Teens and kids today are very hooked up with the trends on video games. With the diversity of technology nowadays, we sometime find it hard to catch up to the latest technology, games and others commercially out. Playing video games is very fun for us but not for our pockets.
Video games whether on personal computers, xbox, PS2, PS3, PSP are expensive. New games released commercially are expected to be very expensive because they are highly demanded. It is also a status representation that if you are an immediate buyer of newly released video games it means you are a techie, geek, rich person. Now if you have a limited budget and still want to play video games of your choice, here are some tips for you on how to get them at lower price.
• You may download games online. This is a very common habit nowadays. If you want to have a copy of a movie, song or games you can simply try downloading it online. There are some free downloading sites such as torrent. But if the thing you want to download has a big file size, expect it to finish downloading in a week or month depending on your internet speed. Be careful also of virus that might be included in the download process.
• If you want to buy a newly released video game since it is not available for free download online and you do not have enough money to purchase it, then just be patient. Wait till this new video game craze cools down. The price will cool down as well. Items which are highly demanded are expensive. That is how the market plays it. Just face that fact.
• Have a nose for second hand bargains. They are obviously cheap than buying a new one. Though it is not handed to you brand new, the most important thing is that it is still functioning and that you can play on it. Lucky of you if the seller sells it unused. Maybe he just purchased it for satisfaction or he tried to play it once but he did not like it.
• If you do not know someone who sells bargains, then online bargain store is always there for you. Check out eBay or Amazon. There are brand new and second hand available. They usually auction it and the starting bid is at its best lowest price. But be careful of online scammers. Check feedbacks of sellers to assure their genuineness.
• Try swapping video games with friends. This will cost you priceless. Plus a great part of you to try if you really like that video game or not which is more beneficial than buying it immediately then find out that you do not like how it is played. It is a waste of money. Swapping is a win-win deal since both of you benefit from each other.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a lovely addition to the Donkey Kong family. The game did not have much hype before release, but it probably should have. Nintendo and Retro Studios are responsible for bringing other historic games, such as Metroid, back to life. They have done it again with DK. There a few great things about this game to note.
Difficulty
The old games were pretty hard, this game is no exception. Being an avid gamer, I enjoy the puzzle of playing the game more than simply beating the game. So this aspect is a bonus. But for beginning players, DK has included the Super Guide. If you get stuck on an area eight times or more, you will get the option of the older Donkey Kong showing you the correct route. You can choose to turn this option off if you want, but it's comforting to know that progress can always be made in the game. It is challenging, but makes sure that players can progress through the game.
Tradition
Retro pays homage to the Donkey Kong roots, and what made the series great. They do this by including original environments, original puzzles, and original characters. Choose to blast out of a barrel for maximum effect or to get to the next area. In certain situations, you're forced to make these decisions quick.
Variety of Environments
The level of variety in the environments is high. Each world has a different theme. There are jungles, beaches, forests and caves just to name a few. Each environment brings its own challenges and every world is very unique from the other. At the end of each world, a boss character exists. But the traditional jump on the head may not be the only way to defeat these bosses. This offers a higher level of variety. Sometimes it's not explained very well how to beat these, with this comes the joy of figuring out new strategies and techniques throughout the game.
However, Retro has also used the power of the Wii to its best ability. Visually, the game looks great on the Wii system. And the nostalgic feeling is prevalent throughout each stage of the game. If you have a Wii, this game is for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julian_Brooks

I would not call myself a fan of the strategy game genre, be it real-time or turn-based. Beyond a little Freeciv in high school, Civilization V is my first real taste of the Civilization franchise. I was not sure what to expect, whether it would feel more like Sim City or StarCraft, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it is like neither.
Civilization has always been turn-based, allowing players to queue up their desired strategic decisions and watch them execute before being prompted for another round. To some this may seem a dated play style, especially considering that most recently released strategy games, such as Dawn of War II and StarCraft II, are real-time. Real-time strategy games require that you not only make the correct strategic decisions, but also execute them in the most time efficient manner possible to come out ahead of your opponent. With this element removed, Civilization V players can not only take some additional care with their strategy, but they can take some time to enjoy the scenery as well.
While the graphics are not the most impressive when considering other entries to the genre this year, I still find myself admiring the detail in the cities, the water, and my units in Civilization V. Unit animations are quite varied and very entertaining to watch. I regularly zoom all the way in on a newly acquired unit to see exactly how he is laying the hurt down on my opponent.
There are plenty of game modes, but no actual campaign or story involved. Players set up their own games, be it multi- or single-player, with a ton of options for customization. Options include world shape/size, number of players, starting civilizations, and many more. The game does a great job of introducing new players to the economic, scientific, military, and culture mechanics of the game via advisers and color coded production icons. Also added in Civilization V are city states. City states help to provide various short term goals to players and can dramatically effect the direction of the game in the long term.
The most impressive aspect of Civilization V is the NPC interaction. In games I found myself cursing Montezuma as he forced the border between us to militarize and praising Gandhi for entering into a research agreement. George Washington constantly taunted me and was allied with both of his surrounding city states as well as having a far more technologically advanced civilization, which rendered me unable to retaliate. When deciding things such as whether or not to grant Catherine the Great that open borders treaty she requested, I had to take into account that she tried to aggressively invade 100 turns ago.
Cutscenes ensue upon civilization interaction, with full voice acting and character animation for all world leaders. This type of interaction, especially in games that last 20+ hours, can get very addictive. I often found it impossibly hard to stop taking turns and start turning in for the night.
The only issue I found with the game is merely a product of technical limitation. As you get into larger games, with 16+ opponents, the processing of AI can get a bit ridiculous - we are talking 3+ minutes per turn as you enter the later stages of a game. There is a whole lot going on here behind the scenes, and although this review is based off playing on a pretty nice gaming PC, I was surprised at the time that passed between turns. I'm sure the latest and greatest CPUs may process the AI calculations faster, so this may not be as large an issue for some players, but many will notice it.
While some players may initially wish for an actual narrative, they will find that Civilization V allows the player to experience their own story. Every game will play out differently and events will stick with the player for some time. I will be coming back to Civilization V over and over again, and I will never regret adding this masterpiece to my strategy collection.

Eutechnyx is back with the Ferrari challenge series. After its decent debut in 2008 we now welcome the successor in the shape of a €15 PSN download, a seemingly bargain. At first I found it hard to determine its value though. A quick glance at the feature list learned that new features were hard to find. Sure it has a few new tracks and cars, and a whole new career mode but that's about it. So in the end was it really worth it?

Upon entering I was offered a nice budget to buy my first car. With the credits I was able to buy anything up to the F430 challenge, a very nice car indeed. I went with the 360 Modena, one of my favorite Ferraris of all time. Great speeders like the FXX, Enzo or F458 weren't obtainable but just a few hours of racing away.

Ferrari challenge the race experience features virtually every Ferrari ever released. From old classics like the GTO to exceptional fast racing cars like the 599XX. A great library of cars but if you want other brands your out of luck. The standard cars can be personalized by a livery-editing mode. It adds to the excitement of winning an online race and being able to show off your designs.

Ferrari Challenge the race experience has the same modes we've seen in the original. This includes the arcade mode, an awful mode that requires you to overtake all cars in an impossible short time, annoyingly without the ability to save your progress in between races. Luckily better racing is available in the shape of the typical time trial, quick race or career modes.

Career mode is completely renewed and now closely matches Supercar Challenge's interpretation. Users can choose between 3 championships in different regions in the world. And depending on the region only a few cars are accepted to enter.

Arguably the most important part of a driving game is the racing, and Ferrari challenge does decently. The racing is very close and exciting. It's especially fun to push and see the gaps between cars fluctuate.

Because the AI cars aren't easy targets, they do take defensive lines and make mistakes (maybe a bit too much). But they tend to be a bit too aggressive. It felt like driving online but without the rammers. The computer was really fast at the hardest difficulty and it will take buyers some time to get up to pace.

Some basic adjustments are allowed to the set-up of the car, but it's no more than the absolute basic. Suspension for example knows two settings: soft and hard. Arguably road cars offer far less adjustments than its racing counterpart, so it's not a big issue.

More disappointing is the lack of dynamic weather, tyre wear, fuel and pit stops. These are the elements that can really mix up a race, but none of it is available in Ferrari Challenge.

Even though the racing is great I can't help feel the lack of proper rules and winning satisfaction. There's no engineer and the cars are all identical. So no Ferrari 599 vs 612 races possible. Penalties apply a temporarily RPM limit, which is annoying but fair. And when you win you get a couple of points and that's it. Where are the cheers?

This has always been Eutechnyx's strong suit. The physics were absolutely fantastic in previous games like Supercar Challenge and it's great in this one too. Ferrari Challenge the race experience features an updated handling model and it shows. Using my G27 I felt the car's weight shift sides and the different characteristics between the cars were very apparent. Some cars suffer from oversteer whilst others are unstable under braking. The subtle differences make the cars feel really genuine.

Sim racers will be happy to know that the Force Feedback is very strong. The car's balance transfers perfectly to the steering wheel, as do bumps and curbs, albeit a bit weak.

With every aid off Ferrari Challenge becomes one of the hardest simulators around. These cars are very nervous creatures. A touch too hard on the throttle and the car oversteers like crazy, a touch on the grass and the car swaps ends. The perfect ingredients for true racers, casual gamers stay away!

This is where things go bad; Ferrari Challenge the race experience doesn't look good. The circuits suffer badly from popping textures like trees, an example of very poor viewing distance on the PS3. And the cars are poorly modeled compared to the likes of Gran Turismo or Need for Speed Shift. The image overall was tinted slightly brownish and leaves much to be desired.

On the flip side it does look slightly better than the original Ferrari Challenge and looks equal to Eutechnyx's Supercar challenge game. And when it rains the game can match the best.

Sounds wise I'm satisfied. Every car has a unique sound and the crowd cheers when you approach the main straight. Though I wonder whether the drivers actually hear that bit.

Ferrari Challenge the racing experience is a great simulator. The cars are difficult to drive and the AI cars are both challenging and lively. But the graphics leave much to be desired and the game has some issues. For owners of Supercar challenge or Ferrari challenge it's hard to justify the purchase. But if you're new to the series this is a true bargain.

Nintendo DS a handheld gaming console has sold billions of copies since it was first released in 2004.
In this article I will review the top 10 DS games that has made the console very popular.
Number one on the top ten list is Nintendo DS Nintendogs: a virtual dog simulator game for all ages. Players simulate training a puppy by giving commands and the game is available in three different forms; Chihuahua, Labrador Retriever and Miniature Dachshund.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Second on the list of top ten DS games is New Super Mario Bros.: New Super Mario Bros is a wonderful 2D side-scroller game in which Mario seeks to save Princess Peach from her captor Browser Jr by running to the right and jumping on the heads of the enemies. This is a nice game for all ages
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Next on the list is Brain Age; This is an interesting puzzle games aimed at sharpening your reflexes and making you think on your feet.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Fourth on the list is Mario Kart DS: Mario Kart DS is a kart racing game and features a number of single-player grand prix style competitions each made up of 4 races. This game is the first playable online game.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Fifth on the top ten list is Pokmon Diamond and Pearl: a colorful and highly addictive role-play game. In this game two best friends are sent out by Professor Rowan to collect as much information on the Pokemon's inhabiting the Sinnoh region. The game involves capturing more Pokemon and battling with other Pokemon trainers when challenged.
ESBR Rating: E (Everyone).
Number six on the list of top 10 DS games is Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!: a sequel to the Brain Age game and perfect for those looking for more mini-training brain games.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Seven on the list is Animal Crossing: Wild World: The game is a re-envisioning of the world of Animal crossing with new characters and tasks to perform.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Eight on the top 10 list is Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver: This is a remake of the original Pokemon Gold and Silver adventure games. In this game you train up different Pokemon for different level of battles.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Next on the list is Super Mario 64 DS : a fantastic 3D game. Players in this game need to collect stars to move to the next level. Super Mario 64 DS is an update of an earlier game released in 1996.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Last on the list is Mario Party DS: a collection of 70 fun mini-games that can be played in different modes either as a single player or a multiplayer.
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone).
These are the bestselling top ten DS games that has made the Nintendo DS console popular over the past 6 years. Compare Nintendo DS game prices.

If there is an exciting change that will come to the third game of the Fable series, it is the addition of a complex yet immersing Marriage system. In this feature, your playable hero is able to woo and marry non playable characters and even players you meet through Xbox live. Marriage is a great experience in the game, allowing you to fight monsters and enemies with a partner. What's more, you get to have your own in-game children, whom you must feed and take care of in order to grow up to be fine young people. This is another reason why you have to buy Fable 3 and see what's in store.
Marriage in Fable 3, however, has its cons. An ideal move to do is to earn as much money as you can and marry a rich character. This is for practicality's sake and not for the sake of class discrimination. In the game, if you marry a character, both your bank accounts are merged into one, and if you file for a divorce, then your money will be split into two. The game also allows you to marry multiple partners at once, but there exists the possibility that the in-game partner will experience the disadvantage of being a third wheel in the Marriage system and file a divorce, thereby decreasing your bank savings in half.
The developers of the game try to incorporate real-life elements in the system of marriage in Fable 3. It teaches the players how to weigh the pros and cons of living a married life. This goes to prove how the game strives for realism blended into one gigantic magical world. So, what are you waiting for? Buy Fable 3 now!

Explore a mysterious deserted Mediterranean island in Twisted Lands: Shadow Town. An accident while you and your wife are enjoying a boating trip causes your boat to capsize and washes you onto the island. Unfortunately, your wife is nowhere to be found. Search the mysterious island with its deserted town, phantom inhabitants and curious snake figurines. Locate your wife and find your way home before the both of you suffer the same fate as the previous visitors to the island!

Twisted Lands: Shadow Town is a hidden object adventure game from Alawar Entertainment, the developer of hit games such as Snark Busters and the Craze and Farm Frenzy series. The game has the same high level of quality as Alawar's other titles, featuring top notch gameplay, graphics and sound. However, this game introduces supernatural and psychological themes that are darker than the previous games.

You take on the role of a materialistic treasure-seeker, diving off the coast of Spain with your wife Angel keeping you company. Even after Angel's admonishment that you should not be retrieving sunken treasure during your dives, you still go ahead and collect these artifacts. This time, one of the things you find is a strange figurine of a snake. Suddenly, you lose control of the boat and you are washed ashore onto a mysterious island. Unfortunately, Angel did not end up on the same part of the island as you, so you set out to look for her.

Twisted Lands will take you to mysterious and bizarre locations, from an underground door carved with the creepy snake symbol, an abandoned cruise liner, and a foggy town whose denizens all seem to have disappeared. You will also come across more of the snake figurines and encounter supernatural characters and ghostly apparitions. You will get dragged deeper into a surreal adventure in your quest to find your wife and get off the island.

Much of the game is shrouded in fog and has a dark and creepy feel to it, making it fit the theme of the game just right. Though dark, the art is detailed and beautifully drawn, depicting each scene in a style that suits it well. The soundtrack is also good and appropriate for the setting. The haunting music itself will give you goose bumps, though sometimes there can be an uncomfortable silence until you click something and the music starts again (which may be intentional).

The gameplay in Twisted Lands is pretty much what you would expect to find in a scene-based point-and-click adventure game of this style. You have a primary interface where you see your current surroundings as well as any objects of interest (which sparkle if you're playing in casual mode). Clicking these objects will either zoom in closer for you to interact with, or launch a hidden object scene or puzzle. Sometimes, interacting with these objects will require you to have previously picked up a specific tool, say a screwdriver to remove a laptop's casing.

The hidden object scenes feature artwork that is clean and crisp, and hidden objects that are detailed and not too difficult to pick out. It seems like these scenes don't take as long to solve as those in some of the other hidden object games. This can be a good thing, as you get to focus on the developing story rather than squinting to find a few dozen hidden objects. The various mini-puzzles in the game are mainly logic-based, and are also quite interesting.

The story in Twisted Lands is really strong, and it is obvious that the game is very story-driven. Every time you move to a new scene or click an object of interest, you will get a first-person narration, either tying in the object in question with the story, or advancing the plot. After every few scenes, you will also be treated to an animated scene. These animations include flashback scenes of your time with your wife Angel every time you find an object that belongs to her. As you can imagine, these scenes draw you in and provide you with a vested interest in how the story unfolds. One thing missing from this game though is voice-acting. But considering how bad the voice-acting is in some of the other hidden object games, not having voices might not be a bad thing...

This game does not boast very complex gameplay or puzzles, but instead wows you with a story that flows as you experience the game. The premise revolves around the supernatural and a missing persons mystery theme, and you will like it if you liked similar games such as Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove or Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat. The basic version of the game is not out yet, but you can get the Collector's Edition of the PC game which includes exclusive content such as a bonus chapter, new puzzles and more.

Flo and the rest of the DinerToons return in the Cooking Dash sequel Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills. Go back in time a decade or so when Flo was still running a lemonade stand in Mr. Big's run-down theme park. Help the pair revitalize the park by properly managing its many restaurants and bringing in the customers and money by the time Mr. Big's dad comes to inspect. It will be a roller coaster ride in this fast and hectic time management game!

Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills is the latest incarnation of not only the hit Cooking Dash time management game series, but of the Dash franchise which consist of other great games such as Diner Dash and Wedding Dash. Series star Flo returns in this game, but this time as a young teenage waitress as the game takes you back in time to when she was still starting out. You will also get to meet the other DinerToons such as Gran and Mr. Big in this blast from the past!

In Cooking Dash 3, Mr. Big has borrowed money from his dad to build a theme park. Unfortunately it isn't a success, and everything in the park is falling apart and the customers aren't turning up. Worse yet, Mr. Big's dad is about to come inspect the park! Desperate, Mr. Big turns to Flo, whose stand is the only thing in the theme park that is actually making money. Mr. Big convinces Flo (that's you, by the way) to help run the various restaurants in the park and transform them from run-down flops into popular and successful money-making businesses.

You will get to see younger versions of your favorite DinerToons from the Dash games, from Mr. Big and Flo to the ever-helpful Gran. You will also be running half a dozen themed restaurants based on the various attractions and rides in the park. You'll be serving salads and seafood dishes in the Pirate Ship restaurant, and cooking up clam chowder and steaks in the Log Jam cafe. And all this while the roller coaster rides are happening in the background!

The gameplay follows the same format as the other hit Dash time management games. You have to sit your customers (with increasing bonus points if the seat colors match the customers' colors) and guide Flo in taking orders, preparing the meals, clearing dishes and collecting payment. The game starts you off with just one customer type, but it quickly becomes more complicated when you have businesswomen (in a theme park?!) wanting a quick drink, to college seniors who take their time ordering and eating, and even celebrities who will cause other customers to want to take photos with them! You will also have customers coming in via a "drive-thru", stopping by on a roller coaster carriage with their order. Though I wouldn't want to see what happens when a customer drinks his milkshake then goes on a ride...

Preparing the meals will depend on which restaurant you are in, as the menu and preparation steps are different in each restaurant. In the Pirate Ship venue for example, you will need to get fries and dump them in the fryer, get fish and batter them then fry them, get the sauce to go with the dish, fill a glass with soda then drop some ice in etc. Gran is always there to help though. If a customer orders side dishes (like salads in the Pirate Ship venue), just give the order to Gran and she will toss it up for you. You will have to worry about serving desserts as well, and as you can imagine, the game can get really complicated and hectic very quickly!

The faster you serve your customers and get them fed, the more points you earn. Before each new level begins, you can trade these points in for upgrades. You can get upgrades such as machinery that cooks faster, an extra spigot to prepare more drinks at the same, and a side-stand to hold unused dishes for later. Many more upgrades, plus cosmetic ones, are available to make your job easier and more palatable.

In case you get bored of managing the restaurants and serving the customers, there are also minigames that you can play between levels in order to score free meals for your future customers. There's the matching game where you have to click the right meal when a bunch of meals pop up, the ingredients game where you have to select the correct ingredients for a particular meal, and a hidden object game where you need to find the listed meals and utensils. And since this is a time management game, all these minigames also have short time limits to keep you on your toes!

Cooking Dash 3 is a great time management game and is a worthy successor in a franchise full of best-selling hits. The theme, gameplay, atmosphere and art all work together beautifully to create a great entertainment package. The basic version of the PC game is not out yet, but you can get the Collector's Edition which includes exclusive extras such as a special Gold Rush venue, strategy guide, wallpapers and more.

Pinball HD 4 iPhone is not just a great pinball game for the iPhone, it's great when compared to pinball games on any platform -- even when compared to the real thing. More than other similar games for the iPhone, Pinball HD replicates the experience of standing at a vintage pinball table -- or, more precisely, three pinball tables.
Pinball HD comes stocked with three basic tables that will feel familiar to any pinball fan: Wild West, The Deep, and Jungle Style. The attention to detail on these tables is nothing short of remarkable. On the Wild West table, the player can spot the grain of the wood; in The Deep, the blue lighting really looks like LEDs you'd find in an arcade. All three tables have the grid-of-lights scoreboard that is as functional as it is nostalgic. It's no wonder Pinball HD won a 2010 Apple Design Award.
The three tables are in order of ascending difficulty. Wild West is the most basic, with only two paddles and a modest assortment of bonuses. Jungle Style has at least four separate paddles and more bonus levels and challenges than I could count. The game design helps the player cope with this complexity by not displaying the whole table at one time. Instead, the camera zooms up and down, following the ball in play. This not only helps the player keep track of the action, but helps show off the fine details of the table at close range. The animation of the camera movements is smooth and cinematic, further enhancing the gameplay.
The controls in Pinball HD are pretty standard: tap the left hand side of the screen to activate the left paddle or paddles, and the right side for the right ones. That's it. The player can shake the iPhone in order to dislodge a stuck ball -- just like the real thing -- but shaking too much will shut down the machine and return a "TILT" message. Again, this is just like the real thing.
If the player ever wants to see the entire table at once, pinching the screen will place the camera in "fixed" mode, but this can make the gameplay a hard to see, especially for players using a 3GS or an iPod Touch without the higher-resolution Retina display. It's worth noting that the graphics are too processor-intensive for the iPhone 3G or for older iPod Touch models, so the buyer is advised to make sure the game is compatible with their before making a purchase.
If, however, your iDevice is up to it, Pinball HD has some pretty showy tricks up its sleeve. If the crisp images of the Retina display aren't enough, there is also a 3D gameplay mode, that is adjustable to match the type of 3D glasses the player is wearing. Pinball HD 4 iPhone also comes equipped with a multiplayer version, and a full-featured score-sharing network, so you can see how you compare to other pinball addicts.
Pinball HD 4 iPhone is an instant classic, recommended for players of all ages and all skill levels.

I've never been much into video games; I've always preferred board and card games. But like everyone else in my age group, I grew up playing Super Mario games on the Nintendo and Super Nintendo. When the Wii came out a few years ago, I couldn't resist getting one for the excuse of being more active with Wii Sports. But now, we finally have what players like me have been waiting for: a new Mario side-scroller! So what's the deal with the new Mario game?
First off, this is basically an updated version of Super Mario Bros 3, and I mean that in a good way. You play holding the wii remote sideways to approximate a NES controller; in fact, the only difference in the controls is that you now can shake the remote to activate some powers (which can be a real pain if you accidentally do it at the wrong time; additionally, the A button is used in multiplayer mode and the +/- buttons are used for saving and moving between worlds. For the most part, though, it's the good old d-pad, use item, jump!
The similarities don't stop with the controls, though..this game FEELS like the old Super Mario games, from the art style to the old familiar enemies. Anyone who grew up with Mario can pick up a remote and be ready to go, no instruction required; when new Wii-specific attributes (i.e., the shaking) are introduced, instructions are given on the screen. While this was advertised as being the most difficult Mario game thus far, it's not really that bad (particularly with the addition of cheat mode, which lets you skip a world you're having trouble with, or just watch the computer play through it so you can see how to do it).
Overall, I'd have to say that this is not only one of the top Wii games, but one of the best video games I've ever played, and I highly recommend it.