I am a big fan of the anime and this game is a faithful adaptation onto the XBox 360 game console. The game stays true to the story line and the character development plays like you are reading a good novel.

The game play is very intuitive and you pick up on the controls very quickly. However, there is a depth to the game that makes mastering the controls very challenging.

There are really two parts to this game: an action/adventure game where Naruto runs around the various locations finding items and accomplishing missions. The second part is that this is a fighting game. In fact, if you want a straight up tournament style (like Street Fighter) game, you can do that. I prefer the story mode, as there are enough fights that they become quite repetitive.

This is a beautifully rendered game. The areas are awesome to explore and it really seems like the game designers did their homework because you feel like you are part of Naruto's Ninja Village.

Even if you don't know the anime, this proves to be a solid and fun game.

Star Wars Legacy continues to capture my imagination. The artwork is great and the story line is hard to put down. It makes me wish that they would start writing novels about this era.

The second volume is a decent addition to comic series, but don't expect too much to do with Cade. You get some back story, some side stories, some interesting twists, but very little to do with the character who carries on the "Legacy."

I would recommend this volume if you are collecting the series.

Star Wars Legacy volume 1 is a must have for Star Wars fans!

Legacy offers a revolutionary look at how the story progresses about 125 years after the final Star Wars movie! We get to see Luke's descendant, Cade Skywalker struggle to survive in a galaxy controlled by the Sith.

Volume 1 introduces us to Cade Skywalker, the reluctant heir to the Skywalker Legacy and symbol of hope for a galaxy in constant chaos. However, Cade does not want this legacy after the Sith decimate the Jedi. Fighting the ghosts (Force visions of his forefathers) of his past, addictions, and circumstances, Cade must decide whether he will run from his destiny or embrace it.

Legacy Volume 1 raises many questions in the reader's mind such as: How did this new group of Sith survive and take over the galaxy again? Why does the empire have it's own Jedi order separate from the main order? What connection does the empire's royal family have with characters from the past? Where did Cade get his mysterious Force ability (the ability to bring someone back from the brink of death)? Read this volume and you will see why I can't wait to find out what else happens in this story line!

I had very low expectations for this book. It looks like it is supposed to be a young reader book based off of the cartoon movie/series of Star Wars the Clone Wars. While it is indeed based off of the movie/series, it is a very well written piece of fiction!

This book tells the story (mostly) of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa (Leia's adoptive father) and basically how they met and became friends of a sort on a crazy adventure into the unknown. The pacing of the book keeps you turning the pages as you want to find out what happens next. The character development is exceptionally well done as it gives a very convincing look into the minds of two significant figures in the Star Wars universe (not to mention glimpses of Yoda, Palpatine, and others).

There is one aspect to this book that I could have done with out. I don't like it when author's swear in their books. And in a story line like Star Wars where our curse words aren't necessarily their curse words, for Karen Miller to introduce one this late into the on going novelizations is kind of ridiculous... especially for a book that I had assumed was for younger readers. Such things are not necessary to tell the story or to advance the plot, rather they merely alienate readers who do not prefer such things.

Overall, a great book with a great story line. Despite it's obviously different size compared to all other books in the Star Wars line, it's a great book for any collector.

It's funny how you're first taste of a series often ends up being your best opinion of it. We purchased Just Dance 2 before the original and my wife and I both prefer it over the original. Here is why:

We both find that Just Dance focuses very much on your right arm! The motion sensing properties of the Wii controller are utilized very well in both games, but it seems like they forgot about your other arm in this title. If you want a more balanced game, go for the sequel.

The song selection is exceptional, offering a nice blend of pretty much every style of music and dance you can think of, but there are more songs in the sequel (40 compared to 30) and the potential to download new songs (at the cost of 300 Wii points per song).

There is also the personalization of using a name tag offered in the sequel as opposed to a simple icon in this original.

However, Just Dance is an excellent game. It is a lot of fun and actually teaches you how to dance unlike DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) which made you move your feet blindingly fast. All told, I recommend both Just Dance and Just Dance 2, but be aware that most people's reviews I have read usually favor the first game they are exposed to. I feel that Just Dance 2 has refined a few things and offers more balanced dancing. Both titles have great songs that you might recognize, some new ones, and some old ones... but they are all amazing fun!

Give them both a try, I just recommend the sequel before the original!

This movie is a poor adaptation of the anime that loses points for not staying true to the storyline.

The movie tries to use the original Dragonball story line of Goku meeting up with Bulma and Master Roshi and Yamcha, etc... but the story gets taken in wrong directions. For starters, Goku is supposed to be a very young boy, but the movie has him turning 18 before his adventures start. Throughout the Dragonball series, Bulma isn't much of an action hero, rather she is a comedic teenage girl that makes us laugh. The movie tries to portray her as a Tomb Raider style gun toting action star with horrible aim. The worst alteration of the story line is messing with Goku's origins (*spoiler alert* that he is Piccolo's minion reborn, rather than a Saiyin).

If this movie would have been a simple martial arts film, it would have done better. But because they tried to use the Dragonball story and then changed it in key areas, it comes up short.

Give this one a pass (or just rent it) unless you are an avid collector.

Donkey Kong Country Returns indeed! I was blown away by this game. I have always been a big fan of the DKC series. I was a little disappointed with Donkey Kong 64, but this new addition to DK goes back to its roots and gives you an ape sized helping of fun!
Donkey and Diddy are back at it trying to rescue their precious banana hoard from a new mysterious enemy that look like tribal masked instruments of some sort. True to the original three DKC titles, this is a side scrolling adventure.
There are some changes to the series that are unfortunate: namely you can only use Donkey in single player games. However, Diddy is an important part of the adventure as you gain the ability to hover with Diddy's rocket barrel when you have him with you.
Two player games open up the possibility of using Diddy Kong as one person controls Donkey, the other Diddy. At any point, Donkey can pick Diddy up and carry him just like in the single player game, or Diddy can jump up and dismount Donkey at will. This is especially useful for playing with people who need help from time to time as you can rescue them from difficult areas.
The controls are fairly intuitive (they take a few minutes to figure out what you have to do) and similar to what you would have expected on the old Super Nintendo titles. The levels are extremely fun and addicting, although I find the mine carts a little more difficult to get used to.

If you are a Nintendo fan, or a Donkey Kong fan, this is a must have title! Super fun!

Buechner is a genious in his ability to write a story based on a familiar account of the life of the Patriarchs (primarily Isaac, Jacob/Israel, and his sons, but also touching on Abraham).

This book is gritty in its details and you might find yourself quite offended by some of the content (several rather explicit sexual encounters are told). However, it does an amazing job of stripping the halo off of a Biblical hero of the Faith. Beuchner reveals an incredibly human person fulfilling a mission by God in the most remarkably ordinary way! The squables between Jacob and Esau, between Rachel and Leah, Uncle Laban and Jacob, etc... are brought into vivid focus in this Biblical based work of fiction.

I truly hope this book becomes a classic, although I wonder how many Bible believing church goers can live with such a realistic portrayal of a man? It makes me believe even more that God can use someone like me to make a difference in the world.

I respect Josh McDowell. I've heard him speak and generally I like what he has to say. So I bought this book. Wow.

McDowell is extremely thorough as he explains his stance on the reliability of the Bible as well as his refutations of skeptics. Unfortunately McDowell himself does very little of the "talking" in this book. It would probably be more accurate to describe this book as a collection of quotations and sources (which is kind of ironic because a large portion of this book is dedicated to refuting the Documentary Hypothesis which argues that the first five books of the Bible are from several sources instead of Moses as original author).
This book is well over 600 pages in length and I would be surprised if McDowell wrote more than 100 of those pages. So if you invest in this book, prepare for an encyclopedic presentation of McDowell's arguments.

One thing I really appreciate about McDowell is that he does not shy away from quoting in depth, those whom he later tries to refute. He does a very good job of showing his opponents theories and then does an even better job refuting them or at least identifying their short comings.

One last critique before I close: his organizational system is probably the most confusing I have ever seen in any book I have ever read. He explains the system in the "prologue" and that it is supposed to simplify referencing the book, however, I find myself getting lost in trying to understand why he uses repetitious references (as in 1A, 1B, 2A, 1C, 2A, etc...).

Just Dance 2 is a very addictive and fun dance game that is revolutionizing the Dance game genre.

As a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) fan, I have always liked the quick step stuff, but you never really had to use your hands. After the first time using Just Dance 2, my arms and shoulders were so sore because the main focus of the game is on your hand and upper body movement. All movement is sensed through the Wii remote (no nunchuk required), so it makes you wonder how it can tell what the rest of your body is moving...

You mimic the "coach" on the screen and you get scores based on how closely you followed the movements. This might seem simple and in some cases it is. However, in most cases it requires you to pay really close attention to what the coach is doing because you have no time to figure out how to replicate that move. If you are really good you can use the up coming prompts to have a slight heads up about what to expect next; but until you get used to the movements, you won't even have time to focus on those.

Just Dance 2 offers a pretty wide range of music and songs. This can be extremely fun or rather frustrating as there are different dance styles to mimic as well, from "It's Raining Men" to old school 80's and 90's rap to retro to ethnic... it's rather remarkable. It is also kind of nice to know you have the option to do the long version or the short version of the songs.

The ability to download new songs and music seems like an interesting feature, but for approximately 300 wii points a piece (generally it costs $20 to buy a 2000 point card), you are probably paying about $3 per song. Not to mention you need the room on your hard drive or an SD card to keep the tracks.

If you are looking for a good dance game, this is probably the best since DDR. It also makes for a pretty good work out game as you will probably work up quite a sweat after just a few minutes of dancing. Give it a try!