No comments about Spectrobes Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Take Your Games Further).

5 comments about Final Fantasy III Player's Guide.

1. I've read over twenty FFIII strategy guides (including a decidedly mediocre my friend did) and none of them even compare to this. I've gone through the game, start to finish, maybe fifty times, making different decisions along the way. But even so this book opened my eyes to new possibilities. This is a no-nonesense, not telling completely book. It did'nt tell me every little thing to do in so-and-so place. I highly recemend this book!



2. This is, without a doubt, the best game guide I have ever read. It is so smooth and well-written that it reads like a novel, and it quickly became my favorite book when I started reading it. My friend let me borrow the game, and I was uninterested at first, but the guide added so much to it that I kept it and ended up buying it from him. That's what makes a good strategy guide, I think. It sure made this one good.



3. The book talks like a person would and tells you many things that will help you throughout the game. This book tells you who does what and what attarck and it is a good walkthrough



4. When I was a child, my uncle, who was 19 at the time, was playing "Final Fantasy 3" back when we numbered the Final Fantasies improperly, and he had this book. Before I even played the game, I read it. Then I read it again. And I read it again. It felt like a novel. Aside from the obvious intent of being a game strategy guide, parts of the prose is fantastic, and Olafson gleans so much from the story - theme, character, bits of dialogue that on first glance you wouldn't notice bearing as much meaning as they do in many of the scenes. Olafson doesn't get everything right. He can't. He tells what he knows, and what he knows, seems less to be gaming and more to be literary. I would get into arguments when "Final Fantasy 7" came out - which is better, Seven or Six, and I would argue Six, although Seven at the time had the best graphics there were (ugh) and thrilled me with its own story. But I had gotten something out of Six, with the help from Olafson, nobody looking at it briefly could. I don't think I can think of Six without thinking of this book. That may be bad. But it's an incredible story in my memory nonetheless.



5. If you're looking for a guide with a lot of meat (maps, charts, boss strategies, etc.), you won't find it in this book. This book's primary appeal is the narrative style that Peter Olafson employs. Parts of the guide read more like a story than a strategy guide. Although it is generally well-written, I would have given it a higher rating if it had combined Olafson's narrative with more traditional strategy guide content.

No comments about Banjo-Tooie: The Official Nintendo Player's Strategy Guide.

2 comments about Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames))
   I wanted the book to help on my PC but it is more for the TV games. It didn't tell me what to do on the PC. I was disappointed because the books are so informitive.
   The book is more for Xbox 360 & I don't have that eather. So I am glad I didn't have to paid the whole price for the book.



2. The guide was very good and up to their usual standards. The shipping service was extremely fast and excellent.
   Argaiv

1 comments about James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This guide helped me a lot on stuff like bond moments the objectives were straightforward so I didn't really need it there. But the bond moments were hard to identify! I also used the maps a lot to see places that items to pick up resided. overal, a simple but good guide.

5 comments about The Art of Final Fantasy IX.

1. When I bought this book, I expected mostly black and white photos and small screenshots from the game, but when I opened it up I was happily suprised with a book full of large, colorful artwork. Being a fan of the game series itself, this book especially appealed to me, as it probably would to many other FF players. But even those who do not play the game will find them selves impressed with the tons of fantastic artwork that fills its pages. I definitely recommened this book if you are a fan of the game or just love great art!



2. I love Final Fantasy!! I have been a die hard fan since part one was released in 1990. There are several books out that show the visual effects from the Final Fantasy series, but this one is by far the best. It is strait forward, art, from the original designer of FF characters, Yoshitaka Amano. Page for page you will see the steps that he followed making this characters shine.

   The main reason that I took one star away was because most of the art in this book is finished up designs from Amano. I am a very big fan of his work, ex. Vampire Hunter D, FF1-6,and 9 adn several other Japaneese work. I enjoy his early sketches better, they are much more fantasy like. But that does not mean that this collection is not beautiful as printed.

   This is a beautiful editon to any Final Fantasy collecton or just plain art or drawings collection. Dont pass this up.




3. It's got all the characters, all the settings, all the fun. FF9 was my favorited in the series so I just had to get this homage to it. It's just fun to look at the sketches and rough-drafts and such. The town designs are really amazing.

   If you're a fan of the FF series, anime, or just incredible art, I suggest you check this out.




4. I got this book through another online retailer for half the price these U&N people are selling for. You just need to shop around.
   
   I'm an artist, and I have a fondness for the Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy IX was a challenge for me and after beating it, my claim is that it's the best in the series so far. After watching the last cutscene, I knew I had to have this book. I was very pleased when it arrived and have found it useful even today. FF9 is one of the most franchised game of the FF's(second to 7); I wouldn't waste that if you're a fan of it.



5. First of all, I will say the few things I wish were included on this art book.
   
   - More pictures of Kuja's design.
   - Pictures of Queen Brahne in the characters section.
   - A picture of Zidane on trance form.
   - More data to identify characters, name when possible, place where they are found when not (I am not sure if Puck appears in this book or not, and I have to check the in game graphics to know who other characters are).
   
   That's it. Those are the points that make this book not reach the absolute perfection for me.
   
   That said, I still love what is in the book! There are designs for many characters, even some who are not very important in the story, and there are different designs for the non-playable characters when they have variations in their clothes or hair.
   
   The equipment section and the airship section have lots of details. Those are great for fan-artists!
   
   The section with pictures from the in-game animations has a poster-like selection that will make you remember all those moments from the story.
   
   I'm afraid that everything I say now will sound very fan-boyish, since Final Fantasy IX is my favorite of them all (beating Final Fantasy V, something I didn't thought was possible), so I hope what I have already said helps you somewhat in your decision to buy this book.

2 comments about Manga Mania Video Games (Manga Mania).

1. Fantastic all-inclusive book that advanced my drawing techniques in Manga character sketching as well as drastically changed the way I drew video game characters. The book
   is full with examples of the various Manga in a range of dispositions, moods, temperaments etc. Not only does the book give a good background on the characters, but goes into special affect, setting & environment and concludes with a great section on computer imaging.



2. This book is incredibly well organized and put together. Each section is extraordinarily written and as a whole the book is a Manga instructional classic. As Christopher Hart says, "It all starts with an artist and a pencil" and this book guides you through from the start of the creative process to the finished product.

4 comments about Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Official Strategy Guide.

1. I used to love the old MK pocket guides and was a little disappointed when they went the way of the 8 track tape. After picking up the new MK/DA strategy guide by BradyGames, I can see why this one in particular wasn't a pocket-sized guide. It would have been the size of a Stephen King paperback (and the full size, full color artwork would have been reduced to a CD cover). BG has crammed everything you could think of and more in this wonderful guidebook. It's broken down into how to use the guide; terms of kombat; kombat basics (for XB, GC, and PS2); fighting styles (each character has 3); konquest; kombatants (available, unlockable, and secret); chronology of MK (shouldn't that be kronology or something?); a 20 page art gallery (don't worry though, as all 144 pages are covered with cool art work); 4 pages for the Krypt; and kombat trivia (with answers). Even though I was about halfway through the game, I still had to add this awesome book to my MK collection. Who knows, I might need it down the stretch.



2. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is probably the best fighting game out there. However, when I bought the guide, I realized that it was exactly the same info that could be found in the character's Konquest mode, and by pausing any game and bringing up the character's moves. The guide only adds a few combos, and it never covers any character's fighting styles very well.

   For instance, looking at Johnny Cage, even though it says "he works very well in all of his fighting styles," they only go into small detail on Jeet Kune Do. With Shang Tsung, they only really explain two of his fighting styles. No matter the character, the guide actually tells the player to stay in one fighting style! This is extremely boring, and a bad idea, considering the fact that each style has some merit. It's obvious when you read it that the author didn't spend a whole lot of time with most of the characters. After reading storylines like Johnny Cage's, which explains he never died in the MK storyline, only in one of his movies (this was done to quiet some fan-boys [mad] that he was still around. Next up should be explaining to them that Scorpion's been dead in every game...), the author still says something about him being ressurrected (for this game), again. This is one of the many, many over-sights in the guide, and it shows the author's over-looking of details.

   When you play MK:DA, each character has three different fighting styles, usually 2 hand-to-hand styles and one weapon style. The fun is switching between them to confuse your opponent, and accessing the different moves in each style. Where this guide fails is describing each style's strengths and weaknesses. The guide only touches on select styles, and usually doesn't give enough info on these. If the guide would've had a few more pages per character, this might have fixed the problem. As it stands, the guide is almost useless. It promises on the back to reveal "Krypt secrets," but no, you have to buy a seperate, "Krypt Pocket Kodes" book to find out what's in the Krypt--the book doesn't even touch on it, therefore lying to the potential customer. (The Krypt is a huge "graveyard" which allows a player to sapend earning "Koins" from battle on the 675 or so "koffins" in the game, which contain secrets like alternate costumes, hidden characters like Kitana and Reptile, etc.)

   After all is said and done, this guide doesn't really cover anything that isn't already available in the game, but it does make this info readily available. For hardcore MK fans, or people who hate pausing the game constantly only, otherwise it's pretty worthless.




3. Mortal Kombat:DA is a fine game with all new characters and graphics that r fantastic on xbox but not on ps2 or gamecube {and i'm not just saying that cause i hate the ngc or ps2 cause i own all 3 and have experience with them] But is a strategy guide really needed the game's isn't even difficult and u already have their moves list on an especially easy to follow menu , so i dont think it's needed but saying that it is useful for fatalities which r cool but not as cool as mk1 and mk2 . And is there any way to do friend ships cause they were cool especially Lui kang's disco inferno and thats true as well MK:DA doesn't have good fighters in like Shao Kahn and Lui Kang and Sub zero looks worse than ever as well as Raiden who Looks powerless just like KUng Lao and reptile as well . So in conclusion guide is ok but only for fatalities , MK:DA is good but NOT AS GOOD as MK1 and MK2 which were fantastic on arcade and snes but hard to play on megadrive.
   Thank u for reading and good night



4. This guide is crammed full of everything you need.
   
   True, the game is pretty much self-explanitory, but the guide is definitely still worthwhile (not to mention the artwork). You get cheats, secrets, some moves you've never thought of, and more. So I agree with the other reviewer - I give it 4.5 stars.

5 comments about Hitman: Contracts (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. This guide is as good as the last 2 strategy guides for this franchise game. Many will remember that they too can be considered, if you are unfamiliar with these games, difficult to follow. You may actually have to "think outside the box" when using it. But, not anymore then the other HITMAN guide books. There are so many ways to do a HIT that all the variables and methods could never fit in book form. There's a guide DVD out now if you want to see them. We need to remember that guides give one example on how to go about finishing a level or get us through a rough patch when stuck. When you are playing a game as open-ended as this one. The guide is just a foundation. What you build on it is all up to you.



2. This book has came in helpful while playing this game.



3. Hi this is the first time I ever brought an item off Amazon.Com.
   It came new just like I order it I will be buying more item from
   Amazon.Com in the future!



4. 
   Hello! I actually did not purchase this for myself, but as a gift for my 24-year-old brother. When I asked him how he liked it and if he was getting what he had hoped from it his response was an emphatic, "yes"! He said that the game seemed almost useless without it because you were limited as to how far you could go in the game and how much you can do in the game.
   
   My brother is pretty honest with his opinions so, from the sounds of it, this would be a sure hit for anyone who enjoys exploring the videogame world!
   
   I hope this has helped!



5. I bought this book and do not own the game yet. I bought the wrong book by mistake,(my mistake) and really wanted the Hitman 2 book, and have since ordered the correct book. Now I will buy the Hitman Contracts game to go with this book. The book arrived in a timely manor as described, and I am happy with it. Thank you allbooks4u.

No comments about Official Nintendo Power Pokemon Gold Version and Silver Version Player's Guide.