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Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Konami

October 17, 2008
After the decable that was PES2008 on the next-gen consoles, have Konami managed to get their act together for PES2009 ?

The answer is yes ... and, er, no.

It looks better, it plays better; but of course these things are relative.

PES2009 has a new 'funkier' front-end, replacing the 'Playstation 2' style of all the previous games. Sadly, it now looks like it was created by somebody who's computer skills are limited to 'Right-click, cut. Right-click, paste' and is still no match for FIFA's polished presentation.

What else - oh yes, in an homage to 'FIFA' there is a now a selection of tracks that play in the background while you while away the time editing all the non-licensed clubs and players. ... Read More:

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MySims : Kingdom (Wii)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Electronic Arts

October 31, 2008
I loved the first MySims for Wii, it was so innocent and hours of fun. I particularly liked its versatility in furniture designs and the loveable characters that link with the DS version, and this new MySims does not disappoint! We have more adorable characters, with some characters coming along from the original like Chef Gino and Buddy. This game focuses much less on building furniture and more on a variety of challeneges. The gameplay is less linear than the first one and with less repetition. In this game, once you've learnt to build say, a sofa, you can build as many as you like instantly, without needed to put all the blocks together again. There are some lovely touchs like being able to mill flour in the machine you just fixed or ride he mechanical ... Read More:

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Puzzler Collection (Nintendo DS)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Ubisoft

August 01, 2008
This could have been a great game: there are four puzzles, they've been compiled well and there are several modes, allowing you to pick a certain type of puzzle or play what the game throws at you or play puzzles against the clock. Other reviewers have described the puzzles well so I'll move on to the problem.

The problem is that the game has been implemented badly: you often have to select something on the touch screen more than once before it registers that you hit it and the touch screen is often inaccurate - selecting the wrong word or the wrong square.

I wish they'd done a better job of making this game. I still think it's worth playing but it is frustrating when you spend ages trying to select the right item or get stopped ... Read More:

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Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Rockstar

April 29, 2008
The GTA series is one ive always loved on ps2 and spent so many hours playing since I first got my hands on the amazing GTA3 to the still amazing GTA:SA.

However, this latest installment is not as good for several reasons including the very weak and boring storyline which at several times had me yawning and the missions all felt repetitive and not so GTA like. It mainly consisted of: go there, kill this person, chase this person, kill this person, check this place out, kill some people. There was no fun missions like the old rc helicopter or burning down a cannabis farm or bike hopping along loads of buildings etc. The missions were very repetitive and boring.

This wasn't helped out by the very dull city which although was nicely ... Read More:

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Family Ski (Wii)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Nintendo

June 13, 2008
I've read the reviews on here and I can only say that people are too easily pleased. I bought this game because it was supposed to use the balance board, but using said peripheral is an exercise in frustration. All the training elements are geared towards the Wii remote and Nunchuk and trying to use the balance board results in trial and error, guesswork, and no little amount of swearing.

It is not acceptable for a game to advertise itself as balance board compatible if the compatibility has been tacked on as a sales exercise with absolutely no development time being given over to it.

Why people are giving the game such glowing reviews in the face of such shoddy marketing is beyond me. All I can think of is that they had extremely low expectations. ... Read More:

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Left 4 Dead (PC DVD)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Electronic Arts

November 21, 2008
Put simply, the best fun I've had in many years of PC gaming.

Absolute manic blood fest!

You play collaboratively with up to 3 other human players or 3 computer controlled players to defeat the zombies and other odd creatures as you proceed through each level. The levels can be quite intense and you really do need the help of your fellow players to win. The AI is very good and levels react differently each time they're played.

The best thing being a collaborative game against the computer is that your opponents are not people using cheat codes to gain an unfair advantage as is often the case in Call of Duty, Battlefield etc.

Buy it now!

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Samba De Amigo (Wii)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Sega

September 26, 2008
Samba De Amigo is, undoubtedly, one of the best motion games I've played on the Wii so far. The basic idea is, as in many games like this, moving and shaking the Wii remote(s) in a specific way to "play" along with the music. Great music and fun visuals make it a really enjoyable experience. However, if you only read the instructions and the in-game tutorials, the controls are, indeed, very frustrating. It only gives you a basic idea, and the controls in many ways are not intuitive.

The problem is the standard Wii remote (and nunchuk) only has a single 3-axis motion sensor in it, thus there were always going to be compromises on how accurate the controls could be. Selecting the top, middle and bottom circles is quite easy - you hold the remote upright, forward, and ... Read More:

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FIFA 09 (PS2)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Electronic Arts

October 03, 2008
As always,Fifa 09 is very enjoyable.I was also pleased to see that EA SPORTS waited for the end of the Summer Transfer Window.The reason why I have marked this game down is because there are so many skills and features that they include on PS3 and Xbox 360.The first thing is you can't have control over the players goal celebration.I would really enjoy controlling my players delight.The second thing is that there are quite a few new skills that you can do for the PS3 and Xbox 360 and I would love to be able to trick defenders.Actually,there aren't any(apart from casual controls that I can't see the point in)new skills for the PS2 version.But overall I think that it is a fun game.

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MySims: Kingdom (Nintendo DS)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Electronic Arts

October 31, 2008
The main reason I have only given this game 3 stars is because I bought it 2 days ago and have already finished it. The gameplay itself is very short (I spent roughly 10 hours playing), which is a shame, as it is overall, a pretty good game. There are things to do once you've finished, but decorating the town and continuing to play mini-games becomes very repetitive.
What I found particularly misleading, however, is that under product information, it states that everything about this game is customizable, which is definately not the case. I have also played the wii version, which I found to be vastly superior, and suggest that if you are going to buy one version or the other- go for the wii.
The game is also very similar to the first Mysims, which I suppose, if you're a big fan is ... Read More:

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DualShock 3 PS3 controller (PS3)

Childrens Toy Shop > Video Games > Refinements
from: Sony

June 27, 2008
This controller is great the only differences from the sixaxis are the obvious weight difference which isnt to much of a problem feels like you have something to hold on to, if you get what i am saying. The rummble fuction is perfect too small a vibration and not over doing it. The big difference i have found with this controller is the battery life which after a week and several hours playing i havent lost a bar of battery life, unlike the sixaixs which i found i was charging up every time i wanted to play. 5/5