Monday, May 11, 2009

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Game of the Year Edition

The Elder Scrolls III Game of the Year Edition allows gamers to continue their existing games of Morrowind and experience the new quests and areas offered by the expansions. The Morrowind Game of the Year includes the original content of Morrowind plus all of the content from the Bloodmoon and Tribunal expansions.
Customer Review: Morrowind
Amazing game, good story, decent graphics and at least 80+ hours of game play. Unfortunately my Morrowind CD came with this weird sappy stuff on the outside (I bought it new). Also my tribunal didnt work. Still great game I reccomend it to any RPG fan.
Customer Review: A great introduction to fantasy role-playing
/This review contains no plot-spoilers/. I'm writing this little review for those who have heard little or nothing about the game, perhaps even a parent of a potential player. Some things you quickly need to know... This is a final and best version of one of the best single-player fantasy games ever made for the PC. (1) It's set in a very beautiful and strange game-world, yet the graphics are five years old... but there are plenty of 'mods' (free fan-made plugins) out there that can make the game look and play far better. The game's fans have spent the last five years fixing and improving the game. Yet to research, choose and apply those 'mods' takes a few hours, and some skill with using a PC. It's a project in itself, but it's worth it. (2) You may not like the game initially, because role-playing is not to everyone's taste and can be a skill that takes some nurturing. The game is so huge you can play the first bits of the main quest for 15 hours - and still just be scratching the surface of a tiny bit of the massive free-form game-world. This is no "run and gun, down narrow tracks" game you can finish off in 10 hours. At 150 hours, you'll be qualified to make a judgement on it. (3) You have to use your imagination at many points, but you get plenty of stimulus to do so. You also need to 'suspend your disbelief' over some of the clunky animations, in places. This is a world that's strange, almost perfectly realised in terms of plot and atmosphere, and will make you think. One of the main themes is slavery and colonisation. Disease is also prominent. But it will also make you laugh - it's far more quirky than its rather dumbed-down successor Oblivion. I feel it's quite suitable for an intelligent and thoughtful 12 year old. (4) The game 'adapts' itself to your play style due to the choices you make at the start. You can play equally well as a 'Conan'-type fighter, a 'Wizard'-like magician, or a stealthy sneaker. (5) There's a lot of reading involved in the game, both dialogue and in books and scrolls. And a lot of strange names. This is not a game for non-readers. (6) Yes, the game will run fine on Windows Vista (fully-patched, SP2), just make sure you update to the latest Nvidia graphics-card drivers. The game has problems with ATI graphics cards. Yes, you can even run it in widescreen - as high as 1920 x 1200 pixels, using the free MGE plugin.


Every year there's a short list of hot toys that prove to be the most popular Christmas gifts for kids. And 2008, of course, is no different. One of this year's must buy Christmas toys is definitely going to be Bakugan battle brawlers, so here's a quick guide for parents on what Bakugan is all about.

What is Bakugan

Bakugan is similar to Pokemon in that it isn't just about the toys or the game. Bakugan Battle Brawlers is also a Japanese anime series in which the main characters, a group of youngsters, play the Bakugan strategy game in order to save the earth. It now airs in a variety of countries, including on the Cartoon Network in the US. The toys and the tv series were developed together, so one supports the other.

The Bakugan Battle Brawlers Game

Much how a trading card game works, Bakugan is a strategy game. It involves both cards (made of metal) and marbles. The marbles morph into monsters and such, i.e. dragons and things of that nature. The transformation occurs as the marble lands on the metal cards, which is the large part of the appeal of these toys. They are fun!

After each player has rolled their Bakugan (the marble), then battle commences. Battle consists of adding up the values on the Bakugan and the cards and the winner takes both of the Bakugans and the cards. The game continues until there aren't any cards left.

The Bakugan Toys

The main items necessary to play Bakugan are the cards and the marbles that turn into creatures. Bakugan starter packs are a fairly inexpensive entry item into the series of toys, at about $15 each. Fair warning though, much like Pokemon and Webkinz, don't expect your kids to be happy with just one set. Like trading game cards, the toys are designed to be collectible. You can expect your house to be overrun soon enough!

In addition to the starter packs and Battle Brawler Battle packs, there are also accessory items such as a launcher and a battle arena (i.e. game board) that can be bought too. There are also other tie-in items such as books, lunch bags, calendars and eventually there should be a videogame available in the US for the Nintendo DS.

For tips on the game, my instructions on how to play Bakugan should help out, plus you can get an idea of the different Bakugan toys available as well.

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