Posts Tagged ‘Star’

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds

Amazon.com Review
A long time ago, an awesome real-time approach game set in Earth’s past named Age of Empires II was unleashed on an unwitting public. Nearly immediately, it took its place among the best sports meeting of its genre. Galactic Battlegrounds takes many of the elements that made Age of Empires II so excellent and gives them a complete Star Wars makeover. The gameplay is so similar, it’s hard to recommend it to anyone with a copy of AOE II. But, if you haven’t played AOE II, or you’re a hard-core Star Wars fan, you might just find this game to be strong in the Force.

Battlegrounds offers you the chance to become a leader in deciding some of the most vital battles of the Star Wars mythology. As in other real-time approach sports meeting, you’ll interest yourself with such things as keeping your troops fed, advancing technology, and trade. And, of course, keeping your base from getting completely wiped out is generally considered a plus.

Among the few enhancements Battlegrounds makes to the Age of Empires II engine is the larger technology tree (more stuff to invent and play with) and air and anti-air units (TIE fighters, X-wings, etc.). Most of the favorite races, machinery, and characters of the films are also well represented. Wookiees, Jedi, the Trade Federation, Darth Vader, Luke, and the rest of the gang (including Jar Jar) are all there for you to command in the campaign mode. Those looking to wage war in the battles seen in the films might be somewhat disappointed, as many of the missions, while no less vital, take place analogous (and usually very close to) those shown in movies.

Thankfully, a few of the better-known skirmishes have been incorporated in the game–just don’t expect to significantly alter Star Wars history. For example, when controlling Imperial forces in the Battle of Hoth (the snow battle from The Empire Strikes Back), you lead your troops in an effort to defeat Rebel scum before they can flee the planet. Can you change the outcome of the battle seen in the films? Aside from losing your commander and immediately losing the game, no. But the tales behind the skirmishes depicted throughout Battlegrounds do fit well into the Star Wars myth and are usually fun. There are also quite a few standalone missions, a random map generator, and tools for making your own battles. It’s enough to keep hard-core Star Wars fans ignoring their earthly responsibilities for a excellent long time.

Battlegrounds is, at its core, a modification of Age of Empires II and it plays about as well as can be expected. Fortunately, despite its somewhat outdated graphics, Battlegrounds‘ legendary characters and locales add just enough Star Wars flavor to help make it a solid game in its own right.

Pros:

• Puts you in command of AT-ATs, stormtroopers, and Jedi
• Familiar Star Wars locales, characters, and music
• Uses the familiar (and very excellent) Age of Empires II interface
• Fascinating main campaign that spans the films and goes beyond Return of the Jedi

Cons:

• Outdated graphics lack definition and are rather flat
• AT-ATs too small, TIEs and X-wings hover instead of glide

Amazon.com Product Description
The fate of a galaxy hangs in the balance, and you’re in command. Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds lets you lead Star Wars armies to victory in intense real-time approach clashes. Penetrate the fray as the Galactic Empire, Rebel Alliance, Trade Federation, Wookiees, and other civilizations or organizations in campaigns that will determine the final outcome of the Galactic Civil War.

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is an epic real-time approach set against a surroundings of the entire Star Wars saga. The conflicts involve six key civilizations: Galactic Empire, Rebel Alliance, Wookiees, Gungans, Royal Naboo, and the Trade Federation. Do your campaign over land, sea, and air with more than 300 different units and structures in release-player campaigns, skirmishes, and multiplayer battles.

Combat arenas extend from interstellar asteroids and aerial encounters to submerged cities and ground battles. Deploy vast legions of units into battle–up to 200 per side–with groups that include bounty hunters, Jedi Knights, stormtroopers, X-Wings, AT-ATs, snowspeeders, AT-STs, Wookiee Kas tanks, and droids. Manage your resources and integrate the potential of upgradable technology into your approach, such as Wookiee ingenuity, advanced Gungan biotechnology, and Jedi stamina. Each technology level brings new wonders and new forces. Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds features accessible gameplay built upon the familiar RTS engine adapted from Ensemble’s well loved Age of Empires series. Use the scenario editor to make custom release- or multiplayer battlegrounds with virtually any Star Wars units and settings.

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SIMON & SCHUSTER Star Trek Starfleet Gift Pak

• Start out with Star Trek – Captain’s Preside over — it gives you a view of well loved Star Trek ships from the captain’s view — the Defiant, the Voyager, and even the original Enterprise
• Star Trek – Creator Deluxe lets you make your own starship — mix & match parts, add Starfleet technology like phasers, and pick the best crew
• There are also two splendid Technical Manuals for the hardcore manuals

Product Description
The Star Trek Starfleet Gift Pak is a gift pack of four CDs that will thrill the avid Star Trek fan!

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Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo

Product Description
Running on an enhanced Star Wars: Rogue Squadron engine, the nice game developers at Factor 5 have taken one last stab at the aging Nintendo 64 system with yet another entry into the wide world of Lucas. At times fun, but at more times frustrating, Star Wars: Episode I, Battle for Naboo has plenty going for it. Unfortunately, these excellent deeds are deeply overshadowed by a darker side.

Were you one of the millions who loved the very well loved Rogue Squadron? If you were, then get ready for more of the same, only this time wrapped around a lucrative Episode I license. This should appeal to newly christened fans and hardball line campers alike, as there’s more of a concrete tale line to follow than in the sidelined plot of RS.

Just as in the aforementioned classic, Battle for Naboo revolves around the pool of gold medals. New vehicles abound, and there’s more than enough variety in the game’s locales. The ability to switch craft at any time during the missions doesn’t hurt the replay factor, either. If you learn the flash speeder doesn’t have enough firepower to end off that AT-AT tank, you can simply penetrate a different hanger and take control of a police cruiser.

The graphics are astounding, even better than what RS showcased. The game displays fantastic details everywhere–even the explosions are incredible. The sound, though, is very disappointing, especially when you consider that Factor 5 is behind the scenes. To the curious, Factor 5 has been one of the pioneers of gaming audio for a while now; the company was even chosen to helm the sound capabilities of Nintendo’s next-generation GameCube console. With all of Factor 5’s certificate, one might expect stellar sound. In many instances, the sound comes out barely audible and the voice-oversAmazon.com Review
Running on an enhanced Star Wars: Rogue Squadron engine, the nice game developers at Factor 5 have taken one last stab at the aging Nintendo 64 system with yet another entry into the wide world of Lucas. At times fun, but at more times frustrating, Star Wars: Episode I, Battle for Naboo has plenty going for it. Unfortunately, these excellent deeds are deeply overshadowed by a darker side.

Were you one of the millions who loved the very well loved Rogue Squadron? If you were, then get ready for more of the same, only this time wrapped around a lucrative Episode I license. This should appeal to newly christened fans and hardball line campers alike, as there’s more of a concrete tale line to follow than in the sidelined plot of RS.

Just as in the aforementioned classic, Battle for Naboo revolves around the pool of gold medals. New vehicles abound, and there’s more than enough variety in the game’s locales. The ability to switch craft at any time during the missions doesn’t hurt the replay factor, either. If you learn the flash speeder doesn’t have enough firepower to end off that AT-AT tank, you can simply penetrate a different hanger and take control of a police cruiser.

The graphics are astounding, even better than what RS showcased. The game displays fantastic details everywhere–even the explosions are incredible. The sound, though, is very disappointing, especially when you consider that Factor 5 is behind the scenes. To the curious, Factor 5 has been one of the pioneers of gaming audio for a while now; the company was even chosen to helm the sound capabilities of Nintendo’s next-generation GameCube console. With all of Factor 5’s certificate, one might expect stellar sound. In many instances, the sound comes out barely audible and the voice-overs are distorted.

The control and direction should have been given more fine-tuning as well. This type of game relies on precise controls, but Battle for Naboo suffers from some sloppy movements and inaccurate targeting problems. This, combined with simplistic backgrounds and missions that are too straightforward, helps deflate what could have been a splendid game into a mere OK title. There’s plenty of replay regard here, but this game’s certainly not for everyone. –Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• High replayability
• Large variety of ships and locales
• Impressive graphics

Cons:

• The sound is barely audible and the voice-overs are distorted
• Imprecise controls

Amazon.com Product Description
Drawing from the plot line of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo has you battling the evil Trade Federation while the planet of Naboo–and the lives of its inhabitants–hangs in the balance. While they have strength and firepower on their side, you have the insurrectionary’s set of skills–namely, sabotage, espionage, and guerrilla tactics. You’ve got some nifty weapons, too. The game encompasses 16 levels in which you’ll battle the Trade Fed baddies in the air, on the water, and across the land, in a variety of vehicles.

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Star Wars Mac Pack

Product Description
Star Wars Mac Pack includes two of the best selling Star Wars titles ever released on the Mac platform in one box. Both Star Wars: Empire at War and Star Wars: Knights of the Ancient Republic are included in this chief regard combo.

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Star Wars Episode II: The new Droid Army

• Encounter well loved characters from the films, like Yoda and Count Dooku, as well new characters
• Battle your way owing to locations and planets straight from the films
• Develop your Force skills as you use them
• For 1 player

Product Description
With the potential of the Force at his will, Anakin must stop Count Dooku from making a new, more destructive droid army. Anakin will travel from Tatooine to the depths of space to battle Dooku and his minions, increasing his Force abilities with each conquest.Amazon.com Review
In Star Wars Episode II: The New Droid Army the Clone Wars are raging, and the Jedi Council has gotten word that a perilous new battle droid has been seen on Tatooine. The Council has sent young Jedi Anakin Skywalker to investigate.

This game has two vital things going for it: the graphics–with 3-D polygons, charming animation, and vibrant colors–are top-notch, and the sound effects, including snippets of music from the movies, are impressive for the GBA’s tiny lecturer. Hearing the hum of the lightsaber, the twang of laser shots, and–perhaps most impressive–the creepy guffaws of the Tusken Raiders brought a tear to my eye.

But while the sights and sounds of The New Droid Army are impressive, the gameplay is a mixed bag. As young Anakin, you run around, slicing up stuff with your lightsaber. And then you slice some more, and then a bit more. You do have certain Force powers that add to gameplay (moving quickly, jumping really high, becoming invisible, healing wounds, etc.), but not enough to completely relieve the tedium. The largest flaw though is the lack of character interaction. While you will often need to talk with people to gather information, not all people can talk, so most characters are merely dialogue box-dressing. Worse, there is no array save option in the game. This is a excellent-looking game that cascade well small of classic status. –Bryan Karsh

Pros:

• Splendid graphics and sound
• Fun cutscenes
• Useful Force powers

  Cons:

• No shape packs
• Can’t cooperate with all characters
• Password save

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Star Wars: Empire at War

• Real-time approach game takes place between the two trilogies owing to “A New Hope”
• Play with a multitude of heroes for each side, each with their own abilities
• Control the battle between Rebel and Empire forces on both land and in space
• Dual-layered game play requires you to manage both strategic and tactical levels
• Play campaign across more than 40 planets, or play multiplayer with up to 8 players

Product Description
Star Wars Empire at War is the first game ever that gives you the potential to command an entire war for the Star Wars Galaxy at your finger tips and the freedom to choose how to do it. The game is set between Episode III and Episode IV of the Star Wars series. This real-time approach takes place in the wake of the Jedi slaughter that has disrupted the balance of the force. Players wage ground and space battles all in an effort to gain control of the galaxy. All of the gameplay and action within Empire at War is persistent, meaning that strategic and tactical elements from previous events will have a stable effect on the galaxy.Amazon.com Product Description
Star Wars: Empire at War is a Real-Time Approach (RTS) game that is, quite simply, incredible in its scope and grandeur. This game has all the elements that both hard-core Star Wars fans and dedicated strategist gamers are looking for. In Empire at War, you must fight battles in space and on the ground, giving the game a dual-layered design that forces you to operate on both an involved strategic level as well as a tactical level. Add epic-looking battles with dozens of splendid touches, outstanding sound effects that you’ve come you’ve come to expect from LucasArts, the contrasting play styles enabled by playing as either the Rebellion or the Empire, and a broad array of unforgettable characters, and you’ve got a game that lets you truly immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe.

Land battles are highly enjoyable and extremely challenging, involving heavily armored AT-ATs and more. View larger.

Fight epic-looking battles in space with outstanding sound effects you’ve come to expect from LucasArts. View larger.

As a player, you’ll be involved in virtually every aspect of the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire. View larger.

The storyline of Star Wars: Empire at War occurs between the two trilogies owing to the end of “A New Hope.” As a player, you’ll be involved in virtually every aspect of the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire. You must simultaneously manage your economy, develop technology, build factories, planetary defenses, ships, and space stations, as well as get information on new planets and maneuver your various forces around the galaxy. Unlike some approach sports meeting that are chose by who has hoarded enough resources to overwhelm the enemy, here it is just as vital to build your forces up in an intelligent fashion in order to gain potential. And to ensure you aren’t ever allowed to sit back and relax, it all happens in real time, so if you spend too long considering what to build or where to send your fleet, you’ll be inviting a computer attack that could reverse your gains.

Star Wars: Empire at War has a huge number of variables you’ll need to consider. Many planets have unique bonuses, such as allowing certain units to be made more powerfully or cheaply, thereby increasing your credit income by different degrees, as well as only allowing the largest ships like Mon Calamari cruisers and Imperial Star Destroyers to be built on certain planets. And the Empire and Rebels obviously both have their differences. The Empire usually generates a lot more cash, which it can use to overwhelm the rebel forces if left free. The Rebels, on the other hand, have far fewer resources, which can make them more hard to play and learn, but they can steal technology and sneak raiding parties past many of the Empire’s space defenses. And each of the two sides has their own distinct Hero units, which can be extremely powerful and can sway the course of battle greatly. You can use Palpatine or Mon Mothma to reduce a planet’s production costs; C3PO and R2D2 to steal technology or hack into an enemy’s turrets and turn them against their own troops; Darth Vader to force-push entire groups of enemy soldiers on land; or Boba Fett to crush concentrations of fighters by dropping seismic charges in space. To balance out these massive powers, both sides can hire generic bounty hunters to try and eliminate a rival hero from the game.

While the land battles in Star Wars: Empire at War are highly enjoyable and extremely challenging, involving heavily armored AT-ATs and more, the space battles are truly breathtaking. Watching a Star Destroyer crawling with bright-blue ion energy, or an entire wave of X-wings explode into flame, or witnessing a fully-armed and operational Death Star blow a planet to smithereens are unparalleled experiences in this galaxy, or any other. And the visual and sound effects aren’t the only thing that will amaze you during a space battle. The larger units like space stations and Star Destroyers all have hard points pertaining to different systems. You can target these different systems to cripple ships in different ways, taking out their shield generator, weapons system, or engines to reduce their effectiveness, or taking out the hanger on Imperial capital ships to thin out their fighter cover. And as you ruin a cannon or shield generator, that piece will break off and float away. And while most ships eventually explode, the Mon Calamari Cruisers and Imperial Star Destroyers will in fact tear in to pieces that continue to linger throughout the battle. What’s more, you always need to watch out for ships the AI (artificial intelligence) might be hiding in asteroid belts, waiting to spring them on the flanks of your fleet at the worst possible moment.

The strategic layer of Empire at War takes place on a two-dimensional galactic map showing you all the planets. In the full campaign mode, you must consider and plot around more than 40 such planets, whereas in some of the simpler conquest scenarios, you may end up dealing with as few as eight of them. Instead of playing in the campaign mode, you can play multiplayer matches over a LAN or online with up to eight players. The LucasArts’ matchmaking system makes finding an opponent simple, and if you are playing a head-to-head match against a friend, you have the ability to save a match and reload it to continue at a later time. Delivering a presentation that is as epic as the films themselves, Star Wars: Empire at War is ideal for any fan of approach sports meeting, and absolutely necessary for Star Wars aficionados.

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Phantasy Star Online Version 2

Amazon.com Product Description

Note to customers: Sega requires users to identify themselves with a credit card number for online play. Complete details are included with the game.

The realm of Phantasy Star Online has increased. Phantasy Star Online, Version 2 includes all the original make pleased from Phantasy Star Online, but expands the world with more levels, more features, and more evil to combat. You can import your existing character or make a new one as you strive to reach level 200 and master the game’s new ultimate difficulty setting. Players from around the globe can now compete in Battle Mode as they face each other in deathmatch-stylishness combat. Play Lobby Ball with up to 12 players while you chat and get a game going. Learn new and more powerful monsters, unearth rare items, and experience the passing of time as day turns into night in this persistent online world. Phantasy Star Online, Version 2 continues the evolution of the original revolutionary gaming experience.

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Phantasy Star Online, Episode I & II

Product Description
Play this award winning gaming phenomenon of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II with all-new modes and exclusive make pleased. Play with the new split-screen feature allowing 4 friends to battle it out at the same time. Witness all-new character classes, weapons, items, enemies, quests and more. Episode II features an exclusive new full-length adventure.

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Star Wars Racer Episode One

• 21 tracks on eight different worlds; five unique racers; race agains 21 opponents simultaneously; cl

Product Description
Get behind the controls of a Podracer as Anakin Skywalker or any one of over 20 Podracers, as you feel the potential of racing a twin-engine craft at 600 miles per hour. Visit eight distinctly detailed worlds as you make your way owing to Tusken Raider attacks, methane lakes, anti-gravity tunnels, and more. Each intense competition pits you against more than 20 opponents, as you do what you must to be the first to the end line. With settings and sound effects taken directly from the Phantom Menace world, this ones sure to thrill even the pickiest STAR WARS enthusiasts, while the voice of Jake Lloyd makes the whole event that much closer to being in a movie theater. Each pulse-pounding race has do-or-die stakes, and if you fail to end in the top spot, it might just mean your peril. As with most STAR WARS sports meeting for the Nintendo 64, the details elevate it above ones of similar styles its not just a splendid STAR WARS game, its a splendid racing game.

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Phantasy Star Collection

• Compilation of three title RPG series
• Crawl owing to immersive 3D dungeons
• Combines sci fi with swords and sorcery
• Wide array of monsters and villains.

Product Description
A compilation of the first three Phantasy Star harvest, Pool brings classic sci-fi RPG gaming to the Game Boy Advance. This RPG series revolutionized the genre with immersive 3-D dungeons, huge environments to explore and hours of gameplay.

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