5 comments about Microsoft® XNA™ Game Studio 2.0: Learn Programming Now!.

1. I got this book at Barnes & Noble, so it was the 'newer version' without the CD or the promise thereof. It wasn't a problem at all for me, as everything is very easy to access online...and I'd prefer to buy the book at a cheaper cost and download the software than pay extra for a CD.
   
   The content, at least the part that I've read is very informative for a newbie programmer like me. I'm only on Chapter 3, but if you're already experienced in C#, this book might not be for you. Everything is clearly explained, and the length of the book is perfect - long enough to be thorough, but not so long to be intimidating. Highly recommended.



2. *NEWSFLASH*
   
   Forget about the not downloadable code... It can be found a very silly games dot com. If you want to learn more about XNA. Buy this book...
   
   *END NEWSFLASH*
   
   First of all let me say that I think that this book is very well written. It explains things quite easy and I think beginners are going to enjoy this book quite a lot. Even medior programmers can learn stuff from this book. And I think everyone gets a pretty good insight on how XNA works. Having said that, there is one complaint and preventing this book from getting more than 3 stars.
   
   The book tells you to look at examples quite often. And as I am one that likes to see code examples I find it very annoying that the CD is not available. But as some of the previous reviewers mentioned everything is downloadable so I went out for a search.
   
   So I thoughed I get it of the Microsoft press site. But as it turns out the CD is not downloadable atm. So well, lets try searching via Google. Nothing to be found. Perhaps I am looking in all the wrong places, but I you write a book and refer to code examles quite a lot I think they should be easily available. This is not the case atm. So herefore 3 stars and no more.
   
   Talk about a BIG shame.
   
   So in conclusion. When you think of buying this book make sure you have the code examples. Than this book is going bring you lots of joy. If you cannot find them, my advise would be. Leave this book be till you do.



3. This book is really simple. If you are just starting out, you may want to start here -- although I might would suggest starting with a straight C# book (or online tutorials).
   
   The book has 2.0 in the title, but I couldn't find anything new to 2.0 discussed in the pages.



4. I've been going through a lot of online tutorials, training videos and all the big XNA books out there. I'm at a 'middle' level of knowledge and I wanted to pick this up just to reaffirm what I've learned. Looking at it, I knew it was going to be more basic that most books and I knew that going into it (which allowed me to get through it fairly quickly).
   
   The book starts off as a great little intro to XNA, but as it progresses seems to get into the same issue as a lot of other XNA books, it just starts leaving things out and expects you to be following along with the source code (which is downloadable). I'm ok with more advanced books doing this, but for a complete beginner, I know this could end up a little confusing (and I believe this book is geared for that audience).
   
   The only other minor gripe would be (and the author alludes to it being an issue at the beginning of the last chapter) - the programs created begin to get to that point where they are starting to get a little complicated and keeping all the code in a single file starts to backfire. An introduction to OOP and classes would have greatly benefited the examples for the last few chapters. I don't think it has to get into great detail, but after explaining namespaces and even using structs, I don't see why the code couldn't be broken out to some basic OOP. Nothing fancy is needed but having some separate classes would have been nice and I think much easier (even for beginners).
   
   Other than those minor issues, I feel the book is a good intro for someone who knows some basic programming of any language and wants to dabble in XNA. Someone that hasn't done any programming would also be fine, but I'd recommend a C# book to get the full set of basics. The first 3/4 of the book are well written and go by quickly with some fun examples. It's an introductory book and a pretty good one at that. I recommend for anyone starting out and wants to get their feet wet.



5. If you're new to XNA like I was, this will make an excellent book for you. For someone with no programming experience, you might want to get that first. This book touches on really basic concepts for review but probably does not go in depth enough to teach it to you.
   
   But for someone with programming experience, but not XNA experience, this book has been amazing. Everything is very clear, the code runs great, and i've actually had fun doing it. Apparantly there is source code online, but I've never gone to the site. Everything is in the book, so if you read and understand it, you should be able to do it on your own and actually learn something.
   
   For someone with XNA experience that wants more, you'd probably just find review materials in here. You'd be better off looking elsewhere. But for someone in my shoes I'd definately recommend this book. It's everything I wanted it to be.

5 comments about Cyberpunk 2020: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future.

1. I've ben GMing for something like fifteen years and this is the system I always return to. If I want to run someting of my own, this is the system I base it on.

   Slim-line, fast, flexible, simple, expansive, effective. All words that describe Talsorian's game mechanics - it simply does not get any better.

   As for the universe - this is a REAL world of darkness. No bright dawn, no happy ever after. Only your wits and tech, style and edge. No right or wrong, only power and death, a world of grey areas that seems only just around the corner.

   If you are a gamer and you don't have this - get it now.

   If you aren't a gamer but love the Dark Future setting, it's worth it.

   Magnificent.




2. I was stationed in Vilseck Germany with the 2nd of the 63rd Armor when I friend told me about Cyber Punk. It was almost a year before we found someone with the books, and immediatly set up a game. It was a game that I have never forgoten. It sits in my mind like the begining of Secret of Mana, forever a defining factor in my oppinions.

   This game does tend to drag with its role to hit/role to dodge rules, but it is more believable then any other game I have seen or played. The setting for Cyber Punk is OURT world, with OUR history. It is science fiction. We can look at our own lives, make few changes to the timeline, and see that it IS possible. In reality, these things would never happen, but in the game, it is easier for us to adapt to this new world because it is so close to our own. Realy, what has changed? The world has met a sort of anarchy, like in Mad Max. The government is now run by Corporations. Bionics are common enough that you see people with mettle limbs on a regular basis. This world is more real then any other I have seen, and this makes more believable. Since it is more believable it becomes easier to enter your charactor and enjoy the game.

   If I had to rate all the games I have played, I would put this on tope, even with its long combat and ineffectiveness with machine guns.




3. CP 2020 is by far the best pencil and paper RPG, this is all you need to get started. Playing CyberPunk will open your eyes to the world and the direction it is heading in and also opens your creativity and imagination. Everything from the weapons, the armor and the stat system whips AD&D. Anyone who doesn't like the whole fantasy ideals and/or combat system of AD&D needs to give CP a serious look-see.

   If you like CP:2020 check out the CyberSphere MOO, well coded and reasonably closely based on CP.

   Telnet on over to:

   cs.vv.com:6969
   or
   cs.vv.com:7777




4. Out of the whole cyberpunk movement and craze, it would seem that a role playing game was a natural. This had an interesting setting and information, and was appropriately brutal. This would lead to characters having the life expectancy of at least a little more than a paranoia clone, so you had to do something about that if you wanted to feature violence in your games.



5. In the short-run, it's like Shadowrun only without anything in the way of mysticism or magic. It's all metal or nothing in this game.
   
   Plenty here have praised the games mechanics, so I won't dive into that... ditto the excellent storyline (I haven't actually GMed a CP game in almost 10 years, and haven't played in five, yet I'll still flip through the rulebook every so often just to read about the local color and stories provided)
   
   If the game has a downfall it is only in that the story lineage is a little dated by modern standards (although strangely prophetic). As 2020 is fast approaching us (being 12 years away as of this writing) much of what was theorized as being "part of the future" has actually come to pass: The internet (ok, not QUITE as they have invisioned it, but can it be far off?), cellphones, corperations wielding vast political power, even modern stem-cell research is a harbinger to the body limb-regrowth capabilities tauted in the game, ditto with cyberlimbs/prosthetics.
   
   The game itself is still very much worth playing. Only now instead of a "dark future", the game has instead become more of a "grim alternate reality"... or alternately, you could just move the game's story ahead 20-30 years and adjust accordingly :)
   
   I highly reccomend it. If I could find another regular crew to play with locally, I'd be all over it!

1 comments about Turok Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Official Strategy Guide).

1. This guide is almost completely useless. I played through Turok without needing the guide and it is a good thing because the guide was poorly put together. No maps, no waypoints or landmarks to tell you where they are talking about in the game.
   The only part of the guide I liked were the weapon descriptions.
   
   I would not reccommend this guide to anyone, it is not needed to beat the game and it would be of minimal help anyway.

3 comments about Call of Duty 3 Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games Official Strategy Guides) (Brady Games Official Strategy Guides).

1. I tend to buy the strategy guides, more than anything else, to build up my multiplayer game for Xbox Live. I want to learn the intricacies of different maps, learn where weapons and power-ups are, and compare the loadouts available in multiplayer.
   
   Unfortunately, the multiplayer coverage in this book is pretty limp... a footnote, at the end of the book. The maps in this book are micro-sized. The authors don't give any real tips for individual maps. They do have a few interesting tips, but not enough to justify buying this book.
   
   I usually expect much better from Bradygames... their books have given me a powerful advantage with other titles. But the strategy guide for COD3 is just not worth purchasing. Move on to something else.



2. I like to play this game all the time, it is really realistic to me.



3. Go online.
   Get a guide there
   Use these pictures to help get oriented.
   The maps are useful, but the games AI make the tactics
   and descriptions offered
   something you will master through other means.
   Worth it used, you can buy the game for its new price.

5 comments about Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Official Strategy Guide.

1. This guide contains maps and where to get all platnum bolts and nanotech boost which is REALLY helpful! It tells you info on weapons and when you should use them and how to get through stuff and answers to electrolizer and infiltrator puzzles to thats also really helpful. It also tells you how to get all the skill points and tips on getting them. A really great guide but a bit confuseing at times un-fourinetly



2. get this game it rules when you are playing dont buy any guns
   save up for the ryno2 on planet barlow its only avalebl in the gagditron place



3. this game is asom! its twice as long as rachet and clank 1 and you are supposed to play this game twice!



4. Many people may disagree with me on this, but this game just isn't very fun. THe graphics are wonderful, and when you play the first few missions, you feel as though this is one of the greatest games ever. Then that feeling comes to a screeching halt when you buy your first armor. If it weren't for the friggin' armor in this game, I definately would have given this a five. From one point on, you have to continuously buy armor in order to make it through a certain few levels, because if you don't you're screwed. The last armor is a million bolts. A MILLION BOLTS. To raise that grit I had to beat one level ten times, and seeing as how the level was huge, that got extremely boring. In order to raise money for this without doing what I did, you would have to spend nearly nothing throughout the game, which is hard seeing as how it is necessary to spend up to 10,000 bolts in order to gain one little bit of info from some cheap citizen. I am a big Jak and Daxter fan, and I'm used to big environments where you can choose how to approach the situation. Not so in this game. There is one and only one way to get to a certain point, and the environment just goes in one big circle. However if you were a fan of the first R&C and you can't help but waste more money on crap like this, go ahead. I won't stop you.



5. i no this isnt that helpful but this is jus one of those games that make gaming reach a new level and thats it. and 4 that kid before me u dont have 2 buy all the armors i beat it the first time wit the 2nd armor and bought the rest in the chalange mode. so.......

5 comments about Wild Arms 5: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R6HV2B21DOXIH Hello everyone. Sean A. Rhodes here bringing you my first ever video review on Amazon.com! I know, it's on a strategy guide, but let's just say this serves as a test to see if a video review can actually be done. So think of it as a pilot for a television show. I hope you all enjoy it. Crafting a video review takes more work than it looks. If you can't stick around for the entire review (at 5 minutes it's a pretty long review for a strategy guide) I'll gladly lists the pros and cons for you right here:
   
   Pros:
   
   -Exhaustive Game Basics Section
   -Great Info on Combat
   -Well Put Together Walkthrough
   
   Cons:
   
   -Lots of Spoilers
   -Not All the Sidequests are Detailed and Prima will Refer You to Their Website
   
   Finally, keep all comments respectful. If you'd like, give some suggestions on what you'd like to see done in future video reviews. Being that some of you are probably gamers, I will more than likely have video game reviews in the future as well.



2. When I find out that Prima is writing a guide for a game, I cringe. Case in point: Breath of Fire III: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Blech. This one, however may just trump the BOFIII guide as the worst I've seen yet. Here's why.
   The guide begins with 25 pages of stuff that can be thrown out the window. All of the game basics, like button configurations, battle system, and anything else found in the included instruction manual are spread out lengthily in the first section of the guide. This wouldn't be too bad, until the guide removes sections to make room for this, which I'll get to later. Then there is a character guide, which is helpful enough for combination arts (which you won't use after a certain point in the game anyway) and badge combinations (which you could probably figure out on your own). Now comes the fun part.
   The actual walkthrough is nothing but maps. That's right, nothing but maps. And the worst part of that is, you can see the exact same maps by pressing the START button in any dungeon! The only text you will find is in boss strategies, story spoilers, or little boxes giving you simple solutions to some puzzles. Then they have a treasure table telling you in what area (each dungeon is divided into areas, each screen is an area) each treasure is in. That's it. No exact location, no detail on how to get to it, just what area it is in. Fantastic. This wouldn't be too bad either, but a certain sidequest (and Ex. File Key requirement) will have you gritting your teeth at this throughout the whole game. For a straight walkthrough, it's functional, but little more than that. Also, if there is an area in an early dungeon that you can return to much later in the game once you have gotten a certain item, you must flip all the way back to that dungeon in the guide just to find out what you'll get if you return. There aren't even any reminders when you get the item to go back, you have to flip through the whole guide every time you get a new item. This is just faster and more convenient then going back through the every dungeon, I guess.
   Now we come to my favorite part of this guide, and by favorite, I mean least favorite. The sidequest section offers some good info, but is far incomplete. Some sidequests are simple fetch quests, and the guide goes into enough details for those, while other quests involve great detail that the guide just doesn't see fit to mention. For example, there is an extensive walkthrough on solving all 20 Puzzle Boxes, but when you first start the game, you notice you can't find the boxes on the map. Why is that? The guide won't tell you, but I will. You have to talk to Brad from WA2 at Meisis Station to activate the Puzzle Boxes. Oh, now you can't find Carol's ultimate weapon? That's right, the guide doesn't describe that either, but just talk to Brad after completing the Puzzle Boxes and he will hand it to you. Those are some simple things the guide just left out, and you would have to go online for hours to research. Also, there is a sidequest where you need to open every treasure chest in the world, and then open and battle the Black Chest on the world map. Funny thing is, the guide doesn't detail 4 treasure chests in the actual game itself, so you may always end up at least 4 chests short, if not more! The guide also doesn't list the location of all 30 Neutrino Medals in the walkthrough itself, but it does in the sidequest section. You won't know you're short the medal in area 18 of the Lightless Shaft until you're about done with game, however. There are also 4 optional dungeons in the game that contain 12 of the 30 Neutrino Medals, and 47 of the 365 treasure chests. The guide doesn't cover a single bit of the optional dungeons. For your $[...], you get a prompt to go to [...] to find walkthroughs, detailed exactly like pages from the guide, on all four optional dungeons. If I wanted to go online for a guide, I would go to [...], and I did. Also, the locations of all the secret armors obtained from old Wild ARMs characters, are never revealed, nor are there strategies on fighting 6 optional bosses on the overworld map, not including the black chest.
   If you're patient like me, you will spend hours online finding out what you missed by using the guide. Isn't that exactly what a guide is supposed to prevent us from doing? I put 60 hours into getting everything on WA5, but in total, what with browsing the internet, printing off guides, and comparing this guide to other online walkthroughs, I probably spent 85 total hours on this game. Sure, this guide will help, especially with treasures found on the world map and puzzle solutions, but just know that this guide is incomplete, and you will be looking elsewhere for help.



3. Great coverage of the main storyline, bonus features are a little vague. Maps for the 4 optional dungeons are not included (you have to go to the website to see them, which is hard to use while playing the game.) Overall a decent guide but you will find yourself checking other sources for info on some of the bonus material.



4. When i purchased the Wild Arms 5 guide,thanks to the other reviews, i had an idea of what i was getting. Then i opened the guide.......
   
   While the guide gives out some good info, there is no way you will come close to finishing the game 100% with it, which is what i purchased the guide for in the first place.
   
   For example, there are multiple versions of how mediuyms work in both the front and back of the guide. This space could have easily been put to better use by inserting info, like the hidden dungeons instead.
   
   The guide also doesn't show you what can be won after battles when you are standing on certain hex spaces. That is a must if you want to get items like duplicators after battles, so you don't have to buy them from the black market.
   
   The walkthrough section has nice pictures of the dungeon layout, but the info given to you on how to complete puzzles is mish-mashed all over the page, instead of in an orderly fashion.
   
   Also, while the guide gives you a list of all Asgard's equipment, it doesn't tell you where to find it. It's not all found in chests, but also won after battles, and being in the correct hex.
   
   I could continue on, but from what i've stated, this guide gives you a partial leg up on the game, period. Go to a faqs site if you really want the 100% completion.



5. You really need the guide if you are going to find everything in this game. The guide was missing stuff itself though that I went online and found the holes.

2 comments about Enchanted Arms (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Does exactly what you expect. Tells you all of the secret locations of golems etc and is well written. A must if you have the game to get the full potential of Enchanted Arms.



2. I bought this guide weeks ago and still using it to play EM.My POV is that it is not the best game guide and falls into mediocre cateogry. It provides all the basics stuffs but some important ones are missing such as map for certain areas. The explanations are not thorough as well makes me have to figure out things by myself at certain points playing the game. However, it is just my POV.If you like EM, buy it and if you don't, well don't. Cheers

No comments about Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution 2: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

5 comments about Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Just like the last Splinter Cell Game Guide, this book does good in providing you a walk-through to get through the game, but it lacks depth of knowledge that those who have played SC DA before would need to improve their game. There are many ways to get to places and handle situations that the book doesn't cover. The biggest disappointments were that it did not cover the X-Box version, which is much different than the X-Box 360 version and it didn't have any maps of the Versus mode of play. Also if you are using an X-Box 360 or PC, you have to refer back to the PS2 section for details and explanations - very inconvenient. For a beginner who gets stuck, it is worth while to help you get through the game. For anyone else, the few tidbits you get from the book isn't worth it.



2. If you want a guide that covers it all, then this is it. You'll find a great walk through and lots of intel for your trip into this Double agents adventures. I dont think you'll find anything else out there that comes close to this Guides helpful hints and strategies.



3. A nice looking guide, covers Gamecube and PS2 versions on the first half of the book and the X360 and PC on the other. Very complete guide but is a shame when you are looking on page 256 for a mission and says "for more info on this item go to page 6" so you have to go all over back to check than item and then come back to the last pages again (this is if you're looking at the X360 and pc pages). Some 10 pages more with all the gadgets and items on the beginning of the x360 and pc part wouldn't hurt :)
   
   For the rest very good guide, nice maps, quality pictures, quality paper and very well explained, should have concentrate more on alternative routes but well, for people like me that get stuck in games like that it was enough help to get pass some missions.
   
   The only bad thing is the "Frag doll comments" on multiplayer games, I find most of them pretty lame as they really say nothing important about strategies for the game.
   
   Must have for SC fans.



4. It's a great guide unless you're the original XBox game. Other than that, I've gone through the PS2 version rather well. Oh well....can't win all the time. :)



5. This is a nice guide, it may not be as detailed as the other Splinter Cell guides, but it is still very nice.
   
   I had played this game without the guide a couple times. But when I really like a game, I like having the guide to look at and ponder other ways of playing the game. Also like having guides to refer to when I want to look up some aspect of the game.
   
   If you like the game, it might be worth it to add this guide to your collection.

5 comments about Sims 2 Pets (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This really doesn't have enough information on game cheats and strategy in my opinion for the money. I think they should just give these away with the purchase of the game.
   
   Also, this book has no index. Which really makes it difficult to find specific information. This was the first guide I've bought for my Sims 2 games and will be the last.



2. This has been a long waited chapter in the saga of the Sims and it certainly is not disappointing. The only thing is that there are some glitches in purchasing clothes downtown but whether or not that is in the game itself or my memory getting full I can not say but for entertainment value The Sims 2: Seasons can not be beat



3. I read the guide to pets, it was some help, it gave the basics of the pets expansion pack. I was expecting a little more.



4. Everytime the SIMS comes out with a new expansion pack there are always nuances to the game that aren't so obvious. I have bought a prima guide for every expansion pack I own. I strongly recommend it.



5. I didn't like the pets package in Sims 1, but I guess I just couldn't resist trying this out...you never know, right? I just find pets annoying. They destroy your furniture in no time flat, they take a lot of work to train (similarly to kids, which I tend to "grow up" early just to get rid of the headaches), and then there's the skunk and other people's pets creating havoc on your property. I guess if you like a challenge or you just really love animals, more power to you. It just doesn't float my boat.