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Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Review : Killzone 2 - PlayStation Official Magazine exclusive (gmaes at discountedgame)
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Sunday, January 4, 2009
Review: LittleBigPlanet gmaes at discountedgame
My, my, my, The first time the game console world lets players design their own specific kind of games in a game patch. And that's why this is called Little Big Planet. Everyone in this cute online Little Big Planet community can visit eachother's patches and play! Moreover they can rate! So guys ,please, design your patch well.Talkin' about designing your patch, don't you worry that you don't have any graphic design, or programming skill. Skills you need to have are only creativity and perseverance, that's all. Because in order to create this and that, yay go ahead and stitch everything together, you need to have items which can be found in a Little Big Planet game itself.Oh, man, you will find so many materials in a game as you're proceeding through another level. So keep on playing and try to follow your patch's long tutorial!
Now you probably wonder about the gameplay itself. The gameplay is much fun, too. Normally I would be bored by this type of game but for this Little Big Planet, I found myself surprised at most corners and secret path. Keep your eyes open for a hidden treasure which can be used for your perfect patch!
Moreover, the star is this game is Sackboy. He's a cute small living thing that you can dress into anything your accessory can provide. First off , he's just a plain old naked brown Sack Boy, later on he might as well just be your Old Snake. Alter anything you like- eyes, eyebrows, nose, moth, outfit, gesture( by sixasix- I personally like slapping my teammate), blah blah blah. Or choose to be a Sack Girl if you wish.
Ooh ooh ooh, you can play as a team. As a matter of fact, you need to play with another to pass particular levels.You need to hop, push, pull, grab, ride, etc. Just basically the power of your creativity working magic through your fingers.
When you play for a while, you will be advised to use your sticker that you collected to get into a hidden treasure, secret path. Otherwise you can stick it anywhere- on yourself, your teammate, your cart. So you might find your girls decorating everything with flowers. Moreover, you can have a sticker as your photo if you have Ps3eye
You can revive your team members at a Check-Point (a round wooden thingie). Just walk pass it. But there's a limited time you can revive. If you reach that limit for all of your teammates, you all have to restart that level.Mini games have thier own keys. You need to collect keys hidden all over to unlock them.
A game will announce you your points when you reach a finishing spot at every level. Death, race result effects your point. The one with higher points will win of course. You will also get an extra bonus item if you collected 100% of items at that level or you could pass without dying even once.
Conclusion
You will have much fun as it can reflect your little dream. Everything is similar to the reriatie. For example when a lover play together, a man will discover that
1. She seems to be happy dressing up her Sack Girl.
2. When a man solo in LBP, a woman will be upset of him not waiting for her at all.
3. Very much like in a real life. A man needs to take care of his girl all the time such as pulling a cart for her while she's standing on it, or let her to get all items she wants.
4. A man will stop himself gaining more points when reaching a finishing spot. Unless he wants to hear her say "you don't love me anymore?"
5. When reaching a crisis and a girl is alone, she will give a guy her joy stick.
6. Very very cool! You've just got to play it!!!
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Sunday, June 1, 2008
tales of vesperia: gmaes features, characters, gameplay, reviews at discountedgame
gmaes Developer(s) Namco Tales Studio
gmaes Publisher(s) Namco Bandai Games
gmaes Designer(s) Kōsuke Fujishima (Character Design) Yoshito Higuchi (Chief Director, Producer) Motoi Sakuraba (Composer)
gmaes Platform(s) Xbox 360
gmaes Release date JPN2008
NA2008
gmaes Genre(s) Console role-playing gmaes
gmaes Mode(s) Single Player, multiplayer cooperative
gmaes Rating(s) CERO:B
gmaes Media DVD
Tales of Vesperia (テイルズ オブ ヴェスペリア, Teiruzu obu Vesuperia) is the newest and tenth main entry into the Tales of series. It was announced on December 22nd, 2007 at Jump Festa. The game's first trailer confirmed that the Character Designer is Kōsuke Fujishima, the Chief Director and Producer is Yoshito Higuchi (who previously worked on both Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss), the gmaes is being developed by Namco Tales Studio and its animated movies will be done by Production I.G. It has been confirmed on gmaes spot that Vesperia will be exclusively for Xbox 360, though a PlayStation 3 port is still possible.Bonnie Pink will sing the main theme for both the Japanese and American release. According to IGN, Vesperia may see a release in the United States and Japan close to each other, though no confirmed date of release has been given.
A recent list from Namco Bandai revealed that a PlayStation 3 version may also be in the works, but it was later removed - Namco Bandai stated it was a mistake.
A recent list from Namco Bandai revealed that a PlayStation 3 version may also be in the works, but it was later removed - Namco Bandai stated it was a mistake.
gmaes play
Tales of Vesperia uses an improved and evolved version of Tales of the Abyss's battle system, called the "Evolved Flex-Range Linear Motion Battle System" (EFR-LMBS).
A change from previous entries, players will be able to learn special skills through their equipment. Players are also able to use acquired material to create rare and unique equipment. Another addition are special attacks that defeat non-boss enemies with a single blow if special button combinations are timed correctly. Also returning from Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss is the "Overlimit". Similar to Tales of the Abyss it is in the form of a visible gauge, but it comes in the form of a single bar that can be spread out among the party, or "stacked" up to four different levels to give various effects when used for a single person, such as the ability to cancel any arte at level two, and then becoming invulnerable at level four.
Another added aspect is "Encounter Linking", like Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss, enemies are visible on the field and a battle starts when one is touched, but if there are other enemies nearby, they may also join in and become a part of the fight.
Like in Tales of Legendia, a previous game in the series, skits will now be voiced by English voice actors.
gmaes Characters
Yuri Lowell (ユーリ・ローウェル, Yūri Rōueru)Age: 21Gender: MaleHeight: 180cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Kosuke ToriumiThe main protagonist of the game that wields a sword in battle. An empathetic young man, who doesn't give a second thought about helping those in need, but he knows his limits. He is quite sarcastic and cynical but a nice man at heart. He was once a knight, which gave him the freedom of taking brief journeys outside his hometown, but now works as a bodyguard. Envious of Flynn, he decides to leave his city and see the world himself. He hates the nobility and the government. He also yearns for his older brother. He meets Estelle when events lead him to be imprisoned.
Estellise (エステリーゼ, Esuterīze) Estelle (エステル, Esuteru)Age: 18Gender: FemaleHeight: 165cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Mai NakaharaThe heroine of the game that wields swords and staffs. Her real name is Estellise, but she is also called Estelle. She uses healing magic and has pink hair. In the castle, Estelle encounters Yuri. She separates herself from her sad world, and begins to speak out and take action. She was kept in her castle for a long time, where she took up training with the sword. She is also surprised by the many things she encounters in the outside world. She enjoys reading books and takes the knowledge or other info she gains from them very seriously.Flynn Scifo (フレン シーフォ, Furen Shīfo)Age: 21Gender: MaleHeight: 180cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Mamoru MiyanoA knight that wields a sword and shield. Flynn shared his childhood with Yuri, though they contrast from one another. He has similar ideals of helping others, but chooses to work them out via politics instead. After Yuri retired from the knights, he began to gain many achievements and was promoted. He neglects those of the nobility, but is more friendly to the common people of the empire. He travels regularly to fend off monsters, a fact that makes Yuri envious.Repede (ラピード, Rapīdo)Age: 4Gender: MaleHeight: 170cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: N/AYuri's dog, who accompanies Yuri to places and fights with him using a dagger. He holds a pipe in his mouth that is a memento of his previous owner. He is very close and friendly with those he accepts, but hates it when those he doesn't know try to touch him. He appears to be the most calm one of the group.Rita (リタ, Rita)Age: 15Gender: FemaleHeight: 150cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Rika MorinagaA brunette-haired girl who wears goggles. She is a researcher that studies Blastia, and hates to be interrupted during her research. She is eccentric and has a poor social disposition. In battle she wields a book and is capable of using various magical attacks.Karol Capel (カロル カペル, Karoru Kaperu)Age: 12Gender: MaleHeight: 135cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Kumiko WatanabeA little boy who wields a giant hammer and various other large weapons. He says that he is from the Hunting Blades guild (魔狩りの剣 (Makari no tsurugi, 魔狩りの剣). Because of certain circumstances he accompanies Yuri on his journey.
Tales of Vesperia uses an improved and evolved version of Tales of the Abyss's battle system, called the "Evolved Flex-Range Linear Motion Battle System" (EFR-LMBS).
A change from previous entries, players will be able to learn special skills through their equipment. Players are also able to use acquired material to create rare and unique equipment. Another addition are special attacks that defeat non-boss enemies with a single blow if special button combinations are timed correctly. Also returning from Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss is the "Overlimit". Similar to Tales of the Abyss it is in the form of a visible gauge, but it comes in the form of a single bar that can be spread out among the party, or "stacked" up to four different levels to give various effects when used for a single person, such as the ability to cancel any arte at level two, and then becoming invulnerable at level four.
Another added aspect is "Encounter Linking", like Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss, enemies are visible on the field and a battle starts when one is touched, but if there are other enemies nearby, they may also join in and become a part of the fight.
Like in Tales of Legendia, a previous game in the series, skits will now be voiced by English voice actors.
gmaes Characters
Yuri Lowell (ユーリ・ローウェル, Yūri Rōueru)Age: 21Gender: MaleHeight: 180cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Kosuke ToriumiThe main protagonist of the game that wields a sword in battle. An empathetic young man, who doesn't give a second thought about helping those in need, but he knows his limits. He is quite sarcastic and cynical but a nice man at heart. He was once a knight, which gave him the freedom of taking brief journeys outside his hometown, but now works as a bodyguard. Envious of Flynn, he decides to leave his city and see the world himself. He hates the nobility and the government. He also yearns for his older brother. He meets Estelle when events lead him to be imprisoned.
Estellise (エステリーゼ, Esuterīze) Estelle (エステル, Esuteru)Age: 18Gender: FemaleHeight: 165cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Mai NakaharaThe heroine of the game that wields swords and staffs. Her real name is Estellise, but she is also called Estelle. She uses healing magic and has pink hair. In the castle, Estelle encounters Yuri. She separates herself from her sad world, and begins to speak out and take action. She was kept in her castle for a long time, where she took up training with the sword. She is also surprised by the many things she encounters in the outside world. She enjoys reading books and takes the knowledge or other info she gains from them very seriously.Flynn Scifo (フレン シーフォ, Furen Shīfo)Age: 21Gender: MaleHeight: 180cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Mamoru MiyanoA knight that wields a sword and shield. Flynn shared his childhood with Yuri, though they contrast from one another. He has similar ideals of helping others, but chooses to work them out via politics instead. After Yuri retired from the knights, he began to gain many achievements and was promoted. He neglects those of the nobility, but is more friendly to the common people of the empire. He travels regularly to fend off monsters, a fact that makes Yuri envious.Repede (ラピード, Rapīdo)Age: 4Gender: MaleHeight: 170cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: N/AYuri's dog, who accompanies Yuri to places and fights with him using a dagger. He holds a pipe in his mouth that is a memento of his previous owner. He is very close and friendly with those he accepts, but hates it when those he doesn't know try to touch him. He appears to be the most calm one of the group.Rita (リタ, Rita)Age: 15Gender: FemaleHeight: 150cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Rika MorinagaA brunette-haired girl who wears goggles. She is a researcher that studies Blastia, and hates to be interrupted during her research. She is eccentric and has a poor social disposition. In battle she wields a book and is capable of using various magical attacks.Karol Capel (カロル カペル, Karoru Kaperu)Age: 12Gender: MaleHeight: 135cmEnglish Voice Actor: N/AJapanese Voice Actor: Kumiko WatanabeA little boy who wields a giant hammer and various other large weapons. He says that he is from the Hunting Blades guild (魔狩りの剣 (Makari no tsurugi, 魔狩りの剣). Because of certain circumstances he accompanies Yuri on his journey.
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Saturday, May 31, 2008
Samba de Amigo : gmaes features, reviews, gameplay, characters at discountedgame
Samba de Amigo (English: Friend's Samba)
is a rhythm gmaes developed by Sonic Team and released in 1999 by Sega in arcades, and in 2000 for the Dreamcast video gmaes console. Similar to games such as Guitar Hero and DrumMania, the player uses controllers shaped like instruments -- in this case, maracas -- with the goal of matching a series of patterns displayed onscreen. It can be played by one or two players simultaneously.
gmaes play
gmaes Developer(s): Sonic Team
gmaes Publisher(s): Sega
gmaes Platform(s): Dreamcast, Arcade, Wii
gmaes Release date Dreamcast : December, 1999 October 18, 2000 December 8, 2000
gmaes Genre(s): Music
gmaes Mode(s): Single player, multiplayer
gmaes Rating(s): ESRB: Everyone (E)
Samba de Amigo is played with a pair of maracas. As a song plays, the player (guided by on-screen graphics) must shake the maracas at high, middle, or low heights with the beat of the music, or occasionally must strike poses with the maracas held in various positions. The player is represented on-screen by "Amigo", a grinning monkey with a square head and a sombrero. If the player does well, the scene around the monkey (usually a concert or a dance) will attract more people and become more vividly animated; if the player does poorly, characters leave and eventually all that's left is the monkey alone, looking sad.
In the primary gmaes mode, each player has six spots arranged in a circle on the screen: two red meaning 'shake high,' two yellow meaning 'shake middle,' and two green meaning 'shake low.' Blue dots will appear in the center of this circle and move towards the spots; as soon as the blue dot touches a spot, the player must shake a maraca at that location. For example, if a blue dot touches the upper left spot, the player must shake either maraca above his left shoulder. If both maracas are shaken in that location, the player gets an 'Amigo' bonus. Occasionally a long line of dots will flow into a spot and the word 'Shake' appears, telling the player to continue shaking his maraca rapidly there. Sometimes a stick-figure (named "Pose-kun") appears on the screen holding its maracas in a certain position; the player has a second or two to match the figure's pose for points.
The home gmaes adds a "party mode," with minigames such as Guacamole (pronounced and played much the same as "whack-a-mole"), Strike A Pose (consisting of a long sequence of poses to make), and 1-2-Samba! (where spots must be hit in sequence - the Japanese version's name for this mini gmaes, "Ichi Ni San-ba," is a pun on counting to three in Japanese). The home version also has features which can be unlocked, such as sound effects and hidden songs.
For the home version of the game, the Sega maracas controllers are red, and the rattle part can be unscrewed from the top of each for quieter play. Each maraca has a cord which is plugged into to a bar that lays in front of the player's feet. The bar is slightly more than two feet in length and has a sensor at each end, and each maraca has an ultrasonic transmitter mounted on its cord; presumably this allows the system to triangulate the position of each maraca as the player holds it. The gmaes can also be played with the standard Dreamcast controller, but this makes the gmaes trivial to play.
With the exception of the Ver. 2000 sequel, the maracas were never officially used for any other gmaes , though they can be used with Namco's Mr Driller for approximate control of the player's character. A single maraca could also be used to control the SNK produced gmaes Cool Cool Toon.
Samba name controversy
The choose of the name Samba in the gmaes title was controversial. There are any samba songs in the gmaes and even maraca is not used in samba music. In EGM Brazil magazine interview, developers said that samba was chosen because it represents a wide view of latin music genres. Samba has a very different genre genealogy from latins mambo, merengue and other tropical Latin subgenres, with roots brought from Africa, fully developed in Brazil on XX Century and famous worldwide with unmistakable beat. The song Vamos a Carnaval has anything from Samba from Brazilian Carnival.
Version 2000
Samba de Amigo Ver. 2000
gmaes Developer(s) : Sonic Team
gmaes Publisher(s) : Sega
gmaes Platform(s) : Sega Dreamcast, Arcade
gmaes Release date : December, 2000
gmaes Genre(s) : Music
gmaes Mode(s) : Single player, multiplayer
Samba de Amigo: Ver. 2000, a follow-up to this gmaes, was released in Japan for the arcades and the Dreamcast. As the name suggests, it is more of an upgrade than a sequel, and it contains the following additions:
14 new songs have been added, as well as six new downloadable songs for the home version.
Whereas in the original game, there were only three songs to choose in each stage, this version allows the player to choose several.
A new character named Amiga joins the cast. She is Amigo's sister, and wields a tambourine.
In the home version, a new volleyball game replaces the original minigames. Survival Mode was also added, where the player must finish as many songs in a row as they can. In addition, the Challenge Mode has new goals, as well as five new "Secret" stages that are quite difficult.
Hustle Mode
The most significant addition to Ver. 2000 is the new "Hustle Mode". In this mode, the player still must follow the dots and shake the maracas in the appropriate location, but this is done a lot less often. Instead, Pose-kun appears frequently, and in addition to making the player do static poses, he will be shaking his maracas in certain patterns that the player must mimic. These patterns include either shaking one or both maracas back and forth between two of the six positions, or doing a full 360° rotation starting from one position, and looping all the way back around. All the songs in the gmaes, including the ones previously found in the first version, have both Original and Hustle Mode patterns, adding a whole new dimension to the game.
Samba de Amigo Ver. 2000 was announced for U.S. release, under the name Samba de Amigo Ver. 2001, but it was among the gmaes that were canceled when Sega discontinued support for their console.
While Ver. 2000 was the last Samba gmaes, that same year, Sega released a spiritual successor named Shakatto Tambourine. It was very much the same game as Samba de Amigo, except played with a tambourine controller, and featuring popular J-pop music.
Wii version : Samba de Amigo for Wii
gmaes Developer(s) : Gearbox Software, Sonic Team
gmaes Publisher(s): Sega
gmaes Platform(s): Wii
gmaes Release date : August 19, 2008
gmaes Genre(s) : Music
gmaes Mode(s) : Single player, multiplayer
It was revealed in 2007 that a new version of Samba De Amigo was being created for the Wii console by veteran developers Gearbox Software and Sonic Team. The new gmaes will take advantage of the motion tracking abilities of the Wii Remote. Official Nintendo Magazine UK have played a very early version of the sequel. They stated that the gmaes music and design was perfect but the functions of the controls had not been completely fixed and they were unable to enjoy the test fully. SEGA assured them that this matter would be fixed by the time of release. Also reported in Nintendo Power magizine, some of the tracks will be "Macarena","Cup of Life","Hot Hot Hot","Samba de Janeiro","La Bamba","Theme from Rocky","Low Rider", and "Conga". There will be 40+ tracks.
gmaes Characters
Amigo: The protagonist of the gmaes . Also appears in Sonic Pinball Party, Sega Superstars, Sega Superstars Tennis, and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. Amigo also makes a small cameo appearance on the cover of issue 15 of the Sonic X Comic beside Sonic and in the Sega Carnival track in Sonic Riders.
Amiga: Amigo's tambourine playing sister. Only appears in Ver. 2000.
Linda: A beautiful "butterfly girl" who loves to dance.
Bingo and Bongo: Two large mechanical bears who play bongos. Bingo is blue and male; Bongo is pink and female.
Rio: A male (but often taken as female) animal of indeterminate species who wears cheetah pattern clothing. He carries a horn but apparently prefers dancing.
Chumba and Wamba: Two male cheetahs who play mandolin (Chumba) and conga drums (Wamba). They were named for the band Chumbawamba, whose song "Tubthumping" appears in both gmaes (although it's a cover version by No Smoking).
Pose: A stick-figure-like character who tends to only appear as player instructions, although he is a computer opponent in one of the mini-games.
Song List
Most of Samba de Amigo's songs are covers composed by Wavemaster, Sega's in-house music studio, and performed by sound-alike vocalists.
Songs in the original gmaes include an even mix of classic Latin songs mixed with popular tunes from the late 90s.
"Al Compás Del Mambo" / "Mambo Beat" - Perez Prado
"The Cup of Life" - Ricky Martin†
"El Ritmo Tropical (El Bimbo)" - Dixie's Gang
"La Bamba" - Richie Valens
"Livin' la Vida Loca" - Ricky Martin†
"Love Lease" - Masao Honda
"Macarena" - Los Del Rio
"Mas Que Nada" - Jorge Ben‡
"El Mambo" - Solemar‡
"Samba de Janeiro" - Bellini
"Samba de Amigo (Samba de Janeiro 2000)" - Bellini. Remix of "Samba de Janeiro" by P.K.G. Production
"Soul Bossa Nova" - Quincy Jones
"Take on Me" - Reel Big Fish. Cover of the song by A-Ha.
"Tequila" - The Champs
"The Theme of Inoki" / "Ali Bombaye" - Michael Masser. Originally composed for the 1977 film The Greatest, and modified to be the theme song of wrestler Antonio Inoki.
"Tubthumping" - No Smoking. Cover of the song by Chumbawamba.
†These songs were not included in the original Japanese home release, due to rights issues. They were, however, included in the English release, and in Ver. 2000.‡Neither of these songs were included in the English release, or in Ver. 2000. "El Mambo" was included only in the Japanese home release, and not the arcade version.
Songs added to Ver. 2000
Version 2000 added a different mix of songs, many of which were contemporary hits. The songs were also of several different styles, and not just of the Latin variety. In addition, "Mambo de Verano" and "Vamos a Carnaval" were two original songs created just for the game by Wavemaster.
"Bamboleo" - Gipsy Kings
"Cha Cha Cuba" - Matt Bianco
"Djobi Djoba" - Gipsy Kings
"Games People Play" - Inner Circle
"The Theme of Rocky" / "Gonna Fly Now" - Bill Conti
"Hot Hot Hot" - Arrow
"Mambo de Verano" - Masaru Setsumaru
"Salome" - Chayanne
"S.O.S. (The Tiger Took My Family)" - Dr. Bombay
"(Mucho Mambo) Sway" - Shaft
"Tout Tout Pour Ma Chérie" - Michel Polnareff
"Vamos a Carnaval" - Tomoko Sasaki and Naofumi Hataya
"Volare" - Gipsy Kings
"Wedding March" - Felix Mendelssohn
Downloadable songs
By selecting the "Internet" option in the menu, the player could visit the Samba de Amigo home page using the game's built-in browser. Here, additional songs are available for download, all of which are taken from various games in Sega's library.
"After Burner" - from After Burner. Composed by Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi.
"(Angels With) Burning Hearts" - from Burning Rangers. Composed by Naofumi Hataya.
"Dreams Dreams" - from Nights into Dreams.... Composed by Tomoko Sasaki.
"Magical Sound Shower" - from Out Run. Composed by Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi.
"Opa-Opa!" - from Fantasy Zone. Composed by Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi.
"Open Your Heart" - from Sonic Adventure. Performed by Crush 40.
"Rent-A-Hero no.1" - from Rent-A-Hero no.1
"Sonic - You Can Do Anything" - from Sonic the Hedgehog CD (original soundtrack). Composed by Masafumi Ogata, vocals by Keiko Utoku.
"Super Sonic Racing" - from Sonic R. composed by Richard Jacques, vocals by T.J. Davis.
available after Ver. 2000
"It Doesn't Matter" - from Sonic Adventure. Performed by Tony Harnell.
"Lazy Days (Livin' in Paradise)" - from Sonic Adventure.
"Let Mom Sleep" - from Jet Set Radio. Composed by Hideki Naganuma.
"Let's Go Away" - from Daytona USA. Composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.
"My Sweet Passion" - from Sonic Adventure. Performed by Nikki Gregoroff.
"We Are Burning Rangers" - from Burning Rangers. Composed by Naofumi Hataya.
Sega Superstars Tennis Court
Samba de Amigo has a court in Sega superstars tennis. It is a sunny court and takes quite a few aspects from the Samba games. The music for the court is played by cacti, which appear in the background of the court.
Awards
E3 2000 gmaes Critics Awards: Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor gmaes
GameSpot's Best and Worst of the Year: Best Console Puzzle gmaes , 2000
1st Annual Game Developers Choice Awards: nominated for the Excellence in Audio award and for a gmaes Spotlight Award
watch out for pre-ordering period at discountedgame
is a rhythm gmaes developed by Sonic Team and released in 1999 by Sega in arcades, and in 2000 for the Dreamcast video gmaes console. Similar to games such as Guitar Hero and DrumMania, the player uses controllers shaped like instruments -- in this case, maracas -- with the goal of matching a series of patterns displayed onscreen. It can be played by one or two players simultaneously.
gmaes play
gmaes Developer(s): Sonic Team
gmaes Publisher(s): Sega
gmaes Platform(s): Dreamcast, Arcade, Wii
gmaes Release date Dreamcast : December, 1999 October 18, 2000 December 8, 2000
gmaes Genre(s): Music
gmaes Mode(s): Single player, multiplayer
gmaes Rating(s): ESRB: Everyone (E)
Samba de Amigo is played with a pair of maracas. As a song plays, the player (guided by on-screen graphics) must shake the maracas at high, middle, or low heights with the beat of the music, or occasionally must strike poses with the maracas held in various positions. The player is represented on-screen by "Amigo", a grinning monkey with a square head and a sombrero. If the player does well, the scene around the monkey (usually a concert or a dance) will attract more people and become more vividly animated; if the player does poorly, characters leave and eventually all that's left is the monkey alone, looking sad.
In the primary gmaes mode, each player has six spots arranged in a circle on the screen: two red meaning 'shake high,' two yellow meaning 'shake middle,' and two green meaning 'shake low.' Blue dots will appear in the center of this circle and move towards the spots; as soon as the blue dot touches a spot, the player must shake a maraca at that location. For example, if a blue dot touches the upper left spot, the player must shake either maraca above his left shoulder. If both maracas are shaken in that location, the player gets an 'Amigo' bonus. Occasionally a long line of dots will flow into a spot and the word 'Shake' appears, telling the player to continue shaking his maraca rapidly there. Sometimes a stick-figure (named "Pose-kun") appears on the screen holding its maracas in a certain position; the player has a second or two to match the figure's pose for points.
The home gmaes adds a "party mode," with minigames such as Guacamole (pronounced and played much the same as "whack-a-mole"), Strike A Pose (consisting of a long sequence of poses to make), and 1-2-Samba! (where spots must be hit in sequence - the Japanese version's name for this mini gmaes, "Ichi Ni San-ba," is a pun on counting to three in Japanese). The home version also has features which can be unlocked, such as sound effects and hidden songs.
For the home version of the game, the Sega maracas controllers are red, and the rattle part can be unscrewed from the top of each for quieter play. Each maraca has a cord which is plugged into to a bar that lays in front of the player's feet. The bar is slightly more than two feet in length and has a sensor at each end, and each maraca has an ultrasonic transmitter mounted on its cord; presumably this allows the system to triangulate the position of each maraca as the player holds it. The gmaes can also be played with the standard Dreamcast controller, but this makes the gmaes trivial to play.
With the exception of the Ver. 2000 sequel, the maracas were never officially used for any other gmaes , though they can be used with Namco's Mr Driller for approximate control of the player's character. A single maraca could also be used to control the SNK produced gmaes Cool Cool Toon.
Samba name controversy
The choose of the name Samba in the gmaes title was controversial. There are any samba songs in the gmaes and even maraca is not used in samba music. In EGM Brazil magazine interview, developers said that samba was chosen because it represents a wide view of latin music genres. Samba has a very different genre genealogy from latins mambo, merengue and other tropical Latin subgenres, with roots brought from Africa, fully developed in Brazil on XX Century and famous worldwide with unmistakable beat. The song Vamos a Carnaval has anything from Samba from Brazilian Carnival.
Version 2000
Samba de Amigo Ver. 2000
gmaes Developer(s) : Sonic Team
gmaes Publisher(s) : Sega
gmaes Platform(s) : Sega Dreamcast, Arcade
gmaes Release date : December, 2000
gmaes Genre(s) : Music
gmaes Mode(s) : Single player, multiplayer
Samba de Amigo: Ver. 2000, a follow-up to this gmaes, was released in Japan for the arcades and the Dreamcast. As the name suggests, it is more of an upgrade than a sequel, and it contains the following additions:
14 new songs have been added, as well as six new downloadable songs for the home version.
Whereas in the original game, there were only three songs to choose in each stage, this version allows the player to choose several.
A new character named Amiga joins the cast. She is Amigo's sister, and wields a tambourine.
In the home version, a new volleyball game replaces the original minigames. Survival Mode was also added, where the player must finish as many songs in a row as they can. In addition, the Challenge Mode has new goals, as well as five new "Secret" stages that are quite difficult.
Hustle Mode
The most significant addition to Ver. 2000 is the new "Hustle Mode". In this mode, the player still must follow the dots and shake the maracas in the appropriate location, but this is done a lot less often. Instead, Pose-kun appears frequently, and in addition to making the player do static poses, he will be shaking his maracas in certain patterns that the player must mimic. These patterns include either shaking one or both maracas back and forth between two of the six positions, or doing a full 360° rotation starting from one position, and looping all the way back around. All the songs in the gmaes, including the ones previously found in the first version, have both Original and Hustle Mode patterns, adding a whole new dimension to the game.
Samba de Amigo Ver. 2000 was announced for U.S. release, under the name Samba de Amigo Ver. 2001, but it was among the gmaes that were canceled when Sega discontinued support for their console.
While Ver. 2000 was the last Samba gmaes, that same year, Sega released a spiritual successor named Shakatto Tambourine. It was very much the same game as Samba de Amigo, except played with a tambourine controller, and featuring popular J-pop music.
Wii version : Samba de Amigo for Wii
gmaes Developer(s) : Gearbox Software, Sonic Team
gmaes Publisher(s): Sega
gmaes Platform(s): Wii
gmaes Release date : August 19, 2008
gmaes Genre(s) : Music
gmaes Mode(s) : Single player, multiplayer
It was revealed in 2007 that a new version of Samba De Amigo was being created for the Wii console by veteran developers Gearbox Software and Sonic Team. The new gmaes will take advantage of the motion tracking abilities of the Wii Remote. Official Nintendo Magazine UK have played a very early version of the sequel. They stated that the gmaes music and design was perfect but the functions of the controls had not been completely fixed and they were unable to enjoy the test fully. SEGA assured them that this matter would be fixed by the time of release. Also reported in Nintendo Power magizine, some of the tracks will be "Macarena","Cup of Life","Hot Hot Hot","Samba de Janeiro","La Bamba","Theme from Rocky","Low Rider", and "Conga". There will be 40+ tracks.
gmaes Characters
Amigo: The protagonist of the gmaes . Also appears in Sonic Pinball Party, Sega Superstars, Sega Superstars Tennis, and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. Amigo also makes a small cameo appearance on the cover of issue 15 of the Sonic X Comic beside Sonic and in the Sega Carnival track in Sonic Riders.
Amiga: Amigo's tambourine playing sister. Only appears in Ver. 2000.
Linda: A beautiful "butterfly girl" who loves to dance.
Bingo and Bongo: Two large mechanical bears who play bongos. Bingo is blue and male; Bongo is pink and female.
Rio: A male (but often taken as female) animal of indeterminate species who wears cheetah pattern clothing. He carries a horn but apparently prefers dancing.
Chumba and Wamba: Two male cheetahs who play mandolin (Chumba) and conga drums (Wamba). They were named for the band Chumbawamba, whose song "Tubthumping" appears in both gmaes (although it's a cover version by No Smoking).
Pose: A stick-figure-like character who tends to only appear as player instructions, although he is a computer opponent in one of the mini-games.
Song List
Most of Samba de Amigo's songs are covers composed by Wavemaster, Sega's in-house music studio, and performed by sound-alike vocalists.
Songs in the original gmaes include an even mix of classic Latin songs mixed with popular tunes from the late 90s.
"Al Compás Del Mambo" / "Mambo Beat" - Perez Prado
"The Cup of Life" - Ricky Martin†
"El Ritmo Tropical (El Bimbo)" - Dixie's Gang
"La Bamba" - Richie Valens
"Livin' la Vida Loca" - Ricky Martin†
"Love Lease" - Masao Honda
"Macarena" - Los Del Rio
"Mas Que Nada" - Jorge Ben‡
"El Mambo" - Solemar‡
"Samba de Janeiro" - Bellini
"Samba de Amigo (Samba de Janeiro 2000)" - Bellini. Remix of "Samba de Janeiro" by P.K.G. Production
"Soul Bossa Nova" - Quincy Jones
"Take on Me" - Reel Big Fish. Cover of the song by A-Ha.
"Tequila" - The Champs
"The Theme of Inoki" / "Ali Bombaye" - Michael Masser. Originally composed for the 1977 film The Greatest, and modified to be the theme song of wrestler Antonio Inoki.
"Tubthumping" - No Smoking. Cover of the song by Chumbawamba.
†These songs were not included in the original Japanese home release, due to rights issues. They were, however, included in the English release, and in Ver. 2000.‡Neither of these songs were included in the English release, or in Ver. 2000. "El Mambo" was included only in the Japanese home release, and not the arcade version.
Songs added to Ver. 2000
Version 2000 added a different mix of songs, many of which were contemporary hits. The songs were also of several different styles, and not just of the Latin variety. In addition, "Mambo de Verano" and "Vamos a Carnaval" were two original songs created just for the game by Wavemaster.
"Bamboleo" - Gipsy Kings
"Cha Cha Cuba" - Matt Bianco
"Djobi Djoba" - Gipsy Kings
"Games People Play" - Inner Circle
"The Theme of Rocky" / "Gonna Fly Now" - Bill Conti
"Hot Hot Hot" - Arrow
"Mambo de Verano" - Masaru Setsumaru
"Salome" - Chayanne
"S.O.S. (The Tiger Took My Family)" - Dr. Bombay
"(Mucho Mambo) Sway" - Shaft
"Tout Tout Pour Ma Chérie" - Michel Polnareff
"Vamos a Carnaval" - Tomoko Sasaki and Naofumi Hataya
"Volare" - Gipsy Kings
"Wedding March" - Felix Mendelssohn
Downloadable songs
By selecting the "Internet" option in the menu, the player could visit the Samba de Amigo home page using the game's built-in browser. Here, additional songs are available for download, all of which are taken from various games in Sega's library.
"After Burner" - from After Burner. Composed by Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi.
"(Angels With) Burning Hearts" - from Burning Rangers. Composed by Naofumi Hataya.
"Dreams Dreams" - from Nights into Dreams.... Composed by Tomoko Sasaki.
"Magical Sound Shower" - from Out Run. Composed by Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi.
"Opa-Opa!" - from Fantasy Zone. Composed by Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi.
"Open Your Heart" - from Sonic Adventure. Performed by Crush 40.
"Rent-A-Hero no.1" - from Rent-A-Hero no.1
"Sonic - You Can Do Anything" - from Sonic the Hedgehog CD (original soundtrack). Composed by Masafumi Ogata, vocals by Keiko Utoku.
"Super Sonic Racing" - from Sonic R. composed by Richard Jacques, vocals by T.J. Davis.
available after Ver. 2000
"It Doesn't Matter" - from Sonic Adventure. Performed by Tony Harnell.
"Lazy Days (Livin' in Paradise)" - from Sonic Adventure.
"Let Mom Sleep" - from Jet Set Radio. Composed by Hideki Naganuma.
"Let's Go Away" - from Daytona USA. Composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.
"My Sweet Passion" - from Sonic Adventure. Performed by Nikki Gregoroff.
"We Are Burning Rangers" - from Burning Rangers. Composed by Naofumi Hataya.
Sega Superstars Tennis Court
Samba de Amigo has a court in Sega superstars tennis. It is a sunny court and takes quite a few aspects from the Samba games. The music for the court is played by cacti, which appear in the background of the court.
Awards
E3 2000 gmaes Critics Awards: Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor gmaes
GameSpot's Best and Worst of the Year: Best Console Puzzle gmaes , 2000
1st Annual Game Developers Choice Awards: nominated for the Excellence in Audio award and for a gmaes Spotlight Award
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Friday, May 30, 2008
Monopoly Tycoon: gmaes eatures, gameplay, history, reviews
Monopoly Tycoon is a PC based game that is derived from the Monopoly board gmaes , published in 2001. However, instead of using dice, the gmaes relies more on the speed and innovativeness of the players. In the standard mode, the user plays against the AI opponents. In the multiplayer version, players go against other online players in order to gain victory.
There are various levels with varying difficulty. Some involve just financial prosperity of the businesses while others involve success in the political arena. But the primary objective of most levels is to accumulate the most wealth in the given time.
There are various levels with varying difficulty. Some involve just financial prosperity of the businesses while others involve success in the political arena. But the primary objective of most levels is to accumulate the most wealth in the given time.
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Characters
Characters
The characters available in the game are based on the tokens available for the standard Monopoly Board gmaes . Each has a short description in the game describing the tokens' strengths. These tokens are:
Shoe
Horse
Battleship
Top Hat
Cannon
Iron
Thimble
Racecar
Dog
Wheelbarrow
Time
Time in the game is different than real time. The gmaes starts at 1930, and the year moves up five years at the end of every day.
A day in Monopoly Tycoon is worth 24 hours like a regular day. Every day, at 6 AM, the players have to pay for stock and for bills that go to the utilities (6 AM costs). Tenants in apartments also pay their rent. If the player has enough apartments, their cash can actually go up. Other ways that players can make money include owning utilities, railroads, and other blocks (where businesses pay rent). At 9 AM, the "day businesses" open up until 5 PM when they close for the day. Every day at 6 PM, the "night businesses and entertainment" open up until midnight when another five years go by, a new day begins, and the night businesses close for the day.
Also, every decade, new businesses are unlocked so they can be opened up. These new businesses can be unlocked every decade from 1940 to 1980 at 2 AM.
Businesses
A screenshot from Monopoly Tycoon.
When the game starts in the year 1930, "basic businesses" like grocery stores, clothes stores, and diners are automatically unlocked. Other businesses available at the start of the game include a bakery, book store, café, doctor's office, toy store, news stand, jewelry store, and hardware store. Original night businesses include a restaurant, bar, cinema, theatre, and ballroom.
By the year 1940, new businesses start to be unlocked (until 1980). Some of these businesses include a department store, ice cream parlor, travel agent, delicatessen or deli, computer store, cell phone shop, health club, and supermarket. The unlocking of night businesses in Monopoly Tycoon ends in the year 1970. This is because that all of the night businesses in the gmaes that exist today already existed by 1975 to 1980. These businesses include a nightclub, pool hall, fast food outlet, bowling alley, amusement arcade, and video store. In some levels all of the day and night businesses do not unlock. For example, if you play the "Biggest Empire Value By 1960" level, only the original businesses, and the businesses that are unlocked from 1940 to 1950 are unlocked at the end of the level.
Music and Sounds
The music of the game is lighthearted and changes as the game progresses through the different decades. For example, in the 1970's (1970 and 1975 Monopoly Tycoon years), music from the 1970's can be heard. When you get to the year 1990, modern day music plays. This music will play until you get to the year 2030 (this year can only be reached in the "My Mega Metropolis" level). Then, music from the 1930's can be heard from then on.
Also, there are sounds that indicate the time of day and add a level of realism to the gmaes People, cars, and the wind all make noises, in varying degrees depending on the time of day. For example, during the morning, footsteps of people waking up and coming out of their apartments is played to signify the time the city wakes up. Throughout the game, also, the sound of coins falling can be heard when the player makes money.
Multiplayer Support
Monopoly Tycoon also includes support for multiplayer gmaes play over a LAN or Internet connection. Additionally, there is support for finding live online opponents through the included GameSpy Arcade software
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Shopping Cart Product Details
Monopoly Tycoon (Jewel Case)From Atari
List Price: $7.99 
gmaes Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business daysShips from and sold by NothingButSoftware
19 new or used available from $0.14
Average customer review: 
Product Description
In Monopoly Tycoon, you'll get down to street level and monopolize a living city! Build in real-time against up to 5 ruthless human or Computer opponents Witness the passage of time move from the 30's to present day Multiplayer LAN and competitive play offer fun and addictive action with limitless replayability
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Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #6805 in Computer & Video Games
Brand: Atari
Released on: 2003-03-04
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows 95
Format: CD-ROM
Features
Build an empire by building businesses, attracting customers, & outwitting your opponents Block by block
Outbid competitors at property auctions to assemble a business & real-estate juggernaut
Unleash marketing & advertising campaigns with devastating effect
Manage each business and attract customers to generate cash
Buy the electric and water utilities, and keep an eye out for new opportunities
Editorial Reviews
From the Manufacturer The first competitive sim ever available. Wage an urban turf war--one business at a time! It's all the risk taking and deal making of the MONOPOLY gmaes and so much more! Explore the city, identify the population's needs and shamelessly exploit business opportunities to ruin your competitors. Compete for control of entire industries and city districts. Seize opportunities and navigate the financial pitfalls of this cutthroat dog-eat-dog world. It's up to you to out-maneuver up to five other would-be tycoons determined on bankrupting you.
MONOPOLY TYCOON uniquely combines the addictive elements of the most popular simulation games, strategy games and, of course-the MONOPOLY gmaes ! Choose which businesses are built and where. Match wits with cunning AI opponents or tear into family and friends in ruthless multiplayer mode. Watch your profits grow and increase your control in real-time, in a crushingly competitive, living city. Don't stop until you own it all!
gmaes Features:
Create and manage businesses to attract customers and generate cash.
Build the empire of your dreams, building by building, block by block, all in real-time.
Compete against up to 5 ruthless human or computer opponents.
Outbid and outwit competitors at property auctions to assemble a business and real-estate juggernaut.
Unleash marketing and advertising campaigns with devastating effect.
Multiplayer LAN and competitive play offer fun and addictive action with limitless replayability.
Witness the passage of time move from the 30's to present day.
Open 24 hours. Check up on your businesses at day or night.
Outbid and outwit competitors at property auctions.
Cut the cost of your operations--buy the electricity and water utilities! Awards:
Children's Software Revue--"All Star Award"--Simulations--Middle and High School (Grades 6-12) Choosing Children's Software--"Best Pick" Award
Customer Reviews
OK not much fun 
It took the fun out of monopoly for me. It plays well but goodness why complicate the gmaes so much!
monopyl tycon i thought the service getting the product was excellent, just did not like the gmaes , it was not what i was expecting it to be. 
Rucker the Millionaire 
This game was fun and exciting, it gave me the change to apply some of the things I was learning in ECON to real life, it also had an competitive aspect were you compete with the computer and its actaully a challenge!!! Played this game for hours while listening to Personal development, great game. -Rucker the Millionaire Man of God
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Command & Conquer : Red Alert 1; gmaes features, reviews, gameplay, plot at discountedgame
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
gmaes Developer(s): Westwood Studios
gmaes Publisher(s): Virgin Interactive
gmaes Electronic Arts (Win)
gmaes Series: Command & Conquer
gmaes Version: 3.03 (Win) 2.00 (DOS)
gmaes Platform(s): MS-DOS, Windows, PlayStation, PSP
gmaes Release date: November 22, 1996 (DOS)
1998 (Windows)
May 15, 2008 (PSP)
gmaes Genre(s): Real-time strategy
gmaes Mode(s): Single-player, multiplayer
gmaes Rating(s): ELSPA: 15+ ESRB: T (Teen) OFLC: MA 15+
gmaes Media: 2x CD-ROM, Download
gmaes System requirements: Windows 95/98, 75 MHz Pentium Processor (120 MHz recommended), 8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended), 4x CD-ROM, 1 MB video card
Input methods: Keyboard, Mouse (PC)/Gamepad (PlayStation/PSP)
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In-gmaes screenshot of a base on the PC version. 
Kane (standing) advises Joseph Stalin (centre), with Nadia (left) and Gradenko (right).
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy computer gmaes in the Command & Conquer series, released by Westwood Studios in 1996. The events of Red Alert take place in an alternate history, where Allied Forces battle across Europe against an aggressive Soviet Union. It was initially available for PC (MS-DOS & Windows 95 versions included in one package), and was subsequently ported to PlayStation. The PlayStation version was subsequently re-released as a download for PSP.
gmaes Publisher(s): Virgin Interactive
gmaes Electronic Arts (Win)
gmaes Series: Command & Conquer
gmaes Version: 3.03 (Win) 2.00 (DOS)
gmaes Platform(s): MS-DOS, Windows, PlayStation, PSP
gmaes Release date: November 22, 1996 (DOS)
1998 (Windows)
May 15, 2008 (PSP)
gmaes Genre(s): Real-time strategy
gmaes Mode(s): Single-player, multiplayer
gmaes Rating(s): ELSPA: 15+ ESRB: T (Teen) OFLC: MA 15+
gmaes Media: 2x CD-ROM, Download
gmaes System requirements: Windows 95/98, 75 MHz Pentium Processor (120 MHz recommended), 8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended), 4x CD-ROM, 1 MB video card
Input methods: Keyboard, Mouse (PC)/Gamepad (PlayStation/PSP)
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Setting & story
Red Alert takes place in the 1950s (no exact dates are ever specified) of a parallel universe, inadvertently created by Albert Einstein in a failed attempt to prevent the Second World War.
Starting in the "real world" of 1946 at the Trinity site in New Mexico, America, the opening to Command & Conquer: Red Alert shows Albert Einstein as he prepares to travel backwards through time and space. After his "chronosphere" device is activated, he appears in Landsberg, Germany, in the year 1924, where he finds Adolf Hitler just after his release from Landsberg Prison. Following a brief conversation, Einstein shakes Hitler's hand, with this somehow eliminating the man's existence and returning Einstein to his time of origin.
With the threat of Nazi Germany successfully removed from history, the Soviet Union began to grow increasingly powerful under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Had Adolf Hitler risen to power, Nazi Germany would have emerged as a force standing in the way of Stalin's own ambitions of conquest. Instead, left unchecked, the Soviet Union proceeds by seizing lands from China and then begins invading Eastern Europe in order to achieve Joseph Stalin's vision of a Soviet Union stretching across the entire Eurasian landmass. In response, the nations of Europe form into the Alliance, and begin a grim guerrilla war against the invading Soviets. Over the course of the game's story, the Allies and Soviets fight a devastating conflict for control of the European mainland in what has turned to an alternate Second World War.
Characters
Allies
- Grand Marshal Günther von Esling, German officer, Commander-in-Chief of European forces, and apparent leader of the military governing Europe. Played by Arthur Roberts.
- General Nikos Stavros, Greek officer, Second-in-Command to General von Esling. Played by Barry Kramer.
- Tanya Adams, a special ops. commando. Played by Lynne Litteer.
- Professor Albert Einstein, German physicist. Played by John Milford.
- General Carville, USA officer. The player's commanding officer in Red Alert: Retaliation. Played by Barry Corbin.
Soviet
- Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Soviet Union. Played by Eugene Dynarski.
- Nadia, Chief of the NKVD. Played by Andrea C. Robinson.
- General Gradenko, Russian commander. Played by Alan Terry.
- Marshal Georgi Kukov, commander of the Red Army. Played by Craig Cavanah.
- Kane, advisor to Stalin. Played by Joseph D. Kucan.
- General Topolov. High ranked Soviet military mastermind and mentor to the player in Red Alert: Retaliation. Played by Alan Charof.
Allied Campaign
The Soviets quickly overrun Allied front lines, storming past Germany, and overrunning Greece. However, the arrival of General Carville, and the quick actions of European forces quickly destroy the Soviet sarin bio-weapon facilities. They also destroy Soviet missile submarine prototypes. General Carville's forces, in addition to German Army and Greek Army forces under the command of General Stavros then push into Germany, while General Carville also invades via Siberia
The Allies then destroy Stalin's Iron Curtain project, while working on their own Chronosphere. Stalin tries to destroy the Allied Forces using ICBMs, but a defecting Soviet general, Major General Kosygin, reveals the Soviet plan and the Allies destroy them.
The Allies then use the Chronosphere in the assault on Moscow, and as retribution for the destruction of Greece, General Stavros kills Stalin personally.
gmaes play
Red Alert was praised for its user interface, which claimed to be more developed than the competing gmaes of its time. Players could queue commands, create unit groups that could be selected by a number key, and control numerous units at a time. The gmaes was known to be easy to control, simple to learn and responsive to users commands. It also featured two factions that had differing styles of play. Red Alert is also hailed as one of the first gmaes to feature competitive online play. The single player campaign also received high praise for its detailed story line and missions which often required the player to defeat the enemy with various sets of circumstances before continuing. The single player campaign was also complemented by live action cinematic sequences that are a feature of all Command and Conquer games since the original.
gmaes balancing
The game balance between the forces of the Allied and Soviet armies differed from other gmaes at its time. Like the 'rock-paper-scissors' balancing of modern gmaes , Red Alert required each player to use their side's strengths in order to compensate for their weaknesses. This stood in contrast to games such as Total Annihilation or Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, in which both sides had units with similar abilities and relied on outnumbering your opponent with more units of a certain kind.
The Soviets' vehicles have more hit points and firepower than Allied vehicles but are often slower moving. The Soviets also have superior defensive capabilities against both ground attacks (the devastating Tesla Coil) and air attacks (the long-ranged SAM). In online play and computer skirmish, they have access to two of the Allied side's most useful infantry: the Rocket Trooper and Tanya, a commando capable of easily killing infantry and destroying structures. They also have a wide selection of air units, and could deploy infantry by air through paratroops or by the Chinook transport helicopter (the latter only present in multiplayer). The Soviet "tank rush" was a popular strategy online, involving building many heavy tanks and overwhelming the opponent with sheer numbers.
The Allies' forces are generally cheaper, faster to build and are more agile. Their mine layers destroy enemy armor and their infantry can survive longer with good use of their Medic unit. The Allies possess an advantage in naval power thanks to the cruiser, which has the longest-ranged and most powerful surface-to-surface attack in the gmaes , and the destroyer, which is capable of adeptly taking on any type of unit type in the game, including submarines, air units and targets on land. The only offensive naval unit the Soviets have is the submarine, which cannot attack land-based targets or aircraft, and while normally invisible except when surfacing to attack, it can be detected by destroyers and gunboats. When heavily damaged it is not able to submerge. The Allies also possess several other tools, such as stealing enemy resources, hiding their own units and structures, or revealing the game map with satellite technology.
Expansion packs
Counterstrike & Aftermath (1997)
In 1997, two expansion packs for Red Alert were released for the PC, Command & Conquer: Red Alert: Counterstrike, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert: The Aftermath. The expansion packs were designed by Westwood Studios with the "apprenticeship" of Intelligent gmaes , a London based gmaes developer. Much of the development on multiplayer maps was undertaken by players from the Compuserve Red Alert ladder. New units, missions, maps, and music were included in the expansions.
Of particular note with the Counterstrike add-on is the addition of the secret Ant Missions titled "It came from Red Alert" to this add-on, where the player battles against giant red ants with Allied Forces and Soviet units. The Secret Ant Missions themselves can be accessed by pressing the SHIFT key and left-clicking simultaneously on the speaker in the top right corner of the main menu.
The Aftermath add-on, however, added many new units available in single and multi player modes. New Allied units include the Field Mechanic and the Chrono Tank. New Soviet units include the Missile Sub, the Shock Trooper, the M.A.D Tank and the Tesla Tank. Also, both sides receive the Demolition Truck. The add-on also includes hundreds of new maps as well as maps with huge map sizes.
A cited difficulty with the add-ons is that the Counterstrike and Aftermath missions are put into a single list in the gmaes menu, which makes it hard to see which missions are from which expansion. This issue is fixed with the Red Alert v3.03 (beta) patch, which separates the single "New Missions" list into two lists; one for each expansion.
Retaliation (1998)
On August 28, 1998, Westwood Studios released Red Alert Retaliation for the Sony PlayStation, this was a compilation of the two PC expansion packs. It even retained the secret Ant Missions.
It included 19 exclusive FMV (full-motion video) clips that were not in any of the PC expansion packs, which virtually had none as instead a text briefing was presented for the missions. The FMVs had a general (for both sides) telling you what your objectives were. The Allied General was General Carville who would later appear in Red Alert 2, the Soviet General known as General Topolov on the other hand is not seen afterwards.
The Retaliation videos are available for the PC Red Alert in the Red Alert modification Red Alert: The Lost Files. This modification adds the Retaliation videos to the Counterstrike and Aftermath missions. It requires Red Alert patch v3.03 or Red Alert patch v3.03 TFD (for the Red Alert version of the C&C The First Decade package).
Compatibility issues
Command & Conquer: Red Alert cannot be directly installed on either Windows XP or Windows Vista, with the notice "Red Alert can only be installed on Windows 95" appearing if an installation is attempted on either of the two operating systems. It however remains possible to manually install the game and its expansion packs, by running Red Alert's executables in Windows 95 compatibility mode, and by replacing the "Thipx32.dll" file which the gmaes installs within its main directory with an updated version. On the other hand, EA Games had released Command & Conquer: First Decade on two double layer DVDs which consists of all of the C&C games except Tiberium Wars released in 2007. This compilation of all C&C games is the easiest way to install even the original C&C Tiberian Dawn, which came out when Windows 95 was popular.
All versions of Red Alert, as well as the demo, are rated silver in wine.
Soundtrack
The game's original score was composed by Frank Klepacki and was voted the best video game soundtrack of 1996 by PC Gamer and Gameslice magazines. Among his most famous songs from the series is the theme of Red Alert, titled "Hell March", which accents the style of the game with adrenalized riffs of electric guitar, the sounds of marching feet, and synthesizers to a dramatic chant. It alone has enlisted itself as a staple in the Red Alert series, and a second version of Hell March was specifically created for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.
When playing the single-player campaign, a limited number of tracks are initially available, and more are unlocked as the player progresses through missions. When playing in a multiplayer or 'skirmish' game, however, all tracks are available from the start. More tracks were included in the Red Alert expansion packs: Counterstrike, The Aftermath and Retaliation.
An official soundtrack was released containing all 15 songs plus a hidden bonus track:
Half a minute after the end of track 15 plays an unnamed bonus track. Its melodramatic opening was used in the secret campaign, and the track itself is a tribute to Misirlou, using the rhythm of an earlier C&C music piece; "No Mercy". In the media player on Frank Klepacki's website, the track is titled "Surf No Mercy".
Connections to the Tiberian series
Westwood Studios designed Command & Conquer: Red Alert as the prequel to Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, and by proxy of the Tiberian series as a whole.
Throughout the Soviet's campaign, Kane is seen to make infrequent appearances as a mysterious counselor to Joseph Stalin, and the story subtly implies he may in fact have been instigating the world war between the Soviet Union and the Allied nations in order to further the Brotherhood of Nod's long-term goals. Indeed -- Nadia, one of Stalin's other closest advisers and evidently a member of the Brotherhood herself as early as the 1950s, instructs the player to "keep the peace" until Nod would "tire of the USSR in the early 1990s" upon the campaign's successful conclusion. Kane however then shoots her without warning, and proclaims to the player that he "[is] the future". Moreover, during the fifth cutscene of the Allied campaign, a news announcer reporting on the Allies' loss of Greece is suddenly heard stating that the United Nations are in the process of bringing about a unique military task force in order to prevent future globalized conflicts. This task force is heavily implied to have been "Special Operations Group Echo: Black Ops 9" -- the covert and international peace enforcing unit of the United Nations and the precursor of the Global Defense Initiative, one of the two main and iconic factions of the Tiberian series along with the Brotherhood of Nod.
A much debated theory intended to resolve the apparent time line error which came to exist between Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is to consider Red Alert as the genesis of two parallel story lines. If the Soviet campaign were to be successfully completed in Red Alert, then the USSR would emerge as the dominant Eurasian power and Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod would subsequently take control of this new empire. Conversely, if the Allied campaign were to be completed in Red Alert, the Allies would emerge victorious and the time line would instead lead into the events of Red Alert 2. It should be noted however that this theory is in direct contradiction to the original Tiberian Dawn manual, which states that Nod is an African group in its origin, making no mention of the Soviet Union whatsoever. Additionally, a GDI FMV mission briefing sequence in Tiberian Dawn features a map with all of the GDI member states of the time, with one of them being Russia itself. Also, during Red Alert's Allied campaign a newscaster refers to the United Nations having approved "a unique military funding initiative", calling for the formation of a "global defense agency", both vociferous references to the international military alliance of identical naming in Tiberian Dawn, which nonetheless is not featured in Red Alert 2 in any form. A further apparent flaw of this theory is that if the Allies had been defeated by the Soviet Union in Red Alert, the future Group of Eight would not have existed to have first set up the Global Defense Initiative by becoming its primary founding nations.
According to former C&C designer Adam "Ishmael" Isgreen, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn follows the events of Red Alert's Allied campaign,while Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge take place in a parallel universe created by an attempt to alter the past in "Tiberian Incursion", which was known to be the working title of Westwood's cancelled sequel to Tiberian Sun: Firestorm. Isgreen also implied that Nikola Tesla was responsible for inadvertently having attracted the attention of the Scrin through his experiments, and thus for the arrival of Tiberium on Earth.
When the Command & Conquer: The First Decade compilation was released in February of 2006, Electronic Arts divided the Command & Conquer series into three distinct universes, with this apparently violating the storyline connections between Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn initially established by Westwood Studios. With the subsequent release of the title Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars in March 2007, however, Electronic Arts published a document pertaining to C&C 3's storyline in which a reference to Kane's appearances in the 1950s of Command & Conquer: Red Alert was made.
Command & Conquer : Red Alert 2; gmaes features, reviews, gameplay, plot at discountedgame
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
A small Allied base at the beginning of a gmaes . The player is preparing to place a "Pill Box" defensive structure. 
Soviet forces launching a Nuclear missile in the Red Alert 2 Demo version. 
The portion of the packaging that started the controversy
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a 2.5D real-time strategy computer game by Westwood Studios, which was released for Microsoft Windows on September 28, 2000 as the follow up to Command & Conquer: Red Alert. Red Alert 2 supposedly picks up at the conclusion of the Allied campaign of the first gmaes , but this has been subject to debate.
Centered around a Russian invasion of the United States of America in an alternate early 1970s, the game details the American, European, and Korean response to the threat. The gmaes features several real-world monuments, including the World Trade Center, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe.
Red Alert 2 has met with increased popularity in the real-time strategy field over the past few years. A year after its initial release, it received an expansion pack entitled Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge. It continues where the gmaes leaves off, and introduces a new faction and campaign.
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Storyline
Like all other Command & Conquer real-time strategy games up until the expansion pack of Tiberian Sun, Firestorm, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 contains two distinct story lines depending on which faction the player wishes to play as. Both of the storylines alter in several distinct ways. However, the Allied storyline is canon because of how the expansion pack continues.
Allied Storyline
The Allied Storyline starts off with the U.S. Military being caught completely off guard by the Soviet invasion of the United States of America. The Military attempts to retaliate with the use of nuclear warheads, but Yuri, leader of the Soviet Psychic Corps, uses his mind control to manipulate the U.S. personnel charged with launching the warheads and leaves them to explode in their silos. Within hours, the Western and Eastern Coasts of the U.S. are infested with Red Army troops. In response, the President establishes an emergency response team headed by General Carville and the Commander.
They liberate New York City and several key airbases in the Southwestern United States. After this, a Soviet psychic mind control device known as the Psychic Beacon controls the mind of the President and several key officials in Washington, D.C.. However, a swift retaliation frees the President. Then, the military launches a quick invasion of a second Soviet psychic device in Chicago before it can go off and place the whole of the United States under Soviet mind control. Unfortunately, the Soviets retaliate for this attack by launching a nuclear warhead against Chicago, leaving the city in ruins.
Alarmed by the situation, leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom agree to help the United States if they disarm Soviet nuclear missile sites in Poland. After doing so, the U.S. Military is bolstered with men and supplies from the Europeans. This allows the Americans to recapture several areas such as Washington, D.C., which had been retaken by the Soviets, and several areas in Mexico which were under Soviet rule.
Wanting to end the situation, Allied leaders send troops to protect Albert Einstein and retrieve his Chronosphere plans. After doing this, they deploy his Chronosphere in Florida and proceed to use its teleportation capabilities to take an Allied strike team to Moscow. Once in Moscow, Allied Forces promptly disable the Kremlin's defenses and Chrono in a strike team to retrieve the Soviet leadership.
Soviet Storyline
The Soviet storyline begins with the player being debriefed by the Premier himself. After this, the Soviets launch invasions of key Allied positions such as Washington, D.C, Florida, and New York City. With these stunning victories, the Americans flee back in retreat.
Alarmed by the situation, leaders of France and Germany agree to send troops to the border with Poland to help the Americans fight the Red Army. The Soviets send a special forces team to quickly capture Paris while the French Army is busy else where. With this and other key victories in Europe, Europe is in a position of needing help itself rather than giving help to America.
During this time, The Premier's top adviser Yuri begins gaining more and more power because of Yuri using his mind control technology on Romanov. As a result the Premier gives all military authority to Yuri. Some Soviet generals are alarmed at this power shift and begin to rebel. Top Soviet Commander General Vladimir flees to captured Washington, D.C. where he plots a strike against Yuri. However, two Soviet strike teams make their way to D.C. and San Antonio and capture the U.S. President and General Vladimir.
The Soviets then discover that the Allies are developing a new superweapon in the US Virgin Islands known as a Weather Control Device. The Soviets launch a naval assault on the islands and successfully destroys the device before it gets a chance to be activated.
It is revealed that Yuri is indeed a traitor and the Red Army engages in a civil war between Yuri's forces and forces still loyal to Comrade General (the player). The epicenter of the civil war is in Moscow where Yuri is located. Soviet troops reach him and a devastating attack is launched on his base and he is believed to have died. The Soviets then capture the last remaining Allied forces still holed up in Alaska.
Cast & Characters
Allies
Soviets
gmaes play
Every aspect of gmaes play in the game is based on the collection of money. In the gmaes , money can be collected by several means. The most common is using Miner trucks to gather Ore and/or Gems and transport them to a Refinery. A player can also gain a lasting income by capturing Oil drills (neutral buildings that are present in some maps). There also are two one-time sources of money, namely collecting random crates which are present in the map and selling off enemy buildings which have been captured by one of the player's Engineers. The money is spent on constructing and repairing buildings and units. In both cases one can start construction before having the full cost in one's reserves, as construction pauses if one runs short of money.
There are 5 types of "constructor" building: Construction Yard (for buildings); Barracks (non-mechanized units); War Factory (mechanized units); Shipyard (naval units), and, only for the Allies, Air Force Command (Harriers or Black Eagles). At any point in the gmaes one can construct a maximum of one building/unit in each category—having more "constructor" buildings simply speeds up production.
The various nations are members of either the Soviet or the Allied faction. The factions have similar basic buildings but different sets of advanced and defensive buildings. In addition, each nation has a special ability—usually a unique unit, but the USA gets free para-drops of GIs every few minutes and France can build a defensive super-gun, the Grand Cannon. Even the basic buildings produce different sets of mobile units for the Soviet and Allied factions. To build more advanced units one must first construct more advanced buildings. The advanced and defensive buildings can only be constructed if specific basic buildings are present.
gmaes balance
Like previous Command & Conquer games, the two factions in Red Alert 2 have unique armies with their own strengths and weaknesses. To achieve victory, a player must play to their faction's strengths and exploit the other faction's weaknesses.
In general, the Soviet faction (group of nations) is superior in the early game and in land wars because of their more powerful tanks, while the Allied faction is better in the late game with more advanced units, in naval wars, and on large maps. In particular, the Soviets are better for early game rushes, which are very common in online games.
Allied Advantages
The Allied forces largely focus on speed and military intelligence. By building a specific structure (the Spy Satellite Uplink), the Allied player is able to see all of the activity on the map. Or, to prevent an opponent from seeing what is occurring at his or her base (Gap generator), the player can build a different structure which shrouds a base from view. Most Allied units also feature increased mobility, being much quicker than their Soviet counterparts and allowing for quick raids. Versatility is also a key part, as the base GI infantry can bunker himself to deploy a more powerful gun, while the "IFV" unit takes on the characteristics and weaponry of whatever unit is inside it. Units like the "Mirage Tank" and "Spy" facilitate guerrilla tactics, as the tank can disguise itself as a tree when not moving, and the Spy can enter enemy structures to steal money, gain technology, or turn off the opponent's power supply for a brief period of time. The Allies also have the ability to build Harrier jets, which can mount quick attack on enemies before escaping; and the ability to create "Rocketeer" units—flying infantry. In addition to this, the Allied mining truck, the "Chrono Miner", can teleport back to drop off its load of ore, halving its travel time, and making resource collection much more efficient.
Soviet Advantages
Soviet forces place emphasis on power and numbers on the battlefield. Their basic tank, the "Rhino", is more expensive than the Allies' "Grizzly", but has heavier armor and more potent weapons. The basic Soviet infantryman, the "Conscript", is only half the cost of the Allied "GI", and can be produced much more quickly. In addition to this, the "Flak Trooper" and "Tesla Trooper" units can easily destroy aircraft and tanks respectively. Speeding up production further is the "Cloning Vats", which provide the player with a copy of every infantry unit produced. Though the Soviets lack the quick striking power of Allied Rocketeers or Harrier jets, they are able to field the "Apocalypse Tank", the most powerful tank unit; and the "Kirov Airship", a massive airship which is capable of carpet bombing an area. Many high-level Soviet units also are able to auto-repair themselves. Also, the Soviet player can construct nuclear power plants, which completely fill the power meter; and can field "War Miners" which, while lacking the teleportation abilities of the Chrono Miner, sport a powerful gun and carry twice the amount of ore.
Mods/Maps
Red Alert 2 is a popular game for modding. Hidden within the ra2.mix (ra2.mix\local.mix\rule*.ini) is a configuration file called rules.ini. This file can be extracted using a tool called the XCC mixer and edited after extraction. The rules.ini is constructed in such a way that it is very easy to modify; no programming skills are required. There are tags which refer to the strength of a unit, such as its hit points, which can be modified with the program.
It is also possible to create whole new units. There are other .ini files, such as the art.ini and ai.ini, which allow for further modification, like adding a cameo to one's units and making the AI use them.
FinalAlert is a map editor for Red Alert 2 that went through numerous revisions. First came FinalAlert, developed independently by Wagner. It was later replaced by FinalAlert 2, a collaboration between Wagner and Westwood Studios, which was in turn upgraded to FinalAlert 2 Yuri's Revenge to allow support for Yuri's Revenge—this version was still an official utility. Wagner later released a tweaked version which had some bug fixes and included tunnels–leftover code from Tiberian Sun—although this version was no longer classed as an official Westwood utility. A number of well made singleplayer missions, complete with storylines, were written for both Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge by fans using FinalAlert.
XCC WOL IRC Server (XWIS)
In 2005, control of online play for Red Alert 2, and a number of older C&C games was passed over from EA to XWIS, a well-established community run server that now organizes the ladder, and with the help of a community reporting scheme, bans cheaters. The server is sponsored by the EA Germany Community Team.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert series
This is the series which Red Alert 2 is in. The series was established in 1996 with the release of Command & Conquer: Red Alert. Red Alert 2 takes place 20 years later, continuing from the Allied ending where the Soviets were defeated by the Allies and peace was restored.
Following Red Alert 2 in the series is Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, released in 2001. The basis of this story is Yuri evading intelligence organizations around the world to set up his own secret army. A string of powerful mind control machines are set up across the world ready to be initiated. A time machine must be used to go back in time and stop the madman's conquest.
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series
The Tiberian series was originally intended by Westwood Studios to be a series of games which take place 50 years after the Allied ending of Command & Conquer: Red Alert. On the bonus DVD of the Command & Conquer: The First Decade compilation pack however, the development team of Red Alert 2 claimed that the Tiberium and Red Alert gmaes existed as separate universes. A year later, Electronic Arts Los Angeles would publish a featured document on the official C&C website around the time the third gmaes of the Tiberian series (Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars) was released, which was titled "Kane's Dossier".In this document, a direct in-universe reference to Kane's appearances in the era of the original Red Alert gmaes is made, linking the first Red Alert gmaes to the Tiberian series once again.
Controversy
Westwood found itself in a storm of controversy regarding Red Alert 2 after the events of September 11, due to the contents of both the game and its packaging, despite the fact that Red Alert 2 was released before the attack on the World Trade Center. In the first mission of the Soviet campaign, the player is required to destroy the Pentagon, and in a later mission, capture the Allied Battle Lab at the base of the twin towers of the World Trade Center; once the Battle Lab is captured, a Psychic Beacon is built between the twin towers and the player must then defend the Psychic Beacon for a given amount of time to complete the level. Destroying the World Trade Center towers (or garrisoning Conscripts in them) gives the player bonus crates. In addition, the original packaging for Red Alert 2 had a hinged cover that would open to show a scene of New York City under attack by Soviet forces. In the middle of the box, the twin towers were shown with a plane flying near them, and the words "The Invasion has begun" over them. Westwood immediately pulled from stores all remaining copies of Red Alert 2 in the original packaging, and retooled the box art before reissuing the gmaes . None of the gmaes 's content was changed, except for the names of famous landmarks.
Later versions of the game (after patch) would rename the World Trade Center and other famous landmarks (Arc de Triomphe for one) to more generic names (Arch of Winning for example). This has, ironically, caused a bit of controversy among fans who prefer the real names; fan made patches are available to restore the original authentic names. Later versions of the game also replace a portion of the Intro movie, removing the part of the scene in which the statue of Liberty's head is destroyed by a missile, instead showing it already headless. The intro in "The First Decade" release of Red Alert 2 is identical to the original, including the destruction of the statue of Liberty.
Original soundtrack
The Red Alert 2 soundtrack was composed by long-time Command & Conquer collaborator Frank Klepacki.
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