. Everyone plays these characters online.

1 comments about Sigma Star Saga(TM)/Rebelstar Tactical Command(TM) Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. Not an especially in depth guide, It provides a sufficient walk through for each of the 2 games, but neglects finer points of each, For example: in Rebelstar Tactical Command(TM) If you put earned skill points into Medic, you are able to -take them out- later on, for use in other skills by pushing D-pad Right while the Medic skill is highlighted. It's an OK guide, but not very deep. If you just need a walk through for each of the 2 games, pick it up. If your an enthusiast of either of these 2 games, This guide will remind you of basic training, nothing more, nothing less.

5 comments about Railroad Tycoon 3 Official Strategy Guide.

1. THIS IS THE WORST BOOK EVER
   This is a horrible 'book'. I apply that term with much regret, because books contain words, strung together in sentences in order to express thought. This contains pictures of the game with a caption such as 'new train', following a single sentence informing the reader that at a certain point in the scenario, they will indeed be offered a new train. Sentences are repeated often; peppered throughout the scenarios section are such insights as 'expand quickly', and 'issue a bond'. The 'author' had 206 pages to fill, and succeeded with minimal effort. He likely played each scenario once, and makes no effort to explain the new economy. The industry chart contains less information than the poster shipped with the game. Overall, there is better documentation in the box.
   This book contains nothing of any value for the serious railroad developer. Virtually nothing on the economy, cargo or advanced play issues. Don't waste your money.



2. If you want strategy. This book is not for you.
   If you want guides to the scenarios. This book is not for you.
   If you want to waste your money. This book is for you.
   
   Railroad Tycoon and Civilization spawned the strategy guide industry. It is a shame that this is their legacy. If you want to see a lot of graphic design this is the place. If you want to read about the game beyond what you get for free in the tutorials, then you should look elsewhere.



3. Why, oh why did I buy this book without reading these reviews first? It's terrible! Some of the lines in this book were almost comical, they were so bad. How's this for a strategy: "Do everything within your power to make as much money as possible." So THAT'S what I've been doing wrong! Seriously, this book reads like a spoof of itself. It would be hilarious if it weren't for the fact that I spent perfectly good money on it.
   
   By about page 15 I had determined that the book must have been written by a high school student. Very light on content, with bad, bad writing just to fill up space. Then there is the poor editing. And the many, many typos. Plus the factual errors! The Alps are the highest mountain range in the world? Wow.
   
   Did I mention the author's ignorance of basic economic principles? When describing the game's economic cycles, he admits that he has no idea why laying track would be more expensive during boom times ..."because you would think that everything would be better during a boom." Let's see. You're getting top dollar for everything you're selling, but you can't figure out why the stuff you're buying would also cost more? Who let this guy write a book about a game based on economics?
   
   By far, the worst thing about this book is its poor strategy advice. Early in the book he says that you can't make money without laying track. Wrong--you can buy profitable industries without a foot of rail or a single train. Later, he says that you should use some of the proceeds from a bond issue to buy stock in other companies to increase your personal wealth. Sounds like a great strategy! Too bad it's IMPOSSIBLE. You can't buy stocks for your personal account with company money, although I'll admit it's one of the first things I tried to do. Which leads me to believe that he hasn't even played the game.
   
   I'm sorry for the rambling, but I'm almost offended by the abyssmal quality of this work. Avoid it at all costs.



4. I was hoping this book would reveal the deep secrets of the games's economy and talk more about overarching strategy. It wastes a LOT of page space just talking about the basics, with HUGE and useless screenshots peppered throughout. It has a decent walkthrough of the campaign, but if you're looking for a tell-all book on what makes this game tick, this doesn't quite cut it.



5. As a player new to the "Railroad Tycoon" series, I found this book to be worth the cost. It gave me insights not included in the manual and reduced my occasional frustration with the game. Not all of its advice is correct, and in spots it is dead wrong, but that makes it feel less like a cheat.

2 comments about Dino Crisis 2 Official Strategy Guide.

1. I think this is the greatest Dino Game of all time. And It Tells every single thing about Dino Crisis 2.



2. I suggest you to buy this game guide, Its excellant if you really need the help!
   It gives you: a complete detailed walkthrough, what gun to use on each dinosaur, the place for each dino file, secrets, combo scoring, maps, scene's and a whole lot more!

No comments about WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Signature Series Guide (Brady Games).

4 comments about SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs Official Strategy Guide.

1. I am an old guy and have trouble with shooters so i always get the books and walkthroughs on line. I bought the Socom 2 game and this book at the same time.
   I found it to be of very little use because the game itself contains all of the info in the book.
   It can be helpful with its suggestions for alternate routes and what weapons to start with.
   In general i find the screenshot to be very hard to view and the white text on a dark background annoying. Too much time is spent on 'looking pretty' and not enough on actual help.
   For instance, the book lists the weapons by name only. This means that you can only tell what the characteristics of the Armory items are by checking them in the Armory. The names alone tell you nothing about the items.
   There is a section of maps at the end but they are of little value, also for the same reason. No detail. The game maps are much more useful. In the book they are simply overhead snap shots that don't offer any detail or hints.
   The multiplayer maps do show Seal & Terrorist starting points, but that is all the detail you will encounter. None of the different levels are shown ie. underground caves or stories in buildings...
   I am sorry i wasted my money on the book. It has been of very little value to me. It looks good though.



2. I found the first SOCOM book very helpful and worth the money. This guide for the second game is not as helpful. I doubt the writers actually played the game. You buy these books to learn how to get past the places everybody gets stuck. This book doesn't address these situations at all.



3. This is by far the worst Strategy Guide i have ever purchased or even looked through. I have already beat the single player mode and just looking through the single player guide section, i do not belive that would of helped with the single player game. The reason i did buy this was for the ONLINE play. The "quote" map guides of all 22 maps are bogus. They do not show one picture of online maps at all and the the info it gives would get you killed in a heart beat. and for the WEapons it gives you picture and name, no info on them. THIS IS A D-. do not buy unless you need this paper for fire, because it is useless.



4. This guide really didn't help me at all. The only reason I bought it was for a mission where i had to rescue some French guy... I couldn't figure out how to get him to move (turns out that you point the crosshairs at him, then command him with the mic. Kinda weird since you rarely ever use your mic for anything but talking to your fireteam members). Single player: for the weapons advice, it almost always says use the M4A1SD, or consider the SR-25SD sniper rifle. This is correct information, but it's not something that ya need to be told. The missions are about stealth, so get a silencer. I prefer the sniper rifle for most missions (except the ones that are mostly indoors). You just need to be able to be accurate with your pistol when they are up close. There's a walkthrough of each mission, but if you actually want to read where every single person is, then you're making the game pretty boring. It doesn't help much anyways. The multiplayer part doesn't help much either. It keeps telling you to use the turrets, but if you have ever played before you know that only a moron would. It makes you a sitting duck. I've only had one situation that i've ever found the turret useful... sniper only games. They get too close, and rather than get into a little "spinning battle" where you go around in circles until someone finally gets a hit, ya just hop on the turret and waste them. But the guide doesn't even mention that one useful scenario. So yeah, I basically just gave you a guide of SOCOM II that is just as useful as this published one. But at least the actual guide looks "professional". That's all that it does right.

No comments about Internet Game Programming.

2 comments about NCAA Football 2007 (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. The only reason I even have the guide is because I got it for free when I bought the game and it is a good way to pass the time reading on the can. John I think you are the same guy who wondered why Reggie Bush was the cover boy of the game and to answer your silly question again, the NCAA will not allow an active player to appear on the game cover so EA uses the Heisman Trophy Winner or another star from the previous year as the cover person.



2. It was an ok book, basically what it did was add what the little book with the game didn't cover and that was about it. Of course I am still upset about Michigan's ranking there is now way there that good.

No comments about Creating Games: Mecha Content, and Technology.

No comments about True Crime: Streets of L.A. Official Strategy Guide.