Features

• Horror action game set in amusement park
• Comparatively lighthearted, even slapstick horror
• Emphasizes searching and maneuvering over combat
• Unlock multiple characters and gear
• For one player

Reviews (16)

Fun game, but patience is a MUST
You could say I am big into the whole survival horror genre. I've played the good (Resident Evil: Code Veronica), the bad (Carrier) and the awful (Countdown Vampires). Basically if the title has a creepy/subhuman feel to it, I'm bound to give it a whirl. I really wasn't sure to expect with Illbleed, but due to the recent drought of Dreamcast games I bought it on impulse. Within the first 10 minutes I could say without blinking that this game was horrible.

So why 3 stars? Well, once you get the hang of the game it is actually quite fun. Though it must be said that one needs a lot of patience to get into the swing of things.

As I was saying my biggest beef with Illbleed is it's horribly steep learning curve. The instruction manual really isn't sufficient when it comes to explaining Illbleeds bizarre mechanics. The majority of people are going to start the game and die very quickly a few times before realizing what needs to be done or completely giving up. It has to be said that there is a graveyard that can be used for training at the beginning of the game. Though I can't help but feel that it was somewhat of an afterthought due to the fact it is practically hidden and borderline useless. On top of that, the first level is reasonably hard.

Illbleed reminds me a lot of the Playstation series Deception. The big difference is that you are on the receiving end of the traps rather then setting them. Like Deception, traps are numerous; most are random, some are not. To avoid the plethora of traps you have 4 senses, "Sight," "Sound," "Smell," and "Sixth Sense." They peak as according to how close the character is to the trap. At the beginning of each level you must find a "Horror Monitor" which you can use to mark off what you think might be a trap. The "Horror Monitor" can lead to extreme frustration for many reasons. Initially I had no idea where to find the "Horror Monitor" because it is well hidden in the first level leaving me confused about what to do and absolutely raging. Once it is found the biggest problem with the "Horror Monitor" is that disarming potential traps can be a total guessing game. This is can be daunting, considering that you are limited to the number of objects that you can warn because every trap mark off leads to a drop in "adrenaline." Use too much too soon and you are not gonna last long. Don't use enough and you will probably be too beaten up to complete the level. On rare occasions the "Horror Monitor" is not just a shot in the dark. For instance, when a dead body is down the hall from your character and has potential to a trap the "Smell" and the "Sight" might spike, tipping off that you should probably mark off the corpse. Though after an hour or so you do get a feel for what is and is not a trap from trial and error resulting in a suspenseful environment rather than a frustration one.

When you think of the average life bar in video games the first thing that comes to mind is a gauge that depletes as your character is damaged. Illbleed does not have one life bar, it has three. One is the standard strength gauge that all games have. The others are fairly unique; a blood lose gauge that monitors the amount of blood lost per second and a heart rate gauge. Lose all your strength, you die. Lose too much blood, you die. Get scared when your heart rate is too high, you die. It is very hard to maintain lifebar homeostasis. This may anger some game players but I felt it added to the perilous atmosphere Illbleed is trying so desperately to uphold.

Illbleeds controls at times are plain insufficient. This is not entirely true when you are just exploring, though pressing the R-trigger constantly for the "Horror Monitor" gets mighty annoying. The controls are problematic during the fight sequences. I found that there is a one-second delay from when you hit attack and when the character actually attacks. Also, the camera during combat is inconsistent. It's either too far away, too close or is facing the incorrect direction so you cannot even see what is happening. You get accustomed to the control's and camera's sloppiness but nonetheless it is unacceptable.

Story wise there isn't much of one, though it is similar to the movie "House on Haunted Hill." There is a billionaire moviemaker, he is twisted, he is offering 100 000 000 dollars to anyone that can survive his house of horrors, people go in and don't come out, and our heroine must rescue them. Simple as that.

Illbleed is not breathtaking but definitely visually pleasing. Characters move fluidly, textures are nice, and the colors are vibrant. The B movie feel adds a lot to the atmosphere and it is great to see a survival horror game that doesn't take itself too seriously. Though some jerky/poor trap animations take away from the overall visual presentation. Lastly, the non-existent load times are very pleasing.

I do recommend Illbleed, but definitely rent it before you purchase. After you conquer the initial confusion you are in for an original, addictive and humorous game.

This game is good, play it if you get a chance
I admit this game can be a little frustrating at first.. but it gets really good, you may not be able to get past the first level until you sit down and actually set ur mind to the game. honestly id say that the first level is the hardest, i couldnt beat it myself until i sat down and actually played instead if getting frustraited and giving up.. later on you will get more money and be able to afford upgrade operations and adrenaline.
in this game you will be going through the cinema zone having to follow where traps are with the horror monitor and following your four senses(sight, smell, hearing, and sixth sense) the sixth sense senses battles and items, when a battle it near it will blink with a blue shadow thing or something.. but blue means battle and when it stays green there are items.. some levels have item sensors.. i think just in the first two levels. The first boss is basically the hardest one you will encounter. first you have to escape from his practice room because he is invincable then you have to run through a maze and try to avoid him, if you get in any battles with him, escape. finally you will come to a room where you see one of your friends and a gas leak will be going on.. banballow shows up and you can finally kill him. dont get too excited though, after you beat him you will go up the stairs and have to fight a GIANT banballow which is invincable.. you have to jump around these blocks and try to avoid his attacks. you will come to a fork in the path.. turn off to the right path to come up to a control room and you have to kill the guy running banballow (not hard) then you have to get an id card from the same room. finally you can leave and go back to the fork and go to the goal. you must stop before the goal area and use the id card, the gate will open then you can leave. The only other thing of to say is that the game is good, and the fighting controlls are easy. you just press y in a series of three to make a combination, and when you get some long range weapons you must press the right trigger to use them. Its a good game if you just figure it out.. i got the game for christmas in 2003 and i gave up on it for a long time and just beat it now in june, once i really started playing it, it seemed a hell of alot easier and more fun.. you run into a bunch of crazy adventures.. anyone who rated this game a one is just stupid and probably never got through the first level.. if i rated this game when i first got it, i probably would have been one of those. If anyone needs any help with there game, email me at bopropanop_bopropanop@hotmail.com again this is a really great game and is kind of challenging.. personally i think the graphics could have been a hell of alot better.. but dont go by reviews.. buy the game and see for yourself. also try buying from vglq.com they dont have as wide a selection as amazon but they are alot cheaper for the most part.

Reviews (71)

Squeeeeeeeee!
As a follow up to the infamous JtHM series, Squee is a lighter more playful ride through Jhonen's world of creepy.... stuff. Everyone loved that cute hapless little boy who was so afraid of being killed by the crazy neighbor man and just about everything else! Now he stars in his own series of trauma, fear, and misery. But our job is to laugh at his expence. Squee is the sane fellow in a world of stupid aliens, cruel parents, creepy teachers, and zombie school mates. Know this as well, dear readers, you haven't seen the last of Johnny.

The second part of the book is a real treasure. It contains the Happy Noodle Boy comics, the Wobbly headed Bob comics, and the MEANWHILES from both Squee and Johnny. (The individual comix) They're side stories, but many are quite humorous and shocking. So go, and partake in the Jhonen-y goodness.

Awww, look at the cute and tormented little Squee...!
Jhonen Vasquez did not disappoint me when I decided to pick up "Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors." Just when I thought he couldn't top "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac," I read this and found myself laughing aloud like crazy. Dark, twisted, disturbing, and overwhelmingly hilarious, this comic collection is unforgettable and highly entertaining--even if you don't want to admit it!!

If you've read "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac," then you will be familiar with the cute little boy named, Squee. Squee is a kid who seems to have the worst luck in the world. His parents hate him and wish that he would someday vanish without a trace. All of the school kids hate him and torment him. To make matters worse, he has the most dreadful nightmares about monsters and aliens. He even meets these creatures when he isn't asleep. From running away from his cannibalistic grandpa to persuading the aliens to take his parents away instead of him, from battling the dreaded "Dustmites" to the threat of becoming a mindless zombie school student, Squee is destined to grow up having some serious "issues." The book also includes the comic strips "Wobbly Headed Bob," "Fun with Filler (aww, look at the cuuute little bunny rabbit doing his filler dance!!),"Happy Noodle Boy," and the "Meanwhile" strips that were very much absent from "JTHM: The Director's Cut."

While I think "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac" is Jhonen's most creative and disturbing work, I found "Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors" to be much more entertaining and hilarious. There were many times where I was laughing very loudly as I was reading this. It's so funny that so many horrible things can happen to such a cute little character. It makes you feel guilty for laughing... but that quickly goes away and then you laugh some more--and in an even more demonic and unrelenting tone! The drawings are great and the characters are extremely humorous. Another cool thing is that Jhonen LOVES to throw in hidden messages and jokes within certain panels, so be on the lookout for them. Another reason to read this more than once.

Again, this is not intended for younger readers. While I found this much more easier to take than "JTHM," it's still very twisted, dark, disturbing and graphic. There are some very dark themes and imagery in this collection of comics, so it's not intended for those who easily get offended or disturbed. And, you must keep in mind that this book is here strictly for entertainment purposes only and is not to be taken seriously. Jhonen loves to poke fun at everything wrong in society--and even at his own work!

If you want to read something very twisted, deranged, and hilarious, "Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors" is just the thing for you. Again, it's nothing for the easily offended. Even though it's a pretty short read, I found this to be one heck of an entertaining read and it's something I'll be sure to read a number of times in the very near future. Another slam-dunk for Vasquez and his sick and warped sense of humor! -Michael Crane

Editorial Review

Reviews (1)

Replay Offers Unplugged Look at Famous Raver
(As previously printed in Mean Street Magazine)

Features

• Jet-ski water racing game
• 15 different courses
• Four gameplay modes
• Excellent wave physics engine
• For one or two players

Reviews (7)

Why is there no minus feature for rating games like this
This game is slow, boring, lacks tricks, fun and speed. I rather go out and get SARS

this thing was really bad
i think that it is so booring

Editorial Review

Coby's slim-chassis CX-CD105B portable CD player is a bargain player that nevertheless offers a few nonstandard features for a player at this price. In addition to 24-track programming, DBBS bass boost, a headphone jack, and a 6-digit liquid-crystal display, the CX-CD105B also offers a stereo line-out jack for cabling the device into your home or car stereo, a handy AC adapter jack (6-volt DC adapter not included), and battery recharge capability with charge on/off switch.

Reviews (2)

Great Empire
Don't buy this album because it has "Star Wars" in the title, it's not related to the trilogy at all. Buy it because it's Alec Empire at the top of his game. No one else mixes ambient techno with the super-fast and hard noise he's known for. This is great stuff, but be forwarned, it's an aquired taste. Personally, I think you should start with Empire's more recent "The Destroyer" and work your way back to this. Also, if you like the hard stuff, check out Atari Teenage Riot's "Burn, Berlin, Burn" where you'll hear more of Empire's signature sound.

Editorial Review

How to Wrestle Free from an Alligator: 4. If its jaws are closed on something you want to remove (for example, a limb), tap or punch it on the snout.

Though it's being marketed as a humorous title--after all, it's unlikely you'll be called upon to land a plane, jump from a motorcycle to a moving car, or win a swordfight--the information contained in The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook is all quite sound. Authors Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht consulted numerous experts in their fields (they're cited at the end of the book) to discover how to survive various and sundry awful events. Parachute doesn't open? Your best bet for survival is to hook your arms through the straps of a fellow jumper's chute--and even then you're likely to dislocate both shoulders and break both legs. Car sinking in water? Open the window immediately to equalize pressure, then open the car door and swim to the surface. Buried in an avalanche? Spit on the snow--it will tell you which direction is really up. Then dig as fast as you can.

Each survival skill is explained in simple steps with helpful illustrations. Most stress the need to be prepared--both mentally and physically. For example, to escape from quicksand, you will need to lay a pole on the surface of the quicksand, flop on your back atop the pole, and pull your legs out one by one. No pole? No luck. "When walking in quicksand country, carry a stout pole--it will help you get out should you need to."

Isbn: 0711968039
Subjects:  1. Composers & Musicians    2. Music    3. Popular   

Editorial Review

Often proclaimed as electronica's one true genius, Richard James, a.k.a. Aphex Twin, returns with a double CD that showcases his cleverness as well as his inevitable inscrutability. Still, amid macabre birthday songs, unsettling screams, and other bizarre touches, Drukqs offers the most technically accomplished and beautiful tracks of Aphex Twin's career. Every aspect of the Aphex brain is on display here, from stark pieces performed on sampled piano and zither to Squarepusher-styled drum & bass implosions, all informed by that peculiar Aphex treatment of bittersweet melody and unparalleled programming. For an artist once engrossed in homages to his dead twin brother and grotesque videos, Drukqs shows James getting by purely on music alone.

Features

• Color
• Animated
• Box set
• NTSC

Reviews (8)

A must-have collection
Cowboy Bebop is a good mix of action and comedy made into a very well designed anime series. Spike is a bountyhunter who is trying to recover his past, while at the same time earn some cash. Teaming up with Jet who is an ex-copper, Spike bumps into more people he'd rather not, such as Faye the "trouble-maker" of the group. I won't give away too much more information about cowboy bebop other than this: Cowboy bebop is a must-have collection.

Deserves WAAAY more than five stars!
SWEET MOTHER OF GOD!!THIS IS ABSOLOUTELY THE BEST ANIME EVER!! I can't POSSIBLY think of ANYTHING that could make it better. Everything about this anime: PERFECT. It has everything. Spaceships, Cowboys, Gunfights, Sexy Males (a.k.a. Spike, Vicious and Gren :D) Women with attitude, kick ... fight scenes, amazing animation, awesome storylines for each episode, Great music, comedy, cute little dogs, and crazy little genius kids. You don't even have to be a hardcore anime lover to ABSOLOUTELY ADORE this series. It is soo worth every cent! You'll love it so much, you'll go out and buy the second one. I did!

The greatest anime show
Some people watch TV shows just because it is there. But I would have to say this is an artistic show with a capativating story line. That is what the TV was originally made for. Best of all, it is anime!

The time is 2070. Humans have teraformed planets and moons to be habital. People have personal space ships, and people have gone around the entire solar system, though nobody has gone out of the solar system.

OK, so you have Spike who was a former Syndicate member, a gang of organized criminals. He is the cool guy in the story. Then there is Jet, who owns the ship, the Bebop. That would be the person that moves the story along. He is a former policeman. There is Feye, who was chryogenically frozen for 50 years. Finally, you have Ed and Ein. My favorite duo. Ed is a wierd girl, a hacker, though you might mistake her for a guy. Ein is a dog that was created in a laboratory to be the smartest dog around.

Features

• Roller coaster park simulation
• Design and ride your own rides
• Six levels of play
• Realistic physics engine
• For one player

Reviews (13)

Coaster Works - Really feels like a simulator!
Coaster Works - simply two addicting words. This game is one of the first I've ever played ( I'm a coaster enthusiast ) where you really feel like you are on the coaster. The graphics are great, too! You have no limits ( except for height, but it can still be, like, 300 feet high! ) You can go vertical, do any possible inversion, and the thrill is just amazing.
(...)It is SO worth it. I'm telling you, it's one of the best games I've played in my life. It's easy to play, you don't need any extra software, it's educational, and at times, it's challenging. Awesome!

Good but not worth the money for it :(
I was thinking maybe this would kind of rival the computer simulation coaster game. Roller Coaster Tycoon, but no it does not. I figured well it still builds coasters so this could be interesting. It is a little confusing at first but you get the hang of it fast but it just isnt worth the money. This is one of those games where you should just rent and play becuase it aint worth it to own. I love Sega and all their systems, I own them all and I love them all, but this game isnt worth the money. Sorry Sega!

Reviews (745)

A New Type Of Killer Toxin
Every so often, a music group explodes with such a different and solid style that just about everyone who listens to it happens to love it. System Of A Down is one of these groups, blowing up with their 2nd official CD, "Toxicity". This CD is near-flawless all the way through and any fan of hard rock will fall in love with it quickly. The lead vocalist, Serj, has such a crazy sound to his voice that it really grapples you into the songs. All in all, SOAD is filled with very anti-regulation, rebellious, good hard music.

The album starts out with a very hard song, "Prison Song", which is sure to hit the listener hard with its lyrical content and sound. It's a great introduction to most of the material we will be hearing later on the CD. Following the first song are two great ones, "Needles" and "Deer Dance", both of which have hard choruses and flowing vocals by Serj. After these comes a pretty short song (barely over 2 minutes, but short songs are somewhat common to SOAD) but hard and fast. The drummer really kicks in and goes crazy on this song. Track 5 entitled "X" comes in a bit slower but just as solid as the rest... then Serj goes very fast on most of the vocals. Next is the single track that really hooked me to SOAD's newer sounding style (over their self-titled LP a few years back), "Chop Suey!". This was a huge radio hit and is one of those songs that you love listening to even though it's so mainstream. The vocals are really "chopped" up but all flow together, and the chorus is... well... "heavenly" I guess. Very angellic sounding, if that makes any sense. Awesome song.

The 2nd Half of the album is just as good as the first. And truthfully that does not happen as often as it should in music these days. Track 7, "Bounce", follows Chop Suey! up with a fast paced and *insane* song. Definitely the craziest on the album. "Bounce, Pogo Pogo Pogo POGO!!". Good song. Following that is "Forest", a semi-long song weighing in at 4:00, but possibly one of my favorites. It has a medium paced beat going with it as Serj screams after every line. At track 12, we come to "Toxicity", the title track and very deserving of this title. Slower paced and more instrumental, this is one of my favorites. Psycho is a pretty dark song and very emotional, with a screaming memorable chorus, "Psycho...Cocaine...Cocaine...Crazy!" in increasing speed. A really good cut. And the final track: Aerials. This was their 2nd single and the most mainstream sounding song with the exception of Chop Suey!. They made a badass video to go along with this slow song. Good lyrics, and good end to the album.

Overall, I was unbelievably impressed with the quality of the work that System Of A Down was able to produce with "Toxicity". It's much more mature sounding than their self-titled CD even though that is awesome work as well! The group really made their own nitch in the hard rock community with this release and it's going to be great to see what System can come out with in the future. GET THIS CD, PERIOD.

Overall Rating: 9.5 / 10

Surprisingly(?) Good for a jaded Metal Fan
O.k., I originally wrote System of a Down off as yet another wanna-be corporate Mtv "nu-metal" band. I WAS WRONG. THIS CD IS FANTASTIC! Yes, I do think that SoaD should get down on their knees and worship at the feet of "Faith No More" (this CD brings "King for a Day" and "Album of the Year" to mind), but they really have their own sound that comes out and distinguishes itself from other bands.

I really liked their first CD, and on "Toxicity" the band is even more polished. The only song that doesn't seem to fit on the CD for me is "Chop Suey!". It sound a little out of place compared to the other music, but that's probably because I've heard it on the radio so much. With good reason, it's a great song!

Anyway, the rest of the CD is a little heavier than the radio hit. I really like the lyrics. The lyrics of most of the songs talk about social or political injustices, like Rage. Unlike Rage, SOAD has a sense of humor and don't seem to take up an issue with Everything.

All in all, I think this CD is a safe buy. Metal friends of mine are split on their opinions of this CD. Some love it, some hate it. The odd singing and rapid time changes could definitely throw a listener off. I know this is often said, but I really believe that if you don't like it at first listen, believe it or not "Toxicity" WILL grow on you. So will their first CD. If you like Faith No More, Korn, and Rage; go ahead and experiment with System of a Down. If you can, see them live, too. Their energy could light the planet! (Am I the only person who thinks that the lead singer of System looks like B-Real on a massive ammount of stimulants?)

Reviews (3)

legend of the mystical ninja starring Goemon
This game is really called "Legend of the Mystical Ninja starring Goemon". It's all right but is hard to complete and a little frusturating if you're not a skilled game master. This game is like some of the old, uncolored Mario games. It is actually rated "kid to adult" because of the slight violence. ...

Looks better than it is
I got it a week ago and i have one word: Stinks! it is a stupid game that has a fimilar plot of some bad guys gome and the good guys kick them out. on the outside it looks like a zelda game but it is more like a mario type game but worse(not saying mario is bad). i would not buy this game if i were you