Kasparov Chessmate Review

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(More customer reviews)If you rate this game (or any game on amazon.com), it tells you to rate it based on 'How much fun is this game?'. For me, chess programs have been quite an exercise in frustration. So far, I have found Kasparov to be pleasantly enjoyable, even though I know that it lacks some of the incredible features (analysis, play strength, graphics) of the heavy hitters on the market (CM9000, Fritz 8).
Instead of writing a negative review about this, allow me to take a moment to explain why I decided to buy Kasparov Chessmate. But let me first confess that I am little better than a wood pusher (or, if you would prefer... a patzer). That means that although I know the rules, and am familiar with basic tactics and can recognize a couple openings by name, I am not a strong player. I have no rating... but believe I am class E in strength. Over the last 9 months, my chess studies/purchases/results have included:
- Chess for Dummies (still working on finishing up the last few chapters... but it introduced me to tactics)
- Play Winning Chess (just bought last week - and am very pleased with it)
- Chessmaster 9000 (gave it away to a good friend, but will be buying again - but only for it's training material)
- Fritz 8 (for chess analysis and playchess.com chess server)
- ChessTiger for my palm (which beats me 99% at it's training level 3 playing with it's book)
- play and lose to my Dad regularly in online and e-mail chess(who is the reason why I continue to play)
- Polgar's 5334 chess problems (a great big book that I enjoy)
- am loosely rated around 1200 on yahoo chess
Why did I buy Kasparov? For starters, Chessmaster 9000 confounded me. I would struggle and lose against very poorly ranked players. I don't think chessmaster 9000 has quite figured out how to reduce it's strength at it's weaker/weakest levels. It either makes really good moves, or really dumb moves. [I believe that it still has a few issues with XP. They have not released any patches/updates in over 9 months.] This is where Kasparov seems to shine. When I downloaded the trial version of Kasparov to try it out for an hour, I discovered that it has players ranked down to elo 500. Although I haven't had enough time to seriously try it out since I bought it (midnight last night at WalMart), I am pleased to announce that I wasn't trounced on the lowest level (elo 500) of Kasparov on my Palm - and I can tell you that Kasparov on my palm was not throwing completely random/stupid moves at me as Chess Tiger will tend to do in Training level 1 (what it claims is elo 1000). I feel like I actually 'met my match' playing Kasparov on my Palm.
I also spent sometime going through the training last night before falling asleep and this morning. It could be better, but it does a reasonable job of explaining how pieces move, and what is checkmate. I wish that they would have placed middle-game tactics before openings (it gives you about a dozen examples of common open games played out to about a dozen turns (24 ply) - without any variations). I won't be able to give an adequate evaluation of the training until I complete it.
I'm not saying Kasparov is better than Chess Tiger on the palm (no analysis, strength of play, etc). But I feel that at my weaker level of play, I have possibly found a program that isn't playing 'stupid moves', but isn't trouncing me either. If you can stand losing occasionally (especially against Fritz in 'friend mode') and analyze your failures, that's great - and we often learn by losing. But it sure is nice to win once in a while.
I've given Kasparov 4 stars because of it's quality of weaker play (which may - in fact - be it's greatest selling point to the average consumer), and for the Palm version of the software. For me, it was a bargain because I got two chess programs for the price of one (one for my pc, and one for my palm). As I take more time to evaluate the game (and if I notice improvement in my play) I will be sure to post additional comments.
Keep in mind - Kasparov is aimed at the general consumer market. Anyone serious about chess programs is already aware of Fritz/Chessbase and Chessmaster 9000. This program is not better than those for reasons already stated. But I will confess, that so far I have enjoyed playing Kasparov chess - and hence it earns 4 stars on the merit that 'I had fun'. If you want to make money selling chess software to the masses, then you want to offer a game that is fun and challenging. If, and when, I win the 'bronze level' tournament in Kasparov, I'll be back to give additional feedback.

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Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm Review

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(More customer reviews)I read numerous reviews on Amazon (and gaming websites) before I bought this game. Although it wasn't rated that spectacularly, I decided to buy it because I am a huge fan of the show. Although I tried to be as open-minded as I could be, I have to admit that Alaskan Storm does not seem to have long-term playability.
Before I tell you about the game itself, I do have to warn you about the installation (for the PC users out there). Please note that it takes an "extremely" long time to install. I do not mean the file transfer itself, I mean the time it takes for your computer to recognize the game and load the setup.exe application. The first time I put the game in my drive nothing happened for over ten minutes. I ended up going to Greenwave's website and on the FAQ it mentioned that some people reported the game taking over 15 minutes to load. So, for those who have stated that they could not install the game...put the CD back in your drive...don't touch anything...and wait...and wait....and something should eventually happen.
As for the game itself, I thought the beginning (tutorial) was interesting. The game teaches you how to drive the boat, place pots, make repairs, etc. Every few minutes a video of Sig Hansen would pop up and give you some "real-life" information that coincides with what you are learning (i.e. after the game teaches you how to instruct your crew to chop ice, Sig explains the effects that ice has on your boat while fishing). I found the videos informative, but a little bit bothersome after a while...I wanted to get through the tutorial and be the captain of my own boat!
After you pick your boat (and add a new name and custom paint job if you like), you are ready to hire your crew and begin fishing. This was exciting for about the first 45 minutes, but then the monotony of setting/retrieving pots really starts to get to you. Obviously, the pots are the main part of fishing and dealing with them makes up 75-80% of the game. Unfortunately, though, that 75-80% is the most boring part of playing. You can't speed up the pot process and you have to sit and wait one to two minutes (real-time) while your crew sets, baits and prepares each one. When the pot is ready you then ring the bell that signals the crew to launch the pot...and then you do it all over again...on 40 pot strings. The one saving grace is that every time a pot is launched it counts as five pots in the water, but even doing a string of eight is tedious. (For those of you that are thinking "of course fishing is 75% of the game...what did she expect?" I am trying to explain that the most important aspect...the fishing...seems to be the least thought-out part of the game)
Just so you are aware, the PC version of Alaskan Storm does not allow you to play online with other players (as you can on X-box). I think a multi-player option would be helpful, as it would make the game more challenging and would probably keep up your level of interest. Lastly, you don't have the option to play the Time Bandit...which is not a deal-breaker, but is a little disappointing.
Overall, even being a huge fan of this show did not save this game for me. I will likely only play it a few times and then put it back on the shelf. If you do end up buying it, I truly hope you aren't as disappointed as I am. Happy Fishing!


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Prepare to battle 40-foot waves, storms, ice and a nearly 100-percent crewmember injury rate in the dangerous hunt for undersea riches on the Bering Sea.Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm lets gamers captain their own boat in the frenzied search for an undersea jackpot. Gamers select one of five real crab boats, including the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie and Sea Star - all featured on the series, or create and customize their own boat. Gamers then recruit and lead their own crew from a roster of twenty real crab fishermen.Selecting the wrong boat or recruiting the wrong crew member can mean the difference between landing a Bering Sea jackpot or disaster. Lead your fatigued, hungry and hardworking crew in the strategic search for King Crab and Opilio Crab, while battling to secure your catch and livelihood before other captains and crews get to the crab first. The game was inspired by Sig, Edgar and Norman Hansen - three brothers who have made their living crab fishing on the Bering Sea aboard their family's fishing vessel, the Northwestern.The Hansens and the Northwestern are featured on Discovery Channel's highest rated and Emmy-nominated series - Deadliest Catch.The series that captivated nearly three million viewers each week returns for a fourth season this April.

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