5 comments about Final Fantasy Chronicles Official Strategy Guide.

1. This is a well written guide covering two wonderful games. I found it very helpful, especially for Chrono Trigger, which I had not played in any form before.

   It's got all the basics covered, but there were a few tricks that it left out, such as the rather odd but very useful trick of slowing down the battle speed in FFIV to make the battles easier.




2. this guide is definatley one of the worse guides i have ever used. I foud items that weren't listed at the begining of each section mislabled items, a couple of their boss sugestions were poorly done, in the final fight it claims Zeromus is a counter atacke well he's not onc you hit him he dose't stop. Directions were poorly done, secret areas were not described. Their suggested levels were too high, up until the final boss fight wher they are pretty acurate



3. This game guide is one of the best that i have seen yet for chrono trigger...though the cover isnt very flashy it is after all what is inside that counts. With this guide you wont have to worry about getting lost in that annoying dungeon or get defeated by that darn nasty boss and have to keep reloading your game. not only that but with this guide you will be able to complete all 11 alternate endings of the game. yes it may seem like a lot of work but it is worth it everytime, trust me. rest assured this guide will bring you to the top of your game.



4. Product was clear and fully illustrated in a very helpful manner.
   When ever i got stuck it helped me right out. Plus it told you how to get all the endings to chrono trigger! A steal at fifteen for any one who knows role-playing games.



5. I have found that in several other guides written by dan birlew the items, magic, etc. are listed incorrectly. it appears he's done it again. if all you need is a map and some helpful items then this book is for you. however, i wouldn't be so generous as to call it comprhensive knowledge for the game. once again, locations, items, and other general mis-knowledge comes up several times throughout this book. for a real eye-opener as to how bad the author is, play this game and read some online faqs at gamefaqs.com and compare the knowledge.

5 comments about Microsoft Train Simulator: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets.

1. This book for this program is great.

   You must like it!




2. This book is full of helpful hints and strategies for the game. It could be more detailed but it covers all the activities and routes that come with the game.

   The book is extremely useful when you're about to start an activity for the first time or you don't know quite where to begin. It's written in simple language, not technical jargon, so it's easy to understand and easy to use. Each of the acitvities for each of the routes is covered, with tips and helpful hints to point out "gotchas" and things to watch. There's a little bit of historical information as well.

   What makes an activity "hard" on the difficulty scale? Can I complete it in the time allotted? What hazards or conditions make the activity easy or difficult? Is there a stategy I can employ to make the activity more successful? Where on the route will I have to slow down or stop my train, and why?

   These are the sort of questions addressed by the book. While it's probably not a necessity, I would highly recommend it for the Train Simulator owner who wants to get the most from the game.




3. If you just purchased MSTS and want to learn how to use "Route Editor", "Cab Editor", "Consist Editor", and activities....good luck trying to figure it out without this book.(I bought the book and I am still trying to figure it out!!) Unless of course you have a PHD. in computer science!Well rounded book outlining all the routes and features the simulator has to offer. Just wish it had an index.



4. This book is really a basic tutorial and not much else. A lot
   of space is dedicated to geographical description of the train routes and less to the technical issues, especially the Tools and Editors. The coverage for this topic is very elemetary. This is the kind of manual that used to come with the software. There are, however, some useful pieces of information which are not included in the MSTS documentation. It's a good place to start...but not to finish



5. this is the best for simulators that i have tested and tried. the only way that microsoft could improve this is the graphics. to make the graphics look more real. other than the graphics it is a joy to play

5 comments about The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Everyone usually looks at a strategy guide at once in their life, whether it be for a Role Playing game, a Teen game, a Mature game, or a Everyone game. I've looked at bunches of strategy guides in my life, and, to be truthful, I've seen guides in magazines that are better. It tells you about the characters, the guests, the items, and so on. But the guide itself....
   
   I've seen guides with mistakes before, after all, you can't catch every mistake. But this book abounded with them. The book got confused with what item was here, and what item was there. It'll say an item is in one place, but its a different piece of equipment. Where that equipment is supposed to be, is the piece that was supposed to be in the other spot.
   
   There is enough typos and grammatical errors that it isn't even funny. One is funny. Maybe even two. But any more than that, and its utterly ridiculous.
   
   And the enemy strategies. Wow. They really botched that up. The strategies in themselves were good, until they contradicted themselves. For example, the giant elephants (I forget what they're called) have little cards with stats, and a little spot in the back of the book with stats. If you look, it'll say things like Slow: Immune. However, if you go into the middle where the strategy is, it says to use a Crippling attack, which works really good against them (which also means they are effected). However, Crippling attacks are slow attacks, and the elephants are immune to them.
   
   Another case, the Witch King of Angmar, 3rd battle. It says Eowyn is a good asset. Hello! My people do 20,000-40,000 damage per attack, and she does a measly 2500 damage! How is that an asset? Also, it says he is vulnerable to Bind Spirit spells, like Silence Evil. It also says that on the card and in the back. But he is immune!
   
   The Evil Mode help isn't even help. And sometimes it doesn't even give a complete list of items achieved.
   
   I do NOT reccommend this guide to someone who actually expects to be decently helped. Yes, it helps. Just not very much. This book is almost worthless. It makes you think the writers didn't even play it or know what they were talking about, some of that information is so off target. Find a new strategy guide, by someone else. Or, go to a FAQ page. They're more useful than this wad of paper.
   
   Trust me, do not buy this book, unless you want to know obvious music. Like item and character descriptions. And a list of skills. If I could, I'd take it back. It isn't really needed, anyways.



2. Prima's Strategy Guide for the Playstation 2 game "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age" is a mixed bag in regards to how helpful it is. For my needs, I found the guide to be quite helpful. To start with, there is quite a bit of information on each character and which of the stats should be improved for each character, and which skills are the most valuable for that character to learn. There are sections of the guide focusing on all of the weapons, armor, and items in the game. There is a bestiary at the end of the guide giving stats on all of the enemies. All of this is nice, but the real reason most people purchase a strategy guide is the full game walkthrough.
   
   The walkthrough itself is the part of the guide which may give the most help and cause the most confusion/frustration. What will help the most is that the guide gives a very good run down on what it is that you are supposed to, in what order you should do it (in those instances you have a choice), and what some of the best tactics are to help you succeed. The guide, in text form, gives description of the goals, enemies, and what items are won or found in the area. There are some boss strategies included. This isn't a very complex game so the general strategies the guide gives are really good enough (use crippling attacks or Arrows of Sleep when they work, use powerful attacks) for what the game requires. In this manner the guide was quite helpful and I was able to complete the game with 100% of the tasks/quests completed.
   
   The downside of the walkthrough is a lack of clarity and a little bit of inaccuracy. There are maps at the beginning of each chapter with numbers relating to which event is happening at which location. Maps are usually excellent tools for working through a game. The trouble here is that the maps are very vague. Imagine a map of the United States. It's a fairly small map and you know that Minnesota is somewhere to the north and in the center of the country. Suppose there are only a few main roads that you can possibly take to get to Minnesota from Georgia. If the map doesn't identify which road you are on or where exactly you are starting from on the map, you may end up getting to Minnesota but you won't know where exactly you are until you get there. That is pretty much what the maps in the guide are like. Some levels are better, others are worse. I do feel that the text description overcomes the flaws with the maps, but there is no quick glancing at the map to get a grasp of where you are.
   
   The other downside is a question of accuracy. The guide will list times where Crippling Attacks (an attack which will delay the turn of an enemy, it is incredibly valuable) are to be used but it turns out that the enemy is really immune to it (and vice versa). This happens more often towards the end of the guide and since the strategies are typically fairly simple this inaccuracy is easily overcome, but it is a little irritating when you waste a crippling attack over a more powerful attack in a difficult battle.
   
   I think I would have preferred a few more enemy charts and better maps within the walkthrough section, but overall I didn't have a problem with this guide. It helped me clear the game 100% (I'm sure I would have missed something) and to get all the best armor and weapons until I got too lazy to follow directions on the last chapter. By no means is this the best guide ever, but it helped me finish the game and it covered all of the information that was actually needed for me to make it through the game.
   
   -Joe Sherry



3. This walkthrough was horrible. Yes, it tells you where to go, but I rely on all the fine points. The information is, in total, WRONG. I spent almost half the game building up this one "skill", because the "Witch-king" is vulnerable to it. Turns out he ISN'T vulnerable to it, the book had wrong information, and while in a fight with the King of the Nazgul, it isn't good to not have any attacks. (*.-) So right now as the Witch-King is waving his mace around on the PS2, I am writing this to let you all know that it's a better idea to just find one online, or just stop cheating. (*.*) By the way, He is NOT Vulnerable to "Bind Spirit".



4. This guide has many errors as far as what certain character (enemy) classes are immune to. The game itself is not that hard and you really don't need the maps in this guide for anything. So this guide basically fails at the one thing it could have been useful for. Really, for the money that Prima makes selling these guides, there is no excuse for putting out a shoddy product filled with mistakes. As another reviewer said, you can find better, more accurate guides online. This is definitely one guide that you should pass on and just save your money. Even if you loved this game like I did, this guide is not worth the investment (even for a few dollars used - I got mine cheap and ended up just giving it away since it's pretty useless).



5. If you bought the LOTR The Return of the King strategy guide from Prima, the The Third Age strategy guide is nothing like the Return of the King guide. It was still useful and informative.

No comments about Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets.

2 comments about Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. Great guide, it includes all your needs, from fully detailed maps to the descriptions of every enemy in the game. It also includes hints to how to beat any boss in the game.



2. It's good giudance to unlock the armo and the new stages. The price is cheaper than in store a lot.

4 comments about Call of Duty? 2 Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. Since I had never played a WWII shooter before, I thought it would be a good idea to pick this up when I bought Call of Duty 2. I've gotten hooked on strategy guides in recent years anyway and generally find the maps and other info very helpful. Unfortunately, the Call of Duty 2 Official Strategy Guide is the first one I've ever purchased that I consider a total waste of money.
   
   To begin with, the game itself is actually very straightforward and easy to figure out. The strategy required to finish a given scenario is generally obvious. While I often died during missions, I knew what to try next in order to succeed.
   
   On those few occasions when I felt more challenged, I found the book to be no help at all. They tend to give a very general walk through of the mission along with maps that were very difficult to follow. There was never enough detail to be of any real help. In the end, I figured out how to survive and complete all of the missions on my own just as I would have without the book.
   
   In the final analysis, this book will not justify the money you would spend on it. Call of Duty 2 is challenging in its own way, but it is not a game that demands a clue book. The manual itself is attractive but is ultimately filled with useless filler. Save the money and use it to buy the expansion pack for Call of Duty 2 that will doubtless be released in the coming months.



2. This guide helped me to really enjoy the game. I have several Bradygames Guides and all are first class.



3. The two discs of the game contain no documentation,
   the slim folder you get with the game, you knew before you opened the box.
   Almost, but not exactly useless.
   Many of the important parts of setup are not explained.
   This is advertised as the oficial guide.
   Offers decent graphics and maps, but really needs decent walkthroughs and setup help.
   Theirs are vague.
   Especially since the game's AI makes each game somewhat different
   When paired with the online walkthoughs it makes a useful resource.
   Online text, this guides pictures, maybe even a YouTube video guide
   and you have a decent resource.
   By itself it doesn't support it's retail price, but was a value, used.



4. A well laid out book, explaining most that is needed.
   Would benefit by having all the keyboard basics in there as well.
   
   But is very very good for understanding the basics of the strategy.

5 comments about Age of Mythology: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets.

1. I've bought many strategy books and really none of them are as good as this one. This tell you all that others and MORE. It's not enough writting some tips within all the statistics from the manual to title "strategy guide ..." a book, it's need to have every lesson you need to improve your game. This one has all of these and MORE, i hope this gay write about my favorite game "warcraft iii"
   So, buy it.



2. A GREAT Strategie & Secret book for Age of Mythology. This book gives you step by step directions that realy helps, this book is no ordinary book it is the best stratigie and secret book FOR AGE OF MYTHOLOGY.If you want to win the game you gotta get this FABULOUS book.



3. Most guide books are rushed to press to make a fast buck off of popular games. But this one is actually worth the price on the book cover. This is a must have book for anyone who owns AoM. Wyatt Kaldenberg



4. I personally didn't read or use the book but I haven't seen my husband's face for quite a while since we got this book. He usually reading the book or playing the game. As you might have guessed I purchased the book for him.



5. My 11-year-old son, a huge fan of Age of Mythology, says it's "really helpful". I think you have to be pretty into the CD-Rom game to care much about the info in this book, but if you're as devoted as my son, it helps you play the game more effectively.

5 comments about Super Mario Galaxy Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. The guide loks great, I haven't finished the game yet buy I have read the guide and I have to say that is very clear. It have 3D pictures and at the end a few hand-made pictures, but onlyn a few pages.
   
   Miyamoto's signaure is in the lasta page and the poster IT'S FANTASTIC, it really bright in the darkness, but it only one and I will keep then save inside the guide



2. Super Mario Galaxy was the only thing my son wanted for Christmas.
   I found the guide also. He is estatic and I didn't have to fight the holiday crowds. I love shopping on-line.



3. I picked up this "collector's edition" mainly because I loved the corresponding one for Twilight Princess. This one is written by a different author, but is published by the same company, so I figured they'd be similar. Not so.
   
   First of all (and perhaps beside the point) Super Mario Galaxy is not that difficult or expansive game as to require a guide. The way this thing is laid out makes reading it difficult and looks like a highschool yearbook staff could have thrown it together. Definitely not of the quality and depth of the Zelda book. I definitely DO NOT recommend this to anyone. If you really must use a guide for the game, pick up the cheaper one that isn't bloated and poorly done like this. I'm really disappointed b/c the Zelda guide was so great!



4. My son got this for his 10th birthday, and hasn't been able to put it down. He has read it cover to cover at least twice, and studies every page. It was definately worth the price.



5. Hardbound and colorful edition which made playing the game more fun and less frustrating for my kid. Can be a relief from reading schoolbooks on long trips in the car.

5 comments about Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar - World Companion: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. The LotRO World Companion is probably the single most useless book I've ever purchased. Every single item in the game is included, but they are all listed by name in alphabetical order. This means it's impossible to look up weapons or armour by the level; it's impossible to look up creatures based on their level or by the areas in which you'll find them; it's impossible to look up quests based on the level. It's almost as if the authors merely took a computer database and just transposed it directly into the book.
   
   Also, there are no hints in the book. The only information it gives is what can be found in the game, and the game is actually more helpful than the book, in that it gives you a context from which you can better figure out where to look for creatures etc.
   
   Altogether this book is a complete waste. It's so poorly laid-out that I doubt I'll ever be able to get any useful information from it. I urge players to avoid this one like the plague.



2. i was in fact a little confused when i found out that this book served better purposes in the fire place than anywhere else... i wonder what in the world were the people at prima thinkin when they cuncocted this book..
   
   "oh hey guys lets make a book that repeats everything that states word for word everything in the game and make all the other info in it completely useless to the point that we only make money off the pre-orders because the poor victims can't read the book for themselves at the time.".. maybe it went somethin like that i'm guessing?
   
   sounds about right anyway.. anyone that wanted to make a couple hundred bucks could of done this by taking nearly thousands of screenshots and putting them in photo shop and they could of duplicated this book on their own at a cheaper cost for the exact same info.. i'm done ranting .. i feel as though i've wasted time and money...



3. Too bad there's no rating for zero. A great mass of info, designed to emulate an PRG players' guide, organized not by race, class, zone, or level, but alphabetically. Info in the book appears to come verbatim from the game itself, which is often, by the nature of the game, cryptic -- hence the need for a guide. This is a recap, not a guide. The book lacks the one thing that might have given it a redeeming value -- quest hints. There are none. I've done far better in the advice channel. I've considered asking for a refund based on uselessness.



4. This book has numerous lists about monsters, quest, feats, and etc. The tips for the quests are quick one liners, if you need more than that you should look elsewhere for the FAQs and etc.
   
   The book is cool for experience rewards, traits, deeds, quick info on monsters. However this book contains no maps to go along with these quests, areas or hints. This is a giant LOTRO index and nothing more.



5. This book could almost be rated 0 stars... HOWEVER, the only useful thing I found is the Quest Chains where it tells you what quests are available to you at what levels, and what is before or after each of those quests chains. It also tells you the difficulty of the quest. Also, one thing that is good is that it tells you the monster and enemy type and its location. That is only useful for hunting and doing deeds. However, everything else is horribly placed.
   
   Why in the world would PRIMA, a well know company that does guides, do such a horrible thing. If I was to be the last one editing it, I'll be throwing it in the trash and tell them to redo it.
   
   First off- anything dealing with items such as jewelry, armors, weapons are all listed in alphabetical order, which makes no sense at all. Why the heck would you mix staves and swords, to daggers and bows altogether? I had to go page by page just to look at the possible way to build my character only to get a migraine that it is annoying and undeveloped well. If I am to tell you, I'd say to buy the digital copy (if you are desperately in need or want this volume) that you can download, at least that way you can try to copy and paste the whole thing and short it in Excel yourself into categories. Again- why go through all that hassle when the guide is supposed to have it all done for you?
   
   As for jewelry, how stupid is it to tell us the level and rarity of it, but not the bonuses and stats it gives like the armors and weapons do? The book is entitled on the back that "With this guide your knowledge will be complete" however it helps with little knowledge.
   
   There are some sections such as quests that are not even completely written. It just gets cutoff. I don't know how they missed it, or if they just did not care thinking no one will notice it...
   
   Overall for what this book is worth (and not worth), I highly recommend you not getting it. I give it 1 star, and to me, seriously I have had it for over a month and hardly ever use it since Vol. 1 is more useful in many, if not all, cases.

5 comments about Final Fantasy Origins Official Strategy Guide.

1. I was VERY impressed with this guide when I bought it the other day and I have to say that it's helped me cover alot of material. I had already beaten FF1, but FF2 was probably the hardest for me to complete alone and I'm sure that this is the same for everone else who's played it as it is said to be the HARDEST one in the FF franchise! Without it, I probably wouldn't have gotten as far as I thought. The guide covers both games and includes info on magic, dungeons, Boss strategies etc. and just about anything else you'd expect to know from a Final Fantasy game. And well, thanks to an excellent walkthrough through FF2, I finally beat both games with just about everything covered. (except for 'Normal' mode in FF1)

   OVERALL: I give it a 10/10! Excellent coverage for both games and a nice way to get through the hardest dungeons in case you get lost. I HIGHLY recommend this book if you are having trouble getting through either game because it will REALLY REALLY help! Never have I seen strategy this good in a long time! BRADYGAMES is the BEST co. to offer these, so I say BUY TODAY!!! You won't regret it! ^_^




2. Wow, this book's got everything! Bestiary, secret items, boss strategies, everything. If you seriously are having trouble, get this guide. You won't be sorry, you'll be like " Wow this thing DOES have EVERYTHING!"



3. This is the most helpful book ever. It has maps, stats for characters and bosses and the eastiest way to beat them. The book tells you what is in each chest if they're guarded and by what. And it has what monster you'll find in certain areas and there stats. It show all the wepons armor and items and their ablities. This book is great. I used it after i beat both and i was amazed at some of the things i missed or did wrong. Personnally though i'd rather spend more time on the game and find the stuff without help it just more fun that way. But when it comesd to strategy guides this is a the top!



4. It was nice to have some over view maps of the caves and castles. It help prevent the access use of potions and death of party members at early levels.



5. its good but i didnt beat the game, so i thus didnt use the whole stragey guide so i dont know since i didnt dive into it that much