Galactic Civilizations II: Game of the Year

Special edition covers the dread war between galaxies of this award winning strategy game series / ESRB Rating E10 Everyone 10+
Customer Review: Brilliant turn based game that brings back the good-old-days
I used to really enjoy playing an old (DOS Era) turn based space conquest game called Stellar Conquest III. The best thing about that game was the ability to modify ships to any configuration you liked. You could easily make any sort of ship from massively slow base defender loaded down with weapons, to a scout ship, to freighter, etc. Aside from Alpha Centauri, I'd never found another game that captured that same level of freedom and creativity in designing a fleet. Until Galactic Civilizations I came along, and now its sequel, Galactic Civilizations II, which has taken the design process to a whole new level. I'll admit I'm a micro manager in turn based strategy games. I like tweaking things. I like to make sure everything is optimal. But I know that many people don't like the tediousness of maintaining every little thing. That's where this game excels: you can either customize endlessly, or play using presets that enable you to get right into the game and commanding your empire. The game is versatile enough to please a micro manager or a big picture player. The graphics are adequate. They are not eye-candy, but they are pleasing enough, and like most turn based strategy games, I'm not playing GC II because the visuals knock my socks off. Gameplay is excellent. If you play any of the Civilizations games (the Sid Meirs games like CIV IV, CIV IV WARLORDS), you will feel right at home. Camera controls are intuitive and once learned become seamless. You'll forget what you're doing as you pan around and check out your empire. Overall this is a great game, one that I am enjoying, and one that happily does not include any malicious DRM schemes. It's well worth buying on its own merits, but even more so considering it's makers are not treating me and the rest of the gaming community like a pack of thieves. If you like turn based strategy in a space setting, this is a perfect choice. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: An excellent 4x Space Strategy game
Galactic Civilization 2 is a great example of a 4x ("eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate") space strategy game. Masters of Orion is an old series with a similar feel. If you have played Civilization, GalCiv2 plays very similarly with planets in space as the only buildable area for 'cities', then other anomalies allow for other environment upgrades. GalCiv2 is a very complex game, and does not have much of a tutorial to help new players. The basic concept can be hard to learn initially, but is well worth the investment. For anyone familiar with turn-based strategy, it is not too different from the previously mentioned games, and can be picked up pretty quickly. Internet guides and FAQs will also help teach advanced techniques. There is also extensive help available through their official forums. New content, in the form of two expansions, have greatly lengthened the life of an already excellent game. Stardock shows themselves to be a great company who really work for their customers. I recommend using their Impulse service in conjunction with this game. You should be able to enter the CDKey directly in and download it without needing to put the CD in the drive (I have done this for the Non-Game of the Year edition and the Ultimate Edition). I recommend the Ultimate Edition over the standard, since it includes the two Expansion Packs, but if the price difference is too great the standard version of Galactic Civilization 2 is well worth giving a try.

It was a few weeks ago when a lone nutcase bought a few guns and killed 32 people in one of the worst massacres in U.S. history at Virginia Tech. So far, there have only been a few mumblings here and there that the media is to blame in all of this, most predominately by Dr. Phil. He accuses the videogame industry of being somehow complicit in this one crazed gunman's actions, which is obviously unfounded and ridiculous. But there are always congressmen in office who are otherwise ineffectual in getting anything done to stop guns from getting in the hands of mental patients, who go on tirades against the entertainment community when something like this happens.

Thankfully, most people are waking up and seeing that mental psychosis is responsible for these crazy people's actions, not the latest Rob Zombie horrorfest. The movie studios for the most part capitulated to congress' need for a better system of screening out hard "R" rated movies that are unsuitable to kids under 18 years old. They now force i.d.'s to be shown at all ticket windows to allow teenagers to buy tickets to r-rated movies. Now that another massacre has occurred, they might be encouraged to force even stricter guidelines on r-rated movies.

The Federal Trade Commission regulates video game ratings, and is the watchdog for the movie industry, making sure that r-rated flix are not seen or bought on dvd by kids under 18 years old. The FTC chairman, Deborah Platt Majores states "The latest FTC report shows improvement, but also that the entertainment industry has more work to do." The FTC conducted a research group whereby they sent a variety of children into a retail store to buy r-rated dvds. Eighty-one percent of kids 16 and younger were able to buy R-rated movies in 2003, and that number dropped just 10 percentage points to 71 percent in 2006.

Based on these statistics, and in light of the shootings at Virginia Tech, there is reason to believe that retail video chains like Blockbuster will be in the headlights of watchdog groups like the FTC to make sure movies like "Hostel" and "The Devil's Rejects" do not get into the hands of 12-year-olds.

Hopefully, a massacre like Virginia Tech will never happen again, and R-rated movies should be given the freedom to grow as a genre so movies like "The 300" can be made for the vast movie-going audience's never ending appetite for extreme, well made action.

Rob Mead has written many articles about internet marketing and how to create and find great website content that will increase your web site's traffic overnight. Go to http://www.perfectwebcontent.com and you will be able to use all of the web site's resources and articles in your quest for internet success.

videogame music

Nintendo 64 System - Video Game Console

Nintendo first dabbled in video games during the industry's early years of the mid-'70s. Generations of successful gaming console releases through the years led to the much-hyped 1996 launch of Nintendo 64, a system that represented a giant evolutionary leap in video game technology. Within the first three days of launch, hundreds of thousands of gamers hunkered down with Mario 64, considered by many to be one of the greatest video games ever created. Even today, the system's excellent design continues to host an ever-expanding library of breakthrough games.

Nintendo 64's popularity among younger gamers is no surprise. Well-respected games featuring such long-lived and much-loved personalities as Mario (of arcade classic Donkey Kong fame), Zelda, and Banjo-Kazooie are easy to learn and offer enormous replay value. But times are a' changin' and the system's ever-growing library of titles has expanded into every genre of games imaginable, including games better suited for older gamers. In fact, some of the most acclaimed--in some cases, groundbreaking--games available on any platform today are packed onto N64's old-school cartridges.

Under the system's hood, its appeal to the young certainly didn't produce a less mature gaming machine. On the contrary, the 64-bit system boasts impressive graphics, stereo sound, and numerous accessory enhancements, including a high-resolution pack that boosts graphics to awe-inspiring resolutions.

Start your library with Goldeneye 007, Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, and Star Wars: Episode One Racer--these titles represent a decent start to any N64 cartridge library.

With the recent launch of Sega's Dreamcast system, Nintendo 64 is being left behind as the leader in video game technology. And with newer game systems featuring CD-based games, the system's expensive cartridge format is proving itself an archaic and unconventional storage format. But, at a sub-$110 recommended retail price for a console with two controllers, innovative accessory enhancements and a great library of games keep the system's rabid fan base satisfied, if not eager for Nintendo's next evolutionary step. --Eric Twelker
Customer Review: very poor
the seller sent the 64 a month later with no plugs and no controllers so i never got to play. i sent it back. i am a faithful buyer at amazon and this is the first disappointment of trust. i am scared to order here again.
Customer Review: Nintendo 64: One of the Best Systems Ever Made, Now Discontinued
The Nintendo 64 had a small, yet a great library of games, including the best-selling The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This console had the best-looking kiosk in retail stores. But when the Gamecube came out in 2001, that, unfortunately, marked the end of the Nintendo 64. Nintendo published very few games for this system after the Gamecube came out. The last game that was published for this system was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, which, if you're lucky, you can still find that game new today at retailers. I hate it when video game companies discontinue consoles because they released a new one. Look at computer manufacturers like Dell. Sure they make new computers, but you can still buy older models from them (not too old like a 486 computer, though... =D). Unfortunately, video game companies, even today, have failed to recognize this.

According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, about 58% of adults in the US experience insomnia or some form of sleeping difficulties. Respondents to the poll also believe that their lack of restful sleep significantly affects their work performance, their relationship with others, motor skills and ability to avoid accidents, and even their health. Research studies actually show that sleep deprivation can speed up aging, slow down metabolism and even increase a person's risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure and other serious illnesses.

If you are having difficulty staying or falling asleep, waking up too early, or feeling sluggish after you wake up, then you are probably suffering from some form of insomnia. You really do not have to worry too much if you are just experiencing short bouts of sleep problems or deprivation because of some trivial reasons. There is a big chance that your body can deal with a few days of lack of restful sleep. However, having chronic insomnia is another matter. If not having a good night's sleep is becoming the norm in your life, you have to do something about your problem now or suffer the consequences in the future.

Here are some tips that are effective in improving your snoozing time:

Hit The Bed When You Feel Tired

If you feel sleepy and tired, your mind and body are signaling that they need some time to rest and recover from a very busy schedule or strenuous activity. Take advantage of these moments to get even a 30-minute nap. As much as possible, do not fight your urge to sleep because if you do, you might find it more difficult to fall asleep as your mind and body will be in an extended active mode. On the contrary, if you don't feel like sleeping yet, do not go to bed and stare at the ceiling or force yourself to sleep. Instead, go out of your bedroom, do some stretching or other relaxing exercises and hit the bed when your mind and body are both ready to snooze.

Exercise During The Evening

Majority of those with sedentary lives are suffering from insomnia. If you spend too much time watching television or playing games on your computer or videogame consoles before your bedtime, your mind will stay active until the wee hours of the morning. Thus, it would be helpful if you exercise during the evening, just a few hours before you sleep. After a strenuous activity, you will feel tired in a couple of hours and have a bigger chance of getting deep and uninterrupted slumber time.

Follow A Routine

If you train your body to rest at ten o'clock every night and wake up at seven or eight the following morning, you will see that this will come naturally to you even during the weekends. However, if you suddenly change your routine and sleep late on Friday or Saturday nights, your body clock will go haywire and it will take some time before you can get the rhythm back. If you are the kind of person who is having difficulty sleeping, it is advisable for you to stick to your routine for a while and avoid breaking your sleeping schedule.

Stay Away From Caffeine After Mid-day

A glass of iced tea, cup of coffee or can of soda taken during dinner can actually affect your sleeping pattern. As much as possible, you need to stop yourself from indulging in caffeine-rich beverages or foods after lunchtime.

There are also some sleeping aids in the market that are effective in helping you sleep soundly at night. Aside from following the tips enumerated above, you can also take supplements that promote better sleep. Just make sure that what you pick is all natural and safe. One product that is guaranteed safe and effective is Somulin. Visit http:///www.somulin.com/ for more details.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com