Homeworld 2
by Vivendi Universal
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (16 September, 2003)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• Epic story about the legacy and destiny of the Higarans.
• Totally new 3D engine that renders breathtaking graphics of outer space and ship detail.
• Streamlined interface lets people control the whole game with a few mouse clicks.
• All new fleets, each with unique abilities and craft, for different styles of play.
• Experience outer space complete with asteroids, massive derelicts, gas clouds, and nebulae that stretch for many miles.

Reviews (146)

Very good game
This was one of if not the most fun strategy game i have played. It has an amazing story, unbelievable graphics, and an interface that once you learn it is relatively easy to use.
Tbe only reason i didnt give it a 5 is because it is so hard as to exclude this game from some of the less hardcore stategy gamers. The game does take a hit as well from not being able to order your ships into formations (an important part of any space strategy game) but it is more than compensated by just generally being alot of fun. Now i am a fan of space stategy games and i thought that the toughness of the game was an asset because insted of just building a huge fleet and crushing your enemys (satisfing but doesnt take much brain power) you could manipulate the battlefield leaving your enemy crippled and unable to fight back (buy controlling recource spots ect.) I do have to admit i went through a few mouses because i broke a few in sheer frustration. So in conclusion i highly recomend this game to you if u enjoy a tough but satisfing game and your not one of the "gamers" who like to boot up warcraft and put in all the instant build cheet codes. This game is well worth $20 and it was worth it to me when i pre ordered it in 03 for $60. BUY IT PEOPLE!!!

Fun?
I just have one thing to say: this game is as fun as you can throw it underwater with your wrists chained to some wall.Also, the interface and mere gameplay feels like an act of congress (looking up how to do things in the manual!)To be frank, don't by this game even if they would give you money in return!

Loss of The Real Concept!
Look, I've been a Homeworld fan ever since I bought it when it FIRST came out, it was beautiful, the graphics were just delightful, and the stradegy was complex to a portion where I can sit in a room, for 20 hours of non-stop harvesting and planning of an attack with a lil' math and algebra on the side.

When I started to play Homeworld 2, I was hyped, and ready to complete the saga in my world of stradegy gaming other than StarCraft, WarCraft, Age of Empires, and all those other fun stuff.

I began by downloading the Demo from Sierra, and I was full blown by the new graphics it had, though my video card was really acting kinda messy since it was the summer time. (Yeah seasonal changes make items work slower or faster.) Anyways, when I started to play the demo, I used the mechanism of the keyboard and controls of what Homeworld 1 had, lemmie tell you this, TOTALLY DIFFERENT! I can't believe my eyes of what I felt and seen! Everything; the whole concept has changed, the keys and etc. Then I saw that the stradegies have changed, and there were only 3 formation patterns I could only choose for my fithers, I'm like, WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE THEY THINKING!? I really wanted to bust a few chops with my strategic mind... so then I thought to myself, eh, not bad, lemmie get the whole game and see what it's really worth...

Bought it, it's totally the same concept, doesn't relate to Homeworld 1, doesn't relate to ANYTHING LIKE HOMEWORLD AT ALL! I thought that they would stick to their story, but the whole thing changed... I was really mad about it.

The game-play suddenly became boring, just traveling with no real dog-fight, "Some destiny this is..." ok, maybe a few dog-fights, but the game just gets harder and harder *like any other game* But I'm looking at it, I swear to you, I would've beaten all these fools if I had all those formation patterns. This game has less stradegy in mind, and the shipmaking, is just build in bulk, something that a gamer would NEVER LIKE. Listen, usually, it's always great to build ONE AT A TIME... WHY!? BECAUSE HAVING THAT FEELING TO SIT ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT WAITING FOR THAT SPECIAL OBJECT TO BE BUILT REALLY SHOWS THAT IT'S A GREAT GAME. This however, was truly dissappointing... No wonder it was 20 bux. Not many people like it! For God's sake even Diablo 2 is 20 times better than this and the graphics can be as horrible as they want, but their game play is just completely mind blowing as well as the story line.

For all kids that love graphics, I suggest this game as a STARTER, but for gaming stradegy and story lines, I suggest that you should TURN BACK, THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE BUT A GAME THAT TAKES 20 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE JUST SITTING AND WAITING FOR NOTHING, BUT RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR ENEMIES.

Even Homeworld Cataclysm is better than this. I wouldn't call this game trash though, but would've worth a lot of money if they knew how to bring back the story line as what they were before, but spiced up, with more allies and enemies, and probably if Sierra was lucky, deception. ... Read more

Asin: B000083JXD
Sales Rank: 138
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Strategy (Strategic)    4. Science Fiction (Sci-Fi, Scifi)    5. Havas   

Finding Nemo: Nemo's Underwater World of Fun
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (11 May, 2003)
list price: $14.99 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Anyone who enjoyed the hilarity of Pixar's Finding Nemo movie will be tempted to pick up one of the two games that star everyone's favorite clownfish. Both games feature original voice work by the outstanding Nemo cast, including the pitch-perfect Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, and Ellen DeGeneres. Each game also has a selection of cut-scenes from the movies, shown when tasks are well done. The difference between the two games is that Nemo's Underwater World of Fun was created (says the box) for children four and over, and is by far the simpler of the two Nemo titles.

In Nemo's Underwater World of Fun, players have six mini-games to choose from, along with a section where kids can make music by clicking on members of the Tank Gang (Bubbles, Jacques, and the rest). In a section that resembles an ocean-bound Frogger, Nemo must swim with the turtles, avoiding obstacles and collecting items. Other activities include a shark-run shell game and a very difficult Pong-like segment called "Feeding Frenzy," where Nemo has to bounce kelp balls off obstacles and walls to reach Bruce's mouth.

Both Nemo games have two big drawbacks. First, computer owners with less than state-of-the-art machines will experience stutter and delay when the movie segments appear (which will disappoint kids, so be sure to check the system requirements carefully). Also, each game only offers about one hour of original gameplay (kids who repeat sections will, obviously, play longer).

Of the two games, Nemo's Underwater World of Fun is the weaker,mainly because it doesn't follow the ups and downs of the plot that made the movie so enjoyable. The age requisite, too, seems arbitrary: neither game teaches any particular educational skills (other than pattern matching and hand-eye coordination). For anyone over five, the other game, called simply Finding Nemo is a better choice. But both are loaded with the movie's charms, including an appearance by our favorite character, the sea turtle named Crush. Does everybody have their exit buddy? Okay, dude, you're ready to play.--Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Features

Reviews (35)

great for little peoplewho love Nemo & fish
I saw the 3 star review and almost didn't purchase it.The negative reviews didn't help.But keep an open mind.My 3 year old grandson loves all the games.He is a little young but is learning as he goes.The film clips add a little extra to break up the games.What can I say, it's like a Pooh or Blues Clues CD., it's games, it keeps the little ones interest, while they are learning.

STUPID STUPID STUPID
Thank you reviewer M.I had the exact same problem you did and did the exact same thing you did--I finally did a yahoo! search and found your review.You saved me from spending anymore time on this game.I removed it from my computer. thank you for posting.

Finding Nemo is good
I bought Finding Nemo when I was 8 and liked it.A bit too easy.I would reccomend it for children 5 to 7. I liked it cause I Like animals.If you have young children buy this as soon as you can. ... Read more

Asin: B00007LZ1N
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Kids (Children    3. Kids (Children)    4. Computer Games    5. Action   

Backyard Basketball 2004
by Atari
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (30 September, 2003)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $20.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Sports
• Mission: Featuring awesome power-ups, all 30 NBA team logos, 7 unique courts and stats galore.
• Platform: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (75)

GREAT!
The game is nice.It is very easy.I also like the pros.It is a rearly good game.

Good, But Not Great
This is a good game, but I have a few reccomendations and I have found a few flaws. Here is a list of them.

Mr.Clanky - It is cool that you unlock him after you win the backyard world series but you can`t put him on your normal team, in fact you can only use him in a single game!

players - they are basicly good but their skill ratings are a little off on a few of them, for instance a person who the game says is great at batting, like Barry Bonds can really be pretty bad at it.

trading - I haven`t gotten far but I am pretty confident that there is not and will not be a trading option, and i think that it would be cool if you could trade with other players or the computer.

skills - It would be nice if your players skill ratings increased with the experience they get from games.

graphics - The graphics are ok but not anything special.

I think this is a good game and that is why I gave it four stars, so I can`t wait to get the upcoming versions.

Iffy buy
Well when I first played this game I was thinking that this is far to easy of a game.I learned how to make it a lot more difficult though by just letting the computer pick your team.If you are not an expert at gaming, you will find this game very easy.
PS If you had Ichiro it would say he has almost all power but when u swing he can't hit the ball out of the infield
(dont use power with him) ... Read more

Asin: B00009EG4K
Sales Rank: 848
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Sports Simulators (Simulation)    3. Basketball    4. Computer software (programs)    5. Kids (Children)   

Microsoft Office XP Standard for Students and Teachers
by Microsoft
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM
list price: $149.99
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Editorial Review

Microsoft Office XP's empowering document design tools, integration of voice recognition functionality, and impressive network- and Web-based sourcing capabilities should be enough to convince those interested in saving time and consolidating effort to take the leap. In keeping with Microsoft's much-ballyhooed .NET strategy, Office XP introduces several features that utilize the vast infosphere inhabited by the 21st-century desk jockey. Smart tags beckon underneath recognized objects like misspellings or symbols, offering a stock quote here, a synonym there, or "Would anyone care to configure my auto-correction list?" The task pane looks similar to Microsoft Internet Explorer's Explorer Bar, and acts like an open tool chest pulled up alongside each application in the suite, providing readily configured searches for information or multimedia files. Putting up a team Web site that tracks projects and serves as an information hub requires only the use of one of the included templates, ready to be customized and uploaded to the server.

The Send for Review feature further streamlines the collaborative process by allowing the sender to view revisions made by multiple parties within the framework of the original document. Outlook now features a color-coded calendar and easier meeting management, along with instant messaging and variable e-mail account access. All user system errors can be tracked globally, and network security settings then modified remotely while antivirus and debugging IT resources are diverted accordingly.

After firing up Microsoft Word, typing "Dear Somebody," and hitting the Enter key, we made a startling discovery. Up popped Clippy, Microsoft's publicly pink-slipped office assistant. Clippy might have aptly announced, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," but instead predictably observed, "It looks like you're writing a letter." Once the groans of disbelief had subsided, we quickly right-clicked and banished Clippy to the silicon ether, presumably forever. --Dominic Johnson

This version is only available for students and teachers and will not be able to be upgraded in the future. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

This software can be moved to a different PC
this software can be moved to a different PC, all you have to do is call Microsoft and tell them you want to move the software to a different PC and they will give you a code to enter which will allow you to do this

A Good Bargain, But Not Without Faults
I own a new Sony Vaio, which, unfortunately did not come with MS Office. I had PowerPoint as a standalone product, and Word (which came preloaded), but what I really needed was Excel. I am aware that this can only be loaded on one machine, and that the activation is a hassle, but this package is cheaper than any of the MS standalone products.

The bottom line for me was that, in exchange for a little loss in flexibility, I have a complete office suite for a very reasonable price. I had no problem registering or activating it, but understand that others have. I likewise understand that I can't move it to a new machine. My other qualm is that there is essentially no operating information, so if you have a problem in a program, you have no documentation to refer to, which meant for me, that I needed to buy the program information books at additional expense. It's a tradeoff, but for most personal or student users, it is still a bargain.

Mostly the Same Software, Mostly a Better Value
If you're looking to buy any of the programs in Microsoft Office and also happen to be a student or teacher, this package is a great way to get them.

Before you buy this package, make sure your school doesn't have a special deal on it (or its sibling packages)!Large universities are especially likely to have an arrangment where students and teachers may purchase all sorts of Microsoft software through them, at a fraction of even the "... for Students and Teachers" price.

Even though you can't upgrade this package, it's still great for people with slim pocketbooks.Students may wind up having to buy a full version of Office someday, but in all probability there will be a new version of it out by then.Teachers face a rosier future - instead of upgrading, just buy the new academic package.It'll cost the same, or less, and you won't have to deal with the potential instability of upgrading if you don't want to.

As far as the software itself goes, it's the standard by which other productivity packages are judged.It's the latest version of Word, Excel, Outlook, and Powerpoint... there's not much else to say.I certainly don't need Access, and I've found that the majority of my peers don't use it either.

Microsoft's activation schemes are irritating, but you probably already knew that.

Don't forget to consider all the options, though!There are several free Windows-compatible productivity suites out there - notably OpenOffice.org - that can do some things as well or better than Microsoft Office.Consider giving them a try before you purchase Office; most people don't stand to lose anything except an investment in software they don't end up needing.

Ultimately, this package is a good choice for academics who need the funcionality, support, or generally "safe" feeling of the latest Microsoft Office package.I've had a good (if uneventful) experience with this software, and I don't feel any qualms about recommending it to those who are eligible to use it. ... Read more

Asin: B00005TS6G
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Office Suite (Suites)    3. Bundle (Bundles)   

Microsoft Money 2004 Deluxe
by Microsoft
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM
list price: $59.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

Reviews (43)

WTF?
Don't DO IT!! If you have 2003, stick with it.Nothing really new except more commercials. When you go to balance your check book, you get only ONE amt if you are off. No more are the separated amounts as to deposits/withdrawals in the left column.And don't even get me started on performance...like trying to get a snail to run.

Unhappy with Product
I have been using Money 2003 Deluxe for almost two years and found it to be a very helpful program.Because I was so happy with this program I decided to upgrade to the 2004 edition.

This is where I get unhappy with the product.Unlike the 2003 version I couldn't get the 2004 version to update my stock prices.I contacted Microsoft's technical services which told me that if the portfolio you are trying to update contains American Depository Receipts (ADRs), because of some bug your portfolio will not update.BTW, I don't think all ADRs are effected, just the ones that trade Over-The-Counter or on the Pink Sheets.

This astounds me.How could a previous edition do something perfectly and the updated version not?This is also not a small bug, since I can't be the only one trying to use this program with ADRs in my portfolio.In any event,I uninstalled 2004 Deluxe and reinstalled 2003 Deluxe.Now all fine, but for the fact I am out of the money for costs of Money 2004.

Go ahead, ask me if I'm going to buy the 2005 version?!?!

Awful product. Cannot connect to accounts. Over-complex.
First, some background on us. We are very experienced computer users who setup the computer systems used by some of the largest banks around. Yet we cannot get Microsoft Money 2004 to connect to our own personal accounts.

One bug: Money will pull account data from a popular online brokerage, then five minutes later the data will be gone from the UI, even if you force Money to reconnect to the online brokerage.

Another issue: your regular username and password that you use to access an account online, fequently will NOT work with Money. So you need to call each financial institution individually to get connect. Since this is something that few financial institutions deal with on a regular basis, their regular customer support cannot help you and you need to call during special times of the day.

Calling Microsoft Money technical support puts you into India. How would you feel about discussing your personal financial account data with someone in India, where security laws are much more lax compared to the US?

More on security: can you trust Microsoft Money to be without security flaws given all the recent IE issues?

The user interface is incredibly complex and unintuitive. The issue is that all features are thrown at the user at once, rather than being phased-in. There is a deluge of options to scan through. Of course, none of these features work since we can't get basic account info. ... Read more

Asin: B00009L1HM
Sales Rank: 463
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Personal Finance (Financial)