While working on World Adventures, I did not develop a favorite between the three destinations. Each location offers something special — a certain unique local flavor. It’s not just limited to the architecture either, which is definitely different for each location. Local identity is also quite personal. You find it in the little things. Egypt, for example, is the only place where Sims can buy a snake charming basket and then start practicing this special ability. The longer your Sim charms, the better they get at it. Soon, they can snake charm for tips and even coax a cobra out of the basket. (The cobra is pretty cool. If you ever get a mummy’s curse, the cobra is one of the surprising cures for the nasty hex.) Plus, you can take that snake charming basket back home when your visa to Egypt expires and play with it there, much to the amazement of friends and neighbors.

Egypt’s tombs can get pretty intense. The first few tombs you explore while going on adventures for locals ease you into a world of traps and trickery. But it doesn’t take long before you are moving deep into dangerous territory, trying to find the right switch to turn off fire traps or poison darts. Usually, the more dangerous a room is, the greater the chance of finding rare relics and valuable treasures. In our guide, we map out every single tomb in Egypt (as well as China and France) so you get the most of each expedition. Some of these tombs are really tough, but with our full-color maps and legends that point out how to open every door and locate every secret chamber, you will emerge from catacombs and tombs laden with awesome stuff. These treasures will look great in your house back in Sunset Valley or Riverview, but if you successfully undertake adventures in each location, you can build up your visa until you can purchase a vacation home. How cool would it be to have a vacation home in France loaded up with gilded relics from Egypt?

Like China and France, Egypt is also peppered with lots of collectibles, such as scarab beetles and new butterflies. Just like our Sims 3 guide, we show you the locations of all of the new collectibles in every destination in our World Adventures strategy guide. Your house will be decorated with all sorts of new insects, gems, and metals. If you are a hardcore collector, you definitely want to scour the new destinations in World Adventures to find the new collectibles. Next week, I’ll talk more about some of the fun things to do in France, which is home of the new nectar making skill and some very cool tombs, like the giant Tomb of Isael under the Nectary. That place is huge!

I do miss chugging some ale around camp with the fiery dwarf Oghren, but it’s more about wanting to go back and see all my friends. My companions that journeyed with me from the Grey Warden Joining to the final battle against the Archdemon. Sounds sappy, maybe, but I’ve never played a game before that had this much interaction between you and your pals. We’re all used to the A.I. party member that hacks a monster in the skull to save your neck (most of the time) and slashes through a spellcaster hellbent on turning you into a campfire marshmallow (most of the time); these guys are standard fantasy fare. I was pleasantly surprised, then amazed, at how my Dragon Age buddies came to life.

First up for my party was Alistair. A fellow Grey Warden, the wise-cracking, sensitive-yet-sometimes-surly Alistair became my warrior tank from the moment we sunk our boots into the Korcari Wilds muck. His banter with Morrigan is priceless. The two act like ex-boyfriend and girlfriend with a real axe to grind, and not as prep for our next darkspawn encounter.

Unfortunately, since I mostly played a mage, Morrigan got left home as soon as I hooked up with Wynne at the Circle Tower. Alistair got me again there, when he once asked Wynne to mend his socks because he’s a guy and she’s a motherly grandmother type. Hilarious stuff. There is a lot to love about Wynne and her nurturing wisdom, but probably the coolest thing was when her Vessel of the Spirit ability appears. This ability seals the deal for Wynne as the best healer in the game, but you only get it after a series of events at Party Camp and after a tough boss fight in a random encounter.

As a human male character, I choose to seduce Leliana, our rogue who joined the group at Dane’s Refuge in Lothering. Little did I know that she’s the hardest one to woo: She needs a 100 approval rating to fall in love, unlike companions like Morrigan and Zevran who enjoy their flings. Leliana’s a bard, and when she broke into song—the whole thing: music, lyrics, and all—just for me at Party Camp, I was floored. What other game gives you that much as a “throwaway” moment in camp? Amazing.

There are just too many moments in the lifetime of one character to chronicle. Dog’s fetching antics, grumpy Sten, discovering the gender-bender golem Shale in the downloadable content—moments I’ll remember forever, not because I killed a foe in .2 seconds flat, but because I made a connection with these characters.

Like a good book, I’m excited to get to the end of Dragon Age: Origins, and when I get there, I’m heartbroken that it’s over. Luckily, this story can be retold in many ways, and each time I’ll catch another Alistair joke or a disparaging Oghren comment that seriously makes me pause and think, “Did Bioware just create life with this game when I wasn’t looking?”

To access the official Dragon Age strategy site visit www.DragonAgeWalkthrough .com.

The Prima Collector’s Edition Guide and Prima Official Game Guide to Dragon Age: Origins are available wherever games are sold.

And you enter that insanity to save the Circle Tower in the “Broken Circle” quest line.

My party chose the “Broken Circle” quest line as its first major challenge, and wow did it get the adrenaline flowing. You hook up with the exceptional mage healer Wynne at the base of the Tower, then fight your way through a series of abominations, blood mages, and other monstrosities that have overrun the magi’s home. The ultimate bad guy in this mess, however, won’t go down easy and has other plans for you when you meet up at the top of the Tower. Instead of the expected boss fight, you’re cast into the Fade…alone…your companions scattered and lost in nightmares.

It’ll take all your wits and strength to escape. Separated from your companions, you only have your skills to rely on. In each “island” realm within the Fade, you must navigate through vile creatures and a maze of puzzles to escape the area and get closer to finding your friends.

The Fade is so dangerous, however, that it’s impossible to beat on your own. You need to tap into the Fade’s magic to overcome the obstacles, and since form follows one’s imagination inside the Fade, you have access to special shapeshifting abilities. You’ll shrink to the size of a mouse to crawl through mouse holes, or grow into a huge golem to crash through massive doors. Spirit Form grants you access to ethereal portals, and Burning Man Form allows you to walk through fire. All your shapeshifting forms give you cool, new powers to play with as you explore the Fade and battle its myriad denizens.

You’ll spend hours, maybe days, in the Fade, and you can easily get lost. Fortunately, Prima’s Official Guide to Dragon Age: Origins devotes more than 20 pages to the “Broken Circle” quest, packing in detailed maps, step-by-step walkthroughs of each encounter, locations of every monster and piece of treasure (including special essences that permanently increase your stats!), shapeshifting play tips, and all the info you need to ace the quest from the moment you step foot in the Lake Calenhad Docks to the final battle in the Harrowing Chamber.

My favorite quest might be yours, or you might go nuts for another part of Ferelden. It’s all covered in our Dragon Age Official Strategy (www.DragonAgeWalkthrough.com). Let the Dragon Age’s secrets be yours.

by Mike Searle

The official strategy guide covers every version of the game, offering detailed strategies to compete against the computer characters and human opponents. While every player wants the freedom to create a Bakugan deck any way they please, the official strategy guide allows you to do this, while still offering strategic recommendations on how to level up your Bakugan and which cards work well in varies deck builds.

If you’re looking for tips on the single player Story Mode, the official strategy guide won’t let you down. There’s a detailed walk through of the entire game, including strategies to win every tournament match. You’ll also learn who is available to challenge in the Park area, and how to unlock every card and Bakugan to build your decks exactly the way you want them.

One of the most important aspects of the official Bakugan Battle Brawlers strategy guide is the fact that it’s made for kids and parents to easily understand. A vast majority of the people playing Bakugan Battle Brawlers will be younger kids. Some will have the aid of their parents while others will be going at it alone. The official strategy guide is designed with this in mind and structured to make it easy for kids and parents to get the most out of the strategies within.

By Bryan Dawson

If there was any one thing I noticed while playing Brutal Legend, it was how quickly time passed when I was playing. Well, I guess that might actually best be stated as one thing I didn’t notice. I’d start up the game, grab a frosty brew (root beer, I’ll have you know), start playing, and before I knew it, six hours had passed.

So now that you have the game in your grubby little hands and the guide sitting right next to it (right? If not, get it now. I can wait….. Ok. Good.), I’d like to impart one final piece of advice for you that was not included in the strategy guide. Grab a clock and set it right next to your TV. If you have an egg timer, that works too. Set the timer, hop into Eddie’s kickass world, and hope you make it to bed on time tonight.

If you haven’t grabbed the game or guide yet, there’s still plenty of time to do so. The game is unlike anything you’ve played before and the guide has everything you need to make the most of your experience in the World of Metal. Not only does the guide contain every single enemy, a highly detailed walkthrough (which I’m very proud of, by the way), all Deuce upgrades, weapon upgrades, and combo information, but it also contains the location of every Bound Serpent and Secondary Side Missions. If you can’t find it in the book, it ain’t in the game!

For those of you that dig on cool rock-&-roll covers, the guide’s got some of that too… sort of. Included in the back is a giant pull out poster. On one side is Eddie Riggs, master roadie and ass-kicker extraordinaire. On the other side are several maps with the locations of… well… everything!

by Fernando Bueno

The first thing you notice about the guide is its sheer weight. The hardback version, for example, is a full pound heavier than the previous iteration, and it should be: there’s every possible piece of information you’ll ever need in there. But it’s the content inside that matters, and I’m happy to say that everything I and the team at Bethesda wanted has made it into both these weighty tomes. Glossy paper makes the screenshots pop. The Capital Wasteland map has new content areas labeled. But let’s delve into the guide on a chapter-by-chapter basis:

From the very start, we’ve revamped the guide to make it user-friendly, giving brief descriptions of what each chapter contains. This begins with the Training, which runs through all the statistics you need during character creation, along with general character development and Perks all the way to Level 30. Chapter 2 is the Factions and Bestiary, charting the machinations of every Wasteland clan and association from the Bandits to the Brotherhood of Steel, the Aliens to the wig-wearing Ghoul Guard. Then comes statistics for every single enemy in the game.

I’m particularly happy with Chapters 3 and 4: brand-new Wasteland Census and Gear information. The Census showcases every single person with a name that appears in Fallout 3. And I mean EVERYONE, along with where to find them, their biography, and their related Quests. Each Wasteland dweller has their own portrait too; a screen-taking process that took 72 hours alone to accomplish. But you will be able to look up information on anyone you meet, whether it’s Split Jack the Bandit or Leaf Mother Laurel. The Gear features every available weapon (along with a render of it), and all the wearable equipment you can find, with statistics and advice on how (and where) to find each type. Naturally, this includes associated Quests, unique weapons, custom weapons, and every other possible piece of information you need.

Next comes the familiar Main Quest, all the Miscellaneous Quests, and a thorough Tour of the Capital Wasteland. Did I just sum up pages 149-464 in one sentence? Yes, I think I did. Not to worry, there’s still close to 300 additional pages of content to peruse. This encompasses Quests and extensive Tours of every location you visit (and many you haven’t even spotted yet) during Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, and Mothership Zeta. Finally to finish, there’s an Appendix listing Achievements, Trophies, and the location of hundreds of important items. Did I mention we have an index now, too?

The man-hours on this project and the social activity missed because of it cannot be understated, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This book was created with great affection for the game, the series, the developer, and most importantly, the gamer. I hope it helps your Wasteland excursions for months to come.

David S J Hodgson. October 13, 2009.

by Fernando Bueno

Right about now some of you are readying to join the fight. Whether it’s because you have a deep sense of sympathy for the Republic or because you just want to kick some serious Sith butt, it doesn’t matter. You’re in for a treat. As any Star Wars fan will tell you, the Clone Wars are one of the best settings available for Star Wars magic. I mean, sure you know that Anakin eventually turned to the Dark Side. And sure, you know that the rebels eventually won, but what of the fine details in between? That’s where the Clone Wars setting comes in.

That’s why the Clone Wars is one of my favorite events in the Star Wars mythos. I’m almost certain that many “purists” out there will scoff at me and hurl hairy insults at me in Shyriiwook (Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? It’s the Wookiee language). But where else can the world of Star Wars still grow, develop, and eventually surprise us? And better still, where else can it be done with deep ties to the characters and events that we all cherish? Sure, books can expand on the Star Wars universe, but only in the Clone Wars can we continue to explore the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Only in the Clone Wars can we continue to look for clues about how deep the darkness runs inside of our favorite fallen hero. Only during the Clone Wars can we be witness to the entirety of the Star Wars saga as it, ironically enough, continues to develop.

So if you’ve bought the game because you want to know more about what happened before Episode 3, then great! You’ve chosen wisely. Of course, you’re also in for a seriously good time hunting for Artifacts, slashing through Droids, and even making the occasional Droid do a jig for you (good times, good times). To satisfy the gamer in you, however, you’ll need a guide with everything. And we mean everything. Every single Artifact has been revealed. All unlockables have been detailed. Every level has been mapped! If you need it, we put it in the guide. So relax. Grab your lightsaber and hone your Jedi skills, because the Clone Wars rage on and you’re needed!

Wow. Talk about getting off track, right? Anyhow, my original point was this: If you’ve picked up the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Republic Heroes game, then be ready. Be ready to enjoy and take part in another series of events that are new and fresh and exciting, and… well, that might explain a little more about why our favorite characters are the way they are. I had a blast during my time in the Clone Wars, and I’m sure you will too. ]]> http://www.primagames.com/blog/2009/10/07/star-wars-clone-wars-republic-heroes/feed/ 4 http://www.primagames.com/blog/2009/10/01/ninja-gaiden-sigma-2/ http://www.primagames.com/blog/2009/10/01/ninja-gaiden-sigma-2/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:43:56 +0000 zimtastico http://www.primagames.com/blog/?p=1219 By Bryan Dawson

The wait is finally over! PlayStation 3 owners are heading to stores to pick up the latest from Tecmo; what’s the final verdict? Well, it’s certainly different from the original Ninja Gaiden II, but that’s not a bad thing.

When I was working on the Ninja Gaiden II guide, I tried to make sure that everything I would want to know as I progressed through the game was included in the guide. This meant everything from maps of the stages to details on how to defend against every enemy and the best way to take them out. The locations of all 30 Crystal Skulls were also a must, but I found that the boss battles were where I could really get detailed when explaining exactly how to conquer each boss.

In Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 there’s a different focus. The new Team Ninja has removed a lot of the excessive difficulty found in the story mode. It can still be challenging on the harder difficulty levels, but the strategy this time around comes in the form of using the ideal weapon for every situation and maximizing your combat effectiveness. This goes as far as to monitor your Yellow Essence (currency) in order to ensure you have enough items to make it through each battle. Throughout the guide , we use icons to flag all the available items so you know where each item is coming up and when you can use ninpo. You won’t have to wonder if you’ll run out of Ki before you get to the boss because you’ll know when Red Essence or Devil’s Way Mushroom items are coming up.

The boss battle strategies are still included, as well as all of the other things that people enjoyed about the Ninja Gaiden II guide, but I was able to fine-tune the strategies to near perfection. There were enough changes between Ninja Gaiden II and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 to make this guide very different from the original Ninja Gaiden II guide.

I would like to discuss the Team Missions a little bit though. For the most part, the weapons and general strategies found in the guide can be used throughout the Team Mission mode. In addition, there are tips for the harder missions to make sure you know the path to victory. However, there are no tips that can improve the skill of your AI partner, so I highly recommend playing with a friend online. The missions can get extremely difficult if you’re limited to only the AI partner, but I know many Ninja Gaiden fans strive for that difficulty. In that case, go at it alone because you’ll get the challenge you were craving.

September 22^nd, Roseville CA.

The Official Game Guide to Halo 3: ODST has finally dropped, and takes you directly into the action as the Battle for New Mombasa rages on. Playing as key members of the ODST “Helljumpers” squad assigned to a classified mission within the hellscape of a major evacuated city under constant Convenant bombardment, it becomes imperative to learn precisely where you are, what enemies you face, the crucial weapons for all manner of foe takedowns; essentially how to survive the mean streets of New Mombasa. This is where the Prima Game Guide comes in.

Written over a period of months with the help and support of Bungie, this 320 page book is packed with tips, hints, and takedowns; tactical knowledge that’s not only been battle-tested, but approved by veteran testers from both Microsoft and Bungie. Quite simply; if this guide doesn’t have a tactical plan in it, the plan isn’t worth knowing about. With the game featuring a complex Campaign mode, an all-new Firefight game, and all 24 Halo 3 Multiplayer maps, the guide tackles all these aspects methodically, and with extreme attention to detail. Here’s how it all breaks down:

The guide begins with a section on Basic Training. This reveals biographies for each member of the ODST squad you’re fighting with, before a primer with general tactical knowledge, notes on the brand-new Heads-Up Display features, mapping, combat information, and aspects of the infamous Legendary mode. At the end of this chapter, you’ll be ready to drop.

Chapter 2 focuses in on Armaments and Equipment. Every available piece of UNSC and Covenant machinery, whether a weapon, turret, grenades, vehicle, or other equipment type, is inspected thoroughly; followed by the item’s strengths and weaknesses. Need to know how a Suppressed Magnum fares against a Hunter? Or what type of grenade works best against a Shield Jackal? Then peruse this chapter, and use it to update your knowledge as soon as you encounter a new piece of equipment in the game.

Facing the Covenant threat can be difficult. However, Know Your Enemy (Chapter 3) brings every single killing tactic to the table, and reveals how to cut down every Grunt, Jackal, Brute, Drone, Hunter, and the all-new Engineer that you’ll face in both Campaign and Firefight modes. Exploits are revealed, and most importantly, a massive chart showing the effectiveness of each weapon compared to every other weapon, for all enemies, on all difficulty levels, shows just how committed we are to obsessive details.

The Campaign section of this guide is an enjoyable romp through New Mombasa, on a search for the Superintendent. Every Mission is revealed along with a fully-labeled map of the combat zone, along with well-practiced strategies for every Chokepoint you encounter throughout the Mission. Specific Cooperative and Legendary tactics are showcased constantly, allowing you to learn precisely how to deal with every battle, search, and slaughter effortlessly and easily, no matter what the difficulty. There’s also a Tour of New Mombasa, mapping out the maze of Districts and flagging the landmarks in each one, allowing quick and easy navigation.

Firefight Missions are both tense and incredibly addictive, and even more fun to play once you’ve read up on all ten Firefight maps, tailoring tactics to each of them. Aside from the fully-annotated maps, each Mission receives a variety of advice on the best two weapons to use through the various Sets and Rounds. Enemy incursion points are tagged, along with specific plans for each Map: Invaluable advice abounds.

As Halo 3: ODST is packaged with all 24 Halo 3 Multiplayer maps, it is only right to provide complete tactical knowledge of every single one of these areas. Working with the veterans of Clan PMS, masses of tactical knowledge is imparted, from weapon spawn times to ambush spots, topographical techniques to game mode advice. Key knowledge from the three new maps – Citadel, Heretic, and Longshore – are also provided.

Finally, whether you need to know the Skull or Score Multipliers or Game Unlockables, the Appendices chapter at the back of this weighty tome has everything you need. Check off and gain advice on the trickier Achievements (including the Vidmaster Challenges), or calculate how many points your Firefight Medals are worth; all in one place.

Don’t forget to check Xbox Live for video strategies, dropping constantly throughout the upcoming weeks!

Stage Hazards – Many stages have an element of surprise that can significantly alter the course of the match. Pay close attention to your surroundings and take advantage of every stage hazard by forcing your opponents into them.

Wall Attacks – Jump to the wall and unleash a quick attack to catch your enemies off guard. This works best if you’re fighting near the wall, but even if you’re not, you can use it to reach the other side of the stage while avoiding attacks from other players.

Rock, Paper, Scissors – Smash-Up works on a rock, paper, scissors system where a throw can hit a blocking opponent, blocking stops all normal attacks, and normal attacks beat out throws. Remember this priority system and it may come in handy during tight situations!

Guard Break – If you block too much your guard will break and you’ll be left wide open to an opponent’s attack. Stay on the move and don’t stay in the same place, blocking all of your opponent’s attacks. The invisible guard break meter recharges slowly, so if you’ve blocked a few attacks, it’s time to get out of there and avoid the next attack.

Overstun – If you stun an opponent too much, they’ll turn green indicating they’re in overstun. When this happens, they can instantly teleport to the top of the screen and avoid all of your attacks. If this happens, stop attacking and get ready to avoid a possible attack from above.

Turn Around Stun – Hit your enemies with an attack that results in a turn around stun and they’ll have to guess what your next move will be. If they remain blocking, you can throw them, but if they try to turn around and attack to beat the throw, you can attack them first. It’s a guessing game, will you attack or will you use a throw. The moral of the story is, don’t get hit by a turn around stun.

Swing-By Attacks – Some stages have red poles that can be used for swing-by attacks. Grab the pole, aim for the closest enemy and unleash an unblockable attack of fury. If it hits, do a mid-air jump and grab the pole again for a repeat attack.

Items – When Super Smash Bros. Brawl is played competitively, items are almost always turned off. That’s probably going to be the case with TMNT: Smash-Up because the items are extremely powerful. If you see an item appear, make sure you’re the first one to reach it because it could easily change the outcome of the match.

Maximize Your Damage – There aren’t many instances when it’s impossible to block an attack. However, when those instances occur, it’s extremely important to take advantage of them by hitting your opponent for as much damage as possible. If you’re not getting the maximum damage from your combos, work on them so that every time you hit, you’re inflicting the most damage possible.

Dodge – There aren’t many blocked attacks in Smash-Up that leave a character open to a counter attack. Therefore, blocking something doesn’t guarantee you can score a free hit on your opponent. It’s highly recommended to dodge or roll to avoid an attack, which will have a much greater chance of leaving your enemy open to a counter attack. But be careful, if you dodge at the wrong time, you may be the one getting hit!